» Mon Sep 27, 2010 11:08 am JULAN, ASHLANDER COMPANION
-----------------------------------
by Kateri
REQUIRES TRIBUNAL AND BLOODMOON
http://lovkullen.net/Emma/Kateri.htm (Thank you Emma, for hosting!)
Introduction
------------
This is a companion/quest mod. It started because the Morrowind Main Quest can be a lonely business. I wanted to create a companion who actually "knew" what was going on, and had his own opinions and agenda concerning it, and would be interesting company on the journey. I also wanted to give a bit of a new perspective and approach to the Main Quest for those veteran players like myself who know it backwards, but still enjoy playing Morrowind.
I wanted to create someone who was more than just a silent meat shield or beast of burden, but an interesting and believable character whom the player could gradually get to know, and develop a relationship with, from initial suspicion to genuine friendship (or more, should you so choose), in a way that felt natural and unforced.
Did I succeed? I have no idea! But I did have an enormous amount of fun trying!
The Lowdown
-----------
Julan Kaushibael is a young Ashlander man you rescue from getting pasted by Daedra outside Ghostgate. He wants you to take him on as a companion in order to train him into becoming a better warrior, but it quickly becomes clear that there are things going on that he isn't telling you. As you progress through the Morrowind main quest with Julan, he gets dragged into your mission, and you get dragged into his - a tangle of secrets, lies, love, loss and betrayal.
That makes the mod sound heavier than it really is, however. I hope that above all, Julan is fun to have around, whether you're playing the Main Quest or not. He has a vast supply of sarky comments and random observations. Due to his upbringing, he possesses an odd mixture of naivet?, pride and paranoia, and is sometimes completely oblivious to how ridiculous he's being - which is unfortunate for him, as he hates being laughed at. Underneath it all, however, is a dedicated and caring person, who is desperately trying to do the right thing in the face of overwhelming odds.
Companion Features
------------------
- All the standard fare you've come to expect from a companion mod, as developed over the years by many modders in the field - see the credits section of the readme for more details! Companion share, warping, teleportation - the usual stuff to make him a help rather than a hindrance.
- Train Julan's skills in whichever direction you choose, either by training him yourself (free, once per day), by asking an NPC Trainer to do it (more expensive, but unlimited) or by lending him skillbooks. His attributes are calculated from his skills, and so will rise as you train him. He will also learn new spells as his skill in the magical disciplines increases.
- Can cast useful spells on himself or the player, such as healing, curing, etc. Dependent on magicka level and his skill level.
- Takes healing potions and magicka potions automatically, and can keep himself healed on his own, with potions or spells, unless he runs out of everything.
- Various options for fighting, including ranged, melee, no magic, or stay out of fight.
- Telepathy ring (after certain quest events) that let you warp him to you from anywhere if you are outside, and also warps him to you if you are both in the same interior cell - useful for pulling him out of battle, or out of lava pits!
- Over 1800 unique lines of dialogue for loads of topics and hundreds of cells. He'll give inane running commentaries on quests for Mages, Fighters and Thieves Guilds,and the Tribunal Temple, as well as the Main Quest. If you like companions who shut up and fight, this isn't the mod for you.
- Optional romance, for female characters. Be aware, however, that as well as the pleasant aspects, getting involved can also mean more opportunities for jealousy, screaming arguments and hurt feelings. Put it this way, he's no romantic ideal, but that's not to say he doesn't have his good points.
He's not a "boyfriend mod" however, and it's not the main focus.- An optional female companion, after certain quest events. She's not as "developed" as Julan, but she does have her own "romance" quest for male characters, should you choose to accept it. Be warned, however... she's trouble!
No guarantee of good behaviour! Julan MAY do any or all of the following:
- Disagree with things you say or do. Expect the odd yelling match once in a while.
- Get horrendously drunk.
- Get on badly with your other travelling companions.
- Get on a little TOO well with your other travelling companions.
- Moan about the weather, the location, that he's bored, etc...
- Criticise your choice of faction or quest path.
- Make fun of your choice of headgear.
Known Issues and Incompatibilities
----------------------------------
This mod relies on the Main Quest! Thus, it will of course be incompatible with any mod that alters the Main Quest in a significant manner, e.g.
- any "Instant Nerevarine" mod
- Blake's Nerevar Say Nerevar
- Princess Stomper's Ghostgate.
It also conflicts with:
Guarded Ghostgate
Armingers[sic] at Ghostgate.
Exercise common sense! If you are unsure whether a certain mod will cause problems, please contact me and ask.
ADDITIONAL INFO - NEW PLAYERS READ THIS!
This is a Main Quest Companion Mod. It is NOT playable by characters who are past the Vivec Informants point in the main quest, and will be best used by characters who haven't touched the Main Quest at all yet. Part of what I wanted to do with this was to inject a new perspective and interest in the Main Quest for seasoned Morrowind veterans! It is playable by fairly low-level characters as a result - all that is required is the ability to reach Ghostgate and beat up three Clannfears. They're modded to have high HP, but low attacks. They're not too tough.
As it seems this hasn't been clear enough in the past: THIS MOD BLOCKS PROGRESS IN THE MAIN QUEST until you have completed certain of Julan's quests. The blocked points are: Hassour Zainsubani's dialogue, and the Cavern of the Incarnate door.
If you are stuck here -or anywhere else, check http://princess.elricm.net/JulanFAQ.html, (thanks to Princess Stomper and ElricM for hosting it!) and if the answer's not there, PM/email me or post in this thread. Please, use spoiler tags if appropriate!
Finally, thankyou to everyone who's been supportive, appreciative, constructively critical, posted screenshots, told about funny things that happened to them and Julan, helped out with info for others who were stuck and generally been wonderful - I love this community.
Kateri.
hmy: 
The mod sounds fantastic, I'm really trying to avoid restarting again as I've racked up so many hours on this play through doing stuff for near enough everyone other than the main quest (which I'd gone 2-3 parts further into than this mod allows for out of... 40 or so missions?) Sad times, suppose I'll have to think on what means more for a day or two. 
