Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood mod reveals its first look trailer - Pre-release build coming this month

It is time for Elder Scrolls fans to rejoice as the pre-release build of Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood is heading for a public release before the end of this month. The Valenwood project, earlier known as The Elder Scrolls: Valenwood, recently came under the Beyond Skyrim modding consortium.

The Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood team released its first-look trailer at Creation ModCon in August. The trailer mainly comprises concept arts of the various regions and cultures of Valenwood, the land of Bosmers, also known as the Wood Elves.

With the pre-release build being made available to download later this month, the Skyrim modding community is excited to finally delve into the mysterious land of Valenwood.

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Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood mod’s pre-release build will bring the region of Arenthia to life

The core pre-release region of Arenthia Hills borders both Cyrodiil and Elsweyr. Here, the towering cliffs overlook wild grassland, caves burrow deep into the rock, and the region contains multiple Ayleid ruins to explore. After centuries of neglect, these ruins hold dangers and mysteries only the bravest can uncover.

The concept art of the city, Arenthia (Image via Beyond Skyrim)

The primary city in the pre-release is the bustling trade hub of Arenthia, a cosmopolitan haven mixing Bosmer, Khajiit, and Imperial cultures. It is a city of sharp contrasts. While a place of hope for many, it's a city that hides lies and corruption beneath a veneer of sophisticated charm.

In a recent Reddit AMA, when asked about the general theme of the story in the Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood mod, Dronon, one of the writing and editing leads of the project stated:

“Some core ideas we want to explore in Valenwood are the intersection between the local politics and the wider system of the Dominion, the local divides between the Cosmopolitan and Tribal Bosmer, exploring the history of the province, and also presenting not just Valenwood, but Valenwood through the eyes of the Bosmer.

He continued:

The Bosmer are criminally brushed aside in TES for a whole host of reasons, but like any other race in TES, they are very interesting people and we hope to present a nuanced and engaging portrayal of them in the mod.”

Concept art of the forest regions of Valenwood (Image via Beyond Skyrim)

While the city of Arenthia will be the central focus of the pre-release build, the other focus of the release will be on Reaper's March and Northwood. These lowlands and forest areas will be home to tribal Wood Elves and wildlife in the area, some of which were revealed in the trailer.

To get a general idea of what the pre-release build of Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood would be like, Skyrim mod users can draw some comparisons to Beyond Skyrim: Bruma, which is a primer to the upcoming larger Cyrodiil project.

Beyond Skyrim: Valenwood's pre-release build will be made public in September 2022.