Despite being over a decade old,Skyrimis still being talked about by gamers young and old. There are many reasons forThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s renown, but it all boils down to the base gameplay having excellent replay value and the DLCs offering great value in story and content. Dawnguard and Dragonborn offered epic journeys that put the player face-to-face with eldritch horrors, vampires, and lost civilizations. Two expansions are par for the course for AAA RPGs likeSkyrim, but the game could have made another one based on a historic landmark in the province.
The more modernElder Scrollsgames are set in individual provinces. The fifth and latest title in the franchise is set in the icy mountains and frigid valleys ofSkyrim. Despite the Nords taking up the majority of the population, the province is quite diverse. It was originally the home of Snow Elves and the Dunmer before they were wiped out due to war and oppression. Some of the answers behind the Snow Elves’ disappearance can be found in the Forgotten Vale area ofSkyrim. While this zone was added bytheDawnguardDLC, it deserves its stand-alone expansion.
Why the Forgotten Vale Deserved a Stand-Alone DLC in Skyrim
The Forgotten Vale is an isolated location located North of Markarth. Players will notice that it’s mostly populated by Falmer, Frost Giants, and Frost Trolls. Players will likely encounter it during Dawnguard’s “Touching the Sky” questline, wherein the Dragonborn will learn all about the truth about the fall of the Snow Elves andthe origin of Vampires in Nirn. While this questline is expansive, it merely served as a side-story in service to Dawnguard’s main plot of destroying or joiningSkyrim’s infamous vampire clan.
The Snow Elves’ Tragic Story Deserves More Attention
The Dragonborn will likely run into the Knight-Paladin Gelebor while exploring The Forgotten Vale. He’ll ask the player to slay his brother Vyrthur, who has been corrupted by the Falmer. By talking to Gelebor throughout the quest, the Dragonborn will soon learn thatSkyrim’s Snow Elvesand the seemingly primal and vicious Falmer are the same.
According to the Knight-Paladin, his people had to retreat after losing their war with the Nords and had asked the Dwemer for protection. The Dwemer agreed to take them in, but they soon betrayed the Snow Elves by having them ingest a blinding toxin. The Dwarves forced them into servitude, causing centuries of torture and agony upon them. This horrible experience across generations slowly turned them into the corrupted Falmer. These creatures now roam the empty halls of Dwemer ruins after the latter suddenly vanished during theBattle of Red Mountain in the First Era.
Some Snow Elves, like Gelebor and Vyrthur, avoided becoming slaves to the Dwemer by hiding in shrines or boarding with influential allies. However, their population dwindled over time and most of them lived in absolute secrecy, with people thinking they were extinct as early as the Second Era.
It would have been nice to learn more about the lore of the Snow Elves through an interactive quest line or expansion instead of just dialogue. Perhaps an Elder Scroll would let the Dragonborn witness first-hand the war against the Nords,the blinding of the Falmer, and the escape of the last remaining Snow Elves. Gelebor also mentioned that while the Falmer cannot revert to their former Snow Elf form, they are getting smarter. After knowing what the Falmer went through, a Forgotten Vale DLC that lets the player communicate with them and help them find peace would be a great alternative to just avoiding or slaying them for loot. PerhapsThe Elder Scrolls 6could feature a Snow Elf-centric DLC to give them the justice they deserve, even if the expansion isn’t set in The Forgotten Vale.
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WHERE TO PLAY
Skyrim is a beloved game for a reason. There is so much to do in the game, and with the new anniversary updates, even veteran players will have a fresh experience if they haven’t played it in a few years. The modding community around the game is beyond active with some fans even using Skyrim’s foundations to rebuild previous entries into the Elder Scrolls series.Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail. The Special Edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features like remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.Skyrim Special Edition also brings the power of Bethesda Game Studios Creations to PC and consoles. New quests, environments, characters, dialogue, armor, weapons and more – with Creations, there are no limits to what you can experience.
