That's interesting that that is happening to you too... Aravi went with the legion soldier when she escaped Helgen, but that is the extent she has shown preference for one side or the other. She hasn't done any of the Civil War quests and she hasn't attacked any of the sides either.

The entire patrol shows aggression toward Aravi however, not just one person.

No, it's not vanilla. The timer on Deadly Dragons counts on every cell marked outside. If there's a clear view of the sky, when the timer hits 0, dragon(s) will spawn above you. I've had it happen to me in Shalidor's Maze, man was that frustrating, there was no real area large enough for a dragon to land in, and they kept strafing just under the object walls.

As for the abilities, that's also a part of the DD mod. Welcome to the next tier of dragons.

"By the twin moons! I ask you, how is it that such a vastness exists below the ground?"

"I know not brother, but close your mouth fool, you will catch flies if you are not careful."

"Is that a city?"

"How should I know?..Yes, I believe it looks like it may be."

"The Dwemer managed to find all the places to hide them, no?"

"Indeed."

"RAWR!!!..."

"Was that your stomach again?"

"A Dragon? Down here?"

*Sigh* "Well, why not?"

*Rollseyes* "Shall we?"

"Yes, lets."



Today, the brothers J'Zirlo and J'Zargo entered the deep caverns of Blackreach to find...Sommatorother...Oooh yes, the Elder Scroll wasn't it? After using it, J'Zirlo learnt the Dragonrend shout and then, in the nextness, got Ulfric and Tullius (the granddad from the new Teen Wolf series!!) to agree to a truce...Oh, and then as an encore we captured Oodaving...

Currently, J'Zirlo is stood outside that fastness that the Dragon carries you to...

Huzzah!!...

*Shrug*...Yep...Doing a bit more...

Denelle just fought a dragon inside Riften (vanilla, this one didn’t have chameleon!! That must have been neat.). It landed outside Mistveil Keep. Tythis Ulen jumped on its head and finished it with his… dagger? It was hard to see over the heaving mass of Riften’s unarmored citizenry trying to get their own piece of dragon. Shockingly, there were no casualties. I wonder if the whole town is essential.

I can imagine Aravi's dismay in her similar situation. Pretty much the whole town turns up to gawk.

Denelle approached Tythis afterward to commend him on his badassery. His reply: “I’m beginning to think leaving Mournhold was a mistake.”


McBadgere, it's great to hear from the Khajiit brother’Z again!

I don't know how you folks deal with dragons in your games. It must be like an episode of Walking Dead, you're on the edge of your seat the entire time.

Maybe someday if I really need a challenge, I'll introduce a dragon questline. But for now...

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

Loredas, 2:47 pm, 14th of First Seed, 4th Era year 202

The Mighty Khahkhayre has recently left Riften, and is now headed towards the fort known to house vampire hunters. He casts a Clairvoyance spell occasionally, to see which way to go next. Apparently the place is not very far outside of Riften.

"Wot do you think, Shadow? Think this is a good path for two Dunmer to follow?" he asks his wife. Her real name is Jenassa, but he calls her Shadow since she's always claiming to be the "shadow at your back".

She says nothing as she walks. Apparently she has no opinion on the matter.

Khahkhayre had recently paid a visit to Brynolf, who wanted him to take care of some delinquent fees left unpaid by Riften's townspeople. Khahkhayre took on this task months ago, and finally returned to Brynolf to settle the score. Khahkhayre has decided awhile back he's not interested in playing 'ruffian' for the Thieve's Guild. This is not something he foresaw months ago, that he'd be a sort of lackey.

During this time, he's become much more interested in being his OWN boss. Finding new places to raid, and plundering the Oblivion out of them! But the fort outside of Riften seems as if it might be interesting to Khahkhayre.

Why not? He hates vampires. Why not take them down officially? And get paid in the process?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Khahkhayre's Clairvoyance have led him to a small crevice which leads into a cave. He follows this path, and winds up on the other side of a small mountain.

(Hmm...I wonder if this crevice was here before installing DG, or if it's added to the orginal game somehow).

"Oh hey there! You hear to join the Dawngaurd too? Truth is....."

the man who speaks up to Khahkhayre and his wife now runs away, despite the fact that he can now no longer be heard. Hmm. Strange. Before the Mighty Khahkhayre is a cavern, with a set of waterfalls in front of it and a small lake beside.

All this time, Shadow is still silent, which is okay. Khahkhayre is used to her silences. He doesn't demand much of his wife, actually. She's a dark elf, and understands his plight. And she's a good shot with her bow, although mostly she uses a set of staves to cover her man. That's all Khahkhayre asks of her, and not much more.

"Must be almost there by now", he says to her.

The two travellers now come to a large building; more of a castle than a fort.

"Whoa! Look at this, Shadow! Quite a lot of stone, by the look of it. "

They eventually come to a man, an orc actually, who's using a contraption Khahkhayre has only heard about from his elders who lived in Morrowind before Red Mountain blew its top. He's never actually seen one of these devices before.

"Is that a crossbow?"

"Never seen a crossbow before, eh? Not surprised. This is kind of a Dawnguard specialty. Nothing better for putting down vampires. Here, take this one and give it a try. You're going to want to use it".

Khahkhayre looks at the contraption, studies it, and figures out how to aim and shoot a bolt down the path. Then he decides he doesn't want the thing, and gives the crossbow to his wife. He has no use for such a crude weapon, but Shadow will gladly handle it.

"'ere, take this. Want it? I do not"

"If...that is what you wish".

It is now dark out. Khahkhayre and Shadow head up a pathway, up into the Castle Dawnguard itself.

"Who are you?" asks a man who identifies himself as Islan.

As Khakhayre and Shadow walk into the Dawnguard, they immediately walk into the midst of some sort of discussion, serious in nature. He waits for the discussion to die off before approaching, and then Islan asks the dark elf who he is, ignoring his companion-wife.

"I am the Mighty Khahkhaye, traveller from Morrowind. I have heard about the vampires plaguing Skyrim, and have come here to help. I have already witnessed a few such creatures of the night"..

"Yes, you heard right, we can use all the help we can get", says Islan. "Pretty soon the vampires will know of our presence and will rise in numbers".

"I am ready to join the fight", the dark elf spellsword announces. "I have many experiences with enemies, all across Skyrim, from skeevers to bandits to trolls. Draugr and marauders have fallen by my blade!" Khahkhayre says grandly.

Islan then tells Khahkhayre about a cave known as Dim Hollow Crypt; Khakhayre has apparently got the job already. ... Some "Vigilants" were poking around a cave or something, and it's suspected vampires dwell there. Islan also tells of some sort of "artifact" that's been missing. Something like that. Khakhayre does not care for specifics, what he's to fetch, and who he is to meet. He only wants to know one thing...

.....WHERE THEY ARE....

He can't wait to show them his skills. Take a few back to their Night Mother, or whatever unNinely being they pray to. After receiving his first assignment, Islan gives Khahkhayre another crossbow. Is everybody going to hand him one of these contraptions?

(ha ha, it's so obvious Bethesda wants the gamer to KNOW they've finally got a new weapon in the game! )

"Really, I have no use for this thing! My magic is certainly more of a threat!"

He tosses the crossbow, and its heavy steel bolts, on the floor.

Eventually, another recruit, a man wearing simple clothing and hide boots, takes aim with the crossbow. Islan helps the recruit get situated, teaching him how to use it.

"You'll get the hang of it." Islan tells his recruit. "Watch the recoil".

Khahkhayre is amazed. He's just walked into the place, and is now given full assignment to level with some vampires. He is a full member of the Dawnguard, apparently. Why would they just accept him? Is it his enchanted glass sword? His fancy armor (also enchanted). Is it is demeanor? Khakhair is a summoner...does he "reek of dead things", then?

Never mind. Apparently a man wearing simple cloth clothing, with no experience in handling a cross bow, is also accepted at face value. The Dawngaurd must be a desperate bunch.... Khahkhayre eventually searches the castle as much as he can, eager to see what his accomdations are. He could use another home.

Turdas, 10:39 am, 26th of Frost Seed, 4th era, Year 202

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad208/x...e/Image0121.jpg

"Look. I'm a vampire hunter. It is what I and me mate signed up to do. And we cannot 'ave you taggin along with us. You might get killed. Best to live out yo'r existence in this spacious lair, eh?"

"You're not going anywhere. You can't just leave me alone wherever you feel and just expect me to stay behind. I'm coming with you!"

The Mighty Khahkhayre sighs to himself, looking towards Shadow (Jenassa) for support. She merely shrugs.

Perhaps there is truth to the legends, then, that the vampiric charm can be irresistible.

Most vampires are evil beings, their existence blindingly steered towards eliminating humanity, whenever possible. But an occasional vampire, an occasional really intelligent vampire, knows how to use his powers. Or her powers. And this vampire, going by the name of "Serana', has just such an intelligence, for she is mustering up quite a bit of charm.

Khahkhayre fights with his self, unsure of what to do. He immediately finds himself liking this evil being, who stands before him, not looking evil at all.

He has found Serana, in a sense, he has rescued her. She did not attack him or his wife Shadow, and when a small group of gargoyles came to life in Dimhollow Crypt, Serana merely helped Khahkhayre and his dark elf wife get rid of them. She appeared to possess some strong magic, too, that's for sure. That is certainly a plus.

What would it be like then? To add a vampire to his posse?

He knows of Count Hassildor, a vampire from Cyrodiil's 3rd Era. The Count had become the leader of a prominent Cyrodiilic town, hiding his vampiric tendencies from the masses until being exposed at some point by an adventurer whose name has been lost to time.

"Shouldn't we keep moving? I really want to get back home."

Home, eh? Hmmm.....

For now, the Mighty Khahkhayre, spellsword from the fringes of Morrowind, decides he'd like to keep Serana around. He and Shadow have lots of treasures they need to sell. Perhaps he can take Serana with him to Whiterun, do lots of trading, and then take the woman "home".

But he cautions himself. "Home" may be just the place she wants to take him and Shadow, before turning on the pair and taking them both to their deaths! Or worse....somehow causing them to become vampires themselves.

But he can't just get rid of Serana. Not without challenging her to the death. And Serana seems very sure of herself, centuries of combat apparently at her learnings. He decides it's best (strategy wise, long-term) to have her around.

Oh, good idea to hang onto Serana! I didn't think of that. What armor is The Mighty Khahkhayre wearing? He looks great!


Here's an update from Kentus Prime:

Frostfall 28, 4E201
Proudspire Manor
Solitude

I am home.

These past months have seemed one long night of blood, ice, and self-recrimination. I feel as if I may finally have awakened. At the least I have shaved, bathed, and trimmed my hair. There are two whom I must thank for my return to civilized behavior. One, The Slayer. He followed even while I was lost. Plus he can carry one dreck-load of dragon bones.

And two, Jarl Elisif the Fair. Fair she is, even in her grief. Her poise and charm are such that I almost forget she is a Nord. I have completed a personal errand for her, and now she smiles when I arrive in her court. It is a comfort to know that in the entire province there is one Jarl who knows how to sit like a lady.

Two days ago when I returned to inform her of my success, Fair Elisif invited me to purchase property in the city. To my surprise, the old dream of dwelling here had not faded. Also to my surprise The Slayer informed me that I possessed adequate funds. I had quite forgotten that he was still at my back. A Note: remember to thank The Slayer for two weeks of continuous valor on the road. And for skinning all of those sabre cats.

And so I have come to own Solitude’s finest manor, though admittedly the furnishings could stand a little updating. The Slayer has laid out a bedroll in the basement, and I have claimed a chamber up among the spiders. I expect I have a few things left in storage at Uthgerd’s house. We shall travel to Whiterun in the morning. Who knows what adventures will find us on the road! Hopefully profitable ones. The manor wants some silver, and DovahKen needs a new pair of shoes.

Hey Grits. Ah, so Kentus has taken Proudspire! Cool. That's where Crystal Beth lives in my world of characters.

In the pic is a set of vampire armor, he got it off an vamp awhile back just after I loaded up Dawnguard, so I'm assuming it's DG material.

Khahkhayre is a middle-of-the-road enchanter (he's okay at it, not great) and the armor is enchanted with Destruction 10% less cost + a 10% magic regen rate.

Magic regeneration is his weakest point, and for awhile, he would cast a bunch of spells and then have to wait FOREVER to get his magic back! Eventually, he found an Amulet of Akatosh (25% regeneration) and bought a ring that gives an extra 40%. So that's (um...) 75% if he's wearing it all.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two's Company, Three's a Crowd!

Khahkhayre is getting frustrated with his pushy new companion. She joined him and his wife, without truely asking. She followed him into a fort full of bandits (ruining his strategy), even though he specifically told her to WAIT outside. Khahkhayre frequently tells his wife to wait, and she always obeys. Not only is it safer for her, it allows the Mighty Khahkhayre to come up with strategies which she might ruin.

But this Serana. It's not right! Now, she's followed him all the way to Whiterun.

He can't get a moment's peace. The lady will not go away, and due to her extreme level of sorcery, he's not wanting to make this into a duel. After a bit of hush-hush conversation in a corner with Shadow, Khakhayre decides it's best to just take Serana back to her home, while Shadow is to stay behind in Whiterun. Shadow and her husband make a great team, a Dynamic Dark Elf Duo Khahkhayre calls it, but she could use some time away from her husband, and vice versa.

"'Tis going to be a long walk, are you ready?' he asks Serana as they start across The Reach's crispy golden plains.

At one point a couple days back, Serana complained about the sun. So Khahkhayre (being the charmer that he is) is now specifically walking towards Solitude in bright daylight.

"Aren't we there yet?" Serana complains yet again. Khahkhayre looks away, supressing a small smile. This is going to be a long walk!

So is vampire armor made from dead vampires then?

ha ha. Hey why aren't you updating anymore? You busy with work still? Or is Teresa's tale taking time away from Skyrim? Probably both, huh?



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Fredas, 2:17 pm, 31st of First Seed...bla bla....

The Mighty Khahkhayre stands before his new, hopefully temporary, companion. He's feeling rather bashful; over the past few hours, he's been slowly letting his guard down without realizing it. At odd moments, he catches himself feeling sympathetic towards her for some unexplainable reason, despite the fact that Serana is very capable and sure of herself. He can't help it though, he can't help thinking this way. Like she needs him, and this pleases him to think so.

Khahkhayre notices such thoughts, and checks himself for weakness, reminding himself that he's going to take her home, or die trying. Tomorrow. Yes. Tomorrow. She can NOT be of permanence. Not in his world.

"Well. 'ere it is. I like it, but me wife don't care fo' the place much, tho", he says, feeling sheepish again. He realizes he really wants her to like his home, for some reason.

She and Khahkhayre are standing now in Pinewatch, Khakhayre's unofficial cabin. He initially wanted to go towards Solitude, which is on the way to Serana's home, but then he remembered he's got to get back to Pinewatch. Mostly to deposit the large amount of coin he's been carrying around. So now he and Serana are here near Falkreath, instead of several miles northwards.

"Oy. What say you, woman? You like me place or not?" he asks, now feeling rather guarded. Insecure. He hates this feeling! It seems it's been a long time since he's had such a feeling.

Serana seems indifferent, and only makes an additional pressing notice on the factor of time, which Khahkhayre reads from a simple nod of her head. She says nothing, but Khahkhayre can almost feel her thoughts as they course through whatever mind she's got left after centuries of entombment. When are we getting to MY home? she's wanting to know.

Khahkhayre realizes. He is standing in his cabin, ALONE WITHOUT HIS WIFE, calmly trying to comfort an undead being to like him. He knows she's an undead, for casting a "Detect Life" reveals nothing of her location, but a "Detect Dead" spell will..

....shiver and goosebumps....

"Oh, what is it?" she asks. And she almost seems human when doing so. Almost sweet, and compassionate.

"Ehmm. Look", Khahkhayre goes on, a trace of nervousness. "....Ah, I know y'or a vampire. And I'd normally offer ya something to eat and drink, but then I forget. Y'or not 'uman, eh? Ya don't fancy as such, do ya? Well, I cannot offer ye any blood; none of mine, that's for sure!" he tries to joke. DAmn! Where's that bandit? Why wasn't there a bandit HERE for Serana to feast upon? If that's what she did.

Khahkhayre suddenly realizes. What happens if she wants to feed? And I'm the only one around?

But Serana says nothing. Only a trace of smile is there, perhaps, upon her palid countenace. ....This is nice, but when are we going to MY place? .... It's all she's been asking for these past few days.


When the pair first entered Pinewatch, Khahkhayre expected a bandit standing guard in the bedroom, as usual. But there was none. And this made things awkward. As much as the thought tickles him, Khahkhayre was actually hoping the enemy would be there. Pinewatch does not have a lock on its door, but so far nobody had stolen from the spellsword, so he's been considering Pinewatch to be his. All of Khahkhayre's gold (20,000 or so by now), all his ingredients, all his clothes and treasures, were still there. And that's all he could ever ask for.

Living like this certainly beat living on the fringes of what was left of Morrowind, certainly! Since moving to Skyrim and finding his home, his wife, and a life, Khahkhayre does not miss his old ways much at all.

But now that he and Serana stand together, alone without Shadow to keep things in check, Khahkhayre finds himself gazing into those reddish eyes (as red as his own), and liking that gaze! ....It's like falling into a deep, warm pool of goodness, he realizes, his mind off on a skooma break. It's like...well, .... it's like.... falling...falling ....falling.

Khahhayre suddenly SNAPS back to attention, dreading the days ahead.

"WhAT ARE YOU DOING WOMAN?" he asks, wounded to be feeling weak again.

Serana calmly turns around. Says nothing. And it's the fact that she says nothing at all that concerns him the most.

I just don't have the time I used. Work has been very busy, and is not going to let up anytime soon. I am only updating the TF every week because I had the current chapter finished a long time ago, so all I have to do post the latest piece. Once I am done (sometime in September), I will probably not be updating it for a while.

Oh well, that sucks.

Ha! I've got the forum all to myself!

7:34 AM, Loredas, 11th of Rain's Hand

Khahkhayre is missing his wife. Shadow. Jenassa. He's missing her. It's been a couple weeks (I think) since he's seen her.

It's funny how this happened. At some point, Serana the vampire and Khhahkhayre were both sneaking. Serana brushed a little too close to Khahkhayre, and I got the sense that he misses his wife. She always has her magic staves drawn (dual-wielding 2 staves at a time) and this is what he missed. It's hard to explain.

Since Serana does not have a set of staves, there's a comfort (or something) that my spellsword is wanting. See, I can't explain it!

Shadow is hardened, silent, and difficult to read. She has had some decent combat training. She is always obedient, (unless her husband wants her to steal ), and often catches things Khahkhayre misses as they both travel around Skyrim on foot. But Shadow/Jenassa is not very vibrant as an NPC, unless we've got her following us. Tell her to stand in one spot, and she'll stand there.

Serana on the other hand, is observant, curious, and mysterious, at all times. She's always moving around. Sitting and having a snack one minute, and getting up to look at a painting the next. Once, Khahkhayre even caught her drinking from a tavern mug, singing along with the bard!

Her comments sometimes take my breath away. Serana is one of the BEST artificial-intelligence beings I have ever encountered in a videogame. Seriously. She's worth the $20 I spent on Dawngaurd alone.

Anyways, as Khahkhayre approaches Serana's "home", he looks up to a rather gloomy-looking place. Again, it's rather a bit like a castle.

"Hey so...before we go in there....: Serana starts as they climb towards her castle.

"Yeah?" says Khahkhayre.

"I wanted to thank you for geting me this far. You've done more than a great service. I'm going to go my own way for awhile".

Serana paused briefly before going on...

"I know your friends would kill everything in there, but show them some mercy. This is my home. You are welcome to follow me inside, but if you choose not to, it's okay. But please, don't come back here looking to kill us. We just want to be left alone".

Khahkhayre now paused before saying

"So this is your home?

"This is it, home sweet castle". She sounded a little tired when saying this.

"Yeah, well it 'tis a mighty keep, that is fo' sure. Up here on the fringes of the north. Might be best to find a spot up here, yah? Nobody ta botha ye!

"It's something all right", she admits,

Her words were getting fewer and fewer, as if Serana just wanted to get out of the cold, and get inside. Khahkhayre agrees.

Khahkhayre the Mighty decided he'd like to follow her inside.

Poor Khahkhayre

I liked Serana's behavior too. I made a mod that allows other followers to do that stuff too.

Have you noticed all the little things she does, just wandering around and stuff? She's miles above any other NPC in Skyrim.

Khahkhayre delivered her to her castle, and was confronted by some sort of a Master vampire. This vampire wanted to know if Khahkhayre wanted to "join them by accepting their blood", and my dark elf spellsword refused.

So he was BANNED from their hall! They apparently drugged him, and then left him outside on the shores. I'm just glad they didn't also give Khahkhayre their "gift".

I'm gonna miss Serana. But I feel like if Khahkhayre wants to pursue Dawnguard's requirements, he's probably going to meet her again, under less friendly circumstances.

I've been totally spoiled with Kharjo. He's the perfect companion for Aravi. She was required to take someone else with her on the quest she's in now, and the dude with her is an idiot with a two-hander. He's always in the way, doing something stupid, or making a ton of noise when she's trying to sneak. Since he's a werewolf, I decided to let Aravi transform. It would be so much more fun if he would just back the hell off and let Aravi go berserk on everyone. Yet there he is, getting in a werewolf's way and pissing her off. I think I'm going to have to do something about him via the creation kit to either get rid of him, or let Aravi knock him out or something. He keeps turning on her (because the werewolf isn't going to stop attacking her prey just because an idiot gets in her way), and he's invincible or something. Aravi can't get rid of him after he starts hitting her and screaming BS about Sovengarde and Skyrim belonging to Nords.

Oh! Maybe I'll just disable him in the console after Aravi throws him. He can be 'unconscious' then.

Ha ha that's funny. I haven't met Kharjo yet in my travels. It's funny how some followers are perfect for our characters, and other followers are horrible. Cramp their style or whatever.

My fighter character (Gunter) travels with Stenvar. I think that's his name. Stenvar is kinda like what you describe, KC, just a clumsy oaf with a big weapon. But this is okay for Gunter, because Gunter is also a clumsy oaf (Nord) with a weapon.

Khahkhayre met Serana on the road already, which kinda freaked me out. She was just calmly walking along, and when Khahkhayre tried to speak to her, she blew him off with a comment on how bright the sun is. But it freaks me out, you see, because I don't wanna meet her as an adversary. And just to know that she's out there, walking around . .... *shivers*

"OH-HO-HO-HAAAA!!...Oh-ho!...Go on...Tell me again brother...You did what?...Nonono...Let me get this right...You were taken, on the back of a Dragon, to a city far, far away? Right?..."

"Yes."

"Where you beat almost a thousand Draugr and not one, not two, but four Dragons?"

"Yes, four."

"One of which was an Elder Dragon, yes?"

"Indeed."

"And then what was it?"

"I jumped into-"

"Oh yes, you jumped into a portal which took you to the Nordic paradise of Sovengarde...The Nordic paradise...What business have you being in Sovengarde, you fool Khajiit?..."

"Look J'Zargo, I just jumped into the portal!!"

"Yes, so you said...And once there, you met the Companionable man you saved from his wolfish ways; then met a Demi-God; crossed a bridge made up of the "skeleton of a whale"; drank mead with several Heroes Of Yore; put right an old wrong and defeated Alduin, the World Eater. Saving the planet in the process...Is that right?..."

"Um...Yes?"

"Pffft!! OH-HO-HOOOOO!! Ach!! Ow! You really are just too funny 'Zirlo...Really... "

"HUN-KAAL-ZOOR!!"

"...What the?..."

"How may I assisst you today, Dragonborn?"

"My unbelieving brother appears to take issue with my tale...Would you...Enlighten him?"

"It would be a pleasure...Tsun sends his regards, Dragonborn..."

*Gulp*...

*Satisified grin*...

I went to post Nivoniel’s update, and I realized I have not even introduced her here! Oops.

Nivoniel is a Bosmer thief living in the time of dragons and vampires. (Dawnguard, but no spoilers.) She’s joined the Thieves Guild and shacked up with Revyn Sadri in Windhelm. It’s a cold dash across town to mix up her poisons, but sharing Revyn’s bed is better than renting one at Candlehearth Hall. Revyn can be a grumpy fetcher, but his place is warmer and has fewer Nords.

Nivoniel is perking Speech, Lockpicking, and Pickpocket, all new for me. None are any help against a dragon, of course. She practices combat avoidance by sticking to guild jobs. This Bosmer does not like the woods. I don’t know if an urban alchemist is a feasible idea. I guess we’ll see.

*

Nivoniel slipped into Sadri’s Used Wares, shaking the snow from her hair.

“Take a good look around. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.” Revyn Sadri glanced up from his book. “Oh, it’s you. Finally, someone useful is around.”

The wood elf moved over to the fire, shedding clothing as she went.

Revyn spoke from behind his counter. “All my goods are legitimate, which is more than I can say for some.”

“Are you practicing your speech for the guards?” Nivoniel asked him. She stowed her alchemy ingredients in a drawer. Her pack went into the cupboard. “You’d better not sell any of this stuff, then. Pilfered goods, every last trinket. I’d like to leave them here while I’m out in the city. In case I get pinched.”

Revyn gave her a red look. “Put on a sack cloth dress, at least. You’re making me… unseasonably warm.”

“That’s the idea, old man.”

Nivoniel made it to the Stone Quarter before the merchant stalls closed. Happily, she was able to avoid dealing with the Nord smith. Her few legitimately acquired weapons and armor weren’t enough to exhaust the elven merchants’ coin reserves.

Nurelion let her use his alchemy lab, since she was a customer. Nivoniel brewed some poisons and called it a fair day’s work. By now Revyn would be at the cornerclub. Nivoniel fastened her hood and stepped back out into the snow. The job could wait. After a few nights among her guildmates at the Ragged Flagon, she looked forward to some civilized company.


*

Heartfire 23, 4E201
Markarth

Dear Revyn,

Damn these vampires! I’m coming home, but I’m going to be late.

First let me tell you about the job. I had to crack a strongbox. Went in at night, should have been easy. They had a war dog. Friendly fetcher, and no worry for a wood elf. Except somehow, someone reported me to the guard! The two stable men were asleep, and the place doesn’t even have windows! If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was the dog.

So after I finished my business with the law, I wandered down by the river to gather alchemy ingredients until morning. Then I could break in while those two (and the dog!) were at work. Took a peek into the nearby farmhouse just to see what they had. Nothing. I almost left them some gems, they were that poor.

So about the time I heard the song of a nirnroot, I also felt the rush of air from giant wings. Dragon! My plan was a good one. I hauled my backside up the hill to the guards, plus a whole mining community came out to fight.

We killed it. I survived. Then the madness began.

No sooner did the miners start to return to their homes, when a vampire attacked. Revyn, he put those Nords and orcs down so quickly! I expect the dragon got the assist on that play, but when it was all over I could hardly stand from the shock.

I did pick up a few keys, coins, and bits of jewelry while I was helping with the dead, but I don’t have the heart to go back there. I headed into the city for a few hours of rest until those stable boys got to work. I was climbing the stairs when the sun came up. For a moment I felt weak all over.

I did the job at the stable, but I still feel like sixteen shades of hell. Folk are telling me I don’t look well, but they don’t know how a Bosmer’s blood keeps us from illness. I’m going to rest up and head home on the wagon shortly. I might get there before this letter.

Oh, and I should warn you. I bought the dog.

With affection,

Your Niv

*

Nivoniel stood in shadow, waiting for the guard and his torch to move on. She had lost her key to Sadri’s Used Wares, and he might see her picking the lock. Tonight she didn’t want to knock and wake up Revyn. And she was in no condition for a prison stay. At least now the cold air didn’t bother her.

Soon she was inside. Familiar smells had lost their meaning. Stale bedding didn’t offend after a few days spent in a crypt, and stew left in the pot failed to entice. Nivoniel quietly went about stowing her gear. Her steps were softer than the Dunmer’s breathing. She readied her pack in case she had to depart in a hurry. Once as they lay together, Revyn had admired how the firelight caught in her dark Bosmer eyes. Now they glowed with their own feral light. He hadn’t survived for centuries by not noticing such things. Even though his blood would restore her warmth, she doubted she could distract him that much.

She used his parchment and ink to leave a note, in case he didn’t wake. The tonic she had prepared for him had several effects, disguising that it would also cure any diseases. Nivoniel had little knowledge about the changes that had ravaged her. Could feeding on a person infect them? She had no idea.

At last she stood over him, pulsing with need. Her healing spell should erase any traces she left on his skin. Fear clawed her nerves. Once she embraced him, would she be able to stop? It was reckless to learn on someone so precious to her. But she had been opening her legs as a bargaining tool for years before she met him, and here was a chance to share the first time. Taking his blood into her body would be more intimate than any sweaty tryst, she knew. She couldn’t look at this merely as food. At least not yet.

His heartbeat began to overwhelm her senses. It was time. Her hands shook as she pulled back the blanket. Revyn… With no deity to guide her, she didn’t know where to send her prayer.

Revyn sighed in his sleep, turning toward the wall. Nivoniel slid into the bed.




.

I was wondering if I had missed something about Niv the last time you mentioned her. Now I see I did not!

Why don't you just play dragon-free games with characters like her? It is not hard, all you have to do is not deliver the dragonstone to Farengar.

I bet that dog did sell her out to the city guard! Its a sad day when a wood elf cannot even trust an animal to keep from snitching. Shakti is also doing the TG questline. She will make a mental note not to trust any goat or chicken to keep her secrets...

So now she's a vampire? Ick. Poor Niv. At least as I understand it, Dawnguard makes it very easy to play a vampire character. I believe sunlight does not bother you, and no one will attack you because of it.

Wow, nice in-depth writing there, Grits. My update is not so in-depth tonight. Not much really new to report.


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Tirdas, 12:09 pm, 5th of Second Seed

The Mighty Khahkhayre has discovered a new village (new to him and also me) called Morthal. He and Shadow stumbled into the place after raiding a vampire's lair nearby. As they walked into town, a couple of the villagers vied for Khahkhayre's attention, and one Nord tried to pick a fight with him! But right now Khahkhayre is trying to stay as transparent as possible. Do his business and be on his way. Just passing through.

( Khahkhayre's roster of quests is getting a bit overwhelming. He's got too many promises to keep, too many items to return at the moment. He has no interest in looking for more work,...)

He and Shadow are trying on their way to Riften, where they will return Grimsever, an enchanted glass sword, as well as speak with the Dawn's Guard again. Khahkhayre's game has been a bit aimless at times, but he's got a keen interest in what the vampire hunters will promise in his future.

q

Sounds like that moment when the primary quest becomes "Unload All of This Junk."

I tried leaving dragons out of the game for characters like Nivoniel, but I like the dragons too much. I always end up putting them in. I like my characters to live in a dangerous world, even if they are not fighters. It’s interesting to see how they handle threats that they can’t address on their own. In Niv’s case she sticks to the wagon routes, but dragons can attack cities. So it’s pretty interesting when one does. She’s a decent if unperked archer, but she has no elemental protection. That’s her next task. With her new fire weakness and very little armor, she’s got nothing against a fire dragon.

I’ve never wanted to play a vampire, and funnily enough I didn’t intend for Niv to become one. I’ve been trying out the Dawnguard content with a Nord vampire-hunting werewolf named Mikke. She is pretty awesome, but not at all inspiring to write about. Anyway, with Nivoniel I wanted to see how Dawnguard would impact the world when the character didn’t do the Dawnguard quests, so that if/when it came out for the PS3, I would know whether to get it for my long-running characters. (So far the verdict is definitely no.)

I even chose the Bosmer race for the extra disease resistance. But when Niv got infected, I decided to go with it. She does not have the Vampire Lord powers, and I don’t know why she would ever go to the location where she would meet the right people to gain them. Sunlight does hurt her, but there’s no continuous damage like in Oblivion. No one has attacked her yet. She progressed to Stage 3 before she made it home to feed on Revyn. I hope they left the instant attacks in for Stage 4. It would be a shame for guards to ignore obvious vampires strolling around.

Also Niv is no killer, so the whole stalking prey in the night business horrifies her. She wants to gather all the shiny things, trade them for coin, then go drink some wine with her friends at the cornerclub. She is a city girl at heart, and the thought of being shunned is deeply frightening. This has been an interesting twist for her.

Yeah. Khahkhayre is good at getting things done, problem is he takes on too many "projects". And then he never gets around to returning to the original gal or fellow who wanted her sword back. Or wants to pay him gold.



What's interesting to me is that I created him on June 12, 2012, which means his Earth sign would be Gemini. It's a common trait of typical Geminis that they multitask naturally, can wind up having too many things going on at once, and therefore have trouble finishing them. I haven't done the rest of his horoscope, yet, but I will if he lives long enough.

that's another thing. Khahkhayre is also becoming an "uber". He simply destroys everything in his path, if he wants to, since I play dragon-free games. Every once in a while, he'll meet up with an enemy that almost defeats him, but at this stage Khahkhayre is one of the tops in my Skyrim world.




It's interesting when this happens. We intend or expect a PC to be a certain way and they wind up much different.



Yea I hope Stage 4 will make our vamps get attacked instantly like NPC vamps, especially for lower-disposition characters that already aren't liked very much. In Cyrodiil they wouldn't necessarily attack an S3 vamp, but they would start to comment on his/her condition, and generally seemed displeased to have a vampire in their midst.

And on the sunlight: I'm wondering if sunlight doesn't affect vamps as much as it did in Cyrodiil because Skyrim's light index is often poorer?

If I do recall correctly from the comments I have seen on the Beth boards, people will not become hostile even if you are a stage 4 vampire if you have Dawnguard. I think they only go hostile if you are in vampire lord/lady form now. Why would they shun a vampire after all? That just makes someone hip and trendy...


I think that is just to make it easier to play a vampire. After all, we cannot have any downsides to it can we? It is the same with werewolves. You can transform any time you want, rather than just on the full moon, and are never forced to transform when you do not want to, or lose control of your character and find yourself killing innocent people at random. Vampires and werewolves are very trendy in pop culture right now, and Bethesda wants to cash in on that by making it very easy to play one.

Ugh. That's too bad. Roleplay to the rescue! If Niv ever gets to stage 4, she's going to have to sneak until she feeds. Plus she's afraid to show her face at the cornerclub. Her friends would not appreciate a vampire in their midst, even if the game fails to make them notice.

Here’s a picture of Niv's new look. She had gone to the Ragged Flagon for a new hairstyle, but the facial changes are all vampire. She was a very dark-skinned Bosmer, and vampirism hasn’t made her much lighter. (Despite the guard comments about her snow-white skin.)

And here’s Mikke of Green River, werewolf vampire hunter. She’s kind of a soiled knight. Her lycanthropy has really helped with the drinking problem. That’s her buddy Torvar in the background. He doesn’t object when she goes wolf on some bandit or vampire scum. She’s presently travelling with a Dawnguard NPC. I’m not sure how he’ll take her wild side.

Without mods, sunlight only puts a -100% regen on Health/Magicka/Stamina and lessens them by an ammount defendant on stage. It's not to heavy considering by level 12 or so you can one-to-two-shot 75% of the things in the game. I've never been to interested in playing a vampire in any game, (undead is still dead, and dead things shouldn't move ) but there are a number of mod I've seen in video reviews since Dawnguard came out that adjust vampires. The two major ones will make sunlight damaging (and turn you to a pile of ashes if it kills you) and inflict penalties for not feeding including the option to restore the attack s4 vampires on sight.

I'm pretty sure werewolves are still once a day without the ring of Hircine or mods, but one that I am using sets a forced transformation on full moons (or more depending on chosen setting) though it does allow multiple transformations.

Though I blame KC(and Aravi) for reviving my interest in werewolves.

I must admit, being a vampire is very tempting, but Castle Volkihar is terribly messy, there's blood everywhere and the Dawnguard have huskies so...

Grits: Niv's face is so gaunt, it looks like she needs to eat more. Or drink more, as the case may be. Is that because of her being a vampire? She certainly does not look pale! That remark must be one of the those canned things the guards say if you are a vamp, just like how they comment on you wearing steel, or using a two handed weapon, etc...


lil: Yes, that's about I recall the vamp disadvantages. Since I always turn the automatic heal regen off (which makes restoration level faster) that part is nothing at all in my games. The magic can be offset with one of your standard robe enchantments. The stamina with potions or even just booze. Since you are not regenerating stamina anyway the penalty that alcohol has to your regen rate is a non-issue. The weakness to fire is the only real thing that could be a problem. But even then, only if you run into a flame atronach or fire mage. If you play a Dunmer vamp, you have a 50% fire resistance to offset it as well. Throw in a ring of waning fire and no more problem at all. OTOH you get an equal resistance to cold, which seems to be the deadliest element in this game, given how it slows you as well as harms you. Plus of course there is the whole slew of powers you get.


Hazmick: Huskies? I thought the Dawnguard has pet trolls!

They have both! The huskies have special dog armor, which looks great but doesn't actually make them any tougher.

They do! I'll take a screenie later when I'm home. I haven't actually seen them fight anything though.

Oh yea, good point.

Well I'm just about to turn on the Xbox and start a new game with another version of Haa-Rei the Marsh Ranger. This'll be the 5th version of him as the others keep encountering broken questlines and such which make the story that I want to play out impossible to do. *sigh* and it was going so well after 200 hours with Haa-Rei number 4.

Skyrim is a harsh mistress.

I have yet to encounter any broken questlines. Then again, I'm pretty slow at questing/finishing questlines. Perhaps by the time I start really buckling down and getting them done, Beth will have fixed all the broken ones. So far I've only finished the main College questline, and started Thieve's Guild, Brotherhood, and Civil war quests, but haven't finished any of those.

There was one a few months ago in Markath when my character was supposed to go into this house, and he got stuck in this little room or something, but after messing with loading/reloading, I finally got him un-stuck somehow.

guess I'm lucky.

I haven't encountered many broken quests but the ones that I do encounter up are fatal to my characters. The Mages Guild and Civil War questlines have ended abruptly and now the quest about the Aetherium Forge (added by Dawnguard) has broken, and for a budding scholar of the Dwemer that just won't do!

Some of these problems happened a while back yet Bethesda still hasn't fixed them I just need to make sure that I save often so I can always keep trying.

Do they (broken quests) start to crop up after a certain amount of play time? I haven't run into any yet, but my character is around 130-150 hours.

I don't think so, no 2 broken quests are ever the same. They can easily be avoided if you make sure to save often, I always forget though.

Mm. I see. I have reloaded things just because something didn't happen correctly. In the Companions, I had to fix Farkas with the command console once because he was supposed to draw a weapon, but for some reason didn't have one. The animation got stuck in 'draw weapon' and it made a hell of a racket.

I had a similar problem with one of my followers although I do not have the luxury of the command console on my Xbox so a nifty shield bash had to suffice For the most part though my game is bug free and runs smoothly so I can count myself pretty lucky. I've heard of people encountering pretty nasty bugs and stuff, especially on the PS3.

Haa-Rei is in Skyrim! I’m sure he was pleased to find some nightshade for his tea.

My ruined quests (PS3) usually get discovered when it’s time for the last step, though the worst one has Aela forever standing in the doorway of Jorrvaskr because the parties to be wiped out had already been accidentally exterminated. That was the end of the Companions for Jensa. Sadly it was a simple quest and a lot happened on the way there, so I didn’t think to keep a save from before she started it. I’ve only had one character become unplayable. DovahKen. Which is strange, because I have two other games that are older and vastly more bloated than his.

Haa-Rei loves Skyrim! Although he would prefer it if there were more Argonians to hang out with, Nords are awfully picky about what poisonous plants do or don't go into their tea

So far with Haa-Rei number 5 all questlines are going well, even though he's only started the Civil War and Dawnguard properly. The Aetherium Forge quest has appeared in his journal, which is an improvement on last time so it looks promising. Hopefully the companions will go without a hitch, he only needs to get up to the point when you become a werewolf so there isn't much that can go wrong.

Yesterday J'Zirlo got the quest from Farkas to go Kiw de Dwaaagon!!!...On the top of some damned mountain...

Well, the dragon kept (and I had to reload from the Autosave several times) attacking before we got to said mount...And thusly when we got to the official marker, it wouldn't update...So I'd be stuck...

So, fortunately I'd saved it before doing said Farkie quest and I gave up...

Although the Civil War quest ar$ed up partway through, finishing off my first char, Wulff Olfsson, Bard ...

Stuuuupid game...Totally addicted again, in the Bounty Hunting/Wordsearching type 'o' thing... ...




*Waves to Hazmick*...Nice to meet you... ...

*Waves back" nice to meet you too McBadgere

I need to learn to save more often rather than relying on the autosaves

In other news, Haa-Rei has purchased a lovely horse from the stables at Windhelm, her name is Eiroch. I usually avoid buying horses because they end up getting killed by a dragon or a sabre cat but I couldn't help it. I've also decided to try and hurry up doing the Dawnguard questline so Haa-Rei can join the Legion, he wants to live in Windhelm but as long as it's under Stormcloak control he'd rather avoid it.

Certain characters of mine buy horses, other ones aren't interested in them. My spellsword, for instance, is the first character I've had in Skyrim who has yet to buy a horse, he's stolen a couple, though, in his early days when he was more of a thief.

I often 'borrow' them from the stables in Riften if I'm between purchases If you fix Shadr's debt and/or win a brawl with Hofgrir then you're allowed to take a horse for free. When you dismount or fast travel they'll start wandering back to the stables.

There has been much Fus-sing about this morning...

To start, for a bounty, J'Zirlo Fussed a Giant over a cliff...Then a Sabre-tooth over another cliff...And an Hagraven off the top of her tower...It was fuuuniiee!!...

I've also discovered that Unrelenting Force will kill spiders in one shout...This is good!!...

Oh, until I activated the Aura Whisper shout, I had 17 dragon souls to spend...Told ya ages ago you only use a couple of them...(Unrelenting Force, Dragonrend (which you don't need souls to use), Ice Form at a push, and the speedy one, the name of which currently escapes me...Oh and maybe Become Ethereal...)...A good idea the shouts may have been for some, not one I employ to any great depth...

busy day for Haa-Rei today, he's been hard at work doing some mage stuff at the college. Now he has a nice shiny sigil stone as proof of his mastery of conjuration

Now he's going to do a bit of illusion training with help from his horse, Eiroch.

Really? I'm totally going to try that! My character doesn't like horses, but sometimes they would like to borrow one for a short trip.

Haa-Rei has had a nice, relaxed day today.

After mastering conjuration yesterday he gained access to the Flame Thrall spell which summons a permanent flame atronach, unfortunately he doesn't have a very good natural magicka reserve so today has been all about crafting and enchanting new armour.

Now he has his flame atronach, Narya, following him wherever he goes

He also spent pretty much all of his septims on smithing materials (about 20k) so now he needs to do some serious adventuring to fill his coffers. *sigh* no rest for the wicked.

Nivoniel the Bosmer thief/accidental vampire has gone through some changes (Link), and Revyn Sadri has broken her heart. I’m sure it was time for his usual pre-dinner nap, but he really did call her “useful” and then hop into bed as soon as Niv walked through the door. She has reached level 29 with almost no defensive or combat skills, so her world is very dangerous.


Nivoniel lifted her face to the dawn, smiling. The pale sun once made her blood boil, but no longer. Even the cutting wind was welcome, for it confirmed that life had returned to her body. The price had been steep, but the cure worked.

She heard a yawn at her back, and twigs snapping under restless boots. Vorstag. This amiable killer had made her cure possible, but she found him deeply frightening. She would let him go as soon as they reached the carriage. The next time a vampire attacked, she would use her potions to disappear. Nivoniel had learned not to fight. Even when she was one of them, she had no chance against a vampire.

Two days later Nivoniel and Vigilance stepped off the carriage at Windhelm. The door to Sadri’s Used Wares was unlocked. Once inside Nivoniel let her packs slide to the floor, breathing in home.

“Finally, someone useful is around,” said Revyn. He locked the door behind her and climbed into bed.

After he left for the cornerclub, Niv sat by herself for a while. She had held her tears in before, and now they wouldn’t come.

Every moment as a vampire had been a struggle. The hunger for more power fought with a burning thirst for blood until Nivoniel feared that every shred of herself would be lost. Thoughts of Revyn had been a shelter in the center of the storm. She thought that returning to him would be coming home to what was real. There was still a place for her here. As he said, she knew how to be “useful.” Nivoniel slipped from the bed and picked up her clothes.

How fortunate that she had not yet unpacked. No vampires attacked them as she and Vigilance walked across the bridge to the carriage. For a moment she stood under the moons with her Amulet of Mara in hand, ready to fling the thing into the river. But instead she tucked it back into a pocket. Nivoniel was alive again, and life meant hope. Her bed at the Flagon was no more a home than a gutter, but she wouldn’t live there forever. Niv whistled for Vigilance and headed down toward the carriage.