If there’s anything that the developers behind the Elder Scrolls series love, it’s Easter eggs. There are enough references in every title that there are dozens of pages dedicated to each one on wikis, forums, and guides. Among the many pop culture references, there are many references that revolve around history as well as other games.
Some are a lot more straightforward than others, often having an NPC named after a specific character. Some others are entirely visual, having food laid out a specific way or having a symbol hidden away behind some hard-to-reach place. There are dozens to go through but there are definitely some that all players will remember from each respective game.
10 Three Sets Of Ashes Can Be Found Of Players From The Elder Scrolls Forums That Passed Away
The Elder Scrolls forums had many regulars that were fans of the series. Leading up to the production of Morrowind, updates used to be given out detailing many things about the game and getting feedback from players. The community shared information about Arena and Daggerfall and three people, in particular, were given an Easter egg in Morrowind after their passing.
G. Lyngas can be found in the Ravel Astral Tomb; Lord Brinne can be found Samarys Ancestral Tomb; and D. Bryant can be found in Falas Ancestral Tomb. The three all passed during the production of Morrowind. In addition, Lord Brinne (aka Bill Iburg) also had tributes to him in Might and Magic VIII, Deus Ex, and Ultima IX: Ascension.
9 The Headless Horseman Leads To Some Special Treasure In Skyrim
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has a very popular Easter egg in Skyrim that has the player see none other than the Headless Horseman. The road to Northwatch Keep is fairly easy to find as many quests will take the player to Nortwatch on their own. The ghostly apparition can only appear at night and can run off quickly if encountered too hastily.
Following behind slowly will lead the player to a graveyard, most likely where the Headless Horseman’s body resides. The graveyard holds many skeletons, but most importantly it hides a treasure chest full of magical weapons.
8 Castle Dracula & Alucard Both Make Appearances In Oblivion
Bran Castle in Romania is often referred to as Dracula’s Castle, and the castle in Skingrad bears a remarkable resemblance to it. Inside resides Count Janus Hassildor, a man who survived a vampire attack only to become a vampire himself. His wife was also affected by this, refusing to drink blood to keep her alive, and fell into a comatose state because of it.
In another part of Oblivion players can meet Jalbert, a Redguard necromancer who possesses an undelivered letter to Aluc Cardius. Aluc Cardius is a reference to Alucard, the son of Dracula and a popular character from the Castlevania series.
7 A Famous Star Wars Scene Is Referenced Two Different Times In The Elder Scrolls Online
The developers for The Elder Scrolls Online must love The Empire Strikes Back as there are two Easter eggs for the same scene in the game. Towards the end of Broken Helm Hollow after defeating Skullcrusher there is a small cave with a troll inside. A skeleton can be found hanging upside down with a sword in the ice below it.
The exact same reference to the scene can be found in Wrothgar, behind a frozen waterfall. This scene is, of course, referring to the scene where Luke Skywalker is suspended upside-down in a cave on Hoth.
6 Oblivion Pays Tribute To Zelda’s Iconic Mirror Shield
Fans of Legend of Zelda will recognize the name the Mirror Shield as the shield that can deflect magical attacks, and in some games, reflect light in order to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. In Oblivion, this shield can be found in multiple areas as unique loot from many dungeons. It has a percentage chance of deflecting magic as well as damage from attacks.
It functions very similarly to the original Mirror Shield, and is very difficult to find in-game as it’s randomly found as loot rather than given a unique location. While it may not be the most defensive shield in the game, the chance to deflect spells more than makes up for this flaw.
5 The Legend Of King Arthur Lives On In Skyrim
The legend of King Arthur and the blade that decidedly gave him his power is a popular tale adapted in many different mediums. In Bleakwind Basin and Lake Ilinalta are references to the Lady in the Lake, with a sword coming from the ground and the Lady Stone found in these places respectively.
While this may need a little more of a keen understanding of Arthurian lore, there exists another reference that players will recognize instantly. In Rebel’s Cairn there is a collection of stones with a sword placed into one in the center. It couldn’t be more obvious even if the sword was named “Excalibur” in the player’s inventory.
4 The Development Team For Oblivion Must Have Loved Lord Of The Rings
There exist many references to The Lord of the Rings in Oblivion, most notably in the form of a mentioned character named Oford Gabings. The name is an obvious anagram of Frodo Baggins, but the items this character was noted to have on their person are all references as well. A travel cloak with silver and green leaf fastener relates to the gift that Frodo received from the elves, and the enchanted sword with inlaid writing is referring to Sting, the dagger that he got from Bilbo.
There is a ring and leather-bound journal as well, both of which are references to Bilbo’s original belongings of the One Ring and the journal of his adventures in “The Hobbit.” Additionally, there is an item rewarded to the player for finishing the quest Unfriendly Companion, in which Thoronir gives the player a ring with the same inscription as the One Ring.
3 Pac-Man Is A Slice Of Goat Cheese & GLaDOS Is A Potato In Skyrim
One of the best visual gags and Easter eggs shows off Namco’s most popular character, Pac-Man. Skyrim features this Easter egg in Endon’s house in Markarth, at the bottom of the shelf in the back of the room. There, arranged like a game of Pac-Man, is a slice of goat cheese, several pieces of garlic, and some Glow Dust.
Another popular character referenced, this time in Skuldafn, is GLaDOS from Valve’s classic puzzle/adventure franchise Portal. In one of the fireplaces, there is a potato, a boiled crème treat, and three pieces of charcoal that resemble GLaDOS’s potato battery form in Portal 2.
2 ESO Features A Nice Nod To Zelda: Ocarina Of Time’s Hyrule Castle Section
Hazanah, an outlaw sneaking around Abah’s Landing, is outfitted in green clothing. The shield on her back resembles the Hylian Shield from Zelda as well, completing the outfit in the style of Link. As she is just sat crouched behind a hedge while guards patrol, this is a perfect recreation of the scene from Ocarina of Time in the Hyrule Gardens where Link has to sneak through guards in order to see Princess Zelda.
In the original game, this was how Link would acquire the letter in order to go to Death Mountain. This isn’t the only Zelda reference in ESO, but it’s a faithful recreation of one of the most memorable scenes in the series.
1 Pokémon Easter Eggs Are Abundant In Morrowind
The infamous “Peke Utchoo” and his note can be found Mudan Grotto, referencing the mascot of Pokémon, Pikachu. The note details his death and not much else can be gleaned from it apart from the fact that the poor man drank poison instead of his healing potion.
Of course, the Pokémon references don’t stop there, as some locations in Morrowind are named directly after Pokémon. Ilunibi has an area named Marowak’s Spine and Arkngthand features Weepingbell Hall. Additionally, Kakuna’s Burial can be found in the Urshilaku Burial Caverns and Charma’s Breath is a short section in Kogoruhn.
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