Author: Titas Geryba

A massive gate opens and you take a step forward. Tall walls now surround you from all four sides, giving you a sense of security from what is out there. Still, the snow on the ground and the sound of the wind remind you that it is as cold as ever, but now there is life. Children are running around, their laughter chiming in your ears as you pass by, the blacksmith is hard at work, the sounds of the simmering fire and the hits of a hammer on an anvil echoing out. Somewhere far away you hear the sound of someone chopping wood, preparing more logs to keep the cozy fire of their home going. You feel like you’ve found a place where there is warmth; hearth in the middle of a frozen wasteland of Skyrim.

This is the feeling and memories I get when I remember the city of Whiterun from the Bethesda Softworks game titled The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Located in the center of the Kingdom of Skyrim, this is the city that players of game visit very early on in the game while following the main quest of the game and will revisit quite a bit throughout their experience in the game. The city itself is composed of three parts each marked by an increase in altitude. The Plains district resides at the bottom level and is home to most merchants of the city. The Wind district is the district located in the center level and is the location of most of the residential buildings of Whiterun. Finally, we find the Cloud district at the very top of the city, where the ruler of the Whiterun, Jahrl Balgruuf, resides in his grandiose Hold named the Dragonsreach.

The Plains district of Whiterun is the first part of the city which the player get to experience and is the location of a purchasable player home, making it an important landmark for the player. A marking feature of this location are the NPCs (non – playable characters) inside the district that are always moving, talking or performing the tasks of their daily routine. As mentioned in my introductory description, you will find kids playing, a blacksmith making a sword or armor, a man chopping wood for his fireplace. More than that, the NPCs will actually try to engage with you. When you walk close enough to the blacksmith, he might greet you or warn you about not getting too close to the fire . If you go to the town marketplace, you will get shouts from all the merchants there trying to sell you fish, fruits, vegetables or jewelry. You can also enter some specialty stores on the sides such as an alchemist where you can purchase a potion, or visit the Drunken Huntsman, a local pub, where you can listen in on the local rumors and conversations between the inhabitants. A kid might even stop you during your walk through the city and ask you to play hide and seek with him or her! This makes the environment of the city feel dynamic, interactive and, after getting to know the NPCs in the city, even personal. As a player, this makes me feel immersed in the world. I cannot help but want to know the events and dramas that are going on in the city and see if I can get involved in one way or another. The active NPC interactions not only give the city of Whiterun an appearance of a functioning society, but also one that you can influence with your own actions. This is a very precious feeling in a world where the player is given full freedom in what he or she is allowed to do.

Another part of Whiterun that has always appealed to me is the way it contrasts cold and warmth. The land of Skyrim is in the midst of a mountainous area and as a result is cold, windy and is, for the most part, covered in snow. Whiterun does not let you forget that. While walking outside, you are met with a cobblestone path, accompanied by patches colorless grass off to the sides with remnants of snow still present on top of it. The sound of a breezy wind is heard all around. This always gave me a chilly vibe, even when the sun was shining bright in the game world’s sky. However, this changes drastically when you enter any building of the city. Immediately, before you even see the source of it, you are met with the crackling noise of a fire burning somewhere. Then, as you look around, you see the light emanating from a fireplace. This fireplace, found in every home of Whiterun, gives the player a link between cold outside world of Skyrim and the warmth found inside allowing me to experience the environment of Skyrim without actually feeling anything physically. This simple idea to play with sounds and light as you switch between an indoor and outdoor space for contrast makes a huge difference in how much attention I would give the climate and weather conditions presented in the game and is one of the big reasons that makes me want to believe that the harsh weather conditions have an impact on how the people of Whiterun live their lives. This is one of the many things that make the world of Skyrim feel like it has causality and gives it beautiful appeal both in terms of visuals and sound, making the world feel more immersive and enjoyable to the player experiencing it.

The last part of the environment of Whiterun that I want to address is the way it changes during the day-night cycle of the game.  As I already talked about, while the sun is shining the citizens are out and about doing their daily routines, trying to get through the day. However, when the sun sets, the city becomes empty. The only people to be found outside patrolling guards. Although the streets of Whiterun are now dark and only lit by small lanterns on the side of the streets, the sky is bright and detailed. On some nights nebulas, other galaxies or even aurora borealis is visible. Some of the mountain peaks visible from the city now turn into dark silhouettes, reminding you that they are just mere physical objects in the face of the divine skies. Among the other objects present in your view you find the two orbiting moons of the night sky; on some days as crater filled full circles and, on others, as two sharp crescents. Seeing this view in the safe environment of Whiterun brings to attention the ancient and magical nature of the world of Skyrim while reminding you of the vast world that is still left to explore within the game, making you thirst for more adventure. This sets the tone perfectly for the moment you reopen the massive city gates and venture out again.

I believe the factors I have mentioned, along with many more minor details that the creators of the game have put their time and effort into, make Whiterun feel like a city a player can believe in and immerse him or herself in. The daily actions of the citizens make them seem like they have a life, know the environment that they live in and adapt to overcome it. The contrast that the game creates between warmth and cold makes the player really feel like they are able to feel that difference in temperature as well. Finally the night in the city tells of the peaceful nature of the city with its empty streets, while the night sky reminds you of the adventure that it still to come in the game. The atmosphere that Whiterun creates is one that makes the player believe it is a place that could really exist and allows the player to make it more than just an arbitrary checkpoint inside a game, but rather a personal place they are familiar with. This is what makes me like the environment that Whiterun creates, and is the reason why Whiterun is one of the few virtual places I have visited that I can remember with little effort.