Quest Pages and Wiki

Alright, here’s an example of a quest page, which will be added slowly to the blog. I listed the stages of the quest that get activated, but the enabling and disabling of NPCs in this particular quest happens mostly through the conversations, and as such, the note below should explain why setting a stage won’t always have the desired effect. Forgotten Lore and Radiant Dark each run into this issue, as the newer quests are all set up to where for the most part, the main script enables/disables everything.

The actual page is here, which will also be linked to the ReadMe and everywhere else the quest is mentioned, and can be found via search as well.

I tried to fill the page with both background information as well as relevant data for progressing through the quest, and may include a video walkthrough at some point. If nothing else, the quest codes and stages should help, but again, for other quests more than this one.

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Forgotten Lore
Quest Giver Olivia Meronin – Winterhold College Arcanaeum
Locations Arcanaeum, Shadowgreen Cavern, Windhelm Warehouse, Wreck of the Winter War, Graywinter Watch, Falkreath Watchtower, Ironback Hideout
Prerequisites None
Related Quests The Radiant Dark
Enemy Level PC x 1 Class LvlWarlockBoss
Quest ID CWQQ2 Editor ID 02038120
NPCs Olivia, Jadro’Ra, Erith, Arryn Grey, Lyanna, Melisandre, Fisherman
Reward Olivia’s Staff(Wall of Flames), Gold(1000)

The very first quest introduced into the mod, the skeleton of which was taken from Roarian’s mod of the same name. He transferred over his scripts, ideas and characters upon which the dialogue and story was built. The quest starter Meronin was renamed Olivia Meronin, to account for the overabundance of male roles early in development. Each of the five mages is based off a boss level warlock template, but Lyanna(Alteration) and Erith(Restoration) are given their own spells to account for their school of magic. The names for the mages are predominately taken from A Song of Ice and Fire, with the exception of Erith who is named after the Final Fantasy character.

Finding Jadro’Ra
Olivia will indicate Jadro’Ra will likely be in one of the caverns along the northern shore. The exact location is Shadowgreen Cavern, where the Khajiit will reveal he shadowed another mage, who at this point remains nameless. The identity of the leader of this group is revealed during the events of The Radiant Dark.

Olivia’s Advice
Upon returning to Olivia with Jadro’Ra’s information, she will ask the PC to retrieve the notes from the rogue mages. In addition to giving basic information on the five schools of magic, Olivia will tell the five stories which Vanus Galerion told of his youth, each alluding to the school of magic the spell tome contains.

  • Illusion – The illusion story tells the tale of how Vanus’ father told him to never reference things he learned from his studies, as the mention of a beast from a faraway land would clue his master into realizing the boy had been educated.
  • Alteration – As the nature of alteration is not to deceive, but alter reality, such is the story of how Vanus’ mother’s anxiety made her worst fears come true.
  • Destruction – Vanus’ anger transforms into rage, as his screams fill the night’s hollows.
  • Restoration – Vanus escapes but at the cost of his constitution. However, a band of troubadours nurses him back to health.
  • Conjuration – In his time with the troubadours, Vanus learns the value of conjuration, and the ability to always summon laughter, even in times of sorrow.

Destruction
At the top of Falkreath Watchtower. The warlock is disabled for the purpose of this quest and enabled upon finish.

Conjuration
Graywinter Watch. In versions prior to 2.38, corpses are enabled at game start. In subsequent iterations, the corpses will be enabled for this part of the quest and disabled upon its conclusion.

Restoration
Windhelm Warehouse. A restoration mage and bandits will spawn in the warehouse, but can be led outside in order to attract the guard and remove their inherent advantage.

Alteration
Unlike illusion mages where the trick is performed through misdirection, the alteration bandits wear their names and act accordingly. The difference is they are dressed in farm clothes, and the attempt is to lower the PC’s unconscious aggression by making him/her question whether they should be attacking or if they’ve encountered a bug. As such, the altered behavior is real as opposed to a game mechanic.

Illusion
Found at The Wreck of the Winter War, the Fisherman is deliberately set up to appear like a vanilla prisoner, hence the illusion. Originally, the quest marker was designed to appear over the dead body, but a lack of scripting knowledge prevented many of the desired effects. Releases after 2.38 will incorporate that, with a fake page placed on the dead fisherman seen below.

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Forgotten Lore (CWQQ2)
Stage Information
0 Speaking to Olivia, she will inform you that her assistant, Jadro’Ra, has gone missing.
10 Jadro’Ra can be found at Shadowgreen Cavern, where he is lying wounded and dying.
15 Upon his death, Jadro’Ra hands you notes on the location of five wizards who may be in possession of the stolen documents.
20 After returning the notes to Olivia, she will ask you to track down the mages and recover the missing pages.
90 Olivia will reward the player 100 gold per page. Retrieving all five pages will set the stage to 90.
200 After receiving all 5 pages, Olivia will reward the player with a staff and 500 gold. She will then go about the business of decoding the texts, and make note that Jadro’Ra’s killer is still at large.

Notes: The scripting for this quest happens primarily through dialogue. Meaning, setting the stage through the console may not produce the desired effect, as the enabling of various NPCs is done through the fragment scripts attached to the conversations as opposed to the quest’s main script. Roarian wrote and encrypted the pages, which each have various messages contained within.

Character Sheet – Gorr

Gorr. He likes fighting and eating. And beards.

Gorr
Encounter Riverwood
Locations South of Ivarstead, Markarth, Various
Race Redguard Gender Male
Level PC×1 Class CombatWarrior2H
RefID XX02d6e7 BaseID 0202D184
Health Levels with PC Magicka Levels with PC
Stamina Levels with PC
Primary Skills Two-Handed, Heavy Armor, Block, Archery
Morality Violence Against Enemies Confidence Brave
Inventory Iron Armor, Hide Boots, Hide Gauntlets, Iron Warhammer, Horker Meat, Horker Stew
Voice Nile Zam Jones (Zammuel)

Gorr the Wanderer
Upon recruiting Gorr as a follower, you have the option of asking him where to go next. This conversation will effectively enable his wandering quest. Progressing through this quest will result in unlocking Gorr’s marriage dialogue, his personal quest, and setting him to wander.  It should also be noted that Gorr’s marriage question, It’s funny how the fates keep bringing us together, while accessible only by wearing an Amulet of Mara, is deliberately ambiguous. This way, you can hear the story while still avoiding a romantic overture by responding with That’s right. We’re great friends.

Gorr the Wanderer (DialogueGorr)
Stage Information
10 Gorr wanders to the camp south of Ivarstead. This video will show the exact location of the camp.
20 After meeting at Ivarstead and dismissing, Gorr will head to the Silver-Blood Inn in Markarth
30 This stage will unlock the above mentioned options and set Gorr to wander to the following locations:

  • Sundas – Anga’s Mill
  • Morndas – Orotheim
  • Tirdas – Hela’s Folly
  • Middas – Morthal
  • Turdas – Broken Tower Redoubt
  • Fredas – Whiterun Drunken Huntsman
  • Loredas – Clearpine Pond

Pit Dogs
After reaching stage 30 of his wander quest, Pit Dogs will be available by talking to Zora Fair-Child, or by bringing Zora to Gorr and speaking with him. The quest has two possible outcomes, as well variable rewards determined by the dialogue choices.

Pit Dogs (Gorrquest)
Stage Information
1 Help Zora find Gorr. This stage will be skipped if Zora is brought to Gorr and he is spoken to.
20 Gorr makes a reference to the Ivarstead conversation, that someone is casting aspersions on his character. Zora mentions a suspicious character headed toward Whiterun.
30 At the Drunken Huntsman, the player is introduced to J’Sharr, who is the character mentioned in Gorr’s marriage request dialogue. He mentions an underground pit fighting ring in Fort Sungard, and asks the group to attend his match.
40 J’Sharr will proceed to poison the Dragonborn. The PC will wake up in a cage, after which J’Sharr will quickly free the PC and usher him/her to the pits.
70 After watching Gorr defeat a combatant, the player has the opportunity to mingle. 3 NPCs, Valenor, Ignatius and the Fair Lady will have conversation strings. Talking to the Fair Lady will advance the quest.
75 The PC is partnered with J’Sharr and must battle 2 Alik’r Warriors in the Pit. Before the fight, J’Sharr attempts to fool the player with faulty math, at which point he/she can call him on his mistake, deny payment for the fight, or accept the amount J’Sharr says the PC will win.
100 After defeating the warriors, J’Sharr provides a key to the exit and reveals Zora can be found at Skytemple Ruins. Through Gorr’s dialogue, the option will be given to kill J’Sharr now, or prioritize rescuing Zora. This will affect the outcome of the quest.
105 Killing J’Sharr immediately will result in a delay that ends Zora’s life. Eliminating her killers will end the quest.
110 It is revealed Zora did not have a match, but was sold to a necromancer. If J’Sharr is ignored she can be saved.
135 The group returns to the Pit to find out information on J’Sharr’s whereabouts. The player can progress the quest by convincing Valenor you want to make a deal or bribing the Fair Lady.
140 J’Sharr’s location is revealed to be Orotheim. In the cave, the player finds a Khajiit and three henchmen, along with any bandits generated by the vanilla game.
200 Upon killing the Khajiit, a scene will trigger and the quest will complete.

Notes: J’Sharr is the Khajiit mentioned in Gorr’s marriage dialogue and his initial foray to Ivarstead. The Khajiit in the cave bears a striking resemblance to J’Sharr, but is unnamed for a reason. It is unlikely that J’Sharr would be careless enough to trust the player or divulge the information to the Fair Lady, and it is implied he escaped. Killing J’Sharr is possible if the PC is willing to sacrifice Zora.  Zora’s death, however, will result in breaking a number of quests with which she is involved in.

For more information about Gorr, check out his character profile here.

Creation Kit – 353 Days, 125 NPCs, 1 Minute

It Takes a Village and a Ton of Dwemer Spiders

Whenever a razor manufacturer adds an extra blade to their product, people immediately react with jokes and scorn. You can only shake your head and wonder who the target audience is for an 8-bladed chainsaw that is illegal in 48 states. I used to wonder myself what kind of deranged lunatic resided in a place where such a razor was acceptable.  Now, I live in one of those states – the state of perpetual motion.

When I see these monstrosities of engineering, I think only of the precious seconds those extra blades save when gliding the razor down the side of my face. I think of how an additional blade would cover an even larger surface area and still avoid slicing my carotid artery, while trying to deduce whether it would save enough time to justify the petition to BIC and Gillette.

This is how I spend my days. I’m brushing my teeth in the shower, clipping my toenails while taking a shit.  If I can save enough seconds, 60 of them to be precise, I can save a minute. If I can save 60 minutes I can save an hour, and so on and so forth.

I may not have time, but I can do my darndest to make it.  After all, they say a minute saved is a minute earned.  They mostly say that about pennies, but they also say time is money.  By my math I am well on my way to being the only person who can afford to have a 48 hour day. It all makes perfect sense if you don’t think about it. And I don’t. I mean, I could go back and proofread this paragraph, but there just isn’t enough time.

As we approach the one year anniversary of the Creation Kit and the release of Interesting NPCs, it seems appropriate to talk about the importance of that most diligent of taskmasters, the inexorable, swaying pendulum we call time. It is the single most critical factor in the development of the mod, and I realized from day one that the more I devoted to it the better the end product would be.

To make time and still be a functional member of society, it requires careful management. This involves not only finding ways to be efficient but prioritizing its use.  From life hacks to life interrupted, you are constantly fiddling with the clockworks of the moment.  You do it all even though it’s mostly pointless, just on the off chance you can squeeze out a few more seconds to slow down the day. And right now, I want to cash in sixty of those seconds and take a minute to say this, for I can think of no better use.

Over the course of this past year,  I can imagine many have had to make decisions where they had to sacrifice not just a weekend or two, but a consistent portion of their daily lives to help the mod’s development. Whether it’s voice acting, writing, composing music, bug reporting, suggestions, or simply helping other users on Nexus, this mod couldn’t have been built without the hard work of a community working together.

To everyone involved and those who’ve helped along the way, I say thank you.