Pronunciation Reminders

This guide covers accents. If you have questions about pronunciations, please see the Pronunciation Guide or ask for help on the Discord!

Additionally, general recording instructions can be found through this link.

Argonians

Voices should sound heavily aspirated, like their lungs have to work extra hard on land. Their voice has some 'hiss' to it, but it is more of an 'h' hiss, not an 's' hiss like a snake. They should also speak fairly slowly, like an amphibious ent from Lord of the Rings.

 In keeping with the Native American style of their phrase-names, I would like them to also keep the monotonous accent of the Hollywood stereotype Native American.

Altmer

High elf males should sound like Benedict Cumberbatch. A deep, rich voice with British inflection. Not commanding in tone, but with an air of superiority and condescension to others.

High elf females should sound like Cate Blanchett. Most of them need a mature and regal tone with a posh British accent.

Bosmer

There are three basic tropes for male Bosmer in Morrowind. Ever the rogue out to make their way in the world and line their pockets!

1.) The whiny/annoying Bosmer: Fargoth https://soundcloud.com/nickpoling/fargoth-bosmer

2.) The scheming sleeze-bucket: High Pockets (Steve Buscemi) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nLIbkjGzdA

3.) The Napoleon complex smug bastard: Gaenor (Wallace Shawn) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzaL8wiSjnM

Female Bosmer are generally bitchy bossy and shallow versions of Elle Wood from Legally Blonde. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NotqNgDLzU4

Breton

Bretons are based after real-world Bretons, the celts of France. So French, 'Celtic' (Irish, Welsh, etc.), British (not as 'proper' as Altmer or Imperial, but other colloquial dialects), Belgian, even Spanish or Portuguese works well for them. Most, if not all actors that have been selected will be using French accents in particular.

Dunmer

The Dunmer accent can range from modern “posh” British accents to the Trans-Atlantic accent from early Hollywood. To keep from sounding distinctly North American, Dunmer voice actors are asked to avoid the rhotic R.

In general, Dunmer should sound wise, even in their youth. They live in a harsh land, and their lifespans are very long - they are a pragmatic people and venerate the wisdom of their elders from even from a young age.  They should speak in a precise manner, clear and articulated, taking the time to think through exactly what they mean to say as they say it.

Female Dunmer will have a mid-range to low pitch. A rough/gritty tone may be present, similar to   low level of mild, continuous vocal fry. They are somewhat more masculine in tone, with some huskiness. Female Dunmer will sound mature overall, and don’t sound younger than mid-30’s in age. The most true to the original Morrowind would sound very mature, with a slight wavering, shaky quality--not from lack of confidence, but rather just normal aging of the vocal cords--still sounding wise, prideful, and confident in disposition. They won’t ever sound young, like children or teenagers.

For males, the rasp is the most important thing.  If you can throat sing, and apply this rasp on top of throat singing, that is the ideal Dunmer voice. That's how Jeff Baker does the voice.  

Note: Female Dunmer do not need the rasp that males use.

Sleeper Guide

A few select Dunmer are "Sleepers" --- characters who get effectively possessed by Dagoth Ur over the course of Morrowind's main quest. If this applies to you, be sure to read the guide for Sleeper lines, found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-C-EmYDn2sF-mKl4F4uR0wC2hEXZvOXmUmhFiG1KZok/

If your script includes sleepers' lines, refer to the card "acting instructions for sleepers" for those lines.

Ashlanders

To keep from sounding distinctly North American, Dunmer voice actors are asked to avoid the rhotic R. The ideal way to go about this is different between Ashlander Dunmer and 'civilized' Dunmer. For civilized Dunmer, go with a non-rhotic R like the Trans-Atlantic accent from early Hollywood or many of the modern posh British accents. Ashlanders can get by with a lightly rolled R instead. This, along with a 'choppier' Cyrodilic (English) recitation will make up the Ashlander accent and help distinguish them from the other Dunmer. Speaking native Dunmeri words, the choppiness is gone from Ashlanders, and should become something more akin to Dothraki, or Polish (many of our Ashlander Voice Actors are Polish - so this is just a thing that happened). This will be where you hear words pronounced somewhat differently than you may be used to! Words like Dagoth Ur become more like and “ore” sound and Dunmer will have a distinct “doon” to their pronunciation in contrast to other Dunmer who live under the Imperial banner and the watchful eyes of ALMSIVI.

Below are some excellent Ashlander dialogue references by one of our Voice Actors, Liz Katrin.

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JZljpL9kAPUMCKp3uqzDN7j1z0FmK65t/

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/126bFv6gaZzJ5ALzkMWSca_haWSinWoJW/

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gTlkAwvoUITRXntz34G8mYYpC9e6gooP/ 

Imperial

For Imperials, there are two flavors, but the most important aspect is that they are very 'clear' and authoritative voices. They may be proper 'British' in emulation of the Aldmer upon which their culture is heavily based, or more 'American', but their voice holds authority. Like super-hero voice. 

Khajiit

For Khajiit, try going with a more smoky voice like was in Morrowind, for both males and females. The lilt is a mixture between Spanish and Arabic - almost like Morrocco.

For Khajiit names are an honorific. If they're slaves they refer to themselves only as 'Khajiit', but if they are not slaves they use their own name, and they relish saying it. They savor their names, holding them out just a bit longer.

Our Khajiit will have rolling Rs and pronounce J as the French 'J'. Also, they should emphasize short 'i' and long 'ee' sounds a bit more than other vowels. If you can, try adding some uvular trills for purring in a 'greeting' line, to show approval. These are similar to the rolling R, but you use your uvula to make a warmer, more throaty sound. Not everyone can do them, apparently.

Nords

The Nord’s are skandinavian in nature and origin. Remember Skywind Nords are not Skyrim’s Nords! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI3jRYCPymo

This video by Hankshaw describes what is expected for Nords. Please take the time to watch it!!

Orcs

Orcs in Morrowind, while not actually stupid, certainly have their intelligence allocated to parts of their brain other than those used for verbal communication. While they excel at war tactics and crafting, their tribal nature still shines through. For many, if not most, Cyrodillic (English) is used clumsily and their limited mastery of the language leaves other races assured of their stupidity. Orc voices should be deep and perhaps a bit gravelly. Tough. 

Delivery can even be a bit choppy and abrupt. Your voice should also account for the fact that orcs have huge tusks that get in the way of their speech. This would make 'S' sounds difficult. Esses would sound instead like Sean Connery esses, a little like 'sh'.

Redguard

Redgaurds of Tamriel come in three flavors, but nearly all of them in Morrowind will sound 'American black'.

The rarest Redguard voice type encountered in Morrowind would sound African - the nobles of Hammerfell would keep the language and culture of Yokuda alive, but would have little reason to leave Hammerfell. A few of the nobles, or publicans and clergy coming from upper-class Hammerfell families may speak like this. These accents would sound West African, like Ghana. Possibly even Kenyan or Zulu if one is proficient in those accents (though they are not West African). Very precisely spoken and clean.

Most members of the Yokudan Diaspora you would find in Morrowind have been influenced by the language and culture of the Imperials, which themselves sound more 'American'. African language intonation influenced by American dialects becomes as American black. Think Logan Cunningham (Rucks from Bastion), Erik Dellums (Three Dog from Fallout 3 and Nazir from Skyrim), James Earl Jones as Mufasa. Or for women, think of American black women like Oprah Winfrey, Etta James or Angela Bassett. Most of the Redguards encountered in Morrowind should have this accent.

A few of the Redguard seafarer folk that stick nearer the Altmer, Breton, or 'noble' Imperial influences would pick up accents like the Creole accents of the Caribbean. These accents would be rare in Morrowind, but a few mariner NPCs would have these accents.