My goodness! Given the volume of Buffy's Journal, I realize it can be daunting for a new reader to catch up. I don't want that to become a source of discouragement. The purpose of this thread therefore is to help in that regard by providing summary information to catch up easily and quickly. Clearly, reading the full version of Buffy's numbered books adds much more depth, but I believe this thread can certainly substitute in a pinch.

First, a brief introduction of our blond, Bravilian Bosmeri butterfly-dragon:

Buffy was trained as a Mystic Archer. Orphaned by the age of twelve, the citizens of Bravil raised her. She is active with her guild of mages and a graduate of the Arcane University. Her birthday is Rains Hand, the 19th, 3E 415 under the sign of the Mage. She loves Tamika's wine, waterfalls, her precious mare Superian, and visiting her many friends throughout Tamriel.

Buffy is loving, vengeful, empathetic, nurturing, cruel and caring in a manner that makes perfect sense to her. She has been called cuddly like a rattlesnake and lethally blond. She is like the girl next door - who carries a sniper rifle. Fully understanding her can be somewhat akin to capturing a butterfly in a thunderstorm. Over the years, she has evolved, eventually becoming a paladin of Kynareth and exercising more compassion. This has caused her skills to focus more on healing others and leaning more heavily into the use of magic.

She travels intertwined with the spirit of an old ethereal paladin named Acadian who died several thousand years ago. He occasionally offers advice. Sometimes she listens. The two are literally inseparable. Although Buffy considers Acadian a guide or mentor, it is unclear who learns more from whom.

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Significant oddities of 'Buffy lore':

Buffy & Acadian. These two have traveled times and worlds over many lives. Each time they manifest, they may take different forms. In their most recent life, Acadian was a paladin of Kyne on Tamriel during the Merethic Era. He rode an ice dragon mount named Phantom. Buffy was his ermine familiar. They perished during the Great Dragon War. In their current life, Buffy is a Bosmer and Acadian is a spirit that travels within her. Phantom similarly survived as a spirit who now dwells within the body of Superian – Buffy’s precious mare.

Paladins. Acadian was a paladin of Kyne during their last life. At the end of Book 3, Buffy likewise becomes a paladin of Kyne – who calls herself Kynareth now. All paladins have four abilities beyond any unique abilities given them by their Divine. These are:
1. Divine Light. A paladin can illuminate themselves with holy light. Although it can light up dark places, its real purpose is to allow the paladin to readily identify that they are indeed a paladin.
2. Detect Evil. This passive ability allows the paladin to sense the presence of nearby evil.
3. Ward Evil. This passive ability protects the paladin’s spirit from corruption such as vampirism, lycanthropy, possession or other spiritual manipulation.
4. Laying on of Hands. When a paladin lays on hands, it establishes a bond allowing them to diagnose and heal injuries to either spirit or body.

Bosmer fertility. All elves have a brief period of fertility twice a year (instead of monthly like humans). This is likely due to their long lifespans that can approach 1000 years. Bosmer fertility has another unique feature called totems. A totem is an animal spirit that reflects the nature of its Bosmer. During coupling, the man’s totem must defeat the woman’s in a spiritual battle for the act to result in conception. Not surprisingly, Bosmeri men wish for strong totems and Bosmeri women wish for weaker totems. When a Bosmer woman becomes intimate with a non-Bosmer man, a totem seeks him out so he may have a chance at impregnating his Bosmer mate. Buffy’s totem is a butterfly. Buffy, however, is unique in that she has two totems and any potential mate’s totem must defeats both of hers. The butterfly is no problem of course but, unfortunately, Buffy’s second totem is an ice dragon. She believes it is none other than the spirit of Phantom and blames Acadian for the likelihood she will never be able to conceive.

Bosmer Clans and Tribes. Many Bosmer live in tribes. Tribes that share common beliefs form clans. The common beliefs that unite clans generally relate to dealing with the Bosmer curse of the Wild Hunt. Yffre offered relief to those who agreed to follow the Green Pact. Many Bosmer accepted and formed the Green Pact Clan. Some Bosmer, instead, embraced lycanthropy and formed the Clan of Hircine. Buffy’s ancestors found relief from the Wild Hunt from the Mother of Nirn (Mara) and the Sky Goddess (Kynareth). In return, these Bosmer agreed to live in the massive graht oaks of Valenwood and never waist the bounty of their forests. These Bosmer eventually evolved to become smaller and lighter to support life high in their trees. These Bosmer became known as the Cloud Dancer Clan because the delicate upper branches where they live are high enough to literally allow them to dance in the clouds. Each Cloud Dancer Tribe bonds to a specific graht oak.

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I'm going to keep this thread locked except to add additional summaries as Buffy's story continues. That said, if there are any questions or comments about the thread or its contents, do not hesitate to PM me or post on Buffy's Basket of Potpourri thread.

Our story begins with Buffy being briefly incarcerated in the Imperial Prison, and ends as she attempts to bring freedom to the city of Kvatch.

Episodes 1-26 (Thread 1): Buffy witnessed the death of Uriel Septim VII in the Imperial Prison. She eventually delivered the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre, who treated her rudely then told her to go fetch Martin at Kvatch. Buffy's response to this, of course, was to drop the amulet on his desk and storm out.

At one point in her travels while pursuing University recommendations, Buffy coincidentally encountered an Oblivion gate at Kvatch. Terrified, she quickly heeded the orders of Savlian Matius to leave the area. In their brief encounter however, Buffy seemed drawn to the brave Captain Matius - quite struck by his noble and selfless bravery. She was confident the Empire would resolve the situation that she considered well beyond her meager ability to influence.

Our orphan from Bravil continued to refine her confidence and skills toward adventure, purchasing her precious black mare (Superian) and even graduating from the Arcane University as a mystic archer. She also discovered that, through the mysterious hand of Azura, she was a Slayer - one of a rare group of women with powers to help kill vampires. The role of Slayer was not one that Buffy embraced.

Episodes 27-56 (Thread 2): Buffy discovered, from a black marketeer in Bravil, that sigil stones are what hold Oblivion Gates open.

In Chorrol, Buffy learned, after the fact, that the monk Jauffre had been murdered and the Amulet of Kings apparently stolen - almost immediately after Buffy had delivered it to him. This explained why the Blades had not tried to find the Emperor's heir at Kvatch - they did not know about Martin.

Her business in Chorrol also saw Buffy plot and carry out a deserved, but nonetheless calculated assassination of a rogue mage named Earana. Although tempted by the subsequent Dark Brotherhood's seductive lure of love and family, Buffy ultimately balked at her initiation contract and concluded that her killing and taste for vengeance were not for hire. Her 'dance with darkness' led to the forging and adopting of The Buffy Doctrine. She would later amend her simple doctrine to read: If you are kind to me, I will love you dearly; if you are a threat to me or my friends, I will likely kill you.

She began to display a fascination with the quests of Daedra Lords that, at first, made sense. Azura had given Buffy a wonderful artifact, and Meridia helped her avenge a murdered guild mate. Succumbing to the lure of Daedric trinkets, Buffy then undertook several more of these quests, netting disappointment and even shame over some of her choices.

Her fascination with Daedra Lords nevertheless remained and she eventually, with the help of Acadian, realized the cause: The Oblivion Gate at Kvatch was the work of a Daedra Lord, Mehrunes Dagon. Buffy had learned that without an Emperor, the Legion was too busy holding rebellious provinces together to send forces to close a gate that seemed under control. She realized that if she didn't help, no one would. Her curious logic yielded that perhaps one of Mehrunes Dagon's colleagues could help her learn more about fighting the Daedra within the gate, and ultimately closing it.

She would later learn, via the Sisters of Gottlesfont Priory that Akatosh would not suffer Daedra in his house. This provided hope that, despite the length of the siege at Kvatch, any citizens who took refuge in Kvatch's Chapel of Akatosh may have survived. Buffy knew that the chapel was well-stocked with food, built upon a natural spring and, like all chapels, had an altar that could fully restore and sustain the vitality of any believers.

A second brief visit to Kvatch refined that her motivation did not stem from a desire to assist the Empire or Kvatch. It became clear that the focus of her efforts was Savlian Matius himself, even as she wrestled with trying to understand her growing feelings for him.

Episodes 57-84 (Thread 3): This began with Buffy's sixteen-part miniseries called 'The Leyawiin Expedition'. In Leyawiin, Buffy completed Daedric Shrine quests for Nocturnal and Sanguine. She befriended the orc, Mazoga and the two ladies became Knights Errant of the White Stallion. Buffy learned much of courtly ways and convinced Count Leyawiin to send a soldier named Sergeant Lucilius Marcus to Kvatch to help Savlian Matius. Buffy also convinced Captain Caelia Draconis, of the Leyawiin guard, to send letters to her counterparts in each of the other cities requesting that they consider following Count Leyawiin's example of providing some assistance to Kvatch.

Dagail, of the Mages Guild, helped Acadian gain the power of speech to augment his telepathic ability.

As Buffy prepared to leave Leyawiin, she and Acadian pondered the wisdom of their course. Trying to learn how to defeat Mehrunes Dagon's Oblivion Gate at Kvatch by consulting other Daedra Lords had yielded no answers. They agreed to seek the advice of the only Daedra Lord who had helped Buffy at all - Azura.

After visiting and obtaining the advice of Azura, Buffy made her way to the Daedra Lord Peryite. There she discovered that her paladin, Acadian, was actually an ancient Nordic dragonrider who perished long ago along with his ice dragon, Phantom. Fellow dragon Peryite was intrigued enough to offer Buffy the opportunity to learn what she sought - how to survive Oblivion and fight Daedra. And fight she did, emerging from Peryite's plane as a Daedra Slayer.

Buffy than asked the Arcane University to provide assistance to Kvatch. After investigating a matter at Wellspring Grove for Raminus Polus, Buffy earned a promise that her request would be taken to the Council of Mages. Raminus told her it would likely be two weeks before the Council would convene and that he would send word to Buffy's guild chapter in Bravil when he had a decision for her.

Episodes 85-122 (Thread 4): This thread consisted entirely of a massive storyline called 'The Tournament of Archers'. Buffy spent nine days in Bravil as she awaited word from the Council of Mages as to whether they would approve assistance for Kvatch. She used the time to catch up with old friends, make new ones, solve a mystery, right a wrong and compete in the annual tournament to decide the champion archer of Cyrodiil. Buffy's new friend Alawen (the Ranger of Anvil) won the tournament. Buffy placed second. Our bowgirl's mentor and seven time tournament champion, Daenlin, came in third.

Episodes 123-End (176) (Thread 5) Buffy returned from the tournament to the Arcane University and obtained some aid for her quest to free Kvatch. She was also reassigned from the Bravil to Kvatch chapter of the Mages Guild. While in the Imperial City, she encountered Baurus and shared what she knew about both Martin and Kvatch. Because Jauffre had been assassinated before he could task the Blades, word of a surviving Septim was news to Baurus. He indicated he would urge the Blades to send a team to Kvatch to investigate.

Buffy returned to Kvatch in Episode 133. She quickly learned that her ongoing efforts had significantly bolstered the city's defense. Savlian's forces had grown to include additional soldiers from other cities, mages from Buffy's guild and ultimately would include a pair of Blades and even Sir Mazoga and her new consort, Sir Agronak gro-Malog. Buffy realized the reason she was in Kvatch was because her heart was drawn to Savlian Matius. Her intent was to see his long vigil ended, and she was willing to put her fragile life on the line for his cause.

Once settling in with her new branch of the Mages Guild, Buffy shared what she had learned of Daedra, the Deadlands and Oblivion Gates with Savlian Matius. The two agreed to tackle Kvatch's gate together after some training. They headed south and cleared a fort of conjurers, forging their ability to work and fight as a team. Love then fully blossomed, as they took a day of respite on the Valenwood bank of the Strid River.

After returning to Kvatch, the couple did indeed close that cursed Oblivion Gate. Following another day of preparations, Savlian led his army (with Buffy among the ranks of his archers and mages) into the city. Upon finding and freeing survivors in the chapel a small meeting was held: Savlian, Buffy, Baurus and Martin. Buffy was able to detect the blood of a dragon within the priest and confirm his status as rightful heir - fulfilling the role that Uriel envisioned for her. When the meeting was interrupted by Sirs Mazoga and Agronak, Martin was stunned. It became clear he had experienced visions of the mighty orcs and that they were destined to become his Champions - after Kvatch was freed.

Savlian then led his army against the well-entrenched foes who held the castle. Buffy and Savlian found and freed the Countess of Kvatch who had been frozen into preservation within the castle's gold storage vault by Kvatch's court mage at the beginning of the Daedra invasion. Savlian's army was victorious, but paid a high price. Nearly half his army - including himself - perished in the assault. Buffy not only lost the love of her life, but suffered severe wounds requiring extensive healing in the chapel after the battle.

Once released from the chapel, Buffy found that reconstruction of Kvatch was already underway. The broken bowgirl valiantly tried to put her life back together, but struggled with the constant reminders of Savlian she encountered.

Ultimately, she decided that she needed to leave Kvatch. The final episode of Book 1 found Buffy, Acadian and Superian camped on the southern bank of the Strid River - the same meadow where love had fully blossomed. There, under the stars, she finally said farewell to her hero. Thus ended Book 1.

This book opens in Valenwood about three months after Book 1 ends. It is primarily about Buffy's journey of self-discovery as she travels her ancestral homeland. It ends a few months later with Buffy on the road back to Cyrodiil.

Prelude (Episodes 1-2) This unusual interlude did not feature Buffy at all. Rather, it consisted of a meeting in the clouds among Kynareth, Mara and Azura. During this meeting, the two Divines asked Azura’s help. It seems Akatosh would be unable to turn into his dragon avatar when the time came to defeat Mehrunes Dagon due to a curse against dragons that Kynareth (known as Kyne at the time) had levied at the end of the Dragon War. The only way to break the curse is for one of Kyne’s ice dragons to once again fly. These dragons were created by her to help fight Alduin and his minions. They were ridden by paladins and, together, comprised the Order of the Ice Dragon. Their valiant efforts were unsuccessful however. The last ice dragaon and rider to perish were Phantom and Acadian. Somehow their spirits have persisted within the fragile body of a young wood elf known as Buffy. The spirit of Phantom was the closest thing to an ice dragon the Divines knew of. Their hope was that there might be enough of her spirit to somehow fly once again.

The Divines sought help from Azura because of her skill influencing the affairs of mortals and because Azura has dutifully but secretly been fulfilling a promise made to Buffy’s mother to be the child’s godmother. To remain unknown to the child, Azura had routinely taken the form of a pale green twilight butterfly to unobtrusively visit the elf many times during Buffy's life - always at either dawn or dusk. The meeting concludes when Azura alludes that she may be able to ‘arrange something’.

Part One – Dragons Live Forever (Episodes 3-4). Here we find Buffy in Valenwood seeking to mend her broken heart about three months after the battle that freed Kvatch and cost the life of her mate, Savlian Matius. Sure enough, Azura ‘arranges’ a threat to Buffy so dire that Acadian asks for the spirit of Phantom to help. Phantom does not disappoint as she forces her spirit into Buffy’s mare, Superian, transforms the horse into a dragon and flies them to safety. Once safely on the ground, Buffy learns the dragon is now bound to Superian. Unable to maintain the form of a dragon, it is the mare’s body that reappears to host both horse and dragon. Buffy is quite unaware that Phantom has broken Kyne’s curse.

Part Two – On the Wings of a Dove (Episode 5). Buffy is visited in the forests of Valenwood by a courier dove from the Arcane University bearing a spell which conjures a mighty bow to replace her bow that was damaged beyond repair in the same battle that killed Savlian. She gives the bow the same name as its predecessor - Slayer.

Part Three – Plains of Passage (Episodes 6-18). While visiting the northwestern prairies of Valenwood, Buffy was hosted by the Strid River Valley Tribe. Their elders were able to determine that she was conceived in a Tall Tree called Alderglean and her tribe was the Spirit Catcher Tribe - one of several tribes referred to as Cloud Dancers that inhabited graht oaks of central Valenwood so tall that their upper branches were lost in the clouds. She also learned that her tree was destroyed by a lightning fire while she was still in the womb. That is how/why her parents moved to Bravil. Another survivor of her tribe named Violet had been adopted by the Strid River Valley Tribe. Violet taught Buffy some of the ways of the Spirit Catchers, including a 'Find Familiar' spell. It was the chief's son, Vandrelis, that drew a spark of romantic interest from Buffy who was still grieving for her lost love, Savlian Matius of Kvatch. Regrettably, things did not work out for the potential romance. Buffy left the Strid River Valley and headed south to find the Tall Trees for herself.

Part Four - In Search of the Tall Trees (Episodes 19-28). As Buffy headed deep into Valenwood, she met her familiar - a small fox named Kitsune. The nimble vixen has the ability to taunt foes but requires Buffy's magicka to repel damage. With Phantom and Superian as one now, Buffy and Acadian learned they could 'absorb' the dragon-mare back into Buffy - handy when Buffy needed to take to the treetops to traverse some thick jungle. The elf and her paladin also learned that the dragon-mare now has a distance limitation that precludes separation of elf and mare by more than roughly the distance of a long arrowshot. Buffy did indeed meet some Cloud Dancers who introduced her to their Tall Tree. Although very much at home and delightfully entranced by the unique elven tree city in the sky, the tree was not particularly accommodating to Buffy's precious mare - which spent most of her time as a spirit within the elf. Before long, Buffy grew restless and her small tribe of Buffy, Acadian, Superian/Phantom and Kitsune decided to leave the ancient forest of the Tall Trees.

Part Five - Heard Any News From the Other Provinces? (Episodes 29-31). In the final part of this book, Buffy makes her way from the Tall Trees to the protective jungle that surrounds the ancient forest of the Cloud Dancers. She crosses via the treetops and finds herself in the forests of eastern Valenwood. From there, she heads north to a small trading village at the foot of a bridge crossing the Strid River. We leave her there, as she announces her plans to return to Cyrodiil.

Book 3 takes place only a few months after Book 2. It is set against the backdrop of the Oblivion Crisis in Cyrodiil and eventually sees the dawn of the Fourth Era.

We open with Buffy en route from Bravil to the Arcane University. During her journey we learn that she has been back from Valenwood a few months and living in Bravil. The purpose of her current trip is to answer a summons by Boderi Farano.

Once Buffy arrives, she meets with Boderi, as well as Martin Septim’s champions Sirs Mazoga and Agronak. Buffy is briefed on Martin’s plan to antagonize Mehrunes Dagon into opening a Great Oblivion Gate in Bruma, using the resultant great sigil stone to help recover the amulet of kings, relight the Dragonfires and become Emperor. She accepts the tasks of trying to enlist aid for Bruma from the Counts of Leyawiin and Bravil.

Before leaving the University on her quest, Buffy learns from Boderi that the Arch Mage has decided to bring the Order of the Lamp out of the shadows into the open. She learns that the Order is made up of paladins whose primary loyalty is to the Divines and who are well-suited to combating the use of magic for evil purposes. Boderi asks Buffy to consider joining her as a paladin within the Guild’s Order of the Lamp. To do so requires obtaining the sponsorship of one of the Divines. Buffy agrees to consider this.

Buffy’s missions in both Leyawiin and Bravil are successful, even as she learns much more about what being a paladin entails and asks the Nine to consider choosing her.

After returning to the Arcane University, Boderi sends Buffy to Bruma to assist the Mages Guild detachment there in support of Martin’s plans to open a Great Oblivion Gate. She acquits herself well as an archer during the battle, then as a healer during the aftermath.

In anticipation that Mehrunes Dagon will try to thwart Martin’s anticipated effort to light the Dragonfires in The Imperial City after regaining the Amulet of Kings, Buffy returns to the University and joins the mages assigned to defend the University if/when it becomes necessary.

When Martin and his army march on The Imperial City, Mehrunes Dagon responds by opening Oblivion Gates all over the city – including within the University. Buffy and her fellow mages have their hands full defending the University. When the gates all simultaneously close, the mages’ confusion is quickly resolved when a Legion Rider brings word that Martin joined with Akatosh to become a dragon and banish Mehrunes Dagon.

Buffy then races into the city, seeking news of Martin’s champions and her dear friends, Sirs Mazoga and Agronak. She finds Mazoga holding the grievously wounded body of Agronak and is informed by a healer that little more can be done.

Having lost her own mate during the Battle for Kvatch, Buffy refuses to allow Mazoga to suffer the same fate. The small elf vows to heal Agronak or die trying. Despite her best efforts and facing exhaustion, Buffy realizes she is waging a losing effort. Suddenly, she hears the voice of Kynareth who tells Buffy that the elf’s valiant efforts will not be in vain and, henceforth, Buffy shall be known as a Paladin of Kynareth. With Divine power flowing through her hands, Buffy is able to fully heal Agronak.

With the dawn of the Fourth Era, Sirs Mazoga and Agronak are named as Champions of Cyrodiil. As a new paladin, Buffy accepts the Arch Mage’s offer to dub her into the guild’s Order of the Lamp as a Knight Arcana.