About this video

Once apart of the province of Hammerfall, the Druadach Highlands, after the contentious War of Bend'r Mahk between the Redguards and Nords, is a region that now falls mostly within the realm of Skyrim's encroaching westward borders. A rough and ancient region, the Druadach Highlands are home to many geographical features, from tall mesas that dominate the landscape, to sunken crevices and dozens of small exterior caves that poke out of the rock-face and provide a hiding place for rebels and bandits alike. Here you'll find many ruins, both ancient and new, from the long-standing towers of the Direnni Hegemony, a once powerful Aldmer clan that controlled much of High Rock and the Reach, to more recent ruins from the War of Bend'r Mahk, a war that, despite both sides agreeing to peace, still wages on in this conflict heavy region. It's not uncommon to see burned down towns, ruined farmsteads, unattended corpses along the road, and destroyed fortifications from bygone conflicts in the Druadach Highlands.

Though a rough and wild place, the Druadach Highlands is home to a diverse range of peoples, from the Redguards who, not so long ago, were the dominate faction in this part, to the Nords, Reachmen, and even the odd Orc or two. You'll find many small villages here, several of them of Reachmen design and origin, as well as the city of Dragonstar. Once a proud Redguard stronghold along the eastern front, today Dragonstar is a city split in twain, as the Reguard maintain control of only the western side of the city, and the Nords have full control of the east. A troubled garrison of Imperial Legion soldiers is charged with maintaining the peace, but it's a fruitless and losing battle against the hostilities of these two warrior-like cultures. Despite the conflicts and the wide range of dangers that await travelers in this region, the Druadach Highlands are a land of beautiful natural landmarks, scenic roadways, and rustic villages with a unique sense of culture, and are certainly worth exploring.

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!

You can also read up on the Lore and History of SHOTN's Reach here.

The music in this trailer is "Walking the Way Home" by composer Andreas Ericson from Epidemic Sound.