Today In Skyrim (Spoilerific), Like the other one, but with added spoilers!!! Options

[Renee]

Good lord, a fight with two dragons at once? *shivers* Rhano sounds like a good one to have around. Combat archers rock, as long as you can keep out of their way!

a doll he carries in case he meets a little girl who needs a doll

A hahahahaaaaa so true!

I just made an Imperial Soldier follower NPC for Claire's game named Stephen Opp. I am going to try that Additional Follower Voices mod, hopefully it works and we can hear new voices. I gave him the MaleGuard option, which has been completed according to the info at THE Nexus.

[ghastley]

My latest character is a pure mage, and would like to pick up a melee follower before going to Labyrinthian, so she went and found Kharjo. His Moon Amulet is in Frostmere Crypt again! I've never had that quest point me anywhere else, so I loaded my entire load order into TES5edit to see what's overriding it. Nothing! The selection should be random, and it's using the same criteria as each location in my Khajiit Hearthfires, where I get genuinely random bandit lairs.

Actually, I do have one thought. I load a save at the exit from Helgen when I start a new character, rather than start in Helgen itself, as there's too much "controls disabled" going on before, and the exit is the first "quiet" point. I suspect Kharjo's quest is enabled at game start, and the aliases are already filled. There's no need for that, but the check box may default to on.

This post has been edited by ghastley: Nov 24 2015, 02:54 PM

[Grits]

Acadian, companion Lil often gets the last laugh in fights. Since she looks for cover it takes her some time to find a position once the action starts. Then after Jerric and some tough opponent have been whaling away on each other, Lil’s first arrow can be the final blow that sends Jerric’s foe sailing across the room.

I’m amazed by how much fun Rhano brings to the party. I gave him the same voice set that Erik the Slayer has. His battle cries are epic!

Renee, this time it was a dragon priest (Krosis) and a dragon, which was neat because the dragon was still alive and on the ground when Krosis popped out. I had never had that happen before. Usually the dragon is dead before my characters get to the Word Wall where Krosis sleeps. Jerric’s ranged attack is unreliable against a flying dragon, so he charged up there hoping to tempt it to land so he could nail it with runes. Big fun. Claire’s new follower sounds like fun! I loved hearing the different comments you get from non-standard voiced followers.

ghastley, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten Frostmere Crypt from Kharjo. I remember getting Lost Knife Hideout a bunch of times in a row. I wonder if I was re-starting someone from their Helgen save when that happened.


Raldbthar did contain an item that Jerric and Darnand were looking for. Katria made an appearance when they found it and cheered them on to their next step. Jerric plans to go to the college next, however. He suspects that since Katria is dead her sense of time will allow some detours. Anyway Darnand may have some luck at the Arcanaeum pinpointing their next location. If it is near Riften they will probably go get Mjoll. Jerric would like to see bladesman Rhano’s reaction to the full glory of a Nord woman with a really big sword.

While they were in Raldbthar Jerric’s one-handed skill hit 100. Perhaps it was Rhano’s influence.

[Lopov]

@Acadian - well, those Falmer took Katla really far away from her home. It looks like they're not lucky with their prisoners, I'm sure Buffy already rescued Derkeethus (can't spell his name properly) earlier from their lair.

@Renee - nice that LHM will accompany Claire on her quests. He definitely won't mind a break from his motor-mouth wife Mjoll. Sounds like an odd bug with her being impervious to damage - maybe she was touched by the Divines.

@ghastley - I only did Kharjo's quest once long ago, but according to notes which I was keeping back then, it led mo the Frostmere Crypt as well.

@Grits - Rhano is an interesting and notable character from Cyrodiil, I'm sure he is a great addition to the party. He's a master of Blades after all, if my memory serves me right. Or is that Alix Lencolia from the Faregyl Inn? I'm not sure anymore. Addendum: now when I read about Jerric hitting 100 in OH, I'm sure it's Rhano.

Good stories guys, I'm not regularly here but maybe that's even better, because when I come, there's lots to read.

[ghastley]

Elinora lost her horse, too. I keep forgetting it will follow when you fast travel, and hers was patiently waiting at the entrance to the College of Winterhold when the swarm of Magical Anomalies spawned. The horse was still alive at 6/10, but ran behind a building and I lost track. A few minutes later it was dead.

I'm not used to having a horse, but building so many wagons has changed all that!

I went to the Nexus to get CH, but I'm a bit confused by the choices of files. I'd like one without all the armours I'll never use, but it didn't look like there was an option for that.

[Grits]

ghastley, did you get CH installed? I just use the main file with most of the options disabled. The mod can do a lot of things, but it doesn’t have to. Sorry about Elinora's horse.


Dar-Ma has been recovering stolen wainwright tools from Bilegulch Mine, Treva’s Watch, Bloodskaal Barrow, and Valtheim Towers. She and her friends are resting at Valtheim Towers before heading back to restore the ruined forge and build Dar-Ma’s wagon.

Derkeethus plans to part ways with the group in the morning. Haj-Meer and Crook Tooth have moved in to Ilinalta Den with Dar-Ma, but Derkeethus has his own home in Darkwater Crossing (Arthmoor’s mod). Dar-Ma knows a couple of Khajiit who will help her with the wagon, so Derkeethus is going to get back to whatever he does at home. And hopefully not get kidnapped by Falmer again!

Here is a picture of Dar-Ma and Crook Tooth at Bloodskaal Barrow. The Dunmeri reavers had a lot of mean things to say to Dar-Ma. She is not interested in returning to Solstheim.

[Acadian]

Grits, that's a great back lit shot of Dar-Ma and Crook Tooth. How dare those reavers say mean things to dear Dar-Ma!

[SubRosa]

Tell me who those mean Reavers were, and Persephone will go kill them...

[mALX]

Here is a picture of Dar-Ma and Crook Tooth at Bloodskaal Barrow. The Dunmeri reavers had a lot of mean things to say to Dar-Ma. She is not interested in returning to Solstheim.

Oh, how cute Argonians look in shadow!

[Grits]

Thanks, folks! That was one of those times when I turned the camera to make a save and they just stood there looking cool.

Jerric and Rhano went to Valtheim Towers, Redoran’s Retreat, Broken Helm Hollow, and Orotheim on behalf of some Khajiiti friends. Now Shuvesse and a Khajiit warrior called Keiko are staying at the wainwright’s restored house (ghastley’s awesome Khajiit Hearthfire mod). Mojo should turn up eventually.

Jerric took their wagon for a spin and was immediately banned from ever doing it again. Apparently he was going ‘too fast’ and was ‘reckless,’ two concepts that he struggles to comprehend. I can report that he is also terrifying when parking.

However he and Rhano made themselves forever welcome when the first visitor arrived. The dragon attacking a burning wagon was the first random encounter they saw at the restored house. This dragon spent some time at the Western Watchtower but landed frighteningly close to the new caravan wagon. Jerric filled it up with ice spikes, and Rhano’s arrow dealt the final blow.

Next Jerric and Rhano are going to wander a bit. There was talk of Jerric driving the wagon to Ilinalta Den to show Dar-Ma, but everyone shouted that idea down. Rhano especially, since when Jerric parked Rhano was somewhat under the wagon. Jerric said he was doing a handbrake turn. Kip was pulling the wagon at the time. Kip will carry his Nord to Oblivion and back, but he is also not a fan of Jerric’s driving.

For now there is a glorious sunset, a pile of mead bottles, and the wainwright’s porch.

[Acadian]

Eeep! What an unwelcome guest! I figure Jerric's skill at driving a merchant wagon is probably no better than his skill as a merchent. . . so no problem, right?

[Grits]

That’s right, Acadian! In all those years as a caravan guard, there’s a reason why they didn’t let him negotiate the contracts!

[SubRosa]

Well, at least Jerric can still lift heavy things onto and off of the wagons...

[ghastley]

However he and Rhano made themselves forever welcome when the first visitor arrived. The dragon attacking a burning wagon was the first random encounter they saw at the restored house. This dragon spent some time at the Western Watchtower but landed frighteningly close to the new caravan wagon. Jerric filled it up with ice spikes, and Rhano’s arrow dealt the final blow.

I don't think I've ever seen the carriage scene with the dragon. The burnt carriage (carriages have seats, wagons don't) with the corpses is one of those random encounters, but I haven't looked into the details of where it can happen. I'd expect a few conditions to make sure the location is dragon-accessible, and of course that one is! Was there a dog survivor? UESP wiki says it's a possibility.

[mALX]

However he and Rhano made themselves forever welcome when the first visitor arrived.

OMG, is that Ghastley's wagon? Urk!

[ghastley]

No, like I mentioned in my post, you can tell that it's not because it has seats. But the house is very close to an "encounter zone" which is where the game plays out scenes like this.

The one where a dragon attacks a wagon is usually over and the dragon gone before the player arrives. There are always a few burnt corpses, a dead horse, and a chance of a dog that survived. It starts with everyone dead and the dragon just hitting the area again, so they don't have to swap live NPC's for dead ones and all that extra work. This must have been triggered by fast travel, as I don't think you can have this one start in line of sight.

[Grits]

SubRosa, shifting heavy things is still one of his Master skills.

ghastley, there was indeed a dog survivor called Stray Dog. You can see it in the lower right in the screenshot, retextured by a mod. Jerric recruited it to live at the wainwright’s house, but when he left the cell and then returned the dog had gone. I have never been able to get a Stray Dog to stay once they’re dismissed.

I’ve also seen that dragon attacks carriage encounter at the intersection very near Markarth with a steep hill. It’s very rare. I wasn’t sure if it was content restored by Cutting Room Floor, because I have never seen it in my console games (at least that I remember).

mALX, that’s a random encounter flaming carriage that disappears when you leave the cell. There are dead Imperials on the ground near it and a surviving dog that you can get to follow you. ghastley’s wagon was parked right across the road and behind Jerric, out of the shot. It was a surprise to come out and find a burning wagon carriage so close!

I forgot to mention that Jerric has been dodging a 40 Septim fine for a while now. He always gets spotted by the guards in Rorikstead and doesn’t want to go all the way back and deal with it, and then he forgets to take care of it when he’s back in Whiterun. He’s not surprised that he picked up an assault charge somewhere without noticing, but he’s a little embarrassed to have the outstanding fine. When he finally remembers to pay up he will go fill some of the prison barrels with ale and mead. Also probably sweetrolls.

This post has been edited by Grits: Dec 8 2015, 11:05 PM

[ghastley]

As I wrote earlier, I think it has a whole bunch of constraints on when it can happen, because everyone has to start dead, except the dog and the dragon. Since it's listed on UESP, it wasn't a Cutting Room Floor thing, just very rare. And the dragon being still there is even rarer(er).

[Grits]

The dragon scared the hell out of me both times that I saw it near Markarth. Jacelyn was coming from the city and Jensa was coming from the other direction when they saw it, and both times it flew up from ground level and very close but out of sight-line with a roar. Both times it was very easy to kill.

This post has been edited by Grits: Dec 8 2015, 11:51 PM

[Grits]

Dar-Ma got a letter from Skyrim’s grateful carriage drivers (ghastley’s awesome Khajiit Hearthfire mod) informing her that they had restored the old wainwright’s workshop out by the Western Watchtower. She helped her Khajiiti friends Keiko and Shuvesse move in. She has been told that fellow caravan leader Mojo will turn up eventually.

Though Shuvesse has moved into the wainwright’s house, she is still traveling with Dar-Ma, Crook Tooth, and Haj-Meer for now. Dar-Ma has built her trade wagon and will soon make her circuit of Skyrim. She needs three guards plus Vigilance to be safe on the road.

First she has promised to do some favors for folks, though. And she needs to figure some things out. Dar-Ma has met several handsome and available Saxhleel men, but her heart never jumped for them the way it did when she met Shuvesse. This was a complete surprise. It might also explain why Shuvesse has not fallen for the strapping Keiko the way I expected.

It is not a surprise that Dar-Ma is an excellent driver. She is careful when she needs to be and makes good time when the road is straight and even. She does not get nervous about parking, she just gets it done. I thought that she would have to leave the wagon in Riverwood or along the road across the lake from Ilinalta Den, but she just drove across the lake in the shallow place not too close to the falls and parked in a level spot. Her head appeared to go under a few times, but she is not bothered by some cool, sweet water across the gills.

Dar-Ma used to have a second dog who got lost somewhere along the way, probably kicked out of the group by AFT when she recruited one too many followers during the big move. I’m not sure if it was a Stray Dog or Meeko. Hopefully it was Meeko and she’ll be able to find him again. Dar-Ma adores dogs, but she has some trouble keeping track of them.