quest The Trappings of Fate

[Twiggy01]

Just retried this again on LE with your patch, still not working (here's the logs), will try one more time and get back to you. this might be happening because I'm using a save that has a Snare to Loosen already started, I'll try with a brand new save and get back to you.

Papyrus.0.log

[ARTistness]

I'm not sure if you're already aware of this or not, but the forced movement from Irkalla's control collar is completely incompatible with True Directional Movement.  If the mod is active, anytime the collar tries to force you to walk somewhere you instead get stuck walking in nonsensical directions until your controls are restored.  Unfortunately, this also means that the section where Irkalla takes you to her bedroom breaks completely, as the collar is incapable of pathing you back to the alchemy laboratory.  

 

Fortunately, there is an option in the TDM MCM that allows you to completely disable TDM, which allows the collar to move you correctly.  It should be stated somewhere on the mod page or in the faq that this fix exists for users of true directional movement.

[IcicleInn]

Also just completed a runthrough.  Progress blocking bugs:

 

Spoiler

Had to tcl into pool to get to Mephala's temple as I kept bouncing on the surface no matter what I tried

 

Hidden Spider Shrine (wall does not vanish): Burned down webs, had a brief audio cue but wall never vanished, also had to tcl through to progress.  I might just not know the correct way to trigger it but I've not yet been able to finish this portion legitimately.

 

Removal of the pit barrier has been fixed from the last time I made it there (yay!) but Boethiah popped up as soon as it went down.  Was unable to trigger shouts while in pet suit, so I had to remove the pet suit first then Shout the rest of the gear off.

 

Not progress blocking but the game got *really* dim when the pit barrier went down.  Part of it may be my lighting settings but could barely see and had to navigate some of the tunnels to the Bal's shrine almost blind.

 

It's been brought up before but anyone using the Mysticism mod specifically, never has the Grand Staff of Charming spawn.  The mass-calm stave doesn't work, but you *can* bypass the requirement if you have the Calm spell yourself, just have to wait out a brief locked movement afterwards.

 

Post quest bugs and comments:

Spoiler

If you promise 4 days to the dremora in A Snare to Loosen, you can extort him to not follow through when you release him.  However he doesn't vanish and still keeps walking around the area.  If you talk to him and ask him what he's going to do, he'll act as if you still owe him even though he bargained with you for his release.

 

When you do free him from the pillory, he tends to spawn on top of/behind you and blocks your exit out of the cage.

 

Booty Call mechanic pop up is a bit on the intrusive side, is there a way to make it a message like the MCM alert messages when he teleports out?

 

[quietly-confident]

On 8/11/2024 at 8:27 PM, Frayed said:

Hm, most likely culprit seems to be something with the dremora's head mesh. Definitely not what I was expecting, so it's good that you posted that log. I've generated his face geom while disabling any mods that could change his meshes. Please try it and let me know if that worked. If not I might still have some kind of mesh overwrite in there I need to turn off and regenerate.

 

Just for clarifcation: no longer crashes in 2.0.4. Thanks for the good work!

[wutongLeaf]

I find that the option box for escaping the x shelf at the beginning of Act 2 seems to be too large for me to see the option to give up, how can I fix this

[Jaisonboy]

When is the next update planned?

 

[ARTistness]

I've found another mod conflict - specifics in the spoiler.

 

Spoiler

Any mod that alters the staves you need to enter mephala's sanctum will break the puzzle - I have one that ended up changing the 'grand staff of charming' into a 'staff of hypnosis', presumably because it changed the spell the staff was meant to cast, and now the staff doesn't work on the pedestal its meant to activate.  It would be more reliable to create 6 completely custom staffs to use for the pedestals.

 

[NorthernBear]

Finished my 2nd playthrough.

 

Minus the levitate platform sometimes not working (2.03) and some issues with aggro due to tresspass - was a good experence once again.

Looking forward to seeing what else gets added into this.

 

I've found two bad ends, can anyone confirm if there are more?

[Talesien]

On 5/24/2022 at 11:45 PM, Frayed said:

True Directional Movement is semi-incompatible at the moment. It has a bug that breaks forced walks / player AI-driven walking, which happen at some places in this mod. If you have a recent version of TDM you can turn off TDM temporarily via its MCM when you play this mod's "The Gordian Bind" quest.

About that, been poking Ersh about this bug and he managed to come up with a solution, we think (certainly works for me). The new DLL should go into the next version of TDM, but it's available right now on his Patroen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109448934 (you need to join to get it, but the free tier should suffice). If anyone feels like testing, might be useful if more than two persons checked it. (Not everyone does encounter this bug, so there is something else at play other than TDM, but as said, the new dll fixes it for me.)

[kapibar]

The campsite in the intro for the Gordian Bind didn''t spawn for me. Had to manually trigger the quest via setstage.

Also, the brown face bug has return, it's present on the Daedra and Jurgin.

Edited August 19, 2024 by kapibar

[attackat]

I'm having some trouble on the final bit of the Gordian Bind:

Spoiler

Once I enter the Uncovered Sanctum, I keep getting this message box that says "You can't use that here." repeatedly. Reloading doesn't fix it, and I don't think I have any mod conflicts. I have no idea what's going wrong here, hoping for some help.

 

[ramoratti]

I am looking for the the campsite in the intro for the Gordian Bind. I searched this forum and found a screenshot  and a brief description - but there is nothing next to the Stony Creek Cave or northeast  of the road from the fork Riften/Whiterun. Might it not have spawend? Could someone please post a screenshot of the campsite and the map? 

Edited August 19, 2024 by ramoratti

[kapibar]

The new version has quite a few bugs that I hadn't experienced before (I haven't changed my setup since the last playthrough).
 

Spoiler

The camp before the second quest didn't spawn.
Like others, I had trouble placing clothes on the table during the Trial of the Toy.
I couldn't get through the current to the cave with Mephala's altar.
The brown face bug affected all NPCs, and there was slight discoloration with Irkalla.

 

Also, Irkalla told me that you're gathering inspiration, so I thought I'd leave a few of my own comments.
 

Spoiler

This mod has two really strong aspects that make it an instant classic—logical puzzles and the relationship with Irkalla. In my opinion, making her a follower doesn’t make much sense, as there are already plenty of those. The strength of this relationship lies in its sporadic nature and sexual tension. I think Irkalla would work best in a role similar to the Master in Captured Dreams — organizing dungeon sessions (something like in Trial of the Prisoner or A Snare to Loosen), imposing certain restrictions on the PC (e.g., you will spend an entire week dressed only in a rubber catsuit), and demanding boons in various forms (e.g., we'll meet tomorrow at a specific time, and you must be dressed in a set of restraints and bring me specific gift).

Above all, I believe this relationship should be dialogue-based and progressive, where both sides grow more attached to each other, but at the same time, engage in a tug-of-war, so the relationship could lead to either dominance or submission. In my view, the best scene in the entire mod was the one in Trial of the Toy, when the PC found herself in a vision of a completely submissive relationship and gave in to Irkalla. I think sex should be very sporadic, if present at all. We already have plenty of mods offering sexual relationships, but we lack those that delve deeper into the emotional sphere and use sexual play to build anticipation for a reward. These are just some loose thoughts that you can use if you want.

 

[SilentAntagonist121]

8 hours ago, kapibar said:

Also, Irkalla told me that you're gathering inspiration, so I thought I'd leave a few of my own comments.
 

  Hide contents

This mod has two really strong aspects that make it an instant classic—logical puzzles and the relationship with Irkalla. In my opinion, making her a follower doesn’t make much sense, as there are already plenty of those. The strength of this relationship lies in its sporadic nature and sexual tension. I think Irkalla would work best in a role similar to the Master in Captured Dreams — organizing dungeon sessions (something like in Trial of the Prisoner or A Snare to Loosen), imposing certain restrictions on the PC (e.g., you will spend an entire week dressed only in a rubber catsuit), and demanding boons in various forms (e.g., we'll meet tomorrow at a specific time, and you must be dressed in a set of restraints and bring me specific gift).

Above all, I believe this relationship should be dialogue-based and progressive, where both sides grow more attached to each other, but at the same time, engage in a tug-of-war, so the relationship could lead to either dominance or submission. In my view, the best scene in the entire mod was the one in Trial of the Toy, when the PC found herself in a vision of a completely submissive relationship and gave in to Irkalla. I think sex should be very sporadic, if present at all. We already have plenty of mods offering sexual relationships, but we lack those that delve deeper into the emotional sphere and use sexual play to build anticipation for a reward. These are just some loose thoughts that you can use if you want.

 

 

I agree with basically everything kapibar says in regards to Irkalla, but would also want to add on/emphasise, PLEASE don't drop the consensual side to things. So many quests and mods make you an unwilling participant in everything, which undermines a lot of the appeal of bdsm things. Irkalla, at least between quests, asking you to willingly submit to another game is a small detail, but one I really love, and is something I'd love to see emphasised and expanded on in future, instead of the kidnapping and capture side of things. With Irkalla only surviving if you go out of your way to save her, it's safe to assume players who do that are at least amiable to Irkalla, so keeping the relationship amiable and consensual from there makes story sense, too.

[miahhexo]

On 8/18/2024 at 8:49 AM, Talesien said:

About that, been poking Ersh about this bug and he managed to come up with a solution, we think (certainly works for me). The new DLL should go into the next version of TDM, but it's available right now on his Patroen: https://www.patreon.com/posts/109448934 (you need to join to get it, but the free tier should suffice). If anyone feels like testing, might be useful if more than two persons checked it. (Not everyone does encounter this bug, so there is something else at play other than TDM, but as said, the new dll fixes it for me.)

i join his patreon but seem like the test dll only for subcribe tier 

[kapibar]

6 hours ago, SilentAntagonist121 said:

Irkalla, at least between quests, asking you to willingly submit to another game is a small detail, but one I really love, and is something I'd love to see emphasised and expanded on in future,

The funniest aspect of Irkalla's personality is that, for her, the whole relationship is more than just a philosophical experiment. She’s a smitten nerd, more excited by this game than the protagonist herself. If she truly wanted to conduct an experiment, she could just as easily have bricked the Dragonborn up in some dungeon or simply killed her. But instead, she went out of her way to create an elaborate BDSM session where the protagonist spends her time naked, aroused, and bound in various ways. Irkalla willingly brings her into her life and shapes a dominant-submissive relationship, even giving her a pet name. This isn’t a mod about enslavement, but about a relationship between a socially awkward domme and a submissive protagonist, who, aside from her great destiny, is also a woman with a set of interesting sexual fetishes. A lot about Irkalla’s personality is revealed in that moment when she herself is so aroused that she has to relieve herself, trying to do it in a way that the protagonist doesn't realize just how much her tormentor is turned on by the situation. This suggests that Irkalla isn’t a ruthless domme at all, but a smitten fan who wouldn’t mind being the one hanging on that cross for her mistress, if the mistress is the Dragonborn herself.

[IcicleInn]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:46 AM, ramoratti said:

I am looking for the the campsite in the intro for the Gordian Bind. I searched this forum and found a screenshot  and a brief description - but there is nothing next to the Stony Creek Cave or northeast  of the road from the fork Riften/Whiterun. Might it not have spawend? Could someone please post a screenshot of the campsite and the map? 

For those who cannot find the camp.

Spoiler

 

Edited August 24, 2024 by IcicleInn

[Talesien]

10 hours ago, miahhexo said:

i join his patreon but seem like the test dll only for subcribe tier 

Oh ... sorry then, I was certain it's available at the free tier. My bad.

[MonkeyShoulder]

So I have ran into a bug with the Gordian Bind.  I manage to get out into the save and I follow the quest marker across the cave.

then I get a message about my vision blacking out, my character calls down, looking to be passing out, I hear a few sound effects that suggest the quest is moving on, and then nothing.  The screen stays black.  Esc will no bring up a menu either, I have to Alt-F4 to get out of skyrim.

 

Any idea's about how to fix this?

attached are my current active mod list and my load order.

Active Mod List.txt load order.txt

[supergodman55]

if upgrading from 2.02 I assume I need a clean save and to restart the two quests in a new game? (attempted to replace the files and CTD on load every time)

 

Edit: upgrading from 2.02 to 2.04 and everything loads even halfway through quests, but quests may be broken, finishing the third trial and exiting the cave does not result in an encounter with irkalla...

Edited August 22, 2024 by supergodman55

[ramoratti]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:46 PM, ramoratti said:

I am looking for the the campsite in the intro for the Gordian Bind. I searched this forum and found a screenshot  and a brief description - but there is nothing next to the Stony Creek Cave or northeast  of the road from the fork Riften/Whiterun. Might it not have spawend? Could someone please post a screenshot of the campsite and the map? 

 

I found it - if anybody else is looking for it:

 

Spoiler

sorry @IcicleInn: somehow scrolled over your post. thank you very much

Edited August 23, 2024 by ramoratti

[FromMindoir]

Quote

I agree with basically everything kapibar says in regards to Irkalla, but would also want to add on/emphasise, PLEASE don't drop the consensual side to things. So many quests and mods make you an unwilling participant in everything, which undermines a lot of the appeal of bdsm things. Irkalla, at least between quests, asking you to willingly submit to another game is a small detail, but one I really love, and is something I'd love to see emphasised and expanded on in future, instead of the kidnapping and capture side of things. With Irkalla only surviving if you go out of your way to save her, it's safe to assume players who do that are at least amiable to Irkalla, so keeping the relationship amiable and consensual from there makes story sense, too.

I agree. I really enjoy the non-con stuff, but I think it should mostly limited to Bad Endings, and finishing the entire quest with Irkalla alive is not one of those.

With that in mind, somebody mentioned having found a couple of bad endings, and I'm on my way to play the latest version and see if I can spot some.

[FromMindoir]

I'm currently retrying The Gordian Bind. I don't remember everything, so one part that truly puzzles me is where the key to Irkalla's lab is. I manage to drop the barrier down after some trial & error, but the door is still locked and no key in my inventory open it. I got the Intricate Heavy Key from Irkalla's bedroom, but it does not work.

 

Edit: Okay, I found another key I was missing. In case some are also stuck here,

Spoiler

it is the Sun Key on one of the tables in the upper floor or the Mushroom.

 

Another thing is that,

Spoiler

now that I'm past the bedroom scene and that Irkalla removed the gargoyle's buckets, I can't cover them back anymore, it just won't work

. I got all the keys to escape the restraints (I think), but it's going to make moving around utterly hellish. I had hoarded some buckets & baskets in my inventory, but I've tried both with these and with new ones I found, and it won't work. I don't know if it is a feature or not.

Edited August 25, 2024 by FromMindoir

[Valauthiel]

I apologize if I'm asking about something that has already been answered, but my searching have not born fruits.

Currently sort of stuck on Trial of the toy. I've found the hidden away item, used it the way it's intended, and broken free from the furniture. So far so good. But every time I try to do what the quest then tells me, I end up securely locked to the X-cross back in the initial cellar room.

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I can do to get past this? I really love this mod, but I don't want to be stuck there forever.

[FromMindoir]

Right, I reached an ending on the 2.0.4 playthrough. I encountered a few glitches, but I'm also having global issues with Devious Devices as a whole (the .DLL file doesn't seem to be up to date at the moment) so that might be the reason for it. Although, to be fair - I think all DD worked as intended. Some might also be just me being daft and missing a clue, mind.

Glitches:

 

Spoiler

• One on A Snare To Loosen actually, albeit very very minor:  several times after I unlocked the mittens I got an automatic GM message saying a key had been dropped around (presumably because the game thought I lost it) even though it was in my inventory. It happened with the Falcon and Bear keys, including once after I got out from the Cistern.
• Globally, there were a few pathfinding struggles during the "automated walk" sections, but the destination was eventually (painfully) reached.
• I got a couple of freezes/stuck without nothing happening during the bedroom scene right after Irkalla ties me on the cross. It happened when I was in 3rd person right before the previous conversation, and everything worked when I switched to 1st person somehow.
• A strange one: I accidentally made Irkalla hostile by stealing the petsuit and hood right in front of her after she invites us to dinner. I then reloaded the last Autosave (dunno if there is a planned outcome when that happens though, maybe there is?), but as I did, the petsuit and hood never reappeared in the room afterwards, including during the escape sequence. I had to reload from an earlier save right at the end of the second trial.
  • Overall, I didn't remember that basically every single item was tagged as "Steal". Walker and Jurgen didn't react at all though, so I assume it's a feature.
• As mentioned earlier, after the first trial, when Walker plays along and says she's the one who covered the Gargoyles, the buckets/baskets get removed. But I couldn't put them back on afterwards, and it was a huge pain, especially considering later on you're forced to carry a petsuit up to the dremora's cell, and this one has a low-ish chance of the key working even if you have it.
• I couldn't heat the Tonal Fork. I held it over the forge for an entire minute and nothing happened. And if I used an attack, the collar took hold. So I skipped the puzzle by phasing through the door with the tcl command.
• The Boethiah Shout only worked after I "manually" removed the petsuit, plus a couple more items a Gargoyle equipped on me that I was carrying by mistake (Iron Fetters & Chain). And during the fight, it did not always work (not to mention that with the number of runes, its CD makes it unreliable - then again, I assume the fight against many Dremora is supposed to be tough and unfair).
• Not sure if it's a glitch or not, but I think one of the combat runes is supposed to be a gag, but if it is, the animation didn't show (the character opened her mouth as if she was gagged and couldn't Shout, but nothing was visible)
• When I sided with Molag Bal and gave him Irkalla's real soul gem, there was no "end of fight" and the battle theme continued all throughout (also happened in one of the bad ends when losing to Irkalla by being bound in combat)
• A funny final one: After going back to the main mushroom room with Irkalla, she was interrupted by Jurgin who, when he punched her, sent her back down the hole. Problem is that I had a Defeat mode active (SL Defeat Baka) and as such I couldn't talk to her anymore because, even if she got up and walked, she was considered at 0HP. Had to use healing hands to talk to her again.
• And a final-er one (super minor): after defeating Bal, I went back to see whether Walker had some additional dialogue, and saw that the daedric seal on the cell door was still up.

 

But I have to say that this time, the final daedric seal worked very well (when I played at release it glitched), and it easily was one of my favorite sequences in the entire mod (which is saying something because there are so many amazing sequences). Another thing I didn't get to experience the first time around was what happens when you go to Irkalla without removing the nipple rings at the end of A Snare To Loosen - and it was awesome too.

 

Another QOL comment:

 

• I used a couple of basic texture mods, and one of those (among other things) made the keys smaller and darker. Considering I have a bad eyesight to begin with, some of them were extremely painful to spot (also true for A Snare to Loosen to a degree). Does somebody know whether there's a mod that would make keys shinier and easier to see? I would honestly add it to the soft recommendations for this mod if you are visually impaired like me, as searching through dark environments (with the blindfold debuff in particular, but not only that) can be painful in a non-enjoyable way (it took me forever to spot the key dangling out of the starting cell in A Snare To Loosen even though I knew what I was looking for).

 

 

Now for suggestions:

 

Disclaimer: I'm going to talk about Bad Endings in quite some depth, because I adore this feature, and I think they fit this mod especially well because A/it adds more stakes and B/this mod is fantastic at hinting that you are missing something or that you are doing something wrong, and is overall extremely well and fairly written

Spoiler

(cases in point: bringing the real gem, failing the second trial...both of these have well-implemented warning signs).

Also, I assume many who play it enjoy bondage (bold claim I know), so I doubt it would be too uncomfortable for players to have to witness those scenes, provided of course they include a quick skip for those who immediately want to keep playing or aren't too fond of the scene itself. They can be a quick way to add a variety of styles of devices and bindings so that anyone can get its favorite. And finally, they add replayability because it motivates to try new ways to do (or forget to do) things.

 

• However, because consent is essential in BDSM content, my first suggestion would be to add a degree of content control either...
  • by a MCM menu (I don't think mod is in MCM right?), allowing for able to toggle on/off M/F sex scenes, or the aforementioned bad endings
  • or, to keep it more immersive, to do so through chat options. For example, in A Snare To Loosen, in order to say you are not OK with M/F sex when you are at the "Dremora Helps" step, there might be one option that says "With a Man? Ew!", which in turn would change the pillory scene to one, for example, with the Conjure Phallus spell. Or, when you reach the end of ASTL and chat with Irkalla, she might ask you whether you thought you would never, ever get out of the restraints, to which you could say either that you find the idea horrible (Toggle Bad Endings Off) or arousing (Toggle Bad Endings On).

 

• So, I reached a Bad Ending
  Spoiler

  (by losing to the dremoras during the fight after brining the real gem), 

  and it was, I cannot emphasize it enough, AMAZING. May I suggest expanding the text boxes describing the fate a bit before being sent back to the menu? I'm sure that even if it is a bother and extra work, there are many people here (or somewhere else online) who would be more than happy to write a longer text explaining what happens to you. Maybe leave the "go back to the menu" option up for those who want to restart straight away or are not into it, and give more (futile) options for the others? I have no idea how much effort would be required, but when I see the amount of incredible flavor text in this mod, I figure it would be a fitting addition (for any Bad Ending - maybe there are others? I haven't found them).
  • I then tried a variation, namely, to be defeated by Irkalla instead. I would suggest that...
    • if you pick the dialogue option
      Spoiler

      where you ask Irkalla to help you banish Molag, where he forces her to fight you to get the gem, then the Bad Ending features both you and Irkalla instead of being identical to the one where you straight up smash the gem, or where you taunt her and she beats you

       

  • And non-Bad Ending related, but (considering it's Skyrim we are talking about, not a VN) would it be possible to, to a degree, have previous dialogue influence the final fight?
    Spoiler

    If you're hostile and agressive, she'd straight up attack you at full force, but if you were polite and admitted to loving being bound, then she would resist Molag's orders a couple of times, andthen you would fight a weaker Irkalla who doesn't use as many binding spells (and that would justify the alternative Bad Ending mentioned above where she is featured too).

     

• Regarding Mr Dremora now, considering that...
  • Spoiler

    • In A Snare To Loosen he intervenes by asking for "a service" in exchange for his help
    • He said that he wanted said deal because watching us struggling against restraints was hot
    • He mentions that he perved on Irkalla and Walker
    • He literally gets summoned as a "Lecherous Dremora"...
      • Even if his main role in The Gordian Knot is to tell you how to make yourself helpless, I wish there was some way for him to be more hands-on with a devious option, aside from the small thank you fuck he can give right at the end. I think it could work twofold:
    • Helping him could allow you to bring an ally to the final fight. He might not be a fighter (he says so himself), but he might have enough of a reputation to either weaken Irkalla by distracting her or taunting her, or reduce the number of Dremora Molag summons (if you have the real gem and you break it) because they want absolutely nothing to do with this lech even if Bal says so.
    • On the other hand, since he is a daedra and proved not to be completely trustworthy in ASTL (what with not releasing us from the pillory), there could also be a bad path where he tricks us into releasing him without any guarantee of his help. The way I see it, this Bad Ending could have him appear right after Boethiah removes the gag and hood, force them back on, grab our keys, and lead us to Molag where he would trade the soul stone for his freedom. He could even barter with Molag to become the Dragonborn's master while she's restrained like this.
      • I think both of these could be implemented by adding a dialogue with him where he mentions the anchor, and finding some hints as to where the key is (because unless I'm mistaken, it's not available before the end of the story). It would be possible to enter the chamber, and find a couple of notes where Irkalla mentions how she trapped him, and her saying (in big red obvious letters to make it fair) that he would immediately exploit somebody in a position of weakness if he were to get his anchor back. As such, you could either...
        • Say you have the key before going to see Bal, and basically blackmailing him into accompanying you to later give him his Anchor back because you are, truly, a hero (or not to it if you are an evil Dragonborn, and basically become his master by force, that's another option for dominant players, and could be payback for the forced fuck in ASTL)
        • Take the Anchor (maybe with a "Are you sure?" hint that it's not necessarily smart to do so), give him his anchor back before going to see Bal, which would lead to the aforementioned betrayal and Bad Ending
• And finally, since I am on the topic of Bad Endings (and I love them, I think I mentioned that), another that could be fun and, I think, consistent, would be to add one during
  Spoiler

  Boethiah's second trial if you fail it either by not getting the tool in the crack, or by chatting with the Jailer. It could happen right before being force-teleported back to the little island as is the case right now. Considering it is straight up a trial about escaping heavy bondage, seeing the consequences of a failure would seem logical, even though it's just happening in a dream dimension (and as such is only temporary before being teleported back). As it's not technically a game over, I'm not sure it is a Bad Ending per se (you can try again), but it would fit the theme.

   

• The Walker Armor is fantastic, but it seems to be kind of a standalone as it cannot be worn with anything below the neck (or it be visible at least - Corsets seem to work), and it does not fit the bodyslide presets one might have had picked for NPC or for the PC. I don't know who manages this mod, but would it be possible for it to be added to the pool of Devious Devices so it gets a bodyslide and becomes more customizable (like wearing Mittens, Catsuits, Gloves...)?
  • Speaking of the Walker Armor, it could become a mod in itself - similar to the Princess in chastity quest from Deviously Cursed Loot, you would collect more and more pieces and "upgrades" for it in various (dwemer?) ruins, giving you more and more buffs in combat, but making you more and more helpless in the process. It might even be a more craftsman-oriented quest where you would need to gather the ingredients to upgrade the suit. And you might even (once it's fully finished) equip it on a follower. Maybe on Irkalla herself?
• Unless I am mistaken, the Boethiah shout destroys the bindings (most weren't in my inventory anymore after the final fight). May I suggest replacing them with an unequip feature? Because they're awesome, it's a shame not to get to use them anymore after that (although there are spares to find, some might not be easily seen). If those items are designed to reappear after some time to avoid softlocking players, ignore that suggestion (I think I saw some of them twice, but not sure if feature or faulty memory on my part).
  • Same thing with the devices used in
    Spoiler

    Boethiah's second trial, which are amazing, but I have no idea where else you can get them (the gag in particular). A chest containing them might be another "parting gift" from Boethiah (...or one from Azura because she's nicer and knows Boethiah wouldn't do that).

• As for Irkalla herself, I don't really have a "functionality" in mind, more of a vague idea of a way to continue the adventures with her?
• Spoiler

  Considering you might end up as either her toy or her mistress (or both) at the end of the Gordian Bind provided she survives. The basic plot is that she would realize that even if she freed her soul from Molag Bal, there is an unexpected consequence that threatens her health (maybe one put by Molag himself as a last "Fuck you!" to those who escape him?), and she needs a powerful magical item to properly cleanse her soul from his influence. Problem is that whoever has this item is wealthy, powerful, and has locked it well beyond anyone's reach, but s/he's also a fetish enthusiast and happens to be throwing a party soon. And so she would ask you (or order you if she's your mistress) to go to this party she's invited to as her bound toy, and BOOM! You would have to solve a caper that includes various bondage/SM shenanigans in order to get your hands on the McGuffin - sort of like a naughty echo to the Thalmor Embassy quest.
  Alternatively, if you're famous enough in Skyrim (Harbinger of the Companions, Thane of 3+ Jarls, Killed Alduin, solved the war...) and made her your pet, you might even get the invite instead, and she would come as the toy. It could feature some of the Princes we haven't seen involved in BDSM shenanigans yet - Sheogorath (because it's a party), Malacath (because he's not popular at parties, like Sheogorath said), Nocturnal (because you are committing a theft)...anyways, that's more a fanfic than anything at this point.

• Another option that could branch towards the same story would be
  Spoiler

  if the Dragonborn ended up afflicted with some Bondage curse coming seemingly out of nowhere and reminding her of her time in the Fungal Cavern - for example, during a random quest in a dungeon, she starts to be afflicted with the red rune spells while nobody casts them. And so, to get answers, she would get to Irkalla, who is obviously knowledgeable on the matter. It might for example (if you did it) Clavicus reminding you that you made a deal with him while underwater. But in the end, it would lead to the same type of adventure: finding the MacGuffin.

   

• Of course, the ultimate design feature for her I would say (but like the walker armor that could be a mod in itself) would be a "Radiant Quest Escape Game" with a variety of small sequences similar to Trial #2 or to the beginning of Damsel in Distress (in DCL) where you get tied in an assortment of restraints and have to find the correct order of actions to get free (moving arms, torso, legs, hands, or interacting with the environment). To make it "simpler", it could always happen in the same room (maybe the Dremora's cell ?), with one main bondage furniture randomly chosen by the Radiant Quest (Cross, Pillory, Pole, Etc...) and a few "fixed" features that may or may not help you get out and that could be inspired by what is seen in the mod's main story (crack in the wall, splinters to make lockpicks, puddle of water, some kind of item to get through a cage with mittens...)

 

 

Right, I'll stop it because I think I have written far too much already and I have enough ideas for an entire developer's studios with what this mod inspires me, but honestly - at this point, I reinstall Skyrim only to play The Trappings of Fate. And I'm doing that at a moment where my game backlog is stacked. That's how fantastic I consider this to be.

 

Once again, a thousand thanks to Frayed for this absolute gem!

 

P.S.: if some of you have found other Bad Endings than

Spoiler

the one where you lose the fight while having the real gemstone, 

I'd be interested to know what triggers them (through PM or spoilers in this thread). Gives me an excuse to replay the mod once again.

 

Edited August 25, 2024 by FromMindoir