I was somewhere around Whiterun, on the edge of Fort Greymoor, when the skooma began to take hold. Things became washed-out and smeary, and then there was two of everything including me and my pet elytra—an odd kind of mantis-looking bug who I realized, seeing two of the bizarre insects beside me, wasn’t the best companion to bring on a skooma bender.
Skooma has a long history in the Elder Scrolls universe. It’s a narcotic substance made of refined moon sugar that’s banned in some parts of Tamriel due to its addictiveness, though it’s considered a sacred sacrament by the khajiit. In Morrowind and Oblivion it fortified your speed and strength while draining your intelligence and agility, while in Skyrim it simply restores stamina. Despite its 20+ year history, skooma’s addictiveness and hallucinatory qualities have never really been modeled by any of the Elder Scrolls games—until now.
