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About this mod
Adds a series of dynamic changes and environmental details to several locations related to Talos worship. An immersion mod designed to help make the world feel more alive and consequential.
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YOU HAVE COME! YOU HAVE COME TO HEAR THE WORD OF TALOS!
Ever think it's weird that nothing ever happens to Windhelm's Temple of Talos if the Empire wins the Civil War? Or that Markarth's Shrine of Talos stays closed and empty even if the Stormcloaks take over the city? With all the shrines out in the wilderness, wouldn't it be nice to encounter a pilgrim or two?
This mod adds a series of dynamic changes and immersive details to several locations, mostly near shrines of Talos. These changes are themed around being able to see the impact of the Thalmor and the Civil War on Talos worship in Skyrim. This mod also makes some cosmetic improvements to a few of these locations that are outside cities.
This mod adds several new NPCs, including new priests, worshippers, and Thalmor agents. Most of them have voice lines carefully spliced from vanilla dialogue. For extra immersion, there are even a few conditional lines. For example, if you question the pilgrim at Cradlecrush Pond as a High Elf, he'll deny being a Talos worshipper, and some NPCs may have friendlier greetings if you’re a fellow Nord.
*** This mod requires the latest Environs Master Plugin, found here.
*** Ok to install mid-game.
*** Safe to update from v3.00. Do not update from earlier.
Skyrim's world space tends to feel very static. Despite a civil war, dragon attacks, and a rising vampire menace, not much ever changes. If the player could notice visible changes taking place over time it would help make the land of Skyrim feel more alive. It would help give a sense that events were occurring and time was passing throughout a playthrough. Ideally, these changes should be as seamless as possible with the base game. This mod attempts to implement this idea to at a handful of vanilla locations.
Shrine near Lake Illinalta, Falkreath Hold
(unmarked vanilla location)
In vanilla, there is a scene here with a group of massacred Talos worshippers. Now, they’ll be alive for a while earlier in your playthrough. Later on however, you can stumble upon the vanilla scene where they’ve been killed. Triggered by a level requirement. Also includes visual improvements such as new clutter and foliage.
Thalmor Headquarters, Solitude
The Thalmor agent normally found dead at the Illinalta shrine can be found here, at least until the massacre is triggered. No changes to the cell.
Cradlecrush Pond Shrine, Eastmarch
(unmarked vanilla location)
A pilgrim will eventually arrive at the pond near Cradlecrush Rock. He'll camp on the opposite shore across from the shrine. Triggered by player level. Also adds several objects to enhance the natural beauty of this location, including a few extra trees and logs, several plants, a piece of cliff, and clutter.
White River Valley Shrine, Whiterun Hold
(unmarked vanilla location)
After completing the quest to deliver Torygg's War Horn, a lone worshipper can be found here if you return. Also includes visual improvements such as new clutter and foliage.
Weynon Stones, The Pale
There will be a violent scene that eventually appears here: several pilgrims travelling to the Talos shrine who appear to have been murdered. It will also eventually disappear, leaving only a few bones behind. Triggered by player level. No major changes to this location.
Riften Shrine of Talos
In the vanilla game the priest who tends this shrine, Nura Snow-Shod, typically remains confined in her house if the Empire controls Riften. Now the garden surrounding the statue will also deteriorate due to her absence. The shrine will be removed as well, and a Thalmor Justiciar will arrive in the city. He can be found in the Keep or patrolling the streets.
Snow-Shod Manor, Riften
If the Empire controls Riften, a shrine of Talos will be added to the basement here, implying that Nura Snow-Shod is still worshipping Talos secretly.
Markarth Shrine of Talos
If the Stormcloaks take control of Markarth, the Shrine of Talos will be reopened. A new priest will arrive to tend the shrine and live in the city. New clutter will be added to the interior that reflects this. A bedroll will also be added in Understone Keep for the priest, near Calcelmo.
Temple of Talos, Windhelm
If the Empire wins the Civil War and controls Windhelm, the Talos shrine will be removed from this temple. The two priests, Jora and Lortheim, will leave the city and go into hiding. The braziers and candles will be burnt out, making the Temple to feel more lonely and empty.
This idea is actually based on a vanilla dialogue scene between Jora and Niranye, in which Niranye offers them help get out of the city with the aid of her 'contacts'.
New hidden location, The Rift
If Jora and Lortheim flee Windhelm, they will go into hiding somewhere in the Rift. New interior cell. This cell behaves dynamically as well; before the priests arrive, it will be darker and emptier. See if you can find them :)
On the road East of Darkwater Crossing, Eastmarch
The remains of a Thalmor patrol that encountered some local wildlife can be found here. Triggered by player level, and eventually disappears.
This mod affects locations that are not generally touched by many other mods, and so it should be relatively compatible for most people. I tested this mod by dropping it into my own monstrously convoluted load order and didn't notice any issues besides those patched below.
This mod does not touch the Civil War.
I suspect it’ll be fine with mods that overhaul the Civil War. The dynamic changes triggered by the Civil war in this mod are scriptless. They are simply attached to the same markers that enable other vanilla Civil War changes, such as guard uniforms, banners, etc. Unless there's a mod that breaks or removes these markers, there should be no issue. If anyone knows otherwise, let me know in the comments.
~ COMPATIBLE, NO PATCH REQUIRED ~
AI Overhaul
Dawn of Skyrim
Enhanced Landscapes
JK's Understone Keep
JK's Windhelm Outskirts
Lux Via
Medieval Lanterns
Northern Roads
Palaces and Castles Enhanced
Ryns Farms
Sepolcri - A Complete Burial Sites Overhaul (overwrite this with my mod)
Skyrim Landscape and Water Fixes
The Old Ways - Nordic Religion
Any NPC Replacers
~ PROVIDED PATCHES ~
aMidianBorn Content Addon
Disables to corpse of the Imperial Outcast added by aMidianBorn at the Ilinalta Shrine until the massacre takes place.
Distinct Interiors
Clutter added by Distinct Interiors such as drapery, banners, etc. is now only enabled when Stormcloaks control Markarth.
Enhanced Lights and FX (ELFX)
Resolved lighting conflicts in the Temple of Talos. Combo patch with JK's Temple of Talos also available.
JK's Skyrim
Resolves small conflicts near Riften's Shrine of Talos. Several clutter objects added by JK's will now also disappear when triggered.
JK's Temple of Talos
Resolves conflicts in the Temple of Talos interior.
Lanterns of Skyrim II
My attempt at a consistency patch for several new exterior lights. You may not notice much of a difference though.
Lux
Resolves lighting conficts, and implements Lux's lighting design to the new interior.
Lux Orbis
Resolves several small confilcts, applies Lux Orbis' design to new exterior lighting.
Open Cities
Moves objects previously in the Riften world space to the new space provided by Open Cities. This patch has not been thoroughly tested, and I'm not super familiar with Open Cities, but it appears to work fine. Let me know if you find issues.
Skyrim Immersive Creatures
Disables two skeletons at the Illinalta Shrine until after the massacre there.
Solitude and Temple Frescoes 2019
Resolves conflicts for the lanterns inside temple in Windhelm. Available for both the main file (esp plugin), and ESL file (under miscellaneous files). Only for the mod by SpartanSith118 (not the ones by Arduunos or LostBoyLazarus). Please ensure you the right patch for the file version you have. If you find it confusing, you can alternatively just let Environs - Shrines of Talos and any other patches overwrite Solitude and Temple Frescoes in your load order (you just won't see any fancy lanterns in the Windhelm temple).
The Thalmor's Shadow - Taliesin (Custom Voiced Follower)
Taliesin will now appear only after the massacre at the Illinalta shrine. Level requirement reduced to 5 so you can find him early on. Also disabled the quest to find him that begins automatically on startup, because otherwise it would point there before he appears.
Wraiths
For the mod by 4thunknown. Disables wraiths at two shrine locations while new NPCs are there.
~ KNOWN INCOMPATIBILITIES ~
The People of Skyrim Complete
Other mods that help the world space feel more dynamic, that served as inspiration:
Merchants of Skyrim - by Darkfox127
Skyrim Realistic Conquering - All In One - by Rubenvd7
Lawbringer - by EpicCrab
The Stumbling Sabrecat - by Tarlazo
After Civil War - Siege Damage Repairs - by Tarlazo
Whiterun Watchtower Doesn't Start Broken - by Jayserpa
Shoutout to Darkfox127 for his awesome Creation Kit tutorials on Youtube.
Extra thanks to Skyrim Scripting, whose tutorials helped my neanderthal brain in learn some basic skills.
Feel free to use any resources from my mods for your own, as long as you leave some credit.
Please create any compatibility patches that I have been too unaware or lazy to do myself ;)
Due to Bethesda.net Mods revising its port rules, I am publicly giving permission to anyone to upload, maintain and merge my mods for Xbox on Bethesda.net under the condition they do not claim the mods as their own and agree to remove them from Bethesda.net if asked to do so.
Open permission to anyone to upload translations of my mods for other languages, as long as you leave some credit.
Open permission to anyone who wants to convert and upload my mods to LE, as long as you leave some credit. To much work for me!