Year of the RPG: Skyrim

Two games in to the Year of the RPG, and we’re taking on another “best game ever”: Skyrim, developed by Bethesda and published in 2011 as the fifth installment of The Elder Scrolls series. In a sort of RPG backlash, we are going from the somewhat scripted story of Chrono Trigger to one of the open-world games that launched the open-world over-saturation we are in the midst of now. With a much looser story and endless possibilities for exploration and building your own fortune, Skyrim offers fantastic opportunities for people to build their own characters and seek their own unique destinies.

Special Companions

The wonderful people over at Later Levels are participating in a charity stream for Special Effects, which is a UK-based charity dedicated to making video games accessible to people of all physical abilities. And what better way to celebrate opening up the world of gaming than by partaking in an open-world adventure in virtual reality?

Join the Later Levels crew on March 3rd, 2018, at 8:00am GMT for their 24-hour marathon, during which they will be playing Skyrim in virtual reality!

And even more importantly, if you haven’t done so already, please send them a few dollars if you’re able, to help more people be able to access the new and exciting worlds that games provide. I’ve already made my donation and am looking forward to joining Later Levels for their stream on Twitch, too!

Let’s help ensure that games are accessible and fun for everyone!

The Adventurer

Unfortunately, my character this time around is not so generous, although I would hope that a desire to help people with disabilities would melt even the most frozen of hearts.

Name: Ra’zirr

Species/class: Khajiit, sword and board/thief

Alignment: Lawful evil

Backstory: Ra’zirr learned at an early age that the best way to gain power was by operating just within the limits of the law. Plausible deniability sows enough doubt to avoid being called guilty, after all. He prides himself on being a self-made khajiit, but recently fell on hard times and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and lost what little he had gained for himself.

He believes in survival of the fittest, and anyone who tries to better society or help someone out of pure altruism is deluded and going against the natural order of things. He has a strict code of behavior that he will punish anyone for breaking, particularly when it comes to promises. His word is good, and so he seldom makes promises as to break his word would be one of the most disgraceful things he could do, beside being caught breaking a law outright. His friends, of which there are few, are held to the same standards he holds himself. Loyalty is rewarded with loyalty, disloyalty is punished by death.

Ra’zirr doesn’t kill for the sake of killing. It is a means to an end, and a consequence of breaking his code for orderliness, including the laws of the land. While his ultimate goal is to become the most powerful man in Skyrim and set the laws to which all others will adhere, Ra’zirr has no problem working within the law and for the organizations in power if he perceives them as deserving respect. He therefore will work with or for government bodies and religious organizations, although he has no strong personal ties to either. He will not purposefully hurt children, and tolerates (read: doesn’t kill) the deluded altruists he comes across as long as they don’t stand in the way of his goals.

Nice guys finish last, after all. Those that finish last are not worthy of anyone’s time, pity, help, or concern. Unless they can be manipulated to better his position.

His actions are always driven by a desire for his own gain; no quest is undertaken without a clear indication of how he would benefit: money, power, and prestige are the currencies Ra’zirr deals in.

Usually courteous, but just as usually direct, Ra’zirr only pulls out his sharp temper when he thinks he has been used, or the reward he was due has been forgotten (or will be forgotten). In his mind, it is Ra’zirr first, and all else second.

Off He Goes to Make His Fortune

Holy Maker, what have I unleashed on Skyrim??

I’m not going to lie, I’m actually pretty excited to play this character. I’ve never played any sort of “evil” aligned character before, and so this is a nice introduction as he’s a principled evil person. If I ever roll “chaotic evil,” that will be an interesting time.

And away we go! Mailboxes are open, and I have a little trained dragonling bringing my mail to me every day.If you’re on an adventure in Skyrim, drop me a line! Or, if you’re off adventuring in another RPG land, I’d love to hear from you, as well.

Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon!
~ Athena

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