My Nord was mugged and left for dead by bandits. Stumbling into the Stormcloak encampment just moments before the Imperial attack, he passed out from a concussion and woke up on the wagon.

Really no one has said this yet?
I was living in Cyrodiil, then I took an arrow to the knee...

My character is named Jose Manuel Gonzalez. He came to work the orchards, and sell oranges on the side of the road.

Veleda was a Nord who grew up in the Imperial City and determined to learn magic despite her family's protests, believing that the only way to fight the Thalmor was with their own weapons. Like a good Imperial citizen, she accepted the necessity of the White-Gold Concordat, having lost family members and seen the ravages of war close up. As she heard rumors of rebellion in Skyrim and then of repression against worshippers of Talos, it began to rankle. Though she was not yet a fully trained battle mage, she determined to go to the ancestral home she'd never seen and join the Stormcloak rebellion. As fate would have it... She believes the Nords' suspicion of magic will ultimately weaken them just as much as the loss of their ancestral ways. Though never devout before, after Helgen and learning she is Dragonborn, she comes to believe that Talos sent her to save Skyrim and restore his place in the pantheon in a free land.

Gudrid, also a Nord, grew up rough in the environs of Bravil. Her father a sailor, her mother a huntress who taught her to shoot. Neither were home very much, and left to fend for herself, Gudrid fell in with bad company. It turned out that the hunting skills of not being seen or heard could be put to other uses. She came north on a mission: To assassinate Ulfric Stormcloak. As fate would have it... Believing she might have been set up, Gudrid decides not to return to Cyrodiil. Strange men talking to her out of the sky and telling her she's a mythic being is rather detrimental to a low profile, but on the other hand, the caves and crypts of Skyrim run with gold. For a time Gudrid thinks she might be satisfied with a hunting and adventuring life. Then she's offered another assassin mission, and the old tingle returns.

My Breton was...fleeing some court intrigue. What?

My Redguard heard about the war brewing in Skyrim and went North to help the Empire thwart the rebellion.

Liquor stores are open on Sunday in Skyrim.

These have been a fun read. Thanks for sharing, guys. Nice to see i'm not the only nerd that makes up back story for my characters in games like this.

Also glad to see a lot more folks playing Imperials! Nothing but a bunch of Dunmer or Nord back stories pre launch.

Marke Aurelius, 25 Year old Imperial Warrior. Lieutenant, and commander of a team of elite legionaires of the 13th Imperial Legion.

Marke was captured crossing the border into Skyrim due to the treachery of a corrupt General of the Legion.

General Blackashe, a relic of the old Empire, has been around since the days of Septim rule. Embracing the widespread corruption of the new Mede Empire - Blackashe flourished. Framing the scions of Noble families of the cities of Cyrodiil, Blackashe would then get rid of every heir to the families fortune. One by one. Either by murder, or further framing, they would be dealt with. Blackashe would then use his power as a war hero and Imperial General to covertly have the families' confiscated gold moved into his families' own vault.

Setting his sights upon an influential family of minor nobles in the Imperial City, the Aurelius family - Blackashe discovered immense stores of gold in the first born son's name being held at the First Imperial Bank. Looking back further, he discovered that the gold was to be released to a Marke Aurelius upon his 25th birthday. He then noticed it was left by someone only indentified as "CoC". He quickly devised a plan to make it his.

Blackashe used his rank to send Marke, and his men away on a bogus Bandit clan extermination assignment. He then had Marke's familiy killed by a group of elite legionaires loyal to him. He had the fresh corpse of one of the nameless brigands of the Waterfront placed in the Aurelius family's basemant. He had his men place several nightshade flowers, an ebony dagger, and several books on the infamous Night Mother and Dark Brotherhood in the vicinity of the corpse. He ordered his men to rub the dagger with the flowers, and then stab the corpse several times.

Along the road south of Skingrad, Marke had his men camped. An Imperial courier dropped an Army Order into his hands. Reading the message, Marke discovered bewildering news. He was being reassigned to a General Tullius in Skyrim. Little did Marke know, this order was false. Blackashe never informed Tullius, or any of the officers under him of any new officer transfer. The order stated that Marke was to order his men back to the Imperial City. They were all getting pay raises for a job well done.

Weeks later - alone - Marke reached the main Imperial Crossing into Skyrim. He recognized the elite legionaires of the third Legion. The Third' was commanded by the legendary General Blackashe, Marke knew. A man to be respected - and feared. As he slowly rode up to the border guard, he was accosted by the men of the Third legion. They ripped him from his horse, and led him into the woods. After the commander of the men went through Marke's things, and burned Blackashe's orders, he began to talk to Marke in a cold and calculated tone.

"You're wanted by every arm of the Empire, fool." said the commander. "Had the bloody 'Brotherhood kill your family. Tsk tsk."

Marke, not having known about the deaths of his family, attempted to question the commander, who's only response was "Questions? From a subordinate, and a criminal? No. I have no answers for you. Only orders. I order you to die."

At once, all six men flew at Marke with amazing alacrity, Their Imperial swords flashing. Unfortunately for the three who attacked him first, they had missed a dagger in Marke's boot when they searched him and removed his sword from his hip.

Marke was an amazingly accomplished swordsman - and he wasn't too shabby with a dagger. He quickly dispatched the three initial attackers, dancing between the three men as if it was choreographed. He then kicked two of the fallen soldiers' blades up into his hands skillfully - and then engaged the remaining three.

After severing the hand of one man, Marke realized the commander of these men was no slouch with a blade, either. He was easily a match for his own skills. After gaining a small advantage, Marke felt immense pain bite into his back. He immediately realized he made the rookie mistake of tunnel vision. He allowed the remaining man to slip behind him while he was focused on the commander. He had a dagger buried in his back.

He immediately collapsed. The commander kicked him in his fresh wound. "That dagger was poisoned. Strip him and roll him into the river. Make it look like a mugging."

As Marke began to blackout due to the poison and loss of blood, he felt the cold northern air. They had removed his clothing, and stripped him of everything he owned. He knew he was going to die. Marke chuckled softly to himself as he remembered that he didn't believe in any sort of afterlife. And then, blackness.

"Huh. Looks like an Imperial." Marke heard a man with a Nordic accent say at the edge of his hearing. "Hmm. Stabbed. Must have been kicked into the river. Robbery gone awry, most likely." "....What's this.. He's still alive!"

"Ralof! What's all this about?"

"Jarl Ulfric! A man, an Imperial. Down by the river. He's been stabbed. He's close to death. We need to help him!"

"An Imperial. Huh. Why should we help an Imperial dog, Ralof?"

"My Jarl, we must help those in need. Or else we are no better than the Thalmor!"

"Hmm. Very well, Ralof. Take him to the healers. I imagine the Imperials will pay well for one of their own."

"Thank you, my Jarl." "You're going to be okay, my friend. We're not far from Helgen..."

Marke felt a wave of comfort as healing magicka was cast upon him. He then fell asleep, thinking of his family.



Long, nerdy, and unoriginal - I know. But I like it. Girlfriend made most of it up.

Read it or don't, just felt like getting it out there. Looking forward to reading more backgrounds.

Came here to post this.

First character: The Nord warrior
- Hanged around with buddies with shady bottles of shady drink. Passed out, woke up in the carriage.

Second character: Master Race Altmer mage
- Sent on a mission by the Thalmor to investigate the Stormcloak rebels, caught up in a bad spot and was hauled with the rebels to Helgen.

Third character: Imperial scout
- Tried to cross the border into Skyrim to join the Legion. Did not get much opportunity to explain.

My Character: Zangetsu Darkstar - Breton.
Some kid bet me 5 Septims that I didn't have the balls to cross the border. I made that kid eat his words and did it with a DON, I then had a great view of him laughing his ass off as I was carted away to Helgen...

Arawn my nord, going back to Skyrim due to the civil unrest he wanted to restore order to his birthplace and home.

Tywyll my dunmer, family was fleeing from morrowind, when he was a baby, they were killed by bandits preying on the unorganised and poorly protected refugees. Found and raised by nords, he went back to MW to try and find out about his ancestors, finding nothing he returned and was captured. His nordic family supported the emprire the father was killed by stormcloaks in his absence and the mother died during winter.

Do'vari (I svck at khajit names) was with a caravan who was killed by bandits, only he survived and wandered into the ambush.

Pwyll my Breton was half nord, he just wanted to see the culture and land of his ancestors.

I was in a bar, drinking contest with a new friend...I think his name was Sam.

Woke up in a wagon being taken to the chopping block. My name was not on the list, but due to an affair with a goat that went bad, I was added with a permanent sharpie.

Let's see, I had a High Elf who went looking for her father... and finally found him, dead, in a cave in the far north of Skyrim. I had a Nord who was coming to join the cause of Skyrim's independence - my current character.
Most of the others, I never thought about it.

To get to the other side. Duh.

Myself - My name is Montequilla, last of the Meheecans and I was leading my people to a new life in Meheeco.
Juib IV - Fleeing the Argonian occupation of Morrowind.

Not to play a buzzkill as these have been fun to read, but remember that Skryim takes place 200 years after Oblivion...while it's possible that an Elven character could still be alive since then, the races of men have lifespans more like real human beings.

I remember someone saying the same thing a few weeks back, somewhere I posted a long explanation covering my tracks so to why he's the fourth Jiub in his line. They all had early tragic ends. Hell, enough has happened since the Oblivion Crisis, and in Morrowind to justify Dunmer short lifespans.

Just to recap something here. Elsweyr is mentioned EVERYWHERE in Skyrim. I started a new Khajiit last night and even at the beginning I am told that my body will be shipped back to Elsweyr. Yes Elsweyr. So while I don't know what the up-to-date lore says about it, but everyone in Skyrim knows there is an Elsweyr.

You're my hero

That wasn't meant to be directed towards you, just a friendly reminder for everyone. I don't think that a majority of people playing the game realize that fact.

My Character-Luna-High Elf

I was chasing a bunny through the wilderness with my dog named Cat but then he went off on his own after a fox. I ran after him but it was too late-- he'd been eated by a mammoth. The giants sat back and laughed as it happened and at that moment I swore revenge for Cat. I charged in without any weapons and literally got my ass kicked over the border.

My Dunmer crossed the border to play Skyrim, of course!
Her great grandmother had already done all the Oblivion
quests, so Tamriel was getting very dull. After the arrest
and execution fiasco, boring isn't so bad after all. Really. ^_-

Starkiller

No direction intended, I just thought I'd explain my own gaff in terms of naming my character to fit the timeline.
I like your sig btw

Ellynette of Alinor, Altmer Noble/Thalmor Agent sent to Skyrim to infiltrate the imperial legion as a 'dissident' and ferret out closet Talos worshippers, subvert moral, keep tabs on the higher ups and provide the legion with 'vital information'. Unfortunately she mistook Ulfric's lot for the smugglers that were supposed to get her to Solitude, damn humans all look the same!