Aravi in Skyrim, her video story Options

[Grits]

What the...? Now I can’t say I like Sven’s mom, but still… Aravi’s vision or dream of attacking Riverwood must have really upset her. She even did the old check herself for disease, so it must have seemed very real. Argh, she gave up everything in Cyrodiil to get away from this! I hope it wasn’t a sign of continuing vampire-related stress to come. What a relief to see Kharjo acting normal after that. Also it’s always fun to hear from Orgnar.

Now Arngeir said something that ticked me off. The Blades have never served the Dragonborn? Hmm, I think that every Knight Brother and Knight Sister who wept at the feet of that stone Akatosh in the Imperial City would beg to differ! Of course by now that’s history, so who really knows. Or he may have meant in his lifetime. Anyway.

Meeting Paarthurnax next!! Very exciting! How funny that Barbus is wandering around High Hrothgar somewhere during this. Maybe one of the Greybeards will Shout at him.

[King Coin]

@mALX: Surprise! I didn’t introduce her nightmare in the usual way! So far the Blades haven’t given Aravi anything she’s become wary of, just a minor headache from Delphine. Aravi does hold more respect for the Greybeards at this time. Thank you mALX!

@SubRosa: She had nightmares again from being near the vampires. Barbas is a nightmare, but doesn’t spawn them. Aravi’s off to meet Pasrthanax. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: It seems that moving north solved some of her problems with vampirism, but not all. Lol, a shouting match, good thing it is brief. Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: Aravi’s move to Skyrim was partially successful, she is no longer constantly fighting the disease. She still gets the vivid dreams after close contact with vampires however, and I don’t think that’s going to go away. I’m glad you mentioned Arngeir’s statement about the Blades. Thanks Grits!

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Aravi begins her climb to the Throat of the World.

TIME: 5:14

Aravi speaks with Paarthanax. (All dialog, don’t watch it all if you do not want to. I’ll summarize it with the next update.)

TIME: 9:58

This post has been edited by King Coin: May 13 2012, 02:48 PM

[SubRosa]

I thought she might have Kharjo stay behind while she went up to talk to Parthy.

It certainly is a long way up. Those ice wraiths were expected. Good thing there were not any Wisp Mothers!

"Old and wise. It is true I am old..."
I am liking Parthy already!

I wonder why he keeps calling Aravi Krosis? Isn't that one of the dragon priests?

So Aravi is going to have fly around the sun to go back in time? Oops, this is not a Star Trek movie. Clever idea to use the Elder Scroll to traverse the wound in time which it made.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 13 2012, 06:22 PM

[Acadian]

Vid 1. How very ‘Aravi’ that, after the Greybeard tells her the path ahead is dangerous, she tells Kharj to sit this one out. I think it was neat that she had to keep shouting to continue clearing the icy mist ahead. A nice and majestic moment near the summit as she pauses in awe of the view. And she meets the dragon! What a powerful ending for that vid!

Vid 2. Nice to repeat Paarthurnax’s dramatic entrance. And sure enough, a shouting match! Unlike the voicing for Clavicus and his Vile dog, this dragon sounds puurrfect - like Darth Vader, Yoda and Obi-Wan all rolled into one! So. . . as cool as Paarthurnax is, he unfortunately shares a trait so very common to those Aravi deals with: He assigns her a fetch quest! Oh well. Back to the Future. I’m so glad you included this vid – I loved it!

This post has been edited by Acadian: May 14 2012, 12:08 AM

[mALX]

GAAAAH !!! This is my first time seeing Paarthanax! Both of these vids were exciting to me, I've never done the main quest at all - and I didn't know about the Elder Scrolls part, either !! AWESOME VIDS !!! Loved getting this insight into the thought behind the main questline !!

[Grits]

It was fun to really see Aravi work those katanas against the ice wraiths! Out in the open against the snow she showed up very well. What an awesome way to end the video!

And to start the next one! Well done.

When Paarth says “two of the dov,” I get chills. I love this part! Teaching her a Word for fire was a good way to win Aravi’s trust. At least until the whole cast-you-back-in-time idea. This video really introduces what Aravi will have to go through next. Also it was neat to have her build a fire. It made the howling wind even more real.

[King Coin]

@SubRosa: You pointed out the line I liked from Paarthanax.
I’m not sure if he’s calling her Krosis or if that’s a word he is using. I don’t know what the meaning is. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: Since she wasn’t expecting any trouble from enemies, she decided it would be best to leave Kharjo with the Greybeards.

You got it! A shouting match! Nothing can be conveniently within arm’s reach can it? Off to find an Elder Scroll. Thanks Acadian!

@mALX: Paarthanax is so cool isn’t he? I’m glad you got to see him through Aravi’s eyes. Going to play it now? Thanks mALX!!

@Grits: Aravi had to build a fire because of a mod I’m running that makes the cold dangerous. She would have froze to death up there talking to Paarth without it. Meeting Paarth is one of my favorite parts of the game too! Not shown, Aravi had Paarth help her further understand her fire shout, so she has an extra 25% damage bonus from that shout. Thanks Grits!

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Aravi spoke with Paarthanax at length. She learned a new word of power from him, and then learned that to find the Dragonrend shout she will have to find an Elder Scroll.

When the ancient Nords fought the dragons, they did not actually defeat them. Instead, they used an Elder Scroll to cast Alduin, the leader of the dragons, to somewhere in the future.

Now Aravi needs that Elder Scroll to go back and learn the shout from the Nords that created it.

####################################

Not knowing where to find an Elder Scroll, Aravi returns to Whiterun and does some work for the Companions.

TIME: 12:45

[mALX]

*

GAAAAH! Where did Aravi get that Awesome beautiful cape? Loved that fight with the dragon, I finally got to see her use a shout against one! OMG, Urk! Skjor is making his move...GAAAAH!

ROFL !! Cicero, lol.

That was so cool that Aravi left the Emerald for him in thanks !! I loved this vid, and loved how Aravi's personality came through in this !!


*

[SubRosa]

Aravi has a new cloak I see. It looks like the dragon did not like her sense of style however. I am really glad to be playing dragon-free games. They really are the cliffracers of Skyrim.

Wow, that new fire ball shout of Aravi's really worked wonders on that dragon. Talk about Dorito-breath! Oh look, the guards showed up just in time to do nothing.

Aravi had better be careful to keep her tail out of that big firepit!

The underforge? The Silver Hand quest? I can guess what is coming. The door to the underforge is hidden? No its not! It's pretty obvious where it is, from that door-shaped depression in the wall under the skyforge. Of course knowing how to make it work is another matter...

Oh look its the little chickpea on the roat (Cicero means "chickpea". The Romans had a very biting sense of humor). He really puts my teeth on edge. I always want to kill him on the spot. I think that farmer is right. He is guilty of something. A lot of somethings in fact. Of course there is no way for anyone else to know that.

She left the farmer an Emerald? I've got to volunteer to do something for Aravi sometime...

[Grits]

Whoa, dragon!! That was awesome! Yay, she Yol Toored him. Aravi looks great in the cloak! That was such a pretty shot of her face.

I love how Aravi backs away from Cicero. She can tell that he is not right! He cracks me up when Allek is with him. He once did his little clapping dance at a very inappropriate moment.

Oh, she left the farmer an emerald! Aravi is so sweet! This was a nice way to spend the rainy afternoon before… gulp. The Underforge.

[Acadian]

Aravi has certainly come a long way. She has so much mojo now that the dragon fight went surprisingly well.

I’ll join the chorus liking Aravi’s jaunty new cape!

Cicero, eh? Sounds a bit familiar. I wonder if he is somehow related to Glarthir?

In the whole Cicero/wagon/farmer/emerald bit, every choice and decision that Aravi made was so wonderfully true to her nature. What a beautiful kitty she is.

[King Coin]

@mALX: The cape was popular! Kharjo looks even better in my opinion with a cape over his Blades armor. All Aravi wanted to do was watch the sun rise and then a dragon attacks. I wanted Aravi to drop the coins that Cicero gave her in the farmer’s house but found that it is not allowed. You can put coins in containers, but not just drop them. Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: The guards were actually standing on the bridge shooting arrows. Aravi was a little concerned about getting hit by one of them should they miss the giant dragon in between her and them. She heard an arrowhead striking a rock near her once, and found plenty of steel arrows in the dragon.

First chairs, now fire pits out to ruin Aravi’s tail!

As far as Aravi knows, Cicero was just a guy on the road that needed help. A strange guy that made her a little uneasy at times… Thanks SubRosa!

@Grits: Aravi’s favorite shout by far is the fire breath. She needs to find the final word!

I can imagine Cicero doing his dance at many inappropriate moments. I’m wondering if Aravi’s going to tangle with that organization some more sometime.

The farmer is going to repair the wheel and put it on the wagon, sounds like a lot of work. So she gave him something for his trouble. Perhaps that wife of his will like it, or they can just sell it. Thanks Grits!

@Acadian: The dragon fight was really short. I’ve actually added a mod since then to beef up the dragons some.

The capes are so cool! Kharjo looks especially good in a crimson cape with his Blades armor. You can say that about Cicero. They share quite a few similarities now that I think about it.

Those last two lines, Thank you so much!

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Aravi meets Skjor at the Underforge at night.

TIME: 7:25

[mALX]

I can't believe it, Aravi was able to exit the conversation! Maxical couldn't, I ended up having to load a save from before agreeing to meet with them. LOVED how Aravi kept watching the moon and then went for a healing "just in case" she was tainted by the offer somehow without her knowledge, lol. Awesome Vid!

[Acadian]

Yikes! Aravi’s a Khajiit (as in c-a-t)! She doesn’t want anything to do with being a werewolf (as in d-o-g)! You really showed us her trepidation when she stepped into the underforge. She really and clearly wanted out of there! I was so relieved they didn’t try to force her. I wasn’t surprised she ran far away once outta there. . . . I can tell she was reminded of her vampire troubles.

Night hunting, and some time to be a cat. A mammoth! Thanks for showing me – I think they’re beautiful. I was so pleased Aravi sought some comfort in Mara. The distant wolf howls were ominous, weren’t they?

[Grits]

Gosh, Aravi couldn’t wait to get far away from those two! Nice catly leap over the wall. Her disquiet came through very well. It was very Aravi to seek some alone time out on the tundra. She is already a night hunter, and she doesn’t need to be made stronger by their beast blood. What a perfect time to receive a blessing from Lady Mara. The adventure videos are very fun to watch, but these character episodes are always my favorites.

Checking out Volunruud? I’ve never been past the first chambers. I wonder what’s in store for her inside!

[SubRosa]

I wonder if the magic the skyforge taps is older than Women too? Or Khajiit? Or Argonians?

There is a werewolf down there! I am with Aravi, I'd be backing up too! No thanks. Aravi is already a feline. Why would she want to be a canine?

The way Skryim handles werewolves was disappointing to me. Lycanthropy is supposed to be a curse, that transforms the afflicted into a ravenous monster who kills indiscriminately. But as is trendy in current pop-culture, they try to make them into superheros instead. The player can always control their transformations, and never just go berserk and kill at random. There are no negatives to it at all.

I don't blame Aravi for running out of there. I would too.

So now it is off to Volunruud. That is one I have actually done before!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: May 20 2012, 05:08 PM

[King Coin]

@mALX: That must have been something they patched. She left town to be on her own for a while, and to think. She didn’t specifically go to the shrine to be healed; she just stumbled upon that shrine to Mara. Because she assisted Erandur, the priest of Mara in Dawnstar, when she touched the shrine she received a blessing. I roleplay that you have to be in a divine’s favor before you can receive blessings at their shrines. Thanks mALX!

@Acadian: She absolutely doesn’t want anything to do with being a werewolf! She was more than a little freaked out when Farkas transformed on her, and then seeing Aela like that…

She always just assumed those distant howls were from the standard variety of wolf… Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: She definitely likes spending time alone when she is troubled. She has dragon blood already, she doesn’t need beast blood to be strong. I’m glad you enjoy these character episodes. They are the most challenging, but most rewarding videos to make.

Didn’t get in the door? Were you missing one of the weapons? Thanks Grits!

@SubRosa:
I wonder if the magic the skyforge taps is older than Women too? Or Khajiit? Or Argonians?
Don’t know, he only mentioned men.

I agree with you about how werewolves should have been handled. Some random transformations would be welcome, or even make them connected to the moons. Thanks SubRosa!

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Aravi enters Volunruud and finds a special locked door.

TIME: 9:09

_____________________________
Books:

Heddic's Volunruud Notes

Mace Etiquette

This post has been edited by King Coin: May 22 2012, 04:24 PM

[mALX]

I absolutely LOVED this dungeon, really enjoying going through it vicariously now "Aravi style!" - AWESOME VID!!!!

[SubRosa]

I love that journal at the very beginning. What danger could a few old corpses be? And a few feet away is the axe embedded in the stone floor...

I see Aravi is putting her bow to good use. I never thought of trying to shoot one of the pressure plates like that!

That was cool, bashing with the bow to gain time to change weapons. That Draugr Deathlord will be trouble though. She is one nasty customer. Oh noes, she disarmed Aravi with her first shot! I hate that. Aravi got back at her by breathing fire though.

I agree with Aravi's headshake after killing that deathlord. That was close. Ebony arrows! Those will work much better than those steel ones Aravi has.

Now with the second ceremonial weapon in hand, Aravi is off to face Evel Knevel!

[Grits]

Allek went in on official business, but he didn’t have to go past the very beginning side rooms. He left Marcurio at home for that trip since he was up to no good. No way was he going to explore on his own. He is a murderer, not a warrior like Aravi!

Aravi is good at spotting the not-entirely-dead. That urn was some tricky follower bait. Bump the urn, set off the trap.

Argh, disarmed!! Aravi had a snappy comeback, though. Then she ended the fight standing in a bunch of cobwebs. Ebony arrows, sweet!! Aravi has a nice bow collection.

This is a neat tomb, and it’s fun to watch Aravi conquer it on her own. I’m looking forward to what’s behind the special door. Tongue Chieftain sounds like there might be some yelling, and maybe even a Word!