Notes and Stuff

Kris Takahashi Other 7 Comments

2014-01-11_00010Here are some thoughts while I chomp on this burrito and Vex teaches me about the nuances of infiltration:

• README – The new quests and the big update slowed things down with the wiki, but the NPC portion is still caught up, as it includes even unreleased folks like Cassius and Geel-Jah. I feel like if I force myself to make the wiki pages as I make the NPCs, I should be fine. The quest pages though, they can take all day to complete, and I’m sure you’d prefer I focus on new content.

• DONATIONS – I saw a donate button on Kayla Marquez’s Tumblr, and I immediately thought to myself, why don’t I have one of those? Do I hate money? Anyone who knows me would probably say yes. In any case, as long as you remove AdBlock, I think the advertising revenue will be enough to sustain the blog and my lavish yachting lifestyle. For that reason, donations are not necessary, but if you are so inclined, I will hold you in high esteem.

• UPDATES – I still feel like the weekly update is the way to go, so we’re still on track to drop 3.04.1 on Monday. If you’ve noticed the casting call section, I’ve filled the part of Duraz, and the best part is the voice is even better than the last one. I just hope we can make it to the finish line. She’s also going to be marriable, which I feel like should be a word. Anyhow, the voice, yes the voice is pretty amazing. It makes me happy. It has just the right amount of gravel without sounding raspy or whispered. Take a listen:

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• OTHER PROJECTS – I’ve batted around a few ideas for the Evermoor Island mod that has been made available as a resource, and even wrote up a few characters to open with. It would all take place outside of the Elder Scrolls universe, as tying yourself to that world would basically limit the stories you could tell. The biggest deterrent would probably be the fact that the navmeshes aren’t done.

It’s a pretty stupid thing to quibble about given the dude made an entire island, but on the other hand, adding the navmeshes is probably the most tedious thing you could ever spend your day on. Even with clutter you’re still sort of decorating. But it’s just incredibly hard to motivate yourself to connect a bunch of triangles together. The villages and towns are one thing, but the open world is another. Maybe I’ll start with one small area and see if I can maintain my sanity.

Quest Profile – The Elven Sword

Kris Takahashi Character Profiles No Comments

There’s a reason the face sculptor lives in the Ratways. It’s the only place she can hide her can of worms.

The notion of altering one’s face may be ideal from a gameplay perspective, but from a lore standpoint it’s crazier than a barrel full of Orcs. The ability to take on the faces of loved ones, confidants and infiltrate places in plain sight makes it a game-breaking tool for any assassin or thief. As such, in most universes, shape-shifting is a power reserved for the most dangerous of villains. It’s a rare practice, a difficult feat, a taboo. It is not offered to random strangers for the cost of an ebony mace. After all, if such skills were available to everyone, it would destroy the very concept of physical identity. If anyone can be anyone, then there’s no guarantee that anyone is anyone.

Your spouse could be your neighbor, looking for a taste. Your child may be some orphan who wanted a better life. The guardsman who teases you about your stolen sweetroll could be the thief who stole it. Hell, he could be Ulfric Stormcloak. He’d certainly have the face for it. All it takes is some gold and a smith willing to forge it.

The elven sword Pelgurt asks you to retrieve is just that. A forgery. It’s a stranger posing as a member of the family. It wears its face, it bears its markings, but it has none of the history. Nevertheless, its resemblance alone is enough for Vartheim to question whether the sword he’s stolen is real. The same is true for the face of the mercenary Benild. At no point does he consider that her identity is as false as Pelgurt’s sword.

In the end, the story of The Elven Sword is one about deception. Whether it’s the make of a sword or the face on a skull, when identities can be bought and bartered for, it’s best not to trust anyone.

Fan Art – Anum-La and Dalum-Ei by Kayla Marquez

Kris Takahashi Art 4 Comments

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Not that I don’t love Zora and Rumarin, but there’s over 200 NPCs and counting so you’d think some of the others would get some love. This is the talented Kayla Marquez drawing everyone’s favorite Swamp Knight. I really like the art style and the coloring, it gives them that animated feel that’s a good change of pace from the dark, hyper-realistic atmosphere in the game itself.  As Honor’s Calling has always been a fan favorite, perhaps Kayla will one day do a scene with all eight members of the party, with Indrel ensconced firmly in a tree.

tumblr_mwfkc2Z7Sz1rrm90jo1_1280Since there are two pictures in this post, now I have to fill this bottom area with text as well. Did you know Dalum-Ei‘s favorite system is the honor one? Bet you didn’t. Although a strict, Draconian rule would come in a close second. In any case, here are Kayla’s links. Be sure to click on them, bookmark them, and tattoo them on your buttocks.

• Kayla’s Tumblr
• Kayla’s Deviant Art Page