Modders have put an awful lot of effort into making sure Skyrim has continually evolved and expanded in the years since it was first released into the world.
Many have focused on changing the game by adding interesting quests, cool spells, and terrifying powers to it, with a few even going as far as giving your Dragonborn the chance to receive their letters from a friendly goat courier or try not to be driven mad by a cursed sword.
If you’re someone who’s looking for a new follower to accompany you during a pre-Starfield playthrough that may or may not feature some target practice with laser blasters, a new mod might be worth checking out.
Feel like being followed around Skyrim by the most sarcastic Altmer you’ll ever meet?
The mod in question is called ‘The Thalmor's Shadow - Taliesin (Custom Voiced Follower)’, and is the work of modders DynamiteGal124 and Nevermorepjm. Some of the previous projects of the latter, who also voice acts and makes music under their real name of Pat Mahoney, have added a bunch of new tunes to both Skyrim and Fallout 4.
This time, they’ve teamed up with DynamiteGal to create Taliesin, an ex-member of the Thalmor who just wants the clean start in life that following the Dragonborn around offers, and is described by the modders as “the perfect companion animal.”
Found at a hidden statue of Talos near Lake Illinalta, this quirky Altmer’s main draw is his array of fully-voiced dialogue, which has been written by both modders and delivered by Mahoney with audible relish, as you can hear in the showcase video below.
Taliesin comes with the ability to comment on everything from the quest you’re currently pursuing to the weather, as well as his own horse that you can borrow and (let’s be honest) probably kill by trying to ride it down a sheer cliff face.
In the mod’s description, Mahoney describes having worked a lot of their own personality into the character, in order to make the follower well-suited to help raise awareness of Pride month and men's mental health awareness, both of which are initiatives they’re passionate about supporting.
“Tally represents many of my own fears, ambitions, and desires that I often don't express in my acting career as much as I wish I could,” they say, adding: “For anyone who feels similarly, know that you are not alone. Now you have Tally!”
Regardless of whether you’re now setting out across Skyrim with a new friend in tow, make sure to follow us for updates on Starfield, The Elder Scrolls 6 and the interesting world of Bethesda game modding, including our top mods of the month.