Lothran does that too! Or a similar thing anyway

Elven intelligence, I reckon..

No, just reasonable aseptic technique, as any medical professional, Elven or otherwise, will tell you.

Lady Saga just sacked Charcoal Cave. This is just down the road from Pell's Gate, and across the waterfall which overlooks the Imperial City to the north. It must have been awhile since I've been in this place, like a very long while. I don't remember it being so extensive. So many sections and passages to explore.

Managed to find three enchanted items, much more than I'd expected to find: a Personality necklace, a Ring of Destruction, and an iron helm which gives the wearer the ability to breathe underwater. She's going to sell the charm and the ring, but gave the helmet to Maglir.

Ohh..! I remember Charcoal but it was a long time ago now. Lothran explored it once going down to Bravil. So nice of Saga to give the helmet to Maglir..





Did I hear something about a certain Weet bandit..?

Ugh.

That was downright hellish.

On his way from Bravil to the Imperial City, Tarvyn found himself drawn to the sound of a waterfall. Which had a pair of imps lurking nearby, guarding the mouth of a cave (Charcoal cave). He decided this was a fine opportunity to test his detect life spell, and headed in.

It started out well, but rapidly deteriorated. When Tarvyn was able to operate with perfect stealth, it was mostly fine. But any mistakes damn near got him killed, which happened four or five times in that cave.

Despite using the minor detect life spell so much he can now use the major, he's decided it just isn't enough. 60 feet is closer to enemies than he wants to be. The other problem with detect life is that it does nothing to stop him backing himself into a wall or corner that he didn't know was there.

He's also found that using a blade isn't even something to consider, not until he's got something that gives him a clear edge at that range. And to top it all off, there was pretty much nothing of value in there, certainly not enough to offset the cost of the healing potions he used.

On the upside, he's now an apprentice of mysticism, his marksman skill is now 39, and the next time he sleeps he'll reach level 2.

At least it sounds like he learned some good lessons in there..

One of the only good things to come out of that place.

But it did let me confirm that open spells can indeed be safely used to light passages ahead. Unless you happen to be 6 feet from an enemy, of course. But using it to line up a shot at an enemy some distance off? No problem.

* Makes note on Buffy's map to avoid Charcoal Cave until it can respawn from the adventures of Lady Saga and Tarvyn *

Buffy navigates in the dark primarily by detect life. Traps can be hard to spot though. Once she clears a chamber, she generally lights it up by sticking lingering frost spells on the walls to look for loot.

As you know, detect life stacks. Buffy has two rings, each enchanted to 180 feet. One is more than enough for dungeon crawling, but the total 360 feet is very helpful to her when out in the wilderness astride her mare. We also have tweaked the pink glow's intensity down quite a bit so it is much more subtle. Although Buffy takes those rings off in town, they are not particularly annoying around NPCs (unlike vanilla detect life).

CT, I agree that an open spell can be used to briefly reconnoiter a passageway ahead. And that it will not alert foes if it hits them. A 'light on target' spell can do about the same thing with the considerations that it travels a bit slower, costs less to cast and will continue to light up a foe if it hits one (if it has a duration). Tarvyn is getting his dungeon diving mojo together!

I liked Buffy´s idea of sticking frost on walls so now Lothran has one of those spells too.

Light + hurting your enemies = perfect!

Acadian - I didn't know that detect life stacks... but it doesn't matter to Lissa, (Annoyingly). She enjoys the challenge and the thrill of never knowing what's around the corner... and it's caused her a lot of trouble in the past!

Lissa had her hair done. Again. I'm not sure about the colour myself, but she loves it.

--

So Lissa's most recent adventure involved visiting Jessie in Chorrol. After a rather uneventful trip to Chorrol, she and Jessie decided they would go for their annual 'Dungeon Blitz'. What this occurs of is them picking an ultimate destination, in this case the IC and on the way searching almost each and every dungeon they should come across.

They managed to clear a couple of forts easily, including Fort Ash, which Lissa personally clears as much as possible as she thinks it is unsafe for travellers. Not many rewards were won (Thanks to TIE, which is a great mod!)

They finished up by spending the night in the merchants inn, a personal favourite of Lissa's.

Some pix.

Where's all the bears?

Erm... don't you own anything else, Jessie?

Dinner at the merchants Inn...

Followed by DANCING!!

How come the place suddenly got busy JUST as I'm ready to go to bed?

Detect Life stacks, yes. Actually my elf right now has both Minor and Major DL hotkeyed seperately. She casts these over and over again, which has driven her Mysticism skill up high.

Good to know! Lissa never touch Mysticism as it was one of her untouchable Majors for her level cap... but now she tells me she is interested in learning some magic, which is frustrating as I can't touch Mysticism! Haha.

I resolved to cheating and having her Mysticism at master level using the console. That way she can use it but not have it increased.

Rihanae - Great pix of Lissa! I'll bet she just hates it when of one her gf decides to wear the same or a similar outfit as she. Look at the dancing Redguard!

Buffy's still exploring in Valenwood. Of course she's got to clear every dungeon and play in every waterfall she comes across. Nevertheless, she's actually following a pretty logical search pattern as she tries to map things out.

Otherwise she wouldn´t be Buffy!


Lothran is now in the Valley of Horses. He talked briefly with a Forester and seconds later he had to slay a Timber Wolf who chased one of the horses. The wild Chestnut was so thankful afterwards he actually didn´t run away from Lothran, and even let him pet him

So Saga just bought a horse in Bravil. After leaving the cabin where the horse transaction took place, she turns to go find her new horse. She walks into the stable and all the sudden the stablehand starts chasing this MMM rooster! That He takes a slash at it with his daggar, and the guard saw this. The guard unsheathed his sword and (lol) starts attacking the stablehand! ... I did not expect that.

Saga really wanted to intervene in some way, but there was nothing she could do. Pretty sure the stablehand got killed.

mirocu - That's neat about the wild horses! Heh, that valley under the bridge between the University and IC is what I call 'Valley of the Horses' in Buffy's game. That's the home of Equestria, the University stable. We have about half a dozen horses there and a couple of stable imps that guard them.

Renee - Wow, that's pretty crazy! I think mirocu and I think alike on that kinda stuff: Our games are entirely too long to allow attrition of named NPCs. It would be different if new (and just as interesting) NPCs immigrated to Cyrodiil to replace the lost ones. In Buffy's game, City Swimmer and Savlian Matius are dead because that is part of her story. In a case like your stable hand though, what we generally do is let the fight end, then resurrect any dead named NPCs and make them essential. Most all NPCs that typically get into mischief or wander outside city walls are already essential in our game. Again, if you're not playing a multiple A-bomb length game though, it's not that big a deal.

Acadian: They started down that path in Skyrim and designated NPC's to take over as merchants in case the original ones were killed, but didn't finish the job. They could have made the replacements essential, and didn't. They could have provided respawning random replacements and didn't. The stand-ins in most cases were actually more likely to die, because their AI packages were mostly outdoors, where they'd be in more danger than the sheltered merchant in his shop.

I seem to recall there's one quest in Oblivion where someone takes over after another character dies, and I'm not just thinking of the DB quest in Bruma. It may have been in a mod, however.

Well, the Anvil and Bravil chapel get replacements eventually during KOTN after being slaughtered. But they are quite inferior to the originals when it comes to personality and likability. I would especially hate to lose the chapel staff at Bravil, as I like all of them.

Yeah, if you don't watch it, the Chapel's staff in every city can get killed if you don't get through the KOTN questline quick enough... ...Not that that's happened to me, like... ...Well, not every Chapel...Just some... ...




Aaaamywho, one of the quests I dislike doing most is the Darma/Hackdirt quest...So, what with Tharryn being an Knight of Julianos, therefore an Agent of The Church™ and responsible for assessing and removing Moral Threats™ and all that...

Tharryn went to pray at the Chapel of Stendarr, and whilst there he heard rumours of unspeakable horrors that go on in said creepy village full of nutjobs...

We decided to go "Investigate" and "Eliminate the threat"...With Extreme Violence™!!!!...

Booyah!!!...

Not one murder apparently... ...However, due to some bizarre and random reason, we had to pay a fine of 120 glod... ...I'm not entirely sure where that came from...Perhaps I stole someone's sweetroll... ...Still, The Church™ was happy to pay that for the removal of the Moral Threat™ (and also the removal of an annoying quest)...

Anyways, due to the lack of murder, we're still on course for our Glarthir/Lucien Lechance twofer...Booyah!!...Although, it's going to be some time before we go down the Skingrad road, so, hey-ho...

Er...Yesterday we finished the truly gigantic Fingerbowl Cave...I couldn't remember (shockingly enough) it to start with, but when I found all the trapdoors I was, like, "ooooh, I know..." and groaned...Aaanyways, found much stuff, expensive stuff too...So we sold it all and acquired much glod in the process...

Then, we quickly ran through the Invisibles quest and that's where we left it yesterday...

We're going to go look in Pikanuda(?)...Pikachu(?)...Machu Picchu(?)...The Ayleid place anyways...Then it's back to the ring road and the last run before we're back to Weye...Then it's the Chorrol road methinks...

Much fun!!...Oh, we're level 20 now, btw...I can't seem to help the power levelling thing... ...

Erm...Having just looked at all that I've written, I can't decide if there's spoilers or not...It says a lot without actually saying anything...Which is about par for the course really...Apologies if there is...I get a bit lost with it these days... ...

I realized just now that your Valley of the Horses is not the same as the one I meant north-east of Pell´s Gate.. Oops..

Don´t really know why the horse rescued didn´t run away from Lothran, the rest of them did


-Such awesome adventures, McB! Your Knight seems to be pretty busy

Immersion *Spits* breaking moment #616...

Inserting Hackdirt's Bible of The Deep Ones - rather ironically I thought - into a clam on the bottom of Lake Rumare...

That is all... ...

Think Lothran did the same with their bible

I seriously can´t remember where he dropped it.. Which was the point btw..

I might just be doing so with Saga. Seems like she might last quite awhile.



Probably so, but ehh, don't bother me if a spoiler or two creeps its way in there.

Oh, fair enough... ...


Well, this morning has been all about the Forts...Empire, Nikel and Ash...Much exploring, smacking down and selling loot...

That is all really...

Well, there's another levelling up; a bit of training in various "I could do with getting these above 50, but strictly within the ethos of the story etc..."...

Oh, and a degree of "Spamming of Alteration" because I couldn't do the locks this morning, and as the difference between opening with a spell and throwing the controller was only 2 points...I figured, what the hell *Shrug*... ...

It´s not called spamming, McB. It´s called training!

Yay! Another dungeon diver, applying the righteous boot of justice to the butt of evil!

Catching up from days ago: Jerric uses a pair of spells for pest control.

Now that he carries his own bedroll he seldom needs Slay Vermin, but it’s still useful for questionable inns and bandit caves. He really needs a “Dry Tent” spell so he can camp in the rain even when he’s pushed for time. Hmm.

The other spell was more often used in the days before his female friends watched him like hawks. In this picture Jerric demonstrates his (dubious) charm, fearlessness, and poor judgment attempting to woo Mirabelle Monet. The spell is De-Louse Nord, Shock Damage of 3 for 5 seconds on Self. Despite the evidence that Jerric’s person was free of active infestation, that was as close to one of her beds as he got. Cue joke about seamen.

It’s great to be back with all of these character stories to read!

Lil and Jerric are stuck in Dune. Sandstorm out of nowhere. Good thing it hit while they were still close to a beverage merchant!

De-Louse Nord! As adorable as Jerric is, I suppose it can be rather hard to keep track of where he’s been and what he may have picked up. I love utility magic!

Dune is a wonderful city. Buffy would deny being smitten, but she certainly does like that handsome Imperial who runs the caravanserai there. When a sand storm hits and Buffy’s there, she’s very thankful for being small. Once she gets Superian and the cat into one of those tiny sleeping rooms to weather out the storm, there’s barely room for her!

Ahhh! That's hilarious

YAY!!!...Jerric always cracks me up... ...

Went around Chorrol to Pillaged Mine this afto...Had to take on FOUR Goblin Warlords at once... ...That was somewhat intense...Especially as they were joined by a couple of rats at one point...Whilst I was furiously backing away down a tunnel with a door at the end of it...

Yeesh, not fun...Though staved off death well enough...Thank you shield spell!...

Erm...After selling the loot, I carried on that road that goes north-west towards Hammerfell...Got to the end of it, went swimming in that lake that's up there...Gorgeous area that...

Then we came back down the road, through the grounds of Weynon Priory...aaaand then it froze... ...Which wiped out the previous 20 mins, from the autosave that happened as I exited Fire and Steel...*Sigh*...

So, on consultation with the McKids, we decided that we'd already done all that, spiritually, at least...And then we turned left out of the city door, and carried on around and northwards along the Chorrol ring-road sort of thing...

We're currently standing by an Ayleid Ruin™ up north of there...I forget the name...

Hate it when I lose my game like that which is why I, and I kid you not, save every 5 minutes

That ruin, could it be Hrotanda Vale maybees?

Good strategy after losing a piece of gameplay, McB. I normally don't repeat what we just did because it does feel tedious. Doing something else, then perhaps coming back makes it all better though. By the time your guy clears the dungeons north of Chorrol, you'll be ready to whack some goblins in Pillaged Mine again!

Usually, I'm pretty good with my saving... ...

I think all I lost was from the last round of selling, so I don't think it's quite as bad as having to go through them Goblins again...

I'm pretty sure there was a couple of highwaymen up there with a few Ebony weapons...That was a loss...And a load of ingredients...But...*Shrug*...Is just one of them things...

It was indeed Hrotanda Vale!!...Much fun and thwackingness...Levelling up...Big fight agains a pair of Warhammer Wielding Wenches™ which took me down to worryingly little health before I noticed...

Very fun dungeon that...Enjoyed it muchly...

Sold ma swag...Awesome...

Currently still in Fire and Steel...Next, we're back off up the north road out of Chorrol...

So much fun to see you enjoying dear ol ´blivion again, McB!

Sorry if my near constant updates are getting a bit much, btw... ...It's just that if I don't...I'll just forget what I did... ...So it's as much a journal for me as it is sharing with you... ...

It´s not too much or wrong or anything other than a fun read

I love your frequent updates, McB!

Here’s a page from Lil and J's Elsweyr journal:

It’s still Rain’s Hand I reckon

The Desert


Dar —

Sorry about the mess. The elf chucked this little book you gave her into the fire tonight. I guess she’s done counting coins and liquor bottles for you. She’s had a rough couple of days so don’t take it personal. I got it out but you can see it suffered. Still there’s enough room to write some more things down for you.

We stayed in Dune until the sand quit blowing. That would be two nights and five pots of meat stew. Yeah, “meat.” You know it’s odd stuff if I’m wondering. It was close quarters in that hut but I don’t need to tell you she’s good company in those type situations. I’m talking about dice and card games you dirty fetcher.

When it cleared up we didn’t get far down the trail before she got her tail busted by a sandcrawler. I was involved with a desert troll at the time and I missed it until I heard her squeaking. I don’t think she knew it was going to bite her. We got some grubs out of the carcass for you to put in your potions. Real nasty, you’re going to love em.

Also we got so much spider silk and venom we may ship it home since I’m tired of hauling it. Most of it from one cave. Don’t ask the elf about that story.

Anyway today we had to kill a bunch of wood elves who came over the hill at us like they thought we were someone else. I hope we find a caravan out here because now we have a fair number of blades and bows to trade, all good Bosmeri make. That’s what made Lil toss your book in the fire. She started to figure up what we stripped off her dead countrymen and I guess that was the final straw.

Oh, that reminds me of a joke about camels. Best to just tell you later.

So I was saying Lil was in a mood over those elves we had to kill and it was getting hot. We found a place to heal up and get some rest out of the sun and that’s where we still are. It’s an ohaysis oheyes a place with trees and water. Lil’s splashing around in there now. The sun’s down and we’ve got some sandcrawler parts on a spit. I guess I’d better go down there and watch her back before something gets a taste of elf for dinner. We’ll stand watch tonight. We can’t be the only ones who like palm trees, and I’m told the smart folks travel when the moons are up. We may get some company.

I should tell you I’m in charge of the food and Lil keeps track of the water. I’ll write down when we see something interesting, but I’m not going to count up the ale bottles. Or maybe I won’t write it down but now you know I thought about it.

— Jerric

Grits, loved the diary entry! You can always tell a wood elf; you just can't tell them much.

Bless you... ...



Loved all that!...Awesome stuff...



Aaamywho, Tharryn headed north out of Chorrol and found himself at Black Rock Caverns...Much fun in a Bandit stylee!...

Then, having "Heard that marauders had re-occupied Forts Homestead and Alessia", he went in search of some ebony swag...*Cough*...He went to re-establish order in said locations...

Which is where we are now...

Jerric has an.. interesting writing style I almost got the feeling of Star Wars with all the talk of sandcrawlers and whatnot..
Nicely done Lothran and Buffy have shared some letters here at chorrol too and it´s interesting when the words come directly from their own hands.


@McB - Re-occupied? Silly marauders, don´t they know it would probably be better for everyone if they sold their expensive gear and lived peacefully instead of getting themselves killed all the time?

Yeah, I think the technical term is respawned...

Anyways, yeah...You'd think... ...

Damnedest thing is, they seem to have gone the full Deadric without me being around to notice it...Ah well, Level 25 and all that...Nevermind...All I want is the ebony gauntlets and shield...That's all...I've got everything else... ...

Grits- Love the journal entry, though I can't help feeling a little jealous. Mods!

McB- Ah, Black Rock Caverns, great fun, the first time round at any rate. Once you've been there once though there's not really any reason to go back.



Tarvyn is currently at the Wawnet Inn, and it is the morning of the fourth day since he set out from Bravil. The first day had been spent crawling through Charcoal Cave, and the second had been spent in the Inn of Ill Omen recovering from it. On the third day Tarvyn was faced with yet another storm, which forced him to dive into Horn Cave for shelter.

He found Horn Cave a far more comfortable test of his abilities, the residents providing more practice than peril. He's swapped out his open spell for a light on target spell he'd picked up in Bravil, and found it more useful. He's also getting better at hunting using detect life, either because he's getting a better feel for his surroundings, or because he was simply killing everything with a single stealthed shot

It was still raining when he left, and night had fallen. He pushed on toward the Imperial City anyway, impatient and a little annoyed that the simple task he had left Bravil for had not even been started. The only thing that distracted him along the road was the Tower Stone, which he's rather glad to have encountered, though he has no idea what it actually is...

Yay, a visit to Buffy Falls Black Rock Caverns!


Yup. That's my theory as to why all those generic foes attack with such wild abandon - even when outmatched and outgunned. They know that if when they get killed, they'll be back, good as new, in three days.

*

After briefly enjoying dinner and a stroll under the moons with Lothran at Pells Gate, the two elves parted ways. Buffy headed south for an uneventful trip to Bravil. After a day to visit with Daenlin and her Bravilian guild mates, restock supplies, make poisons and sell some gems and scrolls, she continued south toward Leyawiin.

It's raining, of course. Buffy's able to stuff her hair into her forest green elven hat (the one that doesn't cover her big ears). That keeps her hair (mostly) dry. She also simply loves the bound outfit of leaves and vines that one of her spriggan sisters taught her. As long as it's a warm rain, she's pretty happy in it.

It’s unusual to see Jerric with a quill in his hand and actually using it for writing.

Good luck to Tharryn completing his Ebony collection! My first character was a collector. I had a clipboard with what she was looking for in a chart. Whatever keeps them diving back into dungeons!

While it rains in Cyrodiil, it pours sand just across the border. Here’s a letter from Lil and Jerric. The details of their game are in there, I promise.


Dearest Buffy and Dearest Aravi,


I hope you each had a lovely birthday! Jerric and I spent Rain’s Hand the 19th sheltering from a sandstorm at a temple in the Ne Quin-al Desert. All of our ale was consumed in toasting your good health and the memories of happy times we’ve shared. We may have gone over some of the same memories more than once. I’ll admit the ale was much stronger than I anticipated.

We have just reached Fort Seaplace and the Legion soldiers stationed here into whose good hands we will place our fond birthday wishes. The Quartermaster bought our trade goods but offered no supplies in return. I’m not concerned. No one with either a bow or a Nord should go hungry in the desert, and we have both.

One of the legionnaires here offered to magically capture an image to send along with our birthday greetings. We were to pose together on the wall overlooking the Imperial City and Skingrad, but of course Jerric is Jerric. The result is enclosed.

I hope one day soon we may all share an evening together. Until that time may you walk on warm sands, dear friends.


With love,

Lildereth and Jerric

Dearest Lildereth and Jerric,

I was delighted when Cassius Vinipter, one of our Legion Battlemages at the University, delivered your letter! Thank you so much for the kind birthday wishes. It was wonderful to hear of your expedition to Elsweyr and I loved the picture! Lil, your buckskins, bow, amulet and hair all look fabulous. Jerric, I’m so pleased to see you still carrying your Wolf of Kvatch. Between the steel and arrows you pack between the two of you, I know your travels will be safe.

Isn’t it nice to see forts that are actually manned by the Legion, instead of goblins or marauders?

Green grasses and cool waters to you, my friends.

Love, Buffy

Huge congrats to Buffy and Aravi on their mutual birthday!

Thanks! Aravi doesn't know exactly when she was born - spending one's early life as a slave in Morrowind can do that. When Buffy learned that, she offered to share her birthday with Aravi. The two have been 'birthday sisters' ever since.

Ah! Today I learned something new about Buffy™!

Loved the Buffy/Jerric and back to Buffy stuff...One of these days I'll do the PC thing with Oblivion... ...


D'you know...I had completely forgotten quite how annoying putting the books on the shelves was... ...

Because of Reasons, Tharryn has (now) a house in Cheydinhal...Which is nice...My fave in the game...So yeah, house, many empty bookshelves...So I buys a load in Mach-Na's shop...As you do...Put them on the shelves...Urgh... ...

Nordy-Boy had sooo many books in loads of the houses...I know the Bruma house - his "Home" - was chocked full of them, all over the place...All neatly stacked and everything...Gods only knows where I had the patience to do that!...I certainly don't possess that level any more, that's for sure... ...

So now we're back on the road again...Cue song...Aaaat...Nonwyll Cave, is it?...North of Chorrol-ish...Much fun in a Troll-y stylee...Well, so far anyways...

There's a door marked Hall of the Titans...No idea what's behind it, but it sounds mightily impressive...*Applauds*... ...

Such fun to buy houses, isn´t it? Still remember my amazement when I found out that you could do that!

Heh, love that name.. Nordy-Boy