Part 5: The Elder Updates V - Close your eyes and think of Oblivion combat

Close your eyes and think of Oblivion combat


Hmm...I've got 169 Septims.


Hardly a fortune.


Is that so? One Black Horse Courier, please!


Yes. Thank you.


A Thieves Guild? I'll keep that in mind.
I kinda like the idea of the Black Horse Courier, but my biggest problem with it is that there's only a handful of stories, and they're only available from the Imperial City. That said, it's a good idea, so credit where credit's-
man fuck you Bethesda I wanted more Black Horse Courier

Oblivion's Not That Bad Points: -2


For now, though, I might just see how lucrative fighting can be.


That said, I should gather some information on the Thieves Guild if I can.


Excuse me, but can you tell me anything about the Gray Fox?
He's just a thief. He's supposed to be the head of the Thieves Guild. What a joke!
A Thieves Guild is kind of a serious matter.
Can you imagine a bunch of thieves trying to form a guild?
Yes, that certainly would be unprecedented.
The nobility hate him, but the peasants and the beggars love him, especially in the Waterfront.
Hmm!
Carry on.


The Waterfront, eh? That's a good lead indeed, but for now I've got easier money to fry.


Hmmmm...? Are those two...sparring?


I think I'll watch.


Yes, by standing and watching these two people punch each other for about a minute, you gain 5 Hand to Hand points. I'm not about to complain about the boost itself, but who would even know to do that?

Oblivion's Not That Bad Points: -3


And what's this? Tough lock for some aspiring combatants.


Really gonna have to reach if I'm gonna pick this without being seen.
Thanks to the guards, you can only pick the lock on this chest without being seen by getting behind a crate and a pillar and interacting with the three or so pixels you can actually reach of the chest's corner. What the fuck, game?

Oblivion's Not That Bad Points: -4


Hah! No match for my patience.


Ohoho. Interesting.
That having been said, the Bands of Kwang Lao own. 20 points of Hand to Hand is a hefty enchantment indeed, and you can bet your ass I'll be using it.

Oblivion's Not That Bad Points: -3


And one of my favorite stories, too.


Now. Combat.


First, to grab my gear.


...hm.


Yes. This helmet is better.
And, being Heavy Armor, it'll cover our need for raising Endurance.


Put me in, coach.
All right, maggot. Looks like you're suited up in your Battle Raiment and all set to go. The Red Room is just over there. When you're ready to get eviscerated, just head up the ramp to the arena. Good luck, and may Azura have mercy on your soul.


Hey, I've seen this guy before.


Aha! I knew I'd seen you somewhere.
Those beady little eyes, man. Rest assured we haven't seen the UGLY orcs yet, though.


Makes sense. We're basically entertainers.
Ah, so you're an Arena combatant! It's always good to meet a fellow warrior, especially one who isn't here just to kill the Grand Champion! Ha ha ha!
Kill the Grand Champion?
I'm the reigning Grand Champion of the Arena, you see. Once you become a Champion, you'll need to challenge me for my title.
...ah, right. Which means a fight to the
Fight to the death, yes. So if you progress that far and want a shot at the Grand Championship, you'll have to try and kill me.
...
...


So, "Gray Prince", huh? Gotta be a story there!
Yes, it's what everyone calls me. I guess I'm partly to blame. I've never made it a secret that I'm actually only half Orc. I am a Lord's son, yet I've been denied the noble privelege to which I am entitled. So I have become the Gray Prince, noble in my own right. Still...if I could prove who I really am, and show the world that an Orc can be noble in blood as well as deed...maybe...yes! You could help me!
Maybe I could, at that. Tell me more.


Lady Lovidicus was a shrew of a woman. The Lord and my mother grew close, and ultimately fell in love. I was the result of their union.
Scandalous!
When the Lady learned of my birth she was furious, and threatened to kill both my mother and me. So we fled, leaving my claim to nobility behind.


Go on.
My mother died recently. Before she passed, she gave my this key,and told me it would "unlock the truth", at the place of my birth, Crowhaven. Crowhaven is a ruined fort far to the west of here. I'd go myself, but my training regiment doesn't allow for the luxury of such an excursion.
Aha.
My friend, you must travel to Crowhaven and use the key to unlock whatever it is that holds the proof of my birthright! Find this proof and return it to me, and I'll share with you some of my finest combat techniques. Trust me, you can't learn these moves in a book!
Ooooh. Well, I'll get back to you on that!


Training from the Grand Champion would be a worthy prize indeed.


Now, TO BATTLE!


Okay, let's be honest here - I'm doing six Arena fights in this update, and I can't be assed to try and make it interesting. For those of you who want to see the fights, I've included videos. For those of you who don't, please refer to the update title. Here's the first fight!


Yaaay.


The Basin of Renewal will heal you, but only after winning a fight. No need to sleep, I guess!


Okay, so you're not a complete loser. Don't get cocky. Let me know when you're ready for a match and you can prove yourself to me some more.
AGAIN!
Ha ha! Now that's the spirit! You give the people of Cyrodiil a good show, and I'll make sure you get a decent burial! Ha ha ha ha ha!


Ladies and gentlemen, the second fight.


Arrow'd.


Gotta treat your gear well.
It's worth pointing out that our Armorer skill isn't enough for us to repair enchanted gear like the Arena Raiment yet. Some day!


The Yellow Team ain't gonna fight itself, you lazy Pit Dog! You ready for a match, or what?

You must be downright determined to get yourself killed, huh? Okay then, head back up to the Arena and try not to die before the gate opens.


Surprise, surprise, it's fight the third! This is a fight to advance to the next rank, but the game didn't see fit to tell us about that for whatever reason.


That wasn't so hard.


You know what Brawler rank is worth around here? Nothing! Face it kid, you're still a maggot! You need to keep fighting if you want to be somebody!
YES
Okay Brawler, you know the drill. Head up to that Arena and show 'em who's boss!


Knock knock! Who's there? The next fight!



Awful lot of arrows being shot this update, and they're sending us hurtling towards Level 2.


Way ahead of you.
That Raiment's getting a little tight on you, Brawler! I think you need some exercise! What do you say? Ready for a match?
AFFIRMATIVE
All right, Brawler, this next match is going to be a challenge. Turns out there are two Wood Elf sisters who always fight together.
Wouldn't think that was legal!
They're twins, actually. You got to take 'em both out! Now get in there, and show those tree climbers who's boss!


Well, this could be interesting. Fight number five, start!


Or not. I guess they nerfed them to make it more fair.


You beatin' those twins is a good sign.
Uh, wow. Okay.
You got a lot of fight in ya. Let me know when you're ready to get bloody again.
HOW ABOUT NOW
You might be ready, but the Arena ain't. Matches take place between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM. Come back later, moron.
...oh.


I could use a rest anyway.


LET'S GO ALREADY
Your next opponent is a Khajiit. Not one of the quick, jumpy ones either. This cat goes in heavy, usually with an axe! Now go get 'em!
And now, the sixth and final fight this update! I HIGHLY recommend you watch this one even if you skipped over the others, since I manage to get down to some shenanigans.


Whoa, okay. Somehow by using Eye of Fear, this guy counted as an innocent. Things are gonna get interesting now!


Whup!


Okay, I managed to fuck that up.


The re-fight went mostly the same, except my Eye of Fear whiffed, so no discussing that message we got just yet! Sorry, guys!


On the bright side, though, we can now level up!


And that's...let's see here...550 septims in my pocket. See ya later!


First, let's check our vitals. Sterv is a squishy, squishy kitty.


And that's why Endurance is gonna be our best friend. Since it affects how much Health we earn when we level up, we're gonna have to pump that number up to get some respectable durability. I also want Sterv to be a better caster, so Intelligence and Willpower round out this level. Your Magicka pool is always twice your Intelligence score - nothing like the Health gains-per-level that scale with Endurance. Willpower, as you may have guessed, is just to help his regen along so we can cast more often.

One more thing: now that we've got that quest from Agronak, it's only fair to ask if we should stay the course and go to Vilverin, or go take on Crowhaven with our newfound stats? Voting will close in about three hours.

Cat Stats

Class skills
Block: 26
Blunt: 25
Destruction: 27
Acrobatics: 40
Light Armor: 41
Marksman: 33
Speechcraft: 30

Not class skills
Armorer: 10
Athletics: 18
Blade: 13
Hand To Hand: 21
Heavy Armor: 9
Alchemy: 21
Alteration: 13
Conjuration: 6
Illusion: 5
Mysticism: 10
Restoration: 9
Mercantile: 13
Security: 20
Sneak: 22

Those little bars in the corner of the screen
Health: 73
Magicka: 100
Fatigue: 175