Summary
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remasteredhas a wonderfully detailed world that is ripe for exploration. It feels like there’ssomething to uncover at every turn, and even then, there areminor details you could miss after even three or four playthroughs. A lot of these details aren’t crucial to the game’s plot or side quests, but are there to serve as subtle little hints for the more observant players out there.
One such example of this environmental storytelling can be found in Skingrad, and was recently shared on the Oblivion subredditby a user called ResiakNaroz. It involves the Count of Skingrad - Janus Hassildor - and his true identity that he’s hiding from the townsfolk which he rules over. If you’re bothered about minor side quest spoilers for Oblivion, now’s your time to dip.
Those of you who know what I’m talking about will already be aware that Janus Hassildor is actually a vampire, and that he’s actually heavily involved in the quest that allows you to cure vampirism. His identity as a vampire isn’t explicitly stated to players when you first meet him, and it’s very possible that you could be completely unaware on your first playthrough.
However, if you know your stuff about vampires, you should be able to spot a rather odd detail about Castle Skingrad itself. Pointed out by ResiakNaroz, none of the cutlery inside the castle is made of silver, and is instead either ceramic or tin. That’s down to the natural weakness that vampires have to silver, whether it something as small as a fork or as large as an axe.
Another user called Missuskittykissus also points out that the residents of Skingrad also have an odd amount of garlic hanging in their houses, which does absolutely nothing to the vampires of Oblivion, but it’s a common myth that the plant is deadly to them. It once again hints that the residents of Skingrad are fearful of vampires, suggesting there are rumors of one hanging around town.
These are both incredibly small details, but just about enough for more observant players to piece together that someone of importance in Castle Skingrad is a vampire, and Hassildor himself isn’t that much of a looker. Just a bit of environmental storytelling that proves Oblivion is far more detailed than we give it credit for, and just like a user called Jinglemisk, it can be very easy to miss these little details even after thousands of hours of play time.
