In the ruins of Forelhost…
This Ancient Nord Armor cosplay was my first venture in to the world of costume making back in 2014. I was originally inspired by my complete obsession of all things Elder Scrolls, and also by Volpin Props‘ version of this amazing helmet. The Ancient Nord Armor (a.k.a “Ancient Nord Hero Armor”) is definitely one of my favorite armor sets from Skyrim. You can loot it off of slain dragon cultists in the ruins of Forelhost in the Rift, amoung various other scattered single pieces throughout the province. It is also the armor worn by companion Aela the Huntress.
“Ugh, that armor stinks of death. Have you been grave robbing?”
– Skyrim Hold Guard
Crafting Ancient Nord Armor
All of the hard armor pieces are hand shaped using Worbla’s Finest Art, a craft thermoplastic. All of the pieces are custom patterned, and most of the utilize the “craft foam sandwich” method of sculpting Worbla. I absolutely love this material and highly recommend it to both beginner and experienced costume makers. Other materials used include micro-suede fabric, aluminum jump rings (for chainmail), mock turquoise gems, polyester fabrics, gesso, spray paint, and custom mixed acrylic paints.
The antlers are made of assorted gauges of steel wire, tin foil, and Paperclay, a super light-weight air dry clay. These were constructed on pipe brackets, and painted with acrylics. Each antler was then screwed directly in to the Worbla of the helmet. If you’re interested in creating your own cosplay antlers without a mold, check out my step-by-step Antler Tutorial!
I brought this costume to my first convention, DragonCon 2014, and won “Best Novice” at the Friday Night Costume Contest. It was an incredible experience and really sparked my entire cosplay journey. I plan to remake this costume with real leather and new worbla armor and helmet in the near future.
