LE The Dark Legend of Tezadak - detailed story/Home mod request

[terbovus]

The Dark Legend of Tezadak

Detailed concept for a Player Character and mod/series of mods for Skyrim

 

Technical note: Although I’m able to make handy structures and even simple quests and characters with the tools Bethesda provides, I don’t have the ability or inclination to navmesh, do scripting, and certainly not developing of item meshes, which would I think be required for the details of the mod outlined below :mellow: . However, I’d very much want to play it, so if anyone out there is inspired by the ideas below and capable of making them happen, I’d be eternally grateful to you if you created it for me :blush: (and of course the wider community). Many of the requirements outline below already exist in mods for Fallout, Fallout NV and Oblivion. I’d also be happy to write dialogue, quest text and lore, playtest, and provide feedback on ideas if anyone with the technical talent wants to partner up.

 

The player character - Lord Robert Fitzroy

Lord Robert (or his female counterpart, Lady Elizabeth) is a man of noble blood who was born and raised far from Skyrim, but is rapidly establishing himself as a pillar of the Skyrim nobility, influential in the guilds and widely known. In his late thirties or early forties, he holds considerable wealth and land and has a number of servants who conduct every element of his fine and comfortable life on his behalf. However, the life of a fat and inactive lord does not become him, and so he is easily recognizable in his elegant heraldic armour and can be seen ranging the land on various missions assisting those both high and low-born, often for little reward. Equipped with a fine longsword and a polished shield, he casts only the most minor of cantrips, arguing that cold steel is the way that a real man should defend himself. However, he has been known to associate himself with powerful spellcasters when required, particularly if they are beautiful females.

 

Living publicly in a grand but well-proportioned Imperial-style home amongst Skyrim’s expatriate community, Lord Robert is the epitome of nobility, though no-one seems to know his actual title or how it is derived. Indeed, there is the occasional whisper that he is not the man he appears, with a sordid past of prison and thievery, and a rumoured death sentence, behind him. Of course, no-one really believes such nonsense, and eligible ladies of the realm clamour for, if not his hand in marriage, then at least a luxuriant swim in his elegant pool followed by an amorous tumble upon his famous silken sheets.

 

However, the true man is not who he seems. For Lord Robert is in fact known by a number of other names: ‘Dark-blades’; ‘Tezadak’; ‘Overlord of the Order’ most commonly simply as ‘Master’. Much older than he appears, he is channelling the soul of the long-dead Tezadek, and has become the hidden leader of a sinister and secretive order that seeks total power within the land. At night he dons intimidating robes with an all-concealing mask, and takes up necromantic twin blades which he wields with no mercy on the strong and the weak alike.

 

Behind layers of secret doors below his mansion lies a nightmarish black catacomb, where a voluptuous evil priestess assists him in carrying out hideous dark rites to foster his evil powers. He uses the powers of necromancy to raise the dead and control the living, binding them to his will and inserting them as his agents across Skyrim. Prisoners he takes as well, some for sacrifice, others for possible future usefulness, locked in fetid cages far from the sunlight with no prospect of escape.

 

What ends he intends for this accumulation of power are unknown, for he creates much that is good through his open assistance for others, and indeed has a growing reputation in many towns. It may be that he is torn between a decent outer man and darker inner urges, or perhaps his public persona will one day be cast aside and he will openly aspire to rule. It is certain that he obtains satisfaction from forcing his agents, some of whom are powerful nobles in their own right, to debase themselves before him in secret. Perhaps power is its own end, as he accumulates artefacts and retainers both in his public display chambers and in his dark museum of evil in the foul catacombs.

 

Rumour has it that he seeks to rise in the Skyrim Chapter of the Dark Brotherhood, aiming to turn it to his own twisted ends. Or perhaps he is their servant in this. Will his power continue to grow? Or will he make some mistake, one enemy too many, that results in discovery and his eventual doom?

 

Building Mod(s) requested:

Fitzroy Mansion: An uncluttered player home of grand presentation but manageable size with elegant, well proportioned lines, where Lord Robert can safely leave his retainers, invite guests and present his artefacts. The home will be clearly divided between functions, with an elegant player suite (bedroom, dressing room and private entrance to the bathing area) with lockable doors, a grand hall including display areas for treasures, armour, weapons and other fine artefacts where companions/retainers/ guests may dine, or sit and converse while the PC reclines on his throne, a study/library with a usable desk and storage, a cleansing temple/bathing area with a small altar and chests for robes and clothes, guest quarters for two guests with bedrooms and dressing rooms (designed for dropping off companions who don’t suit the main hall – perhaps due to their race, appearance or attire). These are separated by discreet doors and passages from a large kitchen, a pantry (including food, drink and herb sorters etc), a laundry, a storeroom with chests and barrels (and sorters for weapons and armour) servants’ quarters, a wine cellar, a workshop/smithy/ alchemy lab for crafting (again with sorters for crafting goods) and stables. If the location allows the home may also have a small kitchen garden and an elegant formal garden with water features and excellent views.

 

The home should also have a loyal Steward character who can (if suitably recompensed) take on a small number of kitchen and serving staff, a household priestess, discreet servants, stable-boys, artisans etc, each of which can be hired or fired by name and has at least a limited identity (allowing the PC to select the ones he/she likes and giving a good way to get rid of excess staff you later decide are cluttering the place up or ruining the ‘look’). The Steward will also be able to buy or sell additional furnishings, ensure the instant sorting of goods after a long and accumulative trip, the replacement/tidying of volumes in the library, the stocking of goods in the kitchen etc. Guards should not be required, but perhaps a loyal man-at-arms or two might be stationed at the main entrance should trouble arise. Each month the PC will be required to pay salaries – if this is delayed by more than a week of game time staff will leave and will need to be rehired at a premium. All staff will be polite and respectful and will perform basic merchant functions (kitchen staff can provide food, servants provide food and drink, artisans repair and sell equipment including staff uniforms, priestess provides healing etc), and can of course be fully possessed by Sir Robert (see below) should he require other services from them, such as the sacrifice of their immortal souls.

 

This leads us nicely to the darker part of the property. A number of well concealed catacomb areas, protected by spells, will be accessed through a main secret entrance and passageway in the player suite (allowing the PC to ‘retire for the night’). The first secret panel will reveal what seems a very dull secret room containing just a few dusty old books (books though, that hint at something more), and the player will have to keep looking to find the real secrets. These will include a necromantic study/library, a summoning room where demons and other dark beasts can be called and bested in combat, a teleport chamber giving rapid access to the immediate outside world via a concealed teleport gate elsewhere in the neighbourhood (so everyone still thinks they are in their suite) as well as additional hidden gates across the continent, a sacrificial chamber with altar and throne and an area for displaying twisted armours and artefacts unsuitable for public viewing, simple acolyte quarters, and lockable prison cells. Within the sacrificial chamber a pit will be available for casting away unwanted corpses, items and body parts, and a small pool for washing away (or bathing in) the blood of sacrifice. A deeper cavern may contain a captive dragon. Back in the public side of the house, secret panels and hidden passageways in various rooms should provide secure access to emergency weapons and particular valuables, as well as enabling the discreet hiding of corpses from guests should such eventualities become necessary.

 

Within the catacombs the player can summon a voluptuous, obedient and suitably scantily clad high priestess who will offer poisons, spells, robes for inducted companions and Order members, ropes, chains and rags for prisoners and slaves to wear, sacrificial outfits for intended victims etc. If at all possible, she will also enable the player to induct possessed NPCs into the order – allowing them to be renamed. This should enable the player to make anyone they want an obedient, correctly-dressed, appropriately named acolyte of the order, a handy companion to join them on their quests, or add them to the staff of the household above. The high priestess may also have options to send the PC on particular missions to gather dark artefacts or find particularly potent sacrificial victims (see below)

 

Around the home are nice lore items – Guides on the household, documents on food supply and possible guests and books on the Noble title’s history in the main area, Dark tomes on the history of Tezadak, the establishment of the order, locations of the secret teleport gates and the practice of human sacrifice in the catacombs.

 

Overall the home’s design should minimize loading screens etc to reduce the chance of losing companions and enabling the carrying of items/corpses between rooms seamlessly. To prevent too much GPU load furniture should be selective - think the more elegant stately homes - less is more.

 

Concealed Gates: Concealed teleport gates that open into discreet public areas across the continent. At least one should open into a secret evil temple, and all should be accessible through secret doors or other cunning artifice.

 

Object Mods requested: (in-game objects may fulfil most of these roles)

Fitzroy’s Armour: Fine heraldic steel armour, shield, cloak, used with a standard longsword for Sir Robert to wield in his public persona

 

Fitzroy’s Retainer uniform: A smart uniform for servants, men at arms and the Steward to wear – themed to support the heraldic theme of the armour

 

Tezadak’s Robes: Intimidating cloth or leather armour with concealing mask.

 

Tezadek’s Twin Blades: Twin necromantic blades for use on secret missions. Quite possibly horribly overpowered and with some necromantic spell effect that activates on hit.

 

Order Robes: Similar to Tezadek’s, only not quite so impressive. He is the master, after all. The high priestess may wear these or something more revealing.

 

Sacrificial outfit: Garment for sacrifices to wear before they die for the master. Traditionally these are white and skimpy and designed for women.

 

Slave outfits: Ropes/Chains and rags – can’t have smartly dressed folks in your cells, it wouldn’t be right!

 

Tezadak’s sacrificial knife: Needs to be equipped for two of the powerful spells to work – see below

 

Spell Mods requested:

Tezadak’s Spell of possession: A necromantic spell that enables any NPC to be possessed. This will enable complete control of them, turning them into a flexible companion/retainer, unwilling to resist the commands of Sir Robert, who can dictate how they dress, where they live, what they do and whether they live or die. Indeed – he may even command them to take up particular poses of subordination, supplication or salute, which they may be required to maintain for days on end on pain of death.

 

For many he controls Sir Robert will leave them in place, where they will greet him as their master and offer him their bodies, goods and services at nominal price, but where they can also speak freely and perform their usual daily roles without arousing suspicion. Some will accompany him on his travels, aiding him in his missions. Others will serve in his home, as loyal household members unaware of his true identity, or in darker roles as acolytes or sacrifices. Unfortunate indeed is the victim commanded by Sir Robert to climb upon his altar and lie helplessly waiting for death, for he or she can no more resist their fate than a feather upon the breeze.

 

Tezadak’s Spell of dark resurrection: A necromantic spell that enables the raising of those killed. Those newly raised may simply continue their life unaware that they had ever died, covering Lord Robert’s tracks and crimes, or may be immediately enslaved by Lord Robert to serve darker, longer-term ends. It will not work on those killed on the altar in the player home.

 

Tezadak’s Mindwipe spell: A necromantic spell that sets any hostile NPC within a certain range to neutral.

 

Tezadak’s Spell of dark restoration: A necromantic spell that provides a full recharge of PC biological needs, health, mana and other statistics. To function, the spell requires a sacrificial knife to be equipped and an NPC who has been commanded to lie on the sacrificial altar at the player home. Needless to say they die horribly and irreversibly when the spell is cast.

 

Tezadak’s Spell of soul removing: A necromantic spell that enables upgrading of PC attributes and abilities without using console commands. To function, the spell requires a sacrificial knife to be equipped and an NPC who has been commanded to lay on the sacrificial altar at the player home – literally this spell should suck the abilities of the soul in question from its unfortunate victim and implant them in the Player Character. As with the spell above, they die horribly and irreversibly when the spell is cast.

 

Quest Mods requested:

Fitzroy’s Title:

An introductory quest accessible very early in the game that allows the PC to lay claim to a noble title, giving access to the basic player home and some small innocuous secret areas, such as a treasure room and secret passages. It can be left at that point if the player is a ‘good’ character. The aim is that the basic player home is not ‘cheaty’ – i.e. services are there but have to be paid for – and should not unduly unbalance the game while providing a nice central home to drop off companions and loot, and convert accumulated stuff into cash.

 

Tezadak’s Curse:

This would be an additional introductory quest linked to some artifact in the player home – perhaps a ancient tome (Tezadak’s Journal) hidden behind a panel in the library – that gives the player a choice to do something suitably evil and self-serving. If it is refused then the quest simply ends, but if accepted the quest chain results in the players’ infusion with Tezadak’s soul, creating the PC’s secret identity as Tezadak, giving them access to the spells and evil secret areas of the player home. Given the power of the spells (and the idea that Lord Robert in his secret persona is an extremely powerful and sinister character) this will inevitably unbalance the game. But hey – he’s now definitely evil, and wouldn’t worry about such things! This quest could be picked up at any time – it must be continually resisted, but once the evil act is done there is no turning back! Each of the spells noted above may require a separate quest or particular item to obtain.

The idea is that this quest should require some problem solving and exploring within the house, with hints in the lore items around the house leading the PC to the book and the subsequent secret doors.

 

Once this quest was completed the whole residence is available, perhaps with the summoning room, study and sacrificial room requiring further searching. The player will then have a follow up quest that enables them to summon the high priestess (who has been waiting in a hidden evil temple far away and comes via the teleport gate)

 

Even once everything has been discovered, apart from occasional veiled references by the Steward (who is in the know) the basic house and staff will remain unaware of the PC’s secrets and may become hostile if they become aware of it (requiring a mindwipe or their death).

 

Tezadak’s Doom:

This would be a further quest or quests that require the PC to take a number of actions to protect their secret identity. It would be particularly cool if this were triggered by player action (e.g. for every tenth person they possess a high-powered agent comes after them, attacking the home, kidnapping the PC and interrogating them at some secret (escapable) location, or trying to assassinate the PC). These could be random do-gooders, members of the Blades, or members of a group that previously encountered Tezadak and survived.

 

High Priestess Missions:

The high priestess would have a number of quests, triggered on a game-time passed basis, that are too important to trust to lowly acolytes and must be attended to by the master himself – the implication being that members of the Order are carrying out lower-level evil quests on the players’ behalf all the time (indeed – the priestess could regularly provide funds that are generated by this background activity and which more than cover the costs of running the household). These could include possessing particular individuals, either as secret agents/new Order members or to bring them back to the mansion, assassinating those who have discovered too much about the Order, or obtaining rare and dangerous artefacts to build the power of the order.

Edited November 9, 2011 by terbovus