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  1. Games
  2. RPG
  3. The Elder Scrolls
  4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Build of the week: Animunculus from the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Features
By James Davenport published 17 August 2015

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Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11

Every Monday, Build of the week highlights a unique rig from the web's most dedicated PC building communities.

Made from scratch by respected modder Denis Shuvaev (Soul-i-Doll in the community), it’s hardly the specs that matter in the Animunculus. What matters is that this is a 3D-printed, transforming, detailed replica of a Dwemer animunculi from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Oh, and it’s a functioning computer. The fantasy singularity is on the horizon.

The Animunculus’ bulbous base is actually a modified streetlamp, which Denis found in a hardware store. From there, it was a long, arduous matter of sanding, cutting, and detailing.

While the Animunculus isn’t powered by a soul gem, it’s powered by a hefty amount of passion and creativity—and electricity. Denis was so inspired by the design of these ancient, Dwemer-built machinations, he figured a transforming spherical case mod wasn’t out of the question. And after a seemingly endless amount of X-acto knife cuts, layers of paint, and detail work, the work was very much worth the effort. The Animunculus took home third in the Cooler Master Case Mod World Series in the ‘Scratch’ category this year.

Check out the build log for step-by-step photos of the process.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
James Davenport
James Davenport
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James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles. 

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A lineup of different sprites created for Dwarf Fortress' Adventure Mode.
Dwarf Fortress just made it easier for modders to add their own procedural creatures, items, curses, and more: 'All of these things have been hard-coded in Dwarf Fortress, inaccessible to modders. Now the algorithms and data are available'
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