General:Running Gags

Running gags are amusing jokes or comical references that have appeared repeatedly throughout The Elder Scrolls series. They can begin with an instance of unintentional humor that is repeated in variations as the joke grows familiar and fans anticipate reappearances of the gag. The humor in a running gag may derive entirely from how often it is repeated, however the underlying statement or situation will always require some form of jocularity. Some of the most commonly recurring gags are Fishy Sticks and M'aiq the Liar. Certain gags have become so popular that they've appeared in other media.

Adoring Fan

"By Azura, by Azura, by Azura!"

• The Adoring Fan first appeared in Oblivion.
• In Skyrim:
  • Cicero mentions in his journal that he masqueraded as a "starstruck fan" to gain an audience with a Grand Champion.
  • The Alternative Armors - Dwarven Mail Creation features a dead Wood Elf Arena Fan. His note reveals that he came to Skyrim to meet a former participant of the Imperial City Arena.
• In ESO:
  • 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.
• In Legends:
  • There is an Adoring Fan card, obtained by becoming an Arena champion. Like the original NPC from Oblivion, the card will eventually respawn after being killed.
  • The card Dive Rock Fall depicts a person being pushed off the top of Dive Rock, referencing a popular method players used to kill the Adoring Fan in Oblivion. The card's effect is that it banishes a card with 0 power, which, appropriately, includes the Adoring Fan card.
• In Skyrim Very Special Edition, there is an enemy called "Adoring Fan".
• In Blades, townsfolk may say, "By Azura! I'd die to meet a Grand Champion!"
• In Castles, Adoring Fan is a unique Subject that can be purchased exclusively for 1 non-game month and serves as an automatic resource collector.
• In Betrayal of the Second Era, one possible sidequest is "A Fan's Adornment", in which a fan exclaims "By Akatosh's grace, it's YOU!" and won't leave you alone, joining you as a companion to fight alongside you. If he survives a battle where the adventurer he's paired with defeats 3 enemies, he "exhausts you with words of adoration", causing all adventurers to gain fatigue before he leaves.

Arrow in the Knee

An arrow, in the knee

The line "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee..." first appeared in Skyrim, spoken by city guards. It soon became an Internet meme, and has a Wikipedia article on the subject.

• In the Game Jam video, Bethesda used a song parody titled "Arrow to the Knee" that used the dialogue as an audio sample.
• In ESO:
  • One of the body markings is Arrow Scars, including Knee.
  • The Arrow to the Knee emote depicts the player taking an arrow to their knee. It has the description: "Express all the angst and agony of taking an arrow to the knee!"
  • In the quest A Mortal's Touch, Eveli Sharp-Arrow warns: "One step closer and you get an arrow in the knee!"
  • The Adventure-Ending Arrow collectible lets players wear an arrow embedded in their knee. It has the description: "Why am I not out adventuring? Just look down. There's an arrow, right there in my knee. The healer says I need to leave it be. But my adventuring days are behind me. Does that answer your question?"
• In Legends:
  • Arrow in the Knee is a card. It deals a minor amount of damage to a creature and shackles it.
  • One of the loading screen tips is "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee and got shackled."
  • Camlorn Adventurer will say "I used to be an adventurer, like you." or "I'll put an arrow through both of their knees." when summoned.
• In Blades, the Arrow emote depicts the player crouching down to inspect an arrow in their knee. It has the description: "You used to be an adventurer, then something bad happened. True story."
• In Castles:
  • Subject Celesa may say, "Adventurers giving you problems? Try an arrow to the knee."
  • Jester Subject during exile may say, "Must have told one "arrow in the knee" joke too many..."
  • Occasional notification of the Subject's death from age may contain the phrase, "After fighting an infection due to an unexpected arrow to the knee, <Subject name> finally found peace in eternal rest at the respectable age of <age number>."
• In merchandise:
  • An Arrow in the Knee prop was available for Xbox avatars.
  • The Whiterun Guard Funko Pop figurine has an arrow in his knee.
  • The noblechairs HERO Gaming Chair - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 10th Anniversary Edition has an arrow stitched on the right side of the seat, pointing toward the knee of the person sitting in it.

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  Whitreun Guard Funko Pop, complete with arrow in the knee

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  Arrow to the Knee emote

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  Adventure-Ending Arrow

Fishy Stick

Have a fishy stick!

The fishy stick phenomenon began when Captain Eldrad joined the Official Forums on January 18, 2001. The graphic used is from an advertisement for Captain Morgan's rum, with a fish stick in place of the bottle of rum. In the beginning, fishy sticks were only given to those who truly deserved the honor, by Captain Eldrad himself. Later, his friend Soursha gave them away to new members. Eventually, it became customary to give fishy sticks to the newcomers of the forum. The Bethesda developers were very amused by all of this, and they added tributes to the fishy stick in several games.

Giant Club Launch

The aftermath of a giant encounter

• In Skyrim, when a giant hits a creature with its club, the target will be sent flying hundreds of feet into the air.
• In Fall of the Space Core, Vol 1, the Space Core can be sent back to space via giant club launch.
• 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."
  • Herkgrig says, "[He] took a run at the first giant we came across. Never seen a body fly like that before."
  • 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."
• In Legends, the background of the Belligerent Giant art has an unfortunate adventurer falling out of the sky.

Horse Armor

Horse Armor

• The Horse Armor Pack was a DLC for Oblivion, infamous for being one of the earliest examples of purely cosmetic paid DLC.
• In Skyrim:
  • The Dwarven Armored Mudcrab Creation for Skyrim is a reference to PC Gamer's satirical 2011 "Crab Armor DLC" advertisement, which itself was a reference to the Horse Armor Pack. It appears to use an updated model of the Mudcrab Armor mod previewed with the launch of Creation Kit in 2012.
  • The Horse Armor Pack itself returns as well in the separate Steel and Elven Horse Armor Creations.
• Horse Armor is a card in Legends. It adds +1 to a creature's defense, and adds a cosmetic bonus of turning the card premium (animated).

Icarus

Tarhiel

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.

• In Oblivion, a certain issue of The Black Horse Courier mentions "the occasional wayward mage crashing to the earth."
• In Skyrim's Dragonborn expansion, a Wood Elf wizard also falls to his death from his experimentation.
• In ESO:
  • A Bosmer named Icarian can be found on an island near Fort Dragonclaw in Cyrodiil, who researched similar spells with the same tragic result hundreds of years before Tarhiel.
  • A random encounter in the Telvanni Peninsula has you witness a Dunmer named Tarhiel Farano fall to his death. His ghost attacks you, and may state, among other things, "Keep laughing. My descendants will perfect my spell, but you won't be around to see them."
• In Legends, the card Falling Wizard was added in the Houses of Morrowind expansion. It depicts Tarhiel as he appeared in Morrowind.
• This is also referenced in other media, specifically with the dead NPC Tahreel found in the Azure Span zone in World of Warcraft's Dragonflight expansion.

Lusty Argonian Maid

• The book The Lusty Argonian Maid first appeared in Morrowind, as a play written by Crassius Curio, and subsequently appeared in Oblivion, Skyrim, ESO and Castles.

• Minutes of the Lusty Argonian Historical Society is an unofficial lorebook written on the Bethesda forums by Morrowind writer Douglas Goodall.
• In Skyrim:
  • The Dawnguard expansion added the lorebook The Sultry Argonian Bard, v1.
  • In the Dragonborn expansion, the quest First Edition involves you finding a rare edition of the book that had been given by the author to the questgiver's family.
• In ESO:
  • There are several lorebooks about or inspired by The Lusty Argonian Maid:
    • The Lusty Argonian Footman, Volume 1
    • The Lusty Argonian Maid, A Song
    • The Argonian Maid—An Oral Tradition, which establishes The Lusty Argonian Maid as just one variation of a popular style of tale performed across Tamriel.
  • Lusty Argonian Maid Mazte is a drink recipe that can be crafted.
  • The Lusty Argonian Footman is an inn in Lilmoth, likely named after the book of the same name.
  • For April Fool's 2017, the store added a Broom item with the description, "Lifts-Her-Tail: 'But, my lord, your broom is so very long and stiff! To move it back and forth, I shall have to use both hands!'" — Excerpt from The Dusty Argonian Maid
  • Some of the Treasure items that can be found include Lusty Argonian Keepsake Pillow, "Lusty Argonian Maid" Art Folio, and Sheet Music Folio.
• In Castles:
  • The book is an unobtainable accessory.
  • The Lusty Argonian Maid can be brought up during specific Rulings, such as choosing which volume to purchase or suggesting it be performed as a musical.

M'aiq the Liar

M'aiq

M'aiq the Liar has been a recurring character in several Elder Scrolls games since Morrowind, making him one of the longest running gags (quite literally in Oblivion) in the series. While every rendition of M'aiq the Liar is technically a different character, they are all known for breaking the fourth wall and making references to gaming culture and the franchise's gameplay.

Mudcrab Merchant

Mudcrab merchant

• The Mudcrab Merchant first appeared in Morrowind as a friendly NPC merchant.
• In Skyrim:
  • In the Dragonborn DLC, which adds many references to Morroiwnd, you can find a large Mudcrab on the northern coast of Solstheim called Old Salty. He always drops a large amount of gold and a tankard.
• In Legends:
  • Mudcrab Merchant is a card released in the Houses of Morrowind expansion. It shows you two cards; you choose one to keep and the other goes to your opponent.
  • The Mudcrab Merchant is the opponent in the Isle of Madness quest Flooded Camp.
• A Talking Mudcrab Merchant Tote was available in the "Mercantile"-themed Elder Scrolls Loot Crate.

Naked Nord

One such specimen

• Morrowind featured the Nords Botrir, Hisin Deep-Raed, and Hlormar Wine-Sot, all of whom were in a state of undress having been tricked by witches.
  • In Tribunal, Forstaag the Sweltering is a Nord in Mournhold who is naked by choice and criticizes those who believe he was tricked.
• In ESO, two quests relating to naked Nords are present: The Naked Nord in Deshaan, and If the Spell Fits in Vvardenfell.

Prisoner

Imprisoned

• Arena opens with you in a cell in the Imperial Dungeons, where, as Ria Silmane puts it, you've been left to die. Ever since then, it has been common for Elder Scrolls games to start with the player character imprisoned.
• In Morrowind, you start the game on an Imperial Prison Ship, having been sent from the prison in the Imperial City to be released in Vvardenfell.
• The entire game of Stormhold takes place in Stormhold Prison and involves you trying to defeat the Warden.
• Oblivion starts with you in a cell in the Imperial City Prison. The cell actually had been meant to be left empty, as it's the entrance of a secret passageway for the Emperor to be able to escape.
• In ESO, the various tutorial quests involve you as a prisoner:
  • Soul Shriven in Coldharbour, the tutorial from the base game (which is the only active tutorial as of Update 44), starts with a cutscene in which you are murdered by Mannimarco as a ritual sacrifice. You awaken in a cell in The Wailing Prison in Molag Bal's realm, Coldharbour, and are released by a fellow prisoner.
  • The Morrowind tutorial, Broken Bonds, involves you sailing for Vvardenfell. Slavers lure your ship into being wrecked on Firemoth Island, and you awaken in chains in the Slave Barracks there. You're freed by Naryu Virian, a Morag Tong agent who's there to kill the slavers' captain.
  • In the Summerset tutorial, The Mind Trap, you're imprisoned within your own mind thanks to a Sload's magic. A Psijic mage helps guide you out of it.
  • In the Elsweyr tutorial, Bright Moons, Warm Sands, you wake up in a locked room. Turns out you're not quite a prisoner: you were put there to recover after surviving a dragon attack, and the key is on the table in the room, so you're free to leave.
  • The Greymoor tutorial Bound in Blood starts with a cutscene in which you and Fennorian are riding in a cart on the way into Skyrim when you're attacked by members of the Gray Host. The pair of you then awaken in a cell in a barrow. Conveniently, Fennorian is a vampire who has the ability to turn into mist, so he is able to get through the bars of the cell and let you out.
  • In The Gates of Adamant, the tutorial that was active from Update 30 through Update 43, you awaken in a cell on the Isle of Balfiera. Norianwe, a member of Clan Direnni, explains that you unexpectedly showed up via a magic portal, and that she just needed to make sure that you weren't a danger to yourself or others first before letting you out.
• In Legends, you begin the game in the tutorial of The Forgotten Hero story, which starts with you as a captive of Boethiah cultists, being forced to fight against a fellow prisoner.
• In Betrayal of the Second Era, the introductory Jailbreak encounter starts with you awakening in a cell somewhere in Tamriel, after being charged with an unspecified crime and protesting your innocence. The man who lets you out, Bodean, mentions that the jailers are corrupt.

Riverwood Chicken

The Prized 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 the extended Minecraft Skyrim Mash-up trailer, the Dragonborn interrupts an otherwise cinematic entrance into Riverwood by killing a chicken.
• 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.
• In Legends, the Prized Chicken card has the ability "Last Gasp: Fill this lane with 1/1 Angry Villagers," the angry villagers referencing NPCs outraged at players who killed the town chicken.

Sweet Roll

Sweetrolls

• The Sweet Roll initially originated in Arena where, at the beginning of the game, one of the class-determining questions is:

"While in town the baker gives you a sweetroll. Delighted you take it into an alleyway to enjoy, only to be intercepted by a gang of three kids your age. The leader demands the sweetroll, or else he and his friends will beat you and take it."

• In Morrowind, the above question from Arena, along with several others, was reused in the class quiz at the beginning of the game.
• In Oblivion:
  • Sweetroll is an available potion ingredient.
  • The original Arena question is referenced in a line of dialogue occasionally spoken by citizens of Skingrad: "I'll buy sweetrolls from Salmo the Baker any day. Once, I was carrying a sweetroll when three thugs attacked me. So, I took the sweetroll...."
• In Skyrim:
  • Sweet Rolls are an available food.
  • The Pets of Skyrim Creation adds the trained fox Sweet Roll.
  • Sweet rolls are mentioned in one line of guard dialogue; "Let me guess... someone stole your sweetroll."
  • The Wabbajack is a staff that can transform the target and has a rare chance to turn most targets into a sweet roll, instantly killing them if you decide to pick up the sweet roll and eat them.
• In ESO:
  • Sweetroll is one of the food recipes that can be obtained and crafted.
  • Several furnishing items involve sweetrolls. One of them, the Resplendent Sweetroll, is a glowing sweetroll available as an Apex-level reward in every Crown Crate and can be exchanged for 400 Crown gems, the amount it costs to buy an apex-level mount.
  • A quest in the Dark Brotherhood DLC, The Sweetroll Killer, involves a serial killer sending a sweetroll with a message hidden inside to each of their victims.
  • The default name for the Sorrel Horse mount is "Sweetroll".
  • The Greymoor Collector's Edition adds a Missing Sweetroll emote which causes your character to search for a potentially stolen sweetroll, then find it and eat it.
  • One of the daily login rewards in April 2024, for the game's 10th anniversary, was the Dibella's Sweetroll Stack memento, which conjures a plate of sweetrolls that multiple players can interact with.
• In Legends, Sweet Roll is a card. Creatures can be transformed into one by Grisly Gourmet or Wabbajack, or one can be created in some other circumstances. Playing one even rewards you with the title "The Pastry Chef".
• In Blades, sweetrolls can be found as a food during quests. They're also on display on the Sweet Rolls decoration.
• The Elder Scrolls: The Official Cookbook contains a recipe for Sweetrolls, while Vol. 2 has one for the blue-frosted Fargrave Sweetrolls from ESO.
• In Castles, Sweet Roll is mentioned in a variety of dialogues and is also among the random words used for food.
• In Betrayal of the Second Era, Sweetroll is a common consumable item. It must be discarded if an enemy uses the Steal skill on you.
• In merchandise:
  • The "Home"-themed Elder Scrolls Loot Crate included a Sweet Roll Pin.
  • At the 10th Anniversary Celebration event in Amsterdam, one of the possible prizes in the claw machine was a flat magnet with a sweetroll on it.
  • The The Elder Scrolls Ingredients Kitchen Towels 3-Pack includes a towel with a sweetroll design.
  • There is a sweet roll plush.

Useless Items

"In each Elder Scrolls game we have one item that for some reason, all the artists and designers have placed repeatedly in the world. Callipers became the thing. In Morrowind it's pillows. So when you open a chest you might have some callipers or a tong - and you're just wondering what you're supposed to do with these things, and eventually you realise there's no use for them."
—Todd Howard

Since Morrowind, each Elder Scrolls game has one item that "for some reason", all the artists and designers have placed repeatedly in the world. These items can be found everywhere in places such as chest, making players wonder what to do with them, before eventually realizing that they have no use. M'aiq the Liar is also there to make fun of them.

• In Morrowind, this item is pillows, a clutter item with little use.
• In Oblivion, the item is calipers and tongs. The Shivering Isles expansion adds a use for these via the quest Work is Never Done.
• In Skyrim, this item is the various embalming tools.