#the mod ''sounds of skyrim'' too

[julem]

okay it's 4am and ive only been able to sleep for an hour but:

oh not just birds of prey, so so so many animals use stock (sometimes modified!) sounds, especially in games

take this bear recording for example

(especially the first roar)

if you've played as much skyrim as i have you may have just jumped up a little but it's not just skyrim, it's everywhere. for just one example, i remember recognising it in chainsaw man when that anime was first coming out (when they flash back to power's naked and bloody funtimes in the forest)

this is just one example but there are so so many of these

watching movies is so much more fun once your ear is trained to recognize the Wilhelm scream and the Dies Irae

[raksh-writes]

This is sooo highly specific, but I saw the first episode of season 2 of House of the Dragon two times by now and every time I hear Cregan Stark speaking my Skyrim infested brain goes KAIDAN????!!!!!

[jellypawss]

Does anyone else find skyrim scary?

[surpriserose]

hiii chris hi!!! have you played skyrim? i feel like you might've mentioned it at some point but i don't recall.

yeah :) i love skyrim ive played it a bunch of times......and still havent completed either of the main storylines dbsbjsjsms

[sexhaver]

there's this really cool phenomenon that happens sometimes with computer-illiterate people (especially on the internet) where they'll ask me/someone else with a CS degree how to do something relatively complicated/nonobvious, like commenting "how do i download this file" directly on a github repository, or bailey asking me to get her Skyrim installation with upwards of 50 mods that have not been updated in months to launch without throwing a fatal compatibility error, or someone at my old job asking why our proprietary software wouldn't launch after he updated a robot drive; and when the CS person in question starts explaining using basic industry-standard terms like "driver" and "command line" they get snappily told that not everyone knows fancy computer jargon like they do, so they slow down and define every single basic term as they encounter it, which takes forever (especially via text/over the internet) and inevitably results in the other person going "wow that sounds way too complicated for me", and eventually the CS person gets tired of having to explain networking troubleshooting procedures as if to a toddler, and they tell people to just google the terms they don't understand to find a better explanation online than whatever they (the CS person) would have written, at which point the computer-illiterate person goes "wow, this is why everyone thinks tech bros are so stuck up and elitist". yes i worked in tech support for a year and a half why do you ask

[moomine]

come with me | jesper the guard

(psa! this is total self-indulgence... the jesper the guard follower mod/skyrim guard tales literally have me giggling and kicking my feet)

summary: (jespertheguard x dragonborn!reader) (she/her pronouns) After the reader discovers she's the Dragonborn she bonds with Jesper, a Whiterun guard that understands her. The Dragonborn returns to Whiterun after a long time of adventuring and convinces him to leave the city and come with her.

word count: 1,627

warnings: mentions of blood/bloodshed, trauma very briefly explored (mostly fluff here)! all characters are 18+

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

As of late, Jesper’s watchful eye felt less and less inquisitive and more so on the side of admiration. Underneath the protective sheath of his helmet, the young guard watched as you walked throughout Whiterun in awe. Upon your initial arrival, he was unsure of you. Who wouldn’t have been off-put by a young woman —dressed in ill-fitting Imperial armor, covered in scrapes and bruises, approaching the city gates with a dire look in her eyes? Better yet, someone who claimed she had information about the dragon attack on Helgen.

Within a short period of time, your name began to carry weight around Whiterun, and the word of the last Dragonborn consumed the entirety of Skyrim. Everyone, man and beast alike, sang praise of the rise of a new hero. Nobody saw you as the woman you truly were, a woman thrusted into a life of adventure and risk without much experience with either. Other than Jesper.

He was used to being overlooked, and when he was noticed it was typically at his own expense. The rest of the Whiterun guard took pleasure in tormenting him. Most of the time they were harmless pranks, just enough to make poor Jesper uncomfortable and his comrades laugh. His experiences outside of the city walls were vastly different. Maybe it was because Jesper took the time to get to know you before you absorbed that dragon’s soul, and the first cry of the Greybeards in centuries could be heard. Maybe because he took great concern at the sight of your disheveled appearance and the obvious shellshock in your eyes when he first saw you. Whatever it may have been, Jesper saw you as more than a hero. He saw you as the woman you were before your legendary quest began.

It had been a number of days since Jesper had seen your return to Whiterun, and his normal anxiety seemed to grow astronomically with each sun that set. When he finally saw you enter the Bannered Mare, seemingly unscathed but clearly exhausted, he felt a weight immediately lift from his shoulders. He watched from afar as you approached Hulda, handed her a fist full of gold, and took a chilly bottle of mead into your gloved hand. He felt his heart begin to race as you turned around and looked about the room, scanning the crowd of merry men and women chatting amongst themselves and listening to the sound of Mikael’s famously sweet lute. As your eyes met his masked face, he felt a smile spread along his lips without his knowledge. It was like an impulse. The second you saw him he felt lighter, felt seen. Somehow you always knew it was him.

You approached, armor clanging against itself as you walked, and nodded to the empty seat across from him with that tired smile of yours. “Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all,” Jesper said, almost too quickly, and sat up straight.

You didn’t hesitate, dropping your heavy satchel to the floor as you sunk into the rather uncomfortable chair. A long, drawn out sigh blew through your lips. The wooden chair creaked beneath you, warping from the weight of your armor. By your reaction, Jesper would have thought that was the most comfortable chair you had ever had the pleasure to sit in. Realistically, he realized that might have been the first time you sat in a chair at all in days. Ashen logs crackled as the fire ate away at their bark flesh, filling the inn with warmth and the haunting smell of smoke. It had been several months since what happened in Helgen, but you were still tense around fire and smoke.

“You must have had quite the adventure,” he remarked with an amused voice.

“You could say that.” You sighed, popping the cork from your mead before taking a long gulp of the crisp ale. “How’s Whiterun been treating you?”

Jesper grimaced under his helmet. “You really want to hear about how I’ve been? I’m worried I’d bore you to death if I told you.”

“You could never bore me. You have no idea how much I miss the simple life.”

By your expression alone, Jesper could tell you were being genuine. You looked as though you needed to hear about something other than dragons and bloodshed for once.

“They won’t let me take gate duty anymore,” he paused, turning his attention to the wooden sword sheathed at his hip. “And I’m not allowed to carry a blade either.”

Your brows furrowed instantaneously, and you sat up in your chair. “What? Why?” you asked, your gaze piercing and angry.

Jesper felt a shiver go down his spine. “I let a thief into the city. So, now I’m stuck with tavern watch. Making sure drunkards don’t break out into fist fights or harass the barmaids, and all that.”

“As if there aren’t already thieves in this city. That’s outrageous. I’ll talk to the Jarl, we’ll sort this out. I promise-”

“Don’t…” His voice was weak, quiet. “I prefer this. The other guards don’t bother me here, and Hulda’s letting me rent the attic room. It’s better this way.” His eyes fell almost shamefully back to the toy he was burdened with.

“Why do you stay here?” you asked bluntly.

“What do you mean?” he responded, taken aback by your question.

“Why stay in Whiterun? You deserve so much more than this, Jesper. You’re capable of so much more.” You placed an assertive hand on the table, an offering. An understanding. “I’m leaving tomorrow. Come with me.”

Jesper’s face softened as he looked back to you, although you couldn’t see it. “I shouldn’t… I-I mean I can’t. I have a responsibility here. My life is here, in Whiterun. If I go now I’ll be letting everyone down. My family, my brothers and sisters in arms, the Jarl, maybe even you. I can’t just give up because some of the men tease me.”

“They aren’t just teasing you, Jesper. They’re cruel.” Your tone was stern but not harsh. It held a softness you saved just for him, for the rare moments where the two of you could talk. Truly talk. “Come with me. We could go to Solitude, you could join the Bard’s College.”

Your honesty was hard for him to digest, getting stuck in his throat as he tried to swallow the bitter truth. There was little left for him in Whiterun, other than his career and barely notable status. What little he had to his name was either already on his person or overhead, tucked away in that small attic room he had come to call home. Beneath his helm, Jesper’s eyes wandered away from the intensity on your face and toward the fire as it popped, cinders rising from the flames like torchbugs in the night. Your hands tensed, fingers curling into your palms to form fists, as you suppressed a flinch.

“You remembered that?” he asked earnestly, his gaze still fixed on the flickering flames ahead.

A sweet smile crept onto your face as you leaned closer, resting your elbows on top of the table now. “How could I forget? It’s your dream, isn’t it?”

“That’s all it is,” he mumbled. “Just a dream.”

“Don’t you see? We could make it a reality. You can make it a reality,” you said gently.

“I don’t know. They’ll consider me a deserter, you know? I’ll never be allowed within the city walls again.” The discouragement in his tone was starting to become disappointingly familiar to you.

You reached across the table and placed a kindly hand on his shoulder. “You, my friend, are fortunate enough to know the Thane of Whiterun, remember? It pays off to have friends in high places, huh?” 

There was truth to what you were saying, but it was clear to Jesper that you were trying to ease his worries through humor. Since your arrival, he finally had a bit of influence in the city. Although, it was worthless without you physically there to back him up.

Silence fell over the two of you as you stared at one another. Mikael plucked the strings of his lute softly and the commotion of story-telling and conversation echoed throughout the room. Jesper weighed his options, grateful that the conflicted look that surely took over his face was hidden behind the veil of his helmet. After a long moment, he finally nodded, seeming far more sure of himself than before.

“Yeah, okay. If… if you’re certain, then I’ll come with you.” His voice was higher, more excited than before.

“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” you replied. 

Your face was lit up like the nearby fire, spreading warmth to Jesper’s cheeks as they flushed. Almost reluctantly, you peeled your eyes away from his face as you took one last swig from your bottle. The chair beneath you croaked as you pushed it back, scratching against the stone below. You came to your feet swiftly, despite how clearly fatigued you were. Jesper couldn’t help but frown as he watched you stand.

“Where are you going? The… the night’s still young,” he questioned. He didn’t want the night to end, to stop talking to you.

You smiled tenderly as you looked down at him. “I’m exhausted. I don’t think I’ve had a proper night's sleep in days.” You bent over, grabbing your satchel and the rest of your equipment. “I expect to see you by the stables at sunrise. It’s a long ride to Solitude.”

“I’ll be there!” Jesper replied eagerly, watching as you walked away with a gleam in his eyes. You turned to him one last time with an affectionate smile, then closed the door to your room. “I promise,” he mumbled.

[what-even-is-thiss]

So I don’t mod video games much or often because I usually play video games because I like the vanilla version and therefore modding is unnecessary.

But I’ve been interested in Beyond Skyrim: Bruma and Beyond Skyrim as a project for a while. I actually considered submitting a voice acting sample to volunteer for them but from what I understand they’ve already got their pick of voice actors so I haven’t bothered.

But anyways a while ago I tried the mod and wasn’t that impressed mostly I think because of the major hiccups my computer struggled with.

Well. I actually sat down and decided to figure it out and downloaded some unofficial patches and turned my video quality way down low and got a wired mouse and that seemed to allow it to actually run at 30 fps instead of being an informative slideshow. So I’ve actually gotten the chance to explore a bit more.

My opinion on the writing is the same. Sometimes dialogue options sound a little too modern. A little too fanfiction. But this whole project essentially is fanfiction so I’m not overly bothered but for a project that claims to want to feel like vanilla Skyrim idk if they quite hit that exactly on the mark.

The guard random filler dialogue is quite good. On par with the quality and stupidness of regular elder scrolls. And if you’ve started the main quest back in Skyrim like I did the Bruma guards might gossip about how a new Dragonborn has shown up in Skyrim. They also seem to have a sick pleasure in punishing criminals which is kinda funny and horrifying at the same time which I really like.

Bruma has been recreated pretty much exactly. If you know your way around in the Oblivion version of Bruma you’ll know your way around here. The ruins of cloud ruler temple are beautiful. The creature reskins to look more like Oblivion creatures are really well done.

Quest design is fine. Dungeons can be confusing at times but I’m also an idiot when it comes to dungeons so yeah

I think that unofficial patches for the mod and the game as a whole are worth downloading.

What I like about the church of Saint Martin is that it seems clear to me that the religion of St. Martin was created specifically to replace Talos after Talos worship was outlawed which is pretty funny. I hope that whenever they finish the project as a whole I can visit Martin in giant stone dragon form and do something extremely rude and/or evil in the vicinity.

I’d like to be able to lick the statue but I don’t think Skyrim has that mechanic

Anyways, fun mod. My opinion of it has gone up since I found a way to run it without my computer catching on fire.

[kaidanworkshop]

Hallo~

Just wanted to let you know that this project is probably the nicest thing happening in the current Skyrim modding landscape. You picked a lovely voice actor too! I remember playing "the other" remaster and ended up trashing that 50h save due to frustration. I just want Kaidan to be Kaidan. So thank you for clarifying your goals.

Transparency is very important to us at the Workshop; after all, without the generous donations from the community, this project would be dead in the water! Our goal is to create content that seamlessly matches up with LivTempleton's original work. As we transition to creating more Workshop content, our live script reading sessions via our Discord will continue to be a sounding board to ensure that our new additions stay in line with his original depiction. Thank you again for your kind words!

[itstimewehavesomesoliddick]

Bethesdrone Fallout 4 shills make me mad so have a lowkey longpost below with tl;dr at the bottom

While we're on the topic of betheslop, no, Fallout 4 isn't good because the "shooting" is good (imagine praising shooting in what's supposed to be an RPG in the first place), in fact it's not even good, the animations are just smooth with good sound design, other than that it's just the most basic point and click at enemy healthbars there is, the weapons all look retarded, the enemy AI is equally retarded, the shooting mechanics are more barebones than New Vegas (different ammo types are seemingly beyond the grasp of the bethesdrone), and the cherry on top, that part of the game wasn't even done by bethesda, they just called in another studio that knew what they were doing because bethesda clearly doesn't, if you play it for the most basic shooting, why not play an actual shooter game?

"b-b-but le weapon customization!" which allowed bethesda to massively reduce the number and diversity of available weapons compared to previous entries so everything gets even more dumbed down

"b-b-but le settlements!" aka the most underdeveloped gameplay segment? Why are you playing a Fallout game to build shacks? Rimworld is cheaper and at least there you're not just placing shit so numbers X and Y are simply high enough for your generic no name settlers that just go from one idle animation to the other, this is simply the lego effect, anyone can have fun building stuff with legos, but within the framework of Fallout 4, it is completely pointless beyond place X thing to advance the plot, if you like building cities, why aren't you playing a city builder?

I won't even get into the writing or how it's as much of an RPG as Call of Duty is a strategy game, or the ridiculous design of everything, or the betrayal of its setting for a constant barrage of shitty "lol so random" moments and snarky marvel dialogue

Fallout 4 is a bare minimum entry level shooter proclaiming it's an RPG with a dumb lego set glued on top along with some of the dumbest writing I've seen, yet its defenders get immediately dazzled by pew pew keys jiggling and blindly follow the brand recognition of an IP Bethesda wears like a skinwalker

"it's good if you turn your brain off" is the equivalent of saying "you'll like it if you're a retard that never thinks about anything", "it's good if instead of the RPG you were promised for 60 euros, you just focus on the bing bing wahoo and don't realize you've been scammed", games like Fallout 4 and Skyrim are the same blueprint, a shallow game making you chase your own tail while stroking your ego and having you soyjack at member berries, a real dogshit digital opium so you never scratch beneath the surface and realize just how shit their product is and spend money on half assed paid mods instead

People need to stop with the "no I can't say it's bad, I don't want to be mean!" or be in denial that things aren't nice and sunshine and hugs and good, that mindset makes you a brainless buckbroken consumer drone as long as you'll be too much of a pussy to be hostile towards the corpo suits pissing on your head and telling you it's raining (for 70 bucks), fuck em and fuck the whole industry, and if you really need to have that slop in your life for some Godforsaken reason, then quit being a bitch and learn to pirate

TL;DR Fallout 4 is slop for morons and consoomers and if you like and defend it, then you're the aforementioned target audience

[skyrim-said-that]

do you have. mod recs. i need more mods and am having trouble finding ones which are not asscentric. my computer is shared i cant have ass mods.

ok i have a bit of time to do this, ill go alphabetically, but keep in mind that obviously most mods require SKSE and each have their own dependencys 

and also that i play legendary edition so i have all the DLCs (Even tho i haven't played them rly). also they like. are allegedly all compatable because my game does still work, but if they fuck up yours uh. my bad. im also omitting a bunch that like. i have them but really they dont make the list

also i have a lot of food mods, dont ask why because i dont have the answer. green highlighted mods are my favs

About Horses

Makes horses look like real horses. my inner horsegirl shines on

A Skyrim Kiss - Smooch that fictional character!

A Skyrim Waltz - Dance with them too!

Ur gonna need FNIS for these two

Babettes Feast - Improved Cooking

Adds a bunch of different immersive recipes to the game, i really like this sort of mod when im playing with hunger/thirst mods

Bandolier - Bags and Pouches

this is such a good mod if youre a huge packrat. adds a bunch of craftable wearable storage options like belts and stuff that up your carryweight!

Better Vanilla Hair - Mesh replacement

Just a visual mod that smooths out the blockyness of the hair, without changing it too much. it still like. fits in the game

Beards - Beard texture overhaul

Bosmeri Cuisine - Meat Based Recipies

adds a bunch of recipes inspired by the Green Pact lore, stuff thats completely carnivorous like fried eggs, pemmican and more

Books of Skyrim

Adds a bookstore in solitude so you can hoard more books

Breezehome - Fully Upgradable

I love this mod, it makes it so you can majorly upgrade breezehome with more floors, a whole blacksmith setup, bathroom, and a ton more!

Combine Potions

Corners of skyrim - More structures

i love mods like this, it just adds like different little cabins and shit all around for u to find when youre exploring

Cooking Expanded

Common Clothes

Adds craftable regular clothes for playing dressup

Daedric Shrines -  Sanguine

Adds a sexy man to my life

Flying Crows

Female Mannequins

Footprints - Adds npc/player/animal prints in the snow

Helgen Reborn - Rebuilding the hold

i have a thing for building mods, i love them. i dont know why but its so fun its like playing home improvement sim. but in skyrim. this one has a really fun questline too, its really fun and well written!

Ineed - Food, water and sleep

i mean, self explanatory again but adds a system for needs. I like that its really adjustable so if you find it harsh you can tone it down.

Immersive Armours

Self explanitory but also a really great mod! very immersive armors that look great!

Immersive Citizens - Ai Overhaul

Its like if the npcs actually were functional

Immersive Weapons

see above but for weapons!

Lanterns of Skyrim

ok technically i have the old version of this but im sure its the same, it adds a bunch of lanterns on the paths all around skyrim

Left Hand Rings

Lovely Hairstyles - Immersive hair

Marriage Mod - To have and to hold

this one updates the weddings so theyre a little more in depth as well as adds the options for multiple marriages. also adds a few quests!

Marks of Beauty - Freckles moles and more!

Racemenu - Player creation overhaul

I feel like most people have this one but if you love character creation this is the one, its so good and you can fuck with EVERYTHING

Relationship Dialogue Overhaul

Guys i really like this one, it adds a TON of dialogue for your spouses , followers, etc and they're all just ripped from existing dialogue so they don't sound out of place or anything! i love it

Sweet Mother - Night mother improvement

Sounds of skyrim - complete edition

i love these mods they basically overhaul the ambient sounds all over the game, i especially love how real they make the forests feel!

Scars of Time - a Landmark mod

more structures and landmarks across skyrim. im a whore for this stuff

Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim

SUCH a good mod. adds a whole bunch of shrines for the different faiths in tes lore, as well as different benefits for choosing them. its so cool like i cant explain it

[fantasiacafecat]

Most of my favorite skyrim modded followers and what I think what type of khajiit variant and furstock they'd be.

I picked a domestic cat breed and a wild cat breed for all of them. The descriptions won't have that much in it. It's more the looks I'm basing off on every character. I also picked a quad-ped and biped for each character too.

Inigo: Blue tiger/blue tabby. I mean since he's already a khajiit you can't really say you see him as anything else. But if he wasn't blue I think he'd be a white tiger variant and an American short hair. I think he would still be a Suthay and for the quad-ped he'd be a pahmar

Lucien Flavius: Orange and white tabby munchkin mix cat / Arabian sand cat.

Sometimes he reminds me of my cat named Mellow when she was a kitten honestly. I picked the Sand cat only because it's small and basically blonde.

I definitely think he'd be an alfiq mainly because I read something about them being more magically strong. I also think he'd be a Tojay or Suthay-raht.

Kaidan: Brown siberian cat/ Panther.

I picked what I thought was the most intimidating cats at the top of my and mind and picked these two. I would have given Kaidan the Maine Coone but they aren't intimidating at all and are one of the most gentle cats to have.

Definitely gives Cathay-raht or Senche-raht vibes.

Auri: Abynissian/ Cinnamon Caracal.

I picked both of these because these cats are known to be wild and energetic and they can also be seen with as red so ginger red head gang.

Definitely Ohmes-raht and Dagi vibes. Dagi for climbing and living in trees and normally I'd pick ohmes since the bosmer and phmes are very closely related, but I picked ohmes-raht because of Auri's wild nature matching with her having more cat like features.

Caryalind: Yellow Ragdoll / Asian Golden cat

The ragdoll is seen as one of the sweetest cats in the world and the fact their are ones with golden coats just scream caryalind. The Asian Golden cat is picked it just because of the golden.

He's like Dagi-raht and Ohmes vibes.

Nebarra: Fat Golden Persian / Pallas Cat.

I have a whole story of Persian Catbarra being found in an abandoned barn starving and almost dead from being mauled by wolves. When he's living with his 'savior' he has the biggest attitude but he low-key has the biggest heart.

There is art of him as a khajiit, somewhere. But it portrays him as a Pallas cat and now no one can convince me otherwise it's his spirit animal.

I gave him Suthay and Senche variants.

Khash: Russian Blue/ Rusty-Spotted Cat.

If khash was a cat I think she'd be quite Russian Blue, just because.

Tiny and dangerous. Only reason I picked the rusted-spotted cat

I think she'd be Tojay-raht and Dagi

Taliesin: Siamese / Serval. My mom always told me the Siamese had the attitude of every cat breed in the world.

And Taliesin being a high Elf with dark hair matches the servals gold fur with dark spots, and the first serval I seen had the biggest attitude I've ever seen. I think

Taliesin would be an Suthay-raht and Alfiq.

Xelzaz: Scottish Fold / Jaguar. Scottish folds are so cute and their name just sounds so mature and determined.

When I was younger I thought jaguars and leopards were the only big cats that liked water because if a video I saw of a jaguars swimming for fun.

Xelzaz gives me Suthay-raht and Alfiq vibes.

Lucifer: Oriental Short-haired / Iriomote wild cat I was either gonna pick the Cornish Rex or the 'dobby' cat for Lucifer mostly as a joke but I honestly do think that out of every cat breed he would be that.

The Iriomote-yamaneko is known for the meaning "that which has flashing eyes". If you look at the cat you'll notice it has eyes kind of similar to to Lucifer, and the fact that it's critically endangered and my lack of knowledge of this species reminds me that I barely no anything about Lucifer.

I think Lucifer would be Tojay-raht and Alfiq-raht

Remiel: Greyish/Brown Mackerel Tabby / Black Tiger (yes there was 10 found in India, look it up *beware there was a dead tiger was on the search*)

I honestly thought that her cat Numi was a Brown Mackerel tabby mostly because I thought the mackerel tabby looked the most like how I imagine Remiel.

When I think of Remiel and which colors resonate with her. I think warm dark colors mainly of Orange, red, and black. Which kind of reminded me of tigers the most, but I didn't want to give her the plain Bengal so I look to see if black tigers were a thing.

I think Remiel would be a Tojay and a Dagi mainly too climb in dwemer cities safely.

Gore: Tortieshell Tabby / Female Lion

I think the tortieshell matches Gore's beauty a lot honestly that's the only reason I picked the tortieshelk for him. I think if he'd have cats he'd have a torieshell and a Bengal.

I'm specifically saying a female lion mainly for the fact that Gore is someone who is drawn to packs and is more of a hunter and not like how Male lions are portrayed as the leader.

Gore is definitely a Suthay or Tojay-raht and Pahmar-raht. Normally I'd pick Cathay for Gore but in the conversation where he asks that you don't see him as a great-sword wielder because of him not being a someone who's super muscular and tall, it makes sense to give him a smaller body furstock because it stick to his character.

Eris Light and Shade: Nebelung (german cat) / Lynx

I only picked Nebelung because of the name and the color of its coat.

The lynx is seen as one that's very reserved and quiet. Only keeping to itself, which matches a lot with Eris's personality

I see her as an Alfiq-raht and an Ohmes.

[khajiit-apologist]

lifetime

word count: 1066

gorehain fic for gore's 1st birthday :)

Fic under the cut! So skip my cheese if you just want that, but...Gore means a lot to me. I downloaded him almost a year ago, and he led me to meet so many amazing friends. I told goredev (my buddy), that Gore opened the door and I stepped through. I stepped into a better chapter for myself. Because of a Skyrim mod? Yes!

So thank you Hayd for making Gore, but also being my friend. And thanks to all the friends that encouraged me to keep writing, and to keep going. I love you all, and I love YOU random reader. So please enjoy! <3

The wind rustled the leaves on the ground, the cool autumn air grazed Samhain’s face. She breathed in the crisp air. It was a surprisingly nice day. Gore began messing with their tent, quietly humming to himself. Meeko came up to Samhain with the stick he had been playing fetch with, she wrestled it from his mouth. Giggling all the while, before throwing it again. She looked at Gore, happiness swelling in her chest at the peace of the scene.

“Need anything?” Samhain leaned down to Gore. 

“Not right now, you think the food’s almost done? I’m starving, blood.” He looked up at her. She couldn’t miss the way the corners of his mouth turned upwards when he saw her. Some days she swore her cheeks hurt from how often she smiled. 

She walked over to the cooking pot, “About, from the looks of it.” 

“Think it’s going to be a cold night?” Gore stood up and walked over.

“Not with our own portable hearth!” Her voice got louder in surprise when Meeko jumped up on her. 

“Our? I thought he was mine!” He joked, crossing his arms. 

Samhain pouted, “You're his favorite, anyone could see it. Lemme me be his favorite this once!” She grabbed the hound’s paws, pretending to dance. “Maybe you're jealous.”

“Yeah, yeah sure I am.” He couldn’t sound more sarcastic. He checked on the food, deciding it was done, and silently served it. Most nights they ate in silence, just enjoying the company of each other and nature. Gore occasionally sneaks bites to Meeko, trying to curry favor. Samhain noticed of course, but never said anything. Samhain looked over the trees, the sky was a beautiful array of colors. Gore noticed her looking up and did as well, seeing the splays of orange and red. Somehow mixing into a purple. “I’ll never get tired of it, or at least I hope I don’t.”

“There was so much I took for granted.” Her smile was solemn. “I didn’t even know.”

He looked at her, seeing the last bit of sunlight dance over her features. “We have so many sunsets, and sunrises to look forward to.” He lowered his voice, “I’m glad I get to see them with you.”

She looked at him too, “I’m glad I let you come with me.” It was partially a joke.

“What, you weren’t going to?” He tilted his head, raising a brow. 

She chuckled, “No. I-” She looked at the ground instead, “I thought being free meant being alone. Besides I figured you’d leave on your own once you got on your feet. I always expected the worst.” She sighed.

“I get it. For what it’s worth, I didn’t expect to…fall in love. With you, with life, and myself. I don’t think I could ever repay you for that.” He looked at the same patch of dirt she did, “Thank you.” He whispered.

Her smile went from sad to happy as she looked at him, “No need to thank me. You helped me too, Gore.” 

He shook his head, “Sure, what am I your knight in…well dull armor.” He looked over to his plate. “Maybe I should polish it.”

“Nothing like that.” She giggled, “We just helped each other. Like you said.”

“Right.” He got up and grabbed her bowl. “I have first watch.”

“You always do.”

He laughed, “I do.” 

.•�� ✿ °•.

She stared at the ceiling of the tent, thinking about what he had said. Did he really not know how much he helped her too? A thought popped in her head, prompting her to look for her journal. Sure enough. Samhain sat up, giving up on sleep. There was too much in her mind now to do so. Meeko instantly noticed, running over to the tent. Gore watched her open the tent flap, “Can't sleep?” He spoke quietly. 

She pet the hound which had laid his head on her lap, smiling to herself, “No. I'm just excited.”

“For what?” Gore raised a brow. 

“Tomorrow…” Her smile grew wider, “You probably don't remember, but it's the day we met. Or close enough.”

“Oh, I didn't realize. Has it really been that long?” He decided to sit in the tent with her, also petting the dog. 

“Yep! I didn't have anything planned. Just well…can I be mushy?” She looked at him shyly. “I was thinking about what you said, or rather what you didn’t.”

“When aren't you?” He joked, trying not to seem nervous, not sure where this was going.

“I'm proud of you, and proud to have met you. I'm glad I found you in that bear trap.” She laughed.

He looked away, not really expecting it. He actually knew she meant it, “Do you think I've changed?”

She nodded, realizing he wasn't looking at her she spoke instead, “You've told me that you're just one mortal man. An ant in the big picture, but Gore?” She reached out a hand to make him look at her, “I know I helped you, that I'm partially why you do better. Of course it was you who took the steps, I just opened the door. But what I'm trying to say is, thank you. For every step I helped you take, you helped me make two.” 

He furrowed his brow slightly, his eyes went soft. “Sam…”

“You kept me moving. I had something to fight for.” She exhaled, “We have something to fight for. We fight so that one day we'll have peace. Together we live. How could I not be thankful? How could I not love you?” She straightened her back, “So, thank you, Gore.”

He smiled at her, “I know if you said all that to me a year ago I wouldn't have believed you. Now I know better.” He ran his hand down Meeko until he found her hand, “Thank you for being patient.”

“I could say the same for you.” She moved her hand to intertwine her fingers with his, “Of course you’ve changed. You’ve grown.” She leaned in, “One day we won’t have fleeting moments of respite, but rather it’ll be our new normal. I promise you.”

He took a deep breath, a part of him didn’t want to believe it. However, the way she spoke, and the look in her eyes soothed his racing heart. “Who cares about watch? I have my family all here.”

“I love you too.” 

[dawns-beauty]

do you like any expansion mods for skyrim? there are soo many and im not sure what to try first haha.

I don't know if I've really played one I'd 100% recommend yet... but also, I am insanely persnickety.

Maybe some folks will sound off in the comments as well?

I have played:

Beyond Reach (completed)

Pros: the mystery was intriguing. I kind of liked how grim it was (at parts.) The setting was decently cool, especially the non-Nirn realms.

Cons: JANKY TO THE MAX. Does not feel like it takes place in the world of Tamriel. Super dark themes, frankly dumb takes on Orcs and Reachmen, the modder clearly had a thesaurus at hand while writing dialogue. Really dumb "gotcha" twist at the end. Do not recommend.

Moonpath to Elsweyr (completed)

Pros: neat little linear story, impressive for being one of the first ever mods, it's about Khajiit.

Cons: it is one of the first-ever mods, and shows its age. Maybe play once, but be ready for some jankiness.

Clockwork (completed)

Pros: SUPER strong opening, one of the best openings of a modded quest I've played. It's nice and spooky, and pretty technologically impressive. Insanely gorgeous, detailed house.

Cons: mostly becomes a series of fetch-quests, and at least one part where you have to retrace your steps, until you get everything upgraded. You do get a cool house and transport system out of it, if that's of interest to you. Nothing tops the first part, imo.

Project AHO (not completed)

Pros: very Morrowind, if you're nostalgic. Very, VERY pretty too. Has a tool that lets you craft spellbooks.

Cons: the story. There's a particular part that annoys me, where you feel railroaded. This is also just my opinion, but... I hate the house it gives you and I hate that it adds huge metal Dwemer struts all over Skyrim. They're hideous.

Carved Brink (completed)

Pros: insanely pretty

Cons: story is okay? nothing to write home about. The special way of navigating gets old.

Here's a list of other mods I want to try someday:

The Forgotten City

Skyrim Extended Cut - Saints and Seducers (the Extended Cut project is something I really hope to see completed, the idea behind it is awesome)

Sirenroot (idk if this counts as an expansion, but I do want to try it!)

Legacy of the Dragonborn (I'm a sucker for museums and collecting)

Beyond Skyrim: Bruma (but I may just wait for BS: Cyrodiil, due to low content)

Sorry, I wish I could come up with some actual recommendations! I am just terrible at actually playing quests (I like picking flowers and walking around XD)

[elderscrollsconfessions]

Confession: I started playing Skyrim since 2018 and I'm a and I don't understand anything about computers or modding really still despite having a few mods (it just takes me too long to get everything working perfectly) and I'm very ashamed of it because as a man you're supposed to know everything about technology and stuff. Some people called me feminin brained on modding forums because of that. I'm just very sad because of those comments and the fact that I'll never have an "ultra modded ultra immersive realistic next gen 4k Skyrim" that doesn't look and feel like Skyrim like in all those cool YouTube videos. :( However I love Skyrim nonetheless, it always pulls me out of dark times.

mod note: You are not doing anything wrong, and it sounds like there are some very toxic (in multiple ways) people who are trying to police how you enjoy your game. No one deserves that. There are modding guides run by people who want to help you enjoy it, but you should use the mods that you want. If you’re not having fun, then the game isn’t doing its job.

[argisthebulwark]

What are some of your favorite skyrim fanfics? I need something good to read lol

I don't really read a lot of fics these days, and when I do it's not usually Skyrim lol. I enjoy reading longer fics so hopefully that's what you're after!

@daedrabait has multiple series, but I'm fairly sure Dust and Dim Sunshine rewrote my DNA. It changed me. If you see me going absolutely feral in the comments of every single chapter, no you didn't <3

I am taking it slow and haven't entirely finished it (don't want to go too sicko mode) but if you're up for a long fic you should 100000% read @elfinismsarts' writing. Cannot put to words how inspiring it is, just reading it inspires me to become a better writer. I'll link Blood of the Dragon because that's where I started, but there's plenty of oneshots available of Kel's wonderful characters <3

Cycle of the Serpent is next on my fic tbr, but I'm going to rec it purely because I've seen the love @throughtrialbyfire has put into it and just know it's got to be incredible. I have read their one shot If by Sun and Moon I Swore and can attest to how beautiful it is. It's poetic and heartfelt and so painfully realistic, you should read it at least once. Maybe a few times.

I don't have any in particular because it's been a few years, but you should read Rumarin fics. Idk what it is - I don't even have the mod to have him in my game, but he is such a fun character and each author who writes about him makes him such a fun, quippy character to read. He's so dear to me even though I've never met him purely because of AO3 authors.

I should definitely read more Skyrim fics. Anon, if you want to rec any to me, feel free lol it sounds like we all need something good to read.

[landgraabbed]

it's been a while since i last shared the game that currently has my attention, and currently that is outward: definitive edition (dev: nine dot studios). this got long, so i'll put it under the cut. the short of it is that i am in love with this game that is catered to freaks like me in every way!

the game was first released in 2019, and the definitive edition including all dlcs came out in 2022, and i'd say this game was on my radar since 2020-2022, but i never really played it until now. i've been enjoying my time with this game, and what a game it is! it makes me feel like most of my favorites do: scrabbling for victories, being forced to get by the skin of my neck, and having to always play past my mistakes. in many ways it reminds me of favorites such as dragon's dogma, morrowind my heavily modded skyrim, and souls games to an extent, but with survival elements added on to it.

to set the stage, this game puts you in the boots of a gender neutral Just A Guy™ who is saddled with debt incurred by their grandmother and is on the verge of losing their lighthouse home. in aurai, actions that damage the community may incur what is called a blood price, meaning a bloodline may have to pay the price of said actions even decades or centuries removed from the action. the first chapter of your adventure sees you attempting to repay a parcel of the blood price on your bloodline by whatever means possible within 5 days, after your hard work was lost in the same shipwreck that nearly took your life. and off you go to do that. you can approach this goal by whatever means you can come up with and you can also fail to do so, and the game will continue. where i am currently, i managed to barely make the deadline and have been exploring the world. there are currently four factions i can approach in order to advance the plot, but i am taking my time to meet all of them before i make a decision. they each are tackling different issues in aurai at the moment, such as the holy mission's quest to fight against the scourge.

the moment to moment gameplay is very engaging to me. it really is a game that anyone who knows me knows that of course it will appeal to me. navigation reminds me of morrowind with npcs giving you directions and a complete lack of quest markers (or even an indication of where you are in the map! you need to orient yourself using landmarks and road signs). combat is brutal and best avoided at most times. you need to manage your inventory and loadout for the climate and your needs, as well as what you expect to encounter in your journeys, where the weight of your inventory is very important. your stats will become burnt (i.e., you will have a temporarily reduced maximum stamina until rest) the more you use them, greatly emphasizing how you're just a rando. there is magic in this world, but you don't start out with mana needed to cast spells and must perform a difficult pilgrimage to the center of the mountain that dominates the landscape of the first area. and even then, you must sacrifice your precious hp and stamina to build a mana pool. the tradeoff: magic has been absolutely fun and op in my experience. the game rewards preparation and knowing when the fuck to leg it most of all. and if you meet your untimely demise, you're not sent to the last checkpoint. instead, the game rolls one of the appropriate defeat scenarios appropriate to your current situation which can be a boon or a curse (and honestly must have been the inspiration to the alternative death system part of this skyrim mod). the game constantly autosaves, so savescumming isn't a possibility. most of all, you wander in a lovely environment to the sound of bangers.

pictures were only edited to add some small grain and are at the native resolution of the steam deck since it's where i've been playing! i do want to look at it on my laptop too. it also features online and splitscreen co-op, but i haven't tried that out. i do hear it's a great way to approach the game. another thing i really enjoyed learning about is the studio's investment in promoting a crunch-free, ethical philosophy to game development, and extending that over their publishing efforts in order to foster the development of more indie niche games developped ethically.