The third batch of downloadable content for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim looks to be the most substantial of the lot, reportedly featuring dragon mounts and mounted spell casting. It also appears that Elder Scrolls players will be able to revisit the island of Solstheim for the first time since its appearance in Bloodmoon, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind‘s second expansion.

Bethesda forum user Mardoxx delved into the new files added to Skyrim in the beta version of patch 1.8. Amongst them he discovered numerous mentions of Dragonborn and further files that seem to confirm that Dragonborn is the title of the next DLC. Mardoxx found further evidence for mounted spellcasting in the form of new animations, plus the apparent addition of dragon mounts to Skyrim.

Most excitingly for Morrowind players, Mardoxx’s findings point to Dragonborn being set in Solstheim – a small, snowy island east of Skyrim and north of Morrowind. Also found were mentions of Chitin, Nordic, Bonemold and Stahlrim armor, plus map markers including “Telvanni Tower”, “Raven Rock” and “Castle Karstaag”. New creature models found amongst the 1.8 files include Rieklings, Netch and, perhaps the most adorable insects in Elder Scrolls history, Scribs.

Eurogamer reports that Dragonborn was first trademarked by Bethesda and its parent company Zenimax in September, and that some players haven been able to view parts of Solstheim’s landscape in Skyrim since its release.

Unless this is an elaborate hoax by Bethesda, the chances are these rumours have a great deal of truth in them, so we’re allowing ourselves to get a little bit excited. Solstheim featured some of the most beautiful environments we’d seen in video games when Bloodmoon was released in 2003.

Bethesda hasn’t commented on these rumours. If Dragonborn really exists, expect an official announcement in the next month or so.

Would you welcome a return to Solstheim?

Photo: Bethesda Softworks