Mammoths! Awesome! There's something about those majestic creatures that is fascinating. I think it is because they're both so serene and yet they can be so deadly, too.

At last, Buffy made it to the north. The land of the Nords! Oh how I'm excited! The rugged land of Skyrim brings out the same on those who wander those lands. Buffy looks marvelous and dangerous(as she well should be) but I guess some time in a warm home under a bath or in those hot springs should clear some things up. Saunas were popular in Skyrim(lore-wise).

I like her hunting companion. The fearsome sabre-cat. The area she's in is flowing with game. Our Mystic Archer won't have any difficulty locating food in Skyrim. It is plentiful.

Nice shot Buffy made there. I like it. Bearskin elf time!

Welcome to Skyrim, where even trolls get arrows to the knees! Buffy is a quick learner. She already knows how things work in the north

Magic time, eh Buffy? Show those children what you learned in the Arcane University!

Wonderful update, Acadian. I am sincerely glad Buffy is in Skyrim!

As frozen Buffy can be when she´s visited Lothran, it´s hard for me to think she´d go even further north!

That said, lovely pixie of the month!

SubRosa- Thank you! Buffy’s been continuing to adjust to life among the glaciers, tundra and forest.

Grits- As I’ve mentioned in other threads, SkyBuff seems comfortable moving in an eclectic circle of friends: Mammoths/giants, College Mages, the Court of Solitude, and Orc Strongholds. Go figure. Thanks for the wonderful encouragement.

mirocu- Well, I’m sorry that SkyBuff 1.0 was a bit. . . hard-edged from what we’re used to. I did want to stick with vanilla for a decent length of time however. Thanks for the kind words on the screen of the month.

KC- Thanks! As ever, Buffy is torn between buckskins and silk, furs and arcane robes, a warm fire in a tavern or one out on the plains under the stars. . . . Her mystic bow seems to be a keeper – Buffy quite loves how it epitomizes a mystic archer, and how its perks quite neuter enemy mages who try and summon help. Happily, I’m able to tweak out any pesky downsides to using the bow like fine-tuning damage and using it from the saddle.

DE- Thank you for the warm welcome to the cold land of Skyrim! She’s still finding her way, but the game is certainly a keeper, alongside Oblivion.


Well, Buffy continues to thrive up north and has amassed over 400 hours in game there. We have embraced mods, and Buffy’s look is now SkyBuff 2.0. We kept her a Bosmer, adding a body mod that includes wonderful face complexions as well. Then a mod for a ponytail, another for some dazzling blue eyes and we’re there!

I also believe that Superian is complete – the black mare having gained several hundred pounds and some additional white highlights. I simply love the 'heavy horses' of Skyrim. The mod, Convenient Horses has been a wonderful and necessary addition to make Superian work well.

In today’s update, you’ll still see some use of Buffy's hunting bow – I expect she's now moved on to pure use of her mystic bow - as I mentioned to KC, she can use it from the saddle and we can tweak it to taste. You’ll also see she seems to currently favor a big cat for a helper (the cat changes coats from tawny to snowy depending on the environment), but she also likes conjuring arctic foxes and summoned golems of fire, ice and stone.

That all said, here’s a few shots of Buffy in her current game -

A small elf in a land of big Nords.

Skyrim dungeons are wonderfully done.

Naturally, Superian made the trip north.

Superian's full of bravado with a sabre cat backing her up.

A close up.

Symphony in blue – as only a mystic archer can play it.

These new pixies were great, Acadian! Now I actually can see the Buffy we all hold so dear!

Being in a land even colder than Bruma, I guess Buffy won´t need that bear blanket anymore if she decides to visit Lothran again


That little elf is truly amazing

SkyBuff got 'the talk' from Sigrid! I cannot blame Siggy for caution. She really fills out that Triss Outfit well...

The dungeons pic looks like it was taken in Nightcaller Temple, from the Vaermina/Mara quest.

Superian is a paint! They are my favorites in Skyrim too.

Love the pic of Supes rearing up with kitty cat.

Buffy does have lovely eyes in her close up, and nice skin! I love that ponytail mod too. Ever since I found it, every character I created since has had a ponytail!

The Buffster's mystic bow meshes well with the blue swirlies from Potema's attempted resurrection.

SkyBuff 2.0 looks fabulous! I can see why Sigrid was worried.

Gosh I love that Triss outfit on Buffy! I completely agree about the dungeons.

How wonderful that Superian made the trip north with Buffy. As I’ve always admired Sir Mazoga’s sturdy steed in Buffy’s Cyrodiil pictures I was delighted with Skyrim’s heavy horses. (And the lanky Ulfe dogs.) That’s a great view of Buffy’s ponytail in the stable picture. Very nice.

Bravado is my favorite of this group. It has it all. I love Buffy’s mystic bow in that picture!

Aah, close-up – gorgeous! Dazzling blue eyes indeed.

Another thing that Lildereth likes about a mystic bow is that enemy archers can’t pick up the glowing blue arrows and shoot them back at her. I can imagine how Buffy went through Wolfskull Cave. What a neat shot!

Thank you for this update on SkyBuff. It’s great to hear of Buffy's adventures and see her in Skyrim.

Buffy! I love her outfit in the first one.

And I thought she would be using candle light and mage light spells.

I’ve loved hearing about your horse mod.

And I approve of all the mystic in mystic archer.

Is that 400 hours on current Buffy, or all the restarts? I haven't put half that on any of mine.

The Triss outfit(s) have travelled well. I see she has a green and a white variant, presumably for forest and snow. But I expected her to many more than that. No bag of holding?

She's definitely looking more elven than Breton, but that's a much better-looking elf than I've managed with vanilla. I'm playing with Ethereal Elven Overhaul for my latest, but I don't like that it changes all the elf faces in the game, so it may not stay. Does your face mod work only on the player?

ghastley – Let me pop in here to answer your question about Buffy’s appearance mods. Since it looks like you are searching for perhaps a current character, waiting until my next update to reply might be too late to be of use to you.

When we installed Caliente’s Beautiful Bodies Edition (CBBE), in addition to using the Slim option, we had the auto installer go ahead and install the included CBBE Official Face Pack. Here’s what Caliente says about it:

‘CBBE Official Face Pack is for those who don't feel like searching for a decent face mod to go with the base CBBE textures. This pack does not contain any new or edited face presets; it contains textures only. Also includes 'Eyebrows Match Hair' in two shades and three styles (six sets in total), and a 'dirt to beauty marks' option. This can be found in the Options folder in the main archive, and does not require the use of TexBend/TexBlendLite.‘

The face pack does seem to affect NPCs but, since many of them have dirt, age, wrinkles, whiskers, war paint, etc set in their sliders (that remain), the results are pretty subtle with them.

The only other appearance mods we use beyond CBBE, are Ponytail Hairstyles and The Eyes of Beauty. So we just used the vanilla Bosmer sliders to make Buffy. We used no dirt, young age, eliminated the ‘Bosmer’ sunken eyes with the very dark eye shadowing they all seem to have. Then some blue eyes and a nice ponytail really polished her up.

Hope that helps some!

Life's been hectic! But I'm here!

No problem! I was excited to see Buffy in Skyim and I'm still hoping for a story of her in Skyrim but this is good enough. Sincerely!

Buffy's been small all her life. With those tall high elves in Cyrodiil and those big Orcs, I'm sure she feels dwarfed by those huge northerners! She better keep an eye out, women in Skyrim are just as tough as the men and apparently the jealous types are even more dangerous!

The dungeons are wonderfully done, and dark. That's when the light comes in handy. For one who likes to hide and snipe her enemies down, Buffy will love the places she can conceal herself. Skyrim's dungeons and caves are full of those.

Superian in the north! And my does he look great and majestic!

A lethal trio! Much like King Coin's Aravi and her two companions. Things are dangerous when three are involved. Check out that mystic bow in her back! You weren't kidding when you said we'd see it!

One thing is for sure. Buffy has always been a looker. The Nordic women(and all the other women) will feel jealous. Dangerous, pretty, a femme fatale. Savlian indeed had it good when he spent his time with her(Nine rest his soul).

Indeed, I've seen no other. Wow. Just wow. This was beautifully shot(as I'm sure that arrow was). The blue here lovely!

Fantastic update, Acadian!

mirocu- I’m so glad that you can see the Buffy you know in her latest version. Again, I wanted to spend a fair amount of time in vanilla before introducing mods to our game. Thank the Nine for resist frost enchantments up in Skyrim! Otherwise, Buffy would truly have to dress like a tiny brown bear.

SubRosa- Thank you. Buffy continues to love the Triss outfit as a perfect blend of her mystic archer buckskin & silk style. We have found a hood and cape that goes well with it for the more extreme weather. Thanks for your support for Superian as a heavy paint. We debated between it and the palomino and settled on the paint as closer to the black with white accents traditionally associated with Superian. I’m still loving the mystic bow (after some support tweaks for damage and usability from the saddle).

Grits- Thanks! Like you, I love the heavy Sky horses! So many things we like about the mystic bow – can’t be disarmed by shouting DrugLords and we don’t have to worry about recovering arrows, no recharging, dispelling summons, turning reanimated undead. . . . The biggest plus to the summoned bow is that, when you have a 'real' bow in your hand and then equip a spell the bow disappears. I shudder to think where the character might stick it since it certainly does not appear in the only logical place (on her back). The summoned bow answers this quite nicely by simply disappearing by design.

KC- Thank you! I still remember being so impressed that Aravi could cast a little magey light to follow her around. And now we have one! Always the seeker of utilitarian ways to use magic, Buffy has discovered that if you toss a magelight at a follower, it does no harm to the follower and hovers above their head for the duration. In effect, it looks much as if the follower had cast candlelight on themselves.

ghastley- We put roughly 10-30 hours on each of several learning iterations of Buffy. Then about 450 on the one you saw in our last update. Since then, we have redone her, with some learning tweaks. Happily, it is very easy to recreate the same face in the character gen portion of the tutorial. The current Buffy has just over 50 hours on her. Rather than make Buffy her own race, I simply made a small mod that changes every Bosmer woman in the game to suit Buffy’s size and talents. There are so few of them in game that it’s almost her private race anyway.

DE- Buffy has to keep remembering what Master Daenlin told her – ‘Your size makes you a small target.’ Thanks so much for you kind and supportive words!


Buffy and Superian continue to travel and thrive in the harsh Nordic lands. The Convenient Horses and better maps mods we are using have gotten Buffy quite into being not only a good scout/pathfinder, but also traveling with others – both horse-mounted NPCs and a variety of critters. Here’s a small selection of shots that are fairly representative of things for her -

At home on the tundra.

Who says armor slows you down?

So two mages and an atronach walk into a Nordic ruin. . . .

Brelyna grumbled from the rear, “I’m a mage, not a packmule, you know.”

Mystic archer - posing.

Mystic archer – in action.

I love Buffy's snow fox trailing her and Superian on the tundra.

Fantastic leap in the second pic!

Two mages and an astronaut is a great example of the aftermath of an adventurer's job.

Poor Brel, dragging everything around. I recognize Buffy in the lead. And of course Winnie the Pooh behind her. Who is that long haired lass in the middle horse though?

Buffy is positively aglow in her pic. She is looking very colorful and fantastic in Sky.

Quite the contrast is that last pic of Buffy in all her ninja glory, sneaking like a pro, with only the soft glow of her mystic archery to show that she is even there.

Buffy is an ever so invigorating inspiration

I just hope that she at some point will find her way to Bruma once again. She has lots of friends there too, not to mention a certain weather-beaten Warlock...

What a great idea to adjust all of Skyrim’s Bosmeri sisters! I took a quick look and discovered that some of what I took to be Altmer ladies are actually wood elves. I’d say that’s evidence that they started off too tall!

I absolutely love At home on the tundra. Buffy in furs with a mystic bow on her back, adorable and fierce fox companion, and beloved Superian in all of her Skyrim glory.

Neat armor for Superian! She can really fly with Buffy’s petite Elven self on her back. I love how Buffy looks out for her mare’s safety.

Excellent aftermath of a draugr battle. Those three ladies got the job done!

Brelyna’s grumble is my favorite! Very funny when she is the one with the pack saddle. The mage in the middle has great hair! My favorite part is that you caught Buffy’s bear in mid-amble. I love it!

Buffy brings her colorful style to Skyrim! I love her jaunty feathers. What a great picture.

Awesome mystic archer in action. Mystic bow, silent feet, fabulous style, and possibly even a magical armor spell? This one has it all.

I love seeing how Buffy has found her way in Skyrim! She is an inspiration in the northern province as well.

I hope you and Buffy forgive me for being so late. But here I am! With Buffy and Superian braving the harsh terrain of Nordic lands I can only expect some good adventure from our tough-as-nails duo.

Let's begin, shall we?

Home on the range tundra! Is that a fox I see tailing behind them? That's what is good about being a wood elf. You get all these awesome critters to fight or follow you. I don't see Nords hanging out with sabrecats.

That's an awesome shot of Superian mid-leap in the wilderness at night. Ah, and I see one of Buffy's awesome outfits that I'm sure( could be mistaken) she packed with her from Cyrodiil? Ha, I'm digging Superian's helmet.

... and unleash mayhem that leave a bunch of druglords undead faceplanted, kissing the ground.

Hehe . . . baggage-mage!

I love her pose here. Must I say again that she looks as beautiful and fabulous as ever. Looks like Skyrim has nothing on her. She's not like your average wood elf lass you see.

Sneaking sneaky. That's one advantage she'll always have over those tall Nords and Orcs. Her size and nimbleness. As her bow master said, and I quote, "Your size makes you a small target."

Great shots, Acadian, Mystic Archer riding and not being slowed down by armor, is my favorite. And what is that bow on her back? It looks stunning.

Oh Buffy, you brave little explorer! You ride on Superian´s strong back through the wild and the snow up in the north in your September pic!



But I hope you´ll come back down and visit my elf at some point

I went through all the screens I missed this past year, and want to comment all of them (well, except the early Skyrims - but I already told you about that, lol). I just can't, it would take me days to do all that typing. I was so sad to see Buffy moved to Skyrim and I missed hearing the stories of all her adventures there. I would love to hear the story behind so many of these screens - especially the dungeons I remember from Maxical's trek into Skyrim, lol.

Anyway, I promised to tell you which Skyrim screen of Buffy was my fave, here it is. This is the Buffy I know and love, even with the Skyrim makeover (and SO GLAD she got that makeover, lol).

I want to know what face and body mods she is using, I may trot up to Skyrim again now that there are some decent mods out there for beauty!

Awesome screens, Bufffy! I have missed you so much too!

Nice to see Buffy cool her legs in the waters of Skyrim in this month´s pic

Two blonde foxes! I love it. Your title made me grin in anticipation, and the screenshot did not disappoint!!

SubRosa- Thank you! Buffy enjoys occasionally ‘escorting’ NPCs as temporary followers – not on a long term basis though. She tends to worry and fret over them too much.

mirocu- Aww, thanks! Buffy did pop back to Oblivion for a few days. There was much she liked but, somewhat surprisingly, she was struck by the lack of ‘presence’ in the Oblivion horses compared to the animated, warm, breathing, headtracking presence of the Skyhorses. And for a horse-crazy elf, that makes a huge difference.

Grits- Thank you so much! I love Brelyna; it’s just that where we have frozen the College questline, Brelyna wants to open every conversation with the same comment about the Psijic Order. We did make Bre’s hood removable and gave the poor mer a better hairstyle.

DE- I so appreciate your warm support and encouraging words!

Lopov- Thanks! Regarding your question about Buffy's bow, she uses a summoned mystic bow. We have some tweaks so that she can use it from the saddle.

mALX- Gosh, Buffy and I have missed you so much. Wonderful to have you back among us!



Well, the big news in Buffy’s world is that Superian’s gone blonde! I guess Buffy finally convinced her precious mare that blondes really do have more fun?

Buffy also spent some time exploring a new land. Yep, that's Buffy on the bridge.

The littlest Skaal. She quite fell in love with the Skaal and their views about living as part of nature. So very much like what Master Daenlin taught her as she was growing up.

Goodbye to Solstheim.

Nice to be home!

Disassembly imminent.

Who’s next?

A close up.

Buffy!!

Her adventure up in the north is inspiring! And I take it now she doesn´t freeze too much in the Jeralls anymore?

And Superian always seemed such an intelligent horse!

That's supposed to be Aeta, but she won't survive long if she doesn't bundle up a bit. I'm surprised they didn't give her a set of thick furs, too. I don't recall if anyone made a mod for that.

Edit: Of course they did!

Aw, Buffy really does look tiny next to the other one! I'm torn between that screen and the Coming Home" shot as my favorite, but all are great - just really good to see what Buffy is up to again! Awesome Shots!!

** Superian still looks really intelligent, Ghastley - her hair was just dyed blonde maybe? I'll let YOU be the one to see if the horse's drapes match her ... er ...

Superian is golden! From the trick of perspective in that pic, it looks like if Supes was a Trojan Horse, over a dozen Buffys could hide inside...

Lovely aurora in the Goodbye Solstheim pic. The light show is nicely augmented by the glowy bowcase on Buffy's back.

Fantastic Capriole!

Disassembly is a great pic of an arrow in flight!

Buffy has lovely green eyes!

Yay for Superian’s new look! Two blondes must be four times the fun. Or is that six times..? She looks great in her protective gear. I just adore how she and Buff are looking at each other in that picture.

What a great shot with Dusty the silt strider. I love how you composed it.

The littlest Skaal is super cute! How could the big ones resist the urge to bundle her up? Thankfully Buffy is a mage, so we don’t have to worry if her coat weighs as much as she does.

Goodbye to Solstheim is so beautiful! Buffy’s high ponytail works perfectly with her Skaal hood. I love the colors of her mystic bow and the aurora. A buckskin mage in Solstheim!

Nice to be home: Woo, Buffy is really riding that big blond!! (You know who made me say that!) That Stalhrim set must look beautiful on Buffy. I think the buff colored fur and blue Stalhrim would suit her coloring so well.

Disassembly: I would never have seen Buffy but for the glowing bow! How fun to see her at work in a dungeon.

Buffy looks so petite and deadly next to the sprawling bandit pile. That picture reminds me of her conjuror piles in Cyrodiil’s ruins.

Looking gorgeous in her close up! That necklace looks great with the Savior’s Hide. Very nice!

Dude, Superian looks amazing. Just like Buffy. That armor DOES look good on her! Majestic, formidable! The perfect steed!

Methinks Buffy may not enjoy Morrowind/Solstheim too much . . . the food there is . . .eh, not so savory. I could be wrong. Even still it is good to see Buffy getting around. From Cyrodiil to Dagon's planes to Skyrim to Morrowind.

Bonding time with the Skaal eh. Good. As a Bosmer, I think she would be sympathetic and eager to find out about their customs as they are not so different from Bosmeri ones. Nature loving and all that. In fact they have knowledge of natural magic than the ones taught in universities and modern schools of magic.

Epic picture! A real heroine!

That's a nice shot. You can truly see the speed in which the arrow is flying as it will hit the target. Pesky Dwemer bots!

I loved this one as it shows how deadly she is(something I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say). She made short work of those bandits. One by one. Who's next? I'll say!

Buffy looks beautiful(well, she is beautiful) in that necklace and . . . erh mah gerd! Savior's hide! Nice. Befitting of an archer/ hunter like Buffy.

Great update Acadian!

I have really enjoyed Buffy's November screenshot. The title made me grin!

ghastley- Uh oh. Now the blonde jokes can extend to Superian. I hope she doesn’t lose her horse sense. And you’re right about that child in the village; definitely needs some little Skaal furs.

mALX- Thank you! Oh my. . . I bet anyone trying to check Superian’s drapes might get kicked. Heh, I figure the mare’s transition to a blonde, and her heavy Nordic build, was something to do with the arcane resonance irregularities in the temporal field that allowed Buffy and Superian to travel to Skyrim from Cyrodiil. That, and the harsh conditions up there. At least that’s our story. . . .

SubRosa- Thanks! I figure that Superian gained less than a hand of height, but nearly doubled her mass. Your compliments on our night lighting are most flattering, given your own skill with such shots. Capriole, indeed! I’m glad that you liked the arrow in flight headed for that dwemer space ball. Action shots have never been my forte, so when one comes out well, it’s gratifying.

Grits- Aww, thank you. Buffy and Superian both ‘head track’ and I simply love sometimes catching them exchanging a look of love. Thanks so much for your kind words; your warm support always brings a smile to Buffy and I. And I really appreciate your feedback on the monthly screenshots I put into my signature. I’ve just recently noticed that you’re gracing us now with monthly screens in your own siggie from Jerric’s world!

DE- Since we have the ability to easily (in game) change Superian from bareback to over a dozen varieties of tack/armor, the mare now rivals Buffy as a clothes horse! Thank Mara for enchanted saddlebags to carry such things as tents and horse armor. I’m glad you agree that, at least in Buffy's world, there are many parallels between Skaal and Bosmeri thinking as it relates to nature. I thought you’d enjoy seeing Savior’s Hide! Thanks!

mirocu- Aww, thanks, mirocu! Buffy was so delighted to get a letter from her friend that she quickly quilled this reply -

My dear Lothran,

Superian and I have indeed adapted well to Skyrim. I’d have frozen long ago were it not for my enchanted toe ring. I’ve gathered some other items and abilities that now allow me to tolerate the cold almost as well as the native Children of the Sky. I know we’ve both always thought of you as a Nordic elf. Well, I guess we have that in common now!

I know also that this time of year draws you back to your Brumese cabin for the winter. Thoughts of once again being wrapped in a bear pelt in front of your crackling fire do indeed tug at my heart. I could never refuse your gracious invitation.

Your mention of a gift reminds me that Saturalia is approaching, and I would be delighted to spend it with you in Bruma. I so look forward to seeing you, along with our mage friends of the guild branch there. And Olav of course – he always makes this wood elf feel welcome in his Nordic city. Perhaps we could go riding while I’m there; I recall how well Aetherius and Superian get along.

Your friend, Buffy

My goodness. Our focus tends to be on playing rather than recounting or displaying the adventures of Buffy and Acadian. Yet, I’ve been remiss and let many weeks slip by. I actually have more screens I’d like to share than are appropriate for one update so I’ll try to be a little more frequent in posting here. Buffy is also participating in what seems to be an interesting RP here at chorrol. I find it interesting to write for her in third person, as is the norm for RPs – somewhat of a challenge as her natural 'voice' is so strongly first person.

Some representative screenshots from Buffy’s game -

Little ol’ me did all this?

Whiskey for my mages; beer for my horses.

What manner of sorcery is this?!?

Can you spot the sniper who delivered this shot to the heart? Answer:
At home on the tundra.

Mystic bow in action from the saddle.

Yikes! Buffy is really stepping on the cockroaches in that first pic!

I think someone in that second pic has had one too many whiskeys already!

Buffy found the dungeon with the glowy bridges! I thought that was so cool.

I couldn't find the sniper in that pic! That was incredible.

Ahh, home on the range, with Superian and kitty cat in tow.

Buffy is a Mongol horse archer! Taking on a Thief is my guess.

I found Waldo Buffy!

Lothran sends his thanks for the letter delivered by a frozen Kyne at Aleswell

*


"Mystic bow in action from the saddle" is my fave - what an Awesome shot!

I am dying to know what dungeon that is with the sky walk of glowing particles!!! I thought I'd seen every dungeon in Skyrim till I saw that! (Unless of course it is a DLC). That shot is tied for second place with this one:


Whiskey for my mages; beer for my horses.


- I gotta agree with SubRosa on this - looks like Buffy has already tippled a bit and is feeling her oats in this shot - I LOVE IT !!!! And even the child is stunned by the dancing of the other women - or is that the horse dancing for the beers? LOVE that shot !!!


All great shots, and started my day off with smiles and laughter seeing Buffy's latest interesting travels!


*

Its from the Dragonborn DLC. It is someplace in Solstheim, but I forget which dungeon. It was really neat how they did the energy bridges.

Oh darn it! I guess I should get the DLC while Steam is having this huge sale on everything.

It is heartwarming to see Buffy warming up to Skyrim. With the enchanted ring I know she won't have a problem living it out.

Wow. No Falmer left alive to hiss the tale. Buffy's still got it.

No place in Skyrim is better than a tavern, unless that place is a warm waterfall or hot geyser. Drink's on her!

That's an awesome shot. Wow, what the-- how did . . . nice. She can virtually get anywhere now. What sorcery is this indeed?

I can't see the sniper . . . but I see the arrow and the target. . . .oh I wouldn't of found her without the spoiler. Good eye, Buff, good eye!

Fantastic shot with Buffy and Superian!

An even greater shot with her in action in the a snowstorm. Love it!

Acadian, great job!

I've tried out the Bound Bow with a character of mine, but she needed more magicka than she could muster for bot that and the mage armour. She could forgo the latter if she wasn't towing Brelyna around. You can't sneak with a Frost Atronach in the party!

I'm now driving myself nuts trying to figure out which tavern they're in. The view from the bar cuts out the one person who usually gives it away.

And I note you didn't catch her laying out those bridges, although I do note there are no enemies down in the water, so she's cleared that area. From above, or did she .. er.. go down there?

Nice ponytail on Buffy in this month´s pic

And it seems to me Superian wants to go left

First, your screenie of the month is adorable! The pictures with Buffy and Superian interacting are always favorites. It looks as if they are discussing which way to go. Buffy’s high ponytail is such a great look. I love the way it shows off her delicate elven ears.

What a pile of Falmer! With Muffle in one hand and her mystic bow in the other, Buffy has all that she needs to tackle that crowd.

I’m guessing that the party is at the Frozen Hearth, since that looks like Haran and her daughter. I recognize Buffy’s friend Sofia, but not the mage in the brown quilted attire. I love their outfits!

That’s a great picture with Buffy on the glowing bridge! She covers a lot of ground.

What an astonishing shot at the Karthspire camp! Oh my gosh! I could only spot the tiny sniper by zooming in where I thought she’d be and checking for Buffy’s mystic bow. That was amazing!

It’s neat to see all of the detail on Superian’s outfits as well as Buffy’s. They are the best-dressed pair in Skyrim. What a lovely and peaceful walk across the tundra with Buffy’s big cat companion.

It warms my heart to see Buffy shooting from the fortress of Superian. When an archer can’t stay under cover, it’s hard to beat a big blonde in steel armor for a companion!

I really enjoyed this update on Buffy’s adventures! And I heartily endorse the “more frequent” idea. In between I have been enjoying the Kidnapped RP that Buffy is participating in here at Chorrol. It’s fun to read about her in third person. Her warm personality still comes through.

SubRosa- Thanks so much for the kind words! I love that Buffy can shoot her bow from the saddle.

mirocu- Glad Lothran got Buffy’s letter. The complexities of crossing that magic border between provinces have delayed Buffy's trip to Bruma, but Lothie can expect her for New Life Festival for sure!

mALX- Thank you! Glad you liked that shot from the saddle. Action shots are challenging for me. SubRosa is right – that magical bridge is in some dungeon in Solstheim (forget which one).

DE- Thanks! That sniper shot was great fun (and a bit of luck). When I freed the camera after the shot and went to look at it from the victim’s perspective, the range surprised me.

ghastley- Because it takes a second or so to conjure the bound bow, and Buffy is often under pressure when she does so, we generally forego both poisons and mage armor in the interest of more quickly getting arrows on target. Best defense is a good. . . and all that. Grits is right, that ‘Whiskey for my mages’ shot is in the Winterhold Tavern.

Grits- As ever, thanks so much for the warm encouragement. Regarding the ‘Whiskey for my mages’ shot, you nailed the location and players. I’m not surprised you didn’t recognize the mage in the quilted fine clothes without her hooded black robes – it is Illia. An armored heavy mare, mounted archer and critter on the ground to distract foes is a very effective traveling combo.


Superian as a blonde turns out to not be just a whim (Buffy goes through lots of those) so I believe the change is a keeper. Superian in Oblivion is also now a heavy horse with similar coloring. The mare now joins her elf in having a sizable and changing wardrobe.

Buffy continues to be very commited to her mystic bow. To address her concerns about sneaking with flashy magic or a blue flaming bound bow in her hands, we are pretending that her illusion quiet casting perk not only silences her magic, but renders its light effects nearly imperceptible to foes. Allies still see her magic effects brightly – which helps them avoid hitting the elf (and lets her magic show up in screenshots ).

You’ll continue to see Buffy restyling her ponytail from among several variants. Like her wardrobe choices, I struggle to keep us as she flitters and flutters among styles.

Buffy and I do disagree somewhat when it comes to a magic/familiar helper. I would kind of like to see her settle into one. Buffy, on the other hand, seems to prefer allowing her helper to somehow take a variety of forms. I feel as if she is winning in that area. Indeed, she displays the same preference in Oblivion. So. . . you will likely continue to see a variety of ‘familiar’ type conjured critters helping her.

I do have some ‘themed’ updates with supporting screenshots planned, but first I want to share a few of our older random shots -

Camping with Mjoll. Yes, that’s Grimsever poking over one of the Lioness' shoulders.

Camping with Forsworn. After a brief archery contest, they didn’t object to Buffy using the camp.

Autumn in the Rift.

Seeing you does an old man good.

You know I love you, my precious elf, but you’re sitting on my dinner.

Given how you fill out that blouse, don’t you find all that crag jumping. . . painful?

Buffy is hanging out with Motormouth Mjoll? Is she really that talkative? I think she would have frostbite if not for her Nordic Frost Resistance.

I love the moon in the Forsworn picture. It looks like it might fall and squish our favorite blond bosmer bowgirl though!

I recognize the Alchemist's Shack in the Rift pic. Is that bear from nearby Honeystrand Cave? I suspect that rather it is Buffy's ever-changing Familiar.

Buffy is looking good in her schoolin' clothes.

I hope Buffy does not fart in Supes' dinner! Oh wait, I forgot that elves and girls do not do that!

Looks like Anneke has some crags of her own! Buffy better be careful not to be hit by one of those things!

I couldn't pick a favorite among these three, all these shots were awesome!

I think Superian might be trying to steal the show, especially when one considers Buffy' screen of the month!

I LOVE these shots, and your captions had me rolling!

I think Crag Jumper is trying to take Sigrid's title from her, lol. Boy does Buffy look tiny next to her!

Awesome shots!

SubRosa- Thanks for those nice comments on truly a potpourri of random Buffyness. You’re right that the bear tagging along behind Buffy in that one shot is of her doing.

mALX- Thank you! It does indeed seem that Anneke Crag-Jumper and Sigrid Fire-Walker do have a couple things in common Heh, regarding that Superian shot, sometimes Buffy does feel like a life-support system for her mare –but of course, she would have it no other way.

*

I still have several small updates worth of what Buffy’s been up to that I want to post before we catch up with her current adventures.



Who knows why Buffy joined the Companions. Perhaps as a liaison from the College? Curiousity? Regardless, they seemed happy to have her and she quite liked them. She absolutely loves their ‘guild hall’. It even has provisions for Superian out back.

Proving herself to one of the brothers.

Proving herself to the other brother.

Buffy passed their tests. She balked at tasks requiring intimidation, killing forest creatures or hunting dragons. Her ability to recover stolen items from dangerous places was judged more than adequate. Where she shined, however, was her skill at rescuing hostages and escorting them safely home.

Superian getting know Buffy’s new friends.

Buffy was unable to turn into a full werewolf. The best she could manage the one time she tried was a little werefox, and upon doing so promptly hid under a table until the effects wore off. Surprisingly, the Companions seemed okay with that. Later, of course, she managed to cure herself.

Inducting ‘Buffy the Small’ into the Circle.

An ominous discussion with Kodlak about his future.

Consoling herself that the old harbinger now rests in Sovngarde.

But have the brothers proven themselves to Buffy is the real question?

Love all the frost in the second pic, especially around her fox familiar.

Superian must like Torvar, otherwise she would be standing the other way around!

As ever, Buffy is indeed a fox!

And a nice reflective pic by the fire.

These are some very powerful images in this set. The induction into the Companions was (to me) a tremendous moment in my game, that ceremony was awesome, and it did give a strong feeling of belonging. That picture would have been my favorite if it hadn't been followed by so many other more powerful ones.

I have to choose the last screen as my favorite. What an Awesome shot, and a great close-up of Buffy too!

Another greater than great shot is Superian making friends with the man sitting cross-legged - how did you get that shot? AWESOME!!!

I love this whole set. It is a truly deeply emotional experience Buffy went through with the Companions, and it shows in her expression throughout, especially at the end. I wonder, will Buffy continue her friendships she made at the Companions?

I´m glad Buffy enjoys Skyrim, and that she makes lots of new friends there


Still, we are two who miss her in Cyrodiil.....

Beautiful story and screenshots, Acadian, it's good to see Buffy among the Companions. The induction shot is great!

Woah. Buffy proving herself to the brothers was pretty cool. The particular shot with the snow is great. Her robes made it a cool shot, too. Superian meeting Buffy's friends . . .heh. I wonder how what will go. I've heard rumors some of the Companions eat horses for dinner.

Buffy joins the ranks of warriors. How awesome is that? Archer, and warrior? Lethal combination makes a formidable opponent even more dangerous.

I wonder how Buffy takes to the Companions(some of them) being a bunch of werewolves. No doubt she will seek out to help Kodlak get control of his soul's destination. The Hunting Grounds is no easy place, nor a place any true Nord would want to spend eternity in.

She's having some alone time on the fate of Kodlak. I know she can be at peace knowing Kodlak's at rest with the great Nords of old in Valhalla Sovngarde.

Several of those are really great screenshots, regardless of the underlying story. I particularly like the way the smoke and haze from the fire, in the last one, blurs out the people in the background to add focus to Buffy. And getting Superian and the fox in the induction scene makes it so much better. As does the fox in the conversation with Kodlak.

If anyone could keep up with Buffy in the chat department, it’s Mjoll! How fun to see them camping together. The Lioness looks great in her Nord armor.

I see Buffy’s magical slippers in her Forsworn camp. She looks great in her Savior’s Hide. What a lovely sky, and it’s great to see Buffy’s four-legged companions at her side.

Autumn in the Rift is beautiful. It looks like Buffy has been hunting. Yay for her following bear! (Lil wonders if Buffy’s various animal guardians might be an ancient Bosmer spirit, as changeable in form as they were whimsical in life.)

I love that picture with Tolfdir. He is a charmer. Seeing Buffy does men of all ages good!

Superian looks so comfy without her tack. Where in the world are they? Is that the basement of the Nightgate Inn?

Oh my, Annekke has multiple hazards poking out at Buffy. Impalement by pickaxe or smothering by Nordic proportions if she goes in for a hug!

~The Littlest Companion~

I’m so tickled that Buffy found a home (when she wants one) with the Companions. Her skills are perfectly suited for the rescue and recovery jobs, and her friendly presence must be most welcome to those traumatized kidnap victims. Just imagining the guards addressing Buffy with the respectful “Hail, Companion” makes me smile.

I love the contrasts and the similarities in Proving 1 and 2. Buffy looks hot in the Savior’s Hide!

Superian nosing Torvar is such a great picture! I’m not surprised that she showed such an interest. I think of all the Companions Torvar must smell the most like beer.

I love that Buffy the Small wore a mages robe to her induction ceremony. With her sense of friendship and loyalty she fits right in with those armored warriors.

That’s a touching scene with Kodlak. I like that as Kodlak is looking at Buffy, she seems to be consulting with her fox. If memory serves, Kodlak was placing a quite a burden on Buffy’s small shoulders.

That’s a lovely picture of Buffy coming to terms with events sitting by herself at the fire.


Jerric is trying out a mod that should allow the Companions quest line to be paused after Proving Honor by setting a high player level requirement before The Silver Hand starts. I mention it in case in a future game Buffy wants to join the Companions but does not want to go through the entire quest line just to keep helping them out on jobs.