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A game changing overhaul that fundamentally transforms combat, game-play and races to be more immersive, intense and believable. This was made possible by combining a few of my previous mods into a much more polished overall Souls-like experience.

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         [ [ [ Mod Author Rougeshot ] ] ]

Hello fellow modders, I'm Rougeshot and I'm open to any feedback or constructive criticism you may have, but keep in mind that I have a full time career and am in college part time, so it may be a while before I can respond to any comments or questions you may have.  Please be patient with any questions or concerns and I will respond as soon as I am able. Please keep tracking my mods and profile for any news or updates to my latest mods! 

 If you enjoy the mod hit that thumbs up button so that your fellow modders will have an easier time finding this mod among the thousands of others.

Thank you so much for your support.






! ! ! ARDENT ADVENTURE SPECIAL EDITION ! ! !






! ! ! MOD DESCRIPTION ! ! !

Ardent Adventure is an overhaul that combines several of my previous mods (Arduous Ancestry, Beastly Beastmen and Smite & Stagger) into one much more polished experience. It's the mod I've been hoping that someone else would have created years ago.  As my modding skills have improved over the years, I am finally able to combine what I've learned to gift you with Ardent Adventure!  A combat, game-play and racial overhaul that will challenge you from the very beginning of the game. 

! ! ! ENJOY ! ! !  




A video showcasing my two mods Ardent Adventure and Advantageous Armor at the Riverwood bandit tower. Turning a usually mundane encounter into a epic battle for survival!

Mods used in Video;  
3PCO 3RD Person Camera Overhaul
Ardent Adventure
Advantageous Armor
Believable Weapons
EVG Conditionals Extended LE
TK Dodge




COMBAT

Ardent Adventure is meant to give the player the feeling that every swing and spell has weight and impact when landed. The player as well as every NPC has been given new or tweaked abilities to reflect this in game.  NPC's will stagger or knock you down depending on their relative size to the player, giving you a much more believable and realistic experience in combat.  NPC's have also been given limitations to their movements in battle by way of "Mortal Enemies" which this mod uses as a foundation.  You will no longer be able to ignore a direct hit from a warhammer or an exploding fireball, instead you will probably be knocked off your feet and into mortal danger. 

Ardent Adventure will not be for everyone, it is going to make Skyrim's combat far more dangerous and difficult, and some players may find that off-putting.  And that's OK, but if you're like me and enjoy the challenge of overcoming dangerous magic and overwhelming odds then this mod is definitely for you! 

This is a huge mod that makes tons of changes to weapons, magical effects, spells and races in particular in order to make this mod possible.




 Major Combat Features

  Melee & Ranged Combat


  • A successful melee or ranged attack now has a 2 in 3 chance of causing a stagger effect. (I chose 2/3 to simulate glancing blows in the chaos of battle)

  • Wearing a heavy armor cuirass will reduce the chance of being staggered by 50%.   

  • A successful block with a shield or weapon will negate most stagger effects from one handed weapons, but are not as effective against two handed weapons.

  • Blocking has been made more effective by increasing the maximum damage percentage blocked from 80% to 100% 

  • Anyone hit by an arrow, spell or sword will react with a stagger animation and will be interrupted if in the middle of an attack or casting a spell, this applies to the player as well as NPC's! 

  • To increase the intensity of combat Stamina regeneration in combat has been doubled from 35% to 70%.

  • The stamina drain from sprinting has been reduced by 50% from 7 to 3.5 stamina / second.
  • Running without an armor cuirass will now drain 0.5 stamina / second. 

  • Running in a Light armor cuirass will now drain 1 point of stamina / second. 

  • Running in a Heavy armor cuirass will now drain 2 points of stamina / second.

  • The stamina drain will occur in or out of combat, but can be negated by simply walking or using a horse

  • Swinging unarmed or with a one-handed weapon will now drain 1 point of stamina / second.

  • Swinging a two-handed weapon or drawing a bow will now drain 2 points of stamina / second.

  • Running your stamina too low or to zero will not allow you to attack at all, with melee weapons, bows or spells! You will not be able to attack again until your stamina has regenerated at least 5 stamina points.

  • Power Attacks require a minimum of 15 stamina points to initiate.

  • Gravity, skeletal collision, weapon and unarmed reach have been altered for a more realistic feel when actors are in melee combat, knocked to the ground or when squaring off for a brawl with the locals. 

  • Unarmed normal and power attacks will now stagger their opponents if not blocked! This affects the player and all NPC's!  Giving out beat downs is far more satisfying now!

  •  All vanilla bolts and arrows have had their gravity increased to give them a more realistic feel when using a bow.  The higher the craftsmanship of an arrow the straighter it will fly, lower quality arrows such as those made by the forsworn and falmer will not be able to fly as straight as an elven or ebony arrow.  

  • Archer NPC's will now have a limited number of arrows instead of having an infinite number of arrows like in vanilla.

  • Arrow recovery from fallen NPC's has been reduced from 33 to 20%.

  • The amount of arrows that stick into an actor has been increased from 3 to 7 arrows.

  • All vanilla melee weapons have had their reach, stagger, weight and speed adjusted for faster melee combat. (This does make compatibility with other weapon mods a slight challenge, but it was necessary in order to make the staggering effect block-able.) 

  • All of these effects will affect the player as well as npc's, allowing you to wear your opponents down for a decisive advantage.





This video provides a small demonstration of how Ardent Adventure can make combat tactical and chaotic at the same time.  Combat becomes almost a back and forth dance with weapons, trying not to be staggered.  Notice how successful blocks will prevent staggers, and how being hit with an arrow will stagger as well. 

Mods used in the video: Advantageous Armor;  3PCO 3rd Person Camera Overhaul;  Believable Weapons;  Hand Place Enemies;  Skyrim Souls;  TK Dodge



Melee Weapon Changes 


Melee weapon changes were initiated to solve the problem of not being able to block the stagger effect with a shield or weapon in my previous mods. The chart below can be used as a guide and template to make other weapon mods compatible with  Ardent Adventure.




  • Daggers: Stagger 0 -> 0.1

  • Swords: Speed 1 -> 1.05;   Reach 1.0;   Stagger 0.75 -> 0.2

  • Axes: Speed 0.9 -> 0.95;   Reach 1.0 -> 0.9;   Stagger 0.75 -> 0.3

  • Maces: Speed 0.8 -> 0.85:   Reach 1.0 -> 0.85 :    Stagger 0.75 -> 0.4

  • Greatswords:  Speed 0.7 -> 0.8;   Reach 1.3:   Stagger 1.1 -> 0.5

  • Battleaxes:  Speed 0.7 -> 0.75;   Reach 1.3 -> 1.1;   Stagger 1.15 -> 0.6

  • Warhammers:  Speed 0.60 -> 0.65;   Reach 1.3 -> 1.05;   Stagger 1.25 -> 0.7





Obviously making all the other weapon mods on the Nexus compatible with Ardent Adventure using the stats below will be a herculean task, but I'm sure there will be a few mod authors ready to make a couple of patches.  

You can still use your favorite weapon mod without a patch, but the modded weapons will most likely have vanilla stagger values that can not be blocked with shields or weapons.






     MAGIC COMBAT

  • Most offensive spells have been given some amount of stagger or knockdown effect, making spell casting extremely deadly and effective in combat for both the player and NPC's.
  • In order to make Magical staves a bit more viable in combat, most novice level offensive staves have been given a damage buff of 25% in addition to having the same staggering effects as their normal spell counterparts.

  • Players can cast up to 3 runes in combat instead of just one as in vanilla
                       

                   
 NPC's & Enemies


Ardent Adventure was created as a companion mod to my other mod Savage Skyrim, this mod tries to cover most enemies in the game that were not covered under Savage Skyrim, including Vampires, Drauger, Skeletons, Falmer, etc.  So if you're a fan of Savage Skyrim you should thoroughly enjoy Ardent Adventure!

  • The amount of time dragons are on the ground and perched on buildings has been increased slightly to make fighting dragons a little less tedious. 

  • The amount of time an essential NPC or follower will stay down when defeated in combat has been increased from 20 to 60 seconds, essentially removing them from the fight.

  • To increase immersion the spinning death animation has been removed, instead NPC's will now Rag-doll.










RACIAL FEATURES


  • Every race has been given a unique skeleton, similar to the Racial Body Morphs mod 

  • Beast races are now Dimorphic, meaning that males look slightly more hunched over and are a bit bigger than females.  

  • Beast race males and females are now digitrade and will walk on their toes.

  • Beast race males and females have had several of their body parts, including the head, spine, neck and shoulders adjusted to more appropriately fit a hybrid body-plan .  


  • Beast race males have had their arms lengthened past normal human limits for a more convincing beast hybrid body-plan.

  • Every male and female of each race has had their height and weight adjusted to reflect a bit of diversity among the races and genders.

  • Walking speed has been increased by 15%, Running and sprinting have been reduced to more realistic levels, so you won't be out-running wolves anymore.  Ultimately horses become a much more valuable resource in Skyrim! 

  • Carry Weight when leveling up and in general have been drastically reduced for all races in general, to incentivize using mods that add backpacks and pouches. (e.g. Campfire & Bandolier)

  • Health regeneration has been drastically reduced for all races. Certain physically hardy races will have added health regeneration to reflect their ancestry.  Incentivizing potion use, health regenerating foods and certain Needs mods that expand on this.  (e.g. Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul)

  • With the exception of High Elves magicka regeneration has been reduced for all races.

  • Magic in Skyrim will be difficult, require research (Reading Skill Books) and dedication to master ( AKA Leveling Up), with that in mind certain starting powers, spells and magicka have been removed or reduced depending on race.  With the exception of High Elves, most players will find that they will start with zero or very low magicka and only academic knowledge of their racially favored spells.  Most racial powers have been eliminated altogether. Aspiring mages will have to rely on magic items more heavily in the early game, until they have gained enough experience and magicka. Investing in magic is a real commitment right from the start of the game.





GLOBAL CHANGES

  • For an increase in immersion set Global Timescale to "8".

  • The cost of hiring a follower has been increased from 500 to 1000 gold.

  • The cost of purchasing a horse has been increased from 1000 to 2000 gold.

  • The cost of renting a room at an inn has been increased from 10 to 30 gold.

  •  Increased the price of Breeze-home to 7500 Septims, and doubled the price of all furnishing upgrades.
  • Lockpicks now have a weight value of 0.1, so 10 Lockpicks = 1 carry weight point

  • Gold has had a name change to Septims and now have a weight value of 0.01, so 100 Septims = 1 carry weight point





CHARACTER CREATION

  • The amount of XP needed to level up your skills and character have been doubled, to keep level and skill progression at a reasonable pace.

  • Starting a new character you will notice that most skills will start at level 0, with the exception of racially favored skills.

  • Since magic is so deadly now, all starting spells have been removed from the player when creating a new character. 

  • Most of the races have been given a select number of new presets that will appear in addition to the vanilla presets when creating a new character.

  • When leveling up stamina carry weight points have been reduced from 5 to 1 carry weight point.







In the Vanilla game every race has the exact same stats as the other, this mod is meant to address this glaring inconsistency!




Starting Vanilla Stats for All Races:
Spoiler:  
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Health: 100
Magicka: 100
Stamina: 100
Health Regeneration: 0.7
Magicka Regeneration: 3.0
Stamina Regeneration: 5.0
Carry Weight: 300
Unarmed Damage: 4.0

! ! ! NO DIVERSITY ! ! !




Ardent Adventure alters starting skills, stats, XP progression and several other game-play features designed to challenge the player and make the game more immersive from the start!  This mod was designed as a foundational mod that can stand on its own, but can and should be used with other complimentary mods.





  - - - - - Argonians - - - - -
Argonians or Saxhleel are natives of Black Marsh, a reptilian race unrelated to men or mer, which claim their origins from trees called the Hist.  In the depths of Black Marsh Argonians use their natural abilities to their advantage when conducting guerrilla warfare against invaders, making them excellent assassins.  The best assassins are known as Shadowscales, this might explain why they are so unpopular among Nords.  Moreover the Argonian invasion of Morrowind caused widespread immigration of Dunmer refugees to the province, which has not endeared them to the people of Skyrim.


Spoiler:  
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Male Height: .96
Female Height: .93
Male Weight: 85
Female Weight: 75
Health: 80
Magicka: 0
Stamina:120
Health Regeneration: 0.3 (Heath Regen. in Combat!)
Magicka Regeneration: 1.5
Stamina Regeneration: 8.0
Carry Weight: 80
Unarmed Damage: 5.0
50% Disease Resistance
Abilities: Water Breathing
Removed: Histskin







- - - - - Bretons - - - - 
Natives of High Rock Bretons are decedents of men and their Dereni Elf slave masters.  Their feudal society has made them excellent diplomats, merchants and assassins.  They are often eyed with suspicion by some Nords for being formidable mages and being distantly related to the savage tribes of the Reach. 


Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 0.98
Female Height: 0.95
Male Weight: 70
Female Weight: 60
Health:65
Magicka:30
Stamina: 90
Health Regeneration: 0.1
Magicka Regeneration: 2.5
Stamina Regeneration: 5.0
Carry Weight: 65
Unarmed Damage: 1.5
Magic Resistance: 25%
Abilities: Dragonskin (Removed)
+5 Conjuration Skill
+5 Enchanting Skill







 - - - - - Dark Elves - - - - -
 Morrowind, an alien and inhospitable land to most other races, is home to the Dumner, a people of great and terrible renown.  Known for being wondrous mages and equally barbaric slave traders, the Dark Elves were brought low by the great Argonian invasion of Morrowind, forcing thousands of refugees to find new homes in the bordering provinces.  Having their reputations preceed them has never earned the Dumner a warm welcome in Skyrim.

Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.02
Female Height: .99
Male Weight: 75
Female Weight: 65
Health: 70
Magicka: 20
Stamina: 105
Health Regeneration: 0.1
Magicka Regeneration: 2.5
Stamina Regeneration: 7.0
Carry Weight: 70
Unarmed Damage: 2.0
+5 Speech Skill
Fire Resistance: 50%
Removed: Ancestor's Wrath









- - - - - High Elves - - - - - 
The Summerset Isles are home to the governing body of the Altmer people, the Thalmor.  The Thalmor are usually perceived as arrogant and pretentious when dealing with other races and do not shy away from projecting their perceived superiority when speaking. Their extremely long-lived lives has made them masters of diplomacy, warfare and the arcane arts.  After the Empire signed the White Gold Concordat, the Thalmor were given free reign in Skyrim to arrest any and all Talos worshippers.  The Thalmor are considered by many to be the direct cause of the Stormcloak rebellion, and the bane of Skyrim.
Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.12
Female Height: 1.09
Male Weight: 85
Female Weight: 75
Health: 80
Magicka: 50
Stamina: 120
Health Regeneration: 0.1
Magicka Regeneration: 3.0
Stamina Regeneration: 6.0
Carry Weight: 80
Unarmed Damage: 2
Removed Abilities: HighBorn










- - - - - Imperials - - - - -
Imperials are natives of Cyrodil, and make up the vast majority of the Imperial army. Versatile and domineering Imperials can be found throughout the empire, keeping garrisons in strategic locations throughout Skyrim.   Although once thought to be invincible, the empire's signing of the White Gold Concordant proved to many that the Imperial army is waning. An observation that has not gone unnoticed by the Stormcloak army.  The Stormcloak rebellion has stretched the Imperials' military to it's limit.  Weakend by a civil war, the Imperials are very aware the shadow of the Thalmor is an ever looming threat to the empire.

Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.0
Female Height: 0.97
Male Weight: 75
Female Weight: 65
Health: 70
Magicka: 10
Stamina: 105
Health Regeneration: 0.1
Magicka Regeneration: 2.0
Stamina Regeneration:7.0
Carry Weight:70
Unarmed Damage: 2.0
+5 Light Armor Skill
+5 Speech Skill
Abilities: Imperial Luck
Removed: Voice of the Emperor










- - - - - Khajit - - - - - 
Hailing from the province of Elsweyr, the enigmatic Khajit are intelligent, quick, and agile.  Khajiit have little need for torches at night, due to their excellent night-vision and prefer unarmed claw attacks over carrying heavy weapons.   These traits make them exceptional thieves due to their natural stealthiness. This notoriety has not gone unnoticed by most Skyrim guard captains.  Their unscrupulous reputations have followed them all the way to Skyrim, lending most Nords to believe that Khajit caravans mostly deal with stolen goods and skooma, which would explain why they are not permitted to trade goods within city walls.


Spoiler:  
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Male Height: .93
Female Height: .90
Male Weight: 75
Female Weight: 65
Health: 70
Magicka:0
Stamina: 105
Health Regeneration: .15
Magicka Regeneration: 2.0
Stamina Regeneration: 8.0
Carry Weight: 70
Unarmed Damage: 5.0
Abilities: Night Eye







- - - - - Nords - - - - -

The Nords of Skyrim are a tall, fair-haired people that claim their origins from Atomra, the ice continent, which would explain their incredible resistance to the cold.  The neighboring provinces see the Nords of Skyrim as a hardy, brash and militant people that love battle as much as their mead.  Over the centuries Nords have fought many wars with each other as well as neighboring provinces on a never ending quest for honor and glory.  The Nords make up the vast majority of the Stormcloak army, which have proven to be quite the proverbial thorn in the side of the Legion.  The Stormcloak rebellion has divided the Nords of Skyrim in two, to the benefit of only the Thalmor.  

Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.08
Female Height: 1.05
Male Weight: 90
Female Weight: 80
Health: 85
Magicka:0
Stamina: 125
Health Regeneration: .15
Magicka Regeneration: 1.5
Stamina Regeneration: 8.0
Carry Weight: 85
Unarmed Damage: 3.0
Frost Resistance: 50%
Removed: Battle Cry








- - - - - Orcs - - - - -
The Orcs or Orsimer are arguably the most misunderstood and feared people among the races of Tamriel.  Their orc strongholds beguile a strong familial and tribal culture that molds most orc youths into frightening warriors and capable smiths.  Their tribal nature has kept most orc strongholds scattered across Skyrim and most bordering provinces, maintaining  an uneasy peace between orcs and their neighbors.  The Jarls of Skyrim seem to tolerate these strongholds so long as they remain relatively small and keep to themselves.  Facing one orc in battle can be a daunting sight for any warrior, but most Jarls would agree that a united orc nation backed by an orc army would spell doom for the rest of Tamriel. 

Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.10
Female Height: 1.07
Male Weight: 95
Female Weight: 85
Health: 90
Magicka:0
Stamina: 135
Health Regeneration: 0.2 (Health Regen. in Combat!)
Magicka Regeneration: 1.5
Stamina Regeneration: 9.0
Carry Weight: 90
Unarmed Damage: 4.0
Removed: Beserk Rage








- - - - - Redguards - - - - -
The enigmatic province of dunes and desert are home to a proud, noble and free spirited people that are considered by many part warrior and artist in equal measure.  The harsh unforgiving land has forged a deep independence in every Redguard from a young age, which has blessed them with great swordsmanship, stamina, a hardy constitution and a jealous love of their homeland.  Although to the outsider the Redgaurds seem divided into small kingdoms, they are quick to unite under one banner when faced with a military threat.  The province of Hammerfell has proven to be an unconquerable land through force alone, as most armies learn this tragic lesson far too late to save themselves, as the price in blood is far too high for a military victory.  A lesson the Thalmor stubbornly learned the hard way.   

Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 1.04
Female Height: 1.01
Male Weight: 80
Female Weight: 70
Health:75
Magicka:0
Stamina: 150
Health Regeneration: 0.1
Magicka Regeneration: 1.5
Stamina Regeneration: 10.0
Carry Weight:75
Unarmed Damage: 2.5
Poision Resistance: 50%
Removed: Adrenaline Rush







- - - - - Wood Elves - - - - -
The forest elves of Valenwood are bound by the Green Pact, giving them a gruesome reputation as cannibals!
 
Spoiler:  
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Male Height: 0.96
Female Height: 0.966
Male Weight: 60
Female Weight: 60
Health: 60
Magicka:0
Stamina: 90
Health Regeneration: 0.15
Magicka Regeneration: 2.0
Stamina Regeneration: 8.0
Carry Weight: 60
Unarmed Damage: 1.5
Disease Resistance: 50%
Poison Resistance: 50%
Removed: Command Animal







- - - - - Vampires - - - - -
The daughters of Cold Harbor and the servants of Molag Bal.

Spoiler:  
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Player Characters that start the game as vampires typically receive the following racial enhancements. Be aware that NPC vampires will also benefit from the new stats.



Health: +50% (NPC's)
Stamina: +100% (NPC's)
Health Regeneration: +100% (Heath Regen. in Combat!) (NPC's & Player)
Stamina Regeneration: +20% (NPC's & Player)
Magicka Regeneration: +100% (NPC's & Player)
Carry Weight: +50% (NPC's & Player)
Unarmed Damage: +100% (NPC's & Player)

 In addition, vampirisim will also awaken any Ancestral Racial Abilities that were not available to their non-vampire counterparts.









! ! ! MOD COMPATIBILITY ! ! !
Ardent Adventure is designed to be as vanilla friendly as possible, but will conflict with any similar game-play mods that edit, spells, weapons, race records or the same values.  In that case you'll need to create a patch using  TES5Edit.

Perk points have not been touched, so it should be compatible with most other game-play and perk mods such as Ordinator, SPERG, etc.

I encourage you to to get in touch with your inner survivalist and use this with other challenging mods for a truly immersive experience! Mod suggestions are always welcome!

Ardent Adventure was tested and designed at Adept difficulty, which is what I recommend for first time users.  You can always adjust the difficulty if you are a veteran of Souls-like combat and want more of a challenge.

Plays especially well with my other mods SAVAGE SKYRIM,
ADVANTAGEOUS ARMOR and  LIMITED LEVELING!


Here is a starting list of compatible mods that should work out of the box with Ardent Adventure with only minor issues, just be sure to load Ardent Adventure below them.


3PCO - 3rd Person Camera Overhaul - Compatible

Alternate Start - Live Another Life - Compatible

Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement - Compatible

Bandolier -Bags and Pouches - Compatible

Campfire - Compatible

Combat Evolved - Compatible

Complete Alchemy and Cooking Overhaul - Compatible

D13 Faster GET UP STAND UP animation vanilla friendly - Compatible

Feral - Claw Unarmed Attacks for Beast Races - Vampires - Werewolves - Compatible

Melee Weapon Range Fix - Compatible

Mortal Enemies - Compatible

Sacrosanct - Vampires of Skyrim - Compatible

TK Dodge - Compatible

Weapons and Armor Fixes Remade - Compatible


This mod will continue to be updated for the forseable future, please post your comments concerning compatiblity and I will try and address them as time allows.





! ! ! Load Order ! ! !

 Should place plug-in below any other racial, combat,weapon, magic, or game-play mods to insure the mod takes effect and is not over-written by any other mod.




! ! ! INSTALLATION ! ! !

Step 1) Install : Nemesis or FNIS 
Step 2) Install RaceMenu
Then simply install Ardent Adventure with your favorite Mod Manager! 

Step 3) Start a new game and slowly acclimate to the new combat, which will be far more brutal and souls-like when compared to vanilla. 





! ! ! PERMISSIONS ! ! !

Mod authors have permission to create mods, compatibility patches or use this mod as a foundation for their own mod on the Nexus as long as credit is given and is not being sold. 






! ! ! My Other Highly Recommended Mods ! ! !


ADVANTAGEOUS ARMOR



 SAVAGE SKYRIM



 LIMITED LEVELING





For a complete list of all my mods for SKYRIM, SKYRIM SE and ENDERAL visit my NEXUS profile @ 
 ! ! ! Rougeshot ! ! !