LE Get Auriel's Bow Before Starting Dawnguard

[NinetyL]

So, first of all, I'd just like to preface this by saying that I have a good lore-based explanation of why doing this should be completely within the realm of possibility. The real problem on my end is that I just have no idea how to code it.

So, we know that Gelebor takes his duties very seriously. He refuses to kill Vyrthur in part because he is adamant about protecting Auriel's wayshrines, and hence, he feels compelled to stay near them at all times. Why is it, then, that if the player goes to Darkfall Cave prior to the relevant portions of the Dawnguard quest line, it's impossible to find Gelebor anywhere? All that stands are the shrine to Auriel, the wayshrine, and a couple of trolls that aren't there if Gelebor is. What gives? I thought that this guy was supposed to be super serious about protecting the wayshrines, but no matter how long I wait, he doesn't appear.

Now, the very obvious answer to this is: "Bethesda coded it that way so that the player couldn't break the series of events that they had in mind." From a game-design perspective, it makes perfect sense. But from a lore perspective, it makes none at all. Gelebor, in his initial dialogue with you, reveals that others have gone after Auriel's Bow as well. They weren't on a quest to defeat an ancient vampire, presumably, but they somehow heard about the challenge and sought out Gelebor of their initiatives. So... why can't the player? The player is more-or-less a blank slate. What if the reason the player character came to Skyrim was because they heard about Auriel's Bow being locked away in Darkfall Cave? It's not far-fetched; Auriel's Bow is one of the most prized artifacts in all of Tamriel, and it would be a prize for any archer, collector, or enterprising merchant wishing to amass a fortune. Or maybe the player character hears about it through rumors, either in terms of headcanon or some coded event after arriving in Skyrim. Whatever the case, from a lore perspective, it makes no sense that Gelebor wouldn't appear at the shrine prior to that particular point in the Dawnguard quest line, and he makes it quite clear that anyone who can restore the Chantry and slay Vyrthur can lay claim to the bow. So why not the player? He's apparently willing to accept anyone who wants to try it.

From a practical perspective, as well, I'd pitch the notion that many of us have probably played the Dawnguard DLC several times, and at least some of those were to get the bow. It's not a bad DLC, but having to play through it to get the bow (legitimately, of course) every single time is irritatingly time-consuming. It's a very powerful artifact and deserves the proper challenge to get it, which is why I'd say that leaving the Initiate's trials and slaying Vyrthur as necessary steps to get it would be both fair and in line with the game's original lore. I actually got this idea because I had a few of my archer characters "complete" the trials, save slaying Vyrthur, by using the "coc" command and going through each of the areas. The problem, of course, is that while I "earn" the bow, it's not a genuine completion of the trials and leaves me wanting.

How would I recommend that this mod be implemented? I'll be the first to admit that I have no idea what I'm doing with coding, scripting, etc. If I did, I'd just make a makeshift version of this myself. But the gist of it would be:

-Allow the player to meet and speak with Gelebor prior to starting the Dawnguard DLC

-Have the player complete all of the trials and meet the necessary requirement of slaying Vyrthur

-Leave a note/journal explaining the situation on Vyrthur's body

-Require the player to read it, revealing that Vyrthur is a vampire and created a prophecy (nothing specific)

-Require the player to tell Gelebor about Vyrthur's condition

-After fulfilling these steps, the player is free to claim the bow, as well as get Sunhallowed arrows from Gelebor

In terms of affecting the DLC's main quest, it won't be until the player reads the Elder Scrolls in the glade that the final connection is made between Vyrthur and the prophecy, after which the player can head straight back to Isran and inform him that Auriel's Bow is the necessary weapon to fight Harkon, and then the assault on Harkon's castle can commence. Alternatively, if the player has sided with the Volkihar, then the player and Serana can proceed straight from the glade to the final confrontation with Harkon. The bottom line is that this mod's most practical purpose is to give players a lore-friendly, challenging way to obtain Auriel's Bow without having to go through almost the entire Dawnguard DLC in order to get it.

If I've overlooked any details regarding lore or sequence of events, or if you have any feedback, please let me know.

[JasperBark]

I agree to this idea, I often start new saves to run through skyrim and play quest mods again, so it is kinda annoying to have to go through the whole questline just to get the bow. I have another idea on how to implement this potential mod.

 

Basically, you just meet an altmer priest outside the cave, who claims to have had a vision of an ancient falmer chantry from Auriel himself. From there you start the journey for the bow with the priest accompanying you. After you retrieve the bow, the priest will suggest you go to the dawnguard, it is entirely up to you if you do or not, just in case you want to play dawnguard later. Though, if you do this option, regardless if you choose to side with the vampires or dawnguard, you play through normally until you have Dexion read the elder scroll, which will lead you immediately to the confrontation with Harkon afterwards.