When they’re not stuck talking to Jarls or destroying all of Nazeem’s furniture, Skyrim’s Dragonborn generally spends a lot of time fighting a litany of fearsome foes.
This is hardly surprising given the prophesied hero’s penchant for heading off on quests that lead to encounters with the likes of Alduin and the ebony warrior, both of whom could probably be avoided if the Dragonborn wasn’t so adamant about putting all of their training at Sky Haven Temple into practice.
Sadly, none of that preparation will help them to overcome the latest adversary added to the game by modders, whose terrifying presence is seemingly impossible to defeat via conventional means or escape by ducking into a city.
Have you ever wanted a Skyrim mod to make your late-night gaming sessions a bit more unsettling?
The mod containing this mysterious antagonist is called ‘Death Approaches - A Horror Mod’ and is the work of modder Lepordox, whose previous work has forced the Dragonborn to battle the grim reaper and given Skyrim the atmosphere of an 80s slasher movie.
This time, they’ve come up with a new entity to pursue you through the game and haunt your nightmares with its bedraggled visage and unnerving aura.
Simply named "The Shade", this creature is said to be the product of an ancient curse that causes your shadow, in the form of a man in ragged clothes, to follow you as you walk Tamriel, an idea Lepordox credits to a fan of their work named VictorStrawn.
Lepordox claims said dishevelled bloke to be completely inescapable, while also being purposely vague in their allusions to what happens if it gets too close to the poor Dragonborn, making this something you’ll have to discover firsthand.
Thankfully, if your imagination has already started to run wild with unpleasant suggestions of what might occur if The Shade activates its goal, there are a couple of telltale signs you can use to try and avoid this fate.
First of all, use your ears to listen out for “strange whispering noises” getting louder, as this could mean that your terrifying new friend is nearby. Secondly, keep your eyes peeled so that you can spot him coming and sprint in the opposite direction.
The latter of these options is a lot easier to do if you’re out and about in the daytime, so if you want the full horror experience, becoming nocturnal might be a good roleplaying option to take.
So, grab your torch, pack a spare suit of armour, and make sure to follow us for more updates on The Elder Scrolls 6 and the wacky world of Skyrim modding.