Goblins!

I love goblins! They're always an easy solution to a lack of momentary creativity - Along with kobolds, of course - Small humanoid creatures, whose nature or motives are never questioned, but merely serves as arrow-bait and cannon fodder (Whichever you prefer.)

I've been tediously curious as to why we didn't get any info on goblins in Skyrim and came to the conclusion that they had either excluded them (I know, God forbid it,) or merely thought that they seemed as common as dirty politicians, that they needn't be mentioned for us to know that they are there.

Luckily enough (for these innocent puppies in my possession), it seems that the latter option was correct and I do get my walking targets with sticks of steel. Oh, and BTW, they're cooler than they were in Oblivion! Huzzah!!

*EDIT
Yeah, it might be a Falmer

Vampirism and Lycanthropy so far

Clarification is in order. Many ask if there will be vampires or werewolves in Skyrim. I can tell you that this article will be very short, 'cause the only thing there is to say to that is: We don't know!

Either Bethesda wants to keep it secret in order to maintain our excitement and interest, maybe they haven't decided yet, or they simply aren't a part of the game.

I will fill you in, should more news arise.

*EDIT
I've heard a podcast with Todd Howard, stating that they have been playing around with both lycanthropy and Vampirism, but if they don't think it's gonna add to the game, then they won't include it (kinda like what they said about mounts.)

Draugr!

Tired of the ol' skeletons? Thinking the zombies are to cliché? Then allow me to welcome you to Skyrim, where neither exists. Instead, we have a wonderful hybrid: The Draugr.

The Draugr are undead, but not the dull old type of undead. These bad boys retain not only their bones, but also their cold, dead flesh, and full control of their bodies. This enables them to also use armor and weapons - ergo, a hybrid of the Skeleton and the Zombie from Oblivion. They also have beards!

The dreadful Draugr

So the Draugr, which we are going to be seeing a lot of throughout our adventures in the land of Skyrim, are basically just undead Nord warriors, risen to do battle with you, because you are being a dick and disturbing their resting place, which you definitely will, because you are a daredevil.
Dovakiin! Dragonslayer & Disturber of the Dead!



Sound good?
...
...
Yeah, it does!!

There were also Draugr in Arena, but I really doubt that anyone remembers them. Or can recognize them for that matter, since they are not, like 5 pixels anymore (Exaggeration.)

But are the Draugr Bethesdas idea? Well, to put them in the game, sure, but they actually hold their origin in the cold Scandinavia, which, as you might have guessed, means that it's Viking stuff.

D&D = Dungeons and Draugr

I don't know what is is with the sudden fixation on Vikings and Norse mythology, but it is getting more and more known, as well as popular. I guess that the WoW expansion "Wrath of the Lich King" helped it along, but its been in the spotlight before that, only growing.

In plain old Danish, the word is Draug and the plural is Draugar. It seems that Bethesda has decided to use Draugr for both the singular and plural words. They come from Norse mythology. ANother word for them is aptrgangr, Old Norse for "again-walker" (apt = again, still) (gang = to walk, to stroll.)

In Norse mythology, the Draugr have superhuman capabilities, being able to achieve superhuman strength, as well as adjust their size as they please. The only actual way to get rid of them, was to make a hero wrestle the draugr back into his grave, which would give him rest. They are basically immune to weapons. They usually either bothered their old family, you know, from before they died, or else they were guarding graves, which were filled with riches (The Vikings left the valuables of the deceased with them.)

Battling the Draugr

Although Norse mythology dictates that there are both land and water draugr, I think we'll only be able to enjoy the land Draugr in Skyrim. But enough of Norse mythology... For now.

In Skyrim they seem to attack in groups. That is, after the awesome animation of seeing them rise from their graves, 'cause they don't just stand around, you know! When fighting them, they seem able to, well, not move retarded as enemies id in Oblivion. In the footage I have spotted that they don't move independent of each other, but rely on each other, which means that the way one Draugr moves, can affect on the way another one does. It looks like combat with these bad boys is going to be... What's that word again?

... Oh, that's right! AWESOME!

Giants!

Once upon a time, a mighty fine gentleman said: "I recognize my limits, but when I look around, I realise, I am not exactly living in a world of Giants."

Well, we can state two things! That man was the 42nd prime minister of Italy, Guilio Andreotti, and second that just because he doesn't, it doesn't mean that we can't!

That's right, folks! Skyrim will feature giants. Big, hardcore, mammoth-pelt wearing, badass, hard hitting, amazingly tall, brute giants! I bet the adoring fans of the mudcrap will die out quickly, in favor of the giants! So far we know of two kinds: The "hill-type" we see in the demo, and then a "frost giant" has been mentioned by some who saw the presentation back in April.

But what are these giants up to? What do they do? Well, as opposed to previous games, monsters don't always just stand around and wait for you to come by so that they can hurt you, causing you to sing Haddaway. No more!!

These brutes will be all over Skyrim, tending their business. You will seldom see them walking alone, not that that isn't possible, but they are humanoids. And like all humanoids, they tend to group up.  You can find them wandering the tundras, with their flocks of mammoths, whom they use as herding animals, for food and for pelt to make their clothes out of.

In the trailer we see the option of trying to speak to them, but sadly enough, in the demo, Howard chooses to be a dick and attack the mammoths instead, 'causing the giants to attack him, only for one of them to be snatched up by a dragon, randomly popping in.

As soon as you see the giant grab its giant bone club, you can't help but think: RUN! Even though, you aren't the one playing. They look powerful and like someone you just don't wanna piss off. I even had the audacity to yell "Run, Howard, RUN!" As I watched the video. Seeing them in action has really got my blood boiling for more!

But they are not just there to do battle with! As I said, they didn't actually choose to attack Howard, let alone pay notice to him, before he viciously assaulted one of their mammoths. The Nerve. There was even an option to speak with them. I don't know if you actually could, but they are intelligent humanoids and perfectly capable of talking.

Can you piss them off without attacking? Yes, you can! If you get in their pathway too much, they might think of you as a nuisance and try to, well, kill you. You are merely an intelligent insect, after all.
I actually hear rumors that they have their own city, but I have yet to confirm that, but it would definitely be cooool.

Another rumor states that when you loot them, you are actually looting their nostrils and the space in-between their toes, but that might as well be jibber-jabber, since they actually have pouches.

So that's it for the Giants, for now! If you wanna watch them, look at the demo in the bottom of the page. Enjoy!