Skyrim has this amazing ability to immerse me in an environment that feels so real that sometimes the emotional stories I happen to run into - apparently by accident - make me do things that seem silly... mostly because I know it's just a game... and nobody really got hurt. For some reason though, I'm compelled to "right" the wrongs that have happened.

There are numerous examples of this, but the most poignant for me so far (spoilers ahead) is when I was running around in the wild just minding my own business; I was checking out various locations that popped up on my radar that I have yet to have discovered. On the way, I helped myself to hunting the various game and fauna I ran into, along with the alchemical ingredients I required for my potions. Out of nowhere, I find a dead young Breton woman... with a single arrow near her body. I thought to myself, "Damn... another random NPC hit the dust before I could even get there." I went to check her body.. and found a single note.

"If you are reading this letter, I'm probably already dead..." She tells a sad and inspiring story about how her house was looted recently by a gang of bandits. She didn't care much about the stuff they took, save for one thing: her family heirloom pendant. Almost all of her family was dead already; that was the last thing she had of theirs. Feeling like she had nothing left to live for, no memory to hang onto, she says she's going to go after the gang of bandits and try to get her family pendant back, even if it takes her last breath.

Seeing the way how she died... and that she died alone... in the cold, harsh climate, and knowing what transpired to lead her up to that point... feeling how helpless a person in that situation would be... I couldn't help but feel really sorry for her. She was only an NPC character, yes, but I can't help it. I couldn't be there to save her from the bandits, but there was one thing I could do for her: I carried her body with me all the way back to Largashbur, an Orc village that I recently helped defend giants from. There was a shrine there, for their deity, but it seemed like it would be a good memorial site for her.

I debated whether I should've posted this, but it has been on my mind ever since that night.. so there it is.

PS: I go there once in a while. Her body is still where I left it, lying on top of the shrine.

I fought a dragon in Morthal and the guy running the sawmill died. I came back later and there laid his body still. About the fourth time I came into the city, I said enough. I used a reanimation spell and had him follow me into the woods until the spell ran out. What was left was his ashes. So there he was laid to rest.
 
But I like your story better.

@Claude:Damn man.. I think the exact same thing happened to me in Morthal also =/. It's even worse when it's an npc that you visit a lot too... let alone one that you need for a quest.

It prooves of the good crafting that Bethesda did with this game ... and that you are a decent human being even if you feel sorry for an avatar :)

I posted my story about Ri'saad in the Coolest Moments thread. I spent four whole fucking real life days trying to find my friend. I understand exactly what you mean when you said you get emotional.

I found myself unable to care about any of the NPC's in this game I just mercilessly butchered anyone I could, I have no idea why.

@Prodstep: because they're not well written for the most part

Well that is quite the touching story... I have yet to play Skyrim and I'm eager to experience this vast and rich world.

When my long time follower Stenvar was randomly attacked and killed by Imperial Soldiers, my own allies, I placed his body next to a tree, placed some gems near him, strolled into Windhelm, and slayed every Imperial soldier in the city. Stenvar was a great dude.

This is amazing....  Ive put a guard in Riften in the river because everyone was surrounding his dead body but thats about it

I am the opposite I guess. When I do a mission for the Dark Brotherhood, I dump the body in a river to get it as far from town as possible. If it gets hinged on something like a waterwheel I try to unhook the body so it will continue down the river. And if I do an assassination in a house I arrange the body on the bed so it looks like they're sleeping. I'm less about sympathy. What can I say? I'm a professional.

I found her too.  I think there were some Forsworn or some bandits nearby that I killed and got her pendant from.  I left it on her body.  Figured it still belonged to her.

I found a dead NPC with the same note, except there was a group of bandits right there. I killed them and when I was looting their bodies I saw one of them had a pendant. It didn't appear to be anything special, but I chose to assume it was the pedant referenced and placed it on the woman's body before leaving.

yes i have encountered something like that..were a couple she wanted to go with him on this trip..forget the reason why was worried or something read the note looked around the wagon stood there and walked off..i didnt have anything to move the bodies or anything..in fact i didnt know how too

@MiniPato said:

I am the opposite I guess. When I do a mission for the Dark Brotherhood, I dump the body in a river to get it as far from town as possible. If it gets hinged on something like a waterwheel I try to unhook the body so it will continue down the river. And if I do an assassination in a house I arrange the body on the bed so it looks like they're sleeping. I'm less about sympathy. What can I say? I'm a professional.

I do the same thing here except I reserve the river dumping rule for bandits that pose as Imperial Soldiers and Mages that catch me off-guard (especially those mages. Fuck those guys). Also got into the habit of Soul Trapping every bandit leader that has a bounty and keep those specific black soul gems in the end table next to my bed.

Game of the year.

@Claude said:

I fought a dragon in Morthal and the guy running the sawmill died. I came back later and there laid his body still. About the fourth time I came into the city, I said enough. I used a reanimation spell and had him follow me into the woods until the spell ran out. What was left was his ashes. So there he was laid to rest. But I like your story better.

You should of used a Thrall spell so he would follow you forever as if he never died. Well until he vanishes randomly when the game bugs out.

@Claude said:

I fought a dragon in Morthal and the guy running the sawmill died. I came back later and there laid his body still. About the fourth time I came into the city, I said enough. I used a reanimation spell and had him follow me into the woods until the spell ran out. What was left was his ashes. So there he was laid to rest. But I like your story better.

You should of used a Thrall spell so he would follow you forever as if he never died. Well until he vanishes randomly when the game bugs out.

@Claude: Dead Thrall

@Claude: Dead Thrall

Maybe it's because I'm playing on the ps3 version but I don't really feel any attachment to the people of skyrim. Probably because of annoying load times and lag. I'm essentially a bandit. If I think you have something good on you and no one else is around...I'll kill you. If you're not looking, I'll steal your stuff. I guess I felt for the werewolf guy a bit. Didn't want to kill him but Hircine commanded it so....

@Claude: I've never used the spell myself, I went warrior/stealth in my first playthrough, but really looking forward to making a mage as a second character as well.

I found this writing as I looking into that particular dead Breton woman. I wanted to take care and decide if my next action would have any consequences. I thought about simply leaving the pendant with her remains. But, now that I read this, I suddenly thought of the possibility of another person stealing the item. It wouldn't happen. This is a game, and NPCs only have so much thought. I know. Still, I might move her to a less exposed area now. It's what I do sometimes. I only put so much effort into it, but it bothers me to treat certain dead NPCs with indifference. A few days ago, I fought an Orc looking for a "good death." He fell into some shallow water and I didn't feel that was too noble. I wanted to move him to the base of a nearby tree, but in that terrain, his body wasn't up for it. So I simply moved him into a decent position nearby. A few weeks ago, I found a situation involving a dead couple. A diamond ring was nearby, possibly one of theirs. It was reading into things too much, but I had to leave the ring in their home. I am not very romantic, and yet...

I'm sometimes amazed that I've become this way with Skyrim, but it's not such a great step. I've always felt bad doing things to characters accidentally, could never be cruel. I'm known to be a "nice" person. But my internal thoughts would not exactly classify me as a humanitarian. I don't like the idea of going out of my way for strangers or near strangers beyond basic decent acts--Like putting my shopping carts away, or bringing the trash cans in that my neighbors and I share. I avoid conversation, and I am a bit of a misanthrope. Yet, here I am in Skyrim, feeling great satisfaction for completing little quests for characters who are a composition of the work of artists, programmers, voice actors, writers. I initially hated the way the people looked in this game, wanted to mod the hell out of them right away. But then I came to accept the world more and became this immersed. Amazing.

My husband is just a little nicer than me in life, but he is also very kind when playing games. I've known a few people of varying degrees of this behavior in games. It is a fascinating topic that seems worth pondering. Is there any significance to how we usually behave when we play games, when we have choices to make?