"With Oblivion, we're dealing with the capital province, and we wanted to get back to the more classic Arena and Daggerfall feel of a fantasy world that felt more refined and welcoming," Howard reflects. "A place that you instantly understood.

"But in that, we sacrificed some of what made Morrowind special; the wonder of discovery. With Skyrim, we're trying to bring some of that back and walk the line between Morrowind and Oblivion. Where it's at first familiar looking, but has its own unique culture and spin on it.

The Bethesda veteran summarises Skyrim's aesthetic as "epic reality", mystical yet "grounded". The wintry province is among the more venerable of Tamriel's human civilizations, and Bethesda wants to convey the impression "that this province is the original home of men, that they built things long ago that seem fantastical, but are very real, and could be built here on earth given enough time.

"We stay away from high fantasy elements in the art itself, and keep it grounded in whatever the reality of the world is."​