Wolf Mods, Skyrim (and more!) for Oblivion Options

[Lena Wolf]

Thank you, Acadian!

Here's an upgrade to the Jorrvaskr Meadhall and Sky Forge. Clan Grey-Mane lives in the large house near Jorrvaskr, and they have the forge in that round house attached to it. Because of the incline of the hillside, it is built on solid rock. As it should be.

The other members of Ysgramor's Companions mostly live in the meadhall - this prevents them from tumbling down the hill when drunk. I haven't decided yet who is going to live in the medium sized house, but I'll think of something.

Clan Battle-Born lives in one of those tall houses along the main street. Naturally.

Upgraded Jorrvaskr hill

The meadhall

Sky Forge

[Acadian]

Some nice splashes of color.

[macole]

Your interpretation of Dragonsreach is impressive. The dragon sconces on the stairs are a real nice touch.

[Lena Wolf]

Thanks Macole, Acadian!

Whiterun is taking shape - I've been making interiors and people who live there (playing god again). Whiterun is a big town, it has 23 houses, a chapel, a meadhall (Jorrvaskr) and of course Dragonsreach which is a massive castle. Those Breton houses are all large multi-storey buildings too, with the Bannered Mare having five floors! In terms of interior decorating, that's like making five houses... And since these are all new models, there aren't any existing interiors that I could copy and modify, these all have to be done from scratch. More or less.

As I said earlier, Whiterun will not be all filled in this time around - too much work. Instead, it will have a quest not unlike the one for Elden Root in Valenwood where you have to do things to bring the citizens back. This quest will start in this release but will actually be completed in the next release. With this I hope to give some explanation as to why there are so few people around in Whiterun when you visit it first, so it won't be so blatantly unfinished town. Obviously, you won't be able to actually do the quest this time because it isn't all there yet... You will be asked to come back later - that's for the next release.

So what can we expect from Whiterun today then? Well, we've got a few shops and an inn, the chapel is open so you can get a blessing, and there are a few people around so it doesn't feel empty. These people will also tell you about everyone who's not around and where they went, but you won't be able to do anything about it yet. There is also a house for sale, you'll need to speak to the Jarl's steward in Dragonsreach about that, except of course that Dragonsreach is closed for refurbishment just now. Seems you'll have to wait. The Jarl's housecarl had a falling out with the Captain of the City Guard, a brawl followed, and now major repairs to the building and furniture are required, and the steward has his hands full organising it. The Jarl gathered his housecarl and the Captain of the Guard along with most of the guards and took them all away on a team building exercise somewhere - he is keen to avoid any such brawls in the future. Gosh, you'd think a dragon was thrashing around the castle! So you see, it's closed at the moment. Come back later.

The Mages Guild is closed until it reopens.

High Rock Gourmet Inn is closed because Belethor had gone to High Rock for supplies and new inspiration. He'll be back of course, never fear.

Fools' Ebony is closed for stock taking - Dervayn Adlenar is off to Morrowind for supplies, he was unhappy with what he got last time and decided to see to it personally this time.

Dragon Break Books is open as usual.

The Bannered Mare is open, and lodging is free due to the lack of customers. It won't be like that forever, so be sure to take advantage of it! Be sure to dine there as well, or else! Well, there's no where else to eat in town anyhow, except for the Drunken Huntsman, but who would go there?

The Warmaiden is open.

Jorrvaskr meadhall is open, but when you enter you only find the housekeeper there. She tells you that the Companions are currently out of town. Come back later. Oh, and Jorland Grey-Mane at the Sky Forge isn't trading with you because he only serves members of the Companions. So pointless to ask.

The Golden Cauldron is closed because Arcadia is self-isolating with Ataxia again. You can wave to her when she looks out of the window.

The Drunken Huntsman is open. The notice board next to it is rather empty though, you must have caught them at a lull.

The Chapel of Kynareth is open but where is the priest? Gone to bond with nature, it appears. Still, the altar is working, but it's all self-service now.

The Battle-Borns are on holiday! Went to the Golden Coast for a few months. Rumour has it, they planned on taking one of those tropical tours from Anvil - yes, some of those ads even made it to Skyrim! A new tropical island with untouched pre-Ayleid ruins... That got their interest. It may be more than a few months, by the sound of things though...

All in all, your immediate needs will be covered, but for more adventure come back next year.

[Lena Wolf]

Dawnstar is a white town on the edge of Skyrim. I've been filling in the interiors and adding populace.

Dawnstar street view

The sea is just there

Yep, it's a port

And here's proof

There's no getting away from it

Except to here

[Acadian]

Another town done! Nice.

[Lena Wolf]

Thanks, Acadian! Not quite done here yet, but getting there. Dawnstar has 11 houses, 2 ships with interiors and the lighthouse which is in fact the guard house with the dungeon in the cellar. For once the guards make themselves useful and tend to the fire in the lighthouse. I am now exactly half way doing the interiors, and I think since this isn't a very large town, I'll have it all filled in already in this release. But no quests! Or I'll never be done. But I think what with all the Dwemer ruins in the area and Castle Volkihar still to rise in the Sea of Ghosts directly North of Dawnstar, this town will make for a nice base when exploring the area, even without any quests.

[macole]

No quests? Ah, a nice quiet peaceful stroll through the countryside. Sometimes that is all that is needed.

[Lena Wolf]

Who said anything about peaceful?

[Lena Wolf]

Castle Across the Water

by Jorgen Rammstein

You go to your death. Turn back now. This is your only warning.

This is indeed the only warning you get if you happen to be so foolish as to knock on the door of Castle Volkihar.

The castle was there first - a looming presence on an island in the Sea of Ghosts. Yet some Nords thought it was a good idea to build a town just opposite, on the shore of Skyrim. "Dawnstar" they called it. Was the climate there particularly harsh or was the cold emanating from the castle?

"You must be mad if you want to go there," any local would tell you if you asked them for boat transport to the island. "It's Castle Volkihar! You go to your death."

And no local would sail, row, swim or waterwalk to the island. Of course such warnings never stopped anyone, and plenty of adventurers, both green and weathered, made their way to the island. Some even say there is an underground passage somewhere leading straight into the castle proper... But who would go looking for such a thing?

Clan Volkihar are no ordinary vampires. Lord Harkon is a pure-blood Vampire Lord who got his "gift" directly from Molag Bal. His wives and their direct descendants are all pure-blood vampires as well. Their breath is said to freeze the blood of their victims even before they attack. And of course they can never die.

...

"Another idiot is on his way to his doom," the locals would tell each other watching you swim towards the island. "He'll join the cattle if he is lucky," they'd shake their heads. "Although death would be better, I reckon."

"What are they all looking for there?" Another local would follow you with his gaze. "There are no riches within. Just death."

They'd watch you until you disappear from view, then go about their business. You are not the first to take on the challenge of Castle Volkihar. You would be the first to return though.

[Lena Wolf]

Dragon Bridge is done! It's just a small place with a big bridge...

Anyone seen a dragon?

Or perhaps a dragon skull?

Look there - between the trees!

Ah, that's better!

Walk the bridge

Come to the village

Woodcutters' corner

Towers watching over you

And of course a bridge is nothing without the road on either end. Here is the updated map. I have also mapped the roads in Hammerfell - this is the original TWMP Hammerfell that is bundled with Skyrim. You can't have Skyrim without it, I'm afraid. However, it only covers a small area of Hammerfell, just that bit in the South.

I shall release the new map at the same time as when I release the Skyrim mod. It will be exactly as you see it here. The roads are all mapped true to their actual locations. They are not only a "painting on the ground" but are fully landscaped (they are flat and passable with stairs where required) and fully path grid with preferential nodes so that NPCs can "see" them. Otherwise they have no clue and try to cut through the wilderness!

This post has been edited by Lena Wolf: Aug 21 2022, 11:24 PM

[Lena Wolf]

The Gnoll Castle

by Jorgen Rammstein

Have you been to the Gnoll Mountain? Have you faced the gnolls?

No? No, I don't mean the Gnoll Mountain near Bruma - there are no gnolls there, everyone knows that! That mountain was named so by the local Nords after the real Gnoll Mountain in Skyrim, West of Snowhawk.

The road between Whiterun and Dragon Bridge is very steep as it climbs the Gnoll Mountain on the Western bank of River Hjaal. An imposing castle on top of that mountain overlooks the entire region - the Gnoll Castle.

Gnoll Castle

Gnoll Castle courtyard

Under the arch

Bird's eye view

Trouble is, it is owned by gnolls.

Or at least, so claim the rumours. Gnolls, impressive as they are, are still animals and therefore cannot own castles, although they can overrun them. The truth is a lot more prosaic: they found a way into the castle, killed the owner and many of the people living there, forced the remaining inhabitants into hiding and are now roaming the castle and the grounds. What do gnolls want with the castle? You'll have to ask them yourself!

Don't expect a reply though - they are animals, didn't I say that? They are probably just raiding the kitchen. But where are they coming from? The entrance to the lair is said to be hidden, for even the local hunters don't know where it is, not that any of the local hunters are foolish enough to go after gnolls. One would have to watch the gnolls as they appear in the courtyard at night and see where they are coming from, or else watch them return to their lair at dawn. Then follow them, fight them, defeat the chief... the usual. Get the key, unlock the castle and claim it for your own! You've earned it. There would be no further surprises, surely?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I found the Gnoll Castle on Nexus, abandoned and unloved, free to a good home. So sad... it is an impressive castle! But it was created before the appearance of Frostcraig Spire, and as the name suggests, it is located on the Gnoll Mountain near Bruma, conflicting with the Frostcraig Spire. So I thought... hang on... we'll have a proper Gnoll Mountain in Skyrim! Complete with gnolls! (Although on the second thought, I am not so sure this was an improvement. )

If anyone wants to use the original, they still can. It is in good shape, even though it's listed as BETA - there were only a handful of things to correct. It should work fine in your game, provided you don't want Frostcraig, of course.

The Skyrim version is going to be almost identical to the original, but I tweaked a few things and changed some quests, all for the love of gnolls...

[Lena Wolf]

I've been tying up loose ends with Skyrim, there are a few of those still left... One of the things to do was to creepyfy Castle Volkihar. It wasn't creepy enough from the outside. Looked like a positively friendly place. I hope it is now clearer just how friendly it is exactly.

Climb the stairs to the castle

Enjoy the decorations

All guests are gratefully received

You're nearly there

Do come in!

[macole]

One of the things to do was to creepyfy Castle Volkihar.

Such an inviting ah-hem uninviting place to spend the night.

[Lena Wolf]

One of the things to do was to creepyfy Castle Volkihar.

Such an inviting ah-hem uninviting place to spend the night.

I know! There are also warnings in Dawnstar that travelers should absolutely stay away from that castle, as there's no loot there at all... Well... as far as we know, which of course we don't, because no one ever returned!

But such warnings never stopped anyone. Curiosity doesn't just kill cats, you know. This is exactly why clan Volkihar will never run out of cattle!

[Lena Wolf]

TWMP Skyrim Alive release 2 is out!!

Now I can get back to playing. Phew.

[Lena Wolf]

Ok, I feel I have to complain, and you get to listen.

Mods come without support!! Yeah!! That's how it works! You get a piece of software for nothing, and you get the support to match the price!

Ok, complaint over, sorry about that. I feel I got shouted at by someone who demanded immediate help because the new version of my mod crashed his game... Well, that's too bad. So I tried to help him, then got shouted at because apparently there was nothing wrong with his installation... Except for the crashes, of course. Which was all my fault! I have half a mind to block that person, but I think I won't. I only blocked one person so far.

Anyway, if TWMP Skyrim Alive crashes your game, you could always go play TES5. Why don't you?

With that said, most users are really nice, and the criticism they give is good and constructive. Helps to make our mods better, I'm all for it. So there will be a series of maintenance releases of this mod, because it's a huge one, and I discovered some potholes in the roads already, and some floating rocks and such. I'm not giving up just because one person wasn't all that polite.

[Acadian]

Sorry you ran into a bad apple. As a mod user only (not smart enough to make them), I am always super appreciative of the skill and efforts of modders who offer neat stuff for free simply out of love for the game. Modmakers are awesome!

[Lena Wolf]

Thanks, Acadian!

[ghastley]

Been there, bought the same t-shirt.

The most common source of crashes is dirty mods that have deleted items you mod uses. That's not a problem until your mod is installed, so it's your fault.

Suggest the user clean his mods with xEdit, especially the "undelete and disable" part.