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Elder Scrolls fan and Twitch streamer TESbenefactor recently made an unprecedented discovery and unearthed new lore behind Bethesda's legendary – but almost 14-years-old – action RPG Skyrim, and all it took was a credit card swipe.
Apparently, The Elder Scrolls Whiterun Honorary Citizen Chest, which is currently on sale for $49 in Bethesda's merch store, is both a 10-by-7 inch commemorative tinplate box and a repository of secrets. Along with a polyester banner flag, a weighty-looking necklace, and a map of Whiterun, the Citizen Chest comes with a scrawled letter from the Jarl, or ruler, of Whiterun Hold, Balgruuf, who bequeaths you the title Thane for "your invaluable services." Aside from providing flattery, this letter is also what helped TESbenefactor piece together some buried lore.
"Rasman the Red was the first Jarl of Whiterun," TESbenefactor writes in a popular tweet. Plus, "the Whiterun horse symbol represents freedom, nobility, strength, and loyalty; Jarl Olaf One-Eye minted commemorative coins for his defeat of Numinex. And, last but not least... Balgruuf has horrible handwriting."
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All of these scattered bits of backstory come to life in the Honorary Citizen Chest, which contains a key to Whiterun, emblazoned with a glowering horse head Balgruuf describes in his letter, as well as three celebratory coins dedicated to the tyrant king Olaf One-Eye and his huge hunk of a beard.
"May they serve as a reminder that, as [honorary] Thane of Whiterun, you will never suffer hardships," says Balgruff in his letter.
"I think his handwriting is neat," another fan weighs in.
Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.
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