Few games compare to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Released in 2011, this open-world RPG raised the bar in of storytelling, player choice, and stunning visuals. Even by today’s standards, the world feels vibrant and alive. The characters are rich, the stories captivating, and the ability to modify your experience keeps Skyrim feeling fresh.

Of course, part of what makes Skyrim worth playing today comes down to choice. Players can choose from a variety of races all with unique appearances and strengths to encourage roleplay. Because many of the quests leave the Dragonborn to cast the final vote, depending on your play style, the overall experience can be quite different. Even better, the land of Skyrim is truly massive. Traveling from Riften to Solitude on horseback takes in-game days. All the while, you open yourself to distractions such as bandits, desperate farmers, and even headless ghosts riding into the night. All of this is to say that Skyrim is large in scale and possibility. The reason so many gamers keep coming back is because there always seem to be more to discover and experience.

All that said, some might begin to wonder if Skyrim has any secrets left. After all, it has been the better part of a decade. This list is intended to shed light on some of the mysteries you may have missed as well as what the game could have been.

With that in mind, here are 25 Things Even Hardcore Fans Don’t Know About Skyrim.

Right In The Jarl

Strategy wins wars. During the Civil War questline, the player is tasked with capturing specific forts in order to secure a hold. Alongside your comrades, you’re tasked with uprooting enemies who have hardened their position and have no desire to leave. While these battles are amazing at first, after a few playthroughs, you might find the repetition stale. Luckily, you’re not just another grunt. You’re the Dragonborn.

Take the war into your own hands. Instead of following orders and attacking the next fort on the list, go straight for the jarl of the hold. Once you defeat the jarl and they recover, they’ll surrender the hold to your cause. Look at you saving lives.

Killer Cutlery: Fork and Knife

Skyrim is a massive game full of challenges to conquer and collectibles to acquire. Whether you find yourself hungry to prove your grit or you simply enjoy finding unusual items, this fork and knife are exactly what you need.

Forks and knives are relatively common in Skyrim. Normally found beside dishes, exactly as you’d expect, these items are little more than set dressing. Even if you try picking them up they’ll just appear in your inventory like a wooden plate or bowl. That’s what makes this dining set different. They’re weapons.  Available after purchasing and decorating Honeyside in Riften, this fork and knife are literally the weakest weapons in the game. Talk about serious eating. 

The Ideal Masters

The Ideal Masters are a mystery spanning the Elder Scrolls universe. Not much is known about them since they don’t really exist like most races. According to in-game lore, the Ideal Masters once had bodies, but they wanted something more. Somehow they managed to change their physical forms into pure energy and, like the Dwemer, have all but disappeared. Or have they?

Interactions with the Ideal Masters are exceptionally rare. They appear once in the form of large, pink crystals in 1997’s Battlespire where they attempt to manipulate the player. However, if you pay attention while traveling through the Soul Cairn during the Dawnguard DLC, you’ll notice almost identical pink crystals ominously looming over towers.

Frost: Horse of Legend

Chances are you are already familiar with the quest Promises to Keep. What you might have missed is Frost’s unique lineage. Upon stealing the deed of ownership, you’ll find the horse descends from Sleipnir -- the legendary eight-legged steed ridden by Odin. The name of the quest is another subtle literary reference; Promises to Keep being a line from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost.

Consider this next time you decide whether or not to hand Frost over to Louis Letrush. After all, what could make a better horse for your hero than a descendant of the All-Father’s steed?

General Falx Carius

March of the Dead sees the Dragonborn tasked with assisting Raven Rock with a string of attacks from the Ash Spawn. Tracking down the source of these seemingly planned out assaults will bring you to Fort Frostmoth where a person from your past resides. Well, assuming you played Morrowind.

Responsible for the attacks on Raven Rock is General Falx Carius, originally encountered by the Nerevarine during the events of Morrowind. As it turns out, the centuries have not been kind to him. After nearly 200 years, the general was brought back by a now-ed necromancer. Coming back from the afterlife to have your butt kicked by yet another mythic hero sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it?

Cut Content: Extended Civil War

Opinions about the Civil War questline are mixed. Some their first time participating in the Battle of Whiterun as remarkable, while others struggle to compliment something that can, at times, feel incomplete. Both perspectives have their merit and, as it happens, both have hints of truth.

Among the cut content of the game is quite a lot related to the Civil War. From random large-scale battles breaking out throughout the world to opportunities to cut supply lines or assassinate high ranking officers, apparently, Bethesda had a lot in mind that was ultimately scrapped. Fortunately, modders have attempted to restore as much of this content as the game will .

Helgen Survivor: Haming

You would be forgiven for missing Haming on your way to the chopping block. You might have heard a father tell his son to run inside. Or Hadvar instructing an old man, Gunnar, to protect Haming after the boy’s father is eliminated by Aldiun.

What many don’t realize is Haming survived. If you travel to the southwest edge of the Rift near Autumnwatch Tower you will come across a cabin on the side of a mountain. Inside you’ll meet Froki and his recently orphaned grandson Haming. The young survivor will you and the day well. In fact, Haming can be heard musing, “Someday, I’m going to kill a dragon all by myself.”

Altmer Only, Please

Brave the intense winter conditions northwest of Solitude and you will come across the Thalmor Embassy. Protected by sturdy stone walls, metal spikes, and armed guards, you would do well not to mistake this Aldmeri outpost with some high-end hamlet.

Tempting the guards outside of a few specific quests will mean dealing with a number of Thalmor Justicars. That response changes if you play as a high elf and dress in Thalmor apparel, though. Wearing a set of Hooded Thalmor Robes seems to disguise high elves long enough to take the place of a guard or even wander the grounds. Be careful about pushing your access though, this disguise has limits.

The Challenger

Push yourself to new heights of magical power and you may find a target on your back. Similar to the better-known Ebony Warrior encounter, magic s who push their skills over 50 open themselves to crossing paths with an opponent known only as the Challenger.

Unlike his ebony-clad counterpart, this opponent isn’t interested in your abilities as a warrior -- he wants to test his magic against yours. Interestingly, if you refuse to use magic to fight the Challenger he will actually begin to insult your choice of weapons. If you see any of your magic skills approaching level 50 keep an eye out.

One Man’s Trash...

The land of Skyrim is a curious place. Eagle-eyed players have noticed the nearly complete lack of toilets for example, but what about trash cans? Well, it turns out Bethesda thought of that one.

Next time you find yourself rummaging through barrels on the street, listen to the NPCs near you. Many of these characters will comment on the fact you are effectively digging through the refuse. Better yet, depending on that character’s background, their opinion will range from iring your ingenuity to total disgust. If you prefer a little extra snark in their judgments, do this in Riften near Maven Black-Briar (as if she isn’t already awful).