Elves are dickasses, there are Orcs who everybody collectively agrees are less diplomatic types, and the black people are called Redguards. There are also Lizard people and Cat people, which are called Argonians and Khajiits respectively, and Nords are pretty much what the name implied. The continent looks a mite like Asia backwards and is divided into nine countries, one for each race except Orcs because they suck.
There's also Magic, divided into a few different schools to denote type, with Alteration and Mysticism being total shit and Conjuration being the undisputed master race.
There is your crash course on the Elder Scrolls. Now get out there.