Compassion in Skyrim... it's not easy

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LotusEater

I brake for blue butterflies
Last night I decided to go ahead and start the Dragonborn DLC. Got myself all outfitted to survive the brutal island and get to the source of the cultist attack. As I'm walking through Windhelm on my way to the docks I get a sudden pang of anxiety. What if she is there? Of course she's there. The one NPC that will make me scrap my entire play session plan. Harmless she is. Easy to ignore for most I imagine. Yes, I'm talking about Sophie. SHE'S SLEEPING ON THE GROUND FOR GOD'S SAKE!

So then I'm thinking that this won't do. How can I fully enjoy destroying ash spawn when I know some little girl is sleeping on the ground in Windhelm of all places. At least Lucia has a nice warm bench under a pink tree. What to do, what to do. Adopt of course... but wait. Windstad Manor? Not really kid friendly. Plus it's an adventurers home. No bedrooms. No kitchen. What to do, what to do. Lakeview Manor is the place they should be, obviously, but I haven't even met the Jarl of Falkreath yet. Crap. Crap crap crap CRAP!

Long story short. No Solstheim for me last night but at least Sophie and Lucia are safe and sound in Lakeview Manor with Lydia guarding over them. Now I can kill things in peace.

Ever had a NPC change your play session plans so drastically?
 

Mithro'I

Well-Known Member
Yes, I know that. My first character is a sneaky archer backstabby type of person. Planned to be as evil as possible. Until that poor homeless child kept telling me how awesome I am and that I should be her parent. Now the evil backstabby type guy is father of two children, married to Serana-turned-human. Damn Lucia.
 

LotusEater

I brake for blue butterflies
Ya, Lucia is just as bad. The part of her dialogue where she says she was kicked out because she was good for nothing. Empathy kicks in and I cave. Every. Single. Time. What kind of monster would say that to a child? Empathy for pixels. Strange world we live in indeed. :)

Hell, I even feel bad for Serana when she is sitting all lonely on the bench in Dawnguard and scoop her up even though I don't like followers. I need help...
 

Wildroses

Well-Known Member
Oh tell me about it. That line: "You're the best! Can you be my mother?" always makes my characters start trying to find the cash for a house no matter what I'd planned. My first character hadn't been planning to adopt at all but changed her mind, rather like this guy: http://gyrick.deviantart.com/art/NC-I-21-Skyrim-Think-of-the-Children-335438077

And as for Serana, I hadn't been planning to keep travelling with her at all. I was sick of her resurrecting everything in sight, running in front of my attacks and refusing to be left alone while I was trying do to things like pickpocket missions, and wanted to dump her as soon as we'd killed her Dad. So we went and killed her Dad, who's dying words were: "No...Serana...your own father..." Then I asked her what she was planning to do now and she quavered: "I'm not sure. Stay with the Dawnguard as long as they'll let me...unless you've got any more adventures planned?" /puppy dog eyes. Yes, of course you can come with me, you poor miserable traumatised lonely little thing.

Stenvar once ruined a roleplay. My character had had a rough life and agreed to marry him purely because she saw the advantages of a bit of extra protection and gold. They adopted two girls. The plan had been to have my damaged, cold character slowly falling completely in love with her husband and children. But instead she came home late at night twice to find Stenvar asleep in her children's bed. I could only thing of one reason why a man would be repeatedly asleep in a child's bed late at night, so Stenvar got taken on an adventure from which he never returned. When she came back alone one of the girls ran up to give her a flower, so I don't think they were too traumatised at the loss of their new Daddy.
 

T. Rakinson

A Brute among Beasts
I really never cared for those kids... to me they're more useful as flower Salespeople. I found it weird that I could sell them a human heart....
Why, I wonder, do you all give up your quests though? The one time I adopted that Windhelm girl, I sold her to meet me at Honeyside when I had concluded some business at Honorbell Orphanage.;)
 
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LotusEater

I brake for blue butterflies
I really never cared for those kids... to me they're more useful as flower Salespeople. I found it weird that I could sell them a human heart....
Why, I wonder, do you all give up your quests though? The one time I adopted that Windhelm girl, I sold her to meet me at Honeyside when I had concluded some business at Honorbell Orphanage.;)


I suspended questing because I didn't have (what I considered to be) adequate housing for them. So I had to build a house. I'm hanging with Neloth now and the kids are fine. All is well in Skyrimland, for the moment.
 

Chadonraz

Well-Known Member
I've never liked any of the kids in Skyrim, HF or vanilla. Probably because I don't like kids IRL, either.

And although I'm extremely compassionate and empathic in real life, no NPC has ever drastically changed my playstyle. They're not real, and therefore have no real feelings.
 

Sah

Well-Known Member
hello every one :)

this one finds the subject very interesting.....compassion to children in this case....every thing is so subtle....a kid sleeping in the cold, its so easy just to walk past, its just a digital image of a kid...but its cold, freezing, hungry...you just have to stop, this is no place for a any kid, not even a digital one.

reality dose not even escape Skyrim....the cruelty of our world is evident in the game...homeless kids, abandoned kids and a system that cant cope, at the same time for what ever reason you play Skyrim, you make a bond....you become part of that world and slowly it become part of you...and one of the first thing you learn is FREEDOM.

its not the FREEDOM you have that make it unique...its that you have the power to take that FREEDOM and do something with it....your free to be anything you want and there is nothing holding you back (responsibility of family, kids, friends...jobs...Sunday footy)....no chains now you are free.......you can do anything you want, be anyone you want and the game rewards you for this...

Yes the Kids: Now you can act...compassion is just not a word any more....its a FREEDOM, now you can do something....and you have the power to make it happen...its healing for the soul.

Compassion; it could be just a small gesture, a gold coin or you go all extrema...... change things....it is now in your powers...so what do you do?...you do the honorable thing...the noble thing, you take the child by the hand and lead it away to safety to a better life......HAPPY ENDING.


its all so simple in Skyrim, you shape things in your image your FREE....heck.....you can play forever and Aldiun will wait for you...the world will never end...until the day you press DELETE....

yours Sah
 

LotusEater

I brake for blue butterflies
I've never liked any of the kids in Skyrim, HF or vanilla. Probably because I don't like kids IRL, either.

And although I'm extremely compassionate and empathic in real life, no NPC has ever drastically changed my playstyle. They're not real, and therefore have no real feelings.

Yes, it's a game. But what do we really know about metaphysics? Not trying to lead us down the metaphysical rabbit hole, but really... what do we know? All we really know is what the establishment liars tell us and it's all garbage. Just sayin'.
 

shadowkitty

Mistress of Shadows
Yes. My Khajiit was all hell bent on finding his way in skyrim. Even gained the grace of the Jarl of Whiterun and became the first kitty to ever step inside the walls of the expansive city. And to own a home that didn't require a horse to pull it. So he was on his way back down from Dragonsreach one day and felt a tugging on his armour. "Mister, could you spare a gold coin?"

He only meant to offer the house to the child as a means of putting a temporary roof over her head until she found somewhere better suited. But suddenly he became her father!. Not what he was expecting at all. At least it gave him an excuse to get rid of the annoyingly chatty Ly'dia. Someone has to take care of the child.

When I decide that a character is ready for a family, more often than not they will adopt both of the frozen children. Sofie from Windhelm and Alesan from Dawnstar.
 

sticky runes

Well-Known Member
Well, I gave Golldir a better life as steward of Winstad Manor instead of sitting outside his family tomb 24/7. But I left the little matchstick girl of Windhelm to sleep on the cold hard floor. Then again, children are invincible in Skyrim, so it's not like they need anyone to look after them. :p
 
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T. Rakinson

A Brute among Beasts
Well, I gave Golldir a better life as steward of Winstad Manor instead of sitting outside his family tomb 24/7. But I left the little matchstick girl of Windhelm to sleep on the cold hard floor. Then again, children are invincible in Skyrim, so it's not like they need anyone to look after them. :p
If I can run Butt-naked from a Saber cat all the way from the Pale to the CoW without so such as a shiver from my reptillian (I suppose amphibious actually) Argonian, some street-wise Nord kid can survive in Pro-Nord Windhelm, which has so many fire braziers its no wonder the place is made of stone.
 

Snake Tortoise

Here's For Your Trouble
I can't be too much of a dick in Skyrim. One time I wanted to take my vampire khajit archer to Markarth and kill as many people as is possible and see what the city is like with only essentials, but I just felt terrible after I'd emptied that homeless area and killed all of the shopkeepers. I didn't have the heart to continue my killing spree

I'm not particularly bothered about the kids. One time I bought some flowers from the girl in Windhelm, then when I was walking away I realised I sold her alcohol. Well, the homeless like alcohol I suppose
 

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