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*Improved with input from the lore community
*Lore notes on Ethnicities of Tamriel
If you are the sort who likes deep lore, I have gone out of my way to dig up the deep dirt on Tamriel's human population and it's actually a lot more diverse than you think. Although at time I have had to use some critical thinking to make sense of plot holes or gaps in information what follows contains no head canon, and all of these groups have been mentioned in canonized sources and therefore can be assumed to exist in game. Remember that this is just how things look on my side of the Dragon Breach. If you do not like how I have described these groups please leave constructive input as well as criticism.
Akaviri: The Asians of Nirn. According to developer "Slateman" (Alan Nanes) they survived the Tsaesci holocaust thanks to the intervention of Tosh Raka. If the more lore friendly items in the Creation Club are taken as canon, Akaviri humans are not entirely unknown in Tamriel by the fourth era and an be created without the excuse of a Dragon Breach in Skyrim.
Kreath: One of the proto Imperial groups, the Men-of-Kreath are somewhat Germanic, being a mix of both Nordic and Imperial stock. Considering that in lore Falkreath is full of graveyards and is actually larger than current Germany in terms of landmass we can guess that this the home of the Kreath.
Nords: Baltic/Viking kingdoms. The Nords can easily be identified as Tamrielic translations of real world Nordic peoples. Whiterun resembles Sweden in terms of politics, while Windhelm is ruled by a guy who may as well be Varg Vikernes, so Norway. Riften is full of trolls, so there you have Finland.
Barbarians: Wild Nords. Not all Nords live in places like Whiterun. Some are every bit as savage as Reachmen. Those dudes who live in caves you encounter all over Skyrim are often comprised of such individuals, many of whom probably retain their frost resistance if you are doing tabletop.
Breton: Daggerfall (England), Camlorn (Wales), Glenumbra (France), Rivenspire (Scotland) Stormhaven (Ireland.) Some here still practice an ancient form of magic known as Galenic Druidism. Languages spoke in High Rock include Cryodilic Standard, Glenumbrian, and various Galenic tribal dialects. The people here revere the Elven Pantheon rather than the 8 Divines, and prayers and sermons are often delivered in the Elven tongue by the clergy. In High Rock there is no division between Man and Mer, which is a shock to foreigners in the 4th era.
Rihadi: The Men-of-Rihad are a Pre Imperial group native to Hammerfell. They resemble Arabs and were absorbed into the Redguard. Just assume Redguard who look more Arab than Black are these dudes.
Yokudans: Yokudan culture is the dominent cultural force in Hammerfell as well as what is left of Yokuda. This group eradicated the Keptu and subjugated the Rihadi in ages past.
Wrothgarians: Also called the Forsworn or Reachmen. Their shamans are called Druadach, and practice a twisted form of Galenic Druidism. Reachmen of Wrothgar and Skyrim resemble Slavs, while the Reachmen who dwell in High Rock resemble Picts.
Nibenians: Natives of the Nibenay Basin and more generally Eastern Tamriel. Before Talos altered history they were much like their Akaviri ancestors in terms of culture and appearance, but when the 9th Divine altered the history of the land he also altered the history of the people of that land. The Nibenese of Talos's new timeline had all but forgotten their heritage. They were left as little more than savages, their history and culture wiped out in an instant. Some Nibenians migrated to the cities, particularly Bravil and Lleyawiin, and bred with the Colovians, while others remained as they had found themselves, becoming the nomads that inhabit the Basin. They somewhat resemble Native Americans, making use of warpaint and other more tribal elements of pre-Imperial culture.
Colovians: A Pre Imperial human group with a distinct dialect and architectural style. They resemble Greeks and Romans, even moreso than most Imperials. In fact, Colovians consider themselves the only true Imperials in all of Cyrodiil, and often consider the current multicultural state of things in the Empire to be an embarrassment.
Cyrodilics: The modern Imperial Citizen is a mix of various ethnic backgrounds and is oft considered a mutt race by the Colovians and Nibenians. For their part, Cyrodilics consider the Colovians to be snobbish and the Nibenians to be primitive. These guys comprise the majority of Western Cyrodiil.
Velothi Nomads: Nibenians of Morrowind near Blacklight. They resemble Eskimos. They are just tribal Nibenians with Skaal clothing. These people are disregarded by the Empire and hunted by the Nobles of Blacklight for sport. They worship Kynareth and are led by Ice Shamans.
Rimmenian: These guys call themselves Akaviri but more resemble Persians than Asians. In any case, while the people of Rimmen Kingdom may think of themselves as Tsaesci, the rest of the humans in Elsweyr just consider themselves citizens of their nation. The typical Elsweyrian human is a descendant of Rihadi refugees from the Yokudan invasion and is not related to the descendants of Akavir. Despite this, all human Natives of Elsweyr are called Rimmen because the term is a pejorative meaning "From the rim of the Empire." These guys resemble the peoples of India.
Gypsies: Also known as Rema, the Gypsies of Tamriel are featured in Redguard and other really old lore, particularly in regards to item descriptions.
Zenithites: A hereditary order of Priests dedicated to a religion that is entirely focused on money. Technically a bloodline rather than a race. Surely there is no group like this in the REAL world...
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