Analyzing the Skooma Trade in Skyrim | Skyrim Surveyors

[@masterneloth]

This video probably took the most effort out of all of my videos and is one of my personal best. I’m so glad that this video is now blowing up and almost at 20k views! Thank you all for watching! ❤

[@mrswan7745]

You DARE call the Forsworn "terrorists"?? HAVE YOU NO SYMPATHY FOR A FELLOW BEING UNDER THE YOKE OF A FOREIGN IMPERIAL RULE??? PELINAL TAKE YOU!! No but seriously your content is entertaining and has helped me get back into Skyrim again after years of backing outta games entirely, so thank you for that.

[@brandonjames412]

Indeed! You sounded like you were especially proud of this one in your AMA, so here I am.

[@StevetheWizard2591]

Khajiit Caravans: "They act like we're drug dealers and thieves!" Dragonborn: "You literally just sold me some skooma and a couple bowls of moon sugar." Caravans: "Yeah, you're right, but we're not thieves!" Dragonborn: "You also taught me how to pick pockets." Caravans: "We aren't responsible for how you decide to use that information. If you steal things using that, that's entirely on you. We've never been caught stealing anything."

[@eank3429]

You bought the skooma just saying

[@Annathroy]

Yes. Are you really a thief if you never get caught?

[@llcdrdndgrbd]

They’re just quick change magicians don’t worry

[@pancakes8670]

To be fair, Skooma isn't a drug to Kahjiit. It's like table salt to them. They don't get high off of it, only the other races of Tamriel can get high off Skooma.

[@C00kiesAplenty]

​@@pancakes8670 That's not actually true, it affects them mostly the same. They just have a massively higher tolerance to it due to how often they consume it.

[@pipsqueack]

Skyrim likes their ironic names, Grelod the kind, susanna the wicked. So maybe Olava the FEEBLE has something up her sleeve…

[@genzo454]

She suplexes bears in her free time 😊

[@omegawilliam95s36]

She's an ancient ancestor of Mama Murphy, or "Mad Woman Murphy", a lady who could take down giant lizards by herself in her prime.

[@Gripen1974]

@@omegawilliam95s36 you got it wrong Mad Woman Murphy is the ancestor to Olava the Feeble after all skyrim is taking place in the future of fallout :P

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

first you learn to pick pockets from her, then you pick the pockets of her

[@thelostone4303]

Nah she's legit feeble after she sorts through her visions and fortune telling. That name is legit on her lol

[@VonVikoGoat]

i think moon sugar is a reverse catnip situation, not affecting khaijit to the point of harm (thats why they use it as a spice) but affecting and making other addicted, just like how we make tea with catnip but cats go crazy about it

[@TheShadowMilitia]

Yeah it’s called cocaine brother

[@vanyavanilla7108]

@@TheShadowMilitiadamn, never knew cats were immune to cocaine.

[@abracadaverous]

I really wish they'd have added an addiction mechanic.

[@masterneloth]

I hope they will add a system akin to Fallout 4s drug system in Elder Scrolls 6, maybe even more drugs than just Skooma.

[@mammothjunk9694]

Mods are a wonderful thing

[@Omniped]

I still play the game. Pretty sure they got the addiction mechanic down pretty good. 😉

[@driftdaddy43]

The skooma mod I run added the addiction mechanics and added random effects like turning you into huge version of yourself or turning you into a chair was the funniest I've come across so far. Couldn't do anything till the skooma wore off. Skyrim on skooma is the mod name

[@lordofthebored3660]

They had the a mechanic like that in oblivion shivering isles with felldew

[@Reyeoux]

I dread to think of how much further into madness the es community will go before elder scrolls 6 is released

[@masterneloth]

Oh trust me I can go MUCH further! 😈

[@DemstarAus]

Disappointing that they're putting so much into Elder Scrolls Online. It sucks.

[@Reyeoux]

No u

[@lemongreed7916]

ESO is run by another studio

[@Mr-Trox]

​@@DemstarAus ESO is great if you treat it as the MMO it is meant to be. Treating it like a mainline TES game will only disappoint you. Grab a few friends to play with and it's a great time.

[@SMOK156]

I always liked to think that because the Khajiit are not allowed within the cities, they have no choice but to sell skooma and moon sugar, as a means to get by

[@masterneloth]

Kinda true, but also Moon Sugar and Skooma is a heavy part of their culture as well, pretty much every Khajiit is addicted to Moon Sugar at least.

[@ShortArmOfGod]

If they weren't addicts and thieves, they'd be allowed in.

[@Retromancer_Rackham]

Its not an addiction for most its actually a part of their spiritual belief system a sacrament of sorts.

[@Tyronejizz]

​@@Retromancer_Rackham can be both innit

[@dizzykitteh]

wait -- so how is the player khajiit allowed in, but not npcs?

[@kalmanoelle719]

I’m crying the fact you called your neighbors out for the same exact thing my neighbors do while I have this full volume with open windows when they’re outside. Hope they felt it lmao

[@anonymousgerbil8336]

Did it have any effect?

[@seeker296]

Just talk to them kindly about it. There's a good chance they don't realize it's a problem

[@YayMiko]

God bless KZbin and the internet for allowing nerds to find each other and be nerdy about this 12 yr old game that we just can’t leave behind. And god bless you, sir, for all your research and time and effort. ❤

[@Whamcloud]

Skooma doesn't appear to be illegal in skyrim at all when taken to jail it's not taken from you, you can sell it to any trader who you can sell other potions too, no addiction mechanic makes it like mead or wine in it's effects, and the argonian in the riften that your can cure their addiction with just a health potion makes the addiction that you can't have anyway practically irrelevant

[@samkleinke]

That might just be a dev oversight

[@tahirallita]

It's probs a dev oversight since drugs aren't really a big thing in the ES games unlike fallout

[@ja-vishaara]

Well, in Morrowind you couldn't trade with upstanding tradesfolk if you were in possession of contraband, and people bitched about it

[@Goated-Aaron-May]

Dude, absolutely loved this! Always found the Skooma business interesting and I'm happy you went into great detail about it

[@Icy_Skywalker]

Same. I really enjoyed the video!

[@ghadyayan]

😊😊

[@ghadyayan]

😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@Shadow199913]

Let's be real, no one's tryna sleep at 11pm, everyone's watching the analysis of the skooma trade instead of sleeping 🗿

[@Balmarog]

Good thing the Dragonborn is completely immune to any negative effects of skooma, including it's addictive nature. It's really just a fantasy Redbull.

[@Gamer_Girl_Noire]

0:22 that was so personally charged but I understand it fully

[@thecoffeebadger5807]

I was adventuring around Whiterun Plains and I came across a pit dog trainer who was killed by a pack of pit wolves. After I killed the wolves, I found a note on the bandit's corpse that took me to Cragslane Cave which updates my map to discover this location. So I think this is a new way to discover this location through random encounters.

[@rafaxd8178]

Skooma could be also found in a bandit camp in Ustengraav, an old nordic tomb bear Morthal, so those bandits could be dealers too

[@chase5298]

how do you know this off the top of your head lol

[@ddexter1698]

My theory for Cragslane Cavern is that it's only where the handover takes place. The skooma is produced somewhere else and that's why the equipment/Kilnyr aren't there. Kilnyr chooses the cavern because the bouncers etc give him a safety net if something ever goes wrong, and there are potential customers in the gamblers.

[@samkleinke]

man I hope there is an option to become a skooma kingpin in ES6 Neloth we have to cook.

[@nightowl6055]

I can imagine Master Neloth going on mindless rants about random things in Skyrim while the Dragonborn is just trying to finish the dungeon

[@Rakaizulu]

Great video! I have watched hundreds of TES lore videos yet this is one that still showed me something new.

[@explainingpolitics]

I hope you get the recognition you deserve for this video because this is amazing!! I love these indepth research projects of Bethesda games (like the all the books in skyrim video that one guy made), truly underrated content!

[@masterneloth]

Thank you! When Starfield dies down a bit I plan to make a few more of these on other factions and aspects of Skyrim!

[@explainingpolitics]

@@masterneloth take your time brother, you clearly have a knack for this ✊😎

[@pippogriffthegreat7003]

By Azura, this was remarkable!!! Would you be willing to analyze the Cyrodiil and Morrowind skooma trades? Or perhaps historical timelines of greater characters (i.e. Nerevar, Barenziah, Uriel Septim VII, Gray Fox)?

[@masterneloth]

Possibly, although I will stick to analyzing Skyrim for now just because gameplay wise I am more familiar with Skyrim and don’t wish to miss something in either Morrowind or Oblivion.

[@pippogriffthegreat7003]

@masterneloth That is fair! Practice what you are familiar with and figure out the rest at your leisure, yeah? Makes sense to me! Either way, I love what you're doing!

[@Barista.Nathan]

Olava is also likely related to a witch living in the forest near Riverwood who is likely part of a greater coven elsewhere.

[@damiensadventure]

I'm waiting for the next elder scrolls when we find out that there is a synthetic skooma trade kicking off in the high rock and hammerfel regions and the main character starts off as a synthetic skooma pirate trader. I have too much free time yes

[@hhardlyzychedelic]

Great video! I’ve been wanting someone to create something about this for a while. It’s always nice to find new elder scrolls related channels to subscribe to

[@brycedaugherty9211]

Skyrim has to be hailed as such a masterpiece to even make a video like this even possible. Some games are just built different

[@seanensey3196]

Wait until you meet TES III.

[@brycedaugherty9211]

@@seanensey3196 that was my first one in the series. It's by far the best. It disappoints me greatly that every remake attempt has ruined the functionality of the engine, essentially making it tes 4 or 5 with a #3 coat of paint

[@mollieherlocker5918]

I love your analysis videos and I always giggle at your sign off. 😆

[@AncientTimes42]

Whenever the FUCK I decide to upload again. Always makes me laugh.

[@Shadow-ru5pq]

I saw your comment and decided to wait til the end to hear it

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

As Khajiit appreciator I support the moonsugar cooking industry. Nothing like a funky sweetroll. But skooma, now that is a vile substance only the most disturbed cats engage in.

[@ubergliesen]

I don't know if it was ever suggested before... But could it be that after the Void Nights the moons' effect got weaker, and that's why both moon sugar and skooma are less powerful?

[@daniyo3423]

I wish you could become a skooma dealer in Skyrim.

[@masterneloth]

Considering how we can supposedly become a smuggler in Starfield, I hope we can do something similar and smuggle Skooma in Elder Scrolls 6

[@veryrare432hz]

Theres a mod for that there’s a mod for skooma giving you psychedelic effects too

[@platinumchromee3191]

_Skooming Skyrim_ is what are looking for.

[@SabreArchon]

Master Neloth be teaching me more than Hermaeus Mora himself.

[@fai-viankoegelenberg]

Wonderful video man ! Looking forward to more videos from you.

[@jakedeshazo4739]

your sign off was by far the best part. fucking exquisite exit my dude lmfao

[@codycarabotta5621]

Yup. Gotta love those inconsiderate swine of skooma addict neighbors. I feel ya. lol Edit: Also, thank you for making this. I was always curious about the whole skooma situation in skyrim. Im always vastly interested in the economics and workings of skyrim, and the skooma/moon sugar thing is definitely a functioning cog within that mechanism. Much appreciated :) Also nice to have someone have made a map that connects all the possible routes and dens in a cohesive way to really give a solid visual representation of how it gets around. Great work, I can only imagine the hours you spent researching and connecting dots to compile all this information. A magnum opus to be proud of for sure. Take my thumbs-up with honor and hard-won glory.

[@vizzzyy190]

was so excited to see a longer vid in my subfeed!! i think your videos are hilarious, keep on keeping on!!!

[@Marvinuser]

my explanation: cragslane cavern is a hub, not a place where the scooma is produced,, but a place for buyers only.. hence the gamblers and wolf fighting is a cover, its nothing but a place for distribution.. which the note also hints to, it says that the shipment should be ready by the time he reaches cragslane, show up WITH THE MONEY or don't show up at all.. meaning its a base for an underground operation ... but just not with the production of scooma in mind ... it sounds like its being produced, but brought there when they know they have a "solid buyer" or a contact of interest... its a safe-house or safe-haven... a place they can deal in peace... and nothing more since it probably is brought from elsweyr ... as it is the ONLY place you can actually have a steady source of moonsugar ... since everywhere else the crops often fail, if not always.. so its from morrowind, since the dunmer created it, or it comes directly from elsweyr the note said morrowind though... i like master neloths idea that they used to have it there.. but seing as i kinda know some of these kinda operations.. i can say with 99% certainty its never made where you buy it... it always comes from somewhere else,it would be too risky to sell and produce in the same place... theft is one reason.. possible guards raiding it by order of a jarl is another... production in one place, the lab , and distribution for safety reasons, takes place in a hub or its positioned at a cache.. also he has to go get it and pay for it.. to start distribution of his shipment on his own... therefore it is not made in cragslane and it never was ... but its where its always brought by this little gang cause its close to morrowind and lies in a rather inconspicuous area as it is on a shelf of a rock formation inside a cave... though it would have been less visible and less suspicious if they didn't have the cages with wolves just outside at the entrance

[@PotooBurd]

Binge watching your videos back to back- and adding comments for the algorithm~! 🌻👍 Keep up the great content!

[@shadehunter]

I've watched this video a couple of times. I think this is a Camelworks-level investigation. Very nice work.

[@Mifune41]

Great video. Your hard work paid off with it.

[@m33ddyhv]

Your skyrim videos are very unique, thanks Neloth!

[@gizmoduck4292]

You’re required to go thru Sarthis’ sidequest to become Thane of Riften. My Officer Tenpenny build became Thane and in true Riften fashion, replaced Cragslane with Redwater, and Sarthis with himself. Also playing thru the Thieves Guild in full guard armor is hilarious

[@olidot7237]

This video literally got me to check out every other video on the channel. Gained a sub fs

[@stanettiels7367]

Skooma is good but you can really boost the effects. One deep toke on the pipe (whole bottle) followed by snorting two bowls of moon sugar. Then mix one bottle of skooma with two bowls of moon sugar, stir and drink in one hit. WOW, it’ll blow your ebony boots off.

[@luizstacheski4639]

Magnificent lore work, complements from a fan from Brazil, keep doing the exelent work 🎉🇧🇷

[@MossyDawn]

I didn't see it mentioned but if you take the redwater skooma while you're in the den you pass out and wake up inside of a cage in the cavern.

[@michaeltelson9798]

Maven doesn’t want to destroy the skooma trade. Why do you think Maul, Maven’s enforcer is watching over that warehouse. She is doing protection over the skooma operation. Once the Jarl decided to destroy the operation she will let you destroy it as she only gets a small amount for protecting that operation. Maven keeps her finger on the pulse of all illegal operations in Riften. Reject her help and you are gone, or if you are now a liability to her operations.

[@kosu7512]

this is so sick dude, i loved this video

[@spacecowboytroy4882]

This is the lore video i need!

[@grayearly3116]

Amazing video. I was hooked 100%

[@LICENFIREFEAR]

Incredible information incredibly detailed and professional ! thank you so much for this phenomenal video !

[@SebBurnsRubber]

Realest video I have ever seen You are doing lorkhans work Stay blessed ❤❤ This video is fucking GOLD

[@Pandemia616]

I used this video to make a Sheggorath worshipping khajiiti Skooma fiend and absolutely terrorised Skyrim with it.

[@DovahkiinVolkihar]

“It could be your neighbors with their barking dogs they let out late at 11pm when you are just TRYING to sleep!” Me: Glares at my neighbors property at 11pm watching Masterneloth because your neighbors dogs are to loud for you to sleep…

[@neonflashsparkotron5435]

Tamriel is sooo much more interesting than our real world imo. Lmaoooo

[@DillonDees]

You have the best outro ever lmao.

[@anirudhcherukuri7051]

Man you gotta do a skooma in Morrowind run. Gotta see our boys in their prime.

[@Tyleya]

0:12 Oooo! Spicy!! 0:22 Oooo! We chose violence today.

[@jimbothefuzzy]

Just replaying Skyrim and noticed that the skooma in the East Empire Company Warehouse is right on the path taken by the contact you meet in the Thieves Guild quest. One who happens selling goods. Perhaps even doing smuggling. So I'd say it's plausible for him to be shipping some skooma around by helping hide it in crates of goods. Or maybe the skooma is what made him think he could betray the Guild. Either way.

[@henryr16]

I always thought Ysolda might be up to something with skooma as well, given her secret operation selling sleeping tree sap

[@Rodclutcher]

Dude well done. Good detective work!

[@skullqaqskull9507]

I think its very likely that maven is involved in the skooma trade as in my current playthrough (which ive had to restart and had this happen both times) im doing a no fast travel playthrough and have had the dark brotherhood called me early in the game and i had not even done any quests or attacked any camps and have altogether avoided places a lot of the time. The only thing i had done was kill a roadside skooma dealer. And as has been deduced the one who calls the dark brotherhood on the player is maven due to the note and black sacrement in her basement i think it was. It's the only thing i can think of as to why she would want me dead.

[@leightonhuffman7373]

this is just a theory, but what if the player character, heard about skooma, wanted to try some, but got caught in the process, and arrested for it thus the beginning of the game

[@zefft.f4010]

"Can I offer ye a wee bit 'a skooma?" - Cap'n Fannybones

[@WHITEDIRTProductions]

Mom I want Camelworks “No we have Camelworks at home”

[@althechicken9597]

Im running a dnd game in skyrim for my friends and this is going to be so useful! Thank you!

[@nightowl6055]

DnD game in Skyrim????

[@eldenwarden9673]

I just started another playthrough, im roleplaying as a skooma and cannabis smuggler.. this video is exactly what I needed.

[@n.stephan9848]

15:54 I seem to remember skooma enhancing speed if you consume a few hundred bottles of the stuff.

[@bobbybaker8552]

You left out Ysalda supplying sleeping tree sap, presumably to the Khajit.

[@zarindrake]

Bruh

[@tburrrg2502]

He said he wouldn’t be talking about sleeping tree sap in the video

[@Oerbyss022]

Lol damn, all this time I thought skooma was just elder scrolls beer.

[@masterneloth]

@@Oerbyss022 I mean it’s all about perception…

[@Illstatefishing]

Nice in-depth investigation!!

[@georgie-jp]

If I had to serve Hermaeus Mora, I'd probably be addicted to skooma too

[@korbensemaganis]

Dude became an addict to deal with the Alduin attack. Crazy. Never knew haha

[@panamajack5972]

When Elsweyr sends their people, they're not sending their best.

[@ThatUtubeGuy]

The neighbors bit in the beginning made me die laughing 😂

[@GobblinTeacups]

Every time I find some moon sugar or skooma I usually bring it to a kajeep caravan for them, I like the kajeeps

[@mr.dakkadakka2845]

I had played the Fallout games before Skyrim when I was a kid and knew they had an addiction mechanic. I didn't know at the time there wasn't one in Skyrim so I instinctively avoided using skooma since I thought you could get addicted, I didn't even find out it was a drug until later I just knew that it was fishy how it had a different name. In all the fallout games I even avoid using addictive substances when playing to this day, which is ironic since I'm a real-life alcoholic.

[@stevenblankenship9814]

Fail harder than the blades in oblivion... That's tough bro

[@theseb1979]

I remember how amazed I was when I found redwater den

[@adamusprime403]

Craigslane could be a merchant/trade spot and not where the Skooma is produced. Theres a practice done in mercentilism where oftentimes resources are shipped overseas to be turned into goods by a cheaper labor force with less protections, and than shipped back to the country of origin in order to be sold for a much higher profit.

[@TeddyThePlaya1]

This video is awesome! I love it!

[@BoltFinnikenOfficial]

As a Kahjiit player, I personally think the Kahjiit being Skooma sellers are slef-fulfilling prophecies. It's likely that, due to their homeland being the place to grow Moon Sugar Cane, Nords assumed they were all Skooma dealers. This lead to them being blocked from entering cities, as shown and said in the game. Because of this blocking, it inevitably cut into their profits. This would in turn make them resort to Skooma dealing to make enough to profit.

[@elgatto3133]

Nah, the Khajiit caravans make lots of money from selling to both sides of the civil war. Ri'saad hires career criminals.

[@vicchung]

Excellent analysis

[@TylerSane5]

I love slanging moon sugar and skooma in Morrowind! Playing it for my first time now its pretty fun took a minute to get my head around the spells and enchanting bbut i think im good now haha

[@VeebsterTV]

Stands-in-shadows > stands-in-shallows

[@someonesilence3731]

Are there skooma dealers on Solstheim?

[@masterneloth]

There are a few Skooma addicts in Solstheim, a Raven Rock citizen and some Reiklings but no dealers that I could find.

[@WretchedRedoran]

@@masterneloth What if the Reiklings are the dealers?

[@Thatonepersonyouheard]

​@@masternelothfollow up vid? Pretty please 🥺

[@mairaineplayzgames2205]

0:52 damn Neloth, how did you get your hands on so much skooma?! who is your suplier?!

[@therealivydawg]

If you drink the red water from the spring you'll turn into a vampire.

[@austinfromboston8828]

International drug trade, race politics, crime, addiction, vice… +25 Stam

[@andruloni]

all that to avoid stamina regeneration debuff

[@ladybeavanerdventures]

damn only talking about skyrim when Oblivion has the best addict Faelian omg that guy cracks me up

[@Cocaine_RejeKt]

The entirety of the elven races is a bunch of irredeemables not just house dres 🗿

[@thychozwart2451]

Okay, Pelinal.

[@Jamseth_Ingramious]

That all-dunmer operation was likely the work of the Commona Tong, I suspect.

[@happytofu5]

I think I found a boat with moonsugar under deck once, but I forgot where.

[@mrmosty5167]

Neloth: How dare you put me in the thumbnail! Are you insinuating that one of my caliber has anything to do with illicit substances?!

[@unhearted4510]

Oh, so that's why Septimus was gone even though he never read a scroll.

[@bobbyb42]

25:00 why is he eating bread? Isn't he a vampire?? Lol

[@thychozwart2451]

I always assumed blood was just the *most* nutritious for vampires, but not necessarily tasty, they drink it because they have to, but still chow down on sweetrolls, venison stews, roast mutton and all other manner of high skyrim cuisine

[@austinlee4156]

Considering how many locations and persons you find associated with skooma it bummed me out you couldn't either disrupt or enforce the skooma trade

[@dmitritelvanni4068]

Or, by "refined" theyre really just cutting the product. Would explain why its inferior even to unrefined moon sugar imho(of course i have it modded, but still the unrefined sugar is more fun to use and lasts longer than actual skooma, but redwater skooma is worth much more) But the knife beside the sugar tells me that could be what bethesda is trying to communicate 19:48 you had to bring her into this.... my bestest nord friend... we used to get so fucked up and make potions and teas all day... then the dragon took my best friend from me... i can hardly go back to my morthal estate now without feeling depressed.

[@Penultimeat]

Don’t think I didn’t notice Septimus Signus’ glacier on that map

[@W4iteFlame]

If I remember correctly moon sugar / skooma is literally part of kajiit culture. They are all supposed to be using it

[@hewpow]

yep, remember j'darr in the glaciar ruins how crazy he was ?

[@nathaniel_fern4207]

Who else is sipping on skooma while watching this?