Talin is the character that the player presumably plays as in the first Elder Scrolls game, according to the manual. I've always gotten the impression that he was human, but I don't think it is ever given. Is he an imperial? I think the beginning explains him as an imperial guard for the Emperor. What about Ria?

S/he's whatever race the player decide during the character generation in the beginning of the game.

So are you saying that Bethesda purposely left him/her unexplained (not to mention with a name that could go to either gender) for that reason?

I always thought it was just the opposite. Talin is the only time a TES protagonist IS referred to by name (albeit in the manual for Arena, so it's not even a retcon). But what do I think the real Talin looked like? I'm thinking an Imperial due to the rather loyalist background he has in the manual.

He'd have to be a Nord or Breton, actually. There are no Imperials in Arena, remember? They didn't get retconned into their own race until Morrowind.

I always assumed that there were Imperials in Arena (such as the guards) and that they restricted playing as them because they were, back then, seen to be a much more esoteric group. Kind of like if one played a TES game and Bethesda offered between playing as any of the races of Tamriel or Mehrunes Dagon...

Was there ever an actual reference to "imperials" in the early games? I don't remember it ever really being there in daggerfall.

They are mentioned in Brief History of the Empire book series. But other than that, I'm not sure.

Well it talks about the "Imperial Guards" or "Imperial Guard" as a whole, but I don't think there are any references to Imperials being their own separate race.

Was there ever an actual reference to "imperials" in the early games? I don't remember it ever really being there in daggerfall.

Arena certainly never mentioned them. We did wonder what the central province had that the others didn't.

Until I played Redguard, I figured that "Imperials" were just like the US population, sort of. Immigrants from the other parts of the world, be it irish, germans, chinese and so on.

So basically just a mixed pool of the various races found in Tamriel. Although now we know that it didn't turn out that way

Incorrect, in RedGuard the player is referred to by name on a regular basis. Anyway, why dosen't Uriel Septim in Daggerfall's intro movie refer to the player as Talin, since we all know its the same person from Arena.

They are not the same character. I assume you are saying this because the Emperor refers to you as his friend in the intro. However, if you read your Biography in DF, you'll see that the Emperor refers to you as his friend because you saved his life in some way, and have been buds ever since. It has nothing to do with the events in Arena.

Couldn't "some way" be "saved me from Jagar Tharn" And he refers to you as his champion and only Talin has received such an honor.

Well, each bio gives a specific incident (usually his carriage being attacked by bandits). You should be able to read them all by poking around the bio.dat files.

Just read it, Why didn't Uriel just send his champion that defeated Jagar Tharn? Why does he refer to you as his champion, instead simply as friend? You just saved him from some bandits, not saved all of Tamriel like Talin did. Thus, don't qualify and again Talin is Uriel's only champion and was still alive at the time. There can't be two champions at the same time or else the title would be redundant.

I can only assume that (1) he wasn't using the term 'champion' as a title, as with Talin, or (2) they just goofed.

I mean, surely there's a diff between 'champion' and 'The Eternal Champion,' right?

The Emperor's mission in Daggerfall is a discreet one. Note how he summons you to his palace, alone (save for Ocato), in the dead of night. He even remarks, "but none may know of this meeting." This is less related to the laying to rest of King Lysandus, and more related to his other assignment for you. I do not believe he would want word to get out about the rediscovery of the Mantella (in his letter to Queen Mynisera, which I believe was sent anonymously to her) lest chaos ensue.

The Eternal Champion (Talin) was undoubtedly well-known throughout the Empire after the rescue of Uriel Septim. Given how Morrowind characters mention possible doppelganger heirs placed by Jagar Tharn, news of the events of Arena must be pretty widespread. Therefore, I don't think the Emperor would send Talin on the rather secretive and urgent mission in Daggerfall.

Yes, that does make sense, but why mention you as champion, they could've put friend and that's it they didn't have to put "champion". Unless Uriel was buttering him up, so he would do this for him. That would be the only plausible reason for calling him champion I can think of.

He calls him/her his champion since he's sending the "future hero" to find a way to put the ghost of Lysandus to rest and take care of the letter. Right now he's not the Empire's champion, but more like a champion in the making.
My guess.

BTW, forgive me for asking, but in what manual does it say the name of the Arena hero is "Talin"? IIRC s/he's afterward known as the Unknown Champion, or something.

I mean, I'm going to assume you mean the Arena manual, and if so, if it says "Talin" in there, it's just an example, not canon or anything.

That reminds me, they did the exact same thing in the Daggerfall manual. All of the examples were from the perspective of Ymperia the Nightblade. Obviously, the "true" DF character is not this Ymperia; by extension, neither is Talin. It's just an example.

I believe since time immemorial monarchs have referred to their close friends (epecially ones appointed an important task) as their "champion"s.