User blog comment:Kidtragic/Elder Scrolls Races and Cultures Compared to Real Life./@comment-70.74.165.50-20140119215612

I find the comparison of Orc to Mongols extremely thin. What is this based upon? Looks? They are largely tribal but never leaned toward empire building. They settled in the west next to the Bretons. Mungols never did so. The Orcs struggled for identity and a place to live. Once settled they struggled for automony largly against the Bretons. They were superior warriors who rarely lost a battle but ultimately lost the political war (or won if survival is the benchmark). Ultimately they one their respect and identity and were smart enough to realise this can only be accomplished by being part of greater empires if this was required. This my friends is the story of Scotland (and I think many forget today how badly the Scots crushed the English on the battlefield on many occasions. They were know as some of the fiercest warriors ever to walk this planet).

Of course only a few races in TES are so easy to describe. The Orcs are more complex being a combination of tradition orc fantasy lore, mongol concepts and the political history of Scotland ... perhaps others.