Dev-test build is live for patrons (content-complete, temp audio mix).
500 + new lines fully voiced, Chapter 6 moral paths & mini-boss in place.
Yorha 2B outfit reactions, new default player name “Kalin”, spell-forget system, balance tweaks, and a mountain of bug-fixes already integrated.
What we’re doing right now
Collecting early bug reports and dialogue-flow notes (thanks, testers!).
Final audio mastering and polish pass wrap up before 1 May.
Packaging Early-Access build for patrons on 2 May.
How you can help If you’re in the dev-build tier, try a quick run through Chapter 6 and drop any oddities in the bug thread -- especially mis-fired lines or branching logic hiccups.
Current Status Dev build: Now available to qualifying patrons (as of April 22). Early access: Targeting May 2 for patrons once final polish and audio mastering are complete. Public release: Scheduled for May 30, 2025.
Early Access will be made available through alternative channels (details not listed here per Nexus guidelines).
Expect a teaser clip soon. Thanks for helping make Ashe one of Skyrim’s most reactive companions! -- Marty
January 15th Announcement:
Get ready for Ashe v1.1.0, a major update packed with new features and improvements to dialogue, story, and interactions!
Highlights:
Expanded Dialogue: Ashe now reacts to lockpicking, kill moves, and more, with new greetings, goodbyes, and expanded conversation options. Much of this was cut content from 1.0, now restored for a richer experience.
Revamped Story: Ashe's backstory and the "Beyond the Blade" quest have been overhauled for better pacing and depth. The romance arc has also been refined, with more updates planned.
Yorha 2B Armor Awareness: Unique dialogue for players wearing the popular Yorha 2B Attire mod by Milk Drinker!
"Canon" Player Name: Ashe now uses "Kalin" (a lore-rich, gender-neutral name) by default, with custom names fully supported in a future update.
Development Notes: As SDA’s 4.2 and 5.0 updates take priority, Ashe updates will temporarily less in scope, focusing on quality over quantity. Once SDA is complete, Ashe will return to center stage alongside my Aela project.
Full Changelog: For a comprehensive list of all the changes coming in v1.1.0, please see the full changelog here: [Link to Changelog]
Release Date ETA: Q1 2025
If you enjoy the mod, please consider endorsing and voting, and thank you for your support!
Donations:
I'm always open to feedback! What did you enjoy most? Were there any areas that felt rough or could be improved? If you have suggestions, ideas for future updates, or fun experiences to share, feel free to drop them here. Your feedback helps shape the mod- thanks for taking the time to share!
Our Ashe Fan Art Contest has concluded, and I'm excited to announce our winner: Bell! Their wonderful artwork has earned the full prize and a featured spotlight here on the mod page. Congrats, Bell! 🎉
Huge thanks to everyone who showed interest, contributed rough sketches, or shared inspiring non-contest art. Keep sharing your creations- always love seeing your Ashe and Skyrim-related art!
Bug Reports Expect replies (from either me or Taylor) within three days, but we'll try to respond sooner.
That said, I won’t be able to reply to every comment right away when I check reports. If I miss your issue, DM me or comment on an existing thread if someone else has the same problem.
Before Reporting a Bug: Ashe: Crystal Heart is a full-fledged quest mod, not just a follower mod. While I’ve spent countless hours polishing it, issues may still arise due to different PC setups and mod conflicts. To help with troubleshooting:
Check the Mod Page – Make sure the mod is installed and set up correctly.
Load Order – Place Ashe late in your load order to avoid conflicts.
Reproduce the Bug – Try to replicate the issue and document what happens, including steps leading up to it.
(Optional) Check for Conflicts – Use xEdit to check for mod conflicts and send screenshots if relevant.
Many common issues and fixes are already covered in the FAQs:
If you’re experienced with the Creation Kit and want to troubleshoot, I’m open to sharing parts of the source code. DM me if interested.
Thanks for your help in making Ashe better! 💓 If you're enjoying the mod, please consider endorsing and voting—it really helps with visibility and future updates!
Known Issues/Planned Changes/Additions (as of v1.0.7): - Followers can sometimes travel with you to dream sequences (not intended) - BHUNP textures currently a bit bugged. - Ashe will eventually get an entirely original outfit. Original mashup will stay as a "legacy" option and also as a separate armor piece you can give Ashe in-game. - Some users report Ashe’s SMP hair appearing bald or static. Investigating potential mesh issues. - Some pieces of Ashe’s armor (including the ones in chests) may not be temperable or affected by Light Armor perks. - Certain armor parts block vision when attacking in first-person mode, especially when looking up. - Canas sometimes walks away from the lab, and some NPCs still gather around Rolen’s hut post-quest. - Some impressionist dialogue lines block vanilla NPC dialogue (e.g., Camilla in Riverwood). Also, certain Ashe lines may repeat incorrectly after quests.
Compatibility Issues (as of v1.0.7): - The Winterstone Castle mod conflicts with Riverwood Commune and overlaps with it. No ETA on patch as permissions are unknown and author has retired from modding. - Stendarr's Beacon Enhanced and Ruhmastered, Interesting NPCs, Fullhelm Fortress, and Northern Roads add locations that conflict and overlap with Aryo's Workshop. I plan to create patches for these mods myself (as they have been patched by others before and generally have open permissions). However, I also welcome community contributions for fixes. - There was a conflict with the Gate of Sovngarde modlist, causing an invisible wall near the Riverwood Commune area. This issue has been resolved in the latest update. The source of the conflict in JaySerpa's modlist was identified as Ulvenwald. The mod has been removed in the latest version, resolving the invisible wall issue in Riverwood. - For VR players, you might encounter black screens during Ashe's dream sequences, but the mod is still playable. Press "Enter" or your "Trigger" button to advance through any unseen prompts.
Currently looking for a navmesh and landscape patcher to help solve location conflicts! DM me for details.
Appreciate Ashe's progress so far? Endorsing the mod helps significantly and encourages continued updates and fixes!
For the author or anyone who has completed all the content - I'm looking for a minor spoiler. I just got a fresh install ready and was looking for a fully fledged companion for a deep playthrough. Ashe is new and popular and the voice acting got me pumped with how good it is. But then I found out... SPOILERS... she's a robot. I'm not into robots. Does Ashe ever become a real girl or do I need to start looking for a different companion mod for my playthrough?
Thanks Bean, I totally get that. I saw a good number of clips and she's clearly not a "robot" I was joking lol. But she's an Android and as part of the RP of the character, that means she can't have children. Mentally, sure, she can be "real" but biologically she's not "real" and so she can't go the whole nine yards. When I do a Skyrim playthrough every few years or so, I really go in on it and do the whole shabang. Legendary hero, local adventurer, faction leader, merchant, mage, well-known for my professions, etc. For companions, that means I have only so much time to devote to a multi-thousand line waifu, but I absolutely do need one as part of the story. But I can really only devote time to one, which is why I'm curious how her story progresses. How "robot" is this android? If I go through the story and it turns out she has a soul gem in her chest connected to a bunch of Dwemer internal organs, then it just doesn't work for what I want from a waifu mod, and I'd rather not devote that much time if that's the case. I haven't done SDA since it had 1/10th of the content it does now, so I think I'm leaning into this one, but would prefer Ashe if it's clear she's "real" in the end.
Sorry for the long read lol but hopefully it helps someone understand where I'm coming from.
Ashe’s “inorganic” side is really a springboard for a self-discovery story, not a hard limit on how human she can feel. In-game she talks, laughs, argues, and bonds exactly like any other follower- you’ll notice the difference mostly in the questions she asks about purpose and identity.
Lore-wise she’s best described as a “lass of metal and magic.” No oil leaks, no battery packs- just a unique origin that gives her room to grow. If you’re looking for a companion who can share the whole journey (romance included) and still feel real, Ashe absolutely fits that role. Hope you’ll give her a try and see where the story takes you!
Hey, Marty! I'm in love with this mod. I adore it. So, I'm a little upset that I've reached some sort of glitch or impasse. In the "Bound By Flame and Crystal" Quest, I have an objective to sit on a marked bench in Aryo's laboratory. Unfortunately, Ashe doesn't seem to much care when I do it, and doesn't say anything or sit with me. Has anybody ever experienced this?
Do "player.sqs MM_AMQ_07Epilogue" (to show the stages) then "setstage MM_AMQ_07Epilogue x" - with x being the next stage in the quest. The next stage in the quest is the stage marked with the "0" after the last stage marked with "1" See if advancing the stage works to fix it.
I think sometimes my comments or questions come off very differently than I intend them to be -it's hard to convey tone and the like through text- so I deleted this comment and have replaced it.
Ultimately, I just want to say thanks to Marty and everyone who worked on this. Anna Rust, etc. And thanks to Taylor for taking the time to deal with the comments. I love SDA and I love Ashe and hope things go well for everyone involved.
Thanks again for making Skyrim better than it already was.
Hello, just started playing with this mod and it looks very interesting. Only concern I have is she seems too strong . She seems to be several levels above me and soloing everything. Is it because i'm low level on a new play through - does she stop being a higher lever at some point. example, when i recruited her around level 3 i think she was level 15. i reverted and then went back to recruit her at level 15 and she was level 20 something.
Is there a way to tone down her strength or level?
Her level multiplier has her a few levels above the player at all times (with no level cap). You can edit the multiplier if you want with console commands. You can also later trade with her and give a weaker weapon and/or get mods that allow you to tweak follower damage.
Her main weapon is getting a minor nerf in version 1.1 (changelog on my website). Otherwise, her strength is intended and very much part of her character.
It's a known possible issue with the mesh and is being looked at. You can also try selecting the non HDT SMP hair option in the fomod installer and see if that helps. Check her inventory to make sure she doesn't have any wigs as well afterwards.
Hello. After I find out the secret about Ashe's soul, is there a special condition to proceed to the next quest?? After that, when I talk to Ashe, she says that I have to go to the village that was attacked by werewolves, but the quest doesn't start.
First of all, I am using the latest version. In this case, would it be okay to type startquest MM_AMQ_06a?? startquest MM_AMQ_06 doesn't work. I don't want to miss any of her quests.....
MM_AMQ_06a is the id for the orphan quest. The MM_AMQ_06 quest id is for the overarching quest. Do "player.sqs MM_AMQ_06a" to see all the stages for that quest.
Thanks for the answer. I checked the stage number with sseedit and now I'm going to the final chapter. The quest is very interesting and fun. I'm looking forward to the next update! Thank you for making her.
i found a compatibility issue with ashe and take a nap.
when sleeping in a chair while expecting a dream for the next sleep, the first few seconds of the dream audio will play but the player wont be transported to the dreamscape instead the player will be locked out of inventory and 3rd person while still able to use doors and interacting with npcs.
somehow when taking a nap in a chair, the loading via loading creen into the sequence doesnt work. there might have been third party influence from sacrosanct if the player is a vampire and the vampiric age is progressing during that sleep as well, but when sleeping in a bed there was no problem between sacrosanct and ashe.
as a work around not napping in a chair is the easiest solution.
well the issue is only when napping in a chair so without the mod theres no issue^^ i didnt check if sacrosanct was involved because thats not safe to disable midplay though
This is fantastic! Thank you for this terrific follower mod.
I can't find Rolen Briand. He's not at the marker near Soljund's, and now I can't find Ashe. I'm about to start a new game anyway, and I'm hoping it's just some jankiness in my load order, but if there's something I should keep in mind, I'd appreciate any tips.
It was all a set-up. When you arrive there, you should be ambushed by Nevas and a couple of assassins. You then need to kill them and retrieve a letter from Nevas's body. You may need to walk around a bit in the general area to get them to spawn.
2922 comments
Progress snapshot
- Dev-test build is live for patrons (content-complete, temp audio mix).
- 500 + new lines fully voiced, Chapter 6 moral paths & mini-boss in place.
- Yorha 2B outfit reactions, new default player name “Kalin”, spell-forget system, balance tweaks, and a mountain of bug-fixes already integrated.
What we’re doing right now
- Collecting early bug reports and dialogue-flow notes (thanks, testers!).
- Final audio mastering and polish pass wrap up before 1 May.
- Packaging Early-Access build for patrons on 2 May.
How you can helpIf you’re in the dev-build tier, try a quick run through Chapter 6 and drop any oddities in the bug thread -- especially mis-fired lines or branching logic hiccups.
Current Status
Dev build: Now available to qualifying patrons (as of April 22).
Early access: Targeting May 2 for patrons once final polish and audio mastering are complete.
Public release: Scheduled for May 30, 2025.
Early Access will be made available through alternative channels (details not listed here per Nexus guidelines).
Expect a teaser clip soon. Thanks for helping make Ashe one of Skyrim’s most reactive companions!
-- Marty
January 15th Announcement:
Get ready for Ashe v1.1.0, a major update packed with new features and improvements to dialogue, story, and interactions!
Highlights:
- Expanded Dialogue: Ashe now reacts to lockpicking, kill moves, and more, with new greetings, goodbyes, and expanded conversation options. Much of this was cut content from 1.0, now restored for a richer experience.
- Revamped Story: Ashe's backstory and the "Beyond the Blade" quest have been overhauled for better pacing and depth. The romance arc has also been refined, with more updates planned.
- Yorha 2B Armor Awareness: Unique dialogue for players wearing the popular Yorha 2B Attire mod by Milk Drinker!
- "Canon" Player Name: Ashe now uses "Kalin" (a lore-rich, gender-neutral name) by default, with custom names fully supported in a future update.
Development Notes: As SDA’s 4.2 and 5.0 updates take priority, Ashe updates will temporarily less in scope, focusing on quality over quantity. Once SDA is complete, Ashe will return to center stage alongside my Aela project.Full Changelog:
For a comprehensive list of all the changes coming in v1.1.0, please see the full changelog here: [Link to Changelog]
Release Date ETA: Q1 2025
If you enjoy the mod, please consider endorsing and voting, and thank you for your support!
Donations:
I'm always open to feedback!
What did you enjoy most? Were there any areas that felt rough or could be improved? If you have suggestions, ideas for future updates, or fun experiences to share, feel free to drop them here. Your feedback helps shape the mod- thanks for taking the time to share!
Our Ashe Fan Art Contest has concluded, and I'm excited to announce our winner: Bell! Their wonderful artwork has earned the full prize and a featured spotlight here on the mod page. Congrats, Bell! 🎉
Huge thanks to everyone who showed interest, contributed rough sketches, or shared inspiring non-contest art. Keep sharing your creations- always love seeing your Ashe and Skyrim-related art!
- Marty
Expect replies (from either me or Taylor) within three days, but we'll try to respond sooner.
That said, I won’t be able to reply to every comment right away when I check reports. If I miss your issue, DM me or comment on an existing thread if someone else has the same problem.
Before Reporting a Bug:
Ashe: Crystal Heart is a full-fledged quest mod, not just a follower mod. While I’ve spent countless hours polishing it, issues may still arise due to different PC setups and mod conflicts. To help with troubleshooting:
- Check the Mod Page – Make sure the mod is installed and set up correctly.
- Load Order – Place Ashe late in your load order to avoid conflicts.
- Reproduce the Bug – Try to replicate the issue and document what happens, including steps leading up to it.
- (Optional) Check for Conflicts – Use xEdit to check for mod conflicts and send screenshots if relevant.
Many common issues and fixes are already covered in the FAQs:
- FAQ: https://sites.google.com/view/martimiusmods/ashe-fire-and-blood/frequently-asked-questions-ashe?authuser=0
- Playthrough FAQ: https://sites.google.com/view/martimiusmods/ashe-fire-and-blood/main-quest-walkthrough?authuser=0
If you’re experienced with the Creation Kit and want to troubleshoot, I’m open to sharing parts of the source code. DM me if interested.Thanks for your help in making Ashe better! 💓 If you're enjoying the mod, please consider endorsing and voting—it really helps with visibility and future updates!
Known Issues/Planned Changes/Additions (as of v1.0.7):
- Followers can sometimes travel with you to dream sequences (not intended)
- BHUNP textures currently a bit bugged.
- Ashe will eventually get an entirely original outfit. Original mashup will stay as a "legacy" option and also as a separate armor piece you can give Ashe in-game.
- Some users report Ashe’s SMP hair appearing bald or static. Investigating potential mesh issues.
- Some pieces of Ashe’s armor (including the ones in chests) may not be temperable or affected by Light Armor perks.
- Certain armor parts block vision when attacking in first-person mode, especially when looking up.
- Canas sometimes walks away from the lab, and some NPCs still gather around Rolen’s hut post-quest.
- Some impressionist dialogue lines block vanilla NPC dialogue (e.g., Camilla in Riverwood). Also, certain Ashe lines may repeat incorrectly after quests.
Compatibility Issues (as of v1.0.7):
- The Winterstone Castle mod conflicts with Riverwood Commune and overlaps with it. No ETA on patch as permissions are unknown and author has retired from modding.
- Stendarr's Beacon Enhanced and Ruhmastered, Interesting NPCs, Fullhelm Fortress, and Northern Roads add locations that conflict and overlap with Aryo's Workshop. I plan to create patches for these mods myself (as they have been patched by others before and generally have open permissions). However, I also welcome community contributions for fixes.
- There was a conflict with the Gate of Sovngarde modlist, causing an invisible wall near the Riverwood Commune area. This issue has been resolved in the latest update. The source of the conflict in JaySerpa's modlist was identified as Ulvenwald. The mod has been removed in the latest version, resolving the invisible wall issue in Riverwood.
- For VR players, you might encounter black screens during Ashe's dream sequences, but the mod is still playable. Press "Enter" or your "Trigger" button to advance through any unseen prompts.
Currently looking for a navmesh and landscape patcher to help solve location conflicts! DM me for details.
Appreciate Ashe's progress so far? Endorsing the mod helps significantly and encourages continued updates and fixes!
Sorry for the long read lol but hopefully it helps someone understand where I'm coming from.
Lore-wise she’s best described as a “lass of metal and magic.” No oil leaks, no battery packs- just a unique origin that gives her room to grow. If you’re looking for a companion who can share the whole journey (romance included) and still feel real, Ashe absolutely fits that role. Hope you’ll give her a try and see where the story takes you!
Ultimately, I just want to say thanks to Marty and everyone who worked on this. Anna Rust, etc. And thanks to Taylor for taking the time to deal with the comments. I love SDA and I love Ashe and hope things go well for everyone involved.
Thanks again for making Skyrim better than it already was.
Is there a way to tone down her strength or level?
Hard to replicate on a dev environment or across multiple different setups so it's hard for me to diagnose.
In this case, would it be okay to type startquest MM_AMQ_06a?? startquest MM_AMQ_06 doesn't work. I don't want to miss any of her quests.....
i found a compatibility issue with ashe and take a nap.
when sleeping in a chair while expecting a dream for the next sleep, the first few seconds of the dream audio will play but the player wont be transported to the dreamscape instead the player will be locked out of inventory and 3rd person while still able to use doors and interacting with npcs.
somehow when taking a nap in a chair, the loading via loading creen into the sequence doesnt work. there might have been third party influence from sacrosanct if the player is a vampire and the vampiric age is progressing during that sleep as well, but when sleeping in a bed there was no problem between sacrosanct and ashe.
as a work around not napping in a chair is the easiest solution.
have a great day
i didnt check if sacrosanct was involved because thats not safe to disable midplay though
I can't find Rolen Briand. He's not at the marker near Soljund's, and now I can't find Ashe. I'm about to start a new game anyway, and I'm hoping it's just some jankiness in my load order, but if there's something I should keep in mind, I'd appreciate any tips.
It was all a set-up. When you arrive there, you should be ambushed by Nevas and a couple of assassins. You then need to kill them and retrieve a letter from Nevas's body. You may need to walk around a bit in the general area to get them to spawn.