Skyrim Puzzle Door Combo Lock Recreation Doesn't Need A Dragon Claw Key

 A crafty Skyrim player has built a miniature replica of the puzzle combination lock doors found in Bleak Falls Barrow, dragon claw key not included.

A creative fan of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim crafted an incredible replica of the claw door puzzle lock from Bleak Falls Barrow. The fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls franchise, Skyrim celebrated its tenth-anniversary last year, releasing a new special edition of the game in honor of the event. Despite its age, the game maintains a loyal fanbase that eagerly awaits the next game in the Elder Scrolls series.

Fantasy lovers are often known to craft armor and weapons in real life, modeled in the likeness of equipment from their favorite games and stories. Others might embroider quotes into clothing or mark them on journal covers along with small images from the source material. The continent of Tamriel is a lush and beautiful place that has inspired many beautiful pieces of artwork by Skyrim players as well as other creative works of all kinds.

A skilled fan of Skyrim, energizerturtle2, shared an amazing piece of metalworking with the Reddit community earlier this week, showcasing their recreation of the claw lock from Skyrim's Bleak Falls Barrow dungeon. The lock is intricately carved with designs from the puzzle door in the dungeon and even has several inlaid coin-shaped pieces of metal with the symbols from the door emblazoned upon them. The lock was made as a quarantine project with the intention of being a functional mechanism for a trunk built by the lock's creator.

In Skyrim, the lock is one of a two part set in the Bleak Falls Barrow, both of which follow a similar design idea. One is on what is commonly referred to as the claw door inside the dungeon while the other guards the gate. The locks are a fairly simple combination of symbols, with the answer discoverable through a variety of means, including trial and error for those that do not immediately spot the clues provided by the game. Although the puzzle exists in Skyrim as a barrier to players, the story of the locks is much more interesting to those who pay close attention or delve into the game's lore slightly. In so doing, it is revealed that these locks exist not to keep plundering adventurers out but rather to prevent the undead draugr contained within from escaping into the world outside the barrow.

These puzzles are an example of the deeply thought-through lore of the Elder Scrolls games. It is writing and design of that quality that keeps fans of the series playing the game even now that it is cresting past its tenth year. The dragon claw lock is a microcosm of one of the facets of Skyrim that make it such a beloved game, and the awesome real-life recreation of it is a pleasure to behold.