Online:Easter Eggs

This page is for Easter Eggs only. Easter Eggs include inside jokes, pop culture references, and any similar reference to something outside the Elder Scrolls games. For other points of interest, like references to other games in the Elder Scrolls series, please see the appropriate pages.

Easter Eggs are secrets that the developers put in the game to give people a laugh when they find them. Elder Scrolls Online has a large number of such jokes. Easter Eggs differ from in-game references in that they have been intentionally hidden from the player and are unusual with regards to their surroundings.

Cultural References are objects, characters, or events in the game that refer to a specific element of popular culture; they differ from Easter Eggs in that they are usually integrated into the game world, and strong parallels can be drawn between the in-game event and the specific work being referenced. Cultural references also include allusions to elements of real-world culture, such as historical events and folklore.

If you think you have found an Easter egg or reference, please post your idea on this article's talk page before adding it to this article.

Easter Eggs

Developers

• Former Senior Content Designer Andrew Young based the cat npcs Beans and Ja'kh off his own real life cats of the same name (Beans and Jack, respectively).
• The default name of the Great Daenian Hound pet is "Belle", a reference to ESO Creative Director Rich Lambert's dog.
  • Following the passing of Rich Lambert's dog, a custom Belle pet was added to the game for him and his wife.
• The NPC Grand Warlord Zimmeron is based on Lead PVP Designer Brian Wheeler.
  • Link, the dog at the Northern Morrowind Gate in Cyrodiil, is also a reference to Brian Wheeler, being named after his own dog Link.

Community Members

Resting Semaj

• Deca Dezno is an NPC based on a player character belonging to the winner of the 10 Million Stories sweepstakes.
• During the development of ESO, Malkur Valos was called the Nameless Mage and was the subject of a community contest to choose his name. The winner, "Jim from Albany" (user Jo'than on the UESP forums), was also responsible for the majority of Malkur's background story. The winner received a prize package with a poster, a t-shirt and a print of Malkur's concept art.
• The Engraved Plaque is a memorial to an anonymous player who passed away in 2017.
• Resting Semaj is a memorial to the Ebonheart Pact player Semaj, who passed away.
• Joy is a memorial to the player Joysheeped according to prominent ESO content creator NefasQS.
• Sleep-at-Fires is a reference to the Argonian player "Sleeps-on-Bridges", who was known for logging in just to sleep on a random bridge. The official ESO Twitter gave him a shoutout, and PC Gamer wrote an article about him. Additonally, the Argonian Companion Sharp-as-Night has a line of dialogue that references them, "Can't say this beats sleeping on a bridge somewhere. But it's a fine enough place."
• The grand prize winner of the 2020 Tamriel Together Sweepstakes received the Houseguest NPC Larry, Duke of the Dance based on the winner's chosen player character. The winner was also given the Statue of Gloria furnishing item.
• The following player guilds won prizes as part of the 2020 #TamrielTogether contest. As a result, the following items were added to the game world:
  • Dauntless Bananas (PC-EU): The book A Tale of the Dauntless Bananas, Bonds of Battle Destrier mount, and Guild Banner, Dauntless Bananas furnishing.
  • Goldleaf Acquisitions (PC-NA): The book Goldleaf Acquisitions, Manager's Notes, Guild Pride's Charger mount, and Guild Banner, Goldleaf Acquisitions furnishing.
  • Nomads of Nirn (PC-EU): The book The Nomads of Nirn and the Guild Banner, Nomads of Nirn furnishing.
  • Aetherius Art (PC-EU): The book The Sonnet of Aetherius Art and a Guild Banner, Aetherius Art, on display at Zanil's Luxury Good.
  • Museum (PC-EU): The book Museum Guild Letter and Guild Banner, Museum furnishing.
  • The Disenfranchised (PC-NA): The book An Ode to the Disenfranchised and the Guild Banner, the Disenfranchised furnishing.
• The character Relan Daevath is named after artist Relan Daevath, who was the author of the original texture for Mercymother's Body Art. The design was directly lifted from fan art drawn by her that was published in July 2020. Following this revelation of plagiarism, ESO's official Twitter posted a statement saying it was never their intention to include any community fan art without proper credit, and that they are in contact with the artist and will work with them to make sure that there is a proper resolution.

KINMUNE

• Karifa al-Tahud, a Tel Var Armorer found in the Daggerfall Covenant base in the Imperial Sewers, can be heard spreading several conspiracy theories. One of them is: "Queen Ayrenn is a miniature Dwemer construct from the next era. Everybody knows it". This is a humorous reference to KINMUNE, a synthetic sentient being from the future featured in Michael Kirkbride's short story by the same name. In an expansion of the story entitled "Ayrenn", Queen Ayrenn is said to be an identity assumed by KINMUNE.

Fibonacci numbers

• The Fibonaccus Spiral Hat is named after and bears a strong resemblance to the Fibonacci spiral.

First Church of the Holy Sweetroll

Thogalda and her sweetrolls at The Lonely Troll in Solitude

• Thogalda in The Lonely Troll makes a reference to the First Church of the Holy Sweetroll, a cult following founded in real life at PAX Australia 2016. Domonoid reports the first 1000 attendees were given sweet rolls to consume. Former Loremaster Leamon Tuttle commented that he has considered joining the cult.

Game Mechanics

• During the quest Back in Time, you discover that the Ayleid ruin of Rubble Butte is caught in a Dragon Break. Lady Edwyge's Notes reveal that the events of the quest keep replaying for those trapped inside. This is a nod to the MMO mechanics of delves, which involve supposedly unique, important bosses respawning repeatedly for the next player to kill.
• Captain Alphaury's Journal states: "We dispatched a couple of the creatures before we were forced to turn tail and run. For some reason, however, as we got close to the forest, the atronachs stopped chasing us. They suddenly seemed to lose interest in us and returned to the ruin." This is a reference to the leashing mechanic, whereby mobs will cease combat if a player gets far enough away from their starting position.
• Make the Wilds Safer, Earn Gold provides a quest to collect 25 Senche-Tiger Fangs, and speaks very dramatically about the fame and gold you will earn by completing this rather mundane task. This is a nod to repetitive fetch quests in older MMOs and RPG games that would reward you for simple tasks of killing monsters and collecting items.
• During the quest Room to Spare, a Breton landlord named Felande Demarie says: "I've had tenants cram their rooms with the wildest things. Mounts, foliage, assistants - I mean, it's an inn room!" This is a reference to the multitude of strange things you can do with furnishings in the player housing system, such as decorating your free inn room with large mounts.
• The Brimstone Nixad description explains that nixads are responsible for the torches that are somehow always lit in long abandoned places.
• Zerith-var may speak about his Azure Eyes: "I thought the light of Azurah burning in my eyes would make me an outcast in this time. But such … erm … cosmetic differences are far more common now than I realized." This line pokes fun at the many ESO players who equip intense combinations of exotic cosmetics in comparison to the average Tamrielic citizen, particularly eye altering head markings.

Jason's Hair

Jason's hair immortalized as The Standing Wave

• In October 2014, a craze began within the ESO community surrounding former ZOS Community Coordinator Jason Leavey's hair, which was notably flamboyant. Some years later, the developers created two in-game hair styles (The Standing Flame and The Standing Wave), which were released in November 2017 and January 2018 respectively, for players to equip on their own characters. These were then confirmed by Jason himself on his Twitter page to be references to his hair.

Justin, Scott, and Speigel

• Justino, along with his two companions, Sott and Spagel and Pumpernickle, are based on the hosts Justin, Scott, and Speigel on the local Baltimore, Maryland station 98 Rock, near Bethesda Softworks's headquarters. Matt Firor worked with the station to implement their voices into the game.

Scientific names

• Three bosses in March of Sacrifices are called Wyress Strigidae, Rangifer, and Ursus. These are the real life scientific names for owls, reindeer and bears respectively.

The Onion

• Finding a note directing you to a secret stash found in a "Suspicious Barrel" upstairs at The Gem & Flask will grant you the achievement "Earthly Possessions", which is a reference to the sponsored article Townsperson In Online RPG Universe Figures Shield, Gold Pieces Should Be Safe In Barrel written by The Onion. The barrel in question actually contains a sample of millet, which replaced onions as a crafting ingredient in Update 6.
• The Onion also released a satirical video in collaboration with Zenimax titled Groundbreaking Video Game Lets Players Customize Characters' Genetic Code poking fun at the game's extensively detailed Character Creation feature.

Those Who Stood at Chalman Keep

• The book Those Who Stood at Chalman Keep can be found on a pedestal in Chalman Keep. It is a reference to the final battle that took place during a closed PvP beta event, where the first Emperor Morkulth from the guild Entropy Rising was crowned.

Vitruvian Man

• The icon for Character Creation depicts the Vitruvian Man.

Cultural References

Alice in Wonderland

• The Provisioner hireling Gavin Gavonne's message saying "Another delivery for you. Rough day. I barely escaped another Brigand attack. Despite what the locals might tell you I did not 'run like a scared rabbit'. More like a brave and noble rabbit, who happened to be late for an appointment." This is an homage to the White Rabbit character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
• During Daughter of Giants, The Prophet upon hearing you encountered Abnur Tharn says: "Curiouser and curiouser", the opening words from Chapter II, The Pool of Tears.
• The quest Down the Skeever Hole is a play on the Down the rabbit hole line originating from the first chapter of the novel.

Alex Honnold

• The striking locale Alaxon'ald in Summerset is a homonym of Alex Honnold, a famous rock-climber. The location features a tall spire of rock ideal for climbing, a tree branch perfect for hanging a rope, with a small climbing camp at the base.

Arthurian Lore

The Lady Stone in a lake in Auridon

• The Mundus Stone for The Lady in Auridon is located in the middle of a lake, similar to the Lady of the Lake character.

Assassin's Creed

• A Prisoner with the words "Subject 17" scrawled in his shirt collar was killed by the Dominion as part of their efforts to experiment on Argonians to access the Mnemic Egg, a relic acting as a physical link between the Argonians and Hist that contains the memories and wisdom of the Hist. This is a reference to Desmond Miles from the Assassin's Creed series, who was kidnapped and labeled Subject 17 when being experimented on by Abstergo Industries to explore his genetic memories as part of the Animus Project.

Badgers

Badgers, a mushroom, and a snake

• You can find multiple badgers surrounding a mushroom, with a Snake passing by them occasionally. This is a reference to the famous Badgers music video, prominently featuring badgers, mushrooms, and a snake.

Bee Movie

• The Turquoise Nixad's description "Scholars think the iridescent blue Turquoise Nixad must have inherent magical properties, because those wings certainly aren't big enough to enable it to fly. Yet fly it does, flitting about like a beautiful human-shaped hummingbird moth." is a nod to the opening from Bee Movie, which goes "According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible."

Beowulf

• According to Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera, Hrogar's Hold is based on Beowulf, which features a character called Hrothgar who ruled over the mead hall of Heorot.

Borat

• Rigurt the Brash leads the "Glorious Expedition for the Nord Cultural Exchange to the Dark Elves", reminiscent of the title of the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Both Borat and Rigurt are comically oblivious to the cultures they are trying to learn about, their command of language is similarly stilted, and Rigurt travelling all the way to Wrothgar to propose to Lazdutha is a reference to Borat traveling to America to propose to Pamela Anderson.

The Brothers Grimm

• The Nord folktale Legends of the Forest was written by The Sisters Glumm, a reference to the German Brothers Grimm, who were responsible for chronicling many popular folktales including Cinderella and Snow White.

Cats

• When you speak to Kireth Vanos while she is employed in Enrick's Public House, she says "Oh, you just missed it! My rendition of 'Rememberings' from the Dark Elf musical 'Guars' brought the house down. It's a sad, touching number a few light moments, but I've never seen the crowd laugh so hard. I guess I really nailed the high notes." This is a reference to the famous song "Memory" from the Tony award-winning musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Chuck Norris Facts

• The book Glories of the Pirate Queen contains several unlikely tales about the amazing feats of the Pirate Queen of Anvil. This is a reference to Chuck Norris Facts, a style of similarly outlandish jokes told about ex-action hero Chuck Norris.

Dark Souls

The Bonfire in the Adamantine Tower

• During the tutorial on the Isle of Balfiera (in the room where you choose your weapon), you can look into a cell to find a knight's spirit beside a bonfire with an Ancestral High Elf Style sword in it. This is a reference to the bonfires from Dark Souls, which allow you to rest, fast travel and level up your character. The knight is wearing heavy armor in the Nighthollow Style, granting him some resemblance to the warrior from the game's promotional material.

DirecTV

• The Luxury Furnisher Zanil Theran has among his greeting quotes the line "Opulence. I have it. You can too. For the right price." This is a reference to a frequently run commercial for DirecTV featuring a Russian oligarch speaking the line "Opulence, I Has It" and dressed in a similar manner.

Doctor Who

• The Brightly Colored Scarf item is described as a "striped, multicolored, knitted winter scarf that seems absurdly long" which is a reference to the impractically long, multicolored scarf that the Fourth Doctor famously wore in Doctor Who.

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong reference in the Imperial City Sewers

• A Donkey Kong Easter egg can be found within the Lambent Passage section of the Imperial City Sewers (right before entering the Vile Drainage section), where several platforms and barrels have been set up in a reminiscent style to the first level of the original 1981 arcade game.

DOOM Eternal

• The Mudcrab of Eternal Doom was made as a promotional reference to DOOM Eternal. Its render of the crab holdings its claws up towards a lava pool while surrounded by bones is also a homage to one of the game's covers.

Dr. Seuss

One Dragon Two Dragon book, held by Lawrence Schick

• The book One Dragon Two Dragon is a reference to One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. In a video posted to the official ESO Twitter account, former loremaster Lawrence Schick read a physical copy of the story, featuring several illustrations. The illustrations were of several Dragons, as well as Khamira and Abnur Tharn.

Eminem

• The name of The Real Sotha Sil achievement is a reference to The Real Slim Shady album by Eminem.

The Emperor's New Clothes

• The book Solitude Bedtime Stories has a children's story called "The Jarl's New Robes", a parody of the 1837 short story The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen.

Fawlty Towers

• During the assault on the Great Shackle, Cadwell exclaims that the group is going to give "a damn good thrashing". These are the same lines Cadwell's voice actor John Cleese says to his broken down car in Fawlty Towers.

Firefly

• The Uh ... Never Mind emote recreates a scene of the character Mal from Firefly, having your character performing the same motions of reaching forward with their right hand, then closing their hand as they pull it back to briefly touch their mouth/nose before resting their palm against their cheek.

Fortnite

• The quest A Wailing Wood takes place in the Valley of the Watcher in the forested northeastern area of the island of Galen. This is a reference to the location Wailing Woods from Fortnite, which was a forest also found in the island's northeast corner.

The Fugitive

• Jorckleif in the Davon's Watch outlaws refuge speaks of being on the run due to being accused of committing a crime that was actually done by a "tailless" Argonian. This is a reference to Dr. Richard Kimble from The Fugitive who goes on the run after being accused of a crime that was actually committed by a "one-armed" assailant.

Galaxy Quest

• The traveling vendor Taqiat the Thrifty greets you with "By the thousand scales of Satakal, what savings!" This is a reference to Alan Rickman's character Sir Alexander Dane in the film Galaxy Quest, whose catchprase is "By Grabthar's Hammer, you shall be avenged!", and the movie contains a scene in which a very morose Dane is forced to say "By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings" for a promotional event.

Game of Thrones

• The name of the quest The Watcher in the Walls is a reference to the oath of the Night's Watch, from the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones: "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men."
• The book Rise of the Red Sails contains the line, "Brace yourself Abeceans. A storm is coming." This is a play on a common Internet macro involving the character Ned Stark and the phrase "brace yourself, [x] is coming".

God Save the Queen

• The name of the quest Gods Save the King is a reference to the British anthem God Save the Queen/King.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

• The Goldenback Spider Lackey's default name, "Goldielegs", is a reference to Goldilocks from Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Goodnight Moon

• Goodnight Mundus is a copy of the classic children's book Goodnight Moon, with the normal characters and objects replaced by things from the Elder Scrolls series.

Harry Potter

• The Academy Supplies letter is a reference to the acceptance letter and supply list that first year Hogwarts students receive.

Herp Derp

• The kwama in How the Kwama Lost His Shoes "hurps and durps". This is a reference to the slang phrase herp derp (sometimes spelled hurp or harp) that is used in response to something extremely stupid or clumsy.

Highland Fling

• The female version of the Breton racial dance is a Scottish Highland dance called the Highland Fling.

How to Train Your Dragon

• The default name "Beakless" of the dark colored Twilight Bantam Guar pet is a reference to the dragon Toothless from the film How to Train Your Dragon, known for his jet black appearance.
• The title of the book How to Train Your Guar is a reference to the name of the film.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

Hungry Hungry Glyptodons

• Underneath Khenarthi's Arch in Southern Elsweyr, a group of Glyptodon are oriented in a way that resembles the Hungry Hungry Hippos tabletop game.

I Should Buy a Boat Cat

• Sea-Dreamer is a seated Khajiit found reading a book at Woodhearth docks. If spoken to, he will reply with, "This one should buy a boat." This is a reference to the I Should Buy a Boat Cat, an image macro featuring a suited cat having the same thought while reading a newspaper.

The Incredible Hulk

• In ESO Live's 6/24 Update 11 Preview Special #1 it is mentioned that the animations, attacks, dialogue, etc. of Xal-Nur the Slaver is based on Hulk from Marvel Comics. They speak very similarly, for instance "Smash the rats! Smash!" compared to "Hulk smash!" and "Xal-Nur crush puny wamasu!" to "Puny god!" Fred Tatasciore, who often voices Hulk, also lends his voice to Xal-Nur.

Indiana Jones

• According to Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera, the explorer Narsis Dren is a play on Indiana Jones, in that his first name is a place and his second is a common surname.

Iron Man

• The Dwemervamidium Mirage bears a heavy resemblance to Iron Man's suit, having a glowing center where the Arc Reactor would be. The icon for this memento is also called "Iron Man X Form" in the files, named after the Mark X suit Tony Stark wears in Iron Man 3.

Keanu Reeves

Sad Keanu

• Along the path from the back entrance of Zenithar's Abbey, there is a skeleton posed on a bench resembling the Sad Keanu image macro, which depicts actor Keanu Reeves sitting slouched on a bench with his hands on his knees.

Kindergarten Cop

• There is a drunken Nord near the Windhelm wayshrine who occasionally says "It's not a rumor!" in perfect imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line ("It's not a tumor!") from the movie Kindergarten Cop.

The Kingkiller Chronicle

• Upon completing a Mages Guild daily, Bastian Hallix can say "One of the greatest laws of magic is sympathy. The greater the sympathetic link between two objects, the more they influence each other." This is a reference to a quote from The Kingkiller Chronicle that reads "The law of sympathy is one of the most basic parts of magic. It states that the more similar two objects are the greater the sympathetic link. The greater the sympathetic link, the more easily they influence each other."

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Hazanah

• Hazanah, an outlaw sneaking around the hedges where an Abah's Landing guard is patrolling, is dressed in what appears to be Link's outfit, as evident in her choice of green clothing and her shield, which resembles the Hylian Shield. Furthermore, the guard's linear patrol path, the character hiding and the location is a reference to Hyrule Gardens, a location in Ocarina of Time, which Link sneaks through to meet Princess Zelda.

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

• A reference to Disney's The Little Mermaid can be found in northeastern Galen, on a rock near Llanshara's docks. Here, the arrow-pierced skeleton of a lamia can be seen striking a similar pose to Ariel, with two seashells nearby resembling her bra.

Looney Tunes

• The recipe Fricasseed Rabbit With Radishes is a reference to the exchange between Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd about fricasseeing rabbit in the cartoon Duck! Rabbit, Duck!.

Men's Wearhouse

• Fredevieve Jeanne, a tailor in Elden Root will say "You'll like the way you're dressed! I can guarantee that, I think." That is likely an homage to this line, spoken by Men's Wearhouse founder George Zimmer, that used to appear in commercials for the men's dress clothes retailer.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

• The default name of the Chaotic Creatia Cub, "Helrietta Pussycat" seems to be a reference to Henrietta Pussycat from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Monty Python

• The first two lines of Cadwell's Personal Anthem is a reference to the first two lines of The Lumberjack Song by the British comedic troupe Monty Python. Cadwell is also voiced by John Cleese, who was a member of the troupe, though Cleese didn't actually perform that song.
• At the start of the quest The Blood-Splattered Shield, the wounded knight Darien Gautier will say "This? It's merely a flesh wound! Think nothing of it." This is a reference to the Black Knight's famous line "'Tis but a flesh wound" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
• In one of the later quests in Coldharbour, Cadwell wonders if you wish to know his "favorite color", among other things. This is a reference to the Bridgekeeper scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which John Cleese's character, Sir Lancelot, was the only one of the main characters to successfully answer the question: "What... is your favorite color?"
• The book Brave Sir Cadwell is another reference to Holy Grail, parodying the song "Brave Sir Robin", a mocking tune about "Sir Robin the-not-quite-so-brave-as-Sir-Lancelot" and his tendency to flee from confrontation.

Nae Nae

• The default name of the Noweyr Pony pet, "Neigh-Neigh", is a reference to the popular dance move, the "Nae Nae".

Naugahyde

• The name of the Nagahide Welwa Ravager is also a play on Naugahyde, a brand of imitation leather used primarily in upholstery for comfortable seating.

One Fine Day...

• The ditty Cadwell recites when you first meet him or when he is summoned with the Cadwell's Surprise Box memento is an adapted version of the nonsense poem "One Fine Day..." (a.k.a. "Two Dead Boys"):

Cadwell	One Fine Day
"One fine day in the middle of the night, two dead kings got up to fight. Back to back they faced each other, drew their bows... and stabbed themselves!"	"One bright morning in the middle of the night, Two dead boys got up to fight. Back-to-back they faced one another, Drew their swords and shot each other."

Oprah

• During the quest The Grip of Madness, Rufinus shouts "You get the lightning! Now, you get the lightning!" This is a reference to the "You get a car!" clip from The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Over the Hills and Far Away

• Aldmeri Dominion bards in the game may sing a song entitled Over the Seas and Far Away. This is a reference to the George Farquhar version of the traditional English song Over the Hills and Far Away.

Pied Piper

• An NPC named the Rat Whisperer can be found commanding a legion of skeevers in the Wayrest Sewers. A copy of The Piper can be found close by. This is a reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who used a flute to control rats and kidnap children.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride

• A grisly scene in the northern part of Galen depicts the Battle of Wits scene from The Princess Bride.

Reticulating Splines

• The Reticulated Spine subzone in Shadowfen is a reference to "reticulating splines", a phrase commonly found in Maxis games since its first appearance in SimCity 2000. It refers to one of the steps involved when a computer creates a 3D image out of a math function.

Running of the Bulls

• The loading screen description of the House of the Silent Magnifico makes reference to the "running of the Dunerippers", a dangerous pastime similar to the Running of the bulls that occurs each year in Spain.

Salt Bae

/Salty Emote

• The salty emote is a reference to the popular Salt Bae meme, featuring Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe.

Seinfield

• An Argonian chef named Makes-Many-Soups can be found in Jorunn's Stand in Eastmarch. If you ask her how many soups, she will say, "Today, only one soup." If you complain, she will declare, "If you are too greedy, you get no soup at all!" This is a reference to The Soup Nazi from the TV show Seinfeld, who would declare, "No soup for you!" and refuse to serve the person at the slightest complaint.
• Notes on the Visitor's Guide to the Shambles has a line that reads "And the Argonian, Bowl-Stirrer, really knows how to roast a clannfear! Again, no roast for you." which also references the "No soup for you!" line.

Shortest Short Stories

• The contraband item Calf-Skin Baby Shoes has the description, "A pair of baby shoes, never worn." This is a reference to the well-known six-word story "For sale: baby shoes, never worn".

The Simpsons

• The default nickname of the Black Senche-Lion is "Umbrage Two", a reference to the Simpsons' black cat, named "Snowball Two".
• Talsyne Indoril in Mournhold can be heard saying "My cat's breath smells like cat food." This is a reference to Ralph Wiggum's famous line from the Simpsons episode "Lisa's Rival".

Skill Issue

• "Skill issue" is gaming slang that implies a player's failure is due to a lack of skill at the game (sometimes used ironically). Sharp-as-Night uses this phrase occasionally after defeating an enemy.

Spider-Man 2

• The description of the Oakensoul Ring reads "The might of the druids, in the palm of your hand.", a reference to Doctor Octopus' famous quote "The power of the sun, in the palm of my hand." from Spider-Man 2, with similar variations spoken multiple times in No Way Home and Across the Spider-Verse.

Star Wars

Another victim

• There are two references to the scene in Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke Skywalker finds himself trapped by a Wampa in a cave and uses the Force to reach for his lightsaber. A similar reference appeared in the Morrowind expansion Bloodmoon and in Skyrim.
  • After defeating the troll Skullcrusher (similar to the wampa) towards the end of Broken Helm Hollow, to your right is a small alcove with another troll. To the left of the frost troll is a skeleton hanging upside down from the icy ceiling and a sword protruding from the ice beneath it.
  • In a Wrothgar Ice Cave, there is a skeleton hanging from the ceiling, sword on the ground just out of reach, with animal bones scattered all around.
• The quest Aggressive Negotiations is a reference to Padmé Amidala's quip during the Battle of Geonosis in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, where Anakin asks "You call this a diplomatic solution?" and Padmé responds with "No, I call it aggressive negotiations."
• The Precursor shares many similarities to C-3PO in terms of speech patterns and being a discarded automaton, and quotes his line "I'm quite beside myself" from Attack of the Clones.
• There are three references to the climactic scene in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith in which Anakin Skywalker is incapacitated during his duel with Obi-Wan on the volcanic planet Mustafar and burns alive while attempting to crawl away.
  • At the lava pools next to the The Lady stone, in Ramimilk, and in Zainsipilu there is a charred corpse still on fire positioned crawling out of the lava in the same way as Anakin.
• At Thizzrini Arena, Feluni will give you the stage name of "The Mysterious Stranger" after reaching the final round of the arena. This is a reference to a similar competition on the planet Taris in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, where the player would be given the same stage name.

Stranger Things

The Gorge

• The quest The Taste of Fear features a monster known as the Insatiable which can cross over and back from a hellish alternate reality known as the Gorge. This is a reference to the first season of Stranger Things, which featured a similar creature called the Demogorgon which could cross over from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down.

Sunstone

• The characters Allysin Cartier, Liisan Cartier and Alan-Tei are a reference to the characters Allison Carter, Lisa and Alan from the erotic webcomic series Sunstone by Stjepan Šejić.

Tasmanian Tiger

• The Gorne Striped Wolf is be based on the real world Tasmanian tiger, a striped marsupial once widespread across Australia. Like Tasmania (and Australia at large), Gorne is an island described as having "strange creatures found nowhere else".

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

• Within Stone Garden, there is a skeletal hand sticking out from a lava pool. This is a reference to the scene from Terminator 2: Judgment Day where the Terminator has his hand sticking out while drowning in lava and doing thumbs up afterwards.

There once was a man from Nantucket

• The poem Betnikh Limerikh opens with "There one was an Orc from Betnikh", which is a reference to the common limerick opening There once was a man from Nantucket. Both limericks are ribald, and both Betnikh and Nantucket are islands.

They Live

• Guards may say "I love to crush skulls and eat sweetrolls, and I've no more sweetrolls", an Elder Scrolls universe version of Rowdy Roddy Piper's line "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum" from the 1988 movie They Live.

Three Billy Goats Gruff

• Directly southwest of Fort Warden, near the edge of the mountains towards Fort Rayles, there is are two arched bridges with a dead troll underneath. This is a reference to the children's story Three Billy Goats Gruff. A similar reference was also found in Oblivion and Skyrim.

Titanic

Titanic reference

• There is a scene featuring two Orc skeletons and a boat west of Bright-Throat Village. It is a reference to the 1997 film Titanic, towards the end where Jack and Rose are clinging to a piece of debris in the ocean after they escape the sinking ship.

Treasure Island

• The ghost Captain Bones is encountered guarding his treasure at his wrecked ship, and is accompanied by a ghostly monkey Mr. Flint. They are both references to the characters of Captain Billy Bones and Captain Flint from Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel Treasure Island.

Vinland Saga

• The characters Askeladd and Thorkell are found close to each other outside Solitude, both named after major characters in the manga Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura. They both have blonde beards as the characters in the manga do, and Thorkell wields an axe just as the manga character does.
• The assassin Thorfinn is named after the protagonist of Vinland Saga and is equipped with dual daggers, the trademark weapons of the manga character.

When Harry Met Sally

• Drunken Nords may sometimes exclaim "I'll have what I'm having.", a variation on the famous line from When Harry Met Sally..., "I'll have what she's having."

Will Smith

/Tada Emote

• The /lookatthis emote is a reference to the Will Smith: Tada image macro, which depicts actor Will Smith showing off his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

William Shakespeare

• Marcy's Kawala Tea is a contraband item with the following flavor text: "This packet of tea comes with its own tea strainer, because the Kawala Tea of Marcy is not strained." This is a reference to "The quality of mercy is not strain'd", a line from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.
• In Daggerfall, Angier Stower can be heard saying, "Do you know the old saying? Neither a borrower nor a lender be? Rubbish! Without borrowers and lenders, how would we ever be able to buy or sell anything?" This is a quote by Polonius from Act 1 of Shakespeare's play, Hamlet.
• Master Firuth holds the skull of "Gerald" and speaks to it, in a similar manner to how Hamlet speaks to the late Yorick's skull in Hamlet.

William Tell

• To the east of the ritual site in the Lineage of Tooth and Claw quest is a corpse with an arrow sticking out of its head and an apple lying on the ground nearby. This is a reference to the legendary archer William Tell, who was tasked with shooting an apple off of his son's head.

Historical References

Alcibiades

• Azandar was originally known as Azandar al-Kozanset, but changed his name to al-Cybiades after leaving home. This is a reference to the Athenian statesman Alcibiades.

COVID-19

• The Wash Your Damn Hands emote (with the flavor text, "No. Seriously.") is a reference to common health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was given away as a daily login reward during the month of October 2020.

Dear John Letters

• The Dear Johun Letter, a woman's breakup letter to her distant lover Johun, is a reference to Dear John letters.

Mao Zedong

• The Hoonding's Prayer Stone item quoting Frandar Hunding reads "Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty to win victory." which is taken directly from a quote by Mao Zedong.

Paul Revere

• The name and objectives of the quest If By Sea are a reference to Paul Revere's famous midnight ride during the American Revolutionary War.

Theodore Roosevelt

• The default name of the Cave Bear mount is "Theodore", likely after Theodore Roosevelt due to his association with teddy bears.

Winston Churchill

• In Port Hunding, Qadrima can be overheard saying, "In the morning, I'll be sober but you'll still be stupid." This is a classic rejoinder often incorrectly attributed to Winston Churchill.
• During the quest Long Lost Lore, Sheogorath says "A contest, wrapped in a mystery, with an enigma glaze." This is a reference to the quote "It's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma" from Winston Churchill's speech about Russia.

Running Gags

→For more detailed information, see: Running Gags

Adoring Fan

The Adoring Fan first appeared in Oblivion. In ESO, he is referenced with the following:

• The furnishing "An Adoring Fan" is named after him.
• There is an NPC named "The Undying Fan", who, like the original, is a Bosmer that loves watching arena matches.
• In Blackwood, you can encounter The Adoring Admirer, a Bosmer fascinated by your exploits. When he greets you, he may exclaim "By Azura! By Azura! By Azura!", or refer to you as "the champion". An achievement can be earned by meeting him four times.
• The Adoring Stand is a hair style available from Grim Harlequin crates. Its name and description reference the Adoring Fan, and it is similar in appearance to the style of hair used by the Adoring Fan in Oblivion.

Arrow in the Knee

The basis for the Arrow in the Knee running gag comes from Skyrim, where city guards will occasionally say "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee...". References to it appear in ESO:

• One of the Body Markings is Arrow Scars, including Knee.
• "Arrow to the Knee" is an emote available in the Greymoor Collector's Edition.
• In the Blackwood prologue quest A Mortal's Touch, Eveli Sharp-Arrow warns, "One step closer and you get an arrow in the knee!"

Sweetrolls and Fish Sticks

• High level provisioners can cook both fishy sticks and sweetrolls, references to both of the running gags in the Elder Scrolls series. "Sweetroll" and "Fishystick" are also the default names for the Sorrel and Palomino horse mounts, respectively. More information about the Fishy Stick phenomenon can be found here.

Giant Club Launch

Originating from Skyrim, the gag comes from when a giant hits a creature with its club, the target would be sent flying hundreds of feet into the air. References to it appear in ESO:

• Sigunn says, "That giant took me by surprise. Wrecked my wagon on the road and clubbed me so hard I swear I was swimming in the sky."
• The lorebook All About Giants mentions that giants "swing huge clubs and launch even a burly Nord over field and stream" - and then an addition at the end notes that the original author was found dead a full league from the nearest giant camp.
• In the book Kyne's Challenge: A Hunter's Companion, there's a line that references this: "Unhappy in the extreme, it lifted its colossal club, then dropped it into the heather, hitting the ground with such force I half expected Fenrig to be launched tumbling upwards, through the low clouds to a distant doom."

Icarus

The Scrolls of Icarian Flight, which may be obtained from Tarhiel in Morrowind, are named after Icarus, a character in Greek mythology who attempted to escape from Crete using wings created by his father by attaching feathers together using wax. Icarus flew too close to the sun, which melted the wax, causing him to plunge to his death. Tarhiel could not have chosen a more appropriate name for the scrolls.

• There is a Bosmer named Icarian, who researched similar spells with the same tragic result hundreds of years before Tarhiel.
• ESO's Necrom chapter would later contain an NPC with the name Tarhiel Farano who also suffers the same fate, and states :"Keep laughing. My descendants will perfect my spell, but you won't be around to see them."

Lusty Argonian Maid

The book The Lusty Argonian Maid first appeared in Morrowind, as a play written by Crassius Curio. In ESO, there are many references that can be seen in the game:

• The Lusty Argonian Footman, Volume 1
• The Lusty Argonian Maid, A Song
• The Argonian Maid—An Oral Tradition
• Lusty Argonian Maid Mazte
• The Lusty Argonian Footman
• Broom description
• Lusty Argonian Keepsake Pillow, "Lusty Argonian Maid" Art Folio, Sheet Music Folio

M'aiq the Liar

M'aiq the Liar is a Khajiit character who has recurred in many Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind. In ESO, he can be encountered throughout the base game, in Northern Elsweyr, and as a houseguest.

Naked Nords

Morrowind featured several Nords in a state of undress, having been tricked by witches. In ESO, two quests relating to naked Nords are present that harken back to the original game:

• The Naked Nord in Deshaan
• If the Spell Fits in Vvardenfell.

Riverwood Chicken

In Skyrim, it was common for new players to impulsively kill a chicken in Riverwood (and other small towns) for the first time and find that most inhabitants of the settlement become hostile and attack them. For their willingness to fight to the death over the crime of murdering a chicken, the NPC behavior was widely satirized.

• In ESO, Riverwood White Hen is named for the town where first-time chicken murders often occurred and has the description "Owners grow extremely attached to them, and become outraged if they're harmed.", referencing the reaction of the NPCs.

Removed Easter Eggs

GOAT

• The Rogerain Restrainer achievement was originally called "You are the GOAT", referencing the acronym GOAT ("Greatest of All Time"), a pop culture complimentary term of address first used to describe Muhammad Ali.

Lord of the Rings

• In Toothmaul Gully, a character allegedly named "Gollum" could be heard saying "Precious" during the beta, though this was later removed at launch and all remnants were scrubbed from the files.

Race for the Cure

• The Quest for the Cure quest was originally titled "Race For the Cure" as a reference to the Race for the Cure event held by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, but was later renamed.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch

• The default name of the Black Cat pet was originally "Salem" (later changed to "Mimi"). This was a reference to the character Salem from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch franchise, popularized by the live action sitcom adaptation.

Song of the Diamond Sword

• A book called Song of the Diamond Sword was in the files since launch and a reference to the I CAN SWING MY SWORD! - Minecraft Song by Tobuscus, a content creator that collaborated with Bethesda a number of times for Skyrim, but it was later erased from the files.

See Also

• M'aiq the Liar, the recurring character whose comments are references to events and features of the game (both new and removed), jokes, and Easter Eggs.
• Elder Scrolls Online Subforum — A place on the UESP forums where you can discuss Easter Eggs related to ESO.