While we are only a few short hours away from the next DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim releasing, that’s not stopping the media from releasing details about it. There are some spoilers to the story, so stop reading if you don’t want to spoil it for yourself. Out of the whole list, there are new Shouts, Spells, Armor, Locations, Houses to buy, and much much more. This looks to be one of the most ambitious downloads that Bethesda has released yet. No release date has been announced for the PS3/PC versions except early 2013, but the Xbox 360 version launches tomorrow for 1600 MSP.

*Note* All of this information has come from a beta tester, so judge it accordingly.

New Shouts

• Cyclone – creates a small tornado (that is pretty funny to use)
• Bend Will – force a dragon to fight with you.
• Dragon Riding – player hasn’t gotten to this one yet.
• Dragon Aspect – creates the dragon armor from trailer and gives stronger shouts, stronger melee attacks and summon Ancient Dragonborn to fight with you when you get low on health. Can only be used once per day.
• Battle Fury – like Elemental Fury but for NPCs

Start of the DLC

*SPOILERS for main Skyrim quest*

• Cultists of Miraak are searching for the false dragonborn (you), and when they find you they attempt to kill you. Assuming you kill them first, you find a note on them that tells you what they are doing and where they came from. You find their boat docked at Windhelm and proceed to Solstheim.
• You don’t have to complete the main quest to start the DLC, but the character of Miraak has different dialogue if you have already killed Alduin.
• The size of Solstheim is about equal to the reach and has its own seperate map.
• Player is about 30+ hours in and not finished yet, though said one could probably rush through the main quest in 10 hours.

New Locations added

• (Hubs): Raven Rock (can buy a player home there), Tel Mithryn (can buy a player home there as well), Skaal Village (follower is from here + is a new marraige candidate)
• (Imperial Forts): Fort Frostmoth, Ashfallow Citadel, Highpoint Tower
• (Shacks): Hrodulf’s House, Abandoned Lodge
• (Caves): Frostmoon Crag (home to werewolf pack that you can talk with if you are one), Bristleback Cave, Castel Karstaag Caverns & Ruins, Glacial Cave, Benkongerike, Frossel, Hrothmun’s Barrow
• (Landmarks): Brodir Grove, Altar of Thrond, Stalhrim Source, Horker Island (Island of Lord Tusk)
• (Nordic Ruins): Kolbjorn Barrow (quest to help excavate), Bloodskaal Barrow, Vaholok’s Tomb, Gyldenhul Barrow.
• (Dwemer Ruins): Nchardak, Kagrumez, Fahlbtharz
• (All-Maker Stones): Earth Stone, Watern Stone, Wind Stone, Beast Stone, Sun Stone
• (Others): Northshore Landing Dock, Old Attius Farm, Snowclad Ruins, Headwaters of Harstrad, Moesring Pass, Bujold’s Retreat, Haknir’s Shoal, Saering’s Watch, Thirsk Mead Hall, Broken Tusk Mine, Damphall Mine, & Miraak’s Temple.
• (In Skyrim): Last Vigil

New Creatures & Baddies

• Werebears – no word on whether the player can become one yet, but all have been hostile so far. They transform into the bear after being near them a short time.
• The Morag Tong – They seem to act more like Silver Hand encounters where you fight against them a bit and have random encounters of them. No ability to join with them so far. Hostile Dunmer in Morag Tong armor.
• Serpent-like creature – Player won’t describe this excactly, though says one is pictured in the trailer and won’t give its exact name either.
• Lurkers – Extremely tough and frustrating enemies with plenty of health and dish out a lot of damage. Good challenge. About the size of giants and they are creatures that have ‘slipped’ into Tamriel from H. Mora’s realm.
• Ash Spawn – officially mentioned and pictured in Bethesda’s releases.
• Rieklings – officially mentioned and pictured in Bethesda’s releases.
• New Dragon types encountered.
• New Dwemer automation – a walking dwarven ballista.

New Weapons & Armor

• Deathbrand Armor – similar to stalhrim
• Two Unique Scimitars you can get by the end of the quests
• Bonemold Armor – Officially mentioned by Bethesda (heavy armor)
• Chitin Armor – Officially mentioned by Bethesda (possibly a light armor)
• Stalhrim Weapons and armor – Again, officially mentioned (many of these you can glimpse in the trailer and screenshots)
• Carved Nordic Armor & Weapons – a heavy armor
• Spears – I know there are some waiting for info on spears, but Bad News: Only the Reiklings have used them so far and if the player picks them up, they go into inventory as arrows.
• Morag Tong Armor – another light armor you can get off of attackers.
• New Thieves Guild Armor – though said to just be a non-buggy Linwe’s Armor.
• Robes – Telvanni Robes and Miraak’s Robes

New Spells/Enchantments

• Poison Rune
• Whirlwind Cloak
• Ash Shell – lets you encase enemies in ash (paralyze) or slow them down with damage.
• Waterwalking – back in enchantment and potion form
• A new Ring that allows resurrected creatures to explode into frost and fire damage.
• Staff Enchanting
• New Active Effect – from H. Mora’s realm you can find a book that lets you choose from three active effects: Mora’s Mercy, Mora’s Wrath and Mora’s Agony. You can return to the realm and choose a new effect if you want to replace it (sounds like a similar thing to the effect Parthurnax gives you, or the one you receive for the Nightengale quest) There are five books total, with three options per book, you can get five effects in all supposedly.
• New Summoning power – player doesn’t want to spoil what it is, but says it’s cool.
• Summon Spells – 3 mentioned:Ash Guardian, Ash Spawn, Seeker

Other Notes

• Bethesda did a great job with Hermaeus Mora’s Realm. Twisting Hallways, walls with many books, a dark twisted look. HM is an integral part of the DLC.
• There is one quest that involved Thalmor, you can scare them off of Solstheim.
• All the great Dunmer houses exist, Hlallu is shunned due to its ties with the Empire, Redoran is the primary house on Solstheim, Telvani doesn’t have a big presence. The Tribunal still exists, though not in the form shown in Morrowind. And you get a chance to join house Telvanni and get a home in a gaint mushroom.
• And last some random short comments mentioned: Delvin Mallory is Sapphire’s Uncle (you will meet her father/his brother), Burnt Spriggans, Captain Falx Carius, Gratian Caerullius, King of the Little People, Mind Control, Serpents, Telvani Master Neloth.
• A new quest you can start if you are level 81: Ebony Warrior

Achievements

• Outlander – Arrive on Solstheim (20 G)
• Raven Rock Owner – Own a house in Raven Rock (20 G)
• Solstheim Explorer – Discover 30 Locations on the island of Soltheim (30 G)
• The Temple of Knowledge – Complete “The Temple of Miraak” (20 G)
• The Path of Knowledge – Complete “The Path of Knowledge” (20 G)
• At the Summit of Apocrypha – Complete “At the Summit of Apocrypha (40 G)
• Hidden Knowledge – Learn the secrets of 5 Black Books (40 G)
• Stalhrim Crafter – Craft an item out of Stalhrim (20 G)
• Dragon Aspect – Learn all 3 words of Dragon Aspect (20 G)
• DragonRider – Tame and Ride 5 dragons (20 G)

I think one of my favorite things about this list is the Waterwalking being included. It was by far one of my favorite spells in Oblivion when I was out wandering the world.