General:Skyrim Cities' Design Excerpts

Book Information
Source:	YouTube
Archived Link:	Konsoll 2019: Emil Pagliarulo - Designing the Cities of Skyrim
Writer(s):	Emil Pagliarulo, Bruce Nesmith, Kurt Kuhlmann
Publication Date:	December 2019

Skyrim Cities' Design Excerpts

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The following are design document excerpts from a power point presentation done by Emil Pagliarulo in 2019 regarding the cities of Skyrim.

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Whiterun: City of Wood and Wind

Theme:

Whiterun is essentially Edoras, Rohan’s main city in Lord of the Rings. Not only is it the equestrian center of Skyrim, but it’s also viewed as the most “pure” Nord city in the entire country. In Whiterun, Nords live as they have for centuries -- their lives are simple, harsh, and rooted in ancient traditions. Even the city’s fortifications -- wooden palisade walls and the sheer protective advantage offered by its position on a mountain -- are archaic by more contemporary Nord standards. So while Windhelm may serve as the Stormcloaks’s center of operations in the civil War, it is the culture of Whiterun that best exemplifies what it is to be a Nord.

Layout:

Whiterun is located on the plateaus of a cold, windy mountain, which is in turn located on a cold, windy plain. It was constructed around the mead hall of Jorrvaskr which, centuries ago, was the sole building on the mountain. Now, Whiterun is an entire city, albeit one that retains the feel of a smaller Nord village. It is spread over three plateaus of the mountain, and is protected by a high wooden palisade fence. When approaching Whiterun, the keep, located on the highest plateau, is clearly visible and very distinctive.

2.) Wind District - The Wind district is where most of Whiterun’s residential buildings (including the mead hall Jorvaskr) are located, and was named because of the striking mountain winds that gust through the area. So, in that sense, the district isn't so much a designation of class as it is a designation of residency.

3.) Cloud District - The Cloud District is the smallest of Whiterun’s three districts, and was so named because it is located on the top of the mountain Whiterun was built on, and is there closer to the clouds than any other. It is dominated by the imposing form of Dragonsreach, though there are a couple of smaller residential buildings there as well. It’s significant that the Cloud District is actually next to the Wind District, as this actually speaks to Nord culture -- there are very few barriers between Nord nobility and Nord common folk. All are Nords, all of the same blood. It just so happens that some have reached a higher status -- it doesn’t necessarily make those nobles better or, in the words of the commers, “any less Nord.”

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Windhelm: City of Stone and Snow

Theme:

The overriding theme of Windhelm can best be summarized with one word -- tension. There’s a lot on the minds of the city’s residents these days. The Dark Elves in the Gray Quarter have grown increasingly disillusioned. Skyrim is now in the throws of Civil War, and Windhelm has become the Stormcloaks’ center of operations (with their Jarl Ulfric right in the middle of it). Dragons have returned to the world, and threaten to destroy all of Skyrim. And as if all that weren’t bad enough, a mysterious killer has been stalking the snowy streets of Windhelm at night, and has already claimed three victims.

Layout:

Windhelm sits on the northern back of the White River, and is an imposing, some would say intimidating sight, with its massive snow and ice-covered stone walls. Travelers to the city are greeted by the majestic frozen waterwheel (the Frozen Wheel) at the main gate, but it is the Palace of Ysgramor rising over all other structures in the city that truly takes the breath away. The city slopes slightly northward, and has different levels of elevation, with the Palace located at the city’s highest point, making it even more visible and striking (the city is not, however, built on the plateaus of a mountain like Whiterun). It is only when one gets into the city, though, that the true nature of Windhelm becomes apparent -- the city has actually been built, over the centuries, on top of and into ancient Nord ruins that date to the early days of Skyrim itself.

1.) Valunstrad District: Translated from Ancient Nordic, Valunstrad means Avenue of Valor. It is the oldest section of Windhelm and has the largest buildings in the entire city, including the ancient and majestic Palace of the Kings.

The Pit, a centuries old fighting arena; that has, according to legend, claimed more lives than any single war the Nord people have ever been involved in. Think the fighting pit from Conan the Barbarian.

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