Aravi in Skyrim, her video story Options

[Acadian]

What a heartpounder! I was worried Kharj was going to get eaten! So Alduin was wise enough to back off and retreat from the frenzied kitties but it’s not over yet I see. Aravi’s got to figure out how to capture and interrogate one of Alduin’s buddies, then rethink her tactics to defeat the big fellow for good? Great vid!

Fabulous screens all, and they just seem to ‘fit’ with the mood after fighting Alduin. I simply adore Night Sky – the way the clouds let some stars shine through, the twin moods, snow, detail on the rock and, of course, a very determined Aravi. And what a touching scene of A&K together.

[mALX]

Sorry KC, it'll be tomorrow (or actually, this afternoon) before I get to see the vid. Bob fell through a roof on the construction site, I was gone all day and at almost 3 am and two days without sleep - I'm going to go to bed! Sorry

[King Coin]

Don't apologize, I'm glad Bob is doing alright.

[mALX]

Vid: What a fight! This line stood out to me, Aravi said "The Jarl of Whiterun may not think so." Loved that! Alduin seemed weaker in the sky, on the ground he seemed invincable! Awesome Vid!

[SubRosa]

I looked at the title of the vid, and hoped it was not going to be dragon Pr0n!

I see even Kharjo's familiar has joined in the fun. Wow, that blast of fire that Parthy made is still burning, even after Aldy flew away. Oh neat its that meteor storm. I loved that at Helgen.

Out come the two swords, and down goes Alduin. Just like everyone else. Or not. He's essential I see. Maybe Parthy will know a way to remove his essential tag, so he can finally be put to bed.

So Aravi's Su'um is strong? Since Aravi has not done the civil war, I am guessing that Balgruuf is still jarl in Whiterun. A few chests of gold should convince him... (that is something you hear from his steward if you do the SC side of the civil war. Apparently a few wagonloads of Imperial gold made the White Gold Concordant go down a little easier... )

Where is the ring is really cute. But the Warlock about the die was my fav. I love that snarl on Aravi's face!

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Oct 11 2012, 06:27 PM

[King Coin]

@mALX: I can’t believe that the one with Kharjo wasn’t your favorite! I just set Kharjo to wander around using my mod and he did the kneeling on his own. When I saw that, I couldn’t resist, just had to put Aravi right in front of him.

When Alduin was in the sky, Aravi couldn’t fight him. He was definitely much weaker on the ground. Thanks mALX!

@Grits: I don’t know what he’s meditating on, but it needed a screen!

The meteor shout is so cool! The sky looked so dangerous when he used it. The end really did have a peaceful feeling to it, didn’t it? Thanks Grits!

@Acadian: Yep, the cowardly dragon ran from the kitties. Where did he go? One of his underlings will know. Night Sky was a challenge to get, I wanted to include everything in the sky and have Aravi too. Thanks Acadian!

@SubRosa: I think that’s spelled a little differently.

That battle was a little crazy, without Kharjo it would have been very difficult for Aravi. I was happy to see Paarth get in on the fight too.

Yep, Balgruuf is still Jarl. Funny about the SC Jarl, a true Nord until shiny gold is on the table! Thanks SubRosa!

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

This first video is all talking. Aravi talks to the Jarl of Whiterun about using his keep as a dragon trap. Then she talks to the Greybeards.

Link

4:36

If you aren’t interested in watching that one, here’s the short version:

Aravi: “Can I trap a dragon in your keep?”
Jarl: “Ha ha you’re joking right?”
Aravi: “I’m serious.”
Jarl:
Aravi: “This is important” (persuasion)
Jarl: “I can’t have the Imperials or Stormcloaks taking my city after a dragon slaughters and burns my garrison. Get them to agree to a truce and then we will see about your dragon.”

~~~ Aravi travels back to High Hrothgar

Aravi to the Greybeards: “I need you to host a peace conference.”
Greybeards: *grumble grumble* “Fine.”

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

After talking to the Greybeards, Aravi leaves to recruit some dragon slayers. It does not go as planned.

4:01

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

Finally, some screenshots

Silhouette

Khajiit and wolf

another elven retexture (I still prefer the golden vanilla armor)

[mALX]

Got to love Silhouette! It took me a minute to find Aravi for the Aurora's beauty! Khajiit and wolf is a great close-up of Aravi too.

Absolutely LOVE your depiction of the first vid - so much funnier and more interesting than the actual vid, lol.

2nd vid - ROFL !!! Aravi's thoughts showing her temper at Delphine was hilarious !!!! I loved this, you made this vid with your signature Aravi personality we came to love so much in Oblivion!

I absolutely LOVED this update!

[SubRosa]

It is Balgruuf who took the bribe from the Empire. You just learn it if you join the Stormcloaks. Likewise, the only reason Heimskir is out there preaching the Talos stuff is that he bribes the guards to stay out of prison. Balgruuf's administration is one where money talks...

"I want to trap a dragon in your palace"
When you put it that way, I don't envy Aravi for having to convince anyone to do that!

OOps, I missed the second vid the first time I looked at this. One Yol and the grey clouds are gone. I wish I had that IRL. It has been raining here for the last two days straight, and does not look like it is going to stop anytime soon. Renee would love it, she could create a new character every day!

Ahh, now we come to the part that shows us why everyone hates the Blades. I am with Aravi. I would draw my sword too! The Blades are supposed to serve the dragonborn, not the other way around. Where does that beyotch get off saying that you are not welcome in the temple which your blood opened up, and allowed them to stay in? A bunch of damned traitors is what they are. It is too bad Delphine and Esbern are essential, otherwise Aravi really could go all wolfy and just eat them. It is sad that all you can do in the vanilla game is leave all that Blades crap behind and go your own way.

I love that Silhouette pic. Aravi against the bright colors of the aurora are just awesome. The one with the familiar behind her was great too. Excellent timing on your part to get the pic in just as the initial swirling of light was still around it.

I see you found the black retexture of the elven armor. It works good for the Thalmor. Gives them a more Nazi-like appearance. I never did decide if I liked it better than the original gold on my characters though. The gold armor looks really good with an Altmer character's skin.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Oct 14 2012, 12:45 AM

[Acadian]

Vid 1. Thanks for providing that. Heh, I loved your advance executive summary of the conversation. Nevertheless, it was fun to listen to the vid and nice to see Aravi in a blouse and skirt for a change.

Vid 2. Speaking of fashion, Aravi’s too pretty to stick her head in a helmet. Perhaps she could visit SubRosa’s circlet shop? Now that said, the cape is definitely nice! I’m glad to see Aravi is totally unimpressed with the Blades’ plan. I loved and agreed with her reaction. It would have been fun indeed if she had acted on her wolfy impulse and shredded those who would have her kill the very cool Paarthurnax. Or perhaps if she huffed and puffed and shouted their house down? Like mALX said, you definitely captured what Aravi felt there!

Screens. That silhouette shot is magnificent! Aravi’s pose and the unusual sky are so cool! The one of her attacking is deadly! She really means business there, and I love how prominently the scar on her muzzle shows.

[Grits]

I love your video 1 synopsys. Master Einarth spoke to Aravi!! How cool was that!

Wow, you did a beautiful job showing Aravi's thoughts in the second video. As mALX said, there was the Aravi we have known and loved since Cyrodiil! And I agree with her response completely.

Those screens are just amazing. There is no way to pick between the aurora one and the wolf one, they are both awesome! This was such an enjoyable update!

[King Coin]

@mALX: Yep, she’s in there! That one’s in my desktop background rotation. Thank you on the summery, I warned you that video was pretty boring.

I love being able to show things like that for Aravi, there hasn’t been as much opportunity to do it. Thanks mALX!

SubRosa: Oh, I see. Balgruuf’s the one pocketing the coin eh? No wonder he’s always in such a good mood.

Missed the second vid? That was the good one!

Delphine’s kind of changed her job title to suit her own needs. Aravi was beyond furious about both that demand and then the you’re not welcome here. As you said, it was her blood that opened the temple and this beyotch (lol) just demands she leave? The Blades are truly gone.

I liked the black retexture because it kind of goes with the Dawnguard armor that Kharjo is wearing, but I would prefer it to be a standalone unique armor rather than all the armors looking like that. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: Buffy will have to work on Aravi a little bit, get her into something stylish and get her to try some shoes!

The dragon has been a lot more helpful than those Blades have been, but even then, she wouldn’t lift a weapon against someone that has offered her nothing but peace. It would have been pretty satisfying to act on those impulses, but Aravi’s going to have to just leave them and never come back.

I love how the light on her scar really changes how visible it is. Sometimes you can’t see it and other times it’s very prominent. Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: Aravi almost lost it in there when Delphine told her to get out. I was glad for the opportunity to show Aravi really angry like that.

I personally love the aurora one. Choose that one. Thanks Grits!

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

Aravi has to release her monster outside of Rorikstead.

8:19

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

Screens (yes, more auroras)

Look up…

Brilliant

I’ve been showing you lots of retextures of the elven armor, so here’s the standard

[mALX]

I love the way she runs in the wolfy form! Oh how cool, the wolf didn't attack her! This picking the people up and popping their heads off animation is absolutely wild! Very cool! Aravi lucked out with an open door entrance and exit for that cave, nothing needing activation. One thing I like about Skyrim is these automatic entrances. New Vegas had some, they freaked me out till I got used to it, lol. I wondered if the same wolf that let her pass in beast form would attack her on her return. Awesome Vid !!

Brilliant is my favorite screen. I like that version of Elven armor best, just like the goldish look of it! All are great screens - Love this update!

[SubRosa]

Now Aravi lets loose her fury. I do not blame her! It is too bad the game does not let you at least kill Delphine.

I might have asked before, but I forgot. When you are in wolf form, do regular wolves attack you? It seems like they should be on your side.

Ewww, she popped that bandit lookout like a zit!

What skeever attacks a werewolf! Even in cat form Aravi had no trouble umbrella seller-slapping that pest.

Poor Aravi, all curled up alone on the tundra. Moving the camera from her to the moon was excellent!

Look up is probably my fave of the three pics. I love the detail that the Khajiit faces have in Skyrim. I think the golden version of the elven armor looks best on Aravi. It goes better with her fur color, especially when she is bathed in the firelight like that.

[Darkness Eternal]

Dawn on the Seven Thousand Stairs
This here was nice. I love the orange scenery behind her, and I'm digging that armor. Somewhat digging it -_-
You know how I feel about the DG.

Where’s the ring? Or is this a knighting? (This is a joke, not a marriage announcement)
You had me there. Yes, you did. So Aravi has Kharjo in the Friend Zone, huh? Poor Kharjo!

Night sky on the Throat of the World
Behind Aravi are the two moons, and the beautiful shine of ultra light! Highest Peak, eh. She must feel like a Queen of the World as she stands at the throat of it!

A warlock is about to die
Power! Unlimited power! He's still no match for our feline adventurer. This screenshot was particularly great because of the "cinematic" feel to it.

Durnehviir and Magnus (Durnehviir is the dragon)
[/quote]Durnehviir is basking in Magnus' rays, I bet. Wouldn't you if you were stuck for countless centuries upon centuries in a realm of no sunlight? Good pictures!


Finally, some screenshots

Silhouette
Arassassini? Is that you?

Khajiit and wolf
Nice! Checkout that scar, too! This was a great screenie!

another elven retexture (I still prefer the golden vanilla armor)
[/quote]She looks great in that armor!

Rage! Yes! Unleash the Beast for the glories of Lord Hircine! You'd get a bone or two as a bonus in the afterlife!

[King Coin]

@mALX: I love the way werewolves run too! They are faster than a horse as well like that. That kill move is absolutely brutal and she was doing a lot of them like that. I don’t remember if she had to pass the wolf again or not. I think she came back a different way, but I can’t really remember, this video was made quite a while ago. I thought for sure you would have liked ‘Look up’ the best just because it’s a close shot. Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: Even if she could kill Delphine, she wouldn’t have. She’s definitely not having anything to do with the Blades again however.

Wolves won’t attack a werewolf. Aravi didn’t attack that one either. The long run didn’t cool her down unfortunately for that lookout, or anyone else inside that cave. That rat sure was ballsy attacking a werewolf like that!

Glad you liked the moon shots.

‘Look up’ is my favorite too. I like the golden version too, so I’ve just removed all the retextures. The black one did go well with Kharjo’s DG armor. Thanks SubRosa!

@DE: Woohoo! You’re back!

Aravi did start in Cyrodiil as a vampire hunter, so it was natural for her to choose the Dawnguard. Plus her personality wouldn’t make for a good vampire. Lol, Kharjo hasn’t been friend zoned; Aravi just has her own pace and cannot be pushed.

Glad you liked the werewolf rampage! Finally the picture you found early is up! Thanks DE!

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

Aravi was fuming still. She and Kharjo had made the journey from Skyhaven Temple to the edge of Rorikstead largely in silence. Night had fallen nearly an hour ago and the air chilled quickly as a cold breeze built from the north, blowing over the treeless plane. Hunger stabbed at her belly painfully and she knew Kharjo must be hungry as well. Unfortunately, getting something to eat now would be a waste, at least for her. Before entering the village, Aravi stopped. She handed Kharjo their money and said, “Here, get us a room at the inn. I need to hunt. Alone. I’ve gone far too long, I almost lost it when that…” Aravi bared her teeth, “… BlTCH told us to get out.”

Kharjo nodded and accepted the gold. “One room?”

“Yes. I’ll be out all night.” With that, she spun on her heel and sprinted the way they had come.

~~~~

Kharjo knew what she meant to do this night. She was going to let her monster out. He grimaced at the thought. He’d seen firsthand what an angry werewolf was capable of once, it had made him sick. And Aravi is beyond angry. She insisted she go alone for her transformations. Kharjo knew he would not be safe anywhere near her and part of him never again wanted to see the carnage wrought by the monster. However, another part of him wanted to be there with her despite that. He remembered how sick she was after changing back. What must it be like to come back and see what you have done?

He pulled his cloak tighter as a gust of wind hit him, and increased his pace. He was eager to get out of the cold and into the warm inn. As he was reaching the door, the wind subsided briefly. He heard a howl in the distance, and a chill ran down his spine to the tip of his tail. It had nothing to do with the wind.

Kharjo bought a room and sat by the fire with a warm bowl of stew and a tankard of mead. His mind went over the events of the past couple of days as he ate. He was impressed that Aravi had gone as long as she did without letting her beast out. He had encouraged her to go as long as she can without letting it out, but now he was thinking that wasn’t such a good idea.

After leaving the Greybeards at High Hrothgar, they traveled most of the day, going double pace so they could reach the Blades quickly. Aravi was counting on their help in confronting Alduin again. Instead, the Blades demanded she kill Paarthanax. Kharjo snorted. They should be worried about the World Eater, not the one that sits on a mountain and bothers no one. When Aravi refused, they told her to get out. This one was angry yes, but Aravi was another matter. Saying she was angry is like saying Winterhold is chilly. Kharjo was actually worried that she was going to transform then and there. She almost did lose it. Perhaps he shouldn’t encourage her to go so long without changing.

Sighing, he drained his mug, and brought his dishes to the innkeeper. He went to his room and closed the door. Stripping off his clothes, save his loincloth, he got into bed and pulled the rough blankets and furs over himself. A stretch brought a groan of pleasure before his consciousness faded away to sleep.

Kharjo roused in the dark when something moved his blankets and lay against him. He realized Aravi had crawled into bed with him. What is she doing…? Her fur was cold and damp, and her back pressed against his side on the narrow bed. He started to drift back to sleep, too tired to question her. His final thought before sleep took him again was that she smelled of fresh water, crisp air, and faintly of blood.

~~~~

Kharjo woke a few hours later. The first thing he noticed was that Aravi had an arm draped over his chest. The second thing he noticed was that he had an arm wrapped around her, holding her close. Third, he noticed that they were both in their underwear. Surprised and more than a little hopeful, he searched his memories of last night. No, we didn’t, he thought with a little regret.

Aravi was still sound asleep, her forehead resting against his shoulder. Kharjo laid there for some time and just enjoyed the touch of her against him. He felt her chest rise and fall against his side, and the air blow lightly over his fur with each with each breath she took. It felt so right having her with him like this.

When they at first met, he was attracted to her, but she didn’t show interest in him. As they traveled together, their relationship strengthened and they became very close friends, but she still didn’t show interest in him. He began to wonder if she was perhaps attracted to other women, but she didn’t cultivate any relationships with them either. It wasn’t until they had talked in Winterhold that he understood why she was the way she was. He still hoped that her experience as a slave in Morrowind didn’t completely extinguish any desire for a physical relationship.

He sighed and lay for a few minutes more with her, wishing the moments could last for hours. Then he began the awkward task of climbing out of bed without waking her. He looked at her as he dressed, confirming that she was still asleep. Then, he slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

~~~~

Aravi woke up slowly. Hunger gnawed at her belly and her limbs felt weak from the work they had done without the nourishment they needed. Still, she did not rise for some time. The beast had feasted the night before, but she rejected its meal as she always did. She remembered the smell and taste of the blood of her victims, and she remembered enjoying it. Some of them were not even dead before she tore into their flesh. She started to feel sick again, and a wave of self-loathing washed over her. Is this better than being a vampire? she asked herself, not for the first time. I think I’ve made a mistake. I can’t win this fight, she thought bleakly. (That's a picture, click it!)

She lay there for a while and forced her thoughts away from the werewolf. There was early morning when she got back. She had returned sooner than she expected, utterly exhausted, and crawled into bed with Kharjo. She felt embarrassed that she had done such a thing. She peeked under the covers and felt a small measure of relief. At least I’m not naked. But what was I thinking? she asked herself, even though she knew the answer.

When she returned, she guessed it to be around three or four in the morning. Nobody was awake. Drained, hungry, cold, and still damp, she found the room he rented easily enough. She would be lying if she claimed she didn’t find him attractive. After settling in next to him, she’d fallen asleep almost instantly, his warm body taking away the chill of the night and making her feel at ease and safe.

I… don’t know what to do. I’ve never felt like this before. She was sure that he cared about her, and she cared about him as well. What do I say? What does he think of me? What is he going to expect of me? She couldn’t answer any of those questions.What do I want?

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

Art by Julienya

This post has been edited by King Coin: Oct 20 2012, 09:40 PM

[mALX]

That artwork is amazing, the struggle Aravi is having with the beast devouring her as much as her victims - hugely wonderful art by Julienya! Awesome imagery!

This writing was huge, and I loved the way you took us from Kharjo's thoughts to Aravi's! Kharjo's clearly spelled out he is struggling just as Aravi is with that beast within her. He hates the beast, it sickens him - but loves Aravi and is having trouble correlating in his mind how to handle those two polar opposites. Maybe that's helping him wait it out till Aravi makes the first moves.

I got a huge kick out of him waking up and wondering if they had - then Aravi doing the same later, ROFL !!!

Awesome write!

[SubRosa]

Aravi is hungry, after eating all those bandits?

Oh, I see. Her bandit-eating expedition happened after that little exchange with Kharjo outside of Rorikstead. That makes sense.

Kharjo's musings in Rorikstead were wonderful. Especially when he wondered what it must be like to return to human cat form after the werewolf rampage was over.

They should be worried about the World Eater, not the one that sits on a mountain and bothers no one.
This sums up the choice between the Blades and Parth quite succinctly.

The awkward morning after was nicely done. Even though there was no sex of course, Kharjo's realization of the unconscious strengthening of their relationship was still excellent. In spite of everything else, the two of them have done nothing but grow closer.

And finally Aravi herself returns. It is good that her conscience is wrestling with the werewolf inside her, rather than embracing it. I get the feeling that she might decide to get the cure soon. Perhaps after the business with Alduin is over. The pic of her warring natures was wonderful, right down to the wraps on Aravi's feet!

Finally, her doubts about her relationship with Kharjo were priceless as well. The eternal question of "what do they really think and feel about me?" combined with "what do I do?" That makes Aravi such an easy character to identify with, as everyone has to deal with these questions.


nits:
As he was reaching the door, the wind subsided briefly and he heard a howl in the distance and a chill ran down his spine and into his tail.
This is a really long sentence. You might consider breaking it up into several, smaller sentences. Perhaps like so:
Kharjo reached the door, and the wind subsided briefly. He heard a howl in the distance, and a chill ran down through his spine all of the way to the tip of his tail.

[Acadian]

Taking the wolf out for a bloody spin!

Lovely screens with the beautiful night sky lights.

Your fiction skill is still top notch and I really enjoyed your written piece.

‘It felt so right having her with him like this.’
Awww.

SubRosa nailed how nicely you displayed Aravi’s confused and self-doubting feelings regarding Kharjo. She’s very new to this love stuff. And I see she’s also having serious second thoughts about the werewolf.

[Grits]

Look Up is definitely my favorite, what a sweet expression. After seeing all of the retextures, I think I do like the vanilla best on Aravi. That golden light really suits her, and it’s a beautiful contrast to her furry brutality in beast form.

That was a great wolf run out on the tundra, and then the bloody rampage was tremendous fun to watch! Kill cams galore! Can Aravi remember how people beg for their lives? I hope not. It’s a heck of a thing to transform back with a skeever gnawing on your leg. That thing was no match for Aravi claws, either. Silly skeever. I like the way you showed time passing with the moons crossing the sky.

After reading your wonderful story piece, I understood why Aravi sprinted back to Rorikstead in the video as well as sprinting away in the beginning of the writing. Kharjo’s thoughts about wanting to be there for Aravi followed by the wolf howl as he reached the door was one of those crystal- clear character moments. Beautifully done!

Love the artwork. What a great representation of Aravi’s struggle. I got way behind here for a while, and catching up has been a feast!

[King Coin]

@mALX: Glad you like the artwork, and I love how you phrased that. The beast devouring her as much as her victims. You are absolutely right about Kharjo’s feelings, I’m glad I got that through. Thanks mALX!

@SubRosa: Yep, I did a little time hopping. I thought that it made most sense in this order as opposed to posting the chapter, and then the video.

The morning after was something I wanted to show, and I’m glad you liked it. I rewrote that part several times to show how close they had grown, and to show a definite boundary that Aravi was still not ready to cross yet. Aravi’s doubts at the end were to illustrate those boundaries and to show that she’s looking at them.

I love how that picture turned out, it’s exactly what I wanted to show the turmoil within her.

I’ve changed that sentence you pointed out. Thanks SubRosa!

@Acadian: What a bloody spin it was. I am very pleased you enjoyed the written part. Aravi has a lot of conflict within her. Thanks Acadian!

@Grits: That is an interesting point you bring up with the contrast of her armor and her wolf. I hadn’t actually thought of that.

Ugh, I hope she doesn’t remember the begging. She’s tortured enough.

So glad you enjoyed my written part. Kharjo wants to be there for Aravi, but there’s no way he can with the wolf. It will kill him.

Glad you like Aravi’s picture! Thanks Grits!

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

Instead of traveling back to Whiterun, Aravi and Kharjo decide to turn west and travel to a city Aravi has not yet seen.

9:33