Let me start with a simple statement: the Elder Scrolls series has been a part of my life since I was a teenager. It all began with the Daggerfall demo that I spent countless hours on, despite the very limited content. Then I was lucky enough to buy a legal copy of the full game even though it wasn't sold in Poland and, obviously, I fell in love with it. I have many beautiful memories with Morrowind, too, and it still holds a place in my very personal Top Five cRPG Games list.
My relationship with Bethesda's iconic saga is hardly a story of a faithful lover, though. When Oblivion was released, I was completely uninterested, and my attitude towards Skyrim was similar when it was released. I played it just a few months later on my brother's PC, enjoyed it, but eventually dropped my first character. The second approach happened two years later and this time I got sucked into its magical world. Ten years, later it's still one of my virtual refuges, a game I keep returning to on a regular basis in those moments when I feel I really need some escapism.
On this special day, the Tenth Skyrim Anniversary, I want to share some of my most precious Skyrim memories.
Whiterun in sight
I have started a new playthrough about a dozen times and the beginning has always felt underwhelming. After escaping certain death in the maw of a dragon, I usually went to Riverwood, did a few odd quests to earn some gold, and finally travelled to Whiterun. There is nothing special about the route until you finally emerge on a hill and look at the city. As I said, I did it many times, but my reaction to the sight is always the same: absolute amazement. The vast plain, the enormous fortress in the distance and the majestic mountain tops on the horizon are simply breathtaking.
No wonder the Nords love their homeland so much, and are ready to both kill and die for it.
A friend in need
If you ask me about my personal list of essential Skyrim mods, Frostfall will be the first name you hear. One of the things that really bothered me when I played my first character was the absolute lack of survival mechanics. Sure enough, the snowy mountains and forests looked convincing enough, but you could spend hours running naked in a snowstorm not lose a single health point. Fortunately, the Frostfall mod changed this and the northern first became truly deadly. After installing it, you really have to plan your travels and take care of fire, shelter and warm clothes, or else perish.
One event made me realise how good this mod really is. I was returning to Dawnstar from a long hunting trip when a smelly troll killed my horse. Murphy's law worked as usual, so I suddenly fought myself caught by a blizzard without any firewood or shelter to find. The only option was to make a run to the town, and so I did. While my Dragonborn was about to enter an inn, almost dying from exposure, he collapsed literally a few steps from the entrance. Game over? No, luckily the modding team planned for this, too. So my hero woke up inside the same inn and a text prompt told me that that he was carried there by my favourite companion, Lydia. That was the moment I decided that I'll never play Skyrim without Frostfall again. Full immersion, ladies and gentlemen.
Homecoming
The land of dark elves has a special place in my heart. After hundreds of hours I spent there during my Morrowind playthroughs, it just feels like home. When I finally started the Dragonborn DLC, the nostalgia was overwhelming. Here I was, standing on the shore and looking at the port of Raven Rock, with the Red Mountain smoking in the background. Then I entered the town and really felt like the prodigal son coming back home. Everything, from architecture to people's clothes and armour reminded me of my old adventures as the Nerevarine. Then I suddenly remembered that I actually helped to build this place when playing the Solstheim DLC a decade ago. Sure enough, there are many things we can, and should, criticise Bethesda for, but how many developers are able to create fictional worlds that make gamers so emotional?
Skyrim's last pagan
The peoples of Tamriel pray to all kinds of deities, be it the official Imperial pantheon or gods particular to one race. Some wayward souls turn to the Daedra, unfortunately. This man, however, doesn't look so high up.
In a chance encounter, you can meet a farmer leading a crow covered with strange paintings. As it turns out, he intends to bring the poor animal to a giant living nearby, hoping that this sacrifice will keep the big guy from the rest of his herd, maybe even ensure that the giant will help to protect his homestead. And it's not a mere business exchange, but something deeper, a ritual to fulfil an ancient pact. An alliance made not with the high and mighty gods, but with the land itself.
This is why I keep returning to Skyrim. It is a place full of mysticism and poetry that is discovered even in tiny events. This game puts a spell on you and makes you forget about your own world and life.
Very obviously, I have many similar memories about Skyrim, let's finish now instead of turning this post into a novel. Well, I never have enough of Skyrim stories, so if you're a fan of the game reading this, please share your own tales in the comments.
All screenshots were taken be me and only me