Arena:Races

There are eight playable races in Arena, each with different characteristics. It is important to choose one that will complement your character's class, though it is not a necessity. Before the game starts, you are shown a map of Tamriel, which allows you to choose which race you want to be by clicking on the appropriate province (there is no race associated with the Imperial Province, Imperials would be later introduced as a separate human race in Redguard and made playable in Morrowind.) When you exit the Imperial Dungeons, you will emerge in a random settlement within your race's home province. Each province and its associated race also has a distinct set of exclamations the NPCs of that province will use when interacting with you.

Provinces and Their Native Races

The table below shows from what province each race originates.

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Arena's map of Tamriel. From where dost thou hail?

Province	Race
Black Marsh	Argonian
Elsweyr	Khajiit
Hammerfell	Redguard
High Rock	Breton
Morrowind	Dark Elf
Skyrim	Nord
Summurset Isle	High Elf
Valenwood	Wood Elf

Race Descriptions

Here is a brief description of each of the races, their strengths, and their suitability to a particular class.

Argonian

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Customizations for a male Argonian

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Customizations for a female Argonian

"Thou hast chosen Black Marsh, land of the Argonians."

Argonians are a highly evolved race of reptilians, at home in any marsh-like environment from which they hail. They are known for their intelligence, agility, and speed. Because of their reptilian nature, Argonians do not tire easily while swimming, and seldom drown. They can also swim faster than any other race. They are adept in any art involving the arcane, or involving thieving and sleight of hand. They are good Bards, Battlemages, Spellswords and Nightblades.

Upon selection of the Argonian race, the player is informed with the following concerning Argonians:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is born of the swamps, thou hast stayed thyself from the open fields, for thou art hunters of a different sort, those who stalk thy prey in the still black waters...

Argonian Exclamations

• "Swamp Devil"

• "Mire of Murkwood"

• "By the Gods"

• "By the Throne of Aphicles"

• "By the Blades of Fate"

• "By the Lonely One"

• "Host of Stormhold"

• "By the Swamp Spirit"

• "By the Mother-goddess"

• "Bogfire"

Breton

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Customizations for a male Breton

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Customizations for a female Breton

"Thou hast chosen High Rock, land of the Bretons."

Bretons are a tall, dark-haired people. Bretons are highly intelligent and willful people, and have an outgoing personality. It is said that Bretons are weaned on magic, for it seems to suffuse their very being. As a result Bretons take half damage on any Magic based attack, and no damage on a successful save. They are excellent in all the arcane arts. They are good Mages and Healers.

Upon selection of the Breton race, the player is informed with the following concerning Bretons:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is descended from the ancient Druids of Galen, quick witted and strong in the mystical arts. Thy folks are crafty and intelligent, a learned people who use their gifts to guide others to enlightenment...

Breton Exclamations

• "By Starfall's Waters"

• "Bless My Lord"

• "By the Crypt"

• "Death Be Damned"

• "By My Lady"

• "By the Mists"

• "By the Wolf"

• "By the Dark Lord"

• "Spirits of High Rock"

• "By the ArchDruid"

Dark Elf

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Customizations for a male Dark Elf

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Customizations for a female Dark Elf

"Thou hast chosen Morrowind, land of the Dark Elves."

Dark Elves are a tall, dark-skinned people with red, glowing eyes. They are known to be extremely strong and intelligent, and very quick. Dark Elves seem innately tuned to weaving magic with weapons. Dark Elves receive their (level / 4) as a bonus to hit and damage with any melee or ranged weapon. They are adept in any art involving the blade and shield combined with the arcane arts. They make good Rangers, Rogues and Archers.

Upon selection of the Dark Elf race, the player is informed with the following concerning Dark Elves:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is as deadly as the thorns of the black rose which blooms only in thy mother's breast. Thou hast all that is graceful in thy brothers of the day, yet thy mother is the moon, and thou art her children of the night...

Dark Elf Exclamations

• "By the Black Isle"

• "By the Dark Ones"

• "By the Fires of Dagoth-Ur"

• "By the Mad Queen"

• "By the Black Maw"

• "Dark Goddess Protect Us"

• "By the Night"

• "Soul of the Black Knight"

• "By the Soulless One"

• "Fireblood"

High Elf

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Customizations for a male High Elf

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Customizations for a female High Elf

"Thou hast chosen Summurset, land of the High Elves."

High Elves are a tall, golden-skinned people with almond-shaped eyes. High Elves are extremely intelligent, agile, and willful. High Elves seem drawn to magic as a moth is to flame. They have a natural affinity to its use, and often make quite formidable wizards. High Elves are naturally immune to paralyzation. They are adept in any art involving the arcane. They make good Sorcerers and Healers.

Upon selection of the High Elf race, the player is informed with the following concerning High Elves:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is tall and stately, for thou art kings among princes. Thy people were first on this land to breathe the spring air and first to leap, nimble with the wind. Thine eyes canst see all even when naught is out but the Mistress of the Night...

High Elf Exclamations

• "By the Highest One"

• "By the White Crystal"

• "By the Wood of Elborn"

• "By the Blue Divide"

• "Faerielight"

• "By the Otherworld"

• "First Spirit of Tamriel"

• "Blade of Cassimoran"

• "Crystals of Summurset"

• "By the First Spirit"

Khajiit

Customizations for a male Khajiit

Customizations for a female Khajiit

"Thou hast chosen Elsweyr, land of the Khajiit."

Khajiit are a fair-skinned people who are extremely hardy, intelligent, and agile. Legend has it that they descended from an intelligent feline race, for they still retain a strange cast to their features. Many Khajiit have taken to painting their faces to more resemble their distant cousins, the predatory cats that hunt the great desert. Khajiit are expert climbers, able to scale chasm wall sides with speed unmatched by any other race. They are adept at all arts involving thieving and sleight of hand. They make good Thieves, Burglars, Acrobats, Nightblades and Bards.

Upon selection of the Khajiit race, the player is informed with the following concerning Khajiit:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is born of the desert, where life is cruel and harsh and death comes on vultures wings. Thou art feline and sleek, deadly hunters of the wastes...

Khajiit Exclamations

• "By the Rat-god"

• "Whore of Alizahad"

• "Dust of Orcrest"

• "By the Sands of Elsweyr"

• "By the Blessed Water"

• "By the Hand of Ibrahad"

• "Desert Sun"

• "By the Dry Heart"

• "By the Water of Life"

• "Devil of the Sands"

Nord

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Customizations for a male Nord

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Customizations for a female Nord

"Thou hast chosen Skyrim, land of the Nords."

Nords are a tall and fair-skinned people who are strong, willful, and hardy. Living in their arctic environment has inured them to its effects, for they seem to shrug off all but the coldest of attacks. Nords take half damage from Cold based attacks, and on a successful saving throw take no damage. They are excellent in all arts concerning the blade and shield. They make good Knights, Barbarians and Warriors.

Upon selection of the Nord race, the player is informed with the following concerning Nords:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is strong as the northern winds which sweep through icy glaciers. The arctic clime hast hardened thy folk for life's cruel and bitter hand...

Nord Exclamations

• "By Thorig's Beard"

• "By Olfor's Hammer"

• "By the White Wolf"

• "By the Frozen Wastes"

• "By the Hoarfather"

• "Mother of the Ice"

• "Frostfire"

• "By the Cliffs of Solitude"

• "By the Northern Sea"

• "By the Beard of Thorig"

Redguard

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Customizations for a male Redguard

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Customizations for a female Redguard

"Thou hast chosen Hammerfell, land of the Redguards."

Redguards are a stocky, powerful race that are known to be extremely hardy and quick. Legend has it that the Redguard are innately more proficient at weapons than any other race. Redguards receive their (level / 3) as a bonus to hit and damage with bows and daggers (despite what is stated in the manual). They are very good Archers.

Upon selection of the Redguard race, the player is informed with the following concerning Redguards:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is a people without a past, for in the Tiber War thou wert stalwart guardians of Hammerfell. As time moved on thy people held onto the ground for which they had shed tears of blood, and now the land, and the strength and endurance of rock itself, is thine own to command...

Redguard Exclamations

• "By the Dragon's Teeth"

• "Dragon's Teeth"

• "Cursed Darvak"

• "By My Father's Name"

• "By Rourken"

• "By the Great Hammer"

• "By the Dwarf-King"

• "Beard of the Dwarf-King"

• "By the Guardian's Blood"

• "By the First Wyrm"'

Wood Elf

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Customizations for a male Wood Elf

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Customizations for a female Wood Elf

"Thou hast chosen Valenwood, land of the Wood Elves."

Wood Elves are a people of the forest, matching their features to all that is found growing in the green woods of their homeland. They are known to be extremely agile and quick. Wood Elves receive their (level / 3) as a bonus damage with melee weapons (unlike what the manual says). They are well suited towards any class, although their nimbleness serves them best in any art involving thievery. They make good Assassins and Monks.

Upon selection of the Wood Elf race, the player is informed with the following concerning Wood Elves:

Know ye this also:

Thy race is one with the forest and its creatures, and thy strength flows from the mother earth itself. Thou art one with the world...

Wood Elf Exclamations

• "By the Elden Grove"

• "By the Timber Spirits"

• "By the Lore of Wood"

• "By Mistria's Curse"

• "Spirits of the Wood"

• "Faeries of the Grove"

• "By Caliron's Heart"

• "By the Root"

• "Fire of Eldenroot"

• "By the Fire"

Notes

• Every race shares two different default clothing options. One with a brown or white shirt, and the other with a green tunic.
• Orcs are treated as enemies akin to goblins, they are not considered on a par with other races.
• The Imperial race was introduced in later games; there is no specific race attached to the Imperial Province in Arena. In the game, the population of the Imperial Province appears as Redguards with low-tier monster names due to developers' oversight.
• The Khajiit are the Ohmes furstock, due to their tattooed faces and more humanoid body shape than Khajiit depicted in later Elder Scrolls games.
• The elven races are only referred to using the names Dark Elf, High Elf, and Wood Elf. The mer names Dunmer, Altmer, and Bosmer (respectively) were introduced in subsequent Elder Scrolls games.
• Bretons have a higher tolerance to alcohol but take longer to recover.