Jills of Akatosh - Tribute to AurianaValoria

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Jills of Akatosh - Tribute to Auriana Valoria

Here's my image-story tribute to an awesome modder, and my dear friend, Auriana Valoria.
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As the lazy, misty morning dawned over the distant horizon, a soaring silhouette caught my eye.

After a brief night's stay at the local inn, I was up and away at dawn, on my way to Whiterun to meet the Jarl, and bargain the rewards for some important quests I had fulfilled recently. 'The early bird gets the worm', or so the old saying went. I thought I was the early bird today morning, but here was another.

But it looked too big to be a bird. Is it a giant bird, a meteor, or a cloud's shadow, I wondered.
The wind shifted, and fresh sunlight glinted off the scaly surface of the dark silhouette.

It's a Dragon!! I've never seen one so huge! It's beautiful, majestic, wonderful to behold!
And frightening! Because it had spotted me!!

It wheeled around, and as it masterfully swam across the sky towards me, its powerful roars reverberated over the countryside.

**Zu'u Kruziik Dun**

My knowledge of the ancient Dragonic language was fairly new (thanks to the old Greybeards), but thanks to my voracious reading habits, it was quickly becoming easier to understand (it seemed almost intuitive at times), with some hiccups once in a while when dealing with any archaic word with multiple interpretations.

But dealing with an ancient language is one thing, and dealing with an ancient (and live) dragon is a different story altogether! I had only once encountered a live Dragon and somehow managed to kill it with the help of Irileth and the Whiterun guards. I was still coming to grips with the Dragon Shouts, the ancient Words of Power, and was adept at using only a few of them so far.

But if my interpreted translation was correct, did this dragon really say: "I'm Ancient Grace"?

No time to wonder on such literary thoughts though, as this was combat time.

I quickly armed myself with my bow & arrow, healing potions and reminded myself of my favorite destruction & healing spells, as I braced myself for what could possibly be the last moments of my life.

As the huge dragon soared high above to get a closer peek at me, I let loose an enchanted arrow at it. And missed the swift dragon by at least twenty barrel-lengths!

Drat, and double drat! This might take awhile. My archery is really good, and I know I must lead a flying target, but when I aim to shoot this high, the unfamiliar cross-winds tend to make the arrow's flight trajectory and possible impact, hardly anything to be proud of.

I needed to get nearer the dragon. As it happened, my wish got fulfilled quickly, because the dragon had the same intention regarding me!

The dragon swooped around in a wide circle, and flew low, almost skimming over the countryside as it headed right towards me, straighter than any arrow, and faster than anything I've ever seen.

Fearing the worst tales I've heard of dragons capable of breathing molten fire or freezing frost, I knew I had just one chance and had to make good on it. I ran up to a nearby boulder, knelt on it to steady my aim, quickly pulled off my right-hand glove with my teeth, and notched an enchanted arrow into my trusted double-bow. Raising my bow and drawing back the bowstring-n-arrow as hard as I could, I breathed slowly while squinting against the morning light at the alive shadow emerging out of the billowing mists.

When the dragon was near enough so I could see its gaping jaws, I roared my own special word of power.

**Tiid Klo Ul**

Time slowed down, and the rest of the whole world became a blur.

You know you're sensing your doom, when your life starts flashing in slow flashback like there's no tomorrow.

My focus intensified on the sharp arrowhead aimed right at the looming shadow. My numb fingers clutching intently at the taut bowstring. I can almost hear my heart beating in slow panic, and feel the thrill (adrenaline) of near-death blood surging inside my ears. I can feel the morning breeze caressing my face and hair, and see the misty dewdrops slowly rolling down the damp bow.

As the dragon plummeted like a huge hawk towards me in slow motion, I aimed for its gaping jaws knowing that was its only vulnerability. And shot my lucky arrow exactly as I hoped for.

**Yol Toor Shul**

The brief but intense Fire Breath shout from the dragon (to me it sounded almost like a cough), burnt my arrow in mid-flight to smoking ashes, and suddenly my only chance had been Evenaar'd (extinguished).

As I dived desperately from the boulder for cover, to escape the fiery-blast and talons of the hungry dragon, it passed right over me, and still diving, it snatched the bandit that was stalking just behind me!

At the same moment another bandit jumped at it with a huge axe, but the dragon chopped his head in one gulp, and swooped up into the air!

What the Nine Divines had just happened......???!!!!!

Like rabbits emerging from their burrows after a rampaging fox has gone, more bandits emerged from the rocky countryside path, as everyone shouted at each other and a brisk few shot darting hapless arrows at the already soaring dragon, their leader still screaming while clutched in its mighty talons.

Today I was their intended prey, and almost got back-stabbed in their sneaky ambush, but suddenly I was no longer the hunted. All thanks to one legendary behemoth.

As I watched warily from the dense bushes where I had fallen, the bandits scrambled for their bows & arrows, their calculated ambush suddenly turned into an unthinkable nightmare. As the bandit archers let loose a volley of pathetic arrows at the dragon flying high above, it uttered a terrifying roar that shook the very ground.

**Vokul Fent Dir

Evil Shall Die, that's what I understood from the dragon roar, as some small pebbles rolled from the boulder on to my head. Thankfully, it looked as if I was momentarily forgotten and had become a bystander (or rather, by-crawler) to a fearsome drama.

**Dir Nivahriin Mey**

With another terrifying roar, the dragon dived headlong at the bandits. Die Cowardly Fools, was the dragon's dire threat.

At the last moment, it reared up and flung the bandit it was clutching, right at the archers bunched together cowering behind a rock. As the dying bandit leader crashed amongst his scrambling archers, the dragon hovered in mid-air and blasted a single huge breath of fiery blaze all over the bandits, burning them all in one go, like roasting marshmallows over a bonfire.

**Naak Frin Yol**

Eat Hot Fire was the dragon's gleeful roar, as I covered my mouth in a horrified (and thankfully, silent) scream.

It was as if I was frozen in place, and my mind was split into two. One part of me was in terrified awe at the magnificent spectacle unfolding in front of me, as the golden-yellow dragon's impenetrable scales glinted like scintillating diamonds in the morning sunlight, while it hovered like a huge bird-of-prey, with the heat emanating from its molten fire-breath cascading in misty waves around it, even as the screaming & burning bandits turned into wisps of smoking skeletons. The other part of my mind remained extremely calm, focusing on the essentials of my survival, plotting minute details of my immediate course of action, sensing every avenue of offense & defense, every strategic vantage points in the nearest territory, fortifying my grim resolve to beat the odds.

While I stealthily readied my bow & arrow again, I think I can truthfully say, that I remembered all my Gods and Divinities in that moment, as I prayed that the Dragon had already forgotten me and would fly away. None of the bandits had survived the fiery onslaught, but I would not go down so easy. Yet a magnificent beast like this mighty Dragon deserved to live. As did I.

But the Dragon had not forgotten me. Beating the wind steadily with its enormous wings, it turned around.

**Alok Kril Dovahkiin**
It roared at me.
**Zu'u Hin Fahdon**

Then I stood up from my hiding spot, my bow now sheathed, with a grin of relief on my face.
For the mighty Dragon had said to me, in her ancient language...

Arise Brave Dragonborn.
I'm Your Friend.


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Above silhouette picture is thanks to the awesome Jills of Akatosh mod by the wonderful Auriana Valoria. It is a highly recommended mod, perfect even if you haven't completed the main quest in Skyrim, and it ought to work well with other Dragon mods too.

Dovahkriid - The Dragon Lords is another great mod by Auriana Valoria. And you can use these marvelous new textures from The Dragon Lords, for your own dragon!

If the lure of Dragons is what enticed you to Skyrim, then getting these mods will surely do your Skyrim gameplay enough justice, but the icing on the cake must surely be:
AurianaValoria's Wallpaper Packs

Just like the friendly Jills of Skyrim, those free and powerful Dragons, who destroy evil and protect the innocent, Auriana Valoria is truly a Jill of the Nexus, and deserves all the accolades and kudos we can give. Hence my little tribute to her. :-)

Sources:

Skyrim - Dragon Language - unofficial (and excellent) sources:
http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Dragon_Language
http://thuum.org/index.php