So you want to visit Skyrim

So you want to visit Skyrim, to see the legendary home of the Nords, the witness the beauty of Kyne's land and experience the rich history of the land of Mereth. Well then you have come to the right place, I Eorlund Quick-Arrow will tell you how to visit Tamriels most beautiful province.

By Sea:

The first part of travelling to Skyrim is of course getting here in the first place, your choice of transportation will depend on where you are coming from. If you wish to travel by sea then your most likely destinations are Solitude,Windhelm or Dawnstar. The Sea of Ghosts is very treacherous so I recommend you ensure your ship is crewed by a Nords, as we are the only people ,who with Kyne's blessing, have conquered the fierce northern seas. Of the town's and cities along the coast I would recommend visiting Solitude and Windhelm, don't bother with Dawnstar unless you're a miner looking for work or wish to eat nothing but fish for the rest of your life. The wonders of Solitude are worthy enough of their own book so I shall be brief, the Blue Palace is a must visit, there is also the Botanical Gardens which is only a bunch of plants but I guess if you're a Bosmer you might find that interesting. Windhelm is the oldest continuously inhabited city on all of Tamriel and is well worth the visit, a fantastic historical city dominated by the Palace of Kings, a palace so large, visitors often comment on how large it is. The city of Winterhold is still recovering from the Great Collapse and so it is best avoided. However if you are a mage or a builder willing to work for no pay then perhaps Winterhold may be the city for you.

By Land:

Entering Skyrim by Land means you will be entering from one of High Rock, Hammerfell , Cyrodiil or Morrowind. As we speak labourers are busy constructing a coastal road which will connect High Rock and Skyrim via Jehanna. This outlying Nordic city should give you a good introduction to Nordic culture before you travel on to Solitude. There are also innumerable passes through the Dragontail mountains which will take you to the Reach should you wish to visit Markarth. However these mountains are swarming with Forsworn so be prepared for a fight unless you want to end up with your eyeballs eaten by a Hagraven. If entering from Hammerfell there is a pass through the Dragontail mountains near Elinhir, this will take you into Falkreath Hold and from there you can travel on the visit the legendary Falkreath Burial Grounds and Hall of the Dead. Entering from Cyrodiil the obvious choice is the Pale Pass which will take you near to the now abandoned town of Helgen, avoiding Helgen one may travel on to Falkreath or Riverwood. The Pass is treacherous and often blocked by avalanches so be prepared for climbing and cold. The two most accessible passes from Morrowind to Skyrim are Dunmeth Pass to the North and Cinder Valley to the south. I'd recommend the Dunmeth Pass for those travelling from Blacklight, while Cinder Valley may be more suitable for those travelling from southern areas of Morrowind or even from Black Marsh. Dunmeth Pass will take you near the city of Windhelm while, Cinder Valley will take you to the city of Riften, my Hometown and the most noble of all cities in Skyrim. Perhaps you may visit the Temple of Mara or taste the local Black-Briar mead, the best mead this side of Atmora.

Who Can Travel to Skyrim.

Anyone can make the journey to Skyrim regardless of race, gender or age. Perhaps you are an Orc who wishes to visit one of the Orcish Strongholds in Skyrim or maybe you are an Imperial who wishes to visit the home of all Mans greatest heroes. There are already large amounts of foreigners living in Skyrim and you may wish to visit some of your kin. For example large amounts of Dunmer and Argonians have become valued citizens inhabitants of Windhelm, while a High Elf may find themselves more welcome at the bottom of Lake Honrich at the Thalmor Embassy. As long as you can sing, fight and drink you will be will welcome.

An introduction to Nordic Customs

Some of you may not be familiar with Nordic Customs, so follow this advice and you should stay out of trouble. If anyone offers you a drink take it and thank them. Refusing an offer of mead is deeply disrespectful and may result in you being chased out of town. If at any point a Nord decides to hit you immediately hit him/her back, this will show everyone you are not some snowback who will be pushed around and you may gain the respect of Nords around you. As a non Nord , you occasionally may find yourself bothered by Nords making jokes regarding your race, if this is the case respond by punching them in the face, this may earn you a punch back but with it will come a good amount of respect. If you are ever asked to sing then you must agree , sing anything at all even if it’s some stupid Elvish song about having pointy ears and being dishonourable. As you may have realised Nords respect those who have will and are willing to fight at a moment’s notice. Stick to this advice and you may quickly find yourself the most popular foreigner in town. Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew, insulting a Nords honour or fighting/ drinking ability may leave you with several broken bones.

Following all the advice in this book and you may just reach the borders of Skyrim alive. Make sure you wrap up and bring a good sword, Skyrim is a harsh place meant only for the strong. May Kyne's winds be at your back through your travels and on behalf of the people of Skyrim, I bid you welcome to the greatest province in all of Tamriel.

Eorlund Quick-Arrow

Riften