soullessbullshit

[soullessbullshit]

I actually don't remember when I first heard of Skyrim (either middle school or high school by name), but I do remember hearing about ESO from a friend freshman year of high school.

Tried it out a couple years after that, fell off in a couple months, and got back into it in late 2020 when the hyperfixation hit hard.

Only other game I've played in the series is a couple hours of Morrowind, but I did get Oblivion on Steam as a birthday gift I have yet to get into.

Was Skyrim the first Elder Scrolls game you played and/or the first game in the series you ever heard of?

[soullessbullshit]

Tavi, staring out the window: ...Do you hear it?

Speaks-in-Embers: What?

Tavi: The ocean...

Tavi: It wants blood...

Naril: Okay, I think I made you drink too much seawater.

[soullessbullshit]

I want it on record that I am a proud member of Team "Gabrielle Benele is Completely Unhinged."

This may be a rather lukewarm take, as I don't have as much interaction with the Daggerfall Covenant side of the ESO fandom, but I'm convinced that, like myself until a couple years ago, neither has anyone that has ever earnestly considered her a voice of reason.

Gabrielle is that one character that people assume is put together at first glance because she's intelligent and professionally accomplished, but that perception completely shifts as people gradually discover the laundry list of borderline war crimes she's used those smarts to commit.

Her canonical claims to fame include, with no hyperbole applied:

Singlehandedly breaking into a cult-infested crypt for a talisman rumored to open portals to Oblivion.

Gleefully hacking the warding sequence on one of the most secure vaults in the Covenant and openly admitting that she'd wanted to take a crack for some time upon learning it was named the "Impervious Vault."

Getting banned from the Anchor's Point Inn for setting fire to the hair of a pushy dragonknight who failed to heed her rather upfront request to stop hitting on her (easily the most understandable point on this dissertation).

Losing "teleporting directly to the Evermore Mages' Guild" privileges for a reportedly similar incident.

And, most unnervingly of all, sending a treatise to Covenant generals advising the displacement of beasts and beastfolk in enemy territory to send them rampaging into local settlements as an invasion tactic.

Ya gurl may have more outward tact in professional settings, but there's absolutely no way her dynamic with Darien doesn't involve him reigning her in ethically as often as she reigns him in conversationally. These feral besties are two halves of a whole common sense and I love that for them.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[soullessbullshit]

Gwendis: Do we really force you to do things you don't want to do?

Fennorian: Yeah, but it's okay.

Verandis: How is it okay?

Fennorian: I promised myself if I ever got a family I'd do whatever they said. Really, I'm lucky you found me before a cult did.

[soullessbullshit]

...So what I'm hearing is that the fact that I never found the actual main quest in Morrowind genuinely wasn't all on me.

I love how “obscure tes lore” can range from “Skyrim has flying whales that are mentioned exactly once in a book” to “the Morrowind main quest”

[soullessbullshit]

Gabrielle: Oh to be a little goose and wreak absolute havoc.

Skordo: You can wreak absolute havoc as a person too if you're rowdy enough.

Gabrielle: But as a goose I would never feel remorse.

[soullessbullshit]

Can you tell us about Cassian’s relationship with each of the Ravenwatch? Like how well they get along stuff like that? Any funny stories of Cassian and the Ravenwatch?

Oh let's fucking go. I'm straight-up turning this into a series because I write way too much to cram it in one post.

To kick things off, let's go alphabetically.

Cassian and Adusa-daro definitely have a very high-highs/low-lows dynamic.

They're very much two sides of the same coin, albeit in a much different manner than Cassian is to Verandis. Both come from high-stress environments with an ever-present sense of order derived from fear, power, and retribution. Adusa came out of it with the will to do what needs to be done to survive at all costs, and a compulsive hypervigilance toward threats waiting to happen, determined to neutralize them swiftly and efficiently before it's too late; meanwhile, Cassian came out of it with a radical acceptance of self-serving cruelty, strolling through life with a "born to die, world's a fuck" mentality, as well as a deep-seated sense of self-hatred rooted in believing himself inherently irredeemable.

Adusa internalized the notion that her failures and oversights put the people she cares for in danger, digging into the responsibility for ensuring that everyone is safe and capable of handling themselves in any situation. Cassian internalized the notion that his very presence puts the people he cares for in danger, digging into the responsibility to drive people away before the worst can come from sticking around one another.

Adusa treats every decision as though it changes everything, while Cassian treats every decision as though it changes nothing, all for many of the same underlying reasons.

The friction is immense, but at the core, they're on a far closer page than most in the House are to either in such circumstances.

They're both incredibly pragmatic, cutting through any sort of formal or frivolous bullshit to ensure effective results. They're also able to bond over an overt numbness to violence that several other members of the House still don't have to as significant a degree. They've been through a lot and have seen far too many of the horrors that mortal beings are capable of enacting firsthand, forging a deep respect for one another through mutual jadedness.

In Verandis' prolonged separations from the House, Adusa has come to rely on Cassian as her second-in-command, taking the opportunity to formulate plans and direct the wards while he provides a buffer as first line of defense. For all their jagged edges, they'd both do absolutely anything to protect their weird little family, and they know damn well how united they are in that front.

One of their fondest bonding points was most definitely dealing with an infestation of zombies in rural Glenumbra. They corralled the swarm into an abandoned barn and opted to scorched-earth the joint to ensure they didn't spread. Adusa got to solve the problem in one fell swoop before anyone else got hurt, and Cassian got to huck 20-pound canisters of fire salts into a burning building. It was a great day.

[soullessbullshit]

Melina: For the last time, I don't have ADHD! I’m just always daydreaming because of my whimsical nature, I make impulse decisions because I love spontaneity, I forget things from before because I live in the now, I get everywhere late because I’m a free spirit, my room is a mess because I’m a creative type, and I’m tapping my foot because I’m feeling the rhythm of life baby!

Melina: What do you mean you found my wallet in the oven.

[soullessbullshit]

Tabletop Vestiges 1: How to Play Khoshekh in DnD 5e

After much deliberation of how to present this little mini-project, the previously focus-grouped Tabletop Vestige Builds are finally underway!

Masterlist

Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition builds

Khoshekh 5e | Tavi 5e | Speaks-in-Embers 5e | Cassian 5e | Malek 5e

Goals

Master of Shadow: As a nightblade, Khoshekh's magic allows them to manipulate and traverse shadows and darkness, using it to teleport short distances, form shadowy blades and projectiles, siphon creatures' vitality, and manifest spectral duplicates of themselves.

Ambush Predator: Khoshekh specializes in attacking with relentless precision, dealing obscene amounts of damage to their opponents before they can strike back.

Where'd they go?: Khoshekh's affinity for the shadows didn't start with their magic - they've been sneaking beneath people's noses since they learned to walk. And dear lord, are they disturbingly good at it.

Street Smarts: Their childhood in outer Wayrest and later assassin training has lead Khoshekh to develop a sharp sense of vigilance and pick up a lot of tips and tricks to survive before losing their soul.

Ultimate Zoomies: Khoshekh is able to maneuver in incredible bursts of speed and mobility, darting across rooftops, fleeing collapsing structures, catching up to marks and people of interest, you name it.

Level 1

Ability Scores

For ability scores, I advise going Standard Array. Roll for stats if you prefer, but make sure their Dex and Wisdom hit at least 13.

STR: 14 (Khoshekh is incredibly athletic, able to leap, grip, strike, and stride with impressive power).

DEX: 15 (Easily Khoshekh's strongest suit. They're nimble, precise, and slippery as can be).

CON: 12 (Khoshekh can certainly take a hit, though they usually avoid getting hit in the first place and tend to go for power over endurance).

INT: 10 (They're a quick thinker, but they're not exactly book smart).

WIS: 13 (They're perpetually vigilant, they're cool under pressure, and they're hard to manipulate magically).

CHA: 8 (Most of their social skills come from reading people and keeping a poker face. They're like a woodchip on the playground in the early 2000's: beat-up, beige, and easy to overlook in the masses).

Race/Species

Khoshekh is Khajiiti, specifically a Cathay-raht furstock. There are a couple felid ancestries, but the tried and true Tabaxi is easily most fitting for their character, particularly the version from Monsters of the Multiverse.

Take +2 to their Dexterity and +1 to Wisdom as their Ability Score Improvement. They have a 30-foot base walk and climb speed for scaling buildings and obstacles with ease. Cat's Talent grants them proficiency in both Perception and Stealth, handing out their two strongest skills for free. They also have Cat's Claws, dealing 1d6 base Slashing damage on unarmed strikes, along with 60 feet of Darkvision and they can double their movement speeds for a turn using Feline Agility for their signature burst mobility. They can also learn Common (Tamrielic) and a language of their choice: I recommend Goblin or Orc.

Background

The 5e background system's getting a massive overhaul in the near future, but the one we want hasn't been shown yet, so we're going for the 2014 version.

Growing up in a rundown Wayrest orphanage, Khoshekh's skills and worldview were shaped by their time as an Urchin. Modify the background for Sleight of Hand and Intimidation proficiency to avoid doubling up with Cat's Talent, along with Thieves' Tools and Cook's Utensils (or Thieves' Cant, if your GM is cool like that).

They have a keen sense of City Secrets, able to navigate urban terrain like the back of their hand. Since backgrounds grant feats now and I usually let my players pick Lv. 1 feats anyway, Mobile gives them a 10-foot boost to their walk (and, by extension, climb) speed, prevents opportunity attacks from creatures they've attacked in melee, and removes speed penalties from difficult terrain while dashing.

Class

Ah, the good ol' fashioned Assassin Rogue.

...Is not what we're doing. Mechanically, there are far better ways to get what we're going for with Khoshekh's modus operandi, and after several variants over the years, the following build is a far better reflection of Khoshekh's abilities.

They're actually going to start as a Ranger, gaining proficiency in Strength and Dex saves, non-heavy armor, and all simple and martial weapons. They gain three skills from the Ranger list, with the most appropriate being Athletics, Investigation, and Survival.

Favored Enemy is admittedly an underwhelming feature, but it is still objectively better than Foe Slayer. Especially since we can pick two types of Humanoids to start, such as Humans and Elves for their typical targets in the Covenant (and learning a language spoken by such creatures, which could arguably be any).

Deft Explorer, on the other hand, is incredibly handy, making them Canny for two extra languages and Expertise in an existing skill, which we're absolutely taking in Stealth for a +7 modifier right off the bat.

Level 2

At Ranger lv. 2, Khoshekh gains a Fighting Style, picking up Blind Fighting to gain 10 feet of Blindsight for even further vigilance.

They also gain Ranger Spellcasting, learning two spells from the Ranger list to cast with Wisdom, learning more spells at later levels.

Hunter's Mark allows them to gain advantage on checks to track a visible creature within 90 feet and deal an extra 1d6 damage on each hit while they concentrate for up to an hour. With the number of attacks Khoshekh gets on certain turns down the line, this spell winds up doing mid-level Sneak Attack numbers on its own.

Longstrider grants a willing creature a 10-foot bonus to their walk speed for an hour. This can, and often will, be cast on themselves, and can target extra creatures when upcast above 1st-level. They schmoovin', they movin', they goin' so fast.

Level 3

Ranger lv. 3 grants Khoshekh another Ranger spell, taking Zephyr Strike to prevent opportunity attacks against them for a minute of concentration. Once before the spell ends, they can deal an additional 1d8 force damage on an attack and increase their walk speed by 30 feet for the remainder of the turn.

They also gain Primeval Awareness from their awakening magic and exposure to the planes of Oblivion, allowing them to expend a spell slot to detect the presence of supernatural entities within a mile. Turns out it doesn't take long to start recognizing the scent of the things that keep punching you in the nose.

Most significantly, they unlock their Ranger subclass, obtaining newfound shadow magic as a Gloom Stalker.

Khoshekh becomes a Dread Ambusher, adding their Wisdom modifier to initiative rolls and granting them an extra attack and another 10 feet of movement during the first round of combat. The extra attack deals an extra 1d8 damage on a hit to maximize their lethality as an ambush predator.

They also gain Umbral Sight, increasing their Darkvision to a 90-foot range, and allowing them to blend into the shadows, preventing them from being seen by other creatures' Darkvision.

They also get a free Conclave Spell each time a new Ranger spell level is unlocked, kicking things off with Disguise Self. This allows them to adopt an illusory humanoid appearance of their choice for an hour.

Level 4

At Ranger lv. 4, Khoshekh gains their choice of an Ability Score Improvement or Feat, taking Skill Expert for a +1 bonus to their Dex score, proficiency in Acrobatics, and expertise in Perception.

Level 5

Ranger lv. 5 grants Khoshekh an Extra Attack whenever they take the attack action. They also gain 2nd-level spell slots, which they can use to cast Pass Without Trace, granting chosen creatures within 30 feet a +10 bonus to Stealth checks and protection from non-magical tracking for an hour.

They also gain Rope Trick as a Conclave Spell, creating an extradimensional space at the end of a rope for an hour. The entrance to the space can only be seen through from the inside and the rope can be pulled inside with anything or anyone else inside.

Level 6

At Ranger lv. 6, Khoshekh gains a new Favored Enemy, learning the ins and outs of the Daedra working to enact the Planemeld and gaining a newfound understanding of Fiends.

Deft Explorer also improves, making Khoshekh even more adept at Roving, increasing their walk speed by another 5 feet and granting them a climb and swim speed equal to their walk speed (one of which they already had).

Level 7

As a Lv. 7 Gloom Stalker, Khoshekh hones their Iron Will against the horrors faced across Nirn and Oblivion alike, gaining proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If your GM allows it, the Baldur's Gate version of this ability also grants proficiency in Intelligence saves, learning to pick apart illusions and hallucinations from gaining Sheogorath's attention.

They also gain another Ranger spell, picking up Jump to triple their jump distance for a minute, allowing them to free-run across floating ruins collapsing in the Coldharbour sky.

Level 8

At Ranger lv. 8, Khoshekh gets another ASI, increasing their Dexterity score by 2 to cap it at 20.

They also gain Land's Stride, allowing them to move through non-magical difficult terrain without expending extra movement and more effectively navigate obstructive plants and evade spells like Entangle.

Level 9

Ranger lv. 9 grants Khoshekh 3rd-level spell slots, picking up Nondetection from the Ranger list to ward a creature, place, or object against divination for eight hours.

They also gain Fear as a Conclave Spell, allowing them to target creatures in a 30-foot cone, Frightening those who fail a Wisdom save for a minute of concentration. This effect forces Frightened targets to book it as far away from Khoshekh as possible until it ends.

Level 10

At Ranger lv. 10, Khoshekh gains another Favored Enemy, learning from experience what it means to be Undead and how to track those of a similar persuasion.

They also gain their final Deft Explorer feature, heightening their resilience with shadow magic to become Tireless. Their exhaustion level decreases by 1 on a short or long rest, and they can use an action to gain temp HP equal to 1d8 + their Wisdom modifier a number of times per long rest equal to their proficiency bonus.

Level 11

At Gloom Stalker lv. 11, Khoshekh can unleash a Stalker's Flurry, making an extra weapon attack once on their turn upon missing a weapon attack.

They also get another Ranger spell, picking up Globe of Twilight from the Humblewood Campaign Setting, allowing them to create a sphere of umbral energy to conceal their allies and discombobulate their enemies.

Level 12

At Ranger lv. 12, Khoshekh picks up the Observant feat, increasing their Wisdom score by 1, learning to read lips, and hyping their vigilance with a +5 bonus to their passive Investigation and Perception.

Level 13

Ranger lv. 13 grants 4th-level spell slots. Freedom of Movement turns Khoshekh or a willing creature they touch semi-incorporeal, their form fluctuating between material and shadow. Creatures under this effect are immune to the effects of difficult terrain, speed reductions, and the paralyzed and restrained conditions from magical sources.

They also gain Greater Invisibility as a Conclave Spell, turning themselves or a willing creature invisible for a minute of concentration. This effect lasts even if the invisible creature attacks or casts a spell.

Level 14

At Ranger lv. 14, Khoshekh gains their final Favored Enemy, learning to combat Dragons from Sai and the Elsweyr Defense Force.

They also master the ability to Vanish, allowing them to hide as a bonus action and preventing them from being tracked unwillingly by non-magical means.

Level 15

15th lv. Gloom Stalker grants the conclave's final feature, as Khoshekh learns to take a Shadowy Dodge as a reaction to impose disadvantage on an incoming attack.

They also learn to cast Locate Creature, allowing them to sense the direction of a familiar creature within 1000 feet.

Level 16

At 16th lv. Ranger, Khoshekh takes the Fey Touched feat, increasing their Wisdom score by 1 and learning two spells to cast once without expending a spell slot per long rest.

Misty Step, a Fey Touched guarantee, allows them to teleport 30 feet as a bonus action.

Heroism grants a willing creature temp HP equal to Khoshekh's casting modifier at the start of their turns and prevents them from being Frightened for a minute of concentration.

Level 17

17th lv. Ranger grants 5th-level spell slots, which Khoshekh can use to cast Steel Wind Strike. Stepping through the shadows, they unleash a barrage of slashes upon up to 5 creatures within 30 feet of themselves, dealing 6d10 force damage to each on a successful melee spell attack and teleporting within 5 feet of one of the targets.

They also gain their final Conclave Spell. Seeming allows them to project an illusory glamour onto any creatures within 30 feet of themselves, imposing a Charisma save on unwilling creatures.

Level 18

We're finally multiclassing at level 18, dipping into Fighter lv. 1.

They gain a second Fighting Style, picking up Dual Wielding from LaserLlama's Expanded Fighting Styles (can't recommend their homebrew enough). Whenever they take the attack action while wielding two weapons, they can make an additional attack as part of the attack instead of a bonus action and add their ability modifier to damage. They can't make an offhand attack with their bonus action when they do so.

They can also take their Second Wind as a bonus action, drawing vitality from their environment with shadow magic to regain HP equal to 1d10 + their Fighter level once per short rest.

Level 19

At Fighter lv. 2, Khoshekh gains the ability to Action Surge, taking an extra action on a turn once per short rest for extended movement bursts and flurrying strikes.

Level 20

Khoshekh's capstone is Fighter lv. 3, picking up a second subclass. As an Echo Knight, they can Manifest Echo to summon a shade of themselves. They can attack from their or the Echo's position, and instantly swap places with the Echo by spending 15 feet of movement to teleport. Unlike most other teleportation options, this is only limited by their movement speed, which is outright absurd by now.

They can also Unleash Incarnation as a bonus action, taking an additional attack from their Echo's position a number of times per long rest equal to their Constitution mod (which is only once, but backup is backup).

[soullessbullshit]

Arabelle: I’m genuinely surprised you haven’t gotten arrested, let alone gotten a felony yet.

Jakarn: Nat 20 Charisma.

Arabelle: That is NOT how that works.

[soullessbullshit]

Fuck it, OC brain rot won. Get ready for the Secret Ask List

1) Does your OC have a voice claim, if so who?

2) Who's your OCs best friend? How did they become best friends?

3) What song describes your OC?

4) What song describes your OC and their partner/love interest?

5) Do you ship your OC with a Canon character? If so who?

6) If your OC is in a fantasy setting, what profession would they be in the modern day?

7) Vice-Versa! If your OC is in the modern day, what fantasy class would they be? Would they be a different race?

8) What hobbies does your OC have? What do they do to unwind?

9) How does your OC handle their physical health? Do they take care of themselves?

10) How does your OC handle their mental health? Do they take care of themselves?

11) What was your inspiration for your OC?

12) Does your OC interact with other people's OC? If so, who's their best OC friend?

13) Does your OC have a rival? How did it start?

14) Who's a character your OC cannot stand! It's on sight when they see them!

15) Will your OC ever retire? Do you see them making it?

16) How's their relationship with their parents? Are they alive?

17) If your OC has kids, are they a good parent? Do they ever feel guilty if they have to leave them?

18) What are their pronouns? What would they like to be called?

19) What's their sexuality? What's their love language both giving and receiving?

20) If they fight, what's their weapon of choice?

21) What song best describes their relationship with their enemy?

22) Fight or Flight? Are they a lover or a fighter?

23) Is your OC reliable? Can I call them up at two in the morning if I have a flat tire?

24) Can they play any instruments? If so, what do they play?

25) Are they the kind of person who can't resist a good song? Can I catch your OC singing to themselves while they do the dishes?

26) What flower do you associate your OC with?

27) What's their spirit tamagotchi? Or an animal you associate them with?

28) What clique would they be in? (Draw them in the clothes of said group!)

29) Imagine a mood board for your OC! What's on it? (Make it if you want!)

30) My OC and your OC are friends. This isn't a question. I'm not asking. (How do they respond?)

[soullessbullshit]

Adusa: What do you believe in now?

Verandis: Self preservation through love.

Gwendis: Chupacabra.

Melina: Chupacabra as well.

[soullessbullshit]

Okay, hear me out.

Raz and Darien play very similar narrative roles in their respective factions' storylines, but their core characters are night and day from one another.

Razum-dar is cunning, keen, and deceptive. He plays the role of a flirtatious rogue with a daedra-may-care attitude, masking the manipulative, hyper-observant machiavellian that lies beneath (which, looking back at some of my years-old Raz posts, actively deceived me for a while).

Raz deliberately carries himself with an air of shallowness, nonchalance, and overconfidence to ensure that most underestimate him, providing more opportunities to subvert their expectations. By feigning minor incompetence, Raz is able to more easily manipulate not only his enemies, but his allies as well, into lowering their guard just enough to get what he needs. It's through his mastery of this routine that he so fervently excels in the realm of espionage and inquisition.

In several instances throughout the game, Razum-dar has lowered the mask just enough to showcase how ruthless, driven, and pragmatic his methods truly are (reprimanding the Vestige for refusing to let him die in Senalana, killing a seditious extremist in front of his father with zero hesitation or remorse, etc.) His laziness is just as much of a ruse; the guy conducted a full-blown investigation on vacation (which he only took out of mandate in the first place) simply because the opportunity presented itself and his Spy-dey senses started tingling.

Razum-dar has been likened even more so to fellow Fruit Ninja Naryu Virian, as both are incredibly charismatic covert ops who toe the line between distant and gregarious at every turn. That being said, I would genuinely argue that Razum-dar is an even more detached individual than Naryu. For all her "heartless assassin" swagger, Naryu has prioritized attachment over pragmatism or responsibility on at least a couple occasions, while Raz has yet to make a major decision for any known reason beyond responsibility or fixation. Were Raz in Naryu's shoes during the Morrowind DLC, I earnestly believe he'd kill Veya unless physically prevented from doing so.

Darien Gautier, on the other hand, is a lot of what Raz pretends to be. He's idealistic, he's naive, and he's incredibly cavalier. He's an aspiring knight in shining armor with, much like Raz, a genuine knack for his vocation.

In overt contrast to Raz, Darien is an individual with whom what you see is what you get. His methods and occupation take a far more direct approach as a front-line warrior, imposing himself between danger and those he's sworn to protect while beating back threats in direct combat.

For all his growth in his time as the Golden Knight, we only get to see so much of it (easily one of the most glaringly missed opportunities in the game), as he only shows up towards the end of his tenure for half of one DLC that afforded little room for individual characters to breathe. That said, while he does come off as far more level-headed and situationally aware in that time, he clearly retains a more centered version of his defining characteristics from the Covenant questline. Darien is optimistic, encouraging, and hopelessly devoted. He's the radiant heart of every team. He's a warm font of hope and morale. He's defined by his compassion and his desire to do right by those who need it.

While both have willingly sacrificed themselves for others, Darien did so in last-ditch efforts to protect the people for whom he cares, while Raz insisted on doing so out of a sense of pragmatic obligation. While both have manipulated others for the advancement of their objectives, Darien did so as a case-specific (albeit self-indulgent) necessity, while Raz does so both as his modus operandi and as a far broader, pettier pastime. While both are characterized by a fierce devotion to their respective vocations, Darien's is rooted in altruism and a heroic ideal, while Raz's is rooted in personal loyalty and a desire for purpose and fulfillment.

If these two were to work together, beyond the hyper-tangential capacity in which they did so in the Summerset DLC, I believe they'd have very different opinions of each other.

Darien would likely buy into Raz's persona completely, maintaining an active rapport and (ironically enough) trying to get him to take a more active initiative in their objectives. Raz would immediately figure out exactly what makes Darien tick, seeing him as an incredibly simple and useful asset to manipulate, but also a potential liability should his idealism cloud his judgement. He would definitely still enjoy engaging and interacting with him, though he'd be about as surface-level as can be, presuming Darien not to last long as the front-liner he is and devising plans around that notion.

In any moral decision, the two are butting heads. Unless Raz manages to successfully gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss Darien into submission and/or confusion, most of his solutions to such quandries would most certainly prompt a less-than-favorable response, and in some cases, maybe even direct intervention.

The difference between the two is genuinely one of my favorite things to consider while writing Khoshekh, considering the comparable degrees of significance (albeit of wildly contrasting natures) the two play in their life over the years.

No way in Oblivion I'm not absolutely milking the rare crossing of threads come Summerset. Especially with the SBverse Summerset arc occurring nearly a decade into the story after a several year timeskip, rather than literally the entire game happening in the same year (y'all can't tell me that entire questline isn't some table-indulgent high-level post-campaign shit).

That drama's gonna be fun.

[soullessbullshit]

Melina: Concept: reverse vampires.

Melina: They survive by eating garlic and drinking holy water. The sun is healing to them. If you stake them through the heart, they become immortal. But most importantly...

Melina: Every single human on Earth is trying to hunt them down and drink their blood.

Cassian: Imperials.

Janeve: W-what timeline are you from?

Cassian: Colovia.

[soullessbullshit]

Khoshekh: What's the situation?

Urcelmo: We got a fortune teller here. Looks like she's been murdered. We still don't know why, we were hoping you could help us with that.

Khoshekh: Hmm... Well, that's just...

Khoshekh: [puts shades on]

Khosheh: Un-FORTUNE-ate.

Khoshekh: [finger-guns and leaves with the stupidest grin]

Urcelmo: No— Khoshekh— uh yeah, she— where are you going? We still have to— Khoshekh? Khoshekh! We still— the body?!

[soullessbullshit]

...

Ya know what?

Fuck it.

I'm on my level 20 Bard arc.

If I'm goin' out, I'm granting inspiration with a silly little dance on my way there.

[soullessbullshit]

Kireth: When you die, can I use your skull to strike fear in the hearts of my enemies?

Raynor: ...No.