Buffy's Basket of Potpourri, Musings, ask Buffy, etc Options

[Destri Melarg]

Love the warpaint and the make-up, but that little impudent set to the jaw is what gets me. Great shot!!

[ghastley]

I just noticed the Amulet of Articulation (with clipping, outfit probably needs to hide amulets) in that screenshot. Did this iteration of Buffy do that quest line?

[Grits]

I just loved reading about Buffy and Superian’s transition to Skyrim. Trying out things and seeing what sticks is familiar to me. I’m delighted to see that our beloved blondes have grown even closer and more magical. The news that Buffy plans to share some stories of her adventures inspires me to use an emoticon I can only think of as The Buffy:

What a marvelous portrait of Buffy. You captured her beautiful spirit. I grin to think of her paladin with an elf on his shoulder pondering lip gloss and eye liner. You did a fabulous job! Her feathers and war paint are the crowning Buffy touches. I love it!

[Grits]

Anvil, 19 Rain’s Hand

Jerric breezed through the Mages Guild front door. He exchanged nods with Carahil as he hung a left into Felen’s workroom. “Where is he?” Jerric asked the Dunmer. “It’s Buffy’s birthday. We need to catch the courier.”

Felen tilted his elegantly coifed head toward the cellar door. “I have not seen him today. I suspect he is yet in the basement.”

Jerric shadow-boxed with Sparky as he passed through the dining chamber. He threw a hand up in response to Thaurron’s greeting. The tables and sideboard were bare, but the scent of bacon lingered. Dammit, I missed breakfast.

Darnand sat in the basement workroom where Jerric had left him the day before, hunched over a long table. Crumpled paper, soul gem dust, stink horn caps, and sticky-looking ooze littered the surface. His books and parchment rolls were neatly stacked.

“What are you working on?” Jerric said. Darnand was not one for greetings. “Is that tiger lily nectar?”

“It is an enchanted water skin for Buffy,” said Darnand. “I am using an Alteration charm to turn air inside the bag into water when one picks it up. I have almost achieved success. I am not certain how to make it stay water when one drinks it, instead of turning back to air inside the belly when the bag leaves one’s hand.” He stifled a burp.

Jerric’s brows went up. “And..?”

“And I am uncertain what will occur if the bag is ruptured, or if it is left open resting upon a magically active surface. Or inside any sort of field.”

“That sounds pretty far from success, Darnand. Have you been down here trying to drink out of it alone?” Darnand’s face gave him the answer. “Shor’s stones! You could drown yourself. What if you turn the air outside the bag into water? You’ll drown us all!” Jerric suppressed the urge to strangle his friend.

“All right, Mother, I shall take care. Should a mishap occur we both know how to breathe water. Besides, there is not enough power in the enchantment to transmute all of this air.” Darnand’s face betrayed him again. Jerric saw he hadn’t considered that result.

“Toss that thing in the trash before someone gets hurt,” Jerric said. “You’re coming upstairs with me. We’ll sort your mess out later. Don’t argue, Breton, I can haul you like a kid. When was the last time you ate? You look like sixteen hells. I can’t believe I’m telling you this, but you need a bath. You’re one spell away from being that old fetcher in a tower with scary teeth and long fingernails. Move it! Get some fresh air and I’ll make us breakfast.”

Darnand blinked. “It is morning? What have you been doing all night? You have not just awakened.”

“I’ve been out drinking mead and humping Bretons. Do as I say or you’re next.”

“You are the one who requires a bath,” Darnand declared. “You doubtlessly smell worse than I do.”

“That’s the truth, you could use my drawers to poison arrows. You’d think sailor women wouldn’t be such strangers to water. No deal though, you can’t cook. Let’s get some grub and then sleep all morning. It was a night for the storybooks. Then you can get back to work on Buffy’s present. Something that won’t harm her would be best. Good thing Lil isn’t here to venture an opinion. She’s predicted our decline without female influence. I hate to prove her right.”

Darnand mumbled his reply through a yawn.

Jerric snorted his agreement. He leaned a thigh against the table. “Say, why are you making a drowning-skin, anyway? What happened with those Skyrim-style waterwalk spells I asked you to write for Buffy? Didn’t they work out?”

Darnand braced his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. “I was so close to finishing them! Every aspect was as expected, apart from one. The duration should be extended by dual-casting the spell. However in my trials I was unable to achieve that result. I have examined the problem from every angle. It should work. It should work! By Mara, Stendarr, and Julianos, it should work!”

“All right then,” said Jerric. He stood scratching his beard for a moment. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dual-cast an Alteration spell. This is from the real Skyrim school of Alteration, right? Not from some school you just made up because you think the world needs it?”

“Mysticism is a perfectly valid—” Darnand’s eyes grew wide. “Nord, you have solved it! You are correct, I have not learned the skill of dual-casting Alteration spells.” His forehead met the desk.

“Ha! Well if there’s any room left in your brain you should add that trick to it, and then we can go out to the beach and test your spells after breakfast. That way we’ll be sure that Buffy and Superian won’t end up walking on the wrong side of the water.”

Darnand continued to thump his head softly against the wood.

“You know, like they would be upside down under the water,” Jerric explained. “With their feet sticking out in the air. That would be bad. It was a jest. Hey! Pull yourself together. We need to test your spells and get them to the courier. You can try out Waterwalk Other on me and Ulfe. We can send the tomes along with the Tamika’s wine that I got Buffy for her birthday. The bottles are Bosmer-sized so she can finish one without drinking herself silly. And then I can still be asleep by the time the hangover hits me.”

Darnand got to his feet. “Nord, that is a solid plan.”


A very Happy Birthday to you, Buffy!

Here is a link to download the mod if you’d like to play with the Waterwalk and Waterwalk Other spells that Darnand made in your game:

Dropbox Link for Waterwalk Spells

Lots of love from your Jerric’s World friends!

[mirocu]

If it´s Buffy´s b-day, Lothran sends his best wishes to her from the shores of Anvil (appropriately!)

[mALX]

Maxical is lonely in Anvil; missing Buffy on her Birthday:








Misa sends her best Happy Birthday Wishes from HalfMoon Inn in Skyrim:









mALX hugs Buffy for her Birthday; wishes her the best day ever!:








In unison three female voices call out:




Happy Birthday Buffy!

[Darkness Eternal]

Lycus sends Buffy birthday wishes, and a nice plate of wild game seasoned with special, delicious herbs and sauces. He isn't much of a wine drinker, but some West Weald wine would be delightful. A special cuisine, from hunter to huntress.

[Acadian]

mirocu- Thanks! I’m thankful that my limited character creation skills can somehow manage to keep Buffy looking enough like Buffy as she evolves over time. And Buffy’s most appreciative of the birthday wishes from beautiful Anvil!

SubRosa- I didn’t think of the warpaint as a targeting aid but what a clever thought! Actually, there were only two choices that were subtle enough to get into the final running. Thank you!

mALX- I’m so glad you liked that shot! That is a modded expert college robe she is wearing but, like you, I really like the color. And thank you so much for the wonderful birthday wishes from friends Maxical, Misa and dear squirrel!

DE- Thanks so much for your ever-kind support of Buffy, as well as the birthday wishes and gifts from Lycus.

Lopov- Thank you! We’ve spent quite a bit of time ‘imagineering’ how things work in Buffy’s world – some of which to explain the oddities of Skymechanics. As a ‘permacharacter’ I suppose it is inevitable that Buffy can be kind of a complex enigma - dancing comfortably in numerous, sometimes disparate, roles. Her most enduring duality of course is part mage, part forest creature. Regarding her look, she does not spare when it comes to bling – but that too is just part of who she is.

hazmick- Thanks! When we started tinkering with makeup, Buffy kind of insisted on some of that warpaint.

Destri- Thank you! Like any girl, Buffy enjoys a compliment on her looks and yours went straight to her heart - probably because you focus beyond the blond and bling.

ghastley- We picked the Amulet of Articulation purely for looks quite some time ago. She’s never done the TG. Happily, amulet clipping doesn’t bother me too much and only shows on a few outfits. Since last update however, Buffy’s switched to an Amulet of Kynareth – again, purely for looks although Kynareth is certainly pretty appropriate.

Grits- Thanks so much for your endorsement of our introduction to make up! And Oh My! What a beautiful story as Jerric and Darnand plan and deliver such a wonderful birthday gift! The idea of the ‘everfill’ waterskin was a great idea as well, but I’m glad that waterwalking won out. It's easy to keep little Buffy full of water, but the volume needed by Superian pretty much rules out a small ‘everfill ewar’ or magicially refilling small waterskin. Planning for the mare’s large water requirements is a major part of Buffy’s travel considerations, but also a challenge we thoroughly enjoy. Walking on water comes in ever so handy and was a magnificent choice of gift!

* * *

Buffy was actually struck by the mood to pick up her quill recently. Nothing long or fancy, but it does provide a narrative snip from her adventures for a change.

*

The westering sun cast long shadows ahead as the sweet smell of Honningbrew meadery passed by on our left. I leaned forward and patted Superian’s neck before guiding the mare down into the shallow stream that paralleled our course for a drink. “It’s been a long day, Acadian, and we’ll stop up here at Whiterun for the night." Kitsune, my gray fox familiar, paused her scanning for danger only long enough for a quick drink.

Once Superian had drunk her fill, we moved back up to the road. I spied two figures clad in what appeared to be elven armor engaged in conversation ahead.

As we drew near, one of the figures looked my way. “Are you actually a mage from the College of Winterhold, or did you steal those robes from a real wizard?” Her condescending manner alone was enough to clearly identify the Altmer as a Thalmor.

“You’re a long way from the Dominion,” I replied, making little effort to warm the ice in my tone.

“I,” the tall golden elf paused as if to emphasize her own self-worth, “am a Thalmor Justiciar. We are here to help the Empire purge this Nordic wasteland of those who would worship false gods.” The Justiciar’s brow furrowed with suspicion. “Tell me, Bosmer. . . surely you don’t believe this absurd notion that the dead man Talos is a god?” Her partner moved one hand to the pommel of his blade.

I looked around. There were indeed only two of the Thalmor, and a manned guard tower was but a short horse sprint away. Like myself, Whiterun was neutral in the civil war. “The other Divines have determined Talos to be one of their own and I’ll take their verdict over that of the Dominion.”

“The talk of a heretic,” began the not surprising but nevertheless ominous reply, “and so you shall die a heretic’s death.”

As elven steel sang from scabbards, Superian wheeled and thundered a short distance back down the road. My mystic bow leaped from back to hand as the mare circled to face the elven threat. Our maneuvering had purchased both the range I needed as well as placing the afternoon sun directly into the eyes of the Thalmor.

My foes were focused on Kitsune. The vixen had, at the first sound of tense words, placed herself between the Thalmor and I. She was now surrounded by the glow of an aura that both protected her and slowed nearby foes. Her aggressive yips projected illusion magicks, ensuring enemies targeted her instead of Superian or I. Although the fox could do almost no damage to the armored pair of Altmer, her nimbleness and aura protected her quite well.

With the Thalmor so occupied, I opened fire from the saddle. Shooting over the small fox, my arrows of blue magic had no trouble piercing elven armor.

The fight was over quickly.

Superian and I closed the distance to the dead elves. Kitsune allowed her aura to dissipate and even wagged her luxuriant tail slightly in satisfaction. Although quite used to it, Superian snorted her disapproval at being near corpses. She then lifted her long nose to catch the more welcoming smells of the nearby stable.

“I saw the whole thing,” said a winded Whiterun guard as he reached the scene. After briefly inspecting the bodies and catching his breath for a moment, he announced, “The Thalmor drew steel first, and your response will get no protest from me.”

“Thank you,” I replied with a gracious nod of appreciation.

“I used to be an adventurer like you,” he added with a crooked smile. “Then I took an arrow to the knee.”

*

Different foes here, but a screenshot of Buffy’s mounted archery team in action. I’m hoping that Buffy’s willingness to let me post this brief scene featuring Kitsune reflects a growing commitment on her part to settle into a ‘critter/familiar’ arrangement that both works and speaks comfortably to her. The fox, with its negligible damage but robust magical defenses, avoids being overpowered while nicely complementing Buffy’s glass cannon nature.

[mALX]

Holy Crap! What the h...what is that thing? Oh, you should have posted this one on the Caption thread, lol. Awesome, and I love the shot of her walking on the icy cold water too!

And the screen of the month - perfect how their hair and eyes match in that screen, I love that!

[Lopov]

Nice to read a story from Buffy's perspective.

Those Thalmor were looking for a fight and they got it, the only good Thalmor is a dead Thalmor and I'm glad that Buffy dealt with them in the only appropriate manner. I enjoyed reading a detailed description of a fight, when she positioned herself in such a way that the afternoon Sun blinded Thalmor. Kitsune is sweet and courageous, despite her small size she played an important role in the fight.

Very nice screenshots, good to see that she takes her mare inside town walls, those stables are really too far. Superian's eyes are glowing too, right?

[SubRosa]

Buffy is a heretic! And I see has 95 theses arrows to nail to the Thalmor's foreheads.

Kitsune certainly sounds like an invaluable addition to Buff's stable (all puns intended). And I love the name! I remember back in my tabletop rpg days, there was a Shadowrun player I knew from another forum named Kitsune. I even used her as an npc at one point, along with bunch of the other forumites.

Oh my, that ending makes me hope Buffy has plenty of knee armor! We don't want her to end up like Hitler...

[haute ecole rider]

Good to see Buffy and Superian and now Kitsune take on the Thalmor!

Many's the time Alise wished she could do the same. But she only takes out the Thalmor assassination teams. Otherwise, she leaves them alone. The less ripples she causes, the less comes back to her. But perhaps someday, she will hunt them down as she is now hunting bandits down.

Alise has never tried bow hunting from Liath's back - she hasn't tried. Instead she uses Liath's greater mass to charge her foes and follows up with that glass mace of hers. Her follower(s) take care of what's left.

[Grits]

Ooo, I love the picture of Buffy stalking across the water! Nasty surprises sometimes lurk in Skyrim’s waterfalls. I’m glad she’s enjoying her gift.

What a great picture of the archery team with Buffy’s arrow in flight. They work beautifully together. I love it!

Knee protection is certainly a concern in Skyrim. That remark has extra significance when directed at an archer, though Buffy would not make a good guard recruiter since she does not aim for the knees! Always nice to see Thalmor bullies get their just reward. I particularly enjoyed the moments after the fight with Kitsune and Superian. Buffy’s four-legged companions are every bit as expressive as two-legged ones, with the added benefit of not talking too much.

Your screenie for May is lovely! Superian is dressed lightly like Buffy, and even their accessories match. I always look forward to a new glimpse of Buffy’s life in Skyrim.

[ghastley]

I don't know why, but I'd read "you can only use two-handed with one hand", in the mounted combat description, the wrong way. I thought that a two-handed weapon was all you could use, and that made sense, because you'd need a long reach. Of course, it suited my purposes, as my characters at the time were mounted on bears, and had claymores greatswords.

I really must reload my archer bear-rider and give it a try. Although she'll want to get off to let the bear attack!

I thought for a moment that you'd caught two arrows in flight, but I guess one of them is already stuck in the cave bear. Still not easy catching one!

[Darkness Eternal]

Buffy holds no love for her elven kin, and with good reason. No one in the right mind can stand the Thalmor, and Buffy's 'heretical' ways seemed to get on their nerves. They were obviously offended when she chose the god's judgment over theirs.

As elven steel sang from scabbards, Superian wheeled and thundered a short distance back down the road. My mystic bow leaped from back to hand as the mare circled to face the elven threat. Our maneuvering had purchased both the range I needed as well as placing the afternoon sun directly into the eyes of the Thalmor.

This passage right here was awesome. It just dripped with action and suspense.

The scuffle between Buffy and company against the Thalmor agents was great, albeit a quick fight. Elven armor is no match for her. The guard was certainly understanding. They started it, she finished it. Sums it up quite nicely.

[mirocu]

Nice pic on the month

It´s nice to check up on Buffy once in awhile now that she´s left all of Cyrodiil to Lothie

[Grits]

Oh my goodness, I adore your June screenshot! Buffy has a kind and fierce heart, and here she shows her sweet side. I love how you caught her head tilted to the side as she speaks to the captive critter. Buffy has never looked more lovely than by the light of that luna moth.

[ghastley]

I wish you hadn't posted that June screenshot. It made me look up where the moth jar is found, because it was so long since I found it, and now I want to search through my saves to remind myself which character collected them all. Probably Fleur, because she was the early do-everything character, and I know she got all the Dragon Masks, and Claws, and probably Paragons too.

I noticed that Darkwater Den has an Ancestor Moth in a Jar, but you can't pick that up.

Buffy was in Duskglow Crevice, it seems. I haven't taken anyone there for a while.

[Acadian]

mALX- Thank you! Oh, that action shot was Kitsune distracting two cave bears so Buffy could lay down some fire. She had already killed one of the bears before I got that shot.

Lopov- Thanks for your encouragement! The fox seems just about right in that she provides distraction/shielding but Buffy has to do the killin’. Yup, Superian’s been inside chapels, taverns, caves, about anywhere there’s room. And the mare does have glowing blue eyes.

SubRosa- I was doing some research on foxes and fell in love with the name Kitsune as soon as we found it. I remember smiling as soon as I picked the name, for I knew you would approve. Oh, what a funny vid as Hitler makes such a fuss over arrows in the knees!

Rider- Thank you! Buffy’s gotten pretty good with her bow from the saddle. Having a distraction on the ground to help keep the foes at some distance helps immensely. Heh, Buffy’s learned just the right responses with the Thalmor to get them to attack first.

Grits- Thanks! I had to include a waterwalking shot to show off the wonderful mod you gifted Buffy with. I join you in very much liking how naturally Buffy seems to mesh with her animals. Thanks also for the ever kind words on our screenshots of the month. I know I always look forward to the ones you post in your signature as well.

ghastley- Yay for your bear riders! Give ‘em a bow and try ‘em out. I know there is at least one bear riding mod out there. The one I have in mind lets you ride a summoned bear and travel with a companion bear. Wow, I’m glad you could figure out where Buffy found that ancestor moth in a jar. She’s in so many dungeons that we can never keep track.

DE- I think the Thalmor were designed as a faction that everyone could agree to hate. But the Talos thing has always bothered me. The other Eight accept him. And many agree that Arkay rose from man to god as well. Thanks for your kind words on that passage you quoted.

mirocu- Thanks so much for popping in to complement Buffy’s screen of the month. She informs me that missing Lothran is the hardest part of living in Skyrim.

*

More teamwork from Buffy, Superian and Kitsune

Visiting friend Lydia

With the fox in her lap and mare beneath her, there’s few places Buffy won’t go

You wanted me?

I’m heading out today (with Buffy of course) on another pilgrimage to visit Acadian Sr in the land of no internet, as he successfully comes out of his 94th winter. I look forward to returning in slightly less than a week, and catching up with all the creative goodness that I enjoy following here.

[mALX]

*

More teamwork from Buffy, Superian and Kitsune

With the fox in her lap and mare beneath her, there’s few places Buffy won’t go

You wanted me?

I’m heading out today (with Buffy of course) on another pilgrimage to visit Acadian Sr in the land of no internet, as he successfully comes out of his 94th winter. I look forward to returning in slightly less than a week, and catching up with all the creative goodness that I enjoy following here.

"Teamwork" and "Do you want something" are my two faves - can't choose one over the other!!! Buffy and Superian climbing that mountain - GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not that Maxical didn't climb that way to sneak into the Throat of the World without doing the main questline; but - I didn't see it from this angle!

I am so glad you are getting to spend time with your Father still; cherish it, but you will def be missed!







This post has been edited by mALX: Jun 4 2015, 03:59 PM