TLDR version: a player home geared toward hunters where the taxidermy mounts (gameheads) require actually hunting the animal before they are added to your home. A while back I was looking through some player homes, particularly at ones aimed toward hunters. I noticed that many of these had gameheads. So I thought to myself, "wouldn't be cool if you acquired these gameheads by actually hunting the animals they're made from?" Well, today I fleshed out that idea quite a lot, and this is what I came up with. I'll discuss my ideas as you would encounter them in-game. We start off with a new shop in some village like Riverwood or maybe Falkreath. Upon entering this shop, you see all kinds of gameheads and full mounts of the various animals of Skyrim. You approach the old man who appears to be the shopkeeper. He says that he's a taxidermist. Being that this is a shop, you can actually buy some stuff, but all you can really buy initially is things like leather, hides, teeth, tusks, etc. So you talk to this man a little more and he explains that he is a retired hunter. He then offers you a task. It's just a simple fetch/delivery quest. Return to him and he'll reward you. Since he trusts you a bit more, he'll tell you some more about himself. He used to live in a lodge a ways into the wilderness. He would live off the land, and spend his spare time practicing taxidermy on his kills. But a short while ago, he realized he was getting too old to hunt anymore. So he decided to support himself through taxidermy. While he would have loved to stay in his home, he wouldn't get enough clients out in the middle of nowhere to be able to eke out a living. So he moved into town to set up his shop. He's certainly not wealthy, but he is getting by. And he does his miss his hunting days. Time for another task. He has a client who wants a bearskin rug. But this client is no hunter, so has not provided the required hide. The old man asks if you would retrieve a bear hide for him. Doing so nets you a paltry reward. At this point, he asks you a question: "Are you a hunter by trade?". You can say no, that you were just doing a favor for an old man. He will reward your generosity and continue to offer his services. And that would be the end of the mod. But if you say yes, he will tell you that his old hunting lodge is still around, and still vacant. He had always been hesitant to let it go, but feels that it should be used, preferably by a kindly hunter such as yourself. He offers to sell it to you; says the local trader can provide any furnishings you might need. So you visit the lodge and notice that it is surprisingly lacking in taxidermy mounts for the former home of a taxidermist. Upon next visiting the taxidermist, you can ask him about this. He'll of course say that he took everything with him when he moved. He offers to sell you a full set of mounts (which will furnish your new home with some standard gameheads). But he says that he can sense a greatness within you, and thinks you might be up for a greater challenge. He offers to make custom mounts for you using the remains of various unique animals. He briefly describes them as thus: a buck with horns so large and ornate, they're said to have been crafted by the divines themselves; a white wolf whose leadership over other wolves leads some to think he may not be the alpha male of his pack, but the alpha male of all wolves; a bear so old its hair has gone gray; a mudcrab whose shell is supposedly as hard as stone; a mysterious creature, a hare with the antlers of a deer, which may just be the ramblings of a drunk; and a dragon described as "uniquely savage". So now you have the option of asking about each of these animals which will add a new quest. Completion of each quest will result in a trophy being added to your lodge. Complete all of the quests and the taxidermist will give you his bow. I'll go into more detail on these quests in the spoiler boxes below (to conserve space). The Buck The Bear The Wolf The Mysterious Animal The Mudcrab The Dragon And that is pretty much my idea. More quests could be added of course, utilizing other animals. Though I think too many would end up cluttering the lodge. It would be better to have something that feels like a lodge that has been appropriately adorned with your trophies, than it would be to have four walls with which to house your extensive collection of animals. This mod could (and should) feel like an extension of Skyrim, and not a mod. That's why it isn't a house you happen across with a one paragraph note explaining why you get a free house. What I envision for this mod wouldn't be "bring any deer hide to me and I'll put a mount in your house". It could be that, and that'd still be kind of cool, but I want better. I want trophies for feats of hunting that are actually challenging. Hence, the mod I am describing has unique animals with unique challenges. But because this mod has unique animals, it puts it well out of the realm of my capabilities. I doubt I'd have much difficulty with the NPCs, quests, and event work, but I have zero talent when it comes to things like modelling and texturing. So I'm putting my ideas out there for others to do what they will with it. If you decide to do something with this idea and would like some further help from me (primarily ideas or writing), feel free to ask via PM or a post in this thread. So if you've actually read through all of this, tell me what you think.
