About this video

Sitting upon the contentious border of Skyrim and Hammerfall, the merchant city of Karthwasten has exchanged hands many times, one day claimed by Skyrim, the next by the Redguards of Hammerfall, and as such, it's a city of cultural diversity as well as numerous battle scars, many of which are still evident today from wars recent and ancient. Home to a stark class system, as well as two distinctly different cultures, Karthwasten is a city of two worlds, with richer upper-class districts down in the traditional Hammerfall Crown architectural style, and lower class Nordic slums that hug the outer layer of the city. Numerous ruins can be found in the vicinity of Karthwasten, smaller villages that were not so lucky to survive the last few conflicts, as well as ancient Direnni ruins and the occasional Reachman settlement with their own unique culture that's both apart and separate from the greater Nordic elements of Skyrim's civilization.

Regardless of the scars and bloodied ruins, Karthwasten and its nearby landscapes are truly breathtaking in their bountiful beauty, composing a large part of the southern swath of the Reach, and playing home to numerous proud and independent groups that share this majestic land in an ever shifting tide of power and control. Regardless of the dangers you might face, and the conflicts that roil just beneath the surface, Karthwasten and its surrounding areas are well worth a visit on your adventures through western Skyrim.

Parts of Vorndgad Forest can be visited today as part of Skyrim - Home of the Nord's first alpha release, though it's important to note that this is a fairly out-dated release, and pretty much everything from that early version has been changed. Currently the SHOTN team is looking to make a major release that includes the new version of Vorndgad Forest, with the towns of Karthgad and Karthwasten included, sometime in the near future, so stay tuned to their website for more information!

With that said, Skyrim - Home of the Nords needs more modders, especially to work on the cities of Markarth and Dragonstar, so if you want to help out, head on over to Project Tamriel and join the team!

Read up on the Lore and History of SHOTN's Reach here

The music in this trailer is "The Crew 3" by composer Johannes Bornlof from Epidemic Sound.