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General:Gender and Sexual Diversity

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Gender and sexual diversity is an innate and often unexceptional part of life in The Elder Scrolls. This article serves to note the diversity in gender and sexuality present throughout The Elder Scrolls.

Sexuality

An Interracial couple with their child (Castles)
  • In Skyrim, marriageable NPCs may be married regardless of the player character's gender. When asked about the possibility of same-sex marriage prior to release, Pete Hines said that the topic is "not hush hush, [we're] just not making a huge deal out of it. You can marry anyone."[1]
  • In a 2020 GDC talk, Tori Schafer said the following: "From the very get-go in Elder Scrolls Online, it was decided that LGBT+ characters were a part of that universe and they were just accepted by their society[...]"[2]
  • In a 2024 THEGAMER interview with the narrative director Bill Slavicsek on the non-binary companion backlash, he said the following: ""It just makes sense to us that all possibilities exist in Tamriel. We treat it as a real and living world. You just might not notice because we don't shout it from the rooftops or put signs proclaiming it everywhere. And you know why? Because in Tamriel, this is just the way the world is. No character in the world blinks an eye or thinks there's anything unusual about meeting the baker and his husband, the serving woman and her wife, or to have Naryu and Jakarn flirt with you, regardless of your character's gender[...]"[3]
  • Pelinal Whitestrake is confirmed to have had a same-sex relationship,[4][5] though there are unconfirmed accounts purporting that he also was the lover of Alessia.[6]
  • Orc chieftains are traditionally polygamous. The male chieftains are polygynous and their wives are forbidden from marrying others. In the rare case of a female chieftain, she will be polyandrous and the husbands will take on the traditional roles of wives.[7]
  • The Silvenar and the Green Lady are figures of huge importance in Bosmer culture. Every generation the pair of Green Lady and Silvenar is born. They typically become union in ritual marriage. While the Green Lady is typically female, the Silvenar can be of any gender despite typically being referred to by male pronoun.[8]
  • Interracial relationships are somewhat common, but they may be looked upon poorly in some cultures.
    • Some Dunmer consider it heresy to marry outside of their race.[9]
    • The Altmer consider interracial relationships to be the worst possible offense given their stance on racial purity, and have gone to the extreme to punish those involved in such relationships. For example, an Orc named Gurlak was in a relationship with his owner and slave master Nuralanya. When the relationship was found out, they were both imprisoned within Salas En, and the Orc would be imprisoned in a magical circle, which extended his lifespan considerably. He outlived his lover who was also imprisoned nearby and he would go on to live for thousands of years in this state of imprisonment, as no one was able to figure out the means of freeing him.[10]
    • In Cyrodiil, Human-Bosmer marriages are generally frowned upon.[11] The Bosmer have been recorded in early history as "soiling Time's line" by taking Mannish wives.[12]
    • The following characters are or were in interracial relationships:

Gender

  • Alchemy is a transgender woman. She alludes that other members of the House of Reveries have changed gender upon joining. She also tells the player that she underwent her transition via magic. While wholly accepted as a transgender woman, her story about joining the acting troupe as opposed to remaining a scholarly mage parallels the real experiences of transgender women.[2]
    • Another member of the House of Reveries named Dreamer is actually a Daedra and uses gender-neutral pronouns.
  • Snaehild uses female pronouns.
  • Trapper Marcien uses gender-neutral pronouns.
  • Tun-Ei and R'diras both use gender-neutral pronouns.[13]
  • Vivec is described as the "magical hermaphrodite".[14][15][16] Furthermore, Vivec is occasionally described with female pronouns,[17][18] and even with taking on a female form.[19]
  • Argonians may change their gender (among other characteristics) via the Hist. A Grand Transformation is written about this topic.
  • Sloads are all born biologically hermaphroditic, but absorb their sexual organs by the time they are old enough to survive on land.[20] Despite this Sloads use specific male or female gender identities.
  • Gods may manifest however they please, though often having a most prevalent depicted/referred to gender. A few are known to appear differently depending on the instance.
  • Gulfa Red-Beard is a Nord woman who is searching for a potion to help her grow "a full, flowing beard" just like her father's.
    • This may be a reference to a bug in Skyrim where female draugr could sometimes possess a beard.
  • Tanlorin is a non-binary[3] High Elf Companion who uses gender-neutral pronouns.[28]

References

  1. ^ Pete Hines' (@DCDeacon) reply on Twitter
  2. ^ a b Representing LGBT+ Characters in Games: Two Case Studies, Tori Schafer 2020
  3. ^ a b Bill Slavicsek's response to the non-binary companion backlash [1]
  4. ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 3
  5. ^ Michael Kirkbride's Posts, 10/26/20: "As originally written, Huna and Pelinal were lovers."
  6. ^ Predicant Maera's dialogue regarding Saint Alessia in ESO: "...Pelinal and Morihaus were her trusted confidants, and, depending on the translations, either or both were her lovers."
  7. ^ Snaruga's dialogue in ESO
  8. ^ Rondor's dialogue in ESO
  9. ^ Hrogar's dialogue during Protecting the Hall in ESO
  10. ^ Gurlak's dialogue during The Oldest Orc in ESO
  11. ^ Anvil rumors in Oblivion
  12. ^ The Monomyth
  13. ^ The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook Vol. 2 — Erin Kwong
    Victoria Rosenthal
  14. ^ 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 8 — Vivec
  15. ^ 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 18 — Vivec
  16. ^ 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 35 — Vivec
  17. ^ 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 2 — Vivec
  18. ^ a b Varieties of Faith... — Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
  19. ^ 36 Lessons of Vivec, Sermon 37 — Vivec
  20. ^ Notes on Racial Phylogeny — the Council of Healers, Imperial University
  21. ^ The Worldly Spirits — Amun-dro, the Silent Priest
  22. ^ Of Jephre — Anonymous
  23. ^ The Ooze: A Fable
  24. ^ Voice of Ouze's dialogue in ESO
  25. ^ Gathiel's dialogue in ESO
  26. ^ Children of the Root — Solis Aduro
  27. ^ Arocil's dialogue in ESO
  28. ^ a b Tanlorin's dialogue in ESO
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