The Cursed Mercenaries
Skyrim

Download on Nexus

Quest Summary

Role: Quest Designer, Level Designer

Team Size: 1

Engine: CreationKit

Mod Published On: June 18, 2024

Story: The Cursed Mercenaries adds a lore-friendly quest surrounding the mercenary group called Leviathan that is doomed by an ancient curse. Told through personal journals, the tale follows their descent into madness after trying to break the very curse they had unleashed.

Desperate for a cure, they retreat to a dungeon near Riverwood, only to realize death is their only escape. The journals reveal the emotional struggles of their three leaders, and by putting the cursed mercenaries to rest, the player uncovers their tragic fate.

Gameplay: Combat and exploration

Power Fantasy: Putting the cursed mercenaries to rest and uncovering their tragic story.

Quest Rewards: New weapon, gold, and XP.

My Role

As the sole designer and contributor for the Cursed Mercenaries mod, I was responsible for:

Designed and finalized the Blackmire dungeon layout to support narrative and quest progression.
Created all 5 NPCs and their interactions.
Handled all quests setups including quests stages, objectives, and property fragments.
Created and added new items, books, and keys, as well as integrating successfully into the Skyrim.
Converted a previously unusable weapon into a new functional weapon with some added effects.
Managed all aspects of world-building, storytelling, scripting, and asset placement.

Quest Structure

Quest Objectives:

Properties for Script Fragments:

The Cursed Mercenaries Walkthrough

Meet the Members of Leviathan

Steve Giancrusher

The leader of the mercenary group and its strongest warrior, often considered the fangs of Leviathan, Steve was driven by a childhood yearning for adventure—one that ultimately led him to form the legendary band.

He earned the moniker "Giantcrusher" after defeating a giant (later named Robert) with his bare fists. Rather than remaining foes, the two became close friends, and Robert gave Steve his mighty club. This weapon now stands as both a symbol of fear for Leviathan’s enemies and a beacon of hope to its allies.

Hilda Frostbitten

As Leviathan’s second-in-command and tactical mastermind, Hilda is the driving intellect behind the group.

After losing her family to illness, she became obsessed with alchemy, dedicating herself to healing those in need. On the battlefield, she earned the moniker “Frostbitten,” as both allies and enemies believed her mastery of frost magic had turned her skin blue.

In reality, it was the result of her relentless alchemical research—years of exposure to potent concoctions that had permanently altered her appearance.

Lyall Shieldbreaker

As Leviathan’s third-in-command and its emotional core, Lyall hails from a small village clan deep in the Jerall Mountains.

Like all in his clan, he was granted the gift of lycanthropy upon coming of age in service to Hircine. However, he resented this so-called gift and was ultimately exiled.

Wandering alone, he eventually met Steve, forming a deep bond and becoming his steadfast companion in battle. Thanks to his lycanthropy, Lyall was nearly unmatched in combat, save for Steve himself.

He earned the moniker “Shieldbreaker” after shattering a Breton knight’s tower shield with a single blow in his werewolf form. Yet the feat was not his alone. It was made possible by Hilda’s spell-enhancing magic and Steve already weakening the shield beforehand.