Skyrim: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Aela The Huntress
Of all the members of the Companions that will fight by the player's side in Skyrim, Aela the Huntress is one of the more interesting. Aside from being one of the few members of the Circle who doesn't wear the Wolf Armor, she is also much more attached to her lycanthropy than others and seems to revel in the power and strength it gives her.
As much as she is given the spotlight in the Companions questline, there are still aspects of her character that are fairly easy to miss, especially if the player isn't paying attention to the other members of the guild, as Aela is a source of gossip for several of the other Companions.
10 She's The Only Companion That Can't Be Cured Of Lycanthropy
While curing Kodalk's lycanthropy is a major aspect of the Companion's storyline, he isn't the only member who can be cured. Aside from the player character, the last remaining members of the Circle, Vikas and Farkas, can also be cured of lycanthropy shortly after Kodlak is sent to Sovngarde. Aela, on the other hand, is much more attached to her bestial form than the brothers and will refute being cured if the player offers their services in this way.
9 She's The Only Character Who Wears Ancient Nordic Armor
One aspect of Aela that stands out among most other NPCs is the armor she wears. Aside from not wearing Wolf or Steel armor, as most of the other Companions do, Aela is the only character players can come across who wears the Ancient Nordic Armor. While the armor is seen fairly regularly on Draugr, it isn't one that most players will be able to equip themselves without actively looking for it, as it can be quite hard to find.
8 She May Have Been In A Relationship With Skjor
One of the main talking points among the lower ranks of the Companions is the supposed relationship between Aela and Skjor. Aside from both characters having a vested interest in reclaiming the pieces of Wuuthraad and their hatred of the Silverhand, they also, apparently, go on late-night hunts with each other regularly.
Although it is never confirmed that the pair are romantically involved, there is enough rumor and speculation that this may have been the case before Skjor's untimely death, something that Aela took particularly hard at the time.
7 She's No Good At Using Her Shield
One of the first things players are tasked with doing for the Companions is to fetch Aela's Shield for her, as she is, apparently, too busy to do it herself. This would seem to indicate that Aela is proficient with a shield in combat, but this couldn't be further from the truth as her Block skill is far lower than any of her other combat skills. Thankfully, she usually doesn't try to use a shield in combat and will stick with her dagger or bow most of the time.
6 Her Light Armor Skill Is Better Than Her Heavy Armor Skill
Even though Aela wears the Ancient Nordic Armor, a relatively weak Heavy Armor set, her Heavy Armor skill is, like her Block skill, fairly bad. Her Light Armor skill, on the other hand, is much better and makes it worth forcing her to change her armor set if the player intends to use her as a follower since she will be able to take more attacks if she is wearing a halfway decent Light Armor set.
5 She Will Grant The Player Lycanthropy More Than Once
Like with vampirism, lycanthropy can be cured and re-obtained later if the player is wanting to try out the different monster forms available to them. While the Vampire Lord for can be obtained from Serana after being cured, lycanthropy can be obtained from Aela if they have cured themselves with the Glenmoril Witch heads or by being turned into a Vampire Lord by Harkon. However, this will only work one time and if the player is cured of lycanthropy again, Aela won't grant them the power a third time.
4 She Probably Tortured Someone To Find The Final Totem Of Hircine
After completing the Companions questline and becoming the new Harbinger, Aela will usually be found under the Skyforge praying to Hircine when she isn't in battle. Here, she will give the player a radiant quest to find Totems of Hircine, powerful items that grant the player new abilities while in the werewolf form, though it is clear that she came across their locations by questionable methods.
When searching for the final Totem, Aela will mention that everyone has a price when it comes to information, as well as a pain threshold. While she doesn't explicitly say it, it is implied that she may have tortured someone for information regarding the Totem's whereabouts.
3 She Tolerates Questionable Activities By The Player
For the most part, NPCs that have some kind of character arc or are a part of an overarching story won't tolerate criminal activity by the player, particularly when it comes to killing innocent people. Aela, on the other hand, is one of the few followers in Skyrim who will look the other way when the player kills an NPC character and won't turn hostile against them in the process, making her a good choice of follower if the player is worried about collateral damage in battle.
2 She Can Be Recruited To The Blades
If the player chooses to kill Paarthunax and sever all ties with the Greybeards, they will be able to assist in rebuilding the Blades to their former glory. While several NPCs can be recruited to the cause, one of the better options is Aela, who will leave Jorvaskyr and remain in Sky Haven Temple if she is recruited. While she will no longer be a part of the Companions, she will still retain all of her skills and her werewolf abilities, making her a strong asset when fighting dragons.
1 She's Voiced By Claudia Christian
There are many NPCs in Skyrim that have their own dedicated voice actors, such as Ulfric, Delphine, and the many dragons that speak to the player. Aela, on the other hand, is voiced by Claudia Christian who, aside from playing Hera in the Netflix series Blood of Zeus, also plays Legate Rikke and Adrianne Avenicci, among several other female NPCs in the game including the unnamed Imperial Captain who sentences the player to death at the beginning of the game.
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