Aravi in Skyrim, her video story Options

[King Coin]

@Everyone: Thanks! Everyone liked the second one, but I prefer the first.

the cave: Steepfall Burrow

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This takes place after Aravi returns Kharjo’s amulet. He offers to travel with her, and she accepts.

Aravi pulled open the door to the inn and held it tight when the vicious wind tried to tear it from her grasp. Behind her, Kharjo grabbed the door. “Go in,” he said. “This one has the door.” Inside, Aravi wiped her feet on the already sodden mat and stepped aside. Kharjo pulled the door shut as he came in, cutting off the flow of cold air into the inn.

While Kharjo stomped the snow off of his steel clad boots, Aravi went to the counter to get rooms for the night. Kharjo looked around the room and noted the expressions on the faces of the regulars. They were content to frown and turn their backs on him. He noted a few of them checked that their coin purses were still where ever they were supposed to be. He chucked to himself. That was a mild reaction to a Khajiit. He glanced towards the counter and saw Aravi was still talking to the innkeeper. The Nords were leaving her alone, so he chose an unoccupied table near the hearth in the center of the room and sat with his back towards the fire.

A serving girl reluctantly came to him and took his order. The Khajiit might not be liked in Skyrim, but the septim was more than welcome.

The serving girl left and Kharjo waited. Moments later, Aravi joined him at the table. Instead of sitting as he did, she sat to face the fire. Kharjo turned to join her and accepted a mug of something he may have ordered from the serving girl who had returned. He sipped at it experimentally. Aravi shook her head at the girl and started unwrapping the soaking strips of cloth from her feet. After placing the cloth near the fire to dry, she stretched out. She leaned her back against the edge of the table and rested her feet at the edge of the hearth. She sighed with contentment and Kharjo could see her visibly relax.

Kharjo wondered why she didn’t wear any boots or shoes, but he kept that question to himself. Instead, he watched her as she enjoyed the flames. She had her eyes closed and a small smile on her face. He let her sit for a while before speaking. “This one wonders, how does Aravi feel so at ease among these Nords?”

Aravi cracked open an eye and looked around the room. “I did something for them the last time I was here. They won’t bother us.” She closed her eye again. The smile had vanished though.

Kharjo thought a moment, then, “the nightmares?”

“Yes.”

For weeks, the people that would meet his caravan at the edge of town complained of nightmares. Then about a week ago, the nightmares stopped. The town’s folk told him that a priest arrived to help them, only he didn’t do anything for days. Then, a Khajiit traveler came to town and spoke with him. They both left for the tower on the hill overlooking the town. That night, there were no nightmares. Kharjo turned his attention from his thoughts back to Aravi. It became apparent she was not going to elaborate however.

He changed the subject. “This one notices you have a Cyrodilic accent. Kharjo has been to Cyrodiil as well.”

Aravi opened her eyes and asked him, “Why did you come here?”

“Ahkari freed me from a Cyrodilic prison, and I was hired to protect her caravan to repay that debt. A word of advice, do not mix alcohol and gambling. Taken together, they will empty your pocket of every septim.”

Aravi smiled at that. Then Kharjo asked, “Why is Aravi here? Surely she would prefer to be home in Elsweyr.”

She didn’t answer him immediately. Kharjo waited and let her think. It was clear she was deciding what she wanted to say and what she wanted to keep to herself. After a few moments, she began speaking. “I do not remember Elsweyr, I left when I was very young. When I was in Cyrodiil, I guess I was a vampire hunter. That wasn’t what I intended to do, but that’s what I did a lot of. It got to be too much though. Then when my best friend left for Morrowind, I needed to leave Cyrodiil. A healer suggested a colder climate would be good for me. So here I am.”

“A vampire hunter?” Kharjo’s ears perked with interest. “This one hasn’t fought those; he goes the other direction when he hears of rumors. What was it like?”

Aravi’s ears lowered. “It was dark and terrifying. They do things to their victims… I don’t know how I did it as long as I did.” She shivered at the memories.

Sensing that the subject was closed, Kharjo asked another question, “Where does Aravi’s path lead?”

“We’ll go to Whiterun. The Jarl has some bounties out that should pay pretty well, even after we split the rewards. After that…”

“And after that?” Kharjo prompted. Another subject she wanted to avoid, Kharjo noted.

“We’ll see.”

Kharjo was disappointed by the reply but was not surprised. Just to see what kind of response he was going to get from her he said, “The road to Whiterun is dangerous.”

“Then we’ll see how we fight together.”

Kharjo grinned. She was not much of a talker, but she isn’t skittish. He could live with that, for now. She did get his amulet back, and from her answer, she probably didn’t just steal it. He was sure those who took it were no longer among the living. He downed the rest of his drink. He made a face when he finished. “Must have been from the spoiling batch.”

“I’m going to bed” Aravi said. “I’d like to get an early start. If you aren’t up, I’ll assume you’ve changed your mind.”

Kharjo set his empty mug on the table and stood up. “Khajiit will be ready. Which room is this one’s?”

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Aravi returns Kharjo's amulet and he offers to travel with her. She accepts his offer and they set out for Whiterun after spending the night at the inn.

TIME: 11:07

This post has been edited by King Coin: Feb 1 2012, 11:30 PM

[mALX]

I love the background music when Aravi first arrived outside the fort - and love Kharjo's voice, too !!

Loved the way Aravi handled those skeever behind the bars, ROFL !!

I have not been in this fort yet !! Looks like a great dungeon dive !! Awesome Vid !!!


Great story, what a surprise to get Kharjo's viewpoint instead of Aravi's !!! Great addition to us getting to know more about Aravi !!

[SubRosa]

do not mix alcohol and gambling.
Good advice! Scylla just heard it from Kharjo last night as well!

A wonderful little piece, as Kharjo and Aravi cautiously get to know one another. Especially nice is that it is from Kharjo's pov. That gives us a look at Aravi from the outside looking in.

Now for the vid. Is Aravi going to cook anything? I cannot remember if the Khajiit's camp has a usable cookpot or not. I found that it can be very helpful. Scylla made some Apple Cabbage Stew the other day that did 10 points of healing!

I am a little surprised that Aravi is still using iron arrows. Is it just because they are so easy to pick up while out exploring?

Aravi was just waiting for that guy on the wall to stand still a moment so she could drop the hammer on him. Her first shot missed, but it did get him to stop. Then her second did the trick!

Kharjo complements Aravi very well. She can stand back and use her bow, while he provides cover with his mace and shield. Looks like he is pretty handy with a bow as well.

That bandit archer on the wall was a tough one!

I am a little dismayed at how they slowed down your movement rate when you use a bow. Have you gotten that perk that lets you move faster with a bow? I was wondering if it actually works.

The Stumbling Sabercat! Great name. I was a little surprised to see that the bandits have an actual tavern in the old fort. And now its two-fisted Chow Yun Cat time!

I noticed that Kharjo's mace makes a slicing sound when he hits people with it...

Whoa! They double-teamed that mage like something else!

Flamethrower on the Skeevers! Just what is a Skeever supposed to be anyhow? It kind of looks like a wolf. Or a rat?

Am I the only one who thinks "Bandit Outlaw" is slightly redundant?



nits:
Surely she would prefer to be home in Elysweyr.
It is Elsweyr. This one gets me every time as well. I always have to look it up.

[Acadian]

The Story

Welcome to the Arena of writing! I see your stunning talent for vids translates wonderfully to prose. This was a joy to read.

Kharjo’s ears perked with interest. “This one hasn’t fought those; he goes the other direction when he hears of rumors.

Aravi’s ears lowered. “It was dark and terrifying. They do things to their victims… I don’t know how I did it as long as I did.” She shivered at the memories.
Loved this for a couple reasons. First, it was a great review/nod to her past in Cyrodiil. Secondly it showcases your dialogue. I like that you have Kharjo speak traditional Khajiit and have Aravi speaking more conventionally. One advantage of this is that it makes it clear who is speaking just from their words. I also envy your cats because they can gesture with their ears providing you, as a writer, plenty of fun ‘connective’ wording opportunities.

“Where does Aravi’s path lead?”
“We’ll go to Whiterun.
Ooooh! Here, Aravi is making it clear that she welcomes Kharjo and expects him to continue with her.

She was not much of a talker, but she isn’t skittish.
This was fun because it is such a perfect description of Aravi. . . and so totally opposite from the skittish and talkative Buffy.

The Video

I had to stop after the first minute or two to write. The opening scene was magic! I love the peaceful cold night and fabulous detail of the Khajiit camp. Neat looking and varied tentage, smoke from the fire, meat cooking on the spit. Ahhhhh. Yum. And I love how Kharjo talks just like you portray his dialect in your writing!

That is one whale of a quiver that holds 175 arrows! I limit quivers to 25, but that is just me and I’m only teasin’ ya.

Kharjo was so cool to slip out to the side to engage that baddie, leaving a clear field of fire for Aravi. A smart cat! Oooh! He did it again – fighting off to one side so Aravi can shoot. How neat!

Bandit Bar! How neat that the bandits look like they really live at that fort.

What a great update this was!

[Grits]

I love reading Aravi’s story! It’s great to see her from Kharjo’s point of view. I can just imagine her stretching her wet feet out to the fire. I enjoyed their conversation so much. It had that getting to know you feel, full of pauses and just enough information. You write the catly mannerisms so well. I love how the ears do some of the talking.

Kharjo’s unease around the Nords was a good reminder of how things are for Khajiit in Skyrim. I also like how he deferred to Aravi. Just like in the videos, she’s taking the lead.

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The Khajiit camp is so neat with the big log to sit on! It looked so inviting, the way Aravi was standing to the side so we could see Kharjo and Dro'marash with Zaynabi cooking in the corner of the screen. Kharjo worked very well with Aravi in their first battle, falling back with his bow after the first mace fight instead of charging into the fort like some maniacs I could name. I love how she calmly pulled the arrows out of the tree.

I like the far away camera shot before they went into the Commander Quarters. What a neat fort. I haven’t been in there. I love how Aravi glances back to check on Kharjo before she moves into the next area. She’s already good at being a team.

What a fun video and great story to introduce it!

[King Coin]

@mALX: I don’t notice the music as much in Skyrim as I did in Oblivion, but it is marvelous when I do notice it. I love hearing the OST when Aravi is on her own out at night with the auroras in the sky. Very peaceful. Thanks mALX! And thank you for the pointers on the written portion.

@SubRosa: I haven’t planned on putting any cooking in the videos, but Aravi has cooked! She’s made venison stew and horker stew, along with some of the more basic foods.

She uses iron arrows most of the time just because she has so many of them and cannot sell them.

Kharjo and Aravi make a great team together.

Aravi has not been collecting many of the archery perks. I think there is 1 perk in between her and the speed one.

I think a skeever is a rat or a weasel.

I even looked up the proper spelling, how in the heck did that happen? Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: Thanks for the encouragement with the writing. The ears are fun, can’t forget about them. Didn’t have the opportunity to use their tails.

Aravi has never seemed to me like she would speak like a traditional Khajiit. She may or may not have ever been to Elsweyr so she wouldn’t have ever picked up that manner of speech anyways.

Glad you liked the Khajiit camp. I should have expected that you would enjoy the camp, because Buffy camps so much.

Kharjo’s pretty smart! Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: Some of Kharjo’s speech was difficult to write, but I think I did alright with their conversation. Gotta love those ears! I was considering having Aravi purr at the fire but decided against that.

I really like how Kharjo uses his bow when enemies are at range.

I was a little surprised when I saw the arrows in the tree she was standing behind. Whoa. Thanks Grits!

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Some screenshots

Just a face shot

What's that?

Just a falmer... and a centurion!

Shooting

[Grits]

These are great, especially the face one. Aravi is so beautiful!

My favorite has to be "Shooting," I love her expression with her ears back!

[SubRosa]

The What's That? pic was wonderful, with the way the fire lights her.

That's a Falmer? Eeeuuch! I have not seen one yet.

Aravi's bared fangs look great in the shooting pic!

[mALX]

All are great, but I Love the "Shooting" one !!!! Almost eerie !!

[Acadian]

Great screens!

I love love love the first face shot of Aravi. That is so her!

I also agree with SubRosa how neat it is to see Aravi's fangs.

[King Coin]

@Grits: Thanks! The face shot one is my favorite. Remember how much difficulty I had making her look friendly with the new textures? That one made it all worth it.

@SubRosa: I liked her expression in the “What’s that?” screen. I paused the game for a screen and caught her in mid blink. Looks like she’s squinting to make something out better.

When you encounter the falmer, be wary. They are tough, and their little pets are VERY deadly. Thanks!

@mALX: That one seems to be the pick this batch. The nighteye definitely makes it look eerie. Thanks!

@Acadian: You are right, that first one is how I’ve wanted her to look. I’m so glad I got those textures to work out. Thanks!


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Only one screen this time.

Aravi and Kharjo by the fire.

[mALX]

Absolutely LOVE this screen !! Aravi looking distant, and Kharjo looking like he's wondering what she is thinking about - AWESOME !!

[Acadian]

Oh I'm with mALX! That is a great screen. Kharjo is so handsome and Aravi is lost in thought.

[Grits]

Oh, I love this one!! Exactly what they said!

Plus, great armor!

[King Coin]

@mALX: You’ve got it! I find myself in Kharjo’s position a lot! Thank you mALX!

@Acadian: I have to agree with you, Kharjo looks good in this one. Thanks!

@Grits: Glad you like. Thanks on the armor too.


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Aravi and Kharjo work through some bounties. Today they are returning to Whiterun after collecting a sword for a friendly Redguard. They get side tracked at a fort however…

TIME: 8:31

[mALX]

*

I loved this! It is amazing Aravi can hit as well as she does from so far away with that bow! The hand to hand scene was a total surprise, I kept thinking she was going to pull a weapon out! It looked like she had her claws unsheathed in those first hits too - now that was Awesome !! Also kind of funny how she stood over him after, fists raised and turning side to side, lol.

I also love that Aravi looted as much as she did in this one! I probably totally missed that cage on the wall, didn't know it was a place to loot !!

Awesome Vid !!

[Grits]

Great shooting from the opposite hill. I could barely even see those bandits, and Aravi hit them!

Oh my gosh, Aravi smacked that guy to death! Khajiit claws, woo hoo! I’ve never been in that fort. I enjoyed the view from the top level ending with a good look at Aravi in her leather gear.

Whoa, footwraps! Nice find for Aravi. What a fun side trip!

[SubRosa]

First off, loved the pic of Kharjo and Aravi by the fire. He has that "I'm gonna marry that girl one day" look in his eyes.

280 iron arrows! Aravi sure has plenty of ammo!

Is every fort in this game inhabited by bandits? It sure seems that way from my own gameplay. I have found a few watchtowers with either guards or otherwise friendlies in them. But so far every honest to goodness fort has had nothing but bad guys, starting with Helgen.

Aravi used her cat-breath on that first bandit to run up to her! Then it was Chow Yun Cat time! I was a little surprised Kharjo did not move into to intercept that guy. But I saw later that he was busy in an archery duel with the bandits on the wall.

I like the forts in Skyrim much better then Oblivion. In OB they are just a round tower with a weirdly layed out dungeon underneath. In Skyrim they look like real fortresses, with walls, towers, a keep, etc...

Whoa! Aravi was all over that guy on the tower like Muhammad Ali! The Thrilla in Greymoor!

Scylla says she should have taken the Horker Loaf off that guy. It is really tasty when you cook it up with some salt.

Youch! Bear trap. I hate those things!

The thing that really deters me from dual-wielding is you cannot block or bash. But Aravi does pretty well without blocking, even only wearing light armor.

Am I the only one who thinks that "Bandit Outlaws" are a little redundant? Who came up with these names?

They had a troll on the table? Were they making troll-burgers?

Aravi picked an Expert lock with only 3 picks broken? W00T! I vastly prefer this lockpicking system to the old one in Oblivion.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 4 2012, 10:04 PM

[Acadian]

I and the elf on my shoulder were mesmerized by the blue butterfly and the gold one dancing around Aravi during the first part. How neat!

That was some fabulous shooting!

Woot! Aravi unleashed her kitty claws!

What a great panning view you gave us in the middle before Aravi and Kharjo entered the fort proper.

The inside of the fort seems wonderfully full of rich atmosphere and detail.

[King Coin]

@mALX: Thanks for soothing her ego, she was embarrassed at how many times she missed. She’s not sure where the arrows were going at that range.

She would have armed herself too if there was more than one, but she was confident she could take that lone bandit with her claws. Thanks mALX!

@Grits: Again, she was having a heck of a time figuring out where she should aim to hit those bandits on the wall. I’m glad you enjoyed the Khajiit hand to hand! Thanks Grits!

@SubRosa: You aren’t the only one to say that about the screenshot of Aravi and Kharjo!

I’ve been in a few forts with necromancers and conjurers. Bandits do hold the majority of them though. I suppose that’s just because they would be more common than magic users.

The orc that charged Aravi got shot in the back by Kharjo. It was hard to see but there was an arrow in his back when he went down. So Kharjo did help her out with him.

Dual wielding with light armor is a challenge. I had to reset the first time because I spread the perks out too much and she didn’t have a high enough damage output to compete later. The second reset went much more smoothly, and this third iteration is the best so far. Thanks SubRosa!

Oh yes and Bandit Outlaw is definitely a weird name.

@Acadian: Butterflies? I had to check, and sure enough there they were.

A Khajiit is never unarmed! I really like the forts in Skyrim. Like SubRosa said, they are laid out the way you’d think a fort would be. They did a pretty good job with the interiors as you pointed out. Thanks!

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Alright, these weren’t very popular over on the BethForums but I really like how they turned out. I got the effect kind of on accident. I was trying to see if I could get a good leaping screen shot and didn’t like the way Aravi looked mid-air. I tried on landing instead and got an intense radial blur when she took falling damage, which I think made a really cool picture. Many people disagree though.
1 & 2

Here’s one of Aravi just enjoying the scenery.