Strategy Informer  

Bethesda explains one of the new game mechanics in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and how it relates to the game's lore.

The dragon shouts are powerful abilities that the player's , who is a Dragonborn, learns each time defeats a dragon. These shouts are similar to barbarian roars, and have magic effects when employed. The player absorbs a dragon's soul after defeating one, and may find runes etched in stone with dragon marks that will help the player learn to use these shouts more effectively.

There will be at least 20 of these dragon shouts, so players will have a heck of a time trying to find all the words and finding the right combinations. One given example -- "Fus, Ro, Dah" --is like a force push. In English, “Fus” means force, “Ro” means balance, and “Dah” means push.

The abilities are heavily woven into the backstory of the game: all Dragonborn have the ability to use The Voice, just as the first Tiber Septim did, who was the first and most adept at using the power; even as a boy he could create avalanches with it. All Dragonborn make pilgrimages to The Throat to learn their abilities.

The backstory of the game will be as thorough as any Elder Scrolls before it, and those who love the history and richness of Tamriel will be enjoying living in the world Bethesda created once again.

Source: Game Informer

Related games: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PS3), The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Xbox360)