Welcome to Skyrim

“Hey, you. You’re finally awake.”

mperial carriage headed towards an unknown destination and these are the first words you hear spoken in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, setting the stage for an adventure of epic proportions. You’ve been arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and within moments of waking, are suddenly thrust into the path of the two warring political factions that are threatening to tear Skyrim apart. But who are you? The question hasn’t been answered yet. The stakes are life and death before you even create your character.

Step forward, Dragonborn, because your legend begins here.

Shape Your Legend

Freedom and customization have always been an integral part of the Bethesda Game Studio DNA, and Skyrim exemplifies the studio’s dedication to player choice. From prisoner of the Imperials to taking up the mantle of Dragonborn and onwards, your journey will be unique. Your hero’s story is yours to tell, and you can build your character to suit your playstyle.

Start your personal journey with Skyrim’s deep character creation system. Tailor your Dragonborn’s appearance and choose a race, each with different skill characteristics and bonuses. Instead of classes, Skyrim features skills to hone, from Destruction spells and Archery to Speech and much more, each changing the trajectory of your character. You can specialize or become a jack of all trades.

Will you be an Argonian warrior who wears heavy armor and wields a two-handed great sword with the uncanny ability to pick any lock and persuade any shopkeeper into better deals? Make your own way in Skyrim.

A Wide-Open World

Whether you pursue the main quest first or step off the path and get lost in the belly of a winding catacomb, you can build your legend at your own pace. In the gorgeous and highly detailed open world of Skyrim, there are side quests down every snow-covered path and around every corner. Pick a spot on the horizon and head in that direction. There’s sure to be something or someone that will set you on your next adventure.

Skyrim is a massive open world, but getting from one place to another on foot can be dangerous, especially when you’re just starting out. For places you’ve already discovered, you can fast travel via your map, but if you need to get somewhere new, one way to speed things up is to hire a cart. Or, if you have the gold, you can purchase your own horse.

Adventurous Companions

From the Jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf the Greater, to Olava the Feeble, every character that inhabits Skyrim has a story and life of their own, going about their daily business and existing alongside you in real time. Speak to everyone you meet, you never know what you’ll learn. Even some of the Whiterun guards are said to once have been great adventurers before they took an arrow to the knee.

Many NPCs can be convinced, or paid, to follow you into battle and up the 7,000 steps to High Hrothgar. Get to know lifelike and larger-than-life companions who will travel beside you through thick and thin and can even give you lessons to improve your skills. Helpfully, followers are also able to carry loot when you are over-encumbered. Most of them are sworn to carry your burdens.

Creations

With over 200 Game of the Year awards to its name, Bethesda Game Studio’s Skyrim has stood the test of time. The expert storytelling, vast open world and vibrant characters are still as powerful and captivating as when Skyrim first launched in 2011.

Since then, the world of Skyrim has continued to expand through the introduction of Creations. Creations are content made by Skyrim’s amazing community who are professional developers and enthusiasts alike. You can find everything from exciting original questlines and NPCs to homes and armor.

Here are a couple unique Creations to get you started:

East Empire Expansion
Verified Creator Kinggath’s East Empire Expansion has you join and work for the East Empire Company, which wants to expand its reach in Skyrim. In this fully voice acted questline, you’ll help the merchant company get a foothold in the region by clearing dungeons and claiming them for the East Empire Company and setting up outposts. In exchange, the company will carry and sell your unwanted dungeon loot.

Adventure Pack
The Adventure Pack, by EasierRider, adds three new sprawling dungeons to Skyrim to explore and plunder. Head to the Imperial Fort Mosscrag and learn the truth behind the rumors about a shadowy group of necromancers who have taken up residence there. Travel to Yolmadraz, a Dwemer ruin in the mountains inhabited by metal automatons. On the coast of Solstheim, delve into Godspeak Glacier affected by recent volcanic activity, worshiped by the local Riekling settlers.

There are so many more exciting Creations available in the Creations menu and on the Creations page.

Start your journey in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim today and see where it will take you.

Ready for more adventure? Check out our Make Your Mark feature for some tips on your next steps in Skyrim.