Nords are probably my most common race to play in Skyrim - or an TES game, really. I think it's because I've read a lot of the historical/mythological stuff on which the Nord culture is largely based, so it's easy for me to slip into that role. Even when I'm playing Morrowind, which is as alien a fantasy world as I've ever encountered, I can still play a Nord comfortably - in fact, it's great fun, since I get to play as a 'stranger in a strange land' and RP how the character would be reacting to all of this crazy weird architecture, customs, people, languages, etc.

However, in Skyrim I'm finding it really tough to get inside my new Dunmer's head, so to speak.

I'm thinking this is partly because I am so familiar with the Nordic side of things that it's difficult to see it from another perspective. In Morrowind, things are really out there - people live in bug shells, wizards build giant mushrooms, the lore and religion are influenced by things outside my ken. In Skyrim, I can pretty much see where a lot of the tropes are coming from. I feel like I'm not able to really see them from the outside, as if for the first time. As if they're foreign.

My character is a Redoran warrior type. (I think he's actually the Nerevarine from a previous MW playthrough.) He'll be getting Bonemold armor as soon as he can head to Solstheim, and I intend to spend a lot of time on that island, working for the Redoran Guard and sort of keeping Raven Rock under his protection.

In the early stages, though, you're stuck with very Nordic weapons and armor. Nothing feels really appropriate for him in terms of gear, yet. I'm running around with banded iron armor, some enchanted iron swords, an ancient Nordic greatsword, a longbow... pretty standard fare, and it hardly makes him feel like a Dunmer from Morrowind.

And when I encounter Nordic ruins or cities, it's difficult to roleplay as though these things are foreign and exotic to a Morrowind expatriate, because those ruins and cities are so familiar to me, as the player.

Not sure if any of this makes sense. But I wonder if any of you have advice for getting into a real native MW Dunmer RP.

I play on PC, btw, so mod recommendations are welcome. But I'm thinking this is an issue that goes beyond mods to some extent... I need to learn how to see things differently, if you follow me.

As you said, I think a lot of this stems from the kind of viewpoint the player themselves has. I have the complete opposite problem in that I never really feel "at home" in any game at all in spite of how well I'd know the province or its people. The closest I've come is Oblivion's Cyrodiil.

In every single game I've always picked an outsider (a non native) because it always felt right. They were a bit of a surrogate for me so that when I found something odd, them going "What's this? What's this? No color anywhere! What's this? There's white things in the air!" it's not completely out of character. It makes certain lines in the game make more sense and such ("Deliver this axe." "...an axe?" "How long have you been in Skyrim? Give the man my axe.") I STILL can't get over the mammoths and saber cats no matter how mundane. Or the huge ruins. Or how stupid the general populace is. Or how bland the food is. Or the severe lack of color. Or how ridiculously cold it is (this isn't hard to imagine for me, it's below zero where I live right now). I think you get the idea.

I guess keeping a childlike curiosity is key. Maybe a bit toned down since it's a Dunmer--or probably a morbid fascination.

I think that as far as equipment goes, due to it being a technical limitation (unless there's a mod that adds a ton of Morrowind-style armors and weapons to the leveled list), a "When in Rome" approach is best. You're far from your native province and it's better to use what you can get rather than not have anything at all.