5 Intriguing Lore's found in the books of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Tamriel is a beautiful world filled with magic, creatures, various races, weapons, years and years of history, and exciting landscapes and mythology created by Bethesda Softworks. The original game series, The Elder Scrolls, originally introduced in 1994 as The Elder Scrolls: Arena, has a multitude of locations, each with its own original games. Which, according to Game Rant, Skyrim is a fan favourite as it was highly ranked amongst the 15 other games within the series. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has an extensive plotline and quests which make the game extremely exciting. However, there is much more to the story than just the original storyline. Scattered around the game's world the player can find a wide variety of readable books, all of which explain weapons, characters, races, and background history of the Province of Skyrim. These not only make fun collectables, but, for the lovers of RPG these books add a unique perspective that enriches the storyline, and context and compliments the world-building of the game. By exploring the books, the player can immerse themselves further into the world of Skyrim and its intricate details, piecing together all the pieces that make up its timeline and the rest of the Elder Scrolls universe. After a deep dive into many hundreds of pages of these books, here are 5 fascinating lore that you may have missed.

(These books can also be found archived on The Elder Scrolls Wiki Fandom, and at The Imperial Library).

1. A Children's Anuad by Anonymous

Found in locations such as the Blue Palace, Temple of Talos, and several residences.

This book tells the story of the creation of Tamriel and the beginning of Time. It explained that two brothers, Anu and Padomay, wandered the void. The light and the dark came together and created Nir. Nir fell in love with Anu and so Padomay ran away in anger. After a while, Padomay returned and found that Nir was pregnant with Anu's child. Padomay beat her. Anu fought with Padomay and had him expelled from Time. Nir gave birth to Creation but died during labour, which Anu grieved. Creation had forged 12 worlds while his father grieved. His uncle, Padomay returned to Time and hated Creation and thus attacked him with a sword. Anu immediately appeared and fought him and is believed to have killed him. Anu attempted to save his son by piecing all the 12 worlds into one, thus creating Nirn, also known as Tamriel.

As the creation of Tamriel was occurring, Padomay rose from where he lay and stabbed Anu through his chest with his sword, Anu used his last remaining strength to force them both out of Time forever. The blood of Padomay became the Daedra (entities that inhabit Oblivion, also known as gods and demons). And the blood of Anu became stars. The only survivors that remained from the original 12 worlds were the Ehlnofey and the Hist. Over time, the original survivors evolved to become human (the Nords, the Redguards and the Tsaesci). Later, and due to several different occurrences and events six races began to expand over the world of Tamriel; the Mer (Elves), the Dwemer (Dwarves), the Chimer (later became Dunmer), the Dunmer (Dark Elves), the Bosmer (Wood Elves), the Altmer (High Elves).

2. Atlas of Dragons by Brother Mathnan

Found in the Sky Haven Temple.

This book holds the documented history of both living and deceased Dragons within the Elder Scrolls universe. It explains which of the dragons had been slain by the Dragonguard and which dragons had been slain by the Akaviri. However, the record is incomplete as a lot of the Akaviri history involving dragons was lost during the crusade.

"Deceased by Report

• Nahagliiv - Local tales name him as the dragon buried in the mound west of Rorikstead. No date associated with his death, although almost surely dates to the Dragon War era.

• Odahviing - Records dating to the Crusade of interrogation of captured Dragon Cultists indicate that this dragon was buried in a mound in the southeast of Skyrim, near Riften.

• Sahloknir - Local legends claim this is the dragon buried in the mound near Kyne's Grove, slain by the Nord hero Jorg Helmbolg in the First Era.

• Viinturuth - Death dating back to Dragon War era, according to documents recovered from Dragon Cult temples which record his burial near Lake Yorgrim.

• Vuljotnaak - Death dating back to Dragon War or just after, according to recovered Dragon Cult documents, which record his burial in a mound near Granite Hill.

Slain by the Dragonguard

• Grahkrindrog - Slain in 2E 184 after perpetrating great slaughter in Winterhold and Eastmarch. Name confirmed with assistance from the College mages.

• Krahjotdaan - Slain in 1E 2871 in the southern Jerall Mountains, name confirmed by the dragon's own account.

• Unnamed Dragons - Numbering 12, as recorded in the Annals dating back to the founding of Sky Haven Temple.

Known to Live

• Ahbiilok - Sightings dating back to the early years of the Dragonguard throughout the northern Jerralls. Multiple attempts to kill him have failed. He is believed to be lairing somewhere in Morrowind.

• Mirmulnir - Last sighted in the Reach in 2E 212.

• Nahfahlaar - Repeated alliances with mortal protectors which have prevented his elimination. His last known protector was the King Casimir II of Wayrest, which the Dragonguard successfully ended in 2E 369. He escaped and current location is unknown.

• Paarthurnax - The legendary lieutenant of Alduin in the Dragon War. He is now known to lair on the Throat of the World under the protection of the Greybeards of High Hrothgar. Master Araidh continues the established policy of avoiding direct confrontation with the Greybeards while waiting for an opportunity to exact justice upon him."

3. Incident in Necrom by Jonquilla Bothe

Found in locations such as the Pinemoon Cave, Bloodlet Throne, and at the Shrine of Dibella.

This book tells the story of four mercenaries who fought an aggressive group of vampires and the story went as follows: Phlaxith, one of the four mercenaries, explains to the other three that a local cemetery needs clearing of vampires as a new monastery is being built nearby and the group has been offered a large sum of money to clear out the evil from the premises. The group of mercenaries includes Phlaxith and Nitrah the blades men, Osmic the burglar, and Massitha the sorceress. The four head to the cemetery as dusk falls. The group was immediately attacked by a female vampire who knocked Phlaxith over. Massitha used her powers to freeze the vampire. Phlaxith then pulled out his sword and killed it. They headed to a crypt where Osmic removed the lock and disarmed the poison trap beside it. Massitha cast light into the hall of the crypt. They were promptly ambushed by more vampires. But the group continued as they began, freezing and killing, freezing and killing.

The mercenaries pushed their way through the hoards of creatures and returned to the surface. But before they were able to escape the cemetery they were attacked by yet another vampire, who had caught them off guard. The vampire knocked the sorceress onto a pile of rocks and began to claw at her. Phlaxith charged at her with his blade and cut off her arm. The other two mercenaries ran in to help but while failing to do so Massitha found the strength to stand and cast a fireball directly at the vampire, killing it. Unfortunately, Phlaxith had been too badly struck by the vampire before the final blow. He died, bleeding out. The other mercenaries returned to Necrom. On the way back Massitha realised her injuries were beginning to sting and required the aid of a healer in case the cuts had been infected. As Massitha was being seen by a healer, the other two headed off to a local tavern to count their earnings. Deciding to take it all for themselves as the sorceress would probably die from her injuries anyway. But before they could do so, Massitha spoke to them through a veil of invisibility and ran off with all of the gold herself. And that is why you should never trust to work with mercenaries.

4. Lost Legends by Talsgar the Elder, Archivist of Winterhold.

Found in locations such as The Bards College, Calcemo's Laboratory, College of Winterhold, Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary, and many more locations.

This book contains a variety of Skyrim's folk tales and legends that pre-date the times of the humans and elves of Skyrim. The stories are passed down from generation to generation. Folk tales such as the tale of The Pale Lady which prowls through the northern marshes desperately seeking to find the daughter that she had lost many, many years ago. The tale says that The Pale Lady often kidnaps children who wander astray. However, others say that her high-pitched cries pierce through to the ears of those that hear her, killing them where they stand.

Another folk tale within the pages of the Lost Legends tells the story of an extremely powerful wizard named Gauldur. Despite Gauldur being a wise and honest character, popular in the court of King Herald and many other Jarls of Skyrim. He was murdered. No one knows who killed him, some suggest it was his own sons, others say it was the King himself who had Gauldur pursued by an assassin. No one truly knows who killed him, nonetheless, the King had the murder removed from the official records shortly after the fact and all of the wizard's good deeds also.

5. Ode to the Tundrastriders by Anonymous

Found in locations such as The Bards College, Bryling's House, Dragonreach, Nightgate Inn, and many more locations.

Within the pages of this book reads a poetic ode for the love and enthusiasm of the great Giants of Skyrim:

"Oh mighty tundrastrider!

How you and your mighty tusked beast silhouette against the great orange expanse.

Thundering footsteps herald your herd. Man and beast blazing trail together.

One in nature, each relying upon the other, more than just man and beast, but equals who need one another to survive.

How I long to run across the tundra in their mighty wake.

That would truly be my greatest honor.

The morning would be spent gathering dyes to paint our mammoths and then carve the fiercest images into their tusks.

Then it would be time for the skeever hunt. Our clubs would rain down upon the rat pests smashing the life out of them.

In the evening could sit around the campfire and I would regale those nearby with songs of their majesty and grace.

They would let me sample of the mammoth's cheese. A food so foul yet with healing properties so great.

We'd snack on the roasted skeever we'd freshly caught that day before laying under the stars to sleep.

I'd slowly fade to dream nested in the radiating heat of mammoth fur. It's cold resisting properties keeping me snug.

What a grand time we would have."