LE Witch Storyarc Idea (think Undeath) Thoughts?

[KrillonMaster]

I loved the Undeath mod by Antioch (I believe many of us did). The Lich form was an insanely awesome aspect, but even the whole storyline and lore behind it was incredible! However, Elder Scrolls touches on many amazing lore-driven areas quite liberally.... however I feel that the witches, though touched on in numerous occasions, don't really have a full presence like say necromancy or vampires. Even the werewolves have the companions storyline. And while I greatly admire the Forsworn story (one of great storyarcs skyrim has to offer) in the western region of the map, I feel the witches practices and influence in that realm are vaguely known. We get the remnants of hagraven treachery dotting skyrim, from Orphan Rock sacrificing Spriggans to Glenmoril Coven, a chief part of the Companion's Storyline. (Note: I do know about the Forsworn Legacy mod but it revolves solely around the Forsworn. It is a great storyline and I urge if you haven't tried it that its worth the look at it. But this mod idea is expanded around the witch life of sacrificial daedric worship.

So for the mod idea (and hopefully this sparks something in extremely talented modders) I was looking at Witches, Hagravens, Forsworn, and their cult views specifically with an internal view of life among them. And an integral way of doing that is by allowing one to join a/the coven or forsworn encampment. It shouldn't be easy to just waltz on in and join though... there must be a reason that your usefulness is desired to bring you in. I, myself, think it should be two-fold story dependent on your gender. You join a coven as a female, the forsworn as a male. Both a male and a female can join the forsworn so maybe a witch can approach the female character about (or a forsworn obligated to send you to) joining the coven to branch off or out of the forsworn storyline and into a witch coven storyline. Whatever the case may be, a reason for desiring your company among them would be necessary. And as witches are usually sinister, a hidden agenda (say nurturing you to later be sacrificed) would add to the dramatic effect to the storyline.

For the male side of this story, its kind of tricky to look at the witches of skyrim and their practices... however I think it would be unique to paralyzed and "sacrificed" by hagravens to be reborn as a Briarheart. Now, as far as I imagine it, I think of the whole drunken screen effects like you see in the Waking Nightmare quest after taking the potion in a "dreamwalker" state or A Night to Remember with your drinking buddy, Sam Guevenne (Sanguine) in the Misty Grove. A briarheart loses humanity and will so I look at it as your soul has been taken to a plane of oblivion. This can be open interpretation as Glenmoril coven has arrangements with Hircine though the Raven Form comes from Nocturnal. Now, it would be imprudent if you could no longer be able to control your own body as the main character, so I think Sanguine is actually a perfect outlet to restore your soul and will (and heart) removing you from that lack of control. Give Sanguine the entertainment he craves and you'll be returned to your body to later find out how much you've done while your body was on the prowl as a briarheart. So much drama can be made out of this as you see fit too. A briarheart is a high rank among the Forsworn too, making a good a reason as any to end the storyline as the Leader of the Forsworn just as any guild you join and go up the ranks in.

As the female, you'd be following the witches crave for power. Undergoing rituals and rites in praise of daedric princes (most notable, Hircine). Since your are a dragonborn, you have power in your blood that is natural to you and is a good reason to introduce a great turn of events when the witches would like to harness your power for themselves. They will help you develop your powers because the stronger you are, the more they will harness from you. a series of quests to make you stronger and possibly even deal with inferior witches or nuisances sounds like a good start. Being a special dragonborn, they will eventually want you to become a Hagraven to ultimately heighten your power at its fullest and then harness it some manner, say sacrificial means or blood-binding rites. At this point something needs to happen to throw off the plans. I'm thinking a Companions Raid. You won't be recognized as a member, even if you are, as a Hagraven. And as far as my imagination goes, You will die. Nocturnal will talk to you in an afterlife-esque manner about her displeasure of the witch coven your in and grant your life back... lucky you (get it?). Not only that, but you'll be given some sort of trinket that allows you to change between human and Hagraven form, an extremely hard thing to do without the help of Daedric influence. She would give you this ability as a fitting reminder to witches of the power they crave being the one thing they must fear, as a form of chastisement against the coven through you. Now with all forms, special abilities and perk trees would have affect. Probably a good idea to have 100% disease resistance so both sanguinare vampiris and sanies lupus can't be caught (hence you cannot be a vampire or werewolf whilst also being a Hagraven) and most probable that the Undeath mod wouldn't be compatible with this similar mod idea.

This is a very specific thought-process but its just one of the possibilities that could be made. ofcourse, a lot more creative modders can probably do more than I can even imagine. So what do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea? The idea is yours to critique.

Thanks for your attention! :smile: And sorry for the wall of text.