From the history of the Dragon War to the celestial planes of Aetherius, The Elder Scrolls franchise is known for its world-building, and The Elder Scrolls 6 is sure to be no exception. One of the most dangerous but underdeveloped aspects of in-game world-building is Skooma, the ultra-addictive drug refined from moon sugar. Although the narcotic has appeared in almost every Elder Scrolls game, little is known about Skooma, and its consequences have yet to be explored in-depth. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim might be the first game to explore the effects of Skooma use. Hopefully, the upcoming sequel The Elder Scrolls 6 will explore the drug more.
Players have been able to discover Skooma bottles in Skyrim and Cyrodil, and even ingest the drug if they so desire. The drug has become so synonymous with The Elder Scrolls franchise that fans have created homemade Skooma in the real world. Although, players are not able to contract a long-term addiction to the drug, and Skyrim does not allow the Last Dragonborn to make the narcotic. The lack of explanation or exploration of Skooma is remarkable given the consequences it has on all the Tamriel races, especially the Khajit.
The History of Skooma Up to Skyrim
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Skooma is a powerful hallucinogenic drug that was first derived from moon sugar, a grainy, white, crystalline powder farmed from the sugar cane grasses grown in Elsweyr. The drug itself is smoked through a pipe or consumed in liquid form - explaining the bottles of liquid Skooma that can be found throughout Skyrim, Cyrodil, and the other provinces. Skooma is extremely addictive, causing delusions, euphoria, lethargy, and in some cases permanent mental impairments and even death. To add to this, the Khajit allege that there is no cure for Skooma addiction.
While there are only a few optional side quests involving Skooma, and the occasional Skooma den discoverable in The Elder Scrolls Oblivion and Skyrim, the drug has always been prevalent in the periphery of the game worlds. For instance, while Skooma is said to have been created by the Dunmer, through the third era of Tamriel history, illegal Skooma smuggling routes were created through Daggerfall, Morrowind, and more. Many of the Khajit living in Elsweyr are addicted to Skooma, and many of the Khajit caravans in Skyrim carry the drug. In fact, the drug has unfortunately become one of the defining features of the Khajit race.
How The Elder Scrolls 6 Can Explore The Impact of Skooma
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While players will have to wait until the release of outer space RPG Starfield and FPS shooter Redfall before learning more about The Elder Scrolls 6, there's a good chance that the game will expand the world and what players can experience while playing. Hopefully, The Elder Scrolls 6 will include a morality system that allows players to buy, sell, and ingest Skooma. While this might be a controversial decision for Bethesda, in a franchise that touts player freedom above all else, players should be able to learn about the Skooma trade first-hand.
Potential mechanics could be inspired by community-made mods that have been designed to include Skooma use in Skyrim. Mods like "Skooma Recipe" allow players to make the drug, while mods like "Skoomatologist" add the possibility of Skooma withdrawals, addiction, dealers, dens, and even growable moon sugar. All in all, given that Bethesda has added an illegal substance like Skooma into The Elder Scrolls franchise, it only makes sense to explore the ways that the drug could add to in-game immersion in the future. From depicting the depth of Skooma addiction, to allowing players to smuggle the drug, Skooma can't just be a glorified stamina potion anymore.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is in development.