Since most of Skyrim is uninhabitable or unsuitable for a city I would think we won't see too many small towns scattered about.
Only in the west do the mountains abate to the canyons and mesas of the Reach, by far the most cosmopolitan of the Holds of Skyrim. The rest of Skyrim is a vertical world: the high ridges of the northwest-to-southeast slanting mountain ranges, cleft by deep, narrow valleys where most of the population resides.
The original Nord settlements were generally established on rocky crags overlooking a river valley; many of these villages still survive in the more isolated Holds, especially along the Morrowind frontier.
The northern and western Holds -- Winterhold, Eastmarch, Rift, and the Pale, known collectively as the Old Holds -- remain more isolated, by geography and choice, and the Nords there still hold true to the old ways. Here, too, the people still revere their hereditary leaders, while the other Holds have long been governed (after a fashion) by elected moots.
Today, Windhelm remains the only sizable city in the otherwise determinedly rural Hold of Eastmarch. (More on this city bottom)
In most of Skyrim, however, this defensive posture was deemed unnecessary by the mid-first era, and most cities and towns today lie on the valley floors, in some cases still overlooked by the picturesque ruins of the earlier settlement.
The Region or Hold known as The Reach is one of these places where most of the cities and towns are.
The Reach could be mistaken for one of the petty kingdoms of High Rock; it is full of Bretons, Redguards, Cyrodiils, Elves of all stripes, and even a few misplaced khajiit.
So atleast there will be some diversity in the population. The common idea is all we'll see are Nordic people and I don't think that will be true for the towns and cities in The Reach.
As for the Old Holds, like Windhelm, I don't think you'll see too many other races within these settlements and cities.
Outsiders are a rarity, usually a once-yearly visit from an itinerant peddler.
And I'm not too sure how many actual Nord's, in number, will reside within these settlements.
The young men go out for weeks into the high peaks in the dead of winter, hunting the ice wraiths that give them claim to full status as citizens (a laudable practice that could serve as a model for the more "civilized" regions of the Empire).
[TRAVELER: I found many of these mountain villages almost empty of young men, who have been seduced into joining Septim's army by promises of wealth and glory; the village elders see little hope of their sons ever returning.]
Outside of Settlements, Towns, and Cities they can always do scattered Farm Houses, Encampments, and other places where a few Nordic families dwell.
Along the sides of the river valleys, sturdy Nord farmers raise a wide variety of crops; wheat flourishes in the relatively temperate river bottoms, while only the snowberry bushes can survive in the high orchards near the treeline.
One of the towns I think that will be the biggest and most populated, mainly by Nords though, is Haafingar (Solitude).
The home of the famous Bards' College, Haafingar is also one of Skyrim's chief ports, and ships from up and down the coast can be found at her crowded quays, loading timber and salted cod for the markets of Wayrest, West Anvil, and Senchal.
I can picture this city in my head, A larger city, one of the most influential and wealthy in Skyrim. The northern most in all of Tamriel, along the coast of the ice-choked Sea of Ghosts with Viking-esque longships at port and some oaring out to sea. Throughout the city I can picture all kinds of buildings built partly underground made with stones, with wood used for support, and roofs of straw above the wood. Ranging from small to larger citizen homes, a marketplace distract for all the towns shops and blacksmiths. A castle where the Wolf Queen Potema once lived. And of course a larger building for the Bards' College. With the streets being filled with bard students, , of varying races, who invade the marketplace for a week of revelry. Holding lively and noisy festivities with every citizen; man, woman, or child out enjoying themselves. All with a flagon of Nordic Whiskey in hand.
The other major city I definitely think will play a role in quests and possibly the main storyline is Windhelm.
Once the capital of the First Empire, the palace of the Ysgramor dynasty still dominates the center of the Old City. Windhelm was sacked during the War of Succession, and again by the Akaviri army of Ada'Soon Dir-Kamal; the Palace of the Kings is one of the few First Empire buildings that remains. Today, Windhelm remains the only sizable city in the otherwise determinedly rural Hold of Eastmarch, and serves as a base for Imperial troops guarding the Dunmeth Pass into Morrowind.
And last but certainly not least, the most famous place I want to see for sure is, High Hrothgar on top the Throat of the World Mountain.
This is the highest mountain in Skyrim, and the highest in Tamriel aside from Vvardenfell in Morrowind.
The Nords believe men were formed on this mountain when the sky breathed onto the land. Hence the Song of Return refers not only to Ysgramor's return to Tamriel after the destruction of Saarthal, but to the Nords' return to what they believe was their original homeland.
Pilgrims travel from across Skyrim to climb the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar, where the most ancient and honored Greybeards dwell in absolute silence in their quest to become ever more attuned to the voice of the sky.
I wonder how many caves and tunnels and stuff we'll see in the mountains too considering they cover most of Skyrim and make a huge portion of the playable area. That would be some fun exploring climbing the long lost mountain paths and finding a cave or a long tunnel that leads you into a dragon's secret lair. :flamed: :dead:
» Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:31 pm 
