Tamriel Vault - Lore help needed: Nord racial slurs for Bosmer?

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Lore help needed: Nord racial slurs for Bosmer?

MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 3:51 PM EST

So I'm writing a fanfic entitled "Sevria's Travels", wherein a young Bosmer lady makes a pilgrimage to Skyrim and finds it difficult to fit in with the predominant Nord culture, namely due to the heavy amount of racism -- especially when it comes to elves, whom the Nords have repeatedly clashed with in the past (and it doesn't help that Valenwood, homeland of the Bosmer, is now under Aldmeri rule).

I want to be able to portray that narrow-mindedness in a way that fits in with the lore, but I've found that there aren't many examples of wood elves being discriminated against in the games. At least, not that I've ever seen. And that's actually surprising, considering the racism we see for several other races, including the Khajiit ("cats"), the Argonians ("boots"), and Dunmer ("grey-skins"). So, bit of an awkward question, but can anyone help me out here? Maybe provide fitting slurs to throw in here and there? One idea I had was for some of the Nords to call her a "red-skin", as a throwback to Native Americans (who, incidentally, serve as the primary inspiration for this character), but I'd prefer putting the established lore first. Help would be greatly appreciated!

~M.M.T.
Antonius
- 13 posts
January 24, 2015 5:07 PM EST

Tree-hugger? I got nothing else really.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 5:20 PM EST

I might be able to find a place for that. Thanks for the recommendation.
Vazgen
- 1483 posts
January 24, 2015 5:27 PM EST

There may be some slurs in ESO. I watched playthrough on YouTube but it was Aldmeri Dominion side
Gentleman Wolf
- 47 posts
January 24, 2015 5:34 PM EST

Mushroom addict, short pants or fat-bellied little knee high from NN2. Strange, i don't remember any slur about bosmer in Skyrim.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 5:46 PM EST

When it goes free-to-play in March, I'll have to check that out. Could provide some valuable insight!
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 5:47 PM EST

The "short" slurs would make sense for the males of the species, but Bosmer women are surprisingly taller than the males; according to lore, they stand roughly the same height as Nord men. But interesting choices!
Tae-Rai
- 622 posts
January 24, 2015 6:10 PM EST

Knife-ear? That's one from Dragon Age
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 6:17 PM EST

Cannibal. Chirp-tongue. Squirrel-hide. Tree f*ckers. Pygmy elf. Flea folk. Dishonorable cravens who think they're birds. Bird-brained tree lovers.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:18 PM EST

A smart suggestion. I might put that to use. However, that could apply to virtually any elf; I'm looking for something specific to Bosmer, so that it'll stand out more.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:20 PM EST

Brilliant, brilliant!
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 6:23 PM EST

The milk-drinkers get drunk off ground beetles and caterpillars. Light weights would fall over if a cow farted in their direction if it wasn't for their trees.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:29 PM EST

I could definitely find use for that if my Bosmer ever finds herself in a tavern. .... Actually, there could be a whole chapter's worth of material in just that scene alone. XD
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 6:36 PM EST

I can't tell the difference between a wood elf and those monkeys that wish they were elves, to be honest.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:38 PM EST

Okay, that's a little too far on this post. ^^" Suggestions are fine, but that's a bit much.
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 6:41 PM EST

Imga?
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:45 PM EST

That's what the Great Apes of Valenwood are called, yes. Now, if you were meaning to suggest earlier that the Nords could compare Sevria (the wood elf mentioned in my post) to the Imga... I'm gonna have to say that won't work. After all, how many Nords could possibly know or even care about the other provinces, much less the deep south of Valenwood?
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 6:47 PM EST

Oh, I thought you meant it was too insulting.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 6:51 PM EST

I was more or less thrown off by your sentence structure and how you presented the suggestions; I couldn't tell if you were providing ideas or genuinely insulting the Bosmer. My bad.
Tom
- 624 posts
January 24, 2015 7:00 PM EST

Bosmer aren't real.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 24, 2015 7:02 PM EST

True, true. And getting upset about someone's comments on a fictional race is just plain silly. Apologies.
adds-many-comments
- 133 posts
January 25, 2015 7:47 AM EST

I'm fairly sure that wood elves and Nords have got on pretty well, to my own knowledge at least. More than the dunmer or altmer anyways.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 25, 2015 8:03 AM EST

Which begs the question, why so? I mean I can see why they don't get along with Altmer, but the Dunmer (as well as Argonians) have done no wrong, yet they are heavily discriminated.
Gentleman Wolf
- 47 posts
January 25, 2015 9:28 AM EST

There is bad blood between nords and dunmer over the wars and invasions in the past. Now, some cities got a huge influx of dunmer and argonians, making some nords believe their way and livehood is in danger.
MarkusMasterThief
- 125 posts
January 25, 2015 11:29 AM EST

Ah, now that makes sense (and kudos for knowing your lore!).

But I do think it's fair to point out that Valenwood and Elsweyr are both Dominion property now, and since the Thalmor are all about elven supremacy (note how they don't single out the Altmer as being dominant; instead they generalize all mer as being superior to men), it could possibly result in some Nords being hostile toward any elves.