The Elder Scrolls Online "Ask Us Anything" #3-5

The designers of The Elder Scrolls Online have been answering questions on the Aldmeri Dominion (here and here) and the Daggerfall Covenant (here), two of the three main factions of the title, focusing extensively on the background lore and the problematic racial dynamics.

Here's a snippet:
Will Elsweyr be in TESO? - By Jacob Wilde

Yes. At launch, you will be able to explore two corners of Elsweyr: an island off the south coast, and the far northwest corner of Anequina, around the city of Dune and Fort Sphinxmoth. Most of Elsweyr is still in the grip of the Knahaten Flu, and isn't a place you really want to go until the epidemic has run its course.

Will the Khajiit players in The Elder Scrolls Online also get a choice in sub-species, or will the default still be Suthay-raht? I know that they are the most common breed, but is there any more back-story as to why every Khajiit you meet in Vvardenfell, Cyrodiil and Skyrim are Suthay-raht? Do the others never leave Elsweyr? - By Brandy Dills

Among the Khajiit, the race of feline humanoids who originate from Elsweyr, the Suthay-raht are indeed the most common breed, and at launch, all player-character and non-player-character Khajiit in ESO will be Suthay-raht. Now, will you glimpse more Khajiit sub-species in ESO in the future? Only time will tell!

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Based on known lore and from previous Elder Scroll titles, the Orcs traditionally seem to keep to themselves and too their strongholds, with the odd exception. What is the motivation for the Orcs and the Orsinium Kingdom in joining the Daggerfall Covenant? What connects these three races of unlikely allies to band together as they have? By Wade Johnson

As a race, the Orcs have what we would call an inferiority complex. They've been kicked around Tamriel and looked down upon by the other races since the beginning of time, and they crave respect. It was a big deal for the Orcs when, in relatively recent history, Orsinium was finally admitted into the Second Empire as a full province. The clans that have joined the Daggerfall Covenant remember that period of recognition, and seek to revive it. The Bretons promised the Orcs could revive Orsinium unmolested, and that once the Covenant re-established the Empire, Orsinium would once again be an Imperial province.

How are the Breton and Redguard peoples reacting to the alliance with the Orcs? They are historical enemies, the Redguards and Bretons destroyed Orsinium several times, the alliance may be formed purely out of necessity, but surely the people would be unhappy about the alliance. By Aron Grafhorst

It's definitely an alliance of convenience, much as when the Nords and Orcs marched to the aid of the Dwarves at the Battle of Red Mountain. Individual Bretons and Redguards may not be happy about it, but the residents of their border towns say it's better to have the Orcs marching against their enemies than raiding their flocks and their farms. The Redguards and Orcs have always respected each other as honorable opponents and while the Orcs may not trust the Bretons, as a general thing, they do trust King Emeric, who's proven reliable. And serving side-by-side is building trust between the races.