Hmm ... A$$less chaps. And you thought we'd only see those in NYC.

I'll have to wait until I'm on a comp good enough to view that vid, SR.

I wrote a comment for that vid but on Youtube instead of here.

Oh, that weird belly flop landing? I didn't do anything to make the dragon do that. At least I don't think I did. I am guessing it is some kind of "flatten everything" maneuver.

Of course you didn't do it, it was Persephone who did it, she has hidden powers that you're not aware of.

Joke aside, I was convinced that this was a dragon shout that allows you to force dragons to land.

I think that is the Dragonrend shout? I remember it from King Coin's Aravi videos. His character Aravi went through the main quest, and I recall that shout being one that you get as part of the storyline to defeat Alduin.

What is interesting is that landing actually changed the ground texture. Before it was all snow covered stones. But afterward you can see an area of churned up dirt all around where the dragon hit the ground.

Poor Jerric – he’s just born to be a hero no matter where he goes. He’ll make a darn good dragonborn though, that is for sure. I’ve seen that outfit on Lil before I think and it looks fantastic on her – so very foresty. And leave it to Jerric to drop all his duds before crossing the river. Nice to see Ulfe in there with him though.

Alaie and Annekke arrived in Dawnstar hoping to find information regarding Dwemer ruins in the area. What they actually found was a Priest of Mara and some very irritable townspeople.

Suffice it to say that Annekke found herself rolling her eyes at the Kat's overly helpful nature, particularly since she herself had to stay outside in the cold whilst the Dunmer and the Khajiit - (an unlikely pairing) - ventured inside Nightcaller Temple to resolve the problem that was keeping the good folk of Dawnstar awake.

Annekke has never had much truck the Daedra although, as with everyone, she has a soft spot for Azura and so to be honest she was fine with letting her companion resolve whatever issues there were. It does puzzle her that the Kat is so comfortable around Dunmer though, given the two race's history. She dislikes Imperials with a passion, and they are the same species!
(Apparently).
Still and all, Alaie was successful and the Priest offered his services to them, although that was a bit of a step too far, and Alaie'eesa politely declined.

They made their way back to Dawnstar and Annekke was about to joke that she reckoned the only reason why Alaie wanted the town's people to be able to sleep once more was because she wanted to rob them when a familiar shape descended from the skies, and panic erupted on the ground...

Lucius is at a mining camp called Darkwater Crossing. He intended just to spend a night there and continue his search for the Eldergleam Sanctuary the next day, but he met some friendly folks here in Skyrim and decided to stay a little longer.

Before coming to Darkwater Crossing, he encountered another dragon not far from the camp and this action hasn't gone unnoticed by miners who were happy to share a company of the man who killed the dragon. One of them, a Dunmer called Sondas Drenim, told Lucius about his missing Argonian friend Derkeethus who went to catch some fish by nearby waterfalls yet never returned.

Lucius decided to search for Derkeethus but the task turned out to be more complicated as he predicted it to be. Nonetheless, after a long search he found the captured Argonian in a Falmer-infested Nordic ruin called Darkwater pass, quite a distance away from where Derkeethus was catching fish.

Battling a horde of Falmer, Lucius freed the Argonian fisherman from his cell and safely escorted him back to Darkwater Crossing. To protect him even more, Lucius gave him an enchanted Orcish mace of Harvesting that he found some time ago and intend to sell it yet he thinks that it'll serve Derkeethus better, because now he'll be able to break some Falmer skulls if they ambush him again.

Later on, his long search for the Eldergleam Sanctuary began. It was long because Lucius didn't know its exact location and had to search the entire area north of Darkwater Crossing to find it.* He came upon the dragon's lair and absorbed another word of power. And it looks like that he won't be able to deny his Dragonborn heritage to himself for long.

He also came upon a desecrated shrine of Akatosh, remains of what seemed like a sunken fort, a Nordic burial site where he was attacked by necromancers, and lastly to the Eldergleam Sanctuary. However, once there, he couldn't bring himself to harm the Eldergleam tree, especially not after being warned by Kynareth followers that bad things will happen if the sacred tree is damaged.

Lucius agreed that the nature should take its own course and left the sanctuary without hurting the tree. Perhaps Gildergreen in Whiterun will never be restored but at least he'll sleep easily, knowing that he didn't touch the Kynareth's sacred tree. Feeling good and tired he returned to Darkwater Crossing.

*I could use the map to find out the exact location but I RP-ed that Lucius had only a vague description of where it is, so he had to search for it by himself

Phon - Aww, nice of The Kat to help that Priest of Mara. I really like the 'Nightcrawler' Temple quest.

Lopov - Darkwater Crossing is a popular place. Buffy likes it too. And now it has its lizard back!

I think I'm the only one right now who hasn't got a Dragonborn.

There's certain charm to that place.

Don't lose any minute longer!

--

Derkeethus and Lucius are in Riften. They came here from Darkwater Crossing - Lucius gained a lot of valuable loot since his stay in Skyrim and he needed someone to help him carry it to merchants. Derkeethus, grateful that Lucius saved him from Falmer, happily offered to accompany him.

By mistake the took the longer route to Riften but the good thing was that they cleared a lair of witches and a tower of bandits along the way. After they sold their loot and bought some spells at the Mistveil Keep, they rented a room at the Bee and Barb.

The following morning Lucius decided to pray to Mara before leaving the town and that was where priest Maramal offered to sell him the amulet of Mara which Lucius purchased for only two hundred gold.

"Does my friend intend to get married?" asked Derkeethus, giggling, while Lucius put an amulet of Mara around his neck.

"No...at least not yet. But it has a powerful enchantment that'll allow me consume less magicka while casting healing spells."

"I seeee..." hissed Derkeethus, not entirely believing Lucius.

After buying some food from Keerava at the Bee and Barb, the Argonian and the Imperial left Riften, heading back to Darkwater Crossing. Once there, they intend to part ways and Lucius will finally return to Whiterun, to speak to the Jarl about dragons and his dragonborn heritage.

Yikes, for a moment there I thought Lucius was actually gonna propose to an Argonian! Pseron would approve, though.

Lucius could have gotten some tail!

oh no you didn't!

I had to look that phrase up but now that I know it:

I have been sworn to protect a new Thane of Whiterun, a young man called Lucius Caro, who hails from Cyrodiil. My Thane is not an ordinary man, he almost single-handedly killed a dragon that attacked Whiterun and absorbed its very soul. My Jarl believes that my Thane is the Dragonborn but it seems to me that my Thane doesn't really believe it. Or perhaps he doesn't want to believe it. My Thane is not a Nord and he is not accustomed to our legends and stories. But being summoned by the Greybeards is a tremendous honor and I believe that my Thane is gifted with Divine powers.

My Thane doesn't talk to me much yet he is determined in his actions. He thinks a lot and often appears to be in his own world where nobody else is invited. He is calm and judicious, has respect for nature yet he has no mercy for bandits and alike.

We were intending to travel to High Hrothgar where my Thane is supposed to meet the Greybeards yet he changed his mind and picked up a bounty in the Bannered Mare, to get rid of bandits at the Silent Moons Camp. That is where we are currently located and while I'm writing these lines to my diary, my Thane is baking some potatoes.

We killed every single bandit, took some gold and potions and my Thane gave me an enchanted hide shield, that should protect me better. This was for the second time that he spoke to me, the first time being in Dragonsreach when he asked me what my duties are and then ordered me to follow him.

At this moment I don't know yet whether will we return to Whiterun or head to High Hrothgar.

Lydia, Silent Moons Camp,

13th of Heartfire 4€201

Oh yeah, you're learning all sorts of sordid phrases thanks to us.

It's fun writing as an NPC, aint it? .. I love stepping into that role, perhaps because it's so temporary.

Lopov, I see that Lucius does one thing that Buffy does as well: makes friends with an NPC, travels together for a time, then returns the NPC to their 'home'. I agree with Renee - it is neat / fun to portray your character through the eyes of another. And you did a good job with Lydia's perspective.


Buffy's going pheasant hunting today. She'll be using her mystic bow, but shooting very delicate bodkin arrows. Her mystic arrows would likely obliterate the bird into a rain of feathers.

She's gathered quite a few ingredients such as spiced wine, jazzberries, bread, wheat, butter, eggs and even pumpkin. I think she plans on cooking.

Edit: Oh, and it's a beautiful autumn day in the Riften area.

I spit tea on the tail comment. As ever it is a delight to catch up on the antics here!

Lopov, I loved Lydia’s diary entry.

Acadian, the autumn forest is a perfect place to spend today! I’m picturing Buffy rolling a pumpkin through the trees.

Jerric, Lil, and Ulfe are camping in the Eldergleam Sanctuary. Jerric has a sapling resting next to his pack and a note reminding him that the Greybeards expect a visit. He is conflicted over the Greybeards’ summons. Being singled out by gods and priests is not on his list of favorite things.

For now they’re just enjoying the peace.

To me it's easier because then I don't need to delve deep into my character's head. When I did this, I too often got a feeling that I didn't make it right, that's why I stick to the NPC perspective most of the time.


Thanks! Maybe Lydia will stay with him for some time, we'll see.

Now that you mention a beautiful day in Riften - see, this happens rarely in my game, Riften is 95% foggy. I can arrive to the town and it's sunny but as soon as I enter, it turns foggy or rainy. Not sure why but it's happened in every game. Sunny days in Riften are so rare for me that I still remember with ease.


Thanks! Just curious - how did they deal with the Eldergleam / Gildergreen situation - did they use Nettlebane on the old tree? Lucius couldn't bring himself to hurt the old tree, he intended to bring the monk from Whiterun to the sanctuary who would be able to pray to Kynareth, but he died during a dragon attack.

I was chewing my lip off hoping that Maurice would catch up before Jerric tapped the Eldergleam. Jerric tends to poke first and ask questions later, so he was getting on with his business pretty quickly so that they could relax. It never crossed his mind that he might be capable of hurting a being that was older than metal. Funnily enough Lil who is quite the tree hugger was nowhere to be seen either. She and the dog caught up while Maurice was praying. Of course Jerric left that treasure chest alone and wouldn’t dream of harvesting any plants or bugs from in there. He may see things more Kyne’s way than Kynareth’s, but even he knows not to build a campfire or pick flowers in a sanctuary.

I had to laugh at Maurice’s line, though. “I had no idea you were a man of violence” sounded pretty funny after the bloodbath Maurice witnessed on the way there.

Hee! The tree was never in any danger when Buffy did that quest. With her melee skill of 0.0, Buffy did manage to wave the dagger around rather harmlessly. Apparently that was enough that the tree allowed her to pass.

Edit: Grits! I just noticed you have a screenie in your sig for Sun's Dusk! Simply breathtaking! Wow.

I still have never done that tree quest. I had a character long ago who started this quest, but the magic-users around the place he was supposed to go were way too strong, so he never went back. It's one of those quests I have forgotten about, actually. Maybe it's something Haaf-Mersey will look into.

Lopov: that's so bizarre you are still having all those 'bad weather' problems in Riften. In my games Riften is sunny most of the time, or at least partly cloudy. I wonder if this is a PC / console difference.

I have never thought that I will stand here in my lifetime, yet here I am, at High Hrothgar, together with my Thane and Greybeards. The Greybeards have little interest in me and wanted to forbid my entry yet my Thane didn't allow it. An interesting man, my Thane, sometimes he talks to me and asks for my insight, and the next day he behaves like he's traveling alone. Yet I was happy when he stood up for me.

We've been here for just one day and my Thane has been through an arduous learning. I have seen and heard him shout for the first time and even Greybeards seemed surprised how easily he does something what most mortals could not learn in their lifetime.

My Thane decided to remain at High Hrothgar for a while, he intends to improve his shouting and control it better, and he also intends to read sacred books of Greybeards and Skyrim's history. I was afraid that my Thane might dismiss me and send me back to Whiterun but for now he hasn't said a word about it.

As I'm writing this, my Thane is already sleeping, he mentioned having a headache, no doubt because of the demanding training. The monastery is so silent compared to Dragonsreach, and it's dark and cold. Though the Greybeards lit a brazier for us and handed us two warm bedrolls, I can not warm myself up. I hope that my Thane doesn't stay for long because I don't feel comfortable here.

Lydia, High Hrothgar,

15th of Heartfire, 4€201

Aww, Lyd's cold and missing civilization. And Lucius has decided to utilize his abilities. Ahhh, can't wait to do the MQ on PC.

"If you don't mind me saying, you are in a good mood today, my Thane."

"Indeed I am, Lydia. My mind was in a turmoil in the past few days but now I understand that I was blessed by the Divines to do good deeds and share wisdom. This is an honor, a true honor. Greybeards have helped me in understanding myself and the Way of the Voice."

"I am happy to hear this, my Thane. And I am here to protect you with my life."

Right now we're in Valtheim Towers, situated above the White River west of Whiterun. We have left High Hrothgar early this morning and although I haven't said a word about it to my Thane, I couldn't wait to leave the monastery. Silence, utter silence. Except one of them, Greybeards didn't speak at all and as my Thane told me, their voices are so powerful that even whispering could kill anyone close to them!

Even my Thane wasn't very talkative yet I noticed that he was getting more self-confident and pleased with his trainings with each passing day. At first he trained together with Greybeards but later continued with his own lessons which usually lasted from dawn until dusk.

We have left on a mission to Ustengrav, to retrieve a horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the first Greybeard. As soon as we descended to Ivarstead, we were attacked by a dragon. We fought dragons together with my Thane before but this battle was harder because the dragon didn't land at all until my Thane hurt his wings enoughs that it was forced to land. Unfortunately one guard lost his life when the dragon unleashed its freezing breath but residents of Ivarstead were unscathed. Tomorrow we'll proceed to Whiterun to sell some loot and buy supplies for a long journey to the north.

Lydia, Valtheim Towers,

22nd of Heartfire 4€201

"I see that you regularly write in your diary."

"Yes, I do, my Thane. Once when I get older and retire, I will have a lot to reminisce upon. Some memories may get forgotten with time but if I put them down, I'll remember them easily anytime I read my diary."

"That's wise. There's something I want to show you..."

Lucius opened his knapsack and pulled a white orb outside.

"What's this, my Thane?"

"Today while you were in the southern tower, I decided search some chests here and I found this orb. When I touched it, it felt like I was frozen in time and at first I thought that it must be some magic trap. But then Meridia spoke to me."

"Meridia? The Daedric Goddess?"

"Indeed. She told me about her temple being defiled and needs to be purged."

"What do you intend to do, my Thane?"

"I'm not one that'd involve himself with Daedra but if a holy place, such as a temple had been defiled, no matter to whom it belongs, I'm prepared to cleanse it of whatever made that place unholy."

"That is noble of you, my Thane. Besides Meridia is one of a few Daedric Gods believed not to be fully evil."

"We will see about that. But we're definitely not rushing to her temple. Let the Gods wait a little."

That's neat. I like how the story flows from just a plain story to journal to conversation. I might have to steal that technique someday. Just kidding.

Have you done Meridia's Beacon quests before? I think I have... not sure though.

Lopov, it remains very neat to have Lydia telling the story. Is this now becoming the tale of Lydia and 'her Thane'?

Thank you, Acadian! Screenie of the Month is another great idea swiped from Acadian and Buffy. I get excited every time to see the new one! The Nord is delighted to be back in the northern province. He can’t wait for the first heavy snowfall. They’ve been mostly in the warm spots, though. The only ice he’s seen so far came from that dragon. (Edit: Oops, that's in this month's. )

Lopov, I loved Lydia’s view of the High Hrothgar stay.


Jerric got some things done last night in his new dragon game. Top priority was getting that sapling to Danica. He and Lildereth and Slim (summoned skeleton archer) have worked out some good tactics on this road trip. When there’s just one fool bent on killing them Jerric usually gets the job done while Lil is still getting into position. (I am really pleased with her combat style.) When they’re outnumbered Jerric looks for a defensible spot and lets the archers shoot them in the back. And sometimes shoot him in the face. Thanks for that, Slim.

Anyway he scraped together enough coin on this trip to rent Breezehome for the winter. Thanks to My Home Is Your Home he was able to move Lydia back to Dragonsreach and get the three ladies situated at the house. One of the joys of Whiterun life is walking Abiene home in the evening from her work at the temple. Eventually Jerric will get Darnand moved in as well, but I doubt that D will get the same attention. He’s going to spend his days in Dragonsreach with his fellow academic, Farengar. I suspect they will get along very well. They can both be as rude as they want to each other.

Next up Jerric and Lil are going to go get Amren’s sword from some thieves before the man gets himself into more hot water with his wife. Then a walk to High Hrothgar. As soon as Jerric gets a better cloak.

Grits, I love Jerric’s new screen of the month! Neat double meaning with what you just confirmed is an ice dragon flying around. Jerric’s tactics are so very. . . Jerric - hold up your shield and be a target! Seriously, Buffy can really appreciate how wonderful it is that he provides Lil and Slim a safe ‘perch’ from which to unleash their bows. Three ladies – I see what you did there (Hi, Ulfe!). So nice to see Abiene again. I grinned as I imagined some of the conversations that Darnand and Farengar could have – ‘Think we’ll get some frost tonight’ indeed! Buffy did the Amren quest some time ago. In return, Amren tried to teach the no-melee mystic archer how to use a one handed weapon and how to block with a shield. By Mara, I hate unsolicited skill ups in unused skills. I wish all the stupid skill point 'rewards' were simply a perk point to use as you see fit.

@Acadian - great shot of the month, Buffy's hairstyle looks good as does her outfit. She seems comfortable in what she wears.

@Grits - love that dragon in the background! Is the guy on the left Maurice the Monk who is supposed to pray to Kynareth. He seems familiar from Lucius' world but unfortunately he died too early.


Yes, Corcaigh did that quest, it was good. But I liked Vaermina's more, it felt good to defeat the queen of nightmares in her own realm.


It seems so. I don't really have any control over Lydia's writing lust.


Thanks. Is this some mod that allows you to rent houses? And great shots, especially the one with Jerric fighting three bandits.

It looks like Jerric needs to take Sureshot Slim to the archery range to get some practice! Maybe Angi could give Slim some tips? Granted, Jerric doesn't look any worse than Persephone did when she was teamed up with Serana. Persephone always had an ice bolt sticking out of either her face or her back at the end of every one of those fights...

At least Jerric got Miss Creepy I'm Going To Eat Bread And Watch You Sleep out of Breezehome. The new company is much better.

I keep thinking that Amren would probably be better off without his shrew wife. But the trouble is she would probably take their daughter with her. Then again, we are talking about Braith. Maybe Amren would be better off all around! Lars Battleborn would agree!

I am with you Acadian on the skill point bonuses! An extra perk of your choice would be so much more useful!

If Ulfe grabs one of the beds, Jerric's going to be sleeping on a bedroll by the fire.

Jerric may have an arrow in his face, but it looks like the Dunmer has a shield through his!

--

We met the most odd man today! He was jumping in circles, clapping and squealing. Said his name was Cicero and that he needed some help because his wagon wheel broke. I didn't like him at all, I had a feeling that he's hiding something sinister, yet my Thane, helpful as always, decided to lend him a hand. He could not repair the wheel by himself so we went to a nearby farm. Its owner was rather rude and at first tried to turn his help down but my Thane has a way with words, and soon the old farmer agreed to lend his tools to Cicero. The annoying jester was overjoyed when my Thane told him good news and he was dancing around my Thane in circles, singing and clapping like a madman. I had my right hand ready at my axe in case the jester decided to do something unexpected to my Thane yet this didn't happen and my Thane bid him farewell with a smile. I couldn't help but to look at the jester once more as we were leaving and I caught him looking at me, his eyes narrowed and a devious smile on his lips. I returned the unfriendly look and then we moved on. My Thane thinks that the man was blessed by Sheogorath but I think he was hiding something. I hope to never see him again.

Lydia, Fort Dunstad,
25th of Heartfire 4€201

Acadian, I wholeheartedly agree about the “gift” skill increases. It would be nice if there was at least a polite “No thank you” reply. Amren and Roggi Knot-Beard are Jerric’s buddies for life after giving him some stab and bash tips, but a vigorous sparring session is no way to thank a mystic archer.

Lopov, that is indeed the lunatic monk Maurice who prays to the tree. I changed him in my NPC mod to be protected and also to run away from combat rather than race in with his fists, since he is supposed to be a pacifist. However in that screenshot you can see that he is wearing a greatsword. He picked it up while Jerric and Lil were fighting bandits at Valtheim Towers. When Jerric turned at the top of the stairs I saw Maurice kneel down and open that chest that is unlocked but trapped with a swinging spiked thing. I guess the sword was in there. Since you can’t access his inventory because he’s not a regular follower, he carried that sword right into the Eldergleam Sanctuary.

However there’s more to the story. I was having catastrophic crashes the whole time, so Jerric got to go from Whiterun to the volcanic tundra for that quest four times before I got the problem sorted out (I hope). Each time they did it a little differently. That time they went to the Atronach Stone to get Jerric’s blessing and then fought the dragon when it attacked. Crash and start over. After that time Jerric dropped Maurice off in the Sanctuary first before going to the Stone in the hopes of getting past the problem. They spent the same night in Darkwater Crossing twice, then at the hot springs with the hunters once (no screens of that since the Nord was sprawling nakedly all over the place), and finally in the Eldergleam Sanctuary. The night in the Sanctuary got saved. It was the Groundhog Day of his Skyrim game.

House rental, Grits style: we pretend. Jerric had to save up the whole 5000 to buy the house plus whatever couple thousand later to decorate it, then we just think of it as a rental. His life is mostly in his story but also in the Oblivion game, so it makes no sense for his character to own property in Whiterun. But he still spends a lot of time there, so he and his friends need a place to stay. Last winter they stayed at Lakeview Manor, which in his world is Aravi Manor. Each of them built Lakeview Manor as a player character and moved their friends in as NPCs, including King Coin’s Aravi character and her husband Kharjo. And that’s how a mage, an archer, and a healer got their Smithing skills up over 40.

The mod gives my NPCs their schedules, though. Jerric is able to tell them through in-game dialog that this is your home, this is where you sleep, and this is where you work during the day and the NPCs walk to the different areas/cells at the right times. It’s pretty neat.

I like how Lydia knew something was off with Cicero.

You can get into any NPCs inventory by opening the console, clicking on them, and typing:

OpenActorContainer 1

Then you can add or remove things just like with a chest.

Cicero. Mycharonna's bestest friend.

SubRosa, thank you so much! It never occurred to me that I could do that.

Jerric thought Cicero was hilarious when they met. He had no clue about what was in the big box.

Lopov - Methinks Lydia's spider senses are spot on regarding Cicero.

Grits - Glad I'm not alone in disliking unsolicited skill ups. I think your idea to buy houses and just pretend to rent or use them is a great one. Buffy's happy just renting a room at the taverns, but since Jerric has a posse of groupies, he neeeeds a bigger place.

SubRosa - I find that to be a very helpful console command as well. Among Buffy's fave radiant quests are the hostage rescue Companion missions. As soon as she rescues the hostage, she gives them a handful of big healing potions before escorting them home.

Renee - Mycharonna + Cicero = best friends = no surprise.

Jerric and Lildereth made the climb to High Hrothgar to answer the Greybeards’ summons. I’m happy to report that the ancient monastery is still standing.

Arngeir and his fellow Beards did detect the whiff of Akatosh on Jerric, enough that at first they called him Dragonborn. This made Jerric acutely uncomfortable. He knows that the Blades are preparing for the time when the next Dragonborn rises, and he was hoping for a little break to have a life first. Lildereth was also upset by this development. She had planned a quick trip indoors to warm up and perhaps see if they had some rare books lying around that wouldn’t be missed right away, since Saturalia is near and Darnand is difficult to shop for. Instead the Nords started a Shouting lesson.

Jerric seemed to catch on, but it didn’t take long before the Greybeards were through with him. They all agreed that while aptitude was important Jerric lacked both the temperament and the discipline to follow their Way. Arngeir gave him a minor task to fulfill in the event he ever wanted to return to them for more wisdom. Of course as soon as the old man said “Windcaller” Jerric thought of a dozen fart jokes. He cut his eyes at Lil who immediately realized what was on his mind. Now it is a known fact that Nord males do not giggle, so Jerric was able to pin the resulting commotion entirely on the elf.

The Greybeards wandered off no doubt reflecting that this was surely the thickest ice-brain ever to nearly freeze to death ten feet from their doorstep. Jerric checked the sky and decided that they should camp inside High Hrothgar for the night and make the descent in daylight. Lil was clearly ready to go, so Jerric put their stuff as close to the door as he could manage and still enjoy the heat from the Greybeards’ fires.

On the way back to Ivarstead a dragon flew over them while they were on the side of the mountain. It returned for several more passes roaring down in kind of a conversational way. Jerric does not speak Dragon, but he yelled back that he was not the Dragonborn they were looking for, in case the dragon was asking how things went up at the monastery. It crossed his mind that this dragon might have known the one that used to live on Bonestrewn Crest. If that subject came up Jerric was just going to say that it was up to the dragons if they attacked people or not. He did not mind fighting anything that tried to kill him. This one flew away, though.

They stopped back in Ivarstead to tell Klimmek that his supplies had been delivered and to buy more ale. As soon as they stepped out of the store Jerric was approached by some Dunmeri men in bone-looking masks. One of them was carrying A Note. It seems that there is a misunderstanding in Solstheim that needs clearing up. But that’s going to have to wait. For now they’re heading to Solitude to pick up Kip at Katla’s Farm. Maybe they’ll go get the Horn of the Gasmaster while they’re in the neighborhood. Jerric still has lots of ideas for fart jokes.

It doesn't surprise me that Jerric has breath that can knock a man over. I know several Nords that are like that IRL. It may have something to do with the ready availability of garlic to go with the mead and ale.

Maybe Ulfe's the real Dragonborn? Dog breath is even more powerful!

What a delightfully Jerrical twist you are putting on the adventures of the reluctant dragonborn! I haven't noticed the tat on his left arm before, but it looks good on him. Of course, most things look good on Jerric.

Ohoho, Jerric has a tattoo! I had no idea, it really fits him. I have one myself but not as big as Jerric and it's on my right arm.

Lol about "Windcaller" and farting!

Their camp inside HH looks great!

Jerric does not speak Dragon, but he yelled back that he was not the Dragonborn they were looking for, in case the dragon was asking how things went up at the monastery.

And in the end Miraak sends his regards. I don't allow him or his cultists to appear in my game for now.

That was a great story!
--
My Thane and I are outside Ustengrav, an ancient Nordic tomb where we are supposed to find the horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the first Greybeard. We arrived in the evening and my Thane decided to spend the night outside in a camp and explore the tomb in the morning. A lot of events happened since I wrote to my diary for the last time. Where shall I begin? At the end. Too many writers begin at the beginning so I will begin at the end.

We have arrived at Ustengrav in the evening because we got lost while searching for it. Directions leading us to Ustengrav were vague so my Thane and I stumbled upon a wrong Nordic ruin. It was not a usual one because it was the tomb of once powerful dragon priest Vokun. On our adventure through the tomb we were accompanied by Anska, a young girl searching for an ancient scroll about her heritage. While Anska proved to be skilled in magic, I prefer to travel with my Thane alone and I’d rather see her wait for us to return with the scroll. She often got in our way and more than once set both me and my Thane on fire with her fireballs. We got into a conflict because of this but my Thane calmed us down. Perhaps it was for the best. Our adventure ended well, we found Anska’s scroll and defeated Vokun who was a much tougher foe than we expected. My Thane took his mask as a battle souvenir, saying that if he ever owns a home in Skyrim, he’ll put it on display. I do hope that he settles down in Skyrim indeed.

What happened before we met Vokun, you ask, my diary? Before that we had another unusual adventure in Dawnstar yet I was not a part of it. My friendly Thane joined Erandur, a priest of Mara, and together they lifted Vaermina’s curse that was causing people of Dawnstar to have nightmares. I was not a part of this adventure because only Erandur and my Thane could enter Vaermina’s lair, the Nightcaller Temple. Erandur blessed my Thane with some unknown magic and they went inside while I waited outside, on a lookout for bandits and wild animals. I only had to deal with two sabrecats while waiting. And I’ve been waiting for them for many, many hours! I have been very worried for both of them and was relieved when they finally emerged outside. They were both exhausted, battling Vaermina took a toll on them and I helped them back to Dawnstar. Both of them needed a prolonged rest and I was watching over them. Later my Thane told me about the events in the Nightcaller Temple and I still find some of them hard to believe. But I know that my Thane is telling the truth.

So this was the beginning and now we’re at the end. We will explore Ustengrav tomorrow. May Talos be with us!

Lydia, outside Ustengrav,

29th of Heartfire 4€201
--
The conflict between girls happened because Anska wounded Lydia too much with her fireballs so Lydia went hostile. For a few minutes they've been fighting, yelling "You are a disgrace to your own race" and "Now you pay!" at each other and then we intervened by typing resetai in the console and the chick fight was over. Anska also proved to be more dangerous than helpful when fighting Vokun because Lucius was not only hit by Vokun but by Anska's powerful fireballs as well so it was kinda relieving when she was too wounded to fight and Lucius could alone focus on Vokun.

Oh, I like both the Nightcrawler (lol) and Anska quests!

Lydia vs Anska!

I hope the delays at Dawnstar and huntin' Vokun for Anska don't let someone else beat Lydia (and her Thane) to Jurgie's Blowhorn.

Jerric finally got some ink for his birthday. Of course we expect that his reckless use of healing spells and potions will cause his tattoos to fade over time (or not be there at all when he's an NPC, oops), but there’s more where that one came from.

Lopov, I really enjoy Lydia’s personality in her diary writing. A chick fight in the ruins! I don’t remember Anska’s quest, but the Dawnstar adventure is familiar. Lydia’s Thane helps a lot of people!


Valdi and Erik the Slayer have been racing Lord Harkon’s minions to reach a very special bow. The quests have gone as expected. Valdi’s disastrous personal life has been a little more interesting.

Serana keeps tagging along with them, and Valdi dismisses her every time she gets the conversational option to do so. She ditched the vamp and brought Erik with her to find the second Elder Scroll. I’m not sure what she was thinking, but after two days of fighting underground she suddenly decided the time was right to give it up to Erik. In Blackreach.

Erik did not seem to notice her advances. (He ignored her Amulet of Mara.) Perhaps it was the Falmer, or the stone beds, or the Dwarven constructs, or Valdi’s complete failure at building a fire so that they didn’t get uncomfortably cold, or maybe it was the chaurus poison that soaked both of their clothing, or possibly the number of times she accidentally shot him (a lot), or maybe he’s just not into her. Whatever the cause was Erik was not in the mood.

The next time they passed through Riften Valdi sought some advice from Maramal at the temple. He was very nice but didn’t have anything new to tell her. (I forgot if she had “the talk” with Maramal. Apparently she did.)

Valdi has become the target of vampire attacks, so she is careful not to endanger civilians by entering cities after dark. It happened that they were passing the hot springs at an appropriate time to stop for the night. Valdi has heard a lot about the fun that can be had with the hunters there. So she suggested that they make camp.

It did not go well. She did eventually summon the nerve to join the party in the water, but even after Erik joined in too it seemed that he was avoiding her. When she sat down, he sat far away. When she moved closer, he got up and moved farther away. She slept in one tent, and when she woke up he was hanging out next to a different one. Valdi is not good with feelings so she didn’t say anything. She just ate some cheese and an apple for breakfast and they left. It never occurred to her that Erik might have been as uncomfortable in that situation as she was.

Now she’s back with Serana, and Erik had to go (auto-dismissed by the quest). The whole time Valdi and Serana were in the Ancestor Glade Valdi kept thinking how Erik would say “By the Nine!” if he was there. Also she found four of his steel crossbow bolts in her inventory and now she’s carrying them in her pocket. They’re heading for what sounds to Valdi like a place they will wish they had Erik fighting alongside them. Valdi isn’t sure about Serana. She finds Serana to be graceful and beautiful and well-spoken with smooth hair unlike herself, which makes her think that Serana is messing with her mind so that Valdi will like her. After all they are going on a long trip together and Serana does not eat cheese and apples.

Grits, what a delightful little Valdi vignette! Poor thing! Had to trade in Erik the Oblivious for Serana the Smoothhair. Valdi is delightfully young and awkward in your portrayal of her. Oh, and great screenie! Love your tack selection for both horses.

Valdi has one big shield!

Blackreach made Valdi romantic? Or maybe just desperate. But all for naught. Perhaps she did not notice that the football game was on? Or maybe Erik prefers sausage to fish? Poor Valdi. She needs to set her sights a little higher.

Serana might eat not cheese or apples, but I bet she likes some blood pudding...

SubRosa, I hope Grits won’t mind if I chime in here on that shield. It is part of the Convenient Horses mod – one of the absolutely essential mods in my load order. Valdi’s horse is sporting ‘Dawnguard Armor’ and the shield is actually a permanent part of that horse armor. On the other side of that DG saddle is strapped a crossbow (for decoration only, like the shield). Erik’s steed is sporting the ‘Traveler Saddle’ so he can tote the pair's groceries.

The mod includes a long list of incredible features for horse users. One of those features is the ability to change the tack on horses being used by the player or their followers. The dozen or so options range from bareback all the way up to daedric armor and can be changed in a matter of seconds right in game.

Here’s a screenshot showing four of the various tacks in game. From left to right: Traveler Saddle, Bard Saddle, Nordic Armor (on Superian) and Dragonbone Armor. If anyone's interested, the riders (from left to right) are Arissa, Sofia, Buffy and Inigo.

I confess that since using this wonderful mod Superian has become as much of a clothes horse as Buffy.

Thank you very much, Acadian! Despite my laptop’s limitations, Convenient Horses is one mod that I won’t do without. What a great picture of Buffy’s caravan of friends! I love that Bard saddle. Someday I’ll get to use it.

Valdi’s actual Dawnguard shield is indeed smaller, but it’s still a pretty big shield. She has the Targe of the Blooded now but she’s going to give it to Jerric. Valdi doesn’t have the stamina to use a shield as a weapon very effectively (or the stature to look even remotely convincing, lol). She has perks up the left side of the Block tree for defense. She is fearless in combat.

She’s also very thoughtful, so she’s always dragging books, gems, Dwemer stuff, anything that looks pretty, and every kind of arrow home for the “elders.” Jerric invented a game that uses gyros. Also lately she’s been picking up pottery and those blue painted plates for Abiene. I’m not sure why Valdi thinks Abiene wants Nordic pottery, but she’s got a bunch of it in Tage’s saddlebags right now.

Without Erik around Valdi is much more focused. She doesn’t second guess herself and just gets on with what needs doing. Like assaulting a small Forsworn encampment so that they could get out of a storm. Dexion the Moth Priest was right to trust her with this quest. She is capable of greatness. However while she was reading the Elder Scroll she was also thinking, why doesn’t he like me? An Elder Scroll!! Oh, Valdi.

Maybe the Elder Scroll will give her some insight into Erik the Greenthumb's lack of interest?