Buffy - The Executive Summary, Helping new readers to catch up with Buffy's saga Options

[Acadian]

My goodness! Given the volume of Buffy's Journal, I realize it can be daunting for a new reader to catch up. I don't want that to become a source of discouragement. The purpose of this thread therefore is to help in that regard by providing summary information to catch up easily and quickly. Clearly, reading the full version of Buffy's numbered books adds much more depth, but I believe this thread can certainly substitute in a pinch.

First, a brief introduction of our blond, Bravilian Bosmeri butterfly-dragon:

Buffy was trained as a Mystic Archer. Orphaned by the age of twelve, the citizens of Bravil raised her. She is active with her guild of mages and a graduate of the Arcane University. Her birthday is Rains Hand, the 19th, 3E 415 under the sign of the Mage. She loves Tamika's wine, waterfalls, her precious mare Superian, and visiting her many friends throughout Tamriel.

Buffy is loving, vengeful, empathetic, nurturing, cruel and caring in a manner that makes perfect sense to her. She has been called cuddly like a rattlesnake and lethally blond. She is like the girl next door - who carries a sniper rifle. Fully understanding her can be somewhat akin to capturing a butterfly in a thunderstorm. Over the years, she has evolved, eventually becoming a paladin of Kynareth and exercising more compassion. This has caused her skills to focus more on healing others and leaning more heavily into the use of magic.

She travels intertwined with the spirit of an old ethereal paladin named Acadian who died several thousand years ago. He occasionally offers advice. Sometimes she listens. The two are literally inseparable. Although Buffy considers Acadian a guide or mentor, it is unclear who learns more from whom.

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Significant oddities of 'Buffy lore':

Buffy & Acadian. These two have traveled times and worlds over many lives. Each time they manifest, they may take different forms. In their most recent life, Acadian was a paladin of Kyne on Tamriel during the Merethic Era. He rode an ice dragon mount named Phantom. Buffy was his ermine familiar. They perished during the Great Dragon War. In their current life, Buffy is a Bosmer and Acadian is a spirit that travels within her. Phantom similarly survived as a spirit who now dwells within the body of Superian – Buffy’s precious mare.

Paladins. Acadian was a paladin of Kyne during their last life. At the end of Book 3, Buffy likewise becomes a paladin of Kyne – who calls herself Kynareth now. All paladins have four abilities beyond any unique abilities given them by their Divine. These are:
1. Divine Light. A paladin can illuminate themselves with holy light. Although it can light up dark places, its real purpose is to allow the paladin to readily identify that they are indeed a paladin.
2. Detect Evil. This passive ability allows the paladin to sense the presence of nearby evil.
3. Ward Evil. This passive ability protects the paladin’s spirit from corruption such as vampirism, lycanthropy, possession or other spiritual manipulation.
4. Laying on of Hands. When a paladin lays on hands, it establishes a bond allowing them to diagnose and heal injuries to either spirit or body.

Bosmer fertility. All elves have a brief period of fertility twice a year (instead of monthly like humans). This is likely due to their long lifespans that can approach 1000 years. Bosmer fertility has another unique feature called totems. A totem is an animal spirit that reflects the nature of its Bosmer. During coupling, the man’s totem must defeat the woman’s in a spiritual battle for the act to result in conception. Not surprisingly, Bosmeri men wish for strong totems and Bosmeri women wish for weaker totems. When a Bosmer woman becomes intimate with a non-Bosmer man, a totem seeks him out so he may have a chance at impregnating his Bosmer mate. Buffy’s totem is a butterfly. Buffy, however, is unique in that she has two totems and any potential mate’s totem must defeats both of hers. The butterfly is no problem of course but, unfortunately, Buffy’s second totem is an ice dragon. She believes it is none other than the spirit of Phantom and blames Acadian for the likelihood she will never be able to conceive.

Bosmer Clans and Tribes. Many Bosmer live in tribes. Tribes that share common beliefs form clans. The common beliefs that unite clans generally relate to dealing with the Bosmer curse of the Wild Hunt. Yffre offered relief to those who agreed to follow the Green Pact. Many Bosmer accepted and formed the Green Pact Clan. Some Bosmer, instead, embraced lycanthropy and formed the Clan of Hircine. Buffy’s ancestors found relief from the Wild Hunt from the Mother of Nirn (Mara) and the Sky Goddess (Kynareth). In return, these Bosmer agreed to live in the massive graht oaks of Valenwood and never waist the bounty of their forests. These Bosmer eventually evolved to become smaller and lighter to support life high in their trees. These Bosmer became known as the Cloud Dancer Clan because the delicate upper branches where they live are high enough to literally allow them to dance in the clouds. Each Cloud Dancer Tribe bonds to a specific graht oak.

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I'm going to keep this thread locked except to add additional summaries as Buffy's story continues. That said, if there are any questions or comments about the thread or its contents, do not hesitate to PM me or post on Buffy's Basket of Potpourri thread.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jul 5 2025, 12:15 PM

[Acadian]

Executive Summary of Book 4 - Drodda the Icewitch

Book 4 opens in Cyrodiil early in the Fourth Era shortly after the Oblivion Crisis and events of Book Three. Buffy is quickly drawn into a unique threat to her precious mare, Superian. As you will recall, both Acadian and his ice dragon mount, Phantom, perished several millennia ago during the Great Dragon War. Just as Buffy currently hosts the spirit of Acadian, Superian hosts the spirit of Phantom.

The problem, according to Kynareth, is there is an ice witch named Drodda who has located Phantom’s corpse and is siphoning her considerable residual magic. If not stopped, this could destroy Phantom’s spirit and be fatal to Superian.

To make matters more vexing, Drodda is somehow doing this in the past and Kynareth does not know the precise location. What the Divine can do, however, is arrange for Buffy to time travel back the necessary 700 years.
Given the threat to her precious dragon-mare, Buffy does not hesitate to accept Kynareth’s offer.

With a suite of Holy Light spells taught to her by Kynareth, Buffy arrives naked in Leyawiin in the Second Era. She quickly learns that a very young Dagail is expecting her and helps Buffy get her feet on the ground, providing information that can help her quest as well as introducing Buffy to a Dunmer sellshield named Mirri who agrees to partner with Buffy.

Buffy and Mirri follow leads, taking them to Valenwood where Buffy is adopted into the Elden Root Tribe of the Cloud Dancer Clan and learns from the Mages Guild that Drodda was once a member of the Windhelm Guild.

While in Valenwood, Kynareth appears and introduces Buffy to a nixad named Willow who is a tracker. The trio make their way to Windhelm and eventually learn the compelling backstory of Drodda and, more importantly, Willow is able to divine her location.

After a long slog through the frigid and challenging Direfrost Keep, Buffy and Mirri defeat Drodda – eliminating the threat she poses to Buffy’s precious dragon-mare.

In notifying the Mages Guild of the elimination of Drodda, Buffy makes friends with the guild’s Palatinus, Praxedes, and joins the guild’s Order of the Lamp.

At the end of the book, Buffy ponders the depths of the new ties and friendships she has made in the Second Era. She announces her intention to stay there. For now.