When you start a new character and delete a old one, do you think of some cool/badass/sad/depressing way they "passed on"? On this thread, I mean lore style deaths, no "just felt like it" style deaths.

For me, my character from oblivion, Alexandria Rowe, had a daughter named Alicia Rowe, and in order to bring in her and her obvious hatred of elves, my Oblivion (Alexandria Rowe) was in the Great War, where she faught a powerful Elven Genral and was stabbed in the heart, from a traitorous Orsimer. She died before she hit the ground, in full view of her 13 year old daughter.

So do you have something like this?

I mod a house for most of my characters before I begin a game. Making a house designed specifically for that character helps to bring that character into focus in my imagination before I begin playing.

So when I retire my characters it is usually to these houses. One had retired to be an assistant to Adrianne Avenicci in Warmaiden's, another has hired herself out as a guard for Ri'saad's caravan).

Sometimes one of my current characters will visit one of my past characters. They like to gossip about me when I'm not around.

They all eventually disperse and leave Skyrim. The majority of them to High Rock and a few to Cyrodiil or Morrowind. If the next game takes place around 5 or less years later, chances are I'll play a few of them on that game.

They go back to their home with their spouse and continue living their life with out my intervention.

All my characters live in the same world you see, but there is never a permanent retirement for any of my characters, I always return the play them.

They don't die, they go back to Black marsh.

A variety pf ways. Most just retire to a home. One got married and adopted children, a couple of others just adopted kids.

Quite a few have been "bug retired", where I can not go further due to quest bugs, some being from mods I tried out.

Still, a few have been of the "I have a neat idea!" characters that did not turn out quite as neat as I thought they may

Taught those adopted orphans restoration and alchemy and set up a hospital/school of the healing arts.

Achieved Amaranth. Went beyond language. Dreamed a world.

Last seen heading for Akavir.

Returned to Summerset at the head of her army to reclaim the noble title the Thalmor usurped.

Died of liver failure.

On one of my first characters my old Nord dragonborn donned his best set of daedric armor, best weapons and fought a legendary dragon until the dragon absorbed his spirit, kinda like when Obi Wan let Vader kill him in the first SW movie. It was then and only then did he become one with the dragon as his soul forever flourished im Sovngaurde

My character is just pure badass he has 100 smithing beaten the game is a werewolf and a reptile also beat the two main DLCS.

This made me imagine an old adventurers retirement home where the elderly sit around and complain about war wounds and knee injuries while reliving the glory days of bandits, beasts and embellished stories of fuzzy memories.

Markarth Retirement Village

Depends on the character and how their end would fit into the story i make for them.
A theif or vagrant character would end up in jail with no bond to get out and no friends to help.
My Dark Brotherhood characters go to the deepest depths of Blackreach into a dark corner, alone, where they belong forever. Thats the closest place to hell i think.
A Nord character i built after a glorious career saving Skyrim from the dragon threat and figting alongside his stormcloak brothers, went to the very highest point on top of The Throat of the World and jumped off.

My Imperial will retire from adventuring by strolling into Mistveil and telling Maven that her term as jarl is over.

My Khajiit will retire to his home in the Guild, telling stories about rebuilding it singlehandedly.

My Dunmer will spend the rest of her days playing music and hobnobbing with Elisif's other thanes.

I did not think of that!

"Gurd, remember that bandit attack just outside of Rorikstead? Good times... good... times..."

I don't think I ever actually did something like the character goes out heroically, most of the time my characters either shut themselves in their lab or go exploring. My Nord Legate (who was rare since she was full melee which is something I don't really like doing in skyrim) went in the legion full time and ended up retiring peacefully in her homestead in Falkreath.

Other than bugged characters, most just go home to their family. A few have went out in a blaze of glory. Zyne Greymore lead a ground of refugees to the forgotten valley where they are building homes where the Thalmor can't get to them. My thief Keri was last seen high tailing it out of Skyrim with some guards in hot pursuit.

I watch them walk away. Someday, I will read a book about the Dova that slew Alduin. There will be a closure to the story, and no matter how different the end is from what I hoped for, I will not dispute the Legend of the Dragonborne.

My characters don't die--they go to Sovngarde and regroup.