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

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

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

Buffy is looking good in her schoolin' clothes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Awesome shots!

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

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

*

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



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

Proving herself to one of the brothers.

Proving herself to the other brother.

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

Superian getting know Buffy’s new friends.

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

Inducting ‘Buffy the Small’ into the Circle.

An ominous discussion with Kodlak about his future.

Consoling herself that the old harbinger now rests in Sovngarde.

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

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

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

As ever, Buffy is indeed a fox!

And a nice reflective pic by the fire.

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~The Littlest Companion~

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

SubRosa- Thank you! Buffy tries hard to look up to the brothers (figuratively of course; she has no choice in the literal sense), but she can't help remembering how they bailed out when the going got tough, leaving her and Aela holding the bag to help Kodlak. She tries to attribute that to their internal conflict between Nord and wolf - which is now resolved.

mALX- Thanks! That shot of Superian and Torvar was purely luck. It seems there is a ‘sit down’ spot right there and on that day, Buffy left Superian near that spot. Came back to see that scene. I agree that the Companions was kind of touching – especially after Buffy found Kodlak’s journal talking about her.

mirocu- Thank you! Buffy’s planning her visit to Bruma!

Lopov- Thanks! That induction ceremony was neat and I'm glad that it just worked out to be at night.

DE- Thank you! Although Buffy considers herself a mage, it is not lost on her how rare mages with bows are (as in zero vanilla ones) and that most archers join the Fighters Guild or Companions.

ghastley- Thanks! That means a lot because I tend to only have eyes for Buffy. So well-composed screens are generally more good luck than good management. I need to remember to pay attention to lighting. And I sometimes overlook the critters because they are so everpresent in Buffy's game.

Grits- Thank you! Buffy loves Mjoll’s noble nature, voice, face paint and simple straightforward manner, but feels guilty for 'borrowing' her from Aerin. Although Buffy has a bed waiting at the College, Fort Dawnguard and all the orc strongholds, she really does like the location, warmth and comfort of Jorrvaskr. Thanks too for the tip on that mod that slows down the Companions. I’ll look at that on her next playthrough – as well as one that SubRosa suggested to let Tolfdir become the Archmage at the College.



Today’s update is a collection of shots that all, to varying degrees of directness, express something Buffy hears every day. Her diminutive size has always been an integral factor in determining who she is and how she deals with her world. Despite her tendency to envy any woman who has something she does not, I'm very proud of Buffy for embracing who and what she is. In fact, if teased, she will cheerfully point out her advantages that range from a weight that is too low to set off pressure plate traps to an overall size that not only makes her hard to target, but allows her to hide in places where neither bandit nor falmer can follow.

Winking Skeever.

Jorrvaskr.

Darkwater Crossing.

Forgotten Vale. Buffy belongs to the mammoth faction. I was surprised to see that the resultant acceptance from giants applies to their frosty brethren as well.

High Gate Ruins.

Raven Rock – Et tu, Brute?

Hmm...

If Lothran ever went to Skyrim, I think he´d have something other than goblins and ogres to hunt...

*


These screen sets lately have so many great shots that it is impossible to choose a fave out of them! I'm wanting to make the Winking Skeever my favorite of the set, such an awesome close-up of Buffy! But then there is the moment captured between Buffy and Superion at the end of the set, who can choose between them?

And that Darkwater Crossing shot !!!!! OMG, what the hell is going on in that shot? I was floored by that shot !!!!

And then tiny little Buffy and that enormous b-ugly beast - and I'm wondering how Buffy found out it was going to be friendly to her !!!

I also love the Jorrvaskr shot - and not just because I love every shot of Buffy sitting crosslegged in a chair, lol. It looks like we are eavesdropping on a deep moment in a discussion between Buffy and the man, just before they realize a third person has entered, Awesome shot !!!


And although the shot isn't the greatest of the set, I've got to love seeing Anska calling Buffy "little Elf" - how cute and perfect that line was, like it was written into the game just for Buffy!!! Awesome!!

These shots lately have really come to life, I am so glad you have taken these screens - and even more glad you are sharing them with us!!!


*

mirocu- Once you got through the Steam barrier guarding Skyrim, I bet that Lothran would love the climate! Yes, the giants (and mammoths. . . and snow bears and sabre cats and trolls) can be dangerous there.

mALX- Thank you so much for your wonderfully warm support, my friend! I'm so glad you're enjoying the glimpses into Buffy's world and adventures. One of the reasons that I’ve insisted on keeping Buffy a Bosmer (instead of her own custom race) is for those wonderful lines in game that refer to her as an elf.



Buffy pauses during gift deliveries to review her reindeer’s Superian’s load:

-Two bottles of Evette San’s spiced wine. Both are for Jerric.

-Words of the Wind. Darnand has the heart of an adventurer and the soul of a poet.

-Dark hood/shawl combination. The hood is lined with silk for Lildereth’s sensitive elven ears.

-Amulet of Mara. Abiene will know what to do with it.

-Green apples, carrots and the lower leg bone of a troll. For the critters that travel with Jerric and Co.

-Genuine Falmer blood elixir. Just in case Clark gets overwhelmed by the ladies, this will help him make love like a sabre cat.

-Vial of henna hair dye – with the seasonal brightness of snowberry added. For Teresa of the Faint Smile of course.

-Very old bottle of Stros M'Kai Rum from Solstheim. For the Nordic Dark Elf of Bruma who has everything.

-Ceremonial dagger forged from the antler of a white stag. Buffy may need a bit of help from Hircine getting it delivered to Kraven.

-Magical quill that requires no ink pot. Buffy hopes this will ease Lydia’s task of recording the adventures of her Thane under austere conditions.

-Tome that teaches the spell Fire Storm. Since no aiming is required this is clearly for Maxical.

-Sweet roll. Buffy hopes no one steals it before Maxical can give it to Alex the Mouse.

-Two pendants. Both crafted from a single piece of Elsweyr moonstone into the two halves of a heart that perfectly fit together – just like Aravi and Kharjo do.

Later, when her rounds are complete, Buffy will be joining Caramel and Malin at the Bard College. The trio will render their traditional song and dance of the season.

Maxical and Alix the Mouse send their thanks to Buffy, and wish her a happy Saturalia too!!!

This post has been edited by mALX: Dec 25 2014, 01:06 AM

I´m sure Lothran will send his thanks too, once he gets back from the frozen valley!


-Thanks in advance, Buffs!

This post has been edited by mirocu: Dec 25 2014, 10:09 AM

Teresa will send her thanks by way of a vial of hair gel made from bergamot and lavender - all freshly picked from the forests outside of Bravil - with a dash of primrose supplied by Tadrose.

Nice shot, and the fox in the background fits there good too.

She's so small that she can comfortably sit on that chair with crossed legs.

One of my favorite locations and a lot of friendly folks there. Did that bear tried to ruin the party or is he just sleeping?

And looks like it applies to Serana too.

Since when does size matter?

Good to see that she didn't travel to Solstheim alone.


How neat, thank you! I'm sure Lydia will be pleased to find the magical quill when she returns to Whiterun. Hopefully her Thane will give her some septims to buy something for Buffy in return.

This post has been edited by Lopov: Dec 25 2014, 07:46 PM

Jerric’s Solitude Apartment, Evening Star’s End

Darnand sat in the smaller armchair beside the fire, a glass of wine at his elbow. His feet rested comfortably on a tufted hassock. He supposed that his seat had been intended for the Nordic lady of the household when this apartment had been furnished. The chair’s proportions suited his Breton frame far better than did the throne-like seat that loomed opposite. For now Jerric’s giant chair housed a stack of Darnand’s books, leisure reading for this quiet time between holidays. Jerric lay where he had been for the last few days, sprawled across the largest bed back in the master bedchamber.

Soft footsteps in the corridor announced Abiene’s impending arrival from the sickroom. Darnand slipped his fingers between the pages to keep his place and closed the book over them.

Abiene scooped up a cushion on her way past the bench. She shifted Darnand’s books with her customary precise care, then arranged herself in Jerric’s seat leaning on the pillow. The stone in her Amulet of Mara caught the light as she moved.

“His fever has not returned,” Abiene said in response to the anticipated question. “He hasn’t rested this well since the Third Era.”

“I suppose it must have been the Hegathean flu, or perhaps the world’s longest hangover. You convinced him to take the potion?”

Abiene smiled. “I put it in one of his empty spiced wine bottles. Now he’ll drink anything if he thinks it’s from Buffy.”

“Make sure you keep those bottles,” Darnand said. “He intends to fill them with Jerric’s Juice and carry them on the road as a remembrance.”

“Gulping directly from a wine bottle before battle will hardly damage his reputation, but I see the jest he intends.”

Darnand snorted. “Imagining the future reactions of strangers has amused me these past hours.”

The front door closed with the gentlest of clicks. Darnand watched the doorway for Lildereth’s approach, but her voice reached them first. No footfall betrayed her.

“Ulfe!” the elf called down the corridor. Darnand heard a thump from Jerric’s chamber followed by a thin whine.

“Suit yourself,” Lildereth replied to the distant hound. She appeared in the reading nook, loosening her dark shawl and letting the hood fall onto her shoulders. “Has he moved yet?” she asked Abiene.

The healer shook her head. She shifted in Jerric’s chair, making room for Lildereth.

The elf dropped another cushion against the chair’s other arm and snuggled in next to Abiene. She leaned her face on a fold of her hood, absently rubbing the silken lining against her cheek.

“I suppose Ulfe will drag her troll bone around with her until next Saturalia,” Lildereth said. “She will not be separated from it.”

“Troll tibia,” Darnand murmured.

Lildereth and Abiene shared a glance.

“‘I am not a necromancer,’” laughed Lil.

Darnand smiled at the old jest. First Abiene’s and then Lildereth’s eyes went to the fire. A comfortable silence fell between the three.

Abiene’s hand went to her Amulet as she watched the flames. Her fingers brushed across it.

Lildereth sat utterly still as was her way. The firelight made living jewels of her eyes.

Darnand’s gaze dropped back to his book of Ashlander verse, but this time he didn’t need to read it. The words were already written in his heart.

I will not pray for that which I've lost
When my heart springs forth
From your soil, like a seed,
And blossoms anew beneath tomorrow's sun.

A series of thumps and the scrabble of paws on tile arose from the back bedchamber. Soon the reading nook was filled with Nord and hound, a bedcover half-wrapped around one and tangled under the feet of the other. Ulfe’s golden coat shone with health and care. The Nord’s could use extensive grooming.

“He lives,” Darnand said in greeting.

Jerric yawned, grinned, and scratched a hand over his belly. “Did I miss Old Life Festival? Is that wine in your goblet, Breton? What’s for dinner?”

Jerric, Darnand, Lildereth, Abiene, Ulfe, and the herd of pampered horses send their love to Buffy along with their thanks for her wonderfully thoughtful gifts. They left a package for Buffy in Bruma in the care of the Mages Guild:

A wheel of Skingrad’s finest cheese crafted by brother Bosmer Uuras the Shepherd, Master of Sheep’s Cheese from Buffy’s fellow woodster Lildereth. (Jerric estimates that it will feed her for a month, since he was not allowed to ‘sample’ it.)

A bottle of Tamika’s sparkling white from Jerric, who thinks of Buffy’s delicate grace every time he opens a bottle with his teeth and spits the cork away.

Snowberry lip balm made by Abiene’s loving hands for an Elven woman whose beauty needs no enhancement.

From Darnand a leather-bound travel journal enchanted to resist damage from frost, fire, falling, dirt, water, sharp objects, blunt objects, lightning, and tears of both joy and pain. It is a special kind of magic that lets a dry page sing the song of the road and recall the light on distant mountains.

The packet of brown sugar cubes is for Superian, who carries her elf safely through all kinds of adventures.


Some pictures from the Saturalia party at the Bards College:

Darnand has to read Buffy’s gift Words of the Wind immediately.

Darnand reads another verse while the bards and friends party on.

Lil employs Buffy’s gift and becomes a shadow to catch her breath.

Dancing to Buffy’s Saturalia song with Caramel and Malin, the highlight of the evening.

Happy Saturalia and a joyous New Life Festival!!

Happy New Year, Buffy and Superian!!


Edit: Nice pic of the month, but why does Buffy look like a companion to Princess Grumpy...?

This post has been edited by mirocu: Jan 2 2015, 11:57 AM