Scientist Uses Facial Reconstruction Technology On Skyrim Skeleton

ign.com:

A scientist has used facial reconstruction technology on the skeletons from Skyrim.

Twitter user Sulkalmakh, who's part of the Ancestral Whispers cranial reconstruction research team, posted (below) what appeared to be another normal project but a deeper look revealed its nerdy origins.

This particular specimen was an "ancient Atmoran from Saarthal, dated to the late Merethic Era," they said. In other words, it's the skeleton model from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, revived into a grumpy looking cave man.

Facial reconstruction of an ancient Atmoran from Saarthal, dated to the late Merethic Era. pic.twitter.com/jz8R5IgsT7

The tweet was then noticed by Jonah Lobe, who wasn't just a Bethesda developer who worked on Skyrim but the actual designer of the skeleton.

"You did an awesome job with the reconstruction," he said. "I wanted them to look thuggish, thick-jawed, thick-browed and sort of Neanderthal-like. This is that.

"Since they were going to be attacking the player I wanted them to look intimidating but not with those meanie-eyes you see on so many fantasy skeletons. The answer, for me, was to go heavy with the brows and big with the teeth, and just thicc overall."

The Atmorans are an ancient race in the Elder Scrolls universe who are considered to be the progenitors of the Nords and therefore the Imperials (sorry Stormcloacks).

One fan was quick to ask Lobe if he was working on The Elder Scrolls VI but was quickly told no. While it was revealed nearly four years ago the Skyrim sequel was still in the design phase as of last summer.

Bethesda boss Todd Howard confirmed in November that The Elder Scrolls VI was also pushed back because of Starfield, Bethesda's new space-based RPG coming this November.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN