So, in the same way that Bosmer have become a squeaky joke (the men.. in spite of their lore and latest iteration in Skyrim), the Nords have become boisterous cowards. They all talk a pretty good game, going on about honor, battle, and glory. However, when $#IT hits the fan, they turn into trembling children.

The guards and companions (two groups you'd expect to meet any danger native to Skyrim in open battle) flee and cower from a small band of street toughs. It's funny, sure, but at this point I've (previously subconsciously) adopted this view that Nords will say one thing and act tough. Then, they'll run and hide, later acting as though it never happened. They're certainly the most delusional race.

Maybe if the Bosmer have one more game without being a joke, I might be able to almost maybe forget fargoth. So, the Nords have a shot in a couple games to redeem themselves, but for now, they're TES's cowards.

I've never seen a Nord flee...

Well he isnt a Nord but I have seen that Orc looking for a good death flee, he talks the talk about how Orcs dont wait till they are old and useless to die but go out to seek an honorable death while they still have the strength to do so but as soon as I am going to give him his good death he yells "death is overrated" and flees.

Never seen this happen...

Orcs are true warriors.

What, now were being racist against fictional races too? Great

"Death is overrated!"

I encountered a few nords who said this final line before soccumbing...

I'm pretty sure every NPC flees or cowers right before they are about to die... It's just part of the AI, not specific to Nords.

You seem to have a Hate On for the Nords Did a Nord steal your sweetroll?

The Nords are pretty brave.

Once a dragon landed in a town and while I was busy slashing it with my sword, a little old nord woman ran up and started punching away at it furiously!

Okay. It's not just Nords, BUT it's not just before npc death. Am I the ONLY one who has been attacked by an assassin or thugs, while in a town? The guards flee. I'm pretty certain they're all Nords.

Is this really just my game?

I've never seen guards flee.... they fight to the death.

Two times I have seen that.

I was attacked by two bandit chiefs and two bandits. I killed three of them and the last run off saying "death is overrated" (I decided to just leave him alone)

The next time this happened to me I had Calder with me. Calder told him that he was not a true Nord before killing him.

I've never seen that. The nords seem to be pretty crazy

I've seen Vilkas disapear at the start of a dragon hunt, just to reapear once the dragom was dispatched. I thought this was more a Companion thing than a Nord thing though.

if one of my assassin got attacked by thugs in a town, the guards didn't flee. they just did nothing at all.

I agree with you Op, I don't like the way this warrior race has been written they really do seem like a joke (the Arnold voice on the guards doesn't help)

Wow. It's weird that only the minority experience this. If someone like thugs or assassins attack me, the guards start running and shout things like, "Someone do something!" Lol. They're a joke to me, now. Gutless. At least they're not psychic, though I do miss the toughness of the Imperial guards. They didn't tolerate criminal scum like the Nord milk drinkers do.

Maybe they just want to see the assassin get his job done, and turn the blind eye...

Maybe they dislike you as much as you dislike them?

Seems more like a game mechanic which kicked in at the wrong timre or is given to wrong people. I have seen people of all races act that way.

Maybe they paid the guards off to stay away while they (attempt to) kill you

It’s a game mechanic that doesn’t take race into account. Lore wise Nords are irritating because they have death or sovngarde mentality. Aside from Orcs there is really no one that can compare to Nords when it comes to warrior stereotype.

I know it's not race specific, but most npcs are nords and I think all guards are nords. So, I mostly see Nords cowering (I realize that Nord villagers will attack an ancient dragon wearing clothes and wielding an iron dagger... but it doesn't make me think of brave...). I guess I just think the AI is grossly inconsistent with what one should expect from certain npcs.

Also, someone shared a screenshot of Vilkas out in the wild, hiding from an ice wraith. It was pathetic..

The screenshot?