Things I Ate in Skyrim. Preview translation from killscreendaily.com

This Friday, ladies and gentlemen, we are eagerly awaiting something special. There are five days left until the release of one of the year's major role-playing games - [The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim](/games?search=The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim). A five-year wait is coming to an end, and reviewers are feverishly finishing their last previews while preparing to write comprehensive reviews. And we are alongside them. Today, I want to present to you one of the latest (and most unusual) previews of Skyrim - a true culinary epic from the site Killscreendaily.com.

Monarch Butterfly.

As I descended the sunlit mountain road right after exiting the first cave at the very beginning of [The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim](/games?search=The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim), I stumbled upon a fork in the road. I could have taken the cobblestone path towards Riverwood, the first in-game settlement, but I chose the untrodden path. Suddenly, I noticed this beautiful insect fluttering above my head. The butterfly briefly landed on a large stone and then soared back into the air. I looked up, snatched it right out of the air, and checked my inventory. Apparently, I had somehow managed to tear off its wings – probably for use as a component for some potion. But instead of waiting for an opportunity to use the strange reagent as intended, I ate those wings. A glowing golden aura enveloped my body for a second, and I learned that butterfly wings can restore health. It was at that moment that I decided to head west in Skyrim, eating everything in my path.

Raw Riverwood Perch and Salmon.

At the foot of the mountain, I found a lake and a fast stream feeding into it. Here, right by the bridge, stood three blessing stones. They were engraved with the mage, warrior, and rogue. Making contact with the gods through such stones can be the beginning of a long journey to glory. But instead, I dove into the lake and discovered that I could catch fish underwater with my bare hands. When I examined the salmon in my inventory, it already looked like pieces of thin pink fillet.

Bee and Dragonfly.

The closest island from the shore was filled with buzzing bees. A lazy elven fisherman wandered around the small camp on the island's shore. I tried to talk to him, but this alien-looking guy never said anything substantial, offering only weak excuses about his poaching habits. I snatched a bee from the air behind him and immediately put it in my mouth. The dragonflies, however, proved to be a bit trickier. They hovered just above the water's surface for a long time but flew away much faster than I could swim whenever I made a move. I had to flail around in the shallows for a while before I managed to catch and eat my first dragonfly.

Firefly.

While I was stalking a moose, hoping to taste its meat, night fell. A passing traveler hummed something to me, accompanying himself on a lute, while I stalked the beast in the moonlight. But it turned out that my aim was off, while the moose had no speed problems. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement and, moving towards it, I discovered a small grave. A scrap of fabric, pinned to the ground with a stone, fluttered in the wind. Suddenly, a skeleton rose from the ground, and I had to fight it. After my victory, I noticed a swarm of fireflies swirling around a small pine tree. I caught one and ate it.

Raw Beef and Chicken Breast.

Near Half-Moon Mill, I stumbled upon a wooden hut. Inside, I found a makeshift slaughterhouse, complete with a pile of freshly cut carcasses and a deer ready for butchering on the work table. A couple of pieces of meat had been kicked under the bench. Two rabbits were hanging from hooks. And in the corner, lying in a bundle of hay, rested an enormous troll skull. Outside, a chicken clucked, dust bathing. I knelt, drew my bowstring, and shot an arrow at it.

Venison.

I was hunting in the western pine forest that lay in my path. I spotted a fox and a rabbit, but they moved too quickly for my arrows. Eventually, I stumbled upon a dead fox lying by the road and skinned it – unfortunately, the fox meat in the game cannot be consumed. When I emerged into the open plain, the weather was starting to turn. In the distance, I spotted a moose and chased after it. I spent half a dozen arrows before I finally hit it, but it didn’t even slow down. I was beginning to fear I would never catch it, but at that moment, a wolf sprang from the nearest bushes and instantly did the job for me. I killed the predator and then inspected the moose, taking a couple of good cuts of meat from its carcass.

Raw Potato and Cabbage.

The rain was pouring down in earnest by the time I finally reached Rorikstead, a small slightly ramshackle farm at the far end of the tundra. Small patches of land were surrounded by low woven fences. A somewhat anxious woman was tending to the potatoes, wheat, and cabbage. “We are honest, hard-working people, and we don’t need thieves and beggars here,” she said. I collected all the produce right in front of her, and then I sold it back to her, keeping exactly one of each agricultural crop in my inventory. Wheat can also be eaten, but it's not very useful.

Cheese, Fried Onions, Bread, and Roll.

The largest building in Rorikstead is the tavern called “Cold Fruit.” Inside, a large hearth burns right in the center of the hall. Rough-hewn tables with plates, spoons, and forks line the walls. At the far end of the room stands the tavern owner behind the bar. “I only take real gold. And you won't get any charity here,” he says. I had to spend all the meager stash of lockpicks I had mostly taken from corpses to get into his cellar. All the food I found there, I decided to keep for later.

Fried Salmon.

Brock Tower is easily visible from a distance due to its size. It is guarded by the Forsworn – a gang of savage Nords who attack anyone who enters their line of sight. I killed the guards outside and then snuck into their base. I moved from room to room, making my way through stockpiled storerooms and passing tables where someone’s dinner was cooling. Wheels of cheese lay on sparse but even shelves. Loaves of bread rested untouched on tables. In one of the plates, I found a piece of fried salmon. Just a few minutes earlier, I might have killed the person who was supposed to eat it. Overall, I decided to save that piece for the future too.

Goat Leg.

I encountered a mountain goat leaping across a narrow stone bridge. The bridge spanned high above a mountain river that flowed down with rapids and waterfalls. I crouched, aimed, and shot the animal, killing it with my first arrow. Beyond the bridge, a fork awaited me. This time I decided not to take the steep mountain path but chose the broad road, where pilgrims were traversing at that moment, some on foot and some on horseback. I didn't listen to their stories and ran ahead toward the cave of Blind Cliffs.

Potatoes, Carrots, Roll, Fried Onions, Cheese, Venison, Chicken Breast, Grapes, Cabbage, Raw Venison, Raw Beef, Carrots.

In this dark, misty cave, there was nothing to snack on. But there were plenty of people intending to kill me. I fought several at once, catching arrows and mighty blows with the back of my head. I was already at my last breath when, around the next corner, I encountered three more enemies. One of them cast a spell that set my character on fire. I killed two of them with my axe, but when I turned to the last bandit, who was wildly swinging a sword, I was already almost dead. Then I opened my inventory and ate all my food supplies. I scarfed down a loaf of bread and gulped down all the grapes in one go. I stuffed two wheels of cheese into my mouth and chased them with fried onions. I was filling my belly right in the middle of a fierce battle, and when the last piece was finally consumed, all my wounds were healed. I was restored. The lone bandit still attacked me, but now her strikes held no fear for me. I killed her and made my way up through the cave toward the tower's foundation.

I rummaged through a barrel that happened to be in my path and discovered a single raw carrot. Outside, voices could be heard. The guards had heard me rummaging through their supplies and were not going to let me off the hook.

I ate the carrot anyway.