There’s something about a robust videogame character creation system that unhinges 13-year-old Marian from my brain and sets her flailing for control. Though really my tastes at 13 were pretty dismally similar to what they are at present (at least secretly, underneath my careful shellac of coolness. What, you haven’t noticed my careful shellac of coolness?) Anyway, here is a sheet for the character I’d like to make, more or less, depending on what I’m working with. I even gave her a birthday, because you know my feelings about birthdays.
Also, note my implementation of the proprietary “When Dealing With Stuff” system (I came up with the name all by myself). The standard alignments never quite do it for me, so this is my version, with less emphasis on good and evil, and more emphasis on, uh, dealing with stuff.
And some more translation, for anybody who doesn’t care about Skyrim, but is nonetheless good-naturedly reading through these posts: “Bosmer”, for comparison, are sort of like the Wood Elves of Tolkien. And “Evening Star” is the Elder Scrolls iteration of December. Oh, and “Argonians” are lizard guys. They look like this and I LOVE THEM.
Finally, for anybody who (like me) doesn’t care at all about their public image (or their shellac), and wants to fill out a totally unironic Skyrim character sheet, here is a blank version.
marianchurchland.com 
I smell a new meme with that character sheet. Are you going to do a write up of your adventures? I have a feeling that your play through of Skyrim is going to be a lot more engaging then others.
I’m afraid I’d be more tied to my desk than I already am, if I did that! But realistically, I expect my playthrough will be pretty dull from an outside perspective. It will involve a lot of placing gems in bowls around my in-game house.
Augh, I used to try and do that in Oblivion and then get really angry at the physics system when everything got knocked off of my table!
Yes, I remember this.
Save game – place book on shelf – save game – place another book on shelf – save game – place another book and watch everything in the whole room fly in every direction – reload…
I really like your character sheet, would you mind if I use it for a Skyrim character of mine and post it on Deviantart?
Hi – absolutely, please use anything you like!
Thanks!
I think your blog is amazing. The way you talk about food with such passion makes me think we would be really good friends.
And I wish all of the clothes you drew could be bought somewhere for a reasonable price.
I wish you freshly baked goods and freshly cut deli meats!
Thank you, I always seem to befriend other people who are obsessed with good food, so you are probably right.
I wish you the same!
yay Argonians cmirnfoed, so happy! i like to see Argonians have a better face than before more realism and like as “Dragonian” the names is similar i like this.
vEc59h ztvlsboedtcx
I have no real interest in Skyrim – I know that if I did, I would be consumed by it and couldn’t get on with the things I need to get done on a daily basis. One thing I will always have interest in is when a creative person gets so completely wrapped up in world-building as you do, Marian. These posts are so undeniably awesome and inspiring.
Thank you! And yes, I get the same way. I’m giving myself a week (translation: two weeks) of as much Skyrim as I want, then I’m going to have to impose on-hours and off-hours.
My shellac of coolness evaporated the moment I saw Ramza Beoulve on the cover of Mixed Unit Tactics. That book is written by the BEST.
Nice! I’m so glad that somebody caught that double-reference.
Eeee character sheets! I love character sheets :3 Thanks so much. (And your art is lovely as ever)
Skyrim is going to eat my life :( I’ll be off having kleptomaniacal adventures with my fancy Argonian lady until the end of civilization, at this rate.
You and me both! I was hard pressed to choose between Bosmer and Argonian. Argonians are my favourite, but Bosmer are my traditional first choice.
Oh the woes of cleavage armor. Why is the midriff and the bosom not important to protect on females? Apparently boobies are the only important part for females in most games/movies/comics/ext.
I don’t know! It’s not like they don’t have lots of opportunities to incorporate cleavage where it makes more sense – I’m all for that, just not on the stuff that’s supposedly worn to protect your vitals from harm. Drives me nuts.
I should add, though – to be fair! – that Bethesda are much better than most, for this.
Nice! I’m thinking of dual-dagger-wielding too! I think I’m gonna be a Dunmer, thooough. Watch out for this, Marian! http://www.hackrifice.com/temp/whynottoentrenchyourselfinanmmorpg.jpg
Ahhhghhkkk, I forgot about that one! Demons begone!
Ahem, Dunmer is a rad choice, of course. I love how goblinish they look in Skyrim.
These are great! You may be all over this already, but the two latest Bethesda podcasts are Skyrim specific ( spoiler free )…the first discusses the drawing of meat…
http://www.bethblog.com/podcast/
Oh, nice, I watched the corresponding videos, but I somehow missed the podcast links in both cases. I’m going to play these as I draw my next post – many thanks!
Oh my gosh, these are great. I kind of shivered when they played some music, since these themes are stored so deeply in my bones, despite not having been heard in years. Thanks. (:
It’s so hard to abide by the law when there are all those shiny items lying around in all those shops!
Seriously. Games like this exist for me to live the sneaky Gollum life that I was clearly born for.
Reptilian beast races are the best and I lament the present absence of one in publicly available Crossing lore. They must be the first expansion race! I need more pointy little shark teeth in my mouth.
They are the best! Man, what is it about those lizards?
A lizard race would do well in The Crossing, what with it being all deserty and arid and stuff.
Here’s the character sheet I did. It was fun, since I hadn’t drawn in a while, let alone drawn foodstuffs. The portrait could be better but at least it’s gotten me stoked about the game (release day deliver from Amazon, yay)…
There probably won’t be a sling, but I hear Kha’jit and Argonians are back to not being able to wear boots, so… maybe they’ll have non-humanoid feet? Fingers crossed.
Speaking of food and drink Bethesda just made their own mead for when Skyrim went gold.
http://www.bethblog.com/index.php/2011/11/04/golden-mead-for-a-golden-game/
I saw this! They actually reminded me a little of mead varieties that I used to mod into Oblivion – which made me feel all smug and self-satisfied despite there being no connection.
I made mine! http://www.tumblr.com/photo/1280/12493011141/1/tumblr_lubiyaIH551qhg802
AWESOME! I heft my tankard at thee, friend!
Haha, hates wizards! Now I really want to think about what class-type my character hates. Probably something like wealthy authority figures, though that isn’t nearly as hilarious.
I hope the character creator gives you the option to have that rad hair (I seem to remember there being at least one half-shaved-head option in the screenshots. I will likely be making my eventual warrior all head-shorn, too.)
Woop, I did one too.
http://ficklefiend.deviantart.com/art/Skyrim-Character-Sheet-267923014
My bf doesn’t understand why I would play anything in oblivion apart from an argonian or khajit, because you can’t play those anywhere else and “elves are two-a-penny”, Lolz. I think I just relate more to a character with a face.
I do loves them argonians though, can’t wait to hear their raspy tones again. <3
So rad! I must high-five you HARD CORE on your likes and dislikes. I think our ladies would be sneaky pals.
I’m with you on the characters with a face thing, I’m afraid. Argonians are probably my favorite race, but somehow I’m still more excited about the elves and humans when it comes to creating them.
Also: mushrooms on toast – now I’m obsessed with getting this in my face asap – I’m adding it to my planned larder.