Devilish and Divine, (including modder's block) Options

[ghastley]

Because I was getting writer's block on wrapping up the Rumple mod quests, I started to make a new mod as a distraction. This would give me a chance to try two things I hadn't done in a mod before - a permanent companion, actually two of them - and a new worldspace built from scratch.

However, all this has achieved is completion of one quest (the Malandil one) in the first mod, and now I've got stuck in the backstory on the new mod as well, so I currently have a nett loss.

The mod details so far, in my usual "fake wiki" style, are here - warning, demonic nudity!

I just can't decide on whether to make their father a Dark Brotherhood assassin who decided to kill the petitioner instead of the contract victims, or else he rescued them by taking out the DB guy. If it's the latter, then he needs a bit more story of his own. I also need to decide where the Vampire brother of the merchant is hanging out, as well as a plausible reason for his not simply travelling at night, such as being (b)locked in a ruin.

If the father killed the DB assassin, then the merchant has gone to find his brother, and become a vampire too. This is the more satisfying path, but gives the most extra work providing a past for the father. I need to find a reason for his taking up with the two mothers (who we presume were happy together before he arrived) if he wasn't simply sent to kill them. Or rather, their reason for letting him into their existing arrangements, which would most likely have happened before the assassin turned up.

The non-standard three-way relationship (especially involving a very foreign new "beast" race) here is reason enough for them to flee to the island instead of expecting local support. The brother exists to create a lingering threat to the family, (and to keep the quest line going!) even if the DB contract ended with the merchant's death. Tracking him down should provide enough side-quest action for the party, whichever past I go for.

You'll also notice that I haven't mentioned the father's race, because that detail is undecided as well. With TES genetics, the girls are just like their mothers whatever race he was, so I'm putting that decision off until there's a good reason to tie it down.

Votes either way? Suggestions?

[Grits]

All right. I like the idea that Jak'l is the Silencer. He went on his assignment and discovered that his targets were exactly as the note said, unlike anyone he’d killed before. Since they were both dangerous witches, they were able to overpower him. Of course they didn’t kill him right away, they needed to find out the identity of the petitioner so they could kill him. I’m not clear on how Jak’l would know.

In the course of the interrogation, Jak’l became intrigued, finding the couple as unusual in behavior as they were in appearance. They made a deal with him to track down and kill the merchant/petitioner if they let him go free. Maybe Jak’l had grown disillusioned with his DB family, but couldn’t think of a way out. Two powerful Infernal and Angelic mages could hide him at their secret volcano island. Which looks awesome, btw. Also they realize that Jak’l can give them something that they have never had before, and could never have on their own. Yep, little angel and devil babies.

I’m a little hazy about the merchant’s vampire brother. I think I missed something.

I’m fine not knowing where the new races came from, their names and appearances put them in the category of playful rather than lore-plausible for me.

Oh, it would be fun to reclaim the island for the sisters. Find a new well, build a vacation cottage, figure out exactly where Diabla wore her rings.

I’m working on Plan B, Jak’l killed the Silencer. Hmm.


ETA: Aha! Vampire brother is in the journal entries. Still thinking.


This post has been edited by Grits: Jul 3 2011, 02:12 AM