[Ashley Clifft]

Well, the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1098122-the-ultimate-orsimer-thread/page__p__16044564__fromsearch__1&#entry16044564 is more or less over with.

Most people seem to be content with the generic green pig man. However, a vocal minority are really itching for a more interesting orc.

As for Imperials, I was thinking it would be cool to have the real Cyrodilic races, rather than the stock Imperial they've been making. And since the Imperials seem to have been beaten with the ugly end of the retcon stick, as of late, we might as well take this opportunity to make them look cooler. I personally want the TESV Imperials to be an accursed fish people who crawled out of the ocean.

And, while the true climate and geography of Cyrodil seems to be up in the air right now, we might as well (try to) settle it for the fans, at least.

You can read the pocket guide's description of Cyrodil http://www.imperial-library.info/pge/cyrodiil.shtml

And http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v620/thelobo/Picture5.png?t=1278556577 is a screenshot of Cyrodil in Arena.

[Alyce Argabright]

Yeah! Add another playable race, and it's more white people!... Uhh, why did they bother?

[Logan Greenwood]

Yeah! Add another playable race, and it's more white people!... Uhh, why did they bother?

I've seen some pretty dark Imperials.

[matt oneil]

I've seen some pretty dark Imperials.

If they aren't dark, their skin looks way too blotchy and beards turn blue.

I'd be cool with these pictures http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-first-edition-cyrodiil. I really don't care about their skin tone, but there are two other white races, so maybe a majority have http://www.imperial-library.info/content/page-36 to black skin tone. :shrug:

How should the Imperials be presented in TESV?

According to the prevailing culture's perception of an Imperial. That should be true for all races, to a great extent. So you can see yourself through their eyes. Should be comical.

From where should Imperials hail?

Where they did before the retcon, but they don't.

[Svenja Hedrich]

If they aren't dark, their skin looks way too blotchy and beards turn blue.

I'd be cool with these pictures http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-first-edition-cyrodiil. I really don't care about their skin tone, but there are two other white races, so maybe a majority have http://www.imperial-library.info/content/page-36 to black skin tone. :shrug:

Well if they are like the Romans then their skin should range from pale, to bronze.

[Justin Bywater]

Well, the original Romans would have been Etruscan and they wouldn't present the range of skin tones that modern Italians do. I think they would be as brown as the Greeks.

Of course, if they follow the same type of Greco-Roman culture, their females would be pale.

But, if they're supposed to be rainforest people, they should be even darker. Subtropical skin tones are that of Indians or Cambodians or Mayans.

[Erich Lendermon]

Well, the original Romans would have been Etruscan and they wouldn't present the range of skin tones that modern Italians do. I think they would be as brown as the Greeks.

Of course, if they follow the same type of Greco-Roman culture, their females would be pale.

But, if they're supposed to be rainforest people, they should be even darker. Subtropical skin tones are that of Indians or Cambodians or Mayans.

Not entirely, also they did not come from there, they settled it. It was a Ayleids who were there first. Although I could be off, I'm tired and its been a while.

[jason worrell]

Not entirely, also they did not come from there, they settled it. It was a Ayleids who were there first. Although I could be off, I'm tired and its been a while.

Yeah I think you're right. I think besides Redguards, the human races are all related to the Nords.

But, skin tone is directly related to the intensity of the sun in the region your people have been living in for the past thousand years or so. Skin color changes as tribes and peoples migrate. Keep in mind, the people of the Earth all came from the same tiny area, also.

Did you know that Persians are Aryans? They turned brown after settling in Persia.

[Aman Bhattal]

The Ayleids came from Sumurset, and the nedic were natives to the land. They were mistaken/considered as a beast race of bird-men, because of their love for bright feathers, confusing, bird-like behavior, and labrinthian language of warbles.

It's in Topal the Pilot. kinda.

[Tania Bunic]

Split the Imperials into Colovians (nord-lite) and Nibenese (thinner, exotic, ruthless at bartering, and the best speakers in the world)

As for Cyrodiil, whatever

As for appearance, the MW look is great for Colovians, but the Nibenese should be less...Roman soldier-like and more exotic, tattooed, blah.

EDIT: Meh, screw it. Keep them as "imperials" but allow for distinction physical between Colovian Imperials and Nibenese Imperials.

[Jonathan Windmon]

Keep in mind, the people of the Earth all came from the same tiny area, also.

What tiny area are you referring to?
And with Imperials, I want them to range from pale to bronze be less bulky than other races and be jack of all trades

[Michael Korkia]

And with Imperials, I want them to range from pale to bronze be less bulky than other races and be jack of all trades

But they are.

[KRistina Karlsson]

What tiny area are you referring to?
And with Imperials, I want them to range from pale to bronze be less bulky than other races and be jack of all trades

Somewhere in Africa, I assume. That's where some of the first mammals and the likes are thought to have started evolving, and for the religious that's where some believe the Garden of Eden was.

Best not to discuss this Africa thing any further, eh? It might start a debate which isn't allowed here.

[Anna Kyselova]

Somewhere in Africa, I assume. That's where some of the first mammals and the likes are thought to have started evolving, and for the religious that's where some believe the Garden of Eden was.

Best not to discuss this Africa thing any further, eh? It might start a debate which isn't allowed here.

Eh, agreed. There's other places for that MWA-HA-HA!
And yes I know in my post I basically described the current Imperial race, but to be honest, I like them the way they are

[Bedford White]

The Romans didn't spring forth from the Etruscans, the Romans killed/enslaved all the Etruscans and destroyed everything they could find of their culture. We wouldn't know the Etruscans existed but for some caves the Romans didn't find and Vitruvius.

[Marta Wolko]

Now that they exist (Which is in the eye of the beholder wheather they should or not.) just leave them alone.

[Tina Tupou]

Now that they exist (Which is in the eye of the beholder wheather they should or not.) just leave them alone.

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. It'd be nice if they hadn't been more exotic from the beginning (I really like the picture from the Morrowind concept art that makes them look kinda Olmec), but with Morrowind and Oblivion turning them into Romans, it wouldn't make much sense to change them.

Is there a lore supported basis for splitting them into Nibenese and Colovians? I'm not saying there isn't, mind you, I just haven't done enough digging to discover it.

[nath]

Go to the http://imperial-library.info/, TennysonXII and look it up. It's the best place for all lore and history related things to TES.

[Eire Charlotta]

I've always been a big fan of the Oblivion change converting Cyrodiil to a temperate region (even though the Arena picture makes it look as though it started out that way anyhow), since it makes much more sense geographically and adds a climate to Tamriel that isn't found anywhere else.

I think the idea of splitting the Imperial race into Colovian and Nibenese is a nice idea too, but agree with Hellmouth that it would be better to allow for customization in character creation to indicate whether your Imperial is from eastern or western Cyrodiil. With this being the largest province of them all though, it certainly makes sense to include racial variations across the land. Perhaps Bethesda should start introducing sub-races into character creation? IE: Select Imperial as your race, and then select between Colovian, Nibenese, and Central Imperials, which provide slight variations on skin tones and bone structure, as well as different hairstyle, beard, and tattoo/piercing options?

I'm sure every race could benefit from this actually. What with ashland and city-based Dunmer, the huge variations of Khajiit, the climate ranges in Hammerfell... I'll bet every race has a lot of visual variations.

[Anna Watts]

And don't forget hybrid races.

I never saw the point of "streamlining."

More choices are always better. Even if some are totally pointless and/or redundant. It's an RPG. You don't play to win, you play to create.

[GEo LIme]

2 new races

rainforest - but not necessarily subtropical

Mediterranean olive skin (voted for "tan") - but with a lot of skin tone variety, particularly since I voted for two different subraces.

[michael danso]

It would be nice to see the differences between Colovians and Nibeneans but Oblivion was the big chance to explore that notion and it was criminally ignored. Jack of all trades fits the imperials nicely.

I found the Cyrodiil presented in Oblivion to be incredibly boring. If I want to see rolling hills and trees I'll go for a walk. They can say what they like about the Cyrodiil landscape as long as I don't have to go there ever again.

Darker than Nords, but there should be some variation. Cyrodiil is a cosmopolitan province after all.

[james reed]

I'm pretty sure the Imperials are supposed to be the TES equivalent of the Romans during their empire. Why make them different? They're fine as they are.

[Abi Emily]

Somewhere in Africa, I assume. That's where some of the first mammals and the likes are thought to have started evolving, and for the religious that's where some believe the Garden of Eden was.

Best not to discuss this Africa thing any further, eh? It might start a debate which isn't allowed here.

Sorry I am arbitrarily bringing this up, but it was actually in south Africa to be precise.

[..xX Vin Xx..]

Sorry I am arbitrarily bringing this up, but it was actually in south Africa to be precise.

lol

I was just talking about this in a PM, how no two groups can agree on exactly where in Africa man first evolved.

As for the Garden of Eden, Christopher Columbus thought it was in Venezuela. But, if you read the story, it's in between the Tigris and Euphrates, surrounded by Havilah (Hebrew for "expanse of desert") and south of Kush. There's no mystery where it's located because it's explicitly described: Sumer (Southern Iraq/ Kuwait).

It's arguably where Western society started, the birthplace of math, writing, cities, laws, and beer. If you wanna argue about this, PM me, because it's a thread locker and I'm not sure if it's a legal topic for the off-topic. But I do like debating about it.