User blog:Razorgirl/Aelia Voria

"Hello Atavus. It's me again. I need guidance..."

- Aella Voria, to a Statue of Tiber Septim at a Shrine of Talos

This is a record of my Imperial character in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (including Hearthfire and Dragonborn ). Please feel free to have a peruse and to give me advice on what I'm doing. This blog will be updated as my character grows and as I tick things off.

I'm playing an Imperial for the first time. OK, technically this is my second attempt, but I made some mistakes with my first attempt that could not be undone (like asking my Steward to decorate my home, and discovering that she'd put mounted Wolves heads on my walls. Not cool when I'm a werewolf) so I had to restart. I'm using this space to record my character's exploits and to keep track of what I've done (and what I've yet to do).

Aella's Family
I love adopting a kid and building the Homesteads, but once I become a Werewolf I loose most of the advantages in doing so. They mostly become a vanity thing. Plus, if I build a Homestead, my Smithing will bloat to at least level 30.

Escaped Helgen with Hadvar
I've discovered that while I don't get a set of heavy armour like I would if I'd escaped with Ralof, I do now have an endless supply of free Iron and Steel Ingots from Alvor , which respawn after I take them. Sure, if I'd gone with Ralof I could just steal them, but I'm trying to play this character straight. My hope is that I'll be able to play here where I only have to steal Frost, and even then that will be "with permission".

More importantly, I want to join the Imperial Legion and I want to create a duplicate of the Jagged Crown (my favourite headgear). I tried to push it onto Ralof in Riverwood but it wouldn't work, so I had to restart my game. So here I am...

Became friends with Faendal
Sven was the first person I met and I disliked him being a manipulative milk-drinker. Plus, Camilla does indeed seem to prefer Faendal. : D

Faendal is SUPER ANNOYING if you're playing a thief, as he doesn't approve of stealing. This time round I'm not looting everything that isn't nailed down so he's less annoying than he has been previously. I may not use him as my sacrifice to Boethiah after all.

Hired Jenassa
I thought I'd try using followers that aren't Marcurio [swoon]. I know Jenassa is good at sneak and thus won't blow my cover (right now she's probably better at it than I am), and she's good with a bow so she shouldn't get in the way when I'm fighting. Or at least, that was the theory anyway.

Turns out that if I give her any other weapon that isn't a bow, she will charge into combat and get in the way. If I don't give her anything other than a bow, she will use that for a while, but when enemies get too close she will result to punching on with them. o.O

So far all she's doing is making me appreciate Marcurio even more. I have no doubt that she would be excellent for people that have a different play-style than me; those that want to use sneak and to attack from afar, as she seems to prefer archery, but will tank when needed. Her dialogue is excellent, she's just not for me.

Hired and Married Marcurio

 * "I knew you couldn't stay away. Admit it, you were lost without me."

I am. I really am!

My vanity resulted in me going to get a specific dress from Solitude. Then I put on my amulet of Mara, paid his fee, and we were married. I'm pretty sure this makes Marcurio a mail-order husband. o.O Normally I wait to put on the amulet of Mara until we've done a few Quests together, but I wanted to get it done ASAP - which is in keeping with Skyrim tradition I guess.


 * "Brief as life can be in Skyrim, at least we'll have each other"

If nothing else, it means that I'm receiving Lover's Comfort, which will end once I become a Werewolf, but for now I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

I've since found this thread that talks about the best mage follower in the game, and I'm thrilled to see that Mercurio is indeed, hands down the best. And he's an Imperial. : D

Got Frost
I prefer the Piebald ponies from Markarth, but Frost is free. He supposedly has better stats, but I've never noticed the difference between him and a Markarth Piebald. But as a level 3 character, free is ace, and unlike my Markarth Piebalds, Frost has a name.

Yes, such things are important to me. : P

I got a Dog!
I got a Stray Dog. I found him wondering the countryside about near Falkreath. I know I will be very upset when it dies, but for now I'm using him as practice for when I get Vigilance.

Dragon Lairs
I'm trying to visit all the Dragon lairs while I'm still a low level character and before I activate dragons

No, I didn't defeat Krosis while I was level 7. I got the shout, looted the chest and I left. I'll come back when I'm a higher level... And have fire protection
 * Ancient's Ascent - wolves, Animal Allegiance
 * Autumnwatch Tower - Bandits, Marked for Death
 * Bonestrewn Crest - Skeletons, Frost Breath
 * Dragontooth Crater -
 * Eldersblood Peak - Four Ice Trolls. FOUR! Disarm
 * Lost Tongue Overlook - Hagraven, Dismay
 * Mount Anthor - Mages, Ice Form
 * Northwind Summit - Skeletons, Aura Whisper
 * Shearpoint - Dragon Priest: Krosis!!!, Throw Voice
 * Skyborn Altar - Two Whip Mothers, Frost Breath

Divine Quests
I thought I'd use this character to systematically collect a Blessing from each of the Divines. Turns out that while there are lots of Quests for priests of the various Divines, there are only two blessings I can receive. Boooo! Oh well.


 * Agent of Dibella


 * Agent of Mara

Daedric Quests
I've had an issue with completing all the quests in the past, as they have conflicting agendas. Why would a good character eat people? Why would an evil character help Meridia?

However, since I'm a werewolf at the moment, I figure it's a bit hypocritical of me to have a problem with eating people, so I can do this quest and have it not feel weird.

Shrines to Build
This will require me building a Homestead, which will give me a smithing Skill of at least 30. So I'll probably get it at some point, but not just yet. For now, I'm at least collecting the items I need...

I wish I could build a Shrine of Azura and/or Meridia....

Unusual Gems
I thought I'd use this space to tick off each gem as I find/collect them. I've never been able to collect all of them...
 * Black-Briar Lodge
 * Kodlak White-Mane 's room in Jorrvaskr
 * Reeking Cave
 * Dwemer Museum

Frost's Kill-Count
I know the game doesn't keep track of what my pony kills, so I'm using this space to do so. I love my psychotic pony.
 * Wolves
 * Frost Spiders
 * Skeletons
 * Necromancers
 * Bandits
 * Bandit Chiefs
 * Bears
 * Sabre Cats
 * Forsworn
 * Troll
 * Frost Troll

It seems Frost doesn't like Ice Trolls. He'll quite happilly charge at Giants, Mammoths, standard Trolls and anything else I've ever encountered, but for the first time ever he isn't charging into combat, an instead retreats to a safe distance.

Nope. I take it back. The moment I'm sneaking and I don't want Frost to charge into attack, is when he charges to attack.

Skills
I'm trying to minimise the skills I'm using so that crafting doesn't bloat my level. So far I've been able to refrain from doing any smithing.

I know recharging the Mace of Molag Bal will boost my Enchanting skill.

I'm now considering breaking my "no spells" rule, because I saw that there is a perk that restores Stamina as well as Health. This may mean that I really can ignore Alchemy...

I'm trying out using Light Armour instead of Heavy Armour as the Perks look way more interesting. However, I am getting clubbed like a Baby Horker. I'm not sure that I'll be able to stick with this long enough to get the perks that make Light Armour worthwhile. Armour is capped to reduce a maximum of 80% of any incoming blow. There are characters that do 200 points of damage, so that means that I need to be able to get 160 points of armour. I'm not sure that I can get that with just light armour and perks, especially since I will be wearing the The Jagged Crown once I get it, and that's a heavy armour piece, which means I won't get the buffs from wearing all Light Armour.

As it stands, my skills are currently... I suspect I need to get items that will improve Pick Pocketing, so that I can try to plant my Jagged Crown onto Hadvar. 3:)
 * One-Handed
 * Block
 * Heavy Armour
 * Archery
 * Stealth
 * Pick Locks - I have the The Tower Stone to try to keep my picking locks skill down
 * Pick Pockets
 * Speech

Trivia
I called my character Aella Voria. She is the descendant of Geldall Septim, eldest son of Uriel Septim VII and Caula Voria. I find it extremely unlikely that the heir to the empire would be killed at age 56 without having any children. What I find much more likely is that Caula hid her grandchilden away to protect them from the massacre that claimed her children.

When misrule takes its place at the eight corners of the world When the Brass Tower walks and Time is reshaped When the thrice-blessed fail and the Red Tower trembles When the Dragonborn Ruler loses his throne, and the White Tower falls When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding The World-Eater wakes, and the Wheel turns upon the Last Dragonborn

I know people think that playing a descendant of Tiber Septim breaks with Lore. I think that there is room for such a concept. The Tiber Septim line's rule ended, but that doesn't mean that it can't rise again. ; )