Forsworn Hearthfires?, What, why, how, where? Options

[ghastley]

I've had numerous people ask me what's next in the Hearthfires series, and one suggested Forsworn. I initially rejected the idea, as they usually live in tent camps, or have a resident hagraven if they live anywhere else. Even in the later case, they'll still pitch tents inside whatever structure they're using.

But that shouldn't completely rule this out. If a Forsworn bed is actually a skin tent with a hay pile and fur inside it, that's quite constructible, and the rest of the space can have normal furniture, crafting stations etc.

So now I'm trying to decide what to build inside. A cave is probably easiest, just needing a hole in a hillside somewhere in the Reach, but a tower/ruin entrance is also feasible for a bit of architectural variety.

Hagravens and briarhearts seem to go together, but are possibly a faction that doesn't align with Madanach, although you do find a briarheart at Druadach Redoubt. So I'm considering a post-Cidhna quest to go establish a new camp, as part of the new Reachman kingdom. Find your empty tower/ruin/cave and furnish, then the recruits will arrive to join you. No briarhearts or hagravens will turn up, as you're in charge, and those are "boss" characters.

I may still have a mage NPC that's considering the change into a hagraven, and even started the process. That could provide a sub-quest to reverse it, after she changes her mind.

Dialogue could be the usual issue, but there should be some already around for Forsworn talking to each other. Merchant dialogue for smith, alchemist, should also be there in a Breton voice.

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The other project that was Breton-specific, was the Red Witch, but that has issues with a lack of sailor dialogue, and I'd have a lot of work to do converting it to be build-your-own. The former is much more of a show-stopper, as it needs multiple voices, and I only have one.


SubRosa - I edited the title to fix a typo.

[ghastley]

It’s nowhere near usable yet, as the cave is almost empty. It does have a location, an entrance, and a shackled hagraven-under-construction, whom you can’t yet release. And a goat.

Bothela is getting a few new lines of dialog via xVASynth, so she can help create a potion to let the girl stop becoming a hagraven, and revert. Her voice seemed to work nicely when I tested it, which is what reminded me about this project. Plus, she would only need a couple of conversations, one to ask for her help, and one when you pick up the results.

The major part will be scripting the build, but if your main interest is in the finished home, I might have you try that out when I get that completed. It has to be constructed first, before the build process hides it all, and reveals as you fashion the pieces. I can leave the young mage who is not becoming a hagraven in it as your first recruit. Feedback on her, and the layout/content, early in the build will help avoid problems later.

Knowing there is interest raises the priority of this one, but voicing Orc Hearthfires 2.0 still comes first. I’ll see if what exists can be packaged up, or if it needs more added right away.

Edit: I took another look, as perhaps it's not all that empty. It does have all the crafting facilities - grindstone, forge, armorer workbench, as well as alchemy and enchanting in the "tower" part. There's a player bed, but little else in the tower, too. It wouldn't take long to drop in a few more bits of furniture up there. The tents for the forsworn "staff" are there, but with no way to assign them to anyone you bring home. If "Make Yourself at Home" got ported up to SE, I think that has what you'd need to do that.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Dec 3 2022, 09:14 PM