A couple of people have asked for a thread about artifacts, and here it is :) The problem with this subject is that it is absolutely HUGE. Depending on how strictly you define 'artifact' there can be an extremely large number of them scattered around Tamriel at any given point in time.
UESP defines artifacts thus
- unique in appearance.
- only appear once in the game.
- have a unique and useful enchantment.
There are the various Daedric artifacts - for example Martin sends you off to get one for a quest in Oblivion and you can get any of the 15 in the game to satisfy his needs. There are also various unique Aedra artifacts such as the Amulet of Kings. And then there are large range of unique weapons, armour and clothing with special enchantments - these include such diverse artifacts as the Cowl of the Gray Fox, the Apron of Adroitness and the Boots of Bloody Bounding
For a full list of the artifacts in Oblivion check out this list
Then, of course, we have loads of artifacts that appeared in the previous games in The Elder Scrolls series. As you will observe, we literally run into a list of hundreds of unique items. I suppose in theory any of these might pop up inSkyrim. And that's before we even start to speculate on unique items that might be discovered for the first time in the dungeons and ruins in Skyrim....
Obviously some artifacts tend up to crop up more often in Elder Scrolls games than others, and they would seem to be likely candidates for inclusion in Skyrim.
Here is a list of the 30 artifacts that appear in more than one game - many of them appear in three or even four previous games. Take a look down this list...
Auriel's Bow appears as a modest Elven Longbow, but can turn any arrow into a missile of death and destruction.
Auriel's Shield, an Ebony shield with almost total resistance to fire and magic,
Azura's Star acts as a reusable soul gem. The soul of any creature killed by the bearer of the Star is trapped within it. Azura's Star can be used to make magical items over and over and over.
Bloodworm Helm allows the user to summon skeletons and control the undead. An artefact of the King of Worms, Mannimarco this would be a prized artifact to any budding necromancer
Chrysamere an ancient claymore which lends the wielder health, protects him or her from fire, and reflects spells cast against the wielder back to the caster. It has something of a mind of its own and chooses not to favor one champion.
The Ebony Blade, sometimes called 'the Leech', resembles an ebony katana, leeches part of the damage inflicted into the wielder as raw power.
The Ebony Mail was created , according to legend, by the Daedric Prince Boethiah. It's power grants the wearer invulnerability to all common magical attacks that drain talents and health.
Goldbrand Supposedly forged by ancient Dragons, this Sword lends its wielder the ability to do fire damage on an enemy. Goldbrand has not been sighted in recent history and is said to be awaiting a worthy hero.
Helm of Oreyn Bearclaw this ancient Valenwood artifact is rumored to improve the wearers agility and endurance.
Hircine's Ring allows the wearer to transform into a werewolf at will - presumably not to be found in Skyrim ;)
The Lord's Mail is an ancient cuirass of unsurpassable quality. It grants the wearer power to absorb health, resist the effects of spells, and cure oneself of poison when used
The Mace of Molag Bal drains its victims of magicka and gives it to the bearer. It also has the ability to transfer an enemy's strength to its wielder.
Masque of Clavicus Vile The bearer of the Masque is more likely to get a positive response from the people of Tamriel. The higher his personality, the larger the bonus.
Mehrunes' Razor is an ebony dagger capable of slaying any creature instantly.
Necromancer's Amulet grants any spellcaster who wears it the ability to regenerate from injury. Unsurprisingly this relic of Mannimarco is popular amongst mages.
The Oghma Infinium is a tome of knowledge whose readers are filled with the energy of the artifact, which can be manipulated to raise ones abilities t
Ring of Khajiit is an ancient relic used to make the stealth character as invisible, silent, and quick as a breath of wind.
Ring of Namira is a powerful ring that when worn, any damage the bearer takes is suffered by the attacker as well.
Ring of Phynaster improves its wearer's overall resistance to damage and grants total immunity to poison, spells, and electricity.
Sanguine Rose is a staff that summons a lesser daedra. The rose is like any other in that it will wilt. The more of its power that is used, the more wilted it becomes. Eventually all its petals fall off and it loses its powers.
Savior's Hide is another of Hircine's artefacts, and has the special ability to resist magicka. Legend has it that Hircine rewarded his peeled hide to the first and only mortal to have ever escaped his hunting grounds.
Scourge is a mighty mace forged from sacred ebony in the Fires of Fickledire. The weapon has the ability to summon creatures from Oblivion.
The Skeleton Key has a very simple power. With it, any non-magically locked door or chest is instantly accessible to even the clumsiest lock picker
Skull of Corruption is a staff that creates a duplicate of the victim. However, this duplicate will attack the original, not the wielder of the Skull.
Spell Breaker is superficially a Dwarven tower shield. Aside from its historic importance dating from the Battle of Rourken-Shalidor, the Spell Breaker protects its wielder almost completely from any spellcaster, either by dispelling magicks or silencing any mage about to cast a spell.
The Staff of Magnus regenerates the wielder's health at remarkable rates. In time, the Staff will abandon the bearer who wields it before he becomes too powerful and upsets the mystical balance it is sworn to protect.
The Staff of Sheogorath freezes all characters and creatures within the radius of 75ft for 15 seconds and is functional both inside and outside the Shivering Isles. The Staff's spell will only take effect if an NPC or creature is attacking.
Umbra in conjunction with a soul gem, the Sword allows the wielder the opportunity to imprison an enemy's soul in the gem. The Umbra Sword is very choosy when it comes to owners and therefore remains hidden until a worthy one is found.
Volendrung has the ability to grant health to its wielder, but it is best known for the paralyzing and strength leeching effects it has when cast at an enemy. Like the Dwarves who created it, Volendrung is prone to disappearing suddenly, resurfacing sometimes in days, sometimes in eons.
Wabbajack is one the most unusual artefacts - using it on a creature will transform it into something else. The problem is the bearer has no way of controlling the transformation. He could change a giant bat into a lich, or a fire atronach into a rat.
Warlock's Ring is best known for its ability to reflect spells cast at its wearer and to improve his or her speed and health, though it may have additional powers. No adventurer can wear the Warlock's Ring for long, for it is said the Ring is Syrabane's alone to command.
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OK so what do you think? Which are your favourite artifacts? Which did you especially enjoy in previous games? Which are the ones that you really want to see in Skyrim?
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