The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim remains one of the richest games on the market, and completing 100% of what it offers is a task for very, very few people, requiring patience and dedication in a game some consider almost “infinite.” Its enormous range of possibilities is even satirized in internet memes.
Every now and then, players explore every “corner” in search of secrets and Easter eggs. We at Epic Play decided to select some secrets and pop-culture references in Skyrim to further satisfy your curiosity about exploring this world.
1. Minecraft Easter Egg
Probably the best known entry on the list, there is a Minecraft Easter egg when you reach the top of the region's highest mountain, the “Throat of the World.” There, you will find the Notched Pickaxe, a reference to the game.
2. The Headless Horseman
Regarded as one of Skyrim's most frightening secrets, this one is based on the famous European urban legend. The Headless Horseman appears at random during play and is easier to encounter in isolated places near Whiterun. If you follow him, he will lead you to a place called Hamvir's Rest, with several undead creatures and a coffin containing a skull.
3. Necrophile Boss
Another macabre story in Skyrim involves the boss Arondil, who can be found in Yngvild. If you read the four journals scattered around the dungeon, you will discover that he is a necrophile who reanimates female bodies and then “sleeps” with them.
Many people find this dungeon without realizing that the ghosts themselves can betray Arondil. Simply go to the pedestal behind him and place the “Greater Soul Gem” on top. The nearby ghost will fight him (video).
4. Infinite Source of Arrows
This is actually a useful glitch for players. Find an archer NPC shooting at a target, steal his arrows and replace them with one of high quality. The non-player character will continue firing those arrows at the target, giving you an infinite supply.
5. Winterhold Prison
One of the best-hidden locations, “The Chill” is a prison for lawbreaking mages. The truth is that there is nothing particularly useful inside, but it is interesting as a curiosity. One easy way to reach it is to be arrested for an offense in Skyrim's far north, but escaping will give you trouble!
6. Star Wars Reference
Inside Bleakcoast Cave, there is a skeleton on the ground and a glowing sword. This alludes to the beginning of the film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke Skywalker is inside a cell made of ice.
7. Kagrenzel Ruins
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When you enter the ruins of Kagrenzel, you will see an apparently small dungeon. It contains a room with a circle in the center, and touching it causes a noise like an alarm to begin.
If you wait inside the circle for about a minute, you will fall into an obstacle-filled tunnel that is difficult to survive. If you make it, you will reach a lake inside a very beautiful underground cave.
8. Arcwind Point
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In the mountains west of the Rift lies “Arcwind,” or “Arcwind Point,” a place with very strong enemies. It is difficult to reach, but once there you will find undead creatures such as draugr and high-level dragons. Above level 78, you will encounter the Legendary Dragon. Be well prepared because the enemies in this region are extremely strong, but the rewards are worthwhile.
9. The “Most Inaccessible” Place
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One of the hardest places to find is Giant's Grove, which can be accessed only by completing The Cursed Tribe quest. This mission is easily missed, since players must defeat a giant at the gates of Largashbur, quite a challenge!
Players must then speak with Atub, the Orc who can easily be killed either by you or by the giant itself, so care must be taken to keep her alive. She will lead you to a tunnel beneath the ground, where you will find Giant's Grove.
10. Bard's Leap Summit
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This place is not particularly secret, but it hides a secret that many people end up missing. Here, you must go to the top and find a location that players of Assassin's Creed will remember very well, then try to land precisely in the water below, which can be somewhat difficult.
If you succeed, you will encounter the ghost of the bard Azzadal, who says he tried to make the same jump but was not as successful, and he will increase your Speech skill by one level.
11. Romeo and Juliet
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North of the Old Hroldan Inn is an abandoned camp near the road with two bodies stretched out on the ground. Nearby journals say they are Talvur, the man, and Karan, the woman, lovers who were killed by a monster.
According to the story, Karan comes from a noble family that did not accept her relationship with Talvur because of their social-class differences, so she decides to run away with him. During their escape, however, they both died.
If the player returns days later, the bodies will have disappeared and the Shrine of Mara, goddess of love, will stand in their place.
12. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Reference
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Dunmeth Pass does not appear special at all, being merely a vast place that is not even marked on the map. Fans of the Elder Scrolls series will understand its significance, however, as it lies west of Windhelm and is the only safe passage through the Valohti Mountains to reach the province of Morrowind, a reference to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
Hundreds of years before Skyrim, Morrowind suffered a catastrophe known as the “Red Year,” when the moon fell onto the planet and caused mass destruction. It was in this context that the province was elevated, and many people fled to Skyrim in an attempt to escape the terrible conditions.
Dunmeth Pass was then used as a refuge and meeting point for lost people. The passage leading to the devastated Morrowind can also be seen there, although it is impossible to cross.
13. Azura's Star
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Azura's Star is a sacred item, and you will have to “work up a sweat” to obtain it. In a mission called “The Black Star,” you must enter the artifact itself, where you will find one of the game's most unique and beautiful locations.
During a mission for the entity Azura against an exiled student from the College of Winterhold, you will end up in a small place filled with beautiful blue crystals. Afterward, you will also have Azura's Star in your inventory and can collect souls to store inside it, which is somewhat macabre.
14. Sad Giant
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There is a major secret west of Mistwatch Folly: a giant beside a mammoth that died after drinking the area's sulfuric water.
This is curious because the game's giants attack only if you approach closely enough to threaten them, but in this case he will do nothing even if you touch him, unless you attack. He is sad about the death of his mammoth friend, something visible on his face, showing how emotionally involved giants are with their regular companions.
15. A Reference to the Holocaust?
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Shriekwind Bastion is occupied by vampires who devour several human victims. Because there are other things to do there, many people overlook a door leading to a small room.
Inside are the boots and accessories of their victims. The Nazis used to keep their victims' shoes at concentration camps, probably for reuse and sale, and museums containing these items strongly depict the intact scene of how the victims' boots were left piled together. Basically, this may be a reference to what was done during the Holocaust, or it may simply be a coincidence.
16. Never Attack the Chickens!
Probably a reference to the Zelda series: if you attack a village's chickens, every resident will come to defend them.
17. A Book RPG Inside a Video Game RPG
If you find the book “Kolb and the Dragon: An Adventure for Nord Boys,” you will discover an adventure that gives you options for how to continue the narrative, allowing you to change the direction of the story. It is a very interesting extra for “resting” during the game's adventures.
18. Ebony Warrior (Requires Dragonborn Expansion)
After you reach level 80, a character called the “Ebony Warrior” will eventually appear at your door and offer a fight to the death. This is regarded as one of the game's most challenging quests.
19. Exploding Spiders (Requires Dragonborn Expansion)
After clearing the White Ridge Barrow area, you will find a place called the Imbuing Chamber, where it is possible to build throwable exploding spiders in the best “grenade” style.
20. Peaks of Solstheim (Requires Dragonborn Expansion)
These are four hidden mountains containing some of the highest points in Skyrim's geography, and climbing them requires considerable skill. Ultimately, there is nothing special at the summit, since no item, spell or Easter egg exists there. The view makes it worthwhile, however, and you can fast travel to the points after reaching them, even though they were previously considered “unmarked” locations.
21. Immortal Dragon (Requires Dragonborn Expansion)
Unlike other dragons, which simply “die” or turn against you after a while, this one is invincible and 100% loyal. To obtain it, you must visit the “Throat of the World” mountain after learning the shout ability that lets you control dragons. With this, you get the best dragon in the game.
22. The Frost Giant (Requires Dragonborn Expansion)
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One of Dragonborn's most interesting secrets is a hidden boss in the ruins of Castle Karstaag. To find him, you must reach the location's highest point and summon him through his skeleton. He is one of the most difficult enemies in the game. If you defeat him, you will gain the ability to summon him as an ally.
During the events of The Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon, he was destroyed by the Nerevarine, but his ghost remains “alive”...
23. The Secret of Blackreach
Among Skyrim's most intriguing places are the ruins of Blackreach, built by the now-vanished dwarves. Amid so much technology and magic, there is a glowing chandelier in the ruins. If you use the Unrelenting Force shout on it, you will awaken an ancient dragon for battle.
Discover a New Story...
In Skyrim, nothing ever seems to “end here,” and there are many incredible adventures, whether listed as missions or not, for you to explore in the game. They range from simultaneously fighting two dragons hidden in an “ice lake” to macabre special missions involving deities, among others. How about taking a trip around Skyrim after reading this article? :)
