TES:Skyrim/Loading screens

This page contains the loading screens of Skyrim and its DLC, concerning the Lore.

Skyrim

City

Dawnstar

• Dawnstar is the capital of the Pale, known for its rich mines and harbor.
• The Tower of Dawn sits on a mountain overlooking Dawnstar. It is rumored to be cursed.

Falkreath

• Falkreath has been the site of many battles throughout history. The town's graveyard holds the remains of many Nord warriors who fell in those battles.
• Like many of Skyrim's woodland settlements, Falkreath's economy is heavily reliant on the production of lumber.
• Playing upon the historical significance of their town's graveyard, the merchants of Falkreath have adopted names for their businesses that reflect themes of death and mortality.
• The Jarl of Falkreath is Siddgeir. Among the youngest of the Jarls in Skyrim, Siddgeir took the place of the former Jarl, his uncle Dengeir.

Markarth

• A native uprising in Markarth was put down 20 years ago. The survivors are known as the Forsworn.
• "Blood and silver are what flows through Markarth...." -- popular saying
• Markarth is built on the foundations of an ancient dwarven city.
• "Nothing changes in the city of stone...." -- Amanda Alleia, A Sellsword's Guide to Markarth
• The Nords first conquered Markarth from the native people of the Reach thousands of years ago.
• The poor in Markarth live in the Warrens, and are almost exclusively natives of the Reach.

Morthal

• Morthal is said to be named after the great Nord hero Morihaus, though none alive today are sure of the connection.
• Morthal's small population and relatively remote location have kept it distant from most major conflicts in recent years.

Riften

• Riften is home to the Black-Briar Meadery, one of the largest and most successful businesses of its kind.
• Riften has earned quite a sinister reputation, mainly due to the Thieves Guild's presence in the sewers beneath the streets.
• The canal that spans the length of Riften was once a major thoroughfare for merchants and fishermen, but it now sits neglected and stagnant.
• The Black-Briars of Riften are one of the most influential and well-connected clans in Skyrim.

Solitude

• General Tullius commands the Imperial army from the stone-walled Castle Dour, while Solitude's Jarl, Elisif, resides in the Blue Palace.
• "I am the Queen of Solitude, daughter of the Emperor! Summon the daedra! I'll trade the soul of every last subject of mine for a little comfort." -- Queen Potema, 3E 97
• Most of the shipping in Solitude is run by the Imperial-financed East Empire Company.
• "Pelagius III, sometimes called Pelagius the Mad, was proclaimed Emperor in the 145th year of the Third Era." -- Stronach k'Thojj III, Brief History of the Empire vol. II
• Solitude is a major shipping port and important Imperial supply line.
• Solitude is the center of Imperial power in Skyrim. It is also home to the famous Bards College.
• Solitude has traditionally had strong ties to the Empire, and many of the city's Jarls were connected to the Septim bloodline.
• Solitude sits on a natural arch, giving its port much needed shelter from the strong winds of the Ghost Sea.

Whiterun

• Dragonsreach earned its name when the ancient Nord hero Olaf One-Eye imprisoned his foe, the great dragon Numinex, within the palace.
• The Plains District of Whiterun is home to the city's shops and market, while the Wind District is mostly residential. The Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach, dominates the Cloud District.
• Whiterun was built up around the mead hall Jorrvaskr, home of the legendary Companions warrior guild.
• Whiterun's central location in Skyrim has made it a trading hub of the entire province.
• The large tree in Whiterun's Wind District is called the Gildergreen, and is considered sacred by worshippers of Kynareth.

Windhelm

• A recent string of murders has many Windhelm residents fearing for their lives...
• Although much of Skyrim is cold and unforgiving, Windhelm is the snowiest city in the province.
• The Jarl of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak, claims to be the High King of Skyrim, and is leading the rebellion against the Empire.
• Windhelm is the oldest city in Skyrim and may be the oldest human city on the continent.
• Windhelm's Snow Quarter has been renamed the "Gray Quarter," in reference to the dark elves who have made that district their home.

Winterhold

• Once the capital of Skyrim, Winterhold has been all but abandoned in the last few hundred years.
• Winterhold's large population of dark elves was driven out by Nords convinced they were involved in evil magic.

Gods

Daedra

• Azura is the daedric prince of dusk and dawn, and one of the few not considered to be inherently evil.
• Boethiah is the daedric prince of deceit, conspiracy, and secret plots of murder. Many dark elves consider him to be their god-ancestor.
• Clavicus Vile is the daedric prince of power. He is fond of enticing mortals with tempting pacts... which they later come to regret.
• Hermaeus Mora is the daedric prince of fate, knowledge and memory. In his rare dealings with mortals, he often chooses to appear as a grotesque mass of tentacles.
• The daedric prince Hircine is also known as the Huntsman of the Princes, and the Father of Manbeasts. He can call upon the Wild Hunt to punish those who defy him.
• Malacath is the daedric prince of curses and the spurned. Many orcs worship him as their god-king.
• Mehrunes Dagon is the daedric prince of destruction, revolution and ambition. He caused the Oblivion Crisis when he attempted to enter Tamriel in his true, and terrible, form.
• Mephala is the daedric prince of lies, secrets and plots... and thoroughly enjoys meddling in the affairs of mortals.
• Meridia despises undead in any form, and is one of the few daedric princes not considered to be wholly evil.
• Namira is the daedric prince of darkness and revulsion, and is frequently associated with disease, spiders, insects, slugs and other repulsive creatures.
• Nocturnal is the daedric mistress of stealth and shadow, and a patron to thieves.
• Peryite is the daedric prince of tasks, order and pestilence. He is considered one of the weakest of the princes, despite being depicted as a dragon.
• Sanguine is the daedric prince of hedonism, debauchery and dark indulgences. He is more likely than most princes to take an interest in mortal affairs.
• Sheogorath is the daedric prince of madness. He is utterly unpredictable, and may hinder or help any mortal unlucky enough to cross his path.
• Vaermina is the daedric prince of dreams, nightmares and evil omens.

Divines

• Akatosh is the god of time and the chief deity of the Nine Divines. He is depicted as a dragon, and chose that form to battle Mehrunes Dagon in the Oblivion Crisis.
• Arkay is the god of burials and funeral rites. His priests root out undead and necromancy wherever it may be found. Every Skyrim city has a Hall of the Dead dedicated to him.
• Dibella is the goddess of beauty. She has a temple in Markarth that is devoted to women.
• Julianos is the god of wisdom and logic. Usually associated with magic, he is often revered by wizards. He has a shrine in the Temple of the Divines in Solitude.
• Kynareth is the goddess of the air, wind and sky. She has a temple in Whiterun.
• Mara is the goddess of love and compassion. She has a temple in Riften.
• Stendarr is the god of righteous rule by might and merciful forbearance. He has a shrine in the Temple of the Divines in Solitude.
• Talos is the hero-god of mankind. His worship is currently banned by the Empire, but that hasn't stopped the Nords of Skyrim from revering him.
• Zenithar is the god of work and commerce. He has a shrine in the Temple of the Divines in Solitude.

Guilds

College of Winterhold

• Most of Winterhold was lost to the sea in the Great Collapse of 4E 122, but the College was left mysteriously unharmed.
• Once a source of pride for the people of Winterhold, the College is now shunned and feared.
• The College of Winterhold is an independent organization, and thus was not affected by the dissolution of the Mages Guild at the beginning of the Fourth Era.
• The Labyrinth for which Labyrinthian is known was built by Archmage Shalidor in the First Era, though the ruins themselves are much older.
• Trading caravans sometimes pass through the ruins of Labyrinthian, but usually prefer safer, longer routes.
• While the mages of the College of Winterhold gladly share knowledge amongst themselves, they do not offer most services to the rest of Skyrim.

Companions

• Among the Companions' most treasured artifacts are the fragments of Wuuthrad, the axe that Ysgramor himself wielded when leading the Five Hundred.
• Kodlak Whitemane is the Harbinger of the Companions. He does not give orders, but his word is highly respected both inside Jorrvaskr and through all the nine Holds.
• Nobody knows who built the Skyforge, where the Companions' weapons are made. Its discovery led to the building of Jorrvaskr and the Companions as we know them today.
• Tamriel's Fighters Guild has no presence in Skyrim. Instead, warriors seeking adventure and kinship may join the Companions, in Whiterun.
• The Circle is a small group of the most trusted and accomplished warriors from among the ranks of the Companions.
• The Companions trace their legacy back to the original Five Hundred Companions of Ysgramor, who led the first humans to Skyrim and eventually settled all of Tamriel.

Dark Brotherhood

• It is said that rumors of the Dark Brotherhood's demise may have been premature, as members of the shadowy organization have been sighted near Dawnstar...
• Mortals often represent Sithis as a skeletal being, to signify His relationship to death. In truth, the Dread Lord is formless, and infinite as the Void.
• So long as there is a Listener to hear the Night Mother's voice, the Dark Brotherhood will endure...
• The Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary in Dawnstar is now an ancient ruin, its ominous Black Door feared and avoided by the city's residents.
• The Dark Brotherhood was once bound by a set of rules called the Five Tenets, but they have long since been abandoned.
• The Dark Brotherhood was once greatly feared and respected, but the organization is now but a shadow of its former self.
• The Sanctuary in Skyrim's Pine Forest is the Dark Brotherhood's last remaining refuge in all of Tamriel.

Thieves Guild

• The great statue of Irkngthand is the only known visual representation of a Snow Elf, before centuries of subterranean slavery twisted the race into the vile Falmer.

Lore

Current Lore

• "Maw unleashing razor snow, Of dragons from the blue brought down, Births the walking winter's woe, The High King in his Jagged Crown." -- Ancient Nord Verse
• Agents of the high elven Aldmeri Dominion are known as Thalmor. They maintain an embassy in Skyrim, and have been known to secretly capture and imprison any Nords who question their doctrines or beliefs.
• Although they later became the dedicated protectors of the Emperor of Tamriel, the Blades began their existence as renowned dragonslayers.
• Many of Skyrim's Nords harbor a bitter resentment of all elvenkind, who they've battled with throughout history. The Great War may be over, but its horrors are still fresh in the minds of the conflict's survivors...
• Only by signing the peace treaty known as the White-Gold Concordat was the Empire able to survive the onslaught of the high elven Aldmeri Dominion, and thus end the Great War.
• Skyrim is engaged in a bloody civil conflict between the rebel Stormcloaks and soldiers of the Imperial Legion.
• Skyrim is in turmoil because the Stormcloaks believe their Nord way of life is at risk, while the Imperials believe Skyrim is a part of the Empire, and must follow its laws and customs.
• Skyrim legend tells of a hero known as the Dragonborn, a warrior with the body of a mortal and soul of a dragon, whose destiny it is to destroy the evil dragon Alduin.
• The Blades have long since disbanded, and the organization's few remaining members have gone into hiding. The Emperor is now protected by a special security force - the Penitus Oculatus.
• The High King of Skyrim, Torygg, was recently killed by Ulfric Stormcloak, who used the ancient power of the Thu'um to nearly shout Torygg to pieces.
• When a dragon uses a breath attack like fire or frost, it is speaking in an ancient and powerful language. A battle between two dragons is actually a deadly verbal debate.

General

• "Out of this time also rose one of the most legendary of all Tamrielic figures, Ysgramor, from whom all Nordic kings to this day are descended." -- Unknown, Pocket Guide to the Empire
• "Skyrim, also known as the Old Kingdom or the Fatherland, was the first region of Tamriel settled by humans... " -- Unknown, Provinces of Tamriel
• "The best techniques are passed on by the survivors." -- Gaiden Shinji, 1E 490
• "Tradition has it that the Nords came to Tamriel from the continent of Atmora in ancient days." -- Unknown, Pocket Guide to the Empire
• At the center of the Dunmer province of Morrowind lies the Red Mountain, the largest volcano in all of Tamriel.
• Daedric princes are god-like beings that inhabit the plane of Oblivion. Most are considered evil, forcing their worshippers to build their shrines far from civilized places.
• Each of the nine Holds is governed by a Jarl. The Jarls are largely independent, but they swear fealty to Skyrim's High King.
• In 3E 389 Emperor Uriel VII was imprisoned by his Imperial Battlemage, Jagar Tharn, who then impersonated him for years.
• Pelagius III, also known as Pelagius the Mad, was Jarl of Solitude before ascending to the throne of the Emperor in 3E 145.
• Skyrim is home to the Nords, a fierce, hardy people that value honor and prowess in battle.
• The Fourth Era began 200 years ago when Martin Septim sacrificed himself to save the world from the Oblivion Crisis.
• The most famous hero of Skyrim is Tiber Septim, who conquered all of Tamriel and founded the Septim dynasty of emperors.
• The War of the Red Diamond began in 3E 121 when Uriel III captured the throne with his mother, Queen Potema. It ended in 3E 127 with their defeat at the Siege of Solitude.
• There are nine Holds in Skyrim: Eastmarch, Falkreath, Haafingar, Hjaalmarch, the Pale, the Reach, the Rift, Whiterun, and Winterhold.
• Tiber Septim brought peace to Tamriel in 2E 896, by conquering all of the known world. Thus began the Third Era.
• When the High King dies, the Jarls of Skyrim convene a Moot to elect a new High King.

Races

• Argonians are the reptilian natives of the province of Black Marsh.
• Bretons are natives of High Rock. It is home to the oldest known structure in all of Tamriel, the Adamantine Tower, also known as Direnni Tower.
• Dark elves, also known as Dunmer, are natives of Morrowind - a land many consider alien and inhospitable.
• High elves, also known as Altmer, are natives of Summerset Isle. It is an ancient land shrouded in mystery.
• Imperials are natives of Cyrodiil, the cosmopolitan heartland of the Empire.
• Khajiit are a feline race native to Elsweyr. It is infamous for producing Moon Sugar, which can be refined into Skooma.
• Orcs, also known as Orsimer, are natives of Orsinium, a small mountain kingdom between Hammerfell and Skyrim. It has been sacked and rebuilt many times.
• Redguards are natives of Hammerfell. Its cities hug the edges of the great Alik'r Desert.
• Wood Elves, also known as Bosmer, are natives of Valenwood. This jungle nation is home to giant, migratory trees that house their cities.

Dawnguard

• Death Hounds are used as guardians by vampires. How they came to be is unknown, but their bite is as cold as the grave.
• Gargoyles are magical creatures that can form a stony skin when stationary, making it easy to mistake them for a statue. Their claws are able to absorb health from their victims.
• Scholars assume that generations of living underground rendered the Falmer blind. Over time their other senses have become more acute as a result.
• When a Chaurus reaches the end of its life, its body undergoes a dramatic transformation. After days of death-like stillness, the Chaurus Hunter bursts free from the husk of the Chaurus.

Dragonborn

• "...the people of Solstheim, the heirs of the Guardian, must remain wary, lest the dark influence of Herma-Mora, or even the Traitor himself, return someday." --excerpt from "The Guardian and the Traitor"
• Although the East Empire Company originally founded Raven Rock, they turned the failing mining colony over to the dark elves at the beginning of the Fourth Era.
• Apocrypha is the realm of Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Fate and Knowledge. Many who come here seeking forbidden knowledge remain forever.
• Ash Spawn began to appear on Solstheim after the massive eruptions of Red Mountain early in the Fourth Era covered the southern part of the island in ash. Their exact origins are unknown.
• Bonemold armor is a type of Dunmer armor crafted out of bone and resins.
• Hawala faaaakara. Baaaa rakhee kaloo. Pooja kan faroo kee jaa. Goora! Goora! Goora! --Riekling Godspeak Song
• Lurkers are thought to be native to the murky waters of Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha.
• Most of Raven Rock's original structures were leveled when the Red Mountain erupted in 4E 5. The Dunmer have largely rebuilt the town over the past two hundred years.
• Raven Rock Mine, once one of the most abundant sources of ebony in Morrowind, was shut down in 4E 170. This lead to a mass exodus from the town, cutting the population in half.
• Raven Rock, Solstheim's main settlement, is firmly under the control of House Redoran, the most powerful of the Great Houses of Morrowind.
• Reading one of Hermaeus Mora's Black Books may transport you into his realm. Read it again to escape.
• Rieklings have little culture of their own, but scavenge what relics they can from around Solstheim and form strange attachments to what they find.
• Rieklings may be small in stature, but they attack in swarms and can be fearsome in melee combat. They are even known to tame and ride boars into battle.
• Seekers are servants of Hermaeus Mora. They are rarely seen outside his Oblivion realm of Apocrypha.
• Solstheim was part of Skyrim until the High King gave it to Morrowind in 4E 16 to serve as a refuge for the Dunmer after the events of the Red Year.
• Some tales tell of ancient Nord heroes whose Voices were powerful enough to tame and ride dragons.
• Strange flora native to Morrowind have sprouted up in the ash that blankets the southern reaches of Solstheim.
• The ancient Nords of Solstheim sealed their tombs with Stalhrim, a form of enchanted ice as hard as stone. The Skaal are the only ones who know the secret of crafting armor and weapons out of Stalhrim.
• The ashfall from Red Mountain has driven much of Solstheim's native wildlife into the northern half of the island.
• The Dunmer of Morrowind construct chitin armor out of the shells of native insects layered with resinous glues.
• The master wizards of House Telvanni traditionally grow their homes from fungal spores, using secret methods known only to themselves.
• Thirsk Mead Hall was founded by Hrothmund, who originally left the Skaal in order to live the lifestyle of ancient Nord warriors in the wilderness.