The Elder Scrolls' werewolves are the most common type of werebeast and are found all over Tamriel thanks to Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. Werewolves are feared for their enormous strength and are many times more powerful than normal people in their wolf form, and often cannot control themselves in their transformed state. Becoming a werewolf inSkyrimrequires joining the Companions and completing a secret ritual, but this is far from the only way to become a werewolf, and players may find attitudes towards lycanthropesdiffer in other parts of Tamriel such as Hammerfell.
Werewolves were first seen inThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfallbut had a far larger role inThe Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind: Bloodmoon, which took place on Solstheim during the Bloodmoon Prophecy, a hunt conducted by Hircine for his werewolves.Morrowind’sBloodmoonexpansion was the first time inThe Elder Scrollswhere the player could become a werewolf; rather than being infected through a ritual, the player could be infected through a bite from an enemy werewolf on Solstheim, much like getting infected with Sanguinare Vampiris inSkyrim.
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Werewolves in The Elder Scrolls Before Skyrim
Lycanthropy inBloodmoonwas much the same as it is inSkyrim, where the infected player character gets enhanced strength, speed, and endurance, transforming in front of townspeople incurs a bounty and makes NPCs hostile towards the player, and lycanthropy can be cured. One of the biggest differences is that Hircine speaks to the werewolf Nerevarine in dreams and gives them quests to fulfill; upon completion, their werewolf abilities are improved. This system of skill improvement is replaced with a werewolf skill tree inSkyrim, and Hircine plays very little part in the Dragonborn’s werewolf journey.
WithThe Elder Scrolls 6comes the chance of a new perspective towards werewolves, as both games that feature them prominently have been based in the Nord-centric cultures of Solstheim and Skyrim, whereasThe Elder Scrolls 6is moving to the region ofHammerfell, the homeland of the Redguards. Hammerfell was one of the largest provinces of the Empire, though it’s now its own sovereign nation independent of the Empire, and has a different religion, culture, and history from much of the rest of Tamriel. Such geographic and cultural changes are bound to create differences in perspective on not just werewolves as a concept but on Daedra worship in general.
How Hammerfell Could Have a Different Perspective
The Nine, or Eight, are notably not worshiped in Hammerfell. Instead, the Redguard religion is a combination of their ancient Yokudan beliefs and ancestor worship, with an entirely different pantheon to the one more commonly seen across the Empire. What this means in practice remains to be seen, but could heavily impact the culture’s view on Daedra worship and, by extension, those affected by lycanthropy.
The Companions' storyline was deeply affected by the implications of lycanthropy, namely that Hircine claims the souls of all werewolves, and that some of the Nords who were affected wanted to instead go to the land of their ancestors. Because ofthe emphasis on ancestor worship in Hammerfell, a new perspective on this story could be possible.
Just asSkyrimmade werewolves an important part of the Companions story, becoming a werewolf inThe Elder Scrolls 6could havemore narrative significance than simply becoming diseased, such as the case with vampires. Hircine could also play a larger role as a werewolf player character inThe Elder Scrolls 6, especially as werewolves are supposed to be his favored mortals whose souls he’s claimed for the afterlife, driving home the point that this choice is for the long haul even after death. The player character’s journey towards accepting that should be informed by the information they’re given, the culture, and the people they’re surrounded by.
The Elder Scrolls 6is in development.
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