The amount of fan debate surroundingThe Elder Scrolls 6is understandably massive, with the title being one of the most anticipated games in recent memory. With fans still having very little official information to go off of, a lot of the major details of the title are currently rumored through conjecture and a huge amount of community-led discourse.
One of the most important details surroundingThe Elder Scrolls 6is the geographical setting of the title, with the game most likely following its predecessors by being predominantly set within a single province in Tamriel. The most commonly rumored provincial setting forThe Elder Scrolls 6is the large region of Hammerfell, and this area would fascinatingly provide its own equivalent to the iconic dragon shouts of 2011’sSkyrim.
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Skryim’s Dragon Language and Shouts
Dragon shouts are a synonymous mechanic withinSkyrimthat added a truly unique combat element to the successful release. WithinThe Elder Scrollslore, dragon shouts are an example of some of the most powerful forms of magic that exist, being the native ancient language of dragon-kind. This particular form of magic is tied to the souls of dragons, and while it can be harnessed by mortals via serious dedication, it can be more easily wielded by rare “dragonborn,” who are humans born with the souls of dragons.
As a game mechanic, dragon shouts offered a serious incentive for players to engage with imposing dragons in combat in order to upgrade and learn new shouts. Theshouts ofSkyrimare broad in their utility, but generally offer huge combat advantages that the player can wield while tying into the core narrative of the game. These shouts were such a successful and iconic part ofSkyrimthat many wondered how the franchise would continue similar mechanics outside of the dragon-saturated province, but Hammerfell just may offer its own alternative.
The Elder Scrolls 6: Hammerfell’s Yoku Language
Apart from its huge size and geographical diversity, one of the most fascinating aspects of Hammerfell concerns its long and mysterious history. AlthoughHammerfell was previously occupied byThe Elder Scrolls' Dwemer, the province was soon occupied by the Redguard towards the end of the First Era, with the Redguard going on to be the race most associated with the province.
The Elder Scrolls' Redguard were forced to migrate to Tamrielfollowing the mysterious and highly debated sinking of their home continent of Yokuda. Despite their migration, the Redguard predictably maintained a lot of the cultural and historic norms of their Yokudan heritage, which would go on to be the source of serious internal conflict as some Redguard wanted to move toward the cultural norms of Tamriel instead.
A huge element of Redguard Yokudan culture is the native language of Yoku, a once synonymous element of Redguard culture that predictably waned over time as the race settled within Tamriel. The Yoku language is just as ancient as dragon shouts, although of course does not possess the same powerful magic qualities as the dragon language. However, that is not to say that Yoku could not be included in aHammerfell-setElder Scrolls 6as a partial equivalent to dragon shouts.
For example, the aforementioned mystery surrounding Yokuda’s destruction could be a key element in exposing an ancient power of the Yoku language, which could easily be a huge narrative thread ofThe Elder Scrolls 6’smain story. While it will of course be difficult to maintain the lore-sensitive power ofSkyrim’sdragon shouts, it is clear that the Yoku language could offer a fantastic equivalent within the upcomingElder Scrolls6.
The Elder Scrolls 6is currently in development.
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