FWIW, my game has always read skill books before they can be picked up.

Video: Ugh, that’s the fight I was worried about! Those Falmer Shadowmasters are very scary. I was wishing for Kharjo with his heavy shield! I remember Big D playing tag around that fountain trying not to die while Erik the Slayer saved his butt.

I loved watching Aravi take down the Centurion. Lightly armored means light on your feet! Yikes, at the end it looked like she hit its off button. Woo hoo, daedric arrows!! It was fun to see Aravi testing her crossbow vs. ebony bow in this adventure.

Gulp. Blackreach! I’m glad Aravi decided to save that for another day. It’s good that she bundled up before heading out into that blizzard! Maybe the dragon will warm things up. Now I guess it’s time to play “Where’s Kharjo.” I’m guessing… at an inn? Beside the fire with a tankard or taking a nap?

Screens: Dragon battle looks great with that Ward! Aravi’s gear is barbarian approved. (May she always remember to keep her Ward and shield spells up! ) Sneak is my favorite. The way the Muffle spell lights up Aravi’s face is lovely. Her expression in Never Wake is another winner. Plus it’s fun to see that she has a glass sword!

The backrubs are hilarious.

Interesting. Maybe it is the mod I am using that identifies each skill a book levels up in its title?

@Acadian: It makes me glad that Kharjo’s importance was clear in this video. Aravi can handle herself… but anyone could use a little help now and then. Summon Kharjo spell! It certainly did keep going downhill there.

Glad you like Aravi’s new clothing so much! Thanks Acadian!

@mALX: Knew you would like her expression in those, she has another neat on in ‘never wake.’ Backrubs was a total surprise, but I loved it! Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: Falmer are just plain tough for Aravi to take on, I’m not even sure what it is about them. They are just plain dangerous.

It really surprises me that people want to overpower their characters that much with those mods. It just isn’t fun then.

Kharjo would have actually made that centurion fight more difficult. Aravi was able to move as she needed to, to keep out of its reach. With Kharjo, she would have felt more obligated to stand with him and take it down.

No Blackreach, Aravi has had enough of a walk about. No more falmer!

Thanks on ‘Khajiit like to sneak!’ Even though those clothes don’t cover her much, it sure makes her cute! The backrubs were a lovely surprise for Aravi! Thanks SubRosa!

@LL: Crossbow is nice, but at the moment, the enchantment of the bow makes it stronger than the crossbow. Those damn falmer never die fast.

I hope the Khajiit never had the misfortune of meeting that little twerp. The forsworn had his head removed a second after that picture was taken. Glad you like her new clothing. Thanks LL!

@Grits: Someone else that hates the falmer as much as Aravi does! She was better able to stay ahead of the centurion without Kharjo than with. Those falmer though… he would have made that go a lot better.

Aravi’s gear is probably Jerric approved, though he’ll be distracted in battle! Backrubs were a wonderful surprise. Glad you like ‘sneak’ and never wake.’ I like all of those screens, but those were my favorite. Thanks Grits!

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I’ve been out of town, and I still am, which is why this update is late. I brought some screen shots to upload on a flash drive, and just found the flash drive had been reformatted by another device, DESPITE telling the damn thing NO! Damnit!

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Aravi waits for several days for Kharjo and his caravan to appear. She starts to worry and walks the road in hopes to run into them.

6:45

Frostbite Spider. I do not miss those things.

Kharjo is back. Yay! Kharjo feels just as much a part of Skyrim Aravi as Vilja did with Oblivion Aravi.

Back to Fort Dawnguard, and the vamp attack upon it. I got a little bit beyond this part.

The first half of this was such a beautiful backdrop and character study of Aravi. You perfectly captured her anxiety, then joyful sprint as she found the caravan with Kharjo. It was smile-inducing magic to hear his soothing and reassuring voice again. Yay!

DawnguardOldButNotStupidDude was really voiced by an insomnia-curing actor! So, it seems Aravi is off to recruit a clever, scrappy woman and a Nordic beastmaster to help fight the vamps.

First, I hope Aravi is taking Kharjo someplace warm.

Holy Cow, I was shocked they attacked in Whiterun and the only bodies I saw were the Companions! I hope the old lady didn't die! I wonder if they ever attack while the Player is there or if it is something you always come back and find? Kind of guessed Aravi's beast would be the one handling the Silver Hand, lol. Holy Cow, that one guy flew across the room! And didn't her ally get disgusted and strike her with his sword when he saw her feeding, when he himself is a werewolf? ROFL !! Awesome vid!


One of the things that thrilled me most about the Companions was their ceremonies, and they did it again with this burial pyre of Kodlak. Loved this vid, and the discussions and conviction by Vilkas that Kodlak's last wishes being met. Awesome Vid!


And now we find out why the Player character was so needed by the Companions, when the real fight begins the men wait in safety or run from spiders while the two women go on to fight! Urk! WOO HOO! We can become the Harbinger? I may have to go through the Companions questline after all, I loved Kodlak's apartment there! Love that shield, too! Great vid!


WOO HOO! Serana, where did she come from? And a combo Bandit/Falmer/Dwemer dungeon? I like that the Sentries were disposing of enemies that would have attacked Aravi too, never saw that happen before! Nice dungeon (both vids)!


Yeah, Kharjo is back! Losing him would have been like losing Vilja in Oblivion, he has become too much a part of Aravi's life to leave behind! Was he still carrying Aravi's things when she found him? The vampires attacking the Dawnguard was kind of funny. That guy sure is rude to Aravi for someone that doesn't leave the place to run these chores himself! ROFL !!! Great vid!

Caught up, Awesome vids, all of them!

This post has been edited by mALX: Jan 1 2013, 05:24 PM

Aravi’s loneliness came through with her looks at the empty campsite and snowy sky. (I just loved her little Khajiit hop over the fence. ) Snowy, unfriendly, and mostly empty woods and then Kharjo!! Aravi’s reaction when she saw the caravan really made me smile!

LOL, taking him somewhere warm sounded a little this time.

Oh, the Rift! She did take him somewhere warm.

Wow, Isran is not one for pep talks. I like the way that conversation came across despite Isran’s complete lack of charisma. Aravi knows about vampire hunting, and Isran is relying on her to build their team. He really does sound old and tired. I kept kind of gasping for breath while he was talking.

This video had the feeling of launching a new phase. Aravi’s attachment to Kharjo and his great value as a partner came through while she was alone, and they were clearly happier to be together than they were apart. I love how you manage to communicate these things. Great job, KC!

@SubRosa: Your comment on Kharjo made me very happy. Thank you SubRosa!

@Acadian: Aravi was really getting antsy there waiting for him. If she hadn’t run into him when she did, she would have walked all the way to Riften (opposite side of the map) to find him if she needed to. I’m very glad her feelings came through well. Thanks Acadian!

@mALX: That Silver Hand attack happens while you are doing the previous quest. Kodlak is the only Companion that dies, the rest are Silver Hand. Vilkas wasn’t disgusted and he didn’t hit Aravi in the video. I did have to save and reload a LOT because he kept running in Aravi’s way while she was attacking, triggering the friendly attack thing. He was such a pain in the *** compared to Kharjo.

My favorite part of the funeral was finding his journal!

Spiders! Aravi hates spiders more than anything and Farkas wimps out while she deals with her fear.

Serana can be found on the roads sometimes after you escort her back to her family’s castle. Don’t know what she’s doing.

Kharjo’s back! Aravi was so happy so see him again. He still had everything, you just have to take something out of his inventory or put something in it for him to update his equipped stuff.

Thanks mALX!

@Grits: It was really surprising to Aravi how much she really missed him. She knew he would show up there eventually, but then you saw her take to the roads on her own to find him.

Glad you liked her hop over the fence. Any other character would have gone around. Not a Khajiit!

I’m glad Isran has someone as capable as Aravi! Just imagine if he had a first time vampire hunter?

I’m very pleased I was able to show their relationship changing. It’s never easy to show things like that. Thanks Grits!

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Aravi and Kharjo search the Rift and find Gunmar, the beast tamer, outside of a cave.

6:05

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Screens!

A werewolf doesn’t sleep well

Quiet moment

Running through the forests of the Rift

Post battle

Somewhere warm

I’ll join you

I like Aravi keeping watch over Kharjo sleeping, that is a real role reversal! Loved the “Running through the Rift” and “Post Battle,” but my favorite has to be “I’ll Join You” for the expressions on their faces! Awesome shots!

Oh, I am loving this Dawnguard side of the DLC! I like these quests you are being sent on! The loot in this cave was great, were there more bears below? I saw a shield spell go off below the bridge Aravi was on! Loved this vid, and this quest line! Awesome Update!

Some great scenery and vistas before finding Gunmar. ‘I’ll help if you do this task for me.’ Where have I heard that before? Kharjo’s words of warning outside that cave were prophetic. At least Gunmar seems likable and went with A&K instead of trying to send them alone to deal with that rogue bear.

Great screenshots of Aravi with her demons and with Kharjo. I really like Post Battle since it is such a nice close up of Aravi. Running through the forest was great also with its golden foliage and blue butterflies.

About damn time Aravi finds Kharjo again. The two are inseperable. It was fun to see her sprint to Kharjo, and then him comment on how warm her presence is! Aww!

Isran: "Who is she? And more importantly . . .where is she?"

Aravi: She's the daughter of a powerful vampire lord.

Isran: -_-

My exact thoughts! Aravi should've just went Hircine on them! But not even her is powerful than Bethesda's crappy writing.

Isran's voice . . .I love it! It's so damn good!

The screens are lovely. "Werewolves don't sleep well" is awesome! You can tell Aravi's upset while sitting there when Kharjo gets a good night sleep. She sure has eternal insomnia, doesn't she? I would too if I could hear a beating heart of a nearby person as loud as a battle drum or insects crawling about. Those enhanced sense of hearing can ruin anyone's night.

The "Quiet Moment," oozes with romance! It just does!

Aravi running through the wilderness was a nice one. I wonder why she's running though. The rest of the pictures are amazing, and it's good to see the pair back together!

Ah, we find Gunmar hunting a Rohugh, though his plans change when he discovers that the Dawnguard and Isran are up against the blood-sucking menace. Nice to see the team gang-up on Smokey in the cave. And nothing more satisfying than seeing a Troll set aflame . . .haha . . .I love it.

So, we're up to recruiting the talented for the Dawnguard! Hooray!

Gunmar is a pretty easy one to find. Assuming you do it right after leaving Fort Dawnguard. It looks like he is in a different place in Aravi's game than he was in mine. I found him down at the southern edge of the map. It must be a radiant quest.

Nice use of Kyne's Peace with the bear. That was probably the first shout I modded into a spell.

It's a long way down to Eastmarch!

I just love hearing everyone else's opinions of Isran. He certainly does not go out of his way to make people like him!

Well that bear did not last long. But there is a troll behind it! Where did that come from? That was a some good shooting by Aravi and Kharjo, to save Gunny from getting his face ripped off.

I have never seen anyone dual wield a sword and pickaxe before!

Lots of good stills. I really like Running Through the Forest and I'll Join You. She looks icky in that one with all the blood! Good thing she cleans up afterward!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 4 2013, 11:07 PM

Clearspring Tarn is so pretty! A pond with a view. It was cute how Aravi took advantage of not wearing boots to step into the edge a little.

I just love Gunmar’s voice. Lol, pickaxe?! Gunmar doesn’t need two swords! He could get that bear with a wooden spoon and a flyswatter. And two Khajiit, of course.

Yikes, Aravi doesn’t look thrilled to be up all night. How sweet that she’s resting near Kharjo while he sleeps. Quiet Moment is adorable.

This is a great group of screens! Running is just beautiful, and I love the way the healing spell picture looks.

Somewhere Warm really shows off Aravi’s spots! I really like the color in that one.

But I’ll Join You is my favorite. It’s neat because they’re relaxing with Kharjo’s old caravan, but mostly I just love the way they’re looking toward each other. Aravi’s face looks lovely the way it stands out from the shadows.

@mALX: I really like the quests in Dawnguard. I haven’t seen what the vampire ones are like, but the ones Aravi’s doing are fantastic. I can forgive some of the nonsensical things they have you do, just because it’s so fun.

Aravi couldn’t sleep in that picture so she could have decided to read or do something else. She decided to sit next to Kharjo. Maybe being next to him would calm her down enough to doze off? Thanks mALX!

@Acadian: Skyrim isn’t all freeing winds and snow! Aravi lived in that area for a while. Very pretty.

I knew you (or your little elf) would like the butterflies in the forest pic. Post battle was very bloody, you should have seen what the rest of her looked like. Thanks Acadian!

@LL: Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense to deliver her to her castle when you know she is a vampire. Isran has a great voice, that is for damn sure. Makes Harkon sound like a wuss. Thanks LL!

@DE: Werewolves don’t sleep: Some nights are worse than others. I wonder why?

I’m surprised you and Grits are the only ones to say something about ‘Quiet moment.’ That was my favorite of that batch.

Gunmar could have mentioned there was a troll in the cave. Not that it wasn’t too difficult to deal with. Thanks DE!

@SubRosa: Really? I’ve done that quest twice with Gunmar and both times he was at that same place.

Kyne’s Peace is a really useful shout. Plus the words kind of sound cool. Animal Allegiance works too if you don’t have Kyne’s Peace.

Since I don’t have to deal with Isran, I kind of like him for that, BUT if I did I would hate the SOB.

I’ve seen some bandits fight with the wood cutting axe, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use a pickaxe before as a weapon.

You should have seen the rest of Aravi’s body in the icky one! Glad you liked the pics. Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: You don’t miss anything! Aravi likes water, so she had to step in a little.

Lol, Gunmar can take anything! With two Khajiit of course.

Quiet moment is my favorite of the batch, the colors and the expressions. I put in the camp fire pic just to show what I thought was some amazing colors. Loved the light in that one. Kharjo looked so cool when he sat on that rock, Aravi had to join him. Thanks Grits!

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Sorine Jurard is next on Isran’s list of recruits. Aravi and Kharjo search the Reach for her.

10:37

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Screens!

The wolf approaches

The wolf feeds

Not even Jerric could eat that… (if you are eating this will ruin your appetite)

Sitting by the fire

Warming her toes

I wonder if Sorine is a descendant of Arielle Jurard?

"Isran, wants me? You must be mistaken."

She really wants that gyro. Whoever would have guessed that the Dwarves would have made so much Greek food?

Uh oh, lots of red dots. In the Reach that usually means... Forsworn. Wow, that opening Yol really put the smack down on them all! Great finish with the simultaneous bow and staff shots.

Dragontooth Crater. I do not believe I have ever been there before. I loved Aravi cautiously searching the cliffs overhead for dragons.

There it is, right on the ground. Well, that woke it up! Wow, one flurry of her swords and that is all she wrote!

I could live without that wolf approaching me, certainly without it being close enough to see that second pic!

Aww, no love for the charred skeever? You can make cure disease potions from that.

I love how Aravi put her gloves next to the fire to warm up. And the last one is just purely delightful.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jan 7 2013, 06:59 PM

“The wolf feeds” looks so realistic! I got a kick out of the “Not even Jerric…” it looks like Aravi is puking at the sight of that Skeever! Loved that shot! “Sitting by the fire” - is she sitting on a bench? I can’t see the bench!

My favorite (of course) - “Warming her toes.” LOVE that screen!

I am so loving this Dawnguard side of the DLC! These quests are fun! I got a kick out of her not walking 20 feet to find her gyros, ROFL !!!

That Forsworn fight was awesome, Aravi cut the numbers down quickly with her fiery shout! Wow, that Forest Dragon was slow compared to others she’s fought! Awesome Vid and update!

It was fun seeing Aravi hopping around during the opening moments en route to find Sorine.

“Do you think mud crabs took it? I saw one the other day.” Oh my, the second part of that sentence sounds familiar to us Cyrodiilites! Well, I’m wondering if, like the beast tamer guy, this will involve a task. . . killing a dwarf and cutting off one of his gyros maybe? Whew, she found the sachel and it wasn’t even guarded by killer mud crabs. No doubt much more elegant than what I feared.

Jumped by a bunch of 4sworn! I loved seeing K-Kat briefly switch to his dual staves and launch some mojo of his own near the end of the fight. And, as ever, I enjoyed hearing his post-healing nap dialogue.

Ah, another dungeon as Aravi carefully scopes out the rocks above for hiding snipers. By Mara! I didn’t even realize it was a dragon until after Aravi shot it. I guess the name of the dungeon should have clued me. Gosh, that dragon didn’t mount much of an offense (thankfully).

Nice screens! I very much enjoyed the one of Aravi sitting by the fire. It’s a nice face study and really shows off that distinctive scar on the side of her face. Finally, someplace warm!

I second what mALX said. "The wolf feeds," looks so nice. The texture is beautiful. The "wolf approaches," is so creepy and very scary, indeed. Imagine being face to face with Aravi on her lupine form? Yikes! I think werewolves do sleep, lore-wise anyway. Hircine once commented on how his hounds slept during the day. :shrug:

Uh! Typical "Can't help you unless you do this for me" scenario. The Forsworn battle was intense, and I loved the finisher where Aravi shoots the arrow through the flames that Kharjo just shot. Awesome! Ah, and once again Dragonbornavi dominates and destroys yet another one of Alduin's allies.

Great battle!

What an exuberant opening !

Sorine is funny with her thieving mudcrab theory. Maybe those gyros had tzatziki sauce on them. It turns out that Sorine was right, she did leave it right there! Absent-minded Breton. I like her.

Whoa, what a fast fight with the Foresworn! The Fire Breath and then Kharjo’s magic plus Aravi’s arrow at the end were great! Nice of him to light up the target like that.

That dragon’s twitching tail was kind of cute. Oops, Aravi was in the crash zone! That dragon was not bright to land right on top of Aravi’s two swords.


Indeed, not even with summoned ketchup! Poor Aravi!

Sitting by the fire is my favorite in this group. She has such a sweet expression. And warming her toes is super cute! What a contrast to the wolf pictures. Aravi has a lot to deal with.