Guest Article: Skyrim Dawnguard DLC speculation
On May 1st, we received an official announcement from Bethesda about a new Skyrim DLC. But instead of footage, a list of new features and other awesome schtuff, all they gave us was a cryptic image of the Dovahkiin and a title: “Dawnguard.”
Instead of you having to do work* trying to figure out what it all means, now it’s time for DeathPDC to waste hours of his life analyzing the hell out of it.
May 1st, 2012. Bethesda confirms a Skyrim DLC titled Dawnguard. Everyone expected big answers and news.
We walked away with more and bigger questions. What does Dawnguard mean? Why does the Dragonborn have freaky glowing eyes? Why does he have Arrows of some sort on his back? Why am I asking you these questions?
The truth is, nobody knows. Lucky for us, after a leak of Skyrim’s latest patch code, we learned two things: they added a “Snow Prince,” and crossbows. Everything else remains all hush hush until E3. After reading and delving into Tamriel lore for days (which incidentally occupied the space of around 30 minutes), I compiled what might be Bethesda’s plans for Dawnguard.
1. The Snow Prince was killed long ago. But unlike the other snow elves, he received a proper burial at the Jolgeirr Barrow on the island of Solstheim. So he was the only one buried, while most of the other snow elves were burned.
2. The Falmer, or those monster the snow elves became, recently been attacking the surface world more than they used to. As they usually dwell underground in Dwemer structures and in Blackreach, their new boldness is unusual. Note that because of their blindness, their other senses became more acute to compensate. Maybe they sense something happening above ground that the other races cannot.
3. Vampirism grants immortality to those who contract it. The vampire child Babette in the Dark Brotherhood is a good example.
4. Dawnguard. Guarding the dawn? Vampires can’t be out in the sun, and dawn signals the return of the sun. Maybe we’ll be hunting down vampires. The question is where.
5. Morrowind. Why Morrowind? Well, why not, dammit!? The island of Solstheim lies to the east of Skyrim and north of Morrowind. Then there’s the question of why there’s an open gate to Morrowind that says “You cannot go this way” whenever you try to go through it. And why is the space beyond very much rendered? And what’s to stop people from swimming from Solstheim to Morrowind?
6. Crossbows are generally used to kill vampires. Or atleast, that’s what I hear nowadays. I always figured it was still garlic and a wooden stake. Even so, it will make a great edition to the game. Hopefully, we will be able to craft bolts and arrows as well. We may also see elemental arrows, such as fire and water arrows.
7. If you speak to many Dark Elves, they speak of wanting to return to their home of Morrowind, but fear the Thalmor. Maybe the Thalmor have something to do with resurrecting the Snow Prince. Could we possibly see an uprising against and the destruction of the Thalmor?
8. But why vampires? The Snow Elves have been wiped out for many eras, and almost all of their dead bodies were burned. Maybe the a few Snow Elves took refuge in the Prince’s tomb or evaded the Dwemer’s poisonous mushrooms. Maybe it’s because vampires live forever. Maybe the Thalmor give the Snow Prince Vampirism, and resurrects the rest of the snow elves, and gives them the disease. Maybe they were infected to begin with.
9. Why Solstheim? It has the same geography as Skyrim, it’s dominated by the Nords, who are the main race of men on Skyrim. It makes sense to go there. The Snow Prince is buried there, after all.
10. We’ll probably be seeing the addition of spears as well. Why? The Snow Prince has one. And if anyone remembers Bloodmoon, a Morrowind DLC, they’d know Jolgeirr Barrow contained the Snow Prince’s spear.
11. We don’t know whether or not dragon mounts are coming. It would probably cause issues, like flying into towns that have load times so they can render. Then there’s the world beyond Skyrim’s mountain ranges. Players would be able to catch a glimpse of everything outside of the boundaries, and the game doesn’t have render data for the other provinces. Bethesda doesn’t want a player to feel like he’s on a full and active continent, not one that drops off into an abyss as soon as you go beyond its borders.
So what am I getting at, and and why am I still talking in questions? Here’s everything I asked and stated above in a nutshell:
The Snow Prince was killed many years ago and buried on the island of Solstheim. This island, known as a source of many diseases,lycanthropy and vampirism just to name two. Not long after, the remaining snow elves retreated into the darkest corners of Blackreach, where the Dwemer tortured and opisoned them into Falmer. Maybe a few of them were able to retreat elsewhere, and stay safe from the dwarves. These snow elves ran under the radar for centuries.With the 4th Era upon us, these Snow Elves (or their predecessors) contracted vampirism, so they couldn’t die. Now, with the help of the Thalmor, they ressurected the Snow Prince and give him vampirism. The Falmer, the descendants of the snow elves not lucky enough to escape, sense their old master’s will. They attack the surface world, seeking vengeance on the men that drove them to near extinction. Did I mention that the Prince is going to do it with a spear?**
All this is all pure speculation based off of a few hours of research. I may be completely wrong, half-right, or I might be sued by Bethesda for leaking DLC details (Or writing a story line better than they can).What are your thoughts? What do the people think?
I hope what you say is true, because I have secretly been aspiring to become the king of skyrim cullinary services. With my duel wielding fireball skills, I will be the first to create roasted snow elves.
I can see a few flaws in your article:
>>>5. Morrowind. Why Morrowind? Well, why not, dammit!? The island of Solstheim lies to the east of Skyrim and north of Morrowind. Then there’s the question of why there’s an open gate to Morrowind that says “You cannot go this way” whenever you try to go through it. And why is the space beyond very much rendered? And what’s to stop people from swimming from Solstheim to Morrowind?
You can see Cyrodil to the south as well (http://www.geek.com/articles/games/skyrim-contains-hidden-morrowind-and-cyrodiil-environments-20111122/). Todd Howard explained this as it’s easier to take the work from Morrowind and Oblivion and leave it in the distance where you can’t reach it than to have to build something new from scratch (http://www.geek.com/articles/games/bethesda-explains-why-morrowind-and-cyrodiil-are-in-skyrim-20120215/).
>>>4. Dawnguard. Guarding the dawn? Vampires can’t be out in the sun, and dawn signals the return of the sun. Maybe we’ll be hunting down vampires. The question is where
A tenuous stretch of the name at best. Why would Vampires guard the Dawn when they take damage in the sun, and why would Vampire hunters guard the Dawn rather than the night when Vampires are coming out?
>>>8. But why vampires? The Snow Elves have been wiped out for many eras, and almost all of their dead bodies were burned. Maybe the a few Snow Elves took refuge in the Prince’s tomb or evaded the Dwemer’s poisonous mushrooms. Maybe it’s because vampires live forever. Maybe the Thalmor give the Snow Prince Vampirism, and resurrects the rest of the snow elves, and gives them the disease. Maybe they were infected to begin with.
The battle that lead to the dead Snow Prince being buried was back in the time of Ysgrimor (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Battle_of_the_Moesring) and so before the Thalmor who popped up during/after the Oblivion Crisis in the Fourth Era, so this is suggesting that the Snow Prince is able to contract the vampire disease thing after being dead for a few centuries and resurrect himself. I think somewhere in the lore it said that he wasn’t even kept within the weird ice stuff (Stalhrim – http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Bloodmoon:Raw_Stalhrim) that you find in the Bloodmoon expansion of Morrowind so he’d have undergone a fair bit of decay and would be more likely a Draugr than a vampire. There is the possibility that he was already a vampire, there’s nothing in the lore saying that the Battle of the Moesring in which he died was during the day so it could have been during the night to allow for him being a vampire.
Dude you do realize that there is landmases beyond skyrim, I can se hammerfell and cyrodiil from the throat of the world, lakes, mountains, a crappy rendering of the white old tower.. the whole shebang. and you do realize you can get into towns without having to go through a loading screen, use whirlwind sprint and you can get to the blue palace throuh a wall that has no physical barriers (Its on the end of the arch and never renders properly… there is a similar wall in windhelm on the house of clan shatter shield that allows you to negate the invisible walls) Ive been to morrowind on xbox 360, youube that… so it wouldnt be that big of a deal to add dragon mounts
I’m surprised you haven’t made mention of a very important faction in TES lore.. the Mythic Dawn. Could ‘Dawnguard’ be about a faction trying to protect Skyrim from the Mythic Dawn who seem to have reappear in Tamriel during the College of Winterhold questline?
Crossbows sound cool. I think I’ll wait for the DLC to be released before I think about anything else.
these are some very intereting theories i myself have counted several hours thinking into this and as a wild guess i would say it might have somthing to do with the physic monks and perhaps their floaty island i think it was that suddenly disapperared or maybe its a quest to stop the falmer and their undead prince who knows
for all we know it could be giant chickens
Wow this gives me a headache lol Who new Nirn had so much crap to deal with. And we haven’t even explored 50% of Nirn probably like a nickel lol I can’t wait to see but whatever it is I’m sure we can all agree we want it to be very long to keep us entertained. Like for instance go to another continent or something. I wish details would hit home soon.
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