Online:Easter Eggs

Easter Eggs are secrets that the developers put in the game to give people a laugh when they find them. Elder Scrolls Online has a large number of such jokes. Easter Eggs differ from in-game references in that they have been intentionally hidden from the player and are unusual with regards to their surroundings.

Cultural References are objects, characters, or events in the game that refer to a specific element of popular culture; they differ from Easter Eggs in that they are usually integrated into the game world, and strong parallels can be drawn between the in-game event and the specific work being referenced. Cultural references also include allusions to elements of real-world culture, such as historical events and folklore.

'''If you think you have found an Easter egg or reference, please post your idea on this article's talk page before adding it to this article.'''

Easter Eggs
Belle
The default name of the Great Daenian Hound pet is "Belle", a reference to ESO Creative Director Rich Lambert's dog.
Following the passing of Rich Lambert's dog, a custom Belle pet was added to the game for him and his wife.
Community Members
Deca Dezno is an NPC based on a player character belonging to the winner of the 10 Million Stories sweepstakes.
Resting Semaj is a memorial to the Ebonheart Pact player Semaj, who passed away.
Sleep-at-Fires is a reference to the Argonian player "Sleeps-on-Bridges", who was known for logging in just to sleep on a random bridge. The official ESO Twitter gave him a shoutout, and PC Gamer wrote an article about him.
The following player guilds won prizes as part of the 2020 #TamrielTogether contest. As a result, the following items were added to the game world:
Dauntless Bananas (PC-EU): The book A Tale of the Dauntless Bananas, Bonds of Battle Destrier mount, and   furnishing.
Goldleaf Acquisitions (PC-NA): The book ''Goldleaf Acquisitions, Manager's Notes'', Guild Pride's Charger mount, and   furnishing.
Nomads of Nirn (PC-EU): The book The Nomads of Nirn and the   furnishing.
Aetherius Art (PC-EU): The book The Sonnet of Aetherius Art and a  , on display at Zanil's Luxury Good.
Museum (PC-EU): The book Museum Guild Letter and   furnishing.
The Disenfranchised (PC-NA): The book An Ode to the Disenfranchised and the   furnishing.

COVID-19
The   emote (with the flavor text, "No. Seriously.") is a reference to common health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was given away as a daily login reward during the month of October 2020.

KINMUNE
Karifa al-Tahud, a Tel Var Armorer found in the Daggerfall Covenant base in the Imperial Sewers, can be heard spreading several conspiracy theories. One of them is: "Queen Ayrenn is a miniature Dwemer construct from the next era. Everybody knows it". This is a humorous reference to KINMUNE, a synthetic sentient being from the future featured in Michael Kirkbride's short story by the same name. In an expansion of the story entitled "Ayrenn", Queen Ayrenn is said to be an identity assumed by KINMUNE.

Fibonacci numbers
The Fibonaccus Spiral Hat is named after and bears a strong resemblance to the Fibonacci spiral.

First Church of the Holy Sweetroll
Thogalda in The Lonely Troll makes a reference to the  , a cult following founded in real life at PAX Australia 2016. Domonoid reports the first 1000 attendees were given sweet rolls to consume. ESO's Loremaster Leamon Tuttle commented that he has considered joining the cult.

Game Mechanics
During the quest Back in Time, you discover that the Ayleid ruin of Rubble Butte is caught in a  . ''Lady Edwyge's Notes'' reveal that the events of the quest keep replaying for those trapped inside. This is a nod to the MMO mechanics of delves, which involve supposedly unique, important bosses respawning repeatedly for the next player to kill.
''Captain Alphaury's Journal states: "We dispatched a couple of the creatures before we were forced to turn tail and run. For some reason, however, as we got close to the forest, the atronachs stopped chasing us. They suddenly seemed to lose interest in us and returned to the ruin." This is a reference to the leashing mechanic, whereby mobs will cease combat if a player gets far enough away from their starting position.
During the quest Room to Spare, a Breton landlord named Felande Demarie says: "I've had tenants cram their rooms with the wildest things. Mounts, foliage, assistants - I mean, it's an inn room!"'' This is a reference to the multitude of strange things you can do with furnishings in the player housing system, such as decorating your free inn room with large mounts.

Jason's Hair
In October 2014, a craze began within the ESO community surrounding former ZOS Community Coordinator Jason Leavey's hair, which was notably flamboyant. Some years later, the developers created two in-game hair styles (The Standing Flame and The Standing Wave), which were released in November 2017 and January 2018 respectively, for players to equip on their own characters. These were then confirmed by Jason himself on his Twitter page to be references to his hair.

Justin, Scott, and Speigel
Justino, along with his two companions, Sott and Spagel and Pumpernickle, are based off the hosts Justin, Scott, and Speigel on the local Baltimore, Maryland station 98 Rock, near Bethesda Softworks's headquarters. Matt Firor worked with the station to implement their voices into the game.

Sweetrolls and Fish Sticks
High level provisioners can cook both fishy sticks and sweetrolls, references to both of the running gags in the Elder Scrolls series. "Sweetroll" and "Fishystick" are also the default names for the Sorrel and Palomino horse mounts, respectively.  More information about the Fishy Stick phenomenon can be found here.

The Onion
Finding a note directing you to a secret stash found in a "Suspicious Barrel" upstairs at The Gem & Flask will grant you the achievement "Earthly Possessions", which is a reference to the sponsored article Townsperson In Online RPG Universe Figures Shield, Gold Pieces Should Be Safe In Barrel written by The Onion. The barrel in question actually contains a sample of millet, which replaced onions as a crafting ingredient in Update 6.

Those Who Stood at Chalman Keep
The book Those Who Stood at Chalman Keep can be found on a pedestal in Chalman Keep. It is a reference to the final battle that took place during a closed PvP beta event, where the first Emperor was crowned.

Cultural References

Alice in Wonderland
The Provisioner hireling Gavin Gavonne's message saying "Another delivery for you. Rough day. I barely escaped another Brigand attack. Despite what the locals might tell you I did not "run like a scared rabbit." More like a brave and noble rabbit, who happened to be late for an appointment.", a homage to the White Rabbit character in Lewis Carroll's ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland''.

Arthurian Lore
The Mundus Stone for The Lady in Auridon is located in the middle of a lake, similar to the Lady of the Lake character.

Beowulf
According to Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera, Hrogar's Hold is based on Beowulf, which features a character called Hrothgar who ruled over the mead hall of Heorot.

Borat
Rigurt the Brash leads the "Glorious Expedition for the Nord Cultural Exchange to the Dark Elves", reminiscent of the title of the movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Both Borat and Rigurt are comically oblivious to the cultures they are trying to learn about, their command of language is similarly stilted, and Rigurt travelling all the way to Wrothgar to propose to Lazdutha is a reference to Borat traveling to America to propose to Pamela Anderson.

The Brothers Grimm
The Nord folktale Legends of the Forest was written by The Sisters Glumm, a reference to the German Brothers Grimm, who were responsible for chronicling many popular folktales including Cinderella and Snow White.

Cats
When you speak to Kireth Vanos while she is employed in Enrick's Public House, she says ''"Oh, you just missed it! My rendition of "Rememberings" from the Dark Elf musical "Guars" brought the house down. It's a sad, touching number a few light moments, but I've never seen the crowd laugh so hard. I guess I really nailed the high notes." This is a reference to the famous song "Memory" from the Tony award-winning musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Chuck Norris Facts
The book Glories of the Pirate Queen'' contains several unlikely tales about the amazing feats of the Pirate Queen of Anvil. This is a reference to Chuck Norris Facts, a style of similarly outlandish jokes told about ex-action hero Chuck Norris.

Dark Souls
thumb|right|The Bonfire in the Crystal Tower
During the tutorial on the Isle of Balfiera (in the room where you choose your weapon), you can look into a cell to find a knight's spirit beside a bonfire with an Ancestral High Elf Style sword in it. This is a reference to the bonfires from Dark Souls, which allow you to rest, fast travel and level up your character. The knight is wearing heavy armor in the Nighthollow Style, granting him some resemblance to the warrior from the game's promotional material.

Dear John Letters
The Dear Johun Letter, a woman's breakup letter to her distant lover Johun, is a reference to Dear John letters.

right|thumb|Donkey Kong reference in the Imperial City Sewers
Donkey Kong
A Donkey Kong Easter egg can be found within the Lambent Passage section of the Imperial City Sewers (right before entering the Vile Drainage section), where several platforms and barrels have been set up in a reminiscent style to the first level of the original 1981 arcade game.

Dr. Seuss
The book One Dragon Two Dragon is a reference to One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss. In a video posted to the official ESO Twitter account, former loremaster Lawrence Schick read a physical copy of the story, featuring several illustrations. The illustrations were of several Dragons, as well as Khamira and Abnur Tharn.

Fawlty Towers
During the assault on the Great Shackle,  Cadwell exclaims that the group is going to give "a damn good thrashing". These are the same lines Cadwell's voice actor John Cleese says to his broken down car in Fawlty Towers.

Game of Thrones
The name of the quest The Watcher in the Walls is a reference to the oath of the Night's Watch, from the fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones: "I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men."
The book Rise of the Red Sails contains the line, "Brace yourself Abeceans. A storm is coming." This is a play on a common Internet macro involving the character Ned Stark and the phrase "brace yourself, [x] is coming".

God Save the Queen
The name of the quest Gods Save the King is a reference to the British anthem God Save the Queen/King.

Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Mundus is a copy of the classic children's book Goodnight Moon, with the normal characters and objects replaced by things from the Elder Scrolls series.

Harry Potter
The Academy Supplies letter is a reference to the acceptance letter and supply list that first year Hogwarts students receive.

Herp Derp
The kwama in How the Kwama Lost His Shoes "hurps and durps". This is a reference to the slang phrase herp derp (sometimes spelled hurp or harp) that is used in response to something extremely stupid or clumsy.

Highland Fling
The female version of the Breton racial dance is a Scottish Highland dance called the Highland Fling.

The Incredible Hulk
In ESO Live: 6/24 Update 11 Preview Special #1 it is mentioned that animations, attacks, dialogue etc. of Xal-Nur the Slaver is based of Hulk from Marvel Comics. They speak very similarly ie "Smash the rats! Smash!" to "Hulk smash!" and "Xal-Nur crush puny wamasu!" to "Puny god!" etc, and Fred Tatasciore who often voices Hulk also lends his voice to Xal-Nur.

Indiana Jones
According to Lead Content Designer Jeremy Sera, the explorer Narsis Dren is a play on Indiana Jones, in that his first name is a place and his second is a common surname.

Kindergarten Cop
There is a drunken Nord near the Windhelm wayshrine who occasionally says "It's not a rumor!" in perfect imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous line ("It's not a tumor!") from the movie Kindergarten Cop.

thumb|right|Hazanah
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Hazanah, an outlaw sneaking around the hedges where an Abah's Landing guard is patrolling, is dressed in what appears to be Link's outfit, as evident in her choice of green clothing and her shield, which resembles the Hylian Shield. Furthermore, the guard's linear patrol path, the character hiding and the location is a reference to Hyrule Gardens, a location in Ocarina of Time, which Link sneaks through to meet Princess Zelda.

Men's Wearhouse
Fredevieve Jeanne, a tailor in Elden Root will say ''"You'll like the way you're dressed! I can guarantee that, I think."'' That is likely an homage to this line, spoken by Men's Wearhouse founder George Zimmer, that used to appear in commercials for the men's dress clothes retailer.

Monty Python
The first two lines of Cadwell's Personal Anthem is a reference to the first two lines of The Lumberjack Song by the British comedic troupe Monty Python. Cadwell is also voiced by John Cleese, who was a member of the troupe, though Cleese didn't actually perform that song.
In one of the later quests in Coldharbour, Cadwell wonders if you wish to know his "favorite color", among other things. This is a reference to the Bridgekeeper scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, in which John Cleese's character, Sir Lancelot, was the only one of the main characters to successfully answer the question: "What... is your favorite color?"

One Fine Day...
The ditty Cadwell recites when you first meet him is an adapted version of the nonsense poem "One Fine Day..." (aka "Two Dead Boys"):


Over the Hills and Far Away
Aldmeri Dominion bards in the game may sing a song entitled Over the Seas and Far Away. This is a reference to the George Farquhar version of the traditional English song Over the Hills and Far Away.

Paul Revere
The name and objectives of the quest If By Sea are a reference to Paul Revere's famous midnight ride during the American Revolutionary War.

Pied Piper
An NPC named the Rat Whisperer can be found commanding a legion of skeevers in the Wayrest Sewers. A copy of The Piper can be found close by. This is a reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, who used a flute to control rats and kidnap children.

Reticulating Splines
The Reticulated Spine subzone in Shadowfen is a reference to "reticulating splines", a nonsensical phrase commonly found in Maxis games since its first appearance in SimCity 2000.

Running of the Bulls
The loading screen description of the House of the Silent Magnifico makes reference to the "running of the Dunerippers", a dangerous pastime similar to the Running of the bulls that occurs each year in Spain.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch
The default name of the Black Cat pet was originally "Salem" (later changed to "Mimi"). This was a reference to the character Salem from the Sabrina the Teenage Witch franchise, popularized by the live action sitcom adaptation.

Salt Bae
The salty emote is a reference to the popular Salt Bae meme, featuring Turkish chef Nusret Gökçe.

Seinfield
An Argonian chef named Makes-Many-Soups can be found in Jorunn's Stand in Eastmarch. If you ask her how many soups, she will say, "Today, only one soup." If you complain, she will declare, "If you are too greedy, you get no soup at all!" This is a reference to The Soup Nazi from the TV show Seinfeld, who would declare, "No soup for you!" and refuse to serve the person at the slightest complaint.

Shortest Short Stories
The contraband item   has the description, "A pair of baby shoes, never worn." This is a reference to the well-known six-word story "For sale: baby shoes, never worn".

The Simpsons
The default nickname of the Black Senche-Lion is "Umbrage Two", a reference to the Simpsons' black cat, named "Snowball Two".

thumb|right|Titanic reference
Titanic
There is a scene featuring two Orc skeletons and a boat west of Bright-Throat Village. It is a reference to the 1997 film Titanic, towards the end where Jack and Rose are clinging to a piece of debris in the ocean after they escape the sinking ship.

Star Wars
There are two references to the scene in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back in which Luke Skywalker finds himself trapped by a Wampa in a cave and uses the Force to reach for his lightsaber. A similar reference appeared in the Morrowind expansion Bloodmoon and in Skyrim.
After defeating the troll Skullcrusher (similar to the wampa) towards the end of Broken Helm Hollow, to your right is a small alcove with another troll. To the left of the frost troll is a skeleton hanging upside down from the icy ceiling and a sword protruding from the ice beneath it.
In a Wrothgar Ice Cave, there is a skeleton hanging from the ceiling, sword on the ground just out of reach, with animal bones scattered all around.
At Thizzrini Arena, Feluni will give you the stage name of "The Mysterious Stranger" after reaching the final round of the arena. This is a reference to a similar competition on the planet Taris in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, where the player would be given the same stage name.

Stranger Things
The quest The Taste of Fear features a monster known as the Insatiable which can cross over and back from a hellish alternate reality known as the Gorge. This is a reference to the first season of Stranger Things, which featured a similar creature called the Demogorgon which could cross over from an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down.

Sunstone
The NPCs Allysin Cartier, Liisan Cartier and Alan-Tei are a reference to the characters Allison Carter, Lisa and Alan from the erotic webcomic series Sunstone by Stjepan Šejić.

Theodore Roosevelt
The default name of the Cave Bear mount is "Theodore", likely after Theodore Roosevelt due to his association with teddy bears.

They Live
Guards may say ''"I love to crush skulls and eat sweetrolls, and I've no more sweetrolls"'', an Elder Scrolls universe version of Rowdy Roddy Piper's line ''"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum" from the 1988 movie They Live''.

William Shakespeare
Marcy's Kawala Tea is a contraband item with the following flavor text: "This packet of tea comes with its own tea strainer, because the Kawala Tea of Marcy is not strained." This is a reference to "The quality of mercy is not strain'd", a  line from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

William Tell
To the east of the ritual site in the Lineage of Tooth and Claw quest is a corpse with an arrow sticking out of its head and an apple lying on the ground nearby. This is a reference to the legendary archer William Tell, who was tasked with shooting an apple off of his son's head.

Winston Churchill
In Port Hunding, Qadrima can be overheard saying, ''"In the morning, I'll be sober but you'll still be stupid."'' This is a classic rejoinder often incorrectly attributed to Winston Churchill.

See Also
M'aiq the Liar, the recurring character whose comments are references to events and features of the game (both new and removed), jokes, and Easter Eggs.
  — A place on the UESP forums where you can discuss Easter Eggs related to ESO.

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