One of the most treasured of all theElder Scrollsgames,Morrowindis still held up on a pedestal by die-hard fans of the series. The game marked a significant jump in content and story for the franchise, moving past the cardboard quests of the first two games and instead creating a new alien world rich in lore and mystery.
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Whether or not the game holds up to this day remains the subject of debate among fans, considering its outdated graphics and difficult controls. However, there is no denying the influence the game has had on the open-world fantasy genre. In a deep world like that ofMorrowind, there are bound to be some easter eggs hidden away that not even the most experienced players have noticed.
9The BanHammer
A BanHammer is a term used since the early days of internet forums for the power of admins to ban wayward or vindictive users. To this day, moderaters may still bring down the “BanHammer” on those who violate community guidelines.
This terminology worked its way into the game via a unique weapon, found on a corpsearound the Azura’s Coast area. It’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to the playful nature of internet forums, but it’s still a cool weapon to smack enemies with.
8The Art Of War Magic
Another pop culture reference, this one is a bit more antiquarian. This book, which can be found in several locations in the game, is a play onTheArt of Warby Sun Tzu, the legendary military tactics book that is still in use today.
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The book even references a few specific passages from the original source material — with a uniqueElder Scrollsspin of course. History buffs should get a kick out of it.
7Charles The Plant
TheElder Scrollshas long made use of unique items or characters as a means of slipping Easter eggs into the game. Charles the Plant is one such Easter egg.
This odd plant can be found in Jobasha’s Rare Books and holds a unique alchemy ingredient, Meteor Slime. Both the plant and its slime are references to theLucasArtsclassic video games,Maniac MansionandDay of the Tentacle.
6Hidden Merchants
There are only two merchants in the game who will pay full price for items, and interestingly enough,both are enemies. Creeper is a scamp who wants to play drums instead of doing any work, but he does have 5,000 gold and is willing to buy items from the player.
The Mudcrab Merchant is another such enemy, and is the richest character in the game with 10,000 gold. He is also one of the few characters who will buy skooma from the player.There are few greater pleasures in the gamethan selling illegal booze to a mudcrab.
5College Rivalry
Perhaps most interestingly, the game has a few references to college sports. Eltonbrand is a unique sword in the game that is a reference to Duke basketball player, Elton Brand. Duke’s rivals, The North Carolina Tarheels, also get a shoutout in the form of aWood Elf named Tarheil who falls from the sky and promptly dies.
Most likely, someone on the game’s developing team went to Duke and felt like giving their alma mater a little nod and a wink — and have done so quite well.
4Indiana Jones
While exploring the Omalen Ancestral Tomb, players can happen across the corpse of an explorer who has been crushed by a giant rolling boulder. On the corpse, there is a note written by the explorer signed Indie.
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As many players will piece together, this is a clever reference to the legendary archeologist film hero, Indiana Jones, who is famous for his boulder chase scene inRaiders of the Lost Ark. It seems this Indie wasn’t as quick as the real Indiana.
3Pokemon Puns
There are a fewPokemonplay-on-words references littered throughout the game. There is a skeleton in Mudan Grotto named Peke Utchoo (Pikachu), Weepingbell Hall (Weepinbell) in Arkngthand, Kakuna Burial (Kakuna) in the Urshilaku Burial Caverns, and Charma’s Breath (Charmander) in Kogoruhn.
It seems the game’s developers were smitten by thePokemonbugwhile naming some of these locations. Though some are a little on the nose, they’re still fun for fans of the classic monster-catching game to find.
2Scourge’s Head
Plenty of players have come across this Argonian head, but fewer know the story. During play tests in the game’s development, an Argonian named Scourge got into some trouble with the law and ended up getting killed. In an act to memorialize the character, developers had his head mounted to a plaque and stored in the backroom of The Lizard’s Head bar in Vivec.
While the legendary Scourge may not be causing trouble with the local law enforcement,he is forever remembered as the namesake trophy in the back of The Lizard’s Head.
1Gambolpuddy
This unique enchanted glove is an obscure reference to aMonty Pythonsketch following a composer named Johann Gambolpuddy. It may be quite the mouthful, but the enchanted glove is an important item thatplays a large role in the Sheogorath quest line.
It makes sense that Sheogorath would be involved with an item as goofily named as Gambolpuddy considering he is essentially the trickster God of theElder Scrollsuniverse. After all, he’s the one who created the Wabbajack.
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