After our little escape from Helgen, which even from the name itself sounds unfriendly, Hadvar and I traveled to a nearby town that Hadvars uncle lived in working as a blacksmith. However I did make a pit stop at the standing stones to accept a blessing. I chose the warrior's path because steel and sweat was my savor during the Helgen escape and I am sure it will be my savior later on as well. After making introductions and explaining the unusual circumstance as to why we were there all of the sudden Alvor, Hadvar's uncle, befriended me and offered any aid possible for saving his nephew. After acquiring some supplies from Alvor and learning some blacksmithing skills from him, I decided to socialize with the town given I am new and would need friends in my journey.
I made such a friend in Faendal, a wood elf hunter who was quarreling with a young man named Sven over a girl named Camilla. I actually met Sven first who after speaking with me about his love with Camilla asked that I deliver a fake letter to Camilla saying it was Faendal which contained nasty words and prepositions for her. I decided to take it Faendal instead who actually gave me his own fake letter to give to Camilla. Honestly both these two are horrid people for this, but I decided to aid Faendal due to his less abrasive personality. Nonetheless I made a friend in Riverwood.
I conversed with some other town residents who all treated me rather friendly for a stranger, even the kids thought I wasn't too strange for a stranger. The town saw me for a rather ordinary traveler despite my lizard appearance and offered me rather kind words for a passing argonian. While I was treated with no prejudice, I did hear the sound of it as I conversed about the war. The town was split, the ones who supported the storm cloaks seemed rather head strong and wanted nothing with the empire. While in comparison, many who supported the imperials and their endeavors offered empathy for the storm cloaks as many of the residents of Riverwood were nords themselves.
The conversation system of Skyrim is an organic immersion ways of learning about the world and it's characters. While there is repetition to the dialogue, it is a very well crafted system. It offers much to the immersion of the world since you are given choices, and the very optional means to it. During this play through I found out that in the inn the owner's assistant actually tells you how to craft health potions. I never knew this from my other playthroughs and it just goes to show, that the dialogue offers plenty of game information and help despite being such an optional part of the game.
I've noticed that the interactions with Sven and Faendal seem to change a lot. In this play through, I thought Faendal had a rather abrasive personality as he seemed to immediately get in my face about how I shouldn't be talking to the likes of Sven. In the times that I've played through Skyrim, even this time, I've never found the woman who tells you how to make a health potion. That is also an interesting point about the children, they're told to avoid strangers, but just assume that the character is perfectly alright. At least they don't judge on appearances.
ReplyDeleteYour approach to this game is very well rounded, for you are looking ahead to what may help you, yet making decisions in the present to benefit yourself.
ReplyDeleteI find it important as well to stop and interact with people and either get information or their confidence in you to save or retrieve "something".
On a side note, I enjoy the titles that you give your blogs. They are very entertaining yet applicable to the topic. I find them to be more exciting to read if there is an interesting title and that goes to show that this is more like writing a short story of our adventures through this game.