[blockquote][b][url=/profile/mitchblatt]mitch blatt[/url] said:[/b] I figured I could pretend that my character saw a notice in Ivarstead for Stalleo's bandit issue, and then pretend that Stalleo says that some of the bandits came from Halted Stream Camp and that he overheard them talking about wizards turning things into gold. But now I'm wondering if there's a difference between RPing and pretending.[/blockquote]

Instead of just pretending that your character saw a notice in Ivarstead, actually travel to Ivarstead. You're heading east from Helgen towards Riften anyway so maybe you stopped in the town because it's getting late or the weather is bad. Visit the Vilemyr Inn - make sure you're there in the evening when the locals visit the inn. Talk to Wilhelm the innkeeper, buy some food and drink, sit down on the bench beside one of the NPCs. Engage in dialogue with the NPCs (which will be just be random dialogue). You could talk to the guards patroling around the town (in reality just clicking on them until they say their line of dialogue).

No doubt with so many travelers passing through Ivarstead, it's possible that a pilgrim traveling from Riften on his way to High Hroghgar (which is supported by Wilhem's in-game dialogue about visitors passing through on their way to High Hrothgar) has passed Treva's Watch (which the traveler would do if he followed along the river, as can be seen on the map). Perhaps that traveler heard about the bandit problem but didn't want to get involved and so continued on his way to Ivarstead where he mentioned it to the locals. 

Even though the NPCs actual dialogue wouldn't mention Treva's Watch or Stalleo, the fact that you talked to the NPCs would open up the possiblity that you could roleplay that a particular NPC passed this information along to you. From there you could continue to Treva's Watch and pick up the roleplay for obtaining information about Halted Stream Camp.

Just as you suggested yourself, you could roleplay that the bandits heard about wizards turning things into gold (which fits into generic dialogue that bandits sometimes say as they wander around in ruined buildings). You could even pick a particular bandit and roleplay that you coerced that information out of him. This would give you a reason to travel to Halted Stream Camp and search for the transmute tome.

I've done this sort of role play just recently with a Nord commoner who became a courier (loosely based off of Vargr's The Courier build) that I'm currently playing. I roleplayed that Vittoria Vicci manages the East Empire Courier Service, hired me and gave me my courier uniform (which I actually consoled in). Of course Vittoria doesn't really manage the Courier Service or have a uniform to give me but the roleplay aspect is that I actually traveled to Solitude and talked to Vittoria (I didn't console in the uniform until that point) in order to set in motion my character becoming a courier. 

As Zonnonn said:

[blockquote][b][url=/profile/Zonnonn]Zonnonn[/url] said:[/b]

The possibilities are endless.

[/blockquote]

Happy roleplaying!

Hi, brand new here, though I have admired from afar, for a long time. Now I've joined, because I'd like help with my current Skyrim character, firstly with her story and lore. Then I might move on to her build!

A child of Ehinofey

After playing a Nord Dragonborn, an Orsimer miner, a Nightblade Dumner and a Redguard merc, my next choice was a Reach Breton elementalist, with ties with the Forsworn faction.

During her precreation, while looking for lore to 'seat' her, this caught my eye.

Many ( of the Ehinofey) followed the example of Y'ffre and sacrificed themselves to form the rules of nature.

I imagine her as a conduit of elemental forces, who gives obiesiance to those who made manifest earth water air and fire/light from which Y'frre grew his slime.
I have read and tried to absorb writings on the Ehinofey and creation, the ESO wyresses and  elemental guardians, and  Skryrim's Skaal.

???? She is almost level 30 now, and I feel I still haven't got a clear story true to the Lore in which to place her ,or rituals and questing to give structure to her story.
What is she? Any suggestions? Any good quotes to inspire or examples to follow or songs to sing?

To fill in, the threads of her story so far are
Born in the Reach, part of her family are Forsworn, following Cidhna mine I have made her factioned to the Forsworn. (For part of her year she takes time off her true calling, wanders and explores the Reach, killing soldiers on the road etc).
Wandering, worshipping, seeking knowledge and power to become a true child of the Ehinofey has led her to caves, Solstheim, and now Winterhold.
For her, the Daedra Princes are the anithesis of her lords, self indulgence, not sacrifice. She shuns conjuration, soul gem enchantments and necromacy.

Thanks

PS I also joined because I like talking about my characters. My other current project is Aranea Ienith's early years as a Tribunal Temple follower in Morrowind. Eventually she will become a heretic and a maybe-Neverine, but I doubt if she will be The Neverine since she fights like a wet kitten.

Just wanted to clarify the questions Mook, since it all sounds kinda cool, but I'm not the most Lore/RP-savvy person around (can tell people what's good/bad, but struggle with writing it myself).

Ah so is the idea you want to figure out Quests/Stories that work in combination with the Lore of the Ehlnofey or Forsworn? So you can build her up a little bit more around them?

From memory, I don't think there are going to be many quests that have a good connection with the Ehlnofey, simply because the game does it's best to not really get into many of the deeper aspects of TES Lore. I mean you compare (most) of Skyrim to something like Morrowind, where they had the Tribunal, a really heavy focus on the Daedra, Dunmer Creation Myths, Dunmer Culture, and just a lot of extremely deep topics like that, which continue branching and branching and branching. I'd argue the deepest things that Skyrim really examines are the Dragons and their relationship to Akatosh, and maybe Mantling through Talos and Sheogorath, and some Shor stuff but that's about it from memory...

Buuuuut, that's just my opinion. I can say that I don't really anything that specifically mentions or hints at the Ehlnofey outside of books. I suppose an argument could be made regarding Arniel Gane's questline (since he's essentially trying stuff similar to Kagrenac and all) and possibly the Volkihar? Afterall both of them are in some way responsible for something that will distort the rules of nature in some manner. At least Miraak and Alduin are still somewhat natural...sorta...not really...Okay but they aren't trying to do anything other than kill/enslave everyone. So you know...props to them?

The Forsworn side is a fair bit easier but requires a bit more RP. Personally, my favorite method for running them (without mods) is just to never go into the Reach and act like my character is banished, but I'm not entirely sure if that would work here, though you could work in something relatively similar (just in a more positive light). Dunno, it's hard for me to justify anything without writing a whole piece on a potential Forsworn Civil War/using Mods...

Right, so to answer your questions. I'd recommend going with Dragonborn, Dawnguard, Cidnha Mine, College of Winterhold (after all, I feel like Magnus would be an appropriate half-enemy for a worshiper of the Ehlnofey, and having his relic show up is terribly dangerous)...Maybe even focus on some of the Daedric Quests where you can screw over the Prince (Namira can just involve killing Eola once you learn she's a cannibal, Molag Bal can be screwed over by escaping the joint and then never coming back, Dagon can be screwed over by not killing whatshisface, Vaermina can be screwed over) and so on and so forth. That'd give you a pretty consistent starting line-up of Quests overall. 

Any of this helpful? Feel like I got a bit rambly at some point, but I like talking Skyrim sooooo, couldn't help it :P

Of course it's helpful! And I completely understand wanting to talk and talk. Incidentally I put it here, because this section really straddles lore and game, and means I can talk about more too.

I hadn't thought of tackling the Deadra at all, at the start anyway, they are something your Ma tells you not to touch with a ten foot pole. Maybe when she's tackled the world eater first. I have sorted the forsworn by using the console to recruit her, after the Mine. (They are family even if their 'faith' is spoiled) If she becomes Dragon born, don't know how I'm going to drag the Blades through to the Skyhaven Temple!

My main difficult is setting the foundation of her back story . it has a BUT in it.

First bit's alright, well, it is a possible which I don't mind scrapping.

. A family catastrophe in Markath, maybe her mother was indiscrete in magic use and singed the hem of a Nord or Thalmor. Kin scampered off to the Forsworn, she returned to her mothers homeland of Glenumbra, and ended up for a time with the Beldama Wyrd, without becoming one.

I read this, from the perspective of an ESO player thetookybird http://www.eso-rp.com/forum/m/9324623/viewthread/30787147-obscurity-wyrd
"First, is understanding what Wyrd is. Within Tamrielic lore the Wyrd presents itself as the laws of nature set down the Y’ffre who, along with other et'Ada, became the Earth-Bones (or Ehlnofey). The Earth-Bones are what the Wyresses adhere to, venerate, and above all else protect. [x] Wyresses are also known to fiercely insist that they are descended from the Ehlnofey, and that their guardianship is one given before times of Man or Mer. "[x

"I name you the Earth-Bones," Jephre decreed,
"Lords of the forest, rock, root, and seed.
This heritage nurture, henceforth be its guards
And designate worthies to act as its wards."
Thereafter did Wyrd Women watch o'er the Green,
From tundra to forest, from peak to ravine,
Wyresses: The Name-Daughters
by Glargargil the Speaking Oak

(This persuades me to join the Spriggan faction too)

BUT

This is where I have a missing link. I invisaged not Y'ffre, the only named Earth bone, but something more like this.
"Shaman are spiritual guides and practitioners, not of the divine, but of the very elements." (WoW) How could I Skyrimise this, storywise? This is how I really imagine is what makes an elementalist.
How she does pass from the Wyress perspective to that of an elementalist? Has she always been different, having affinity with unnamed spirits while wandering the Reach, making simple offerings on rocks?? Did something awaken, not of dragon, when she stood for a timeless moment unscathed by Aldren's fury and bathed in his flames???? (That was fun to do)

Is there a third way?????

Incidentally, I've been very much inspired by Raid's Hedge Mage, but that's a story for another day.