Lucien is a Game Mod for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim by Joseph Russell
, which features the titular character, the Imperial scholar Lucien Flavius, as a potential follower for the Dragonborn. Lucien is found in the Dead Man's Drink inn in Falkreath, where he is looking for someone to accompany him for his academic journey around Skyrim. Along with one of the other more famous companion mods, Inigo, which Russell openly admits to have taken quite a bit of inspiration from, Lucien remains one of the more reactive and expansive mods of its kind for Skyrim out there.
Lucien comes with a couple of Companion Specific Sidequests, and as a nerdy scholar of nature and history, he starts out as a quite vulnerable Non-Action Guy and is rather helpless against the threats of Skyrim, but through a training system, the Dragonborn have the option to shape him into a more formidable combatant, and have relatively great freedom in moulding him into a mighty warrior, mage, rogue, or some combination of the three. In addition Lucien is an opinionated and educated fellow, and will offer his own academic insight and commentary on the game's main quest (being capable of holding BioWare-style conversation with several other NPC followers), the major DLCs quest-lines, several side-quests, and even several pieces of the Creation Club DLC and some of the more popular mods out there, such as Beyond Skyrim. Joseph Russell have stated that he plans to expand greatly upon these features as he develops and builds upon the mod.
The first version of the mod was released in 2018. Joseph Russell's page about Lucien, and information about his abilities and compatibilities, can be found here.
Trope:
- Antagonistic Offspring: Downplayed, but he's perfectly willing to fight the same Legion his mother serves if the Dragonborn starts it, if only in self-defense. He isn't happy about it though, and its a quick way to earn his disapproval.
- Brains and Brawn: Lucien can interact with Hoth, another mod follower. Hoth, being a ruthless veteran bounty hunter specialized in melee combat, naturally is the Brawn to Lucien's Brains.
- Of course, this trope is also in full effect between a warrior-oriented Dragonborn and a mage-oriented Lucien, though no matter what class Lucien ends up specializing as, he still remains a brainy scholar no matter what.
- Companion-Specific Sidequest: The player can ask Lucien what he is most interested in seeing in Skyrim, and he replies that it is finding the old Dewmer ruin, Dumzbthar. This comes around later, when the player has improved their relationship with Lucien enough to gain his trust, at which point a letter from Lucien's father will arrive by courier, along with a key. Dumzbthar's location will be revealed and Lucien's quest to explore Dumzbthar will be properly accessible.
- Cool Horse: Lucien can acquire one through one of his personal quests. He names him Clive.
- Deadpan Snarker: Lucien have his own opinions on both some of the Dragonborn and other followers' stranger or questionable actions, and he has no problem with making quite pointed comments on them.
- Genius Bruiser: Should the player decide to train him as a warrior, Lucien will fit this trope to a T, being both a well-read scholar and a mighty fighter.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: He has a head full of blond hair and is a very kind, friendly fellow.
- Like Father, Like Son: Lucien admits upfront that he takes a lot more after his father, than his mother. His father being a scholar much like himself.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy:
- Lucien's parents fits into this. His mother is an accomplished officer and tough-as-nails veteran in the Imperial Legion, having seen her fair share of combat, while his father is a Non-Action Guy scholar.
- His dynamic and party banter with the mod follower Auri also evokes this trope, with Auri being a Green Pact Bosmer huntress contrasting against Lucien's bookish nature.
- And, of course, the player can invoke this by playing as a badass female Dragonborn.
- Those Two Guys: Due to Lucien having a large amount of unique crossover dialogue and party banter with other mod follower, Inigo, they develop this relationship if they both are in the player's party. Most often their dynamic takes the shape of Straight Man and Wise Guy, with Lucien being the former and Inigo the latter, although Lucien often proves that he is Not So Above It All and more than happy and eager to play along with some of Inigo's stranger ideas.
- Sincerest Form of Flattery: Russell have cited the Inigo mod as a major inspiration for Lucien and his expanded functionality.
- The Smart Guy: Lucien is quite informed about Tamrielic history, even of the more esoteric kind, and is more than happy to offer the Dragonborn some of his insight if they ask.
- The Squire: Is an informal one to the Dragonborn, especially if they are a warrior and train him to become one himself. If you also play with Inigo and tend to be more polite than snarky, you've set up a Knight, Knave, and Squire trio.
- The World Is Just Awesome: Quite a bit on Lucien's emergent comments are on the beauty of Skyrim's landscapes.
