The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has some of the most interesting lore out of any fantasy RPG. The culture of the Nords, dragons, and most of Skyrim’s denizens make for an immersive title that few can compare to almost a decade later.
Out of the game’s wide host of creatures, the Spriggans are one of the most interesting yet overlooked enemy types. These humanoids made of bark and glowing bugs protect Skyrim’s forests from most humanoids that wish to harvest its resources for their own gains. Their constant hostility towards the player and most humans is understandable given how their land has been exploited, but there is so much to these creatures that the game leaves many answers unfulfilled. Here are 10 questions about Spriggans that Skyrim doesn’t answer.
10 Correlation Between Spriggans And Plant Growth?
Spriggans love to hang around lush forests and areas with plenty of vegetation. It seems that Spriggans are attracted to these areas more than any other creature, but what if they are causing this rapid plant growth?
Certain journals can be found throughout Skyrim that mention the growth of Nirnroot and an increased density of fauna. How are these things connected? Every one of these instances has Spriggans nearby. That said, it isn’t clear if the Spriggans directly caused this or not. It’s a chicken or the egg type of scenario that the game never answers.
9 How Do Burnt Spriggans Survive?
Most Skyrim players know of a Spriggan’s impressive ability to regenerate its health when on the brink of death. Burnt Spriggans that have survived the eruption of Red Mountain can no longer do this, instead charging towards the player before exploding when on the brink of death.
How do Burnt Spriggans survive the much harsher climate? The island of Solstheim is covered in ash and dead plants, meaning it likely lost its connection to the healing bugs that typically swarm it. It can’t mend itself if heavily damaged, so how did it survive the Red Mountian eruption in the first place?
8 Changes From Oblivion To Skyrim
Nature always finds a way to adapt to its climate, but the changes between Oblivion and Skyrim are more than drastic. Spriggans went through a total design overhaul visually.
In Oblivion, Spriggans still retain their feminine appearance but look much more human than before. They appear to have skin like humans do alongside sharper claws and a lack of branches for horns. Why the Spriggans went though such a radical visual shift in-universe is unknown, although the most likely explanation is a shift in direction from the artists at Bethesda.
7 Do They Have Variants?
Perhaps the distinct visual differences between Oblivion’s Spriggans and the ones seen in Skyrim can be attributed to possible Spriggan variants that exist.
The game already includes leveled Spriggans that deal more damage and have different glowing effects, but nature has plenty of ways to change the shape of something. Are there different variants of Spriggans the player never gets to see? Are there more masculine versions that focus more different combat tactics? Perhaps massive Spriggans the size of trees could be used in future Elder Scrolls games. The extent of these tree-like humanoids is never explored.
6 Why Do They Fear Bodies Of Water?
A great way to even the odds against a pair of Spriggans is to cross a body of water that requires the player to swim. The Spriggans will stay on the other side and panic, afraid of entering the deep end of any body of water.
Why are Spriggans afraid of deep bodies of water? Being tied so closely to nature would make one assume that they wouldn’t mind going for a swim when needed. For players that speculate that the bugs that power these Spriggans would be unable to fly while underwater, that shouldn’t matter. Spriggans have already proven they don’t need a swarm of bugs to function as seen with the Burnt Spriggan variants on Solstheim.
5 Are They Controlled By Kynareth Or The All-Maker?
Religion in The Elder Scrolls goes well beyond completing a few favors for a Daedric Prince. Nature has its own gods that control it, most notably Kynareth and the All-Maker.
The All-Maker is part of the Skaal’s monotheistic religion that is said to have created everything and is responsible for the fate of everything. Kynareth is much more focused on nature and Nirn’s main elements. Which god controls the Spriggans? It’s hard to say. As seen with the Draugr in Solstheim, the All-Maker is certainly real. It is more likely that Kynareth would employ these creatures as a means of protecting Tamriel’s vast forests, but it is hard to tell which god truly controls these strange creatures.
4 Spriggans Lack Spriggan Sap?
Stepping away from lore theories for a second, why is it that defeated Spriggans don’t drop Spriggan Sap? Players can extract their Tap Root to create useful potions, but their sap is nowhere to be found. Since vendors have a frequent supply of this Alchemy ingredient, how do they get a hold of it in the first place? It is most likely an oversight from Bethesda as this strange omission is fixed in the Unnoficial Skyrim Patch mod.
3 Where Do The Eldergleam’s Spriggans Come From?
Carving Nettlebane into the Eldergleam spawns quite a few Spriggans to stop the player dead in their tracks. Spriggans are known for becoming invisible to strike from dense foliage, but these enemies spawn from out of nowhere.
Where do these enemies come from? Perhaps the Eldergleam uses its rejuvenating powers to create Spriggans right behind the player. It could also be the developers needing a way to quickly ambush the player. The former has some interesting connotations to it and demonstrates just how powerful the Eldergleam tree is.
2 How Was Nettlebane Created?
During “The Blessings of Nature” quest, players are tasked with obtaining a unique dagger crafted by the Hagravens. Its name is Nettlebane, and it is the only weapon in Skyrim that can damage the Eldergleam.
How was such a powerful weapon created? It appears to use bark instead of metal, potentially hinting that this weapon predates the use of metal tools altogether. Players know from the quest that Hagravens use this blade to sacrifice Spriggans while keeping the bugs within intact. For what purpose is unknown, but this weapon must have been crafted from Tamriel’s strongest tree—potentially carved from the Eldergleam itself.
1 Is Dwarven Oil Made From Taproot?
Taproot is what powers a Spriggan. This item can be harvested from dead Spriggans and used as an Alchemy ingredient. What’s odd is that Dwarven Oil has the same properties as Taproot.
Both items grant Weakness to Magic, Fortify Illusion, Regenerate Magicka, and Restore Magicka. If this is intentional and not an oversight, does this mean that Dwarven Oil is liquid Taproot? This has major lore implications if true. It explains why the Dwemer’s myriad of constructs operate as if they were alive. Perhaps the Dwemer experimented with the Spriggans extensively and found a way to transfer their essence into a machine. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing the Dwemer have done.
NEXT: Skyrim: 10 Challenges That Make The Game Way Harder
