Monthly Modder: Waribiki

We chat with musician and modder Waribiki about her popular Bosmer follower, Auri.

Many of the most recognizable Skyrim mods are companions, which isn’t surprising given the personal connection players develop with them. Even in this crowd, Auri stands out with her distinct commentary and discussion topics. For those unfamiliar with the deeper lore of Elder Scrolls’ Wood Elves, there is some wild stuff you can learn from her!

You can download Song of the Green (Nexus, Xbox) to experience Auri yourself – and learn more about her below!

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What attracted you to making a Bosmer follower, and exploring Bosmer lore?

The Bosmer are my favourite TES race. I love their complex culture and the stark contrast between their sweet, petite appearance and the darker side of their traditions. The Bosmer in Skyrim all seem quite far removed from their kin in Valenwood, (looking at you, Faendal) so I wanted to create a companion that reflected their feral side more.

Auri is a wonderful companion to hang out with. Beyond Bosmer culture, any particular inspiration for her, or Thistlefoot?

Thank you very much for saying so! I just really wanted to write a character that was likeable, but also flawed. Interesting, but without outshining the player character. For conversations and topics, I took inspiration from other RPG's like Dragon Age Origins, which in my opinion has some of the best-written and most likeable characters in video game history. Thistlefoot is heavily inspired by the red elk Yakul from the Ghibli film "Princess Mononoke."

Any favorite moments for Auri?

I'm very fond of the final conversation Auri has with the Player just before they fly off to Sovngarde on the back of a Dragon. I also quite like the small conversations that focus on the Dragonborn and their feelings and thoughts. Sometimes even the savior of the world needs to vent a little.

You provide excellent voice acting, which includes singing two beautiful songs. Do you have past experience with this sort of work?

I do! Music and songwriting is actually my "main gig," so to speak. I have a youtube channel where I upload covers and original music, and I've also done quite a lot of live performances in my local community. As for voice acting, before Auri I did a couple of smaller roles in other mods, but it's definitely something I've always been interested in.

What is your favorite part of modding?

The writing and the voice acting, definitely, and of course the feedback from the community. When I first released the mod, I figured maybe a friend or two might play it. I never expected it to become as big as it did, and I'm really flattered (and mildly terrified) by it.

Lastly, what are your favorite mods, or your favorite mod authors?

At this point there are hundreds of mods that I can't play without. The modding community is full of extremely talented and hardworking people who inspire me every day, but if I must pick a few, I'd like to recommend Interesting NPC's by Kris Takahashi (Nexus), Become a Bard by Pevey (PC, Xbox, Nexus), Lucien by Joseph Russell (PC, Xbox, Nexus) and Inigo by Smartbluecat (PC, Xbox, Nexus).