» Sun Jul 13, 2014 8:25 pm My Nord was perfectly content minding his own business being a good husband to his wife (Mjoll) and father to his 6 children, a skilled smith/humble farmer who sold his crops & crafted goods at city hold markets, a prospering merchant and aspiring entrepreneur (thanks to mods like Trade & Barter, Katixa's Restaurant & Brewery) a devout Talos worshiper, emerging scholar (started studies at College Winterhold) and proficient hunter outdoors man (thanks to Frostfall, Hunterborn, RWS etc) who enjoyed putting food on the table for his family.
To supplement his income when money was tight, he has had to moonlight as a thief & dread DB assassin at night. Which caused him to unwillingly open the Pandora's box to Oblivion, because of his unique birthright as Dovahkin. So he was forced to
So my Nord has finally become resigned to the fact his soul is bound for the planes of Oblivion (and the Void) instead of the festive eternity in Sovengarde. He recently overcame his fear of how Dread Father Sithis would judge his soul for all eternity from making irreversible pacts with Daedric Princes. For his story was foretold and what will be will be. He has an eternity to witness the resolution to this dilemma--as witness to the immortals rendering his soul to shreds in their quarrel over who is entitled to what pieces. And on top of accepting all this spiritual damnation, he's resignedly accepted his mortal destiny to
And if he survives that, to
And if Boethia was crazy enough to allow him to survive that, to
And if his prophesied mortal peril and spiritual damnation weren't enough, along comes the Civil War knocking at his door step. 
And thanks to those Thalmor boot licking, Imperial forces which recently doubled their patrols outside his Lakeview home in Falkenreath, my Nord was finally pushed into open rebellion. Since CWO shifts the battle lines and faction control dynamically within the holds, my Nord's recent conversion to a Stormcloak spy has him on the constant move. Which means he has to constantly find safe haven residences around Skyrim for his family. He learned this hard lesson after barely escaping with his life after failing to successfully sneak into his Solitude manor. You would think the bloody guards would overlook his lapse in judgement as THANE while he made the mistake of wearing a Stormcloak uniform while trying to exit his house. Because seriously, he wore it as a semi-practical joke during Tales and Tallows holiday. Surely that should have been cause enough. 
He hasn't been back to Solitude since as his stealth skill set is at novice level. And so sneaking around at night in that particular hold and city are a complete health hazard.
So it's no wonder my poor Nord has been having many sleepless nights as of late. How to keep his family life intact? What's the best way to insure his children are cared for in the event the Nocturnal, Molag Bal, Boethia, or Sithis himself decide it's time for his tormented soul to depart the realm of Mundus??
Then he suddenly received divine enlightenment: Why not take advantage of his status as landed (albeit still minor) Nobility throughout the realm? Protect all of his lands & material possessions from potential seizure (and taxation) by those Imperial dogs by bequeathing them to his 6 children? So he drew up a will one sleepless night. And he came up with this draft will:
...I Alaric, being of sound mind and body, doth bequeath my estate to the following heirs of my line, so they may take their rightful place with their peers, and prosper as free Sons and Daughters of Skyrim:
For Sophie--My first born child and eldest daughter, I bequeath thee the lion's share of my estate:
* Lake View Extended (designed by the esteemed builder Ac3s). This manor estate is one of my most treasured possessions. I feel that you, my dearest Sophie, of all my children, are the most worthy of this estate. Why is this you may ask? Your dark days of hardship living off your wits on the streets of Windhelm have taught you perseverance and how to be a survivor at life.
And why is this painful aspect of my past childhood so important you may ask? Because while we are driven by destiny, the means by which we achieve our fates is greatly shaped by our past. You have since recovered from your physical deprivation and abuse from being on the streets of Windhelm. However, your psychological sense of abandonment and loneliness from your emotional ordeal, have left you with deep emotional scars. You are not as resilient as your sister Lucia in this regard. So I feel that your early childhood trauma has instilled a darkness of mind and spirit within you. A darkness which has appeared to grow each day. For you have demonstrated a passionate commitment to honoring Sithis with many secret Black Sacrament rituals practiced on animals (yes Sophie, you thought you were being discreet. But I spied on you many times at these secret endeavors in deserted wooded locations around the home!) So based on these observations of your dark nature, I bequeath this home to you in the confidence you will make good on this potential aspiration.
But why the Falkenreath manor you may ask? Well, if the Imperial Rumor Mill is to be believed, this home has been rumored to be near the former site of a once illustrious Skyrim sect of the Dark Brotherhood. It has also been rumored these prodigal DB bretheren did blatantly dare to disrespect the Night Mother. And suffered the wrath of Sithis for their transgression. So it is with greatest regret that I cannot say whether the Brotherhood ever existed in Skyrim. But in feeding you this bit of speculation my eldest child, I will leave you this hint: Your reserved outlook on life is a dark one. And you appear to show tremendous promise in being one of a select few mortals destined to walk this dark path. So for your sake, it is my greatest hope you will someday receive the opportunity to lead a soul to Sithis's embrace in Void. For only in honoring Sithis in this manner, will you discover whether the Night Mother was just a myth or reality. If the latter be the case, then only then would the location of the Brotherhood will be revealed to you. And by serving the most dread Father Sithis in this capacity, you could be surprised to discover you follow in the footsteps of someone very close to you.....
* Vlindrell Hall Plus (designed by soupdragon123) as dowry (However, I hope you consider using this as a clandestine base for subversive operations against the Thalmor HQ and your mortal adversaries)
* Shadowmere -- This unique beast passed into your father's safekeeping under a cloak of subterfuge which I cannot reveal here. However, may this demonic but loyal steed serve you as faithfully as he did a dread mysterious Lord your Father once had the privilege to know.
For Francois, my 1st born male heir and 2nd oldest child I bequeath:
* Proudspire (designed by Noxides). May you continuously find ingenious ways to use your wit, cunning, and power of speech to thwart those craven Imperial dogs who infest Solitude.
* The Cider House Restaurant & Brewery. My duties as a Stormcloak spy have increasingly taken up all my time. So I gift you these in the confident knowledge your growing mercantile abilities will make these fledgling business ventures even more profitable than I could ever hope they could ever be.
* The Asteria. This unique flying Dwemer home is the only one of its kind in all Skyrim and Tamriel. I know you will find this estate the perfect base of operations for your adventurous spirit as you explore, barter and trade the realms of Tamriel.
For Runa my 2nd oldest daughter and 3rd oldest child I bequeath:
* Aspen Manor (designed by Gentester). May this rustic country manor compliment your warm, outgoing personality.
* Honeyside (designed by Goatk) as dowry.
For Samuel, my 2nd eldest male heir and 4th oldest child, I bequeath thee:
* Candle Pond Ranch (designed by Gentester) . I hope this favored reclusive solace of mine will inspire you, my most gifted, quietest, emphatic, and sensitive scion, to discover your artistic muse. And that such solace will help your aspiration to become a famous bard someday as you are a true romantic at heart.
* The Epic Edda. My goal is to collect all the pages of this legendary work of art before my death. So I may give you the pleasure by gifting this to you my son. But if you are reading this, my time in this world was cut short and there simply wasn't enough time. However, all is not lost. I encourage you to seek this quest as part of your future aspirations to become the best bard Skyrim has ever experienced.
For Hroar, my youngest male heir and 5th oldest child, I bequeath thee:
* Hjerim (designed by karNZ). This mansion is the closest to my heart as a Stormcloak as you are to me my most beloved son. Hjerim is both a testament and pure reflection of your character: strong, courageous, loyal, unyielding Nord with an unbreakable spirit. For this hearth characterizes the essence of you---what a true Son of Skyrim should be. May you live happily in this home and raise your children to always honor Talos and safeguard a free Skyrim.
* Frost. My noble steed whose purity of heart is the kindred soul mate to your own. May he serve you as faithfully and loyally as he served your Father.
For little Lucia, my youngest and most beloved child, I bequeath thee:
* Breezehome Fully Upgraded (designed by SkuM0nkey11). This simplistic looking manor is as uniquely mysterious yet carefree as you, my youngest daughter. Within the deceptively simple looking exterior of this Whiterun manor, lies an impregnable fortress. It houses many complex secrets, a labyrinth of puzzles and treasures for you to unlock. I know you will enjoy ultimately uncovering all of its secrets.
Given your happy go lucky nature and how material things easily come into your possession, I feel my Mistress has decided to honor me by selectively smiling upon you. Should you chose to dedicate your soul in a life of servitude to my Mistress the Nocturnal, then follow in my footsteps as Thieves Guild Master. And you will find that this fortress will also serve as an excellent base of operations with which you can achieve vast wealth and power over your adversaries....
And remember: should the time come when you find yourself blessed with the gift of Hircine (or dread Molag Bal himself), use the secret passages this fortress provide, and readily access your home inside Whiterun in peace.
* Riverside Lodge (designed by Lupus78) as your dowry. Use this as you see fit my beloved.
* The Nocturnal's effects. I have secreted these dread daedric weapons, armor and artifacts in a hidden vault. But do not waste your wily energies trying to decipher the location of this outworldly treasure. You see my ambitious child, the vault can only be unlocked by a Nightingale---one who is selected, tested, and blessed by the Nocturnal herself.
However,you have been showing me great promise in your wit, charm, and cunning each day my child. I think this resilience of spirit has a lot to do with your difficult days as an orphan living on the streets in Whiterun. But those wretched days are past. For all of Tamriel is yours to plunder---upon your whim and when you so desire it my child! So it is my greatest hope and desire that you follow in my footsteps and take this mantle of leadership of the Thieves Guild. Only then will the way to the Nocturnal's artifacts be revealed to you in Breezehome.
That bit of spam being said, does anyone use custom homes to compliment faction quests and/or increase their level of game immersion in Skyrim? 
