10 Skyrim Moments When The Lore Made All The Difference

Skyrim has some great moments that every player can relate to right off the bat. Its opening is iconic, and its side quests include iconic moments that people still talk about today.

Some of my favorite moments of Skyrim became my favorites because they are the culmination of everything that has ever appeared in The Elder Scrolls’ history, and it wouldn’t be the same without the decades of world-building and lore that became the foundations of Skyrim’s world and stories.

There are many moments in Skyrim that change if you know the lore behind them. Some of these moments seem trivial, while others shape the world of The Elder Scrolls in great ways.

10

Running on a Stilt Strider

The Last of His Kind

Silt striders are mostly confined to Vvardenfell, but there is one you can find in Solstheim. Dusty the Silt Strider can be found near Tel Methryn near his keeper, who explains that he found his cocoon in a cave after the Red Year wiped out most of them.

This is a random sight for most Skyrim players, but for those who know the impact of the silt striders, their importance in the lives of those in Vvardenfell, and the fact that you are the last, this moment feels very different.

Instead of a strange creature, you see a memory on its way out, a past and soon to be lost forever. Hearing Dusty’s calls on the plains of Solstheim hearkens back to Morrowind in a very clear way, and gives this moment a gravity that many miss.

9

Fighting Falmer After Dawnguard

A Sad Story of Loss

The Falmer is one of the most annoying enemies to encounter in Skyrim. They always appear alongside the chaurus, and being swamped by both factions in the ruins while dodging the traps is a recipe for a frustrating experience.

Chatting with Dawnguard’s Gelebor gives Falmer a new perspective. At the end of the extermination of the Nords, the Snow Elves went to the Dwemer to find sanctuary. The Dwemer agreed, but on the condition that they eat poisonous mushrooms. Those that made them into twisted abominations at the end of the Maker. Gelebor is the last Snow Elf, and running into them after this revelation is very sad.

8

Choosing a Dark Star

Taking the Most Minimal of the Obvious Choices

Choosing Black Star is a no-brainer for many. Considering how rare dark soul gems are and how common dark souls are, having a dark soul gem that doesn’t destroy itself when used is a blessing. The only bad thing is to make Azura angry, but there are no consequences for that, it’s ruined far away!

Dawnguard saw the return of the Soul Cairn, the plane of Oblivion introduced in The Elder Scrolls Legends: Battlespire. The Soul Cairn is the final destination for those unfortunate enough to be trapped in souls. The victims include Jiub, a character from Morrowind, and many other souls condemned to wander the fields of the Soul Cairn for eternity.

Many are confused, they don’t know they are dead but they are not. While seeing the true cost of dark soul gems may not stop anyone from choosing Black Star, it does give the decision a reliable and weighty sequel.

7

Meeting with Emperor Titus Mede II

Long live the King

The Emperor of Tamriel always played an important role in the Elder Scrolls, until the death of Martin Septim and the end of the Septim race. The Septim were replaced by the Medes, who had a fundamental and fundamental difference from the Septim.

While the Septim had a sacred relationship with Akatosh and their seat on the Ruby throne served to keep the forces of Oblivion at bay, the Mede dynasty relied solely on politics and saw a rapid decline in the Empire due to war and opposition to the Thalmor.

The Emperor you see in Skyrim is Emperor Titus Mede II, the man who was king during the war with the Thalmor and signed the White-Gold Concordat.

Thank you Manundu Amadlozi

Despite being a series title and three of them appearing in Skyrim, The Elder Scrolls is actually not very common in the series.

Reading the Old Scroll takes years of dedication and patience, and can have devastating consequences for those who haven’t made the necessary preparations. It takes a heavy toll on both mind and body, blinding the Moth Priests who devote their lives to studying them.

You actually get to learn one in Dawnguard using the method that earned the Moth priests their name, another moment that feels important because of their appearance in Oblivion.

5

Arrival in Solstheim

Making Morrowind relevant again

Arriving in Solstheim is a momentous moment and feels like a return in many ways. Understanding the lore of Solstheim adds a lot of context, such as the residence of Dunmer Ravenrock, the rule of House Redoran, the presence of Neloth, the Skaal, and the presence of lycanthropes on the island. Many of Solstheim’s features come from .

Solstheim changed hands between Skyrim and Morrowind several times, and Red Year changed it forever in important ways. It’s close enough to Vvardenfell that you can see Red Mountain on the horizon, and most of the island is covered in ash. These are all parts of the story that add context to Solstheim and make every interaction and presence in Dragonborn more meaningful.

4

Farkas Becomes a Werewolf

Lycanthropy Comes with Other Ideas

Lycanthropy behaves differently in the Elder Scrolls than in normal lore. Instead of being a disease or a curse, it is a blessing given to Hircine’s followers.

The moment when Farkas transforms into a werewolf and reveals that the Companions’ Inner Circle are all lycanthropes is already a big revelation, but the connection to Hircine isn’t explained until later in the companions’ quest line.

There’s not much reason to know about it unless you’ve done a Hircine Daedric quest in Falkreath. Knowing the theory made Hircine’s connection clear long before he was mentioned as a problem later in the friends’ line of questioning.

3

Meeting Delphine

Last of the Blades

Delphine’s revelation that she is one of the last of the Blades should be a big moment, but unless you’ve played the previous Elder Scrolls games or read the story about it, for a moment that kind of falls flat. And it doesn’t matter in the long run if you don’t want to kill Paarthurnax, since the Blades questline ends at that point.

Blades have always played an important role in The Elder Scrolls, and join them as part of the main quest line in Morrowind and Oblivion. Meeting one as a Dragonborn takes on a whole different meaning when you know who they are and their role in previous games.

2

Ulfric’s speech at Windhelm

It’s amazing how far yelling can take you

Skyrim’s civil war seems good in theory, and it’s easy to be swayed by the Stormcloaks’ stories of being an underdog against an oppressive Empire. However, the reality is even darker. Many details of the war between the Thalmor and the Empire are not mentioned, and it would be easy to see the Empire as an outdated and oppressive force bowing to the wishes of the Thalmor.

The truth is that the Thalmor exploit the Stormcloaks, especially Ulfric, as a divided Empire is easier to conquer. You find this in the secret documents of the Thalmor Ambassador during the Diplomatic Security. This deception goes back decades.

Although the Empire had agreed to ban the worship of Talos, it did not enforce this law in Skyrim until the Markarth incident led by Ulfric Stormcloak, which made him a troublemaker and easily exploited. Listening to Ulfric’s speech when you meet him in Windhelm is annoying if you know his beliefs.

1

Finding Alduin’s wall

Historical Perspective

Alduin’s Wall is one of the most important pieces of Skyrim, and it was very visible in the market the day before its release. The construction of the Wall was ordered by Emperor Reman II, and records the events that will lead to Alduin’s return.

There are more prophecies on the wall than are mentioned in both Skyrim and the trailers. It documents each event of the Dragonborn Prophecy, but each of these events occurs in each of the Elder Scrolls games leading up to it. Watching the Wall is like retracing your steps, and it’s a wonderful homage to the stories and heroes that came before Skyrim, and highlights a world and history at risk.

Released

November 11, 2011

The ESRB

Adult IM: Alcohol Use, Blood and Gore, Strong Violence, Sexual Themes

Engine

Creation

Extensions

Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard

•