Hey guys, long time no post. I thought I would share some writing of mine which was recently recognized on a play-by-post forum that I'm a part of (RPGCrossing) as post of the month! It doesn't really mean anything, in the grand scheme of things, but I'm immensely proud.
The premise here is that our party is en route to the mysterious northern region of the world, known as the Expanse, to put a stop to the giant menace causing havoc in the Northern Pelagos. Before we reach our destination, the ship is attacked by a great beast known as Retribution, which is a flying Kraken. The fight isn't going particularly well, until one of our number slays the beast form the inside.
My character, Albrecht Sunderhurst, is trying his hardest to make a contribution, but isn't having much luck. As this story begins, he is about to be consumed by the beastie.
So, without further adieu...
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Stories tell of the horror that is the fetid breath of the kraken. The
mythical creature said to have feasted on a thousand souls, the corpses
still rotting in its teeth. A wave of this rotten breath across your
nostrils was said to be a fate worse than death.
As Albrecht was lowered toward the beast's maw, he couldn't help but
think that the severity of the stench was undersold. A wall of fetid air
hit him like a greatclub wielded by the gods, seeming to permeate every
fibre of his being and sicken him to his very core. He was glad that he
held a bar of soap in his offhand -- though he was paralyzed by the
completeness of the stench its very presence helped him feel the
slightest bit more sanitary. He tightened his grip on the bar, fearing
that without its presence he may simply be consumed by the filth.
The beast's teeth were another matter entirely. They loomed above him
with malicious intent, opening wide about the maw that prepared to
consume him whole. They were stalagmites of agony and despair, promising
only death and a world of bottomless pain.
They drew closer and closer, dripping with ooze and the blood of
countless sailors. The strix could do nothing. Even if the tentacle
around him lessened its grasp, the sheer magnitude of the beast's
frightful presence prevented his muscles from moving even an inch.
And then there was darkness.
He was vaguely aware that the tentacle around his waist was gone. His
senses were numb and his mind a blur while his life flashed before his
eyes. Every so often he would crash roughly against the beast's innards,
but he barely noticed. The strikes barely registered, unable to pierce
the veil of hopelessness surrounding him mind.
Surely this was the end. What did any of it matter?
Suddenly, an image of his mother flashed through his mind. He saw her
gentle smile; her confident demeanor and subtle grace. His father joined
her, his soft features belying the sharp mind and lightning reflexes
beneath. He saw Duskwing, his faithful companion, soaring on the breeze
high above the land. The sky wove through the bird's feathers with the
promise of a gentler world. All throughout, a single word rang through
his mind:
Freedom.
No, this is not how it ends.
The world came rushing back into his consciousness. He became keenly
aware of the of the deep rumble the creature; of the screams from the
few dwarves still unfortunate enough to have their lives; of the rushing
of cold air from within the beast; of the pain wracking his body as he
flew. Blood dripped down his face, obscuring his vision and stinging his
eyes. He assumed most of it was his.
He didn't have long to dwell on that thought before hitting the sloshing
mess of fluid within the creature. The sordid mix of acid and bile
sought out his wounds with a voracious intensity, stinging his tender
flesh. He struggled against the sloshing tide but the turbulence was too
much for him. He silently cursed his ability to fly, and all of the
time he spent ignoring the need to practice swimming. Eventually in his
flailing he collided with something solid, and grabbed hold for dear
life. As he was about to pull himself onto whatever he'd latched on to,
he was suddenly weightless.
The fluid rose around him. He caught glimpses of bones and bloated
corpses rising above the waves. Retribution was going down, and quickly.
The contents of its stomach, constrained by simple gravity, could not
keep pace. He had but a precious moment, and he used it to beat his
wings and position himself above his prize -- a boat, apparently. It was
worse for wear, but sufficiently in tact to provide shelter from the
beasts innards for a short time.
The kraken hit the ocean with a resounding crash, and the sudden change
in speed set its stomach's contents to roiling. The ship rolled on the
churning waves but stayed afloat, and Albrecht kept his grip with all of
his remaining might. When the liquid calmed, he realized that he was
not the only creature on board the vessel. The orc he had spotted
earlier lay sprawled opposite him on the deck. He did not appear to be
moving, but the ranger spotted signs of shallow breath and let free a
small sigh. The intake that followed elicited a sharp cough, sending
pain racing through his side. The air was thick here, and it burned his
lungs. He suspected that before too long it would suffocate whatever
creatures were still capable of drawing breath. For now, though, he was
still alive, and that was all that mattered.
It wasn't long before another black hand rose above the acid, grasping
desperately for the ship's edge. Xyclath pulled himself over the railing
as Albrecht struggled to his knees, coughing dark blood onto the planks
before him. He tried to will himself toward his companions, that he may
help them, but it was all he could do to move at all. Any attempts to
stand were foiled by the weakness in his legs and the occassional
torrent of ocean water streaming into their prison as the warden
consumed another limp dwarf.
Suddenly there was a crash. His mind didn't have the time to register
the sound before several more followed. Explosions rocked the inside of
the chamber and flaming chunks of flesh plummeted to the fetid bog
below. Xyclath, the first among them to orient himself, has loosed a
deadly volley upon their assailant, and the beast roared in both anger
and pain. A vortex appeared at one end of the creature's innards, now
expelling the contents of its stomach out into the open air.
Albrecht spun helplessly with the current, his grip on the ship long
since lost due to his violent acceleration. Darkness crept along the
corners of his vision as he became disoriented. The sky, so blue and
crisp in the cold air, was the last thing he saw before darkness
overcame him.
And through his mind ran a single word which, despite everything, brought a smile to his face.
Freedom.
------------
BONUS: The above post was the one that won, but I think the follow-up post has a lot of merit. We had just closed out the chapter, which is why so much was going on, and so that post served as a summary of sorts. This one is the first of the new chapter, and now that our party is split up things are going to have to change. For the record, my character uses a ranger archetype called Falconer, and so I have a falcon as an animal companion named Duskwing. It was difficult to fly due to the storm aura that Retribution gave off, so I commanded him to stay inside the ship, and so was inside when the Kraken came crashing down.
------------
Albrecht awoke slowly, as if the hand of some unseen force had taken
hold of his fitful dreams and refused to relinquish it. In the end it
was the pain that roused him. The impact of a phantom squid's mighty
tentacle against his side brought to the fore the very real ache of his
bruised ribs, which slithered itself between the clutching fingers of
his captor and forced the dreamworld's tenous grip to be lost.
The result was a dreary and unpleasant consciousness. Despite the rest
he got, he could not remember a time when he had been more exhausted.
Pain -- dull aches, tender wounds, and discomfort all around -- served
as a welcome reminder that he was still alive, and that all of his
battered limbs were still intact. He gingerly tested each of them,
straining to move his head so that he could see them move and assure his
tired mind of the reality of the thing.
All here, he thought. Well, except my dignity...
Eventually he worked up the courage to open his eyes, and what he saw
surprised him. Above the group the sun peeked shyly through the clouds,
sending a light sprinkling of rain from the heavens. The sky, though
obscured, was vibrant, and the wind was cold, but not bitter. As he
reached out beside him, grains of sand graced his fingertips. Simply
put, it was nothing like the frozen wasteland he expected to find here.
His homeland of Cambria, far to the south, was far colder than this as a
general rule. In comparison, this place was a paradise.
At least, it would be, if not for the smell. Its source was obvious
enough, with Retribution's bloated corpse lying a stone's throw away
from where they lay. After having tasted the Kraken's breath he was
almost desensitized to the overwhelming stench it gave off. He
unconsciously squeezed the bar of soap still clutched in his hand,
hoping on some level that it would protect him from the rot, but in the
end he knew it was hopeless. He cast a forlorn look to the ocean and
made a mental note to wash himself as soon as he was able to move.
The other surprise awaiting him was the fire beside him. He and his
companions were covered with thick fur blankets that staved off the
cold, and the fire, crackling strong despite the rain, radiated a
welcoming warmth that seemed to make his injuries seem less severe. He
also took note of the bandage wrapped around his skull, soaked red from
the deep gash on his forehead. Someone had cared for them. He saw that
Xyclath wasn't with them, so perhaps the other strix had prepared the
camp, but remembering the wounds that all three had sustained it seemed
highly unlikely. His doubts were further solidified by the red stains
covering the empty blanket beside him. They were all hurting from the
battle. Frankly it was a miracle they survived.
He sighed. Some mysteries were best left unsolved -- at least for now.
In the meantime he was simply happy to be alive, though a rumbling in
his stomach reminded him that if he lay there forever he might not be
for long.
Hunger... It's been a long time since I've suffered that particular burden. Now I know how Duskwing feels. Duskwing...
His eyes widened.
Duskwing.
His falcon had been inside the ship when Retribution fell from the sky.
Suddenly all of his pain and weakness seemed like a distant memory as
panic flooded into his brain and overwhelmed his senses. He roughly
threw his blanket aside and shot to his feet, searching desperately for
his pack amongst the wreckage. Spotting it nearby, he leaped toward it,
using his scaled wings to gain a burst of speed in the process. A cloud
of sand rose around him as he collided roughly with the ground, not
bothering to show even a modicum of grace in his scramble. His fingers
seemed unable to work the clasp, shaking from the strain and the
emotion. To his annoyance he realized he was still clutching the bar of
soap, and angrily threw it behind him. It hit the broken ship with
remarkable force, shattering to be scattered on the sand below, but he
paid it no mind as he frantically dug through his belongings. Finally, a
cool metal tube found its way into his waiting fingers, and he yanked
it from the bag.
His signal whistle.
Letting his pack sprawl alng the beach, he kicked off the beach and shot
into the sky, leaving a cloud of sand and dust beneath him. Fighting
back tears he used his momentum to force air into his lungs until he was
set to burst, and with a mighty bellow blew into the whistle. Its
piercing tone rang out over the ocean and danced in the wind. Over and
over he blew, hoping with each shrill cry the beady eyes of his
companion would suddenly appear before him. He knew it was hopeless, but
he also felt that he could not give up; that somewhere beyond the
horizon his friend was searching for him.
He wasn't sure how long he hovered; how many times he brought the
whistle to his lips. He blew until he had no more breath, but panting
desperately he would keep trying. After a time it became impossible, his
exhaustion and his sobs preventing him from filling his lungs. He had
to hope that it had been enough, and after taking a moment to collect
himself he floated back down to the beach. Muzdul stood at the edge of
the beach, silently watching him as he descended, but he paid it no
mind. As his feet touched the ground his wings sunk with the rest of
him, dragging through the sand as he quietly collected his belongings.
The rest was all a daze. He sat staring into the fire, taking no joy in
the meat he had been provided but knowing that without it he would
surely die. At some point in his daze Xyclath had returned, and the trio
was joined by someone he did not recognize. For now, he didn't care to.
All he could do was wait.
Saturday 8 November 2014
Wednesday 9 July 2014
They Might Be Heroes: Series 4
Oh, hello internet. I didn't see you there. Welcome to my cozy neck of the woods. Tonight, we have another installment of "They Might Be Heroes," a series in which I show you the backstories for characters I have created for various Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. In this installment, we have Albrecht Sunderhurst: a human-raised Strix Ranger looking to join a dangerous expedition into the harsh northern lands known only as the Expanse. So sit back, grab a cup a coacoa, and prepare to read a LOT. This one's about 10 pages (>4000 words). Sorry.
Note: Baijiu is a strong alcoholic drink in the Pathfinder universe
Albrecht Sunderhurst
Strix Ranger (Falconer, Skirmisher)
Note: Baijiu is a strong alcoholic drink in the Pathfinder universe
----------
Albrecht Sunderhurst
Strix Ranger (Falconer, Skirmisher)
Chapter 1:
Beginnings
He remembered the cold.
More than anything it was the cold. The rocks upon which he lay seemed to steal whatever warmth that remained in his heart, chilling him to his very core. The wind, though blocked partially by the cliffs above him, bit into his dark flesh with malicious zeal. Even the sky worked against him, shutting out any hope of heat from the dim northern sun. It threatened to consume him.
But for some reason, he knew he could not die. This child, barely free of the womb and abandoned to fate, clung desperately to the fragile thread of life. It was as if somewhere deep down he had known that there was so much more life had to offer; so much he had yet to experience.
He allowed his body to go numb, but he would not break. He let his heavy lids fall and let the darkness wash over him, but he would not yield. Life would find a way.
And then there was warmth.
He couldn't feel it at first. His body was shutting down and lacked the strength to communicate this new sensation. Slowly, however, he noticed a change. The darkness was not so complete; his shivering began to wane. He became vaguely aware of the soft blanket wrapped around his tiny form, of the fire roaring beyond his eyelids which refused to open.
It was the voice that brought him back: a soft, tender thing which carried more warmth than any fire could provide.
"Don't worry, little one. Everything will be okay."
More than anything it was the cold. The rocks upon which he lay seemed to steal whatever warmth that remained in his heart, chilling him to his very core. The wind, though blocked partially by the cliffs above him, bit into his dark flesh with malicious zeal. Even the sky worked against him, shutting out any hope of heat from the dim northern sun. It threatened to consume him.
But for some reason, he knew he could not die. This child, barely free of the womb and abandoned to fate, clung desperately to the fragile thread of life. It was as if somewhere deep down he had known that there was so much more life had to offer; so much he had yet to experience.
He allowed his body to go numb, but he would not break. He let his heavy lids fall and let the darkness wash over him, but he would not yield. Life would find a way.
And then there was warmth.
He couldn't feel it at first. His body was shutting down and lacked the strength to communicate this new sensation. Slowly, however, he noticed a change. The darkness was not so complete; his shivering began to wane. He became vaguely aware of the soft blanket wrapped around his tiny form, of the fire roaring beyond his eyelids which refused to open.
It was the voice that brought him back: a soft, tender thing which carried more warmth than any fire could provide.
"Don't worry, little one. Everything will be okay."
Chapter 2: Seasoned
with Hatred
Albrecht smiled as he bent down to inspect his snare. Unlike
all of the others he’d checked, a sizable rabbit had been unfortunate enough to
get caught, which meant that the Strix and his adoptive parents would be eating
well tonight. The rest of the creature could also be put to use in mending or
crafting small items around their home. On their remote island resources were
scarce, and he had been taught to let nothing go to waste. With a small hunting
knife pulled from his boot, he released the rabbit and fastened it to his belt
before resetting the snare.
He straightened and patted his quarry. “Sorry, little one.
We appreciate your sacrifice.”
“Did we get any?”
Albrecht started as seemingly from nowhere his father Darius
appeared behind him. He was no slouch, but his parents were lighter of foot on
their worst days than he was perceptive on his best. He always found it amazing
how they could move without making a sound – the result of years of training in
the wild. Darius and Amastasia Sunderhurst were legends in their own right, but
their adventuring days were long behind them. These days they lived a quiet
life and seemed content to pass on their knowledge to their son, that he may
have his own adventures. He had considered asking them about it on numerous
occasions, but as they never brought it up he figured that he should leave it
well enough alone. They were happy, after all, and that’s what really mattered.
“Just one, father. Enough for a good stew tonight, and
possibly breakfast. In any case, I’ve reset the traps, so we can check again
tomorrow.”
His father’s kind smile was accompanied with a firm pat on
the shoulder. “Your mother will be
thrilled. Let’s head back.” With a smirk, he added, “Oh, and you’re cooking
tonight.”
o-o-o-o
The duo made quick work of the trek back to Cambria, one of
the few human settlements remaining in the Pelagos. For lesser creatures, the
undergrowth of the thick northern forests on their remote island would be all
but impassable, but to Darius and Albrecht, born and bred in the wilds, it was hardly
a hindrance. They emerged from the treeline outside their small settlement a
mere two hours after setting out.
Amastasia Sunderhurst was just emerging from the town’s
apothecary with a small pouch of spell components as they did so. She of course
noticed them immediately, and gave a quick wave. She seemed to float down the
few stairs in front of the shop, barely disturbing a single snowflake as she
touched the ground.
Her grace was not shared by the group passing by that same
shop, the strong smell of Baijiu wafting from their unwashed bodies. A cloud of
soft powder rose around them as they stumbled down the street. Upon seeing the
ranger, their sour moods took a turn for the worst.
Cambria, as you might imagine, did not take kindly to the
new addition to their remote town 16 years earlier. When the two legendary
hunters walked into town with a baby Strix, mere inches from death, the
superstitious inhabitants of the remote town regarded it as a demon, and have
been suffering from the prejudice ever since. Darius and Amastasia Sunderhurst
had faced down dragons (and worse) – a few disgruntled villagers were barely
worth recognition.
The biggest of the bunch (and by virtue of poor alcohol
tolerance, the bravest), took a step forward and puffed out his chest. With a
grimace, “Spawnwhore” hissed through his clenched teeth, and after a sharp
intake he followed the expletive with thick gob of saliva.
Quick as lightning and without missing a beat, Amastasia’s
trained hands gracefully snatched the hilt and of the dagger on her belt. It
spun once through the crisp air before returning to its sheath, and in that
split second the projectile was cut in two, passing harmlessly to either side
of its target.
The ranger, content with herself, ducked past the
self-satisfied thugs as if nothing had happened. As soon as she did so,
however, her eyes widened. “Wait, don’t!”
Albrecht, watching from the treeline, had seen the whole
exchange, and his jade eyes were bright with fury as he flew through the air
and collided violently with the thug.
“Stop it Al!”
His mother’s cries fell on deaf ears. The man he hit
collapsed in a heap, and the two men beside him screamed in fear as Albrecht’s
scaly wings spread to their full extent. His clenched fists shook from the
strain as he bent over the writhing ruffian, but before he could put his
intentions into action he was ripped from his feet. In a fluid display of
might, Amastasia pulled her son back and threw him to the ground. Shock
extinguished the fury within him, and the cold earth forced the air from his lungs.
By this time others from the village were starting to emerge
from their homes, hoping to discover the source of the commotion. What they
found was one of their own, coughing up his own blood, and two others cowering
in abject fear. Above them stood Amastasia, a vision of poise, and behind her
the demon, jumping deftly to his feet and gasping for air.
“Mark my words, spawnwhore! Reign in your beast, or put him
to the torch! He’ll bring only death to this place!”
“Well if you keep that up, he might,” she quipped. “He’s a
better man than the lot of you. Now run home. I’m sure you have more important
things to do than insult me.”
The sight of the ranger, standing stoic and unfazed in the
midst of such chaos, took much of the spark from the indignant crowd, and with
much grumbling they dispersed. Amastasia shot an unamused glance to her son.
“We’ll discuss this at home.”
He acknowledged her with a solemn nod, but before he left he
regarded the man on the floor, whose associates were now fleeing the scene.
“Today, I took your dignity. Next time it will be your life.
You will never disrespect my mother again.”
Chapter 3:
The Harder They Fall
“I think it knows we’re following it.”
Albrecht, Darius, and Amastasia crowded around the mangled
soldier. Her slender frame and golden armour suggested she was elven, but her head
had been crushed completely. The rest of her, oddly, appeared to be completely
untouched. Surrounding the body was an odd assortment of weaponry, ranging from
longbows to greatswords, and even one particularly vicious-looking battle
scythe. The weapons were all well-worn, but clean and reasonably undamaged.
To the Strix, the display seemed nonsensical, but
deliberate. “What makes you say that, father?”
It was his mother who answered instead. “This is a message.
Notice how carefully-laid everything is. This elf was murdered delicately, but
with great strength, indicating that our quarry has both power and precision.
The fact that the body was left so openly, and so close to the tracks we’re
following, tells of its confidence. These weapons are all clean, which means
they did not taste its flesh, but they are also worn, which indicates they were
wielded by experienced warriors. He’s letting us know that that he’s not afraid
of us.”
They had been chasing a giant for several days now. While
the family was out on an extended hunting trip it had attacked Cambria and run
off with several of the townsfolk’s children. A detachment of soldiers from a
neighbouring island had already been investigating odd activity in the region
and had passed through the small village shortly after. They were about four
days ahead, but from the gruesome scene in the clearing it seemed likely that
none had survived.
This adversary was proving to be more cunning than they had
anticipated. Even with three master trackers in pursuit they had almost been
misled by false trails on several occasions. The constant snowfall didn’t help,
of course, but the fact that a creature that large could hide its tracks and
still make such good progress through the forest was a testament to its skill.
Darius nodded solemnly. “I’d venture to guess that we’ll
catch up in a few hours if we’re quick, but he’ll likely be ready for us. Al,
it might be time for you to head back to town.”
Albrecht shook his head. “You know that’s not going to
happen. I’m not going to abandon you: especially not when we’re this close.”
“Sweetie, I know how you feel, and we appreciate the
thought, but this is more dangerous than—“
His mother’s words were cut short as a tremendous crash
sounded from the trees behind them. A huge boulder, taller than even the
hulking strix, flew through the air with tremendous speed toward the trio.
Albrecht and Darius managed to desperately dive out of the way, but Amastasia
had nowhere to go, and despite her godly reflexes took the full brunt of the
blow. It sent her careening backward into trees, and a red streak of blood
stained the snow along her trajectory.
The others immediately sprang into action.
Darius bolted after the boulder, drawing his bow as he went.
“Albrecht! Run!” In an instant he was next to his wife, and a white light
radiated from his outstretched hand that washed her wounds away. As she wiped
the blood from her eyes, only steadfast determination remained.
Albrecht took a different approach. Rather than going to his
mother’s side, he made a dash for the hole left by the rock with a great beat
of his powerful wings. He made a swift decision to ignore the longsword on his
back and stead snatched the first weapon in reach: the scythe. His grip
tightened on the weapon’s haft as their attacker came into view. The giant, a
scarred behemoth wearing crimson furs, had readied a gargantuan and
cruel-looking battleaxe. The beast’s face showed neither fear nor amusement.
Strix and giant alike wore expressions solely of focus on the task at hand,
cold and calculating.
Despite his speed, Albrecht felt an eternity pass as he grew
ever closer to the giant. The creature stood in a wide, low stance, with its
weapon poised for a quick and precise strike. Its steady breathing and calm
composure betrayed years of experience in combat, and its eyes betrayed an
intelligence beyond that of its kin. This was a seasoned, deadly warrior, and
it radiated murderous intent.
20 feet. It adjusted its feet to account for his angle of
approach.
15 feet. It tightened its grip on its weapon.
10 feet. Its muscles tensed to strike.
5 feet.
The giant released the energy stored in its muscles and set
his axe on a collision course with his opponent. At the same time, a single
arrow shot past the strix and embedded itself directly into the giant’s eye.
Taking advantage of the falter in the giant’s swing, Albrecht tucked in his
wings and entered a spiral to alter his trajectory, narrowing avoiding the edge
of the axe. In a blink he was past it, and his scythe connected squarely with
the beast’s throat.
The sound of metal on flesh rang sickly through the air, and
in a flash of crimson his blade separated the giant’s head from its body. The strix
was the first to touch the ground, skidding through the snow as he decelerated.
The giant’s head was next, followed shortly by its body.
He looked back through the trees to see his father lowering
his bow and his mother sheathing both of her swords. With a sigh of relief, he
smiled at them and nodded his thanks.
The deed was done.
o-o-o-o
Cambria was quiet when he returned.
After defeating the giant they had found the four children,
cold and afraid, in a stand of trees nearby. Albrecht had flown ahead to share
the good news, and had taken the beast’s skull as proof of their conquest.
At least, that’s what his parents thought. In truth he had
ulterior motives.
The few townsfolk who were outside couldn’t help but stare
as the strix landed in the center of the town square. Gasps and frightened
whispers radiated throughout those assembled.
Perfect, thought
Albrecht.
“Perople of Cambria!” His shout echoed throughout the town.
“Stand and be counted!”
The whispers turned into panic as more and more of the
villagers poured into the square. It wasn’t long before all of the town’s
inhabitants had been gathered, and the unwavering demon in their midst –
carrying a severed head, no less – was filling them all with unease.
He took a moment for the worry to percolate. It was time to
make a statement that none of them would ever forget.
In one fluid motion, Albrecht began to spin.
First came his left hand, holding the head. It came around
quickly and threw the skull above him.
Next came his right hand, holding the scythe. The blade
whistled through the air and embedded itself in the giant’s remains.
Finally came his eyes. As he planted the scythe, decorated
with his macabre prize, into the very center of the town square, he swept his
gaze across all those assembled.
“This,” he addressed the crowd, “is the creature we were
chasing. This is the creature that stole your children and slew two score
warriors from Throgain. This is the last creature to harm my family. I felled
it with my own hands, wielding this very blade. You always feared that I was a
demon: a bringer of misfortune and death. Now you know that your fears were
justified. I am the deathbringer, and I shall rain justice and retribution down
upon those who harm the ones I love. If ever you would dream of disrespecting
my family, then you will know fear greater even than that felt by this
once-proud warrior as my blade caused its blood to run cold. You will discover
that I am no longer Albrecht Sunderhurst, proud son of Darius and Amastasia
Sunderhurst. You will know what I truly am. I am the Reaper.”
Chapter 4:
Into the Unknown
Damn this cold,
thought Garrigan. If not for that
accursed barrier I’d be a thousand miles away, sipping chilled tea in a remote paradise. But now?
Now I’m stuck heading to almost certain doom trying to skirt the damn thing
through the expanse. How did I get here?
It was rhetorical, of course. One does not attempt to rob
the archmage of the Crystal Laureate without some sort of repercussion, but
greed had gotten the best of him. The allure of untold magical power and a
single misstep into a well-hidden divination was all it took to take the proud
battlemage out of his command and into the wilderness, stuck cooking stale
rations over a tiny campfire.
He blew another precious breath into the base of his gloves
to try and get a little feeling back into his fingers, and for the millionth
time contorted his body to its full range of motion. He was one of very few
mages who could cast comfortably in a suit of full plate, but if the thing
froze it was more of a prison than a boon.
Damn this cold.
Suddenly he felt a magical tug to the East and alarm bells
sounded in his mind. One of the wards he had placed around his camp had been
tripped. That meant someone was approaching, and this far North that could only
mean that they were doing so pointedly. He had set the wards a good distance
away, with full coverage of the surrounding area, so he should have a bit of
time, but having no knowledge of the nature of the threat he knew he couldn’t
risk sticking around. Immediately he reached into his spell pouch and began
casting. When the intruder arrived, he had no intention of still being around.
His arcane mumbling was cut short when an auburn bolt, accompanied
by the piercing shriek of a bird of prey, shot down from high above him and
collided squarely with his back. The blow nearly took him from his feet, and
caused a painful gash at the shoulder joint of his armour. More importantly, it
had interrupted his spell.
His eyes barely had the chance to widen in panic as he
looked through the trees to see a wave of negative energy surrounding with
darkness approaching him with tremendous speed. He brought his mailed arms in
front of his face in desperation, hoping to somehow cushion whatever was to
come.
The scythe passed through his thick armour as if it were
putty, digging into his tender flesh and filling his heart with utter despair.
Damn this cold, he
thought.
And then he was no more.
o-o-o-o
Albrecht was digging through his belt pouch as he entered
Mercuria’s bounty office. This small building in the middle of the Pelagos’
most bustling and diverse metropolis was where he acquired most of his
contracts. A high-profile bounty, usually easy fare for a hunter of his skill,
could keep him comfortable for months.
It helped that he didn’t have to worry about food or drink,
and he had the silver ring on his finger to thank for that. It also allowed him
to fully recover after only two hours of sleep, so he could gain ground on his
quarry with ease. He gave the ring an idle, appreciative spin as he dug. It was
a good investment.
“Ah, Reaper!” A thick and cheerful dwarf greeted the new
arrival from his customary place behind the office counter. The wall over his
stout shoulders was layered from floor to ceiling with bounties depicting all
manner of creatures. “And Duskwing, of course. Looking fine as always.”
“Hello, Husk,” Albrecht replied with a smile. His falcon let
out a self-satisfied squawk from his place on the Strix’s shoulder.
Husk reached into one of his desk drawers and pulled out a
small piece of jerky. He tossed it into the air, and without missing a beat Duskwing
darted from his perch and snatched it with his razor-sharp beak, alighting onto
the counter. The dwarf rubbed the falcon’s head with his finger, who pushed
against it and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience. “I didn’t expect you
to be back so soon.”
“Garrigan was a bit of a tough cookie, but since he couldn’t
teleport through the barrier there was only so far he could go. I’ve got his
ring here somewhere… Ah, there it is.”
From his pouch he produced a small signet ring: gold and
engraved with a crimson stag wreathed in mist. It seemed to hum with a faint
energy, but since its bearer was dead it stayed dormant. He also pulled a heavy
tome from his pack and placed it on the desk with a thud.
“As promised, the quarry’s signet ring and spellbook. I
returned the orb to the Crystal Laureate before coming here, so the archmage is
satisfied and has gone back to his research. You’ll find his letter of release
for the bounty in the book there. I’ll probably end up selling everything else
he had with him.”
Husk took a moment to look over the haul and cross reference
it with a logbook he kept under his desk. After reading the letter he
disappeared through a door that led deeper into the building. He returned a
short time later with a hefty pouch, its contents making a familiar and
satisfying clink. He passed it over the table to Albrecht, who nodded his thanks
before placing it into his pack.
“The bounty is yours, my friend. 300 platinum, to the coin.
Counted it myself, just to be sure. Though I daresay that orb you returned is
probably worth a hell of a lot more.”
“It’s only worth more if you know how to use it, and frankly
I couldn’t care less,” Albrecht shrugged. “The coin alone is more than enough
for my tastes.”
Husk smiled. “Fair enough. I should have known that you’d
never give in to temptation.” He plopped heavily back down into his chair. “Oh,
speaking of which, see anything you like? Not much for a hunter of your calibre
these days. You’ve already caught most of the serious criminals, and with your
reputation new ones are few and far between.”
He shook his head as he scanned the bounty board. Nothing
jumped out as particularly interesting prey. “That’s alright. I’ll let some of
the others have a go at it for a change.”
“Fair enough,” chuckled the dwarf. “I’ll see you around.”
Albrecht shook his hand before turning to leave, hoisting
his pack back onto his shoulder.
“Oh, by the way.” Husk’s voice caused Albrecht to pause and
look back, his ebony hand hovering over the doorknob. Duskwing took the
opportunity to fly back onto his shoulder. “Your pal Ugrog is hanging around
the harbour. Some special mission into the Expanse. Seems like something you
might be interested in.”
He let his hand finish its journey and turn the knob. “I
just might. Thanks for the information.”
o-o-o-o
“Next please.”
Ugrog sighed. It had been a long day. For reasons that he
could not comprehend there were numerous creatures of all sort lining up to
risk their lives by venturing into the unknown of the Expanse. He figured most
really didn’t comprehend the difficulty of what was being asked of them. The
Halfling girl who was leaving his small office had simply never seen a giant
before, and was curious.
She’d be dead within a
day, he thought. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and drew a thick,
deliberate line through her name in his logbook. Not on my watch.
When he looked up he almost fell back out of his chair. The
wall of black before him had such a forceful aura he could feel himself
inadvertently quivering, and he had not been ready for that. He shook his head
to compose himself. “Reaper! You nearly scared me to death. What brings you
here?”
Albrecht took a seat in the sizable chair across the desk.
It was a bit big, even for him, but he figured that all kinds would come
through, and they had to be accommodating for pretty much anyone. “Hello Ugrog.
And curiosity, mostly. I hear you’re recruiting people for a trip to the
expanse.”
“Ah yes. Well recruiting doesn’t seem like the right word.
Screening, more like. The giants are becoming a problem too serious to ignore,
so we’re sending a group up north to deal with the situation permanently. I’d
go myself, but…”
Albrecht held up a hand to stop him. “You’ve got a family,
my friend. There’s no need to justify that to me of all people.”
The orc provided an appreciative nod before continuing. “In
any case, we’ve had all kinds walk through this office. Most are either
delusional or insane, but we’ve had a few hopeful candidates. There’ve been a
number of your kind as well, though none with scaled wings.” He gestured to
Albrecht’s wings with his quill.
That’s a bit ironic,
he thought.
“I do believe that you are a very special strix.”
Albrecht laughed. “Well thank you. Actually I’m starting to
think that these things,” he spread his wings a bit in showcase, “are largely
why I was abandoned as a baby. But they allowed me to find my parents, and for
that I’m eternally grateful.”
“I’m glad. Not many people can find a silver lining to that
sort of thing. In any case, since you’re here, I might as well go through the
standard questions. Sound good?”
He furled his wings once again. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because you need me, and because there’s nothing left for
me to hunt in the Pelagos.”
“What can you offer to defeat the giants?”
“I’m a tireless and highly skilled tracker, and a have a
penchant for striking fear into the heart of even the surliest of creatures.
And if fear doesn’t work, I can always strike their heart with my scythe
instead.”
“What is your greatest regret?”
“That Duskwing can’t find a proper woman.” The bird
screeched in protest. Albrecht merely smiled. “As for myself, I tend to live
without regrets. Through careful planning and exceptional skill I can
accomplish pretty much anything I need to. Besides, my parents taught me to
respect the nature of the world and to keep moving forward. I figure it’s time
to take that in stride, and start moving North.”
Tuesday 3 June 2014
They Might Be Heroes: Series 3
Hello, internet. It has been... Well it's been a very long time since I have last put finger to keyboard in this most sacred of places. I really have no excuse, and if you were an avid reader of my work when I still posted regularly, you have my sincerest apologies (and curiosity. Comment?). I cannot make any sort of promise that I will resume posting, what with my fourth year of computer engineering in full swing and responsibilities with various companies taking precendence, but I will try to post sporadicaly throughout the term as I expect some of my peers will be pressuring me to do so. In the meantime, I have produced a piece of writing which I believe deserves to be posted, and I thought I would share it. Harkening back to my earliest posts, I am continuing my series of D&D backstories: They Might Be Heroes. In this installment, we meet Whisperling, a jovial and snarky Centaur about to be sent to hell itself to rescue the seven sages of Drigonia. Special thanks to my friend Steven for his creation of the concept for what is likely going to be an excellent campaign.
--------------
Whisperling
Centaur Soulknife
Fellkeep was a tired old town, hewn from the stones of history in a time before civilization. For thousands of years it had stood as a bastion in the center of the continent and had kept at bay the wild places by which it was surrounded. The harsh winds of the plains tore fruitlessly at the tired bones of towers and abodes, and though these bones would creak in protest they refused to back down. The humans and elves that had chosen to make this town their home were equally hardy. Though they may grumble, they possessed a spirit that would not yield in the face of adversity.
But tonight was a different matter. The ghostly breath of the plains, normally so pervasive and insistent, had stilled, granting the stone and timber of the stronghold a rare reprieve.
To most this was an unexpected and entirely pleasant development; an opportunity to warm the chill permeating the very core of the town’s residents. Whisperling was not “most.”
In fact, there likely wasn’t a soul alive who would consider him to be normal. By his very nature he stood apart from his peers. Half man and half beast, the centaur was out of place in most settings.
Even his name was unique, as he chose it himself and there was nobody around who knew him as anything else. Tonight, his abnormality manifested in a nagging feeling that something was amiss. He stood in the darkness of the city streets and peered at the stars as he pondered the uneasy quiet. To him it seemed a harbinger of something dire, and he feared what the coming storm would bring.
He was so engrossed in thought he hadn’t even noticed the two men who had drunkenly stumbled onto the street from a nearby tavern. When they spoke to him he was taken entirely by surprise.
“Hey pretty horsey, you want some hay?”
Their inebriated giggling was initially met with shock, but Whisperling couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Actually,” he said, “I’d prefer some oats if you’ve got them.”
The two men had expected a much more emotional reaction. Having not received one they were left utterly speechless, unable to process a meaningful response through the alcohol clouding their minds. With a chuckle he reached down and ruffled their hair as he walked past them into the night.
“Don’t strain yourselves, lads.” He paused and smiled over his shoulder before he continued. “Best be getting home. It’s late, and your husbands must be worried.”
“Wha—“
The drunkards’ protests were cut short as a plume of flame rose into the southern sky. Several others rose to meet it even before the thunderous roar from the explosions washed over the alley. Already unsteady, the two humans were blown clean off their feet to collapse in a drunken heap against the far wall.
Whisperling frowned at the pair before directing his attention back south.
“Sometimes I hate being right.”
He clutched his fists in rage, pressing on with all his might. How could the goblins have made it to the city without the Red Sage detecting their presence? How did they become so organized that they could launch an assault on a bastion that has stood strong for thousands of years?
One thing was certain: much more blood would be spilled this night, and he was not about to sit on the sidelines while it happened. He was already shaking in anticipation of the violence to come, unable to quench the bloodlust and savagery of his heritage.
Suddenly he was there. Flames and steel swirled about the scene. The mighty walls of Fellkeep, once tall and proud, were now reduced puddles of molten rock by goblin magic, allowing scores of goblins to pour into the city. Across the court, more of the city’s inhabitants continued to rush into the fray.
Arrows rained down amongst the foot soldiers and explosions of magical energy rang out above them as the mages of the Drigonian Honour Guard faced off against the goblin witchdoctors and siege weapons beyond the wall.
It took only a moment to analyse the scene before him, and without missing a stride the mighty centaur sprang into action, grasping a longsword protruding from the chest of a slain goblin as he went. It was barely a knife to him, but it was sharp, and it would have to do. Excitement welled within him as the swarm grew ever closer, his hands shaking so vigorously he could barely keep his grasp on the blade.
It was nearly time.
The ride across the courtyard was only a few seconds, but to him it felt like an eternity. He had chosen to make his home in this city, and these beasts from the wilds were now threatening to burn it to the ground. This discourtesy could only be repaid in blood, and he would make sure that many a goblin would take part in the transaction.
One of the goblins, a scraggly beast wielding a crude spear, pulled his weapon from the back of an elven warrior who had been facing off against four others. Content with his kill, he turned toward the city once more with a savage fire burning in his eyes. That fire was instantly replaced with fear as his view settled on the towering centaur bearing down on him.
As their eyes met, the tremor in Whisperling’s fists immediately ceased. All of his rage, all of his bloodlust filed down to a single point within his consciousness; an absolute focus accented by a wave of perfect calmness.
The dance with death had begun.
That goblin was but the first of many to fall to the centaur’s precise and powerful strikes, followed by the four creatures the unfortunate elf had been facing before meeting his demise. Whisperling’s blade swung ceaselessly, cleaving goblins in two with each powerful blow, and goblin heads were crushed to dust beneath his hooves. As he advanced into the goblin horde he left behind him only a crimson mist.
For hours he fought, his sleek black fur enveloped in goblin blood. They were outside the wall now, and exhausted soldiers pressed forward with all of their remaining might to repel the invaders.
Blackness licked at the corners of Whisperling’s vision, but he refused to give even an inch of ground. His thick hide was covered in a thousand cuts from goblin blades, and pain wracked his every step, but he would not back down.
This was his city, and he was determined to keep it that way.
A goblin charged him from his left flank as he moved to dispatch a similar brute on his right. As he swung his sword he was sure it would end his foe, and so he directed his attention to the new arrival and prepared to strike.
But then he heard a piercing clang, and he felt his blade shatter in his grasp. In a panic he leapt backward and looked back to the goblin he thought should be dead. It stood there still, though it was three times its original size and had a wicked grin on its face. Its weapon, a roughly-hewn mace, had grown as well. Whisperling’s blade, weakened and chipped throughout the night, had snapped in two when it collided with the fortified arm, leaving him without the means to defend against the new threat to either side.
As panic welled up inside of him, so too did a force that he could not explain. Without thinking, he threw away the hilt of his ruined sword and focused all of his lethal intent into his fist. As he stabbed toward the smaller goblin he shaped his rage; let his will take form. As he did so, the air began to part, as if cut by an invisible force. In the rift an ethereal blade formed, and the startled goblin, so confident mere moments before, collapsed in a heap at the centaur’s feet.
Whisperling turned back to the fortified goblin who had destroyed his physical sword, a new wave of energy surging to match his resolve.
“I guess I should pick on someone my own size.”
General Solomon set down the map he had been examining and rose to meet the warrior who had called upon him. He was no small man, but the centaur entering his command tent towered above him in both physique and countenance. The high commander of the Drigonian Honour Guard was not easily unsettled, but there was something in the air that made him feel uneasy.
“My men tell me that you were instrumental in sealing the breach to the southern wall. I would like to extend my gratitude.”
Whisperling looked down at the general’s outstretched hand, but couldn’t bring himself to grasp it. If not for his anger he likely would not have even been able to stand. All he could manage was a nod.
“I’m sorry general, but it’s been a very long night. I’m not usually one to skip the pleasantries, but I would ask that we get right down to business.”
The general acknowledged him with a tired nod and allowed his hand to fall back to his side. “As you wish. What brings you to my tent?” He considered offering his guest a seat, but a quick glance at
Whisperling’s four equestrian legs caused him to reconsider.
“How did this happen? There’s no way a force of that size could have made it all the way to Fellkeep without the Red Sage warning us.”
Solomon’s face sank at the question – a queue which Whisperling did not miss. It took him some time to find his words, but the centaur was patient.
“There’s been… an incident.” He paused, still finding the thought difficult to swallow. With a sigh, he looked Whisperling straight in the eye. “The Seven Sages have gone missing. We have reason to believe they may have been kidnapped and brought to Hell. We’re seeking adventurers to go after them and bring them back. In fact, we could use someo—“
“I’m in,” Whisperling interrupted.
Solomon was taken aback, and unsure of how to respond. “I’m sorry?”
“I said I’m in. Form your party, and include me in its number. I’ll not stand idly by while Drigonia is ravaged by beasts.”
He worked his mouth wordlessly for some time, unable to put his thoughts to speech. Eventually his managed a single word: “Why?”
“This is a desolate place, and its residents harbour no love for my kind, but I have made it my home. I do not take kindly to my home being attacked, and I’d rather it not happen again. Besides…” The centaur raised his hand and focused intently on it, mustering whatever willpower he had remaining after his night’s long battle. After a moment a long, ethereal blade formed in his fist. He turned it before him, examining the blade for defects or hidden mysteries that had yet to be revealed. “I seem to have a new talent that I wish to learn to control. It still takes some time to form the blade, but I feel like with practice I can make it a true extension of my will.” He looked away from the blade and deep into the general’s eyes. “I will have my practice.”
--------------
Whisperling
Centaur Soulknife
ACT I - Amidst the Calm
There was something in the silence that night.Fellkeep was a tired old town, hewn from the stones of history in a time before civilization. For thousands of years it had stood as a bastion in the center of the continent and had kept at bay the wild places by which it was surrounded. The harsh winds of the plains tore fruitlessly at the tired bones of towers and abodes, and though these bones would creak in protest they refused to back down. The humans and elves that had chosen to make this town their home were equally hardy. Though they may grumble, they possessed a spirit that would not yield in the face of adversity.
But tonight was a different matter. The ghostly breath of the plains, normally so pervasive and insistent, had stilled, granting the stone and timber of the stronghold a rare reprieve.
To most this was an unexpected and entirely pleasant development; an opportunity to warm the chill permeating the very core of the town’s residents. Whisperling was not “most.”
In fact, there likely wasn’t a soul alive who would consider him to be normal. By his very nature he stood apart from his peers. Half man and half beast, the centaur was out of place in most settings.
Even his name was unique, as he chose it himself and there was nobody around who knew him as anything else. Tonight, his abnormality manifested in a nagging feeling that something was amiss. He stood in the darkness of the city streets and peered at the stars as he pondered the uneasy quiet. To him it seemed a harbinger of something dire, and he feared what the coming storm would bring.
He was so engrossed in thought he hadn’t even noticed the two men who had drunkenly stumbled onto the street from a nearby tavern. When they spoke to him he was taken entirely by surprise.
“Hey pretty horsey, you want some hay?”
Their inebriated giggling was initially met with shock, but Whisperling couldn’t help but smile at the sight. “Actually,” he said, “I’d prefer some oats if you’ve got them.”
The two men had expected a much more emotional reaction. Having not received one they were left utterly speechless, unable to process a meaningful response through the alcohol clouding their minds. With a chuckle he reached down and ruffled their hair as he walked past them into the night.
“Don’t strain yourselves, lads.” He paused and smiled over his shoulder before he continued. “Best be getting home. It’s late, and your husbands must be worried.”
“Wha—“
The drunkards’ protests were cut short as a plume of flame rose into the southern sky. Several others rose to meet it even before the thunderous roar from the explosions washed over the alley. Already unsteady, the two humans were blown clean off their feet to collapse in a drunken heap against the far wall.
Whisperling frowned at the pair before directing his attention back south.
“Sometimes I hate being right.”
ACT II - Fire and Blood
The screams of goblins, humans, and elves rang shrill in Whisperling’s ears as he galloped toward the southern wall. In alleys he passed he glimpsed healers feverishly chanting over writhing wounded from the Drigonian Honour Guard, and still others closing the eyes of those who were beyond saving. The destruction was unthinkable.He clutched his fists in rage, pressing on with all his might. How could the goblins have made it to the city without the Red Sage detecting their presence? How did they become so organized that they could launch an assault on a bastion that has stood strong for thousands of years?
One thing was certain: much more blood would be spilled this night, and he was not about to sit on the sidelines while it happened. He was already shaking in anticipation of the violence to come, unable to quench the bloodlust and savagery of his heritage.
Suddenly he was there. Flames and steel swirled about the scene. The mighty walls of Fellkeep, once tall and proud, were now reduced puddles of molten rock by goblin magic, allowing scores of goblins to pour into the city. Across the court, more of the city’s inhabitants continued to rush into the fray.
Arrows rained down amongst the foot soldiers and explosions of magical energy rang out above them as the mages of the Drigonian Honour Guard faced off against the goblin witchdoctors and siege weapons beyond the wall.
It took only a moment to analyse the scene before him, and without missing a stride the mighty centaur sprang into action, grasping a longsword protruding from the chest of a slain goblin as he went. It was barely a knife to him, but it was sharp, and it would have to do. Excitement welled within him as the swarm grew ever closer, his hands shaking so vigorously he could barely keep his grasp on the blade.
It was nearly time.
The ride across the courtyard was only a few seconds, but to him it felt like an eternity. He had chosen to make his home in this city, and these beasts from the wilds were now threatening to burn it to the ground. This discourtesy could only be repaid in blood, and he would make sure that many a goblin would take part in the transaction.
One of the goblins, a scraggly beast wielding a crude spear, pulled his weapon from the back of an elven warrior who had been facing off against four others. Content with his kill, he turned toward the city once more with a savage fire burning in his eyes. That fire was instantly replaced with fear as his view settled on the towering centaur bearing down on him.
As their eyes met, the tremor in Whisperling’s fists immediately ceased. All of his rage, all of his bloodlust filed down to a single point within his consciousness; an absolute focus accented by a wave of perfect calmness.
The dance with death had begun.
That goblin was but the first of many to fall to the centaur’s precise and powerful strikes, followed by the four creatures the unfortunate elf had been facing before meeting his demise. Whisperling’s blade swung ceaselessly, cleaving goblins in two with each powerful blow, and goblin heads were crushed to dust beneath his hooves. As he advanced into the goblin horde he left behind him only a crimson mist.
For hours he fought, his sleek black fur enveloped in goblin blood. They were outside the wall now, and exhausted soldiers pressed forward with all of their remaining might to repel the invaders.
Blackness licked at the corners of Whisperling’s vision, but he refused to give even an inch of ground. His thick hide was covered in a thousand cuts from goblin blades, and pain wracked his every step, but he would not back down.
This was his city, and he was determined to keep it that way.
A goblin charged him from his left flank as he moved to dispatch a similar brute on his right. As he swung his sword he was sure it would end his foe, and so he directed his attention to the new arrival and prepared to strike.
But then he heard a piercing clang, and he felt his blade shatter in his grasp. In a panic he leapt backward and looked back to the goblin he thought should be dead. It stood there still, though it was three times its original size and had a wicked grin on its face. Its weapon, a roughly-hewn mace, had grown as well. Whisperling’s blade, weakened and chipped throughout the night, had snapped in two when it collided with the fortified arm, leaving him without the means to defend against the new threat to either side.
As panic welled up inside of him, so too did a force that he could not explain. Without thinking, he threw away the hilt of his ruined sword and focused all of his lethal intent into his fist. As he stabbed toward the smaller goblin he shaped his rage; let his will take form. As he did so, the air began to part, as if cut by an invisible force. In the rift an ethereal blade formed, and the startled goblin, so confident mere moments before, collapsed in a heap at the centaur’s feet.
Whisperling turned back to the fortified goblin who had destroyed his physical sword, a new wave of energy surging to match his resolve.
“I guess I should pick on someone my own size.”
ACT III - The Resolve of Home
“Let him through.”General Solomon set down the map he had been examining and rose to meet the warrior who had called upon him. He was no small man, but the centaur entering his command tent towered above him in both physique and countenance. The high commander of the Drigonian Honour Guard was not easily unsettled, but there was something in the air that made him feel uneasy.
“My men tell me that you were instrumental in sealing the breach to the southern wall. I would like to extend my gratitude.”
Whisperling looked down at the general’s outstretched hand, but couldn’t bring himself to grasp it. If not for his anger he likely would not have even been able to stand. All he could manage was a nod.
“I’m sorry general, but it’s been a very long night. I’m not usually one to skip the pleasantries, but I would ask that we get right down to business.”
The general acknowledged him with a tired nod and allowed his hand to fall back to his side. “As you wish. What brings you to my tent?” He considered offering his guest a seat, but a quick glance at
Whisperling’s four equestrian legs caused him to reconsider.
“How did this happen? There’s no way a force of that size could have made it all the way to Fellkeep without the Red Sage warning us.”
Solomon’s face sank at the question – a queue which Whisperling did not miss. It took him some time to find his words, but the centaur was patient.
“There’s been… an incident.” He paused, still finding the thought difficult to swallow. With a sigh, he looked Whisperling straight in the eye. “The Seven Sages have gone missing. We have reason to believe they may have been kidnapped and brought to Hell. We’re seeking adventurers to go after them and bring them back. In fact, we could use someo—“
“I’m in,” Whisperling interrupted.
Solomon was taken aback, and unsure of how to respond. “I’m sorry?”
“I said I’m in. Form your party, and include me in its number. I’ll not stand idly by while Drigonia is ravaged by beasts.”
He worked his mouth wordlessly for some time, unable to put his thoughts to speech. Eventually his managed a single word: “Why?”
“This is a desolate place, and its residents harbour no love for my kind, but I have made it my home. I do not take kindly to my home being attacked, and I’d rather it not happen again. Besides…” The centaur raised his hand and focused intently on it, mustering whatever willpower he had remaining after his night’s long battle. After a moment a long, ethereal blade formed in his fist. He turned it before him, examining the blade for defects or hidden mysteries that had yet to be revealed. “I seem to have a new talent that I wish to learn to control. It still takes some time to form the blade, but I feel like with practice I can make it a true extension of my will.” He looked away from the blade and deep into the general’s eyes. “I will have my practice.”
Tuesday 7 January 2014
So you want to mod Skyrim: Series 1 - Getting Started
UPDATE 2015/01/03: BOSS is, apparently, obsolete. It's been replaced by a program called LOOT. This is news to me, so I'll have to do a bit of research before I can give a detailed guide, but it shouldn't substantially change anything mentioned in this guide. I'll keep you posted.
That said, the process of applying mods can be a little complicated if you don't have a lot of experience, so I figured it would be nice to share my insight. Skyrim in particular has a few quirks that only experience or extensive research can help to overcome. I hope this guide is useful!
It should probably be noted that this is a Windows-only guide. If you can find a way to mod the console versions there's a medal in your future somewhere.
The first thing you'll need to do is locate your Skyrim installation. Since you're using Steam, you'll have to dig a bit to get there, but in the end it should look something like this:
Navigate there now. It'll come in handy immediately, as the next step is installing SKSE. Extract/run the file you downloaded from their website and be greeted with the following:
If it's not there already copy the filepath for your Skyrim installation and paste it into the field, then hit next. If your Skyrim is up-to-date (and I don't see why it wouldn't be), a few seconds later the installer will quietly close and you'll be left wondering if it actually worked or not. It probably did, but let's check, just in case. Go back to your Skyrim directory, and you should notice a few new files:
Neat! Now look for the directory label "Data" (you'll need this often) and head inside. You should see two subdirectories, namely "scripts" and "SKSE." If those are there, you can safely assume that your SKSE installation was successful, and we cna move on.
Head back to the main directory and locate a file labelled "TESV.exe". This little guy is what makes Skyrim go. When you launch the game via Steam, it looks for that file to trigger the launcher. It will have a nice little dragon logo so you know it's legit.
Lovely, that looks important! Let's break it. Rename that file using whatever means you see fit (e.g. right click -> rename). It doesn't really matter what you rename it to (I used Skyrim.exe, but feel free to get creative), so long as it's unique and is not TESV. Dn't worry, it'll make sense in a second.
Now remember the skse files from earlier? Find skse_loader.exe. This is the file that allows SKSE to run on top of Skyrim while the game is running. Make a copy of this file. It doesn't matter where you put it, as we'll be moving it back shortly, but what the aforementioned guide didn't tell me is that you'll run into rather annoying bugs if that file isn't present in the install directory, because NMM and Wrye Bash won't think that SKSE is installed.
Now take your copy and rename is to "TESV.exe". See, this is where we make some derogatory comments about Steam's mother before we trick it into doing the ground work for us. When you move the newly renamed file back to your Skyrim directory (which shouldn't cause any problems because you remembered to rename the old one right? Right??), Steam will think that nothing has changed. But we know better. Man is stronger than machine. This time.
Almost there! One last step to make sure that everything goes smoothly. All we need to do now is tell SKSE where to find the default launcher. Find the file that used to be TESV.exe and note it's name, then navigate to the /Data/SKSE folder we saw earlier. There should be a folder called plugins and nothing else, but we're about to change that. Create a new text file and save it as "SKSE.ini". You'll need to use the "all files" type in notepad to get it to save as written, or just save it as "SKSE.txt" and change the file extension. In any case, you only need to add two lines to the text file to finish the process.
Obviously you'll need to replace "Skyrim.exe" with the name that you gave to your copy of the original "TESV.exe", but all this is doing is redirecting the SKSE loader to the new file, because it too was expecting TESV.exe.
And that's it. SKSE now works seamlessly with Steam. And everyone was merry.
It's time for the meat and potatoes of this blog: mod installation. At this point I'm going to assume that you've installed NMM, BOSS, and Wrye Bash to your computer, so do so now. The installation for each is incredibly straightforward. My only advice would be to use a folder outside of the Skyrim directory to store mods downloaded via NMM (there's a dialog box during the installation process to this effect), strictly for organizational purposes. If you've got an external drive, use that. Some of the mods (especially the HD texture packs) are quite sizable. Anyway, down to business.
First things first, if you haven't played Skyrim before (or in a long time), start up a new game and fiddle around with it a bit. I'd say get at least as far as Whiterun for testing reasons. You'll want to be familiar with the space so that you can see when something has changed. I should mention that if you haven't played the Vanilla game you should do that first. If you're just installing HD textures or the like then you're not missing out and I would encourage you to go ahead, but the Vanilla content is very well done, and they've patched a lot of the bugs away. If you mod prematurely then you're missing out on a lot.
Now that you've spent a little time (or, you know, 600 hours) familiarizing yourself, close the game and load up your wonderful utilities. Throughout this process there are a number of things you'll want to have open:
Some tips before continuing:
So I've read the description, and this mod looks like it will get along nicely with all my other mods and make my Skyrim experience better, so it's time to head to the files section to see what's available for download. There will always be at least one main file required for download, but often there will be compatibility patches (usually for the official DLCs, but often for various overhaul mods as well) or alternate versions that you can download to tailor the experience a bit. For this mod, there's a standard version and an unsaturated version. There's also a collection of loose files if you want to do things manually or if you're using alternate installation methods. For us, the main file will work just fine (I like vibrant colours), so we'll go ahead and download that using NMM. There's also a patch that makes skill books and notes a little better, so I'll download that as well.
One-click acquisition
You'll see NMM's download manager (near the bottom if it's not expanded) now trying to access the Nexus servers to fetch your files for you. NMM has a nasty habit of popping into the forefront once it's accomplished something, so you'll know when the download has actually started. If you've downloaded NMM for free (which you should. Premium is a waste of money), you'll be limited to a total download speed of about 1MB/s, so if you're trying to download a lot of mods at once you'll be throttled a bit. It's best to do your downloading in small batches (usually 4 or less at a time), so try pausing the extra downloads until some have finished. You can do this by selecting an active download in the download manager and clicking hte blue pause button on the left.
Files are on their way
Some time later, you'll notice that your files are finished downloading (usually because NMM has popped stolen focus again. Oh, you). They'll now be present in the list of available mods (if you don't see them, make sure you're in the "mods" tab, not the "plugins" tab).
Now we need to activate them. When you have a series of files associated with the same mod (i.e. patches, alternate versions, addons, etc), make sure you adhere to the scope rule. Main files come first, and patches/addons come after. Though it's not imperative, another general rule is that when activating files associated with the official DLC, you would do so in order of release date (Main -> Dawnguard -> Hearthfire -> Dragonborn/Solstheim -> Official HD textures). To activate your mod, select it in the list, and hit the activate button on the left side. it's the second icon, and it looks like a puzzle piece with an arrow.
Some mods will use something called the BAIN installer, which allows you to choose some options while installing. It just so happens that Book Covers is one such mod. This lets you choose exactly what features of the mod you'd like to install. I have all of the DLCs, so I'm going to select all of the patches. I'd also like the enhanced notes, so I'm going to select that option as well. Note that some mods will have several screens of options (CBBE had four or five), so read each page carefully and make sure that you aren't enabling anything that would cause crashes. If there's an option for a specific mod that you don't have, don't select that option. If you plan on installing that other mod later, do it first. Again, consider scope. When you're done, hit finish, and the mod will start installing.
Lovely. That wasn't so painful! Unfortunately we're not done yet. Click the plugins tab and go tot he bottom of the list to check if your mod has any .esp or .esm files associated with it. If not, as is the case with many texture and mesh mods, you're done. This mod does have related .esps, so I'm going to go ahead and activate the optional Skill Books and Notes addon I downloaded earlier before we move on. It turns out that when I try to do so that there's a popup informing me that I don't have hte latest version, and that I should upgrade. This message happens a lot, and since you've just downloaded all of the mods you're installing, it's always wrong. I've yet to see a situation when you are actually expected to adhere to this warning. Click "no" and move on with the activation as usual.
Now we've got the mod and the features that we wanted activated. They'll appear at the end of the list in NMM and at the end OR the beginning of the list in Wrye Bash. Once you've confirmed that they've appeared in NMM, switch over to Wrye Bash and check to see if any of the .esps we've added are mergeable. Mergeable .esps appear in green text in Wrye Bash, and should be marked by default, but just to be sure I like to select the newly added esps, right click them, and click Mark Mergeable. It will run a check and provide a brief report on which mods are able to be merged. Note that any time something is changed outside of Wrye Bash, when Wrye Bash gets focus again you'll be notified that the relative dates have been updated. Ignore this dialog and continue. It turns out that none of the Book Covers .esps can merged, so activate all of them. If you have other active mods you'll get some nasty red warnings. Don't worry about those. We'll deal with them in a second (alternatively, they might go away of their own accord. In either case they are inconsequential). In the screenshot below I've moved the mods to be next to one another, but they still aren't in the right place in the load order.
Now it's time to sort them. Go to your BOSS folder and run BOSS.exe. If you're using the GUI version, ensure that you are sorting the mods and that this is not a trial run (there's a checkbox for that).
Once that's done running you'll get a nice and thorough mod report in your browser. If it's your first time seeing the log, there will be a little intro screen that you can safely ignore. Click the checkbox on that page so you never see it again. The important part is on the left side. There will be a summary on the main page (under Summary), an outline of your SKSE installation, including plugins, and the important part: Recognized Plugins.
Select the Recognized Plugins tab and you'll see a list of all of the mods you have installed, with a bit of a note for each one. Sometimes there will be additional information, such as tag suggestions, dirty edit warnings, or notes about how to deal with errors. What you need to pay the most attention to is the order in which the mods are listed. This, my friends, is your load order. You can scroll or use ctrl+f to find the mod you just installed, and note the mods that are immediately before and after each .esp you just installed. You'll need to go into NMM and Wrye Bash and manually move those .esps around to match the order that BOSS provides. When in doubt, BOSS knows all. You should always defer to that list for load order unless you're absolutely sure you need to use a different order. (If you're curious what Babette does, it's the Dawnguard patch for The Eyes of Beauty)
![NMM after sorting]()
Double check to make sure that everything agrees. It's very important that they do. All active mods need to be in exactly the same order. Note that merged patches should not be active, and thus it doesn't matter where they go in the list. I tend to put them right after the .esm files for sorting in Wrye Bash, and in the location they'd be in if they were active in NMM so that the true order is preserved. Once you've finished your check, open up loadorder.txt, which can be found in your local AppData folder: "C:\Users\<youruserid>\AppData\Local\Skyrim". If you're just starting out, this file will probably be empty. Loadorder.txt and plugins.txt are what really determine the load order of the mods for Skyrim. You need to make sure that both of the files contain the list of active mods in exactly the order that they appear in the other programs. I use Wrye Bash as my reference. Just write the name of the .esps, EXACTLY as they appear in the other programs, into the loadorder.txt. One mod per line, no commas, file extension included. When you're done, it should look something like the following. Note that the inactive mods are not included in the list. Also note that you MUST include the .esm files, including the basic game files. Everything has to be in this list. There should also be a blank line at the end of the file.
Now open up plugins.txt. It's probably going to be pretty ugly if there's anything in there at all. I'm not sure why, but BOSS does some nasty things to this file. We're about to fix that.
Yup, that's pretty terrible. This file needs to match loadorder.txt exactly, so go back over to loadorder.txt and copy everything (ctrl+a -> ctrl.c). Delete everything in plugins.txt and paste the loadorder.txt data into the file (ctrl+a -> ctrl+v), saving both files. And with that, you should be ready to test.
So here's the fun bit. Time to load up Skyrim! As an aside, you'll see an option called "Data Files" in the loader. This is the Bethesda way of adding mods, and it's really terrible. You can open it up and peek inside, but try not to change anything. If you do, make sure that loadorder.txt and plugins.txt are still correct. If they are not, you will encounter problems. Anyway, once you're in game, look around for evidence that the mod has been successfully installed. In my case, I'm going to go look for some books.
Books in world
Books in inventory (skill book to boot)
Read a note
And there you have it! It looks like everything works. I was going to do some other types of installations to deal with other common occurrences, but this took forever to write and it covers pretty much everything, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Happy modding!
~Dom
Preamble
Hey all. It's been awhile since my last post, but here I am. I figured I'd come back with a bang and try something a little different from my usual. You see, there's this video game called The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that I'm absolutely in love with. I got it when it first came out a little over a year ago having played its predecesor Oblivion for hours on end. Despite being a little buggy, it lived up to its hype in the grandest of fashions, and today stands as one of the best received open-world RPGs on the market. So, after sinking a good 400 hours into "Vanilla" Skyrim (here meaning mod-free), I decided to take the plunge into modding the game to expand on my experience and to smooth over some of the issues with the original game. I modded Oblivion extensibly, and so the transition was a familiar one. Both games have a very intuitive modding architecture and so the modding communities have flourished. The possibilities are endless.That said, the process of applying mods can be a little complicated if you don't have a lot of experience, so I figured it would be nice to share my insight. Skyrim in particular has a few quirks that only experience or extensive research can help to overcome. I hope this guide is useful!
It should probably be noted that this is a Windows-only guide. If you can find a way to mod the console versions there's a medal in your future somewhere.
It's dangerus to go alone. Take this!
Before we embark on this journey we'll need a few things that will make your life quite a bit easier.- Skyrim Nexus - This glorious community hub is where all the magic happens. The Nexus series of mod sites have the strongest modding communities that I've ever encountered, and the mods and resources contained therein are categorized and ranked by said community. This is the site that I used for everything that follows, so I would recommend that you do so as well.
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The Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) - NMM is a handy little tool that does a lot of the groundwork for you when it comes to mod organization and installation. By using this tool you save yourself the trouble of dealing with the data folder directly most of the time, and as an experienced modder I appreciate that fact more than you know. The alternative to this is Mod Organizer, which helps manage mod installations by creating a series of virtual folders to hold each mod's resources. As far as I know it's a great tool as well, but you use one or the other, so I made my choice and stuck with it. If you plan on removing mods often, managing resources could become a problem, and Mod Organizer simplifies that process a lot. This guide focuses on NMM, so if you'd like to use Mod Organizer instead, I'd recommend reading this. You might still find this guide useful, though.
- Note: NMM (and a number of the other tools listed here) are used for a number of games, which you'll see when installing them. What you learn here will likely carry over.
- Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS) - This is the MOST essential tool in your mod installation arsenal. BOSS basically tells you in what order your mods should be loaded to avoid conflict. This sounds like and afterthought, but it should be in the forefront of your mind at all times. A lot of mods are intertwined in ways that we don't really understand, and putting them in the correct load order is very important. Get this. Love this.
- Load Order and You: A Community Missive - In case you didn't believe me about load order being important, this is a stickied post with everything you need to know about load order in Oblivion. The most important take-away from this document is the explanation of "loadorder.txt" and "plugins.txt", nustled snugly in your AppData folder. I'll be going over how these are used in great detail later, so keep this handy but trust that I'll be saving you the trouble of reading it.
- Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE) - This is not necessarily required to mod your game, but many mods use it, and if you use any of those mods you'll need this. There's no active component to it (unless you use Steam, but we'll get into that later); you install it and simply run the SKSE loader instead of your normal Skyrim loader to have it run in the background and do a bunch of fancy script-related things that enhance your game experience.
- Wrye Bash - Also known as Wrye Smash (though I'm not sure why), this is a tool that allows mod merging and easy access to common Skyrim.ini edits. It's basically a mod manager for your mod manager, and it's damn good at what it does. I would highly recommend it, though it's not absolutely required unless you're getting close to the 255-mod limit that Bethesda games enforce. For me it's an efficiency thing.
- SkyUI - I'm likely going to get some flak for this one, but I would consider it to be an essential mod. At it's core SkyUI is an interface replacement mod. It adds categorization and sorting to pretty much everything, and adds some nifty groups to your favourites menu. However, the reason it's on this list is a little feature called the "Mod Configuration Menu," or simply MCM. By installing SkyUI you unlock a number of configuration options for other mods. Granted, not all mods use MCM, but a lot of the best ones do, so this becomes necessary to get the most out of your modding experience. Plus its interface is super useful. Trust me. (I found the Value/Weight column particularly useful)
- The Java Runtime Environment - I'd be surprised if you didn't have this already, but if you don't you should have it. Java's everywhere. In this particular case it isn't really necessary unless you're using SkyRe and the reproccer utility, but it's good to have, so I put it on this list.
SKSE and Steam: Helping Steam make its first friend
As I mentioned earlier, there are a few extra steps involved in getting SKSE to work with Steam correctly. You could always just manually load the launcher every time, but in a few short steps you can save yourself the trouble. Full details can be found in the original guide here. (This is the video I used, which is short and to the point. There's a longer video in the guide on Skyrim Nexus if you want something more robust)The first thing you'll need to do is locate your Skyrim installation. Since you're using Steam, you'll have to dig a bit to get there, but in the end it should look something like this:
Navigate there now. It'll come in handy immediately, as the next step is installing SKSE. Extract/run the file you downloaded from their website and be greeted with the following:
If it's not there already copy the filepath for your Skyrim installation and paste it into the field, then hit next. If your Skyrim is up-to-date (and I don't see why it wouldn't be), a few seconds later the installer will quietly close and you'll be left wondering if it actually worked or not. It probably did, but let's check, just in case. Go back to your Skyrim directory, and you should notice a few new files:
Neat! Now look for the directory label "Data" (you'll need this often) and head inside. You should see two subdirectories, namely "scripts" and "SKSE." If those are there, you can safely assume that your SKSE installation was successful, and we cna move on.
Head back to the main directory and locate a file labelled "TESV.exe". This little guy is what makes Skyrim go. When you launch the game via Steam, it looks for that file to trigger the launcher. It will have a nice little dragon logo so you know it's legit.
Lovely, that looks important! Let's break it. Rename that file using whatever means you see fit (e.g. right click -> rename). It doesn't really matter what you rename it to (I used Skyrim.exe, but feel free to get creative), so long as it's unique and is not TESV. Dn't worry, it'll make sense in a second.
Now remember the skse files from earlier? Find skse_loader.exe. This is the file that allows SKSE to run on top of Skyrim while the game is running. Make a copy of this file. It doesn't matter where you put it, as we'll be moving it back shortly, but what the aforementioned guide didn't tell me is that you'll run into rather annoying bugs if that file isn't present in the install directory, because NMM and Wrye Bash won't think that SKSE is installed.
Now take your copy and rename is to "TESV.exe". See, this is where we make some derogatory comments about Steam's mother before we trick it into doing the ground work for us. When you move the newly renamed file back to your Skyrim directory (which shouldn't cause any problems because you remembered to rename the old one right? Right??), Steam will think that nothing has changed. But we know better. Man is stronger than machine. This time.
Almost there! One last step to make sure that everything goes smoothly. All we need to do now is tell SKSE where to find the default launcher. Find the file that used to be TESV.exe and note it's name, then navigate to the /Data/SKSE folder we saw earlier. There should be a folder called plugins and nothing else, but we're about to change that. Create a new text file and save it as "SKSE.ini". You'll need to use the "all files" type in notepad to get it to save as written, or just save it as "SKSE.txt" and change the file extension. In any case, you only need to add two lines to the text file to finish the process.
[Loader] RuntimeName=Skyrim.exe
Obviously you'll need to replace "Skyrim.exe" with the name that you gave to your copy of the original "TESV.exe", but all this is doing is redirecting the SKSE loader to the new file, because it too was expecting TESV.exe.
And that's it. SKSE now works seamlessly with Steam. And everyone was merry.
And now for something completely different
EDIT: I found a nifty little "guide" today which has a bunch of mods and fixes that enhance quality of life in Skyrim. Definitely worth a read.It's time for the meat and potatoes of this blog: mod installation. At this point I'm going to assume that you've installed NMM, BOSS, and Wrye Bash to your computer, so do so now. The installation for each is incredibly straightforward. My only advice would be to use a folder outside of the Skyrim directory to store mods downloaded via NMM (there's a dialog box during the installation process to this effect), strictly for organizational purposes. If you've got an external drive, use that. Some of the mods (especially the HD texture packs) are quite sizable. Anyway, down to business.
First things first, if you haven't played Skyrim before (or in a long time), start up a new game and fiddle around with it a bit. I'd say get at least as far as Whiterun for testing reasons. You'll want to be familiar with the space so that you can see when something has changed. I should mention that if you haven't played the Vanilla game you should do that first. If you're just installing HD textures or the like then you're not missing out and I would encourage you to go ahead, but the Vanilla content is very well done, and they've patched a lot of the bugs away. If you mod prematurely then you're missing out on a lot.
Now that you've spent a little time (or, you know, 600 hours) familiarizing yourself, close the game and load up your wonderful utilities. Throughout this process there are a number of things you'll want to have open:
- NMM
- The folder containing BOSS.exe (or just keep BOSS GUI.exe running throughout, but make sure you have "Show BOSS log on completion" checked. We'll be using that a lot)
- Wrye Bash
- The /Skyrim/Data directory
- The folder containing loadorder.txt and plugins.txt
- The Skyrim Nexus. It's good to have the mod page for the mod you're installing open so you can check up on known issues, optional files, etc.
Some tips before continuing:
- Install mods ONE AT A TIME. I cannot stress this enough. Installing multiple mods in between sessions, especially related mods, makes the process of finding errors/issues much more difficult. Save yourself the trouble of systematically disabling mods to find the source of the problem and pace yourself.
- Plan your final build ahead of time. Spend some time looking through the mods available on the Nexus and download (via NMM if you can) or make a list of all of the mods you would eventually like to install. Having everything prepped ahead of time will make the next tip much easier.
- Respect the load order, even before you've installed a mod. If you install the mods in the order that they'll need to be loaded anyway you'll make things a lot easier on yourself. This is especially true if some mods change the same files/scripts/meshes/textures, and thus would overwrite some files on installation. If you're feeling particularly enterprising you can download BOSS' masterlist and search for your mods to create a list ahead of time. As a general rule, install based on scope. For example, a mod that changes most textures in the game (e.g. 2k Textures), you'll want to install that before a mod that changes a specific texture or a small subset of textures (e.g. aMidianBorn Farmhouse). This ensures that the more specific stuff will be seen by the game. In the case of gameplay or mechanics mods, the more specific mods (e.g. a specific follower) often use resources or scripts provided by the broader mods (e.g. Ultimate Follower Overhaul).
- Some mods have "dirty edits," which can be fixed using the TES5Edit toolset, but if you aren't experienced I wouldn't recommend trying to do so yourself. Dirty edits won't usually cause problems, but they should be avoided. If you run BOSS and it mentions that there are dirty edits, check out Sharlikran's Compatibility Patches to see if a cleaned version of the mod already exists. I found this specifically via JaySus Swords.
- Get the unofficial patches for the main game and any DLC you own. They're a must-have to deal with any bugs that Bethesda missed.
- If you've done everything correctly but you still encounter infinite loading screens, try this mod
- 00 Skyrim.esm
- 01 Update.esm
- 02 Unofficial Skyrim Patch.esp [Version 2.0.0a]
- 03 Dawnguard.esm
- 04 Unofficial Dawnguard Patch.esp [Version 2.0.0b]
- 05 HearthFires.esm
- 06 Unofficial Hearthfire Patch.esp [Version 2.0.0]
- 07 Dragonborn.esm
- 08 Unofficial Dragonborn Patch.esp [Version 2.0.0
- 09 ClimatesOfTamriel.esm
- 0A JSwords.esm [Version 1.4]
- 0B SPIKE.esm
- ++ CalienteVanillaArmorTweaks.esp
- ++ ReProccerDragonborn.esp
- ++ Headbomb's Better Sorting - Ammo.esp
- ++ Headbomb's Better Sorting - Miscellaneous.esp
- ++ Hunterborn_Frostfall-Patch.esp
- 0C Chesko_Frostfall.esp
- 0D Better Dynamic Snow.esp
- 0E ClimatesOfTamriel-Sound.esp
- 0F StaticMeshImprovementMod.esp
- 10 StaticMeshImprovementMod-DragonbornTernFix.esp
- 11 StaticMeshImprovementMod-FurnitureChestSnowFix.esp
- 12 HARODATH_ImmersiveSoulgems.esp
- 13 Hunterborn.esp
- 14 Hunterborn_Dawnguard-Patch.esp
- 15 Skyrim Flora Overhaul.esp
- 16 JSwords_Load_Screens.esp [Version 1.4]
- 17 SkyUI.esp
- 18 Cloaks.esp
- 19 Cloaks - Dawnguard.esp
- 1A DragonbornArmorFix.esp
- 1B hothtrooper44_ArmorCompilation.esp
- 1C JSwordsDistributionBalancePlugin.esp [Version 1.4]
- 1D SkyRe_Main.esp
- 1E SkyRe_Combat.esp
- 1F SkyRe_CraftingFix.esp
- 20 SkyRe_EnemyAI.esp
- 21 SkyRe_EnemyScaling.esp
- 22 SkyRe_StandingStones.esp
- 23 Inconsequential NPCs.esp
- 24 Run For Your Lives.esp [Version 1.2.3]
- 25 When Vampires Attack.esp [Version 1.1]
- 26 Babette.esp
- 27 Headbomb's Better Sorting - Books.esp
- 28 Headbomb's Better Sorting - Ingredients.esp
- 29 Headbomb's Better Sorting - Potions (Half Weight).esp
- 2A Headbomb's Better Sorting - Soul Gems (PseudoVanilla).esp
- 2B Guard Dialogue Overhaul.esp
- 2C SFO - Dragonborn.esp
- 2D SFO - Expanded Diversity.esp
- 2E EnhancedLightsandFX.esp
- 2F ELFX - Exteriors.esp
- 30 ELFX - Dragonborn.esp
- 31 ClimatesOfTamriel-Dawnguard-Patch.esp
- 32 ClimatesOfTamriel-Dragonborn-Patch.esp
- 33 ClimatesOfTamriel-Dungeons-Hazardous.esp
- 34 ELFX - Dawnguard.esp
- 35 ClimatesOfTamriel-Interiors-Warm.esp
- 36 ClimatesOfTamriel-Nights-Level-4.esp
- 37 TheEyesOfBeauty.esp [Version 9]
- 38 The Eyes Of Beauty - Elves Edition.esp
- 39 EMCompViljaSkyrim.esp
- 3A EMViljaInSolstheimAddOn.esp
- 3B Inigo.esp
- 3C UFO - Ultimate Follower Overhaul.esp
- 3D UFO - Dragonborn AddOn.esp
- 3E CerwidenCompanion.esp
- 3F HearthfireMoveKidsfix.esp
- 40 SkyRe_Races.esp
- 41 Purewaters.esp
- 42 PurewatersDG.esp
- 43 PurewatersDB.esp
- 44 FollowerCompatibility.esp
- 45 Bashed Patch, 0.esp
- Delinquent Master: ReProccer.esp
- 46 ReProccer.esp
- 47 ReProccerNONPLAYERfix.esp
So I've read the description, and this mod looks like it will get along nicely with all my other mods and make my Skyrim experience better, so it's time to head to the files section to see what's available for download. There will always be at least one main file required for download, but often there will be compatibility patches (usually for the official DLCs, but often for various overhaul mods as well) or alternate versions that you can download to tailor the experience a bit. For this mod, there's a standard version and an unsaturated version. There's also a collection of loose files if you want to do things manually or if you're using alternate installation methods. For us, the main file will work just fine (I like vibrant colours), so we'll go ahead and download that using NMM. There's also a patch that makes skill books and notes a little better, so I'll download that as well.
One-click acquisition
You'll see NMM's download manager (near the bottom if it's not expanded) now trying to access the Nexus servers to fetch your files for you. NMM has a nasty habit of popping into the forefront once it's accomplished something, so you'll know when the download has actually started. If you've downloaded NMM for free (which you should. Premium is a waste of money), you'll be limited to a total download speed of about 1MB/s, so if you're trying to download a lot of mods at once you'll be throttled a bit. It's best to do your downloading in small batches (usually 4 or less at a time), so try pausing the extra downloads until some have finished. You can do this by selecting an active download in the download manager and clicking hte blue pause button on the left.
Files are on their way
Some time later, you'll notice that your files are finished downloading (usually because NMM has popped stolen focus again. Oh, you). They'll now be present in the list of available mods (if you don't see them, make sure you're in the "mods" tab, not the "plugins" tab).
Now we need to activate them. When you have a series of files associated with the same mod (i.e. patches, alternate versions, addons, etc), make sure you adhere to the scope rule. Main files come first, and patches/addons come after. Though it's not imperative, another general rule is that when activating files associated with the official DLC, you would do so in order of release date (Main -> Dawnguard -> Hearthfire -> Dragonborn/Solstheim -> Official HD textures). To activate your mod, select it in the list, and hit the activate button on the left side. it's the second icon, and it looks like a puzzle piece with an arrow.
Some mods will use something called the BAIN installer, which allows you to choose some options while installing. It just so happens that Book Covers is one such mod. This lets you choose exactly what features of the mod you'd like to install. I have all of the DLCs, so I'm going to select all of the patches. I'd also like the enhanced notes, so I'm going to select that option as well. Note that some mods will have several screens of options (CBBE had four or five), so read each page carefully and make sure that you aren't enabling anything that would cause crashes. If there's an option for a specific mod that you don't have, don't select that option. If you plan on installing that other mod later, do it first. Again, consider scope. When you're done, hit finish, and the mod will start installing.
Lovely. That wasn't so painful! Unfortunately we're not done yet. Click the plugins tab and go tot he bottom of the list to check if your mod has any .esp or .esm files associated with it. If not, as is the case with many texture and mesh mods, you're done. This mod does have related .esps, so I'm going to go ahead and activate the optional Skill Books and Notes addon I downloaded earlier before we move on. It turns out that when I try to do so that there's a popup informing me that I don't have hte latest version, and that I should upgrade. This message happens a lot, and since you've just downloaded all of the mods you're installing, it's always wrong. I've yet to see a situation when you are actually expected to adhere to this warning. Click "no" and move on with the activation as usual.
Now we've got the mod and the features that we wanted activated. They'll appear at the end of the list in NMM and at the end OR the beginning of the list in Wrye Bash. Once you've confirmed that they've appeared in NMM, switch over to Wrye Bash and check to see if any of the .esps we've added are mergeable. Mergeable .esps appear in green text in Wrye Bash, and should be marked by default, but just to be sure I like to select the newly added esps, right click them, and click Mark Mergeable. It will run a check and provide a brief report on which mods are able to be merged. Note that any time something is changed outside of Wrye Bash, when Wrye Bash gets focus again you'll be notified that the relative dates have been updated. Ignore this dialog and continue. It turns out that none of the Book Covers .esps can merged, so activate all of them. If you have other active mods you'll get some nasty red warnings. Don't worry about those. We'll deal with them in a second (alternatively, they might go away of their own accord. In either case they are inconsequential). In the screenshot below I've moved the mods to be next to one another, but they still aren't in the right place in the load order.
Now it's time to sort them. Go to your BOSS folder and run BOSS.exe. If you're using the GUI version, ensure that you are sorting the mods and that this is not a trial run (there's a checkbox for that).
Once that's done running you'll get a nice and thorough mod report in your browser. If it's your first time seeing the log, there will be a little intro screen that you can safely ignore. Click the checkbox on that page so you never see it again. The important part is on the left side. There will be a summary on the main page (under Summary), an outline of your SKSE installation, including plugins, and the important part: Recognized Plugins.
Select the Recognized Plugins tab and you'll see a list of all of the mods you have installed, with a bit of a note for each one. Sometimes there will be additional information, such as tag suggestions, dirty edit warnings, or notes about how to deal with errors. What you need to pay the most attention to is the order in which the mods are listed. This, my friends, is your load order. You can scroll or use ctrl+f to find the mod you just installed, and note the mods that are immediately before and after each .esp you just installed. You'll need to go into NMM and Wrye Bash and manually move those .esps around to match the order that BOSS provides. When in doubt, BOSS knows all. You should always defer to that list for load order unless you're absolutely sure you need to use a different order. (If you're curious what Babette does, it's the Dawnguard patch for The Eyes of Beauty)
Double check to make sure that everything agrees. It's very important that they do. All active mods need to be in exactly the same order. Note that merged patches should not be active, and thus it doesn't matter where they go in the list. I tend to put them right after the .esm files for sorting in Wrye Bash, and in the location they'd be in if they were active in NMM so that the true order is preserved. Once you've finished your check, open up loadorder.txt, which can be found in your local AppData folder: "C:\Users\<youruserid>\AppData\Local\Skyrim". If you're just starting out, this file will probably be empty. Loadorder.txt and plugins.txt are what really determine the load order of the mods for Skyrim. You need to make sure that both of the files contain the list of active mods in exactly the order that they appear in the other programs. I use Wrye Bash as my reference. Just write the name of the .esps, EXACTLY as they appear in the other programs, into the loadorder.txt. One mod per line, no commas, file extension included. When you're done, it should look something like the following. Note that the inactive mods are not included in the list. Also note that you MUST include the .esm files, including the basic game files. Everything has to be in this list. There should also be a blank line at the end of the file.
Now open up plugins.txt. It's probably going to be pretty ugly if there's anything in there at all. I'm not sure why, but BOSS does some nasty things to this file. We're about to fix that.
Yup, that's pretty terrible. This file needs to match loadorder.txt exactly, so go back over to loadorder.txt and copy everything (ctrl+a -> ctrl.c). Delete everything in plugins.txt and paste the loadorder.txt data into the file (ctrl+a -> ctrl+v), saving both files. And with that, you should be ready to test.
So here's the fun bit. Time to load up Skyrim! As an aside, you'll see an option called "Data Files" in the loader. This is the Bethesda way of adding mods, and it's really terrible. You can open it up and peek inside, but try not to change anything. If you do, make sure that loadorder.txt and plugins.txt are still correct. If they are not, you will encounter problems. Anyway, once you're in game, look around for evidence that the mod has been successfully installed. In my case, I'm going to go look for some books.
Books in world
Books in inventory (skill book to boot)
Read a note
And there you have it! It looks like everything works. I was going to do some other types of installations to deal with other common occurrences, but this took forever to write and it covers pretty much everything, so I'm going to leave it at that.
Happy modding!
~Dom
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