Many of the enemies that players face in The Elder Scrolls series are iconic in their appearance alone. Most remember the various trolls and Daedra in Oblivion or the annoying Cliff Racers in Morrowind for their appearance and behavior. Skyrim has a few notable enemies as well such as dragons and Draugr.
Mentioning Draugr might seem strange as they're one of Skyrim's most common foes. But, while they are certainly common, they are far from generic. These undead Ancient Nords have an allegiance to their masters that go beyond death. From the legendary Red Eagle to females with flowing beards, here are 10 facts many don't know about the Draugr in Skyrim.
10 Once Ancient Nords
It might seem strange that common undead enemies can use Words of Power at higher levels, but this isn't so strange once the game's lore is considered.
Draugr were once Ancient Nords that lived thousands of years ago. Nearly every Ancient Nord was in the Dragon Cult, hence why they are so acquainted with their language and can use Shouts of their own.
9 Buried Alive
Draugr are loyal to their masters, even in death. Players can see these decrepit Nords guard their tombs with their lives, but this loyalty to their master goes even further. When the Dragon Priests were first laid to rest, their entire legion of worshippers would be buried alongside them regardless if they were living or dead.
That means that a sizable chunk of the Draugr players fight in Skyrim were, more or less, buried alive. They still likely died for staying underground for thousands of years, but their dedication to their master is speculated to be the sole reason they are undead and not just decaying corpses.
8 Randomized Appearances
As with most NPCs in Skyrim, many of the enemies players face have randomly generated appearances. Various facial features such as hair and skin color are picked at random when creating certain enemies, Draugr included.
What's strange is that, intentionally or not, Draugr can select features that aren't appropriate for their gender. The most notable example of this is having a female Draugr spawn with a full beard and hair intended for a male character. Even though every Draugr has the same pale skin and general shape, each Draugr a player faces has randomized features that distinguish it from the rest.
7 Draugr Means Revenant Or Ghost
Bethesda could have simply called Draugr zombies and few would have batted an eye. The name isn't made up and has multiple meanings in various languages. In Old Norse and Icelandic, this word means revenant or ghost.
This word was originally derived from the Old Norse word aptrganga, which translates to "again-walker." It goes to show how much research Bethesda put into making Skyrim feel like a believable place based on Norse mythology and themes.
6 Maintains Tombs And Pray To The Dead
Isn't it strange that the ancient tombs of Skyrim have lit candles and are kept in decent shape? Most players likely assumed this was done for design reasons, but Bethesda has an explanation as to why every dungeon is like this.
According to the "Amongst the Draugr" book, a College of Winterhold student named Bernadette Bantien infiltrated a Draugr tomb to discover what they do while unprovoked. What she found was strange: when the Draugr weren't sleeping, they would spend their time maintaining the dungeon. They would repair broken traps or even clean important rooms. Some Draugr would also pray to their master, which helps support the theory that the connection between mater and Draugr gives the Draugr life.
5 Trapped In Dungeons
Even though the Draugr are determined to protect their master and maintain their tomb, they are by no means intelligent. The strange Dragon Claw puzzle doors that can be found throughout Skyrim's dungeons aren't puzzles at all since the Dragon Claw itself gives the door combination.
Those doors aren't meant to keep travelers out, however. They're meant to keep the Draugr inside. While the Draugr have enough motor skills to maintain their tomb, they aren't intelligent enough to read symbols, meaning they can't open these doors the intended way. If these doors are opened by any means, it signals to the Draugr and Dragon Priests within that someone with a functioning brain is approaching, signaling danger for everyone inside.
4 Unintentionally Hostile To Dragons
Since Draugr were originally Ancient Nords, they worshipped dragons and their language. This should mean that the Draugr would fight alongside dragons in a heartbeat, but it seems Bethesda forgot about this or this small detail was overlooked entirely.
Whenever a Draugr sees a dragon, they immediately turn hostile and begin fighting each other. The Unofficial Patch mod fixes this issue.
3 Appeared In Morrowind (Cannibals)
While Draugr are the predominant enemy type in Skyrim's dungeons, this isn't their first appearance in The Elder Scrolls franchise. Draugr were enemies in Morrowind's Bloodmoon expansion, seen with red eyes and a more fierce appearance.
These Draugr differ from the enemies seen in Skyrim, however. The Draugr in Morrowind are ancient Skaal Nords that were trapped underground for mysterious reasons. These Skaal were trapped underground for months, eventually turning to cannibalism. Consuming fellow Skaal flesh appalled the All-Maker so much that it turned these cannibals into undead husks ever yearning for flesh. While their eyes aren't red in Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC, there is a unique type of Draugr players can find named Hulking Draugr. They feature necklaces made of hands and bloody mouths, implying that the Draugr from Morrowind are still present hundreds of years later.
2 Red Eagle Is A Briarheart
Red Eagle is known to most players as a named Draugr that owns a unique sword. There is much more to this character's backstory, however. Back during the First Era, Red Eagle was a notable Reachmen that slew thousands of foes that dared to take his homeland. As he grew older, however, his fighting skills wained. A Hagravens offered Red Eagle the chance to become a Briarheart to outlive his intended years. He agreed to it and would go on to slay many more opponents who dared to claim the Reach as theirs.
This renowned Reachmen was eventually killed by an entire army of Alessian soldiers but not before he killed over a thousand of them. He would then be buried in a unique tomb and become a Draugr, his master likely being Molag Bal as the Reachmen worshipped him. The Reachmen would eventually become the Forsworn faction and uphold his legacy by using Red Eagle's sword.
1 Red Eagle Awoken Hundreds Of Years Before Skyrim
More information on Red Eagle can be found in The Elder Scrolls Online. A series of books named "The Red Curse" would tell a story of a young Breton boy that became so fascinated with Red Eagle that he sought to find his tomb and bring his sword to him. It was rumored that once Red Eagle obtained his sword he would become the leader of the Forsworn and begin a bloody conquest to retake Skyrim.
It seems the Breton boy missed this part, however, as he would eventually find his sword and bring it to Red Eagle's chamber. Red Eagle tried to kill the boy but he escaped. Since the Forsworn didn't retake the Reach at this point, however, Red Eagle went into slumber once more waiting for his day to lead. This story explains why Red Eagle is so quick to rise from his coffin in Skyrim and how the Forsworn got a hold of Red Eagle's blade.