I spent 20 hours running into Oblivion Remastered battles with a half-naked companion by my side, and it wouldn't have been the same without him

I went into The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered as an anti-social soul. My intention was to blitz through the main storyline while streaming and maybe return to some side questing at a later date on my own time. Because of that, I didn’t mean to get involved with the Fighter’s Guild quest line but I stumbled across it in Chorrol. There, I met Modryn Oreyn – a grumpy but loyal Dunmer with beguiling eyes. He kept asking about pursuing his mission to hunt someone down but honestly, I was focusing on the key matter at hand – overwhelming gates of Oblivion popping up all over the place and causing havoc. So, Modryn just had to tag along and suck it up.

What started out as a mildly irritating companion soon turned into a platonic friendship for the ages. Even if I feel I was far chattier than the silently grumpy Modryn. The thing about Modryn is that he doesn’t have a lot of tact. Or sense of personal space. I’d turn around and there he was. Just staring. Staring into the depths of my soul, I suspect. Potentially judging me for never actually helping him but forcing him to tag along at all times. I could have treated him better.

That became very apparent when after a fearsome fight or two (dozen), I turned and realized Modryn was missing a shirt. Flashbacks to the time I tried to watch Twilight kicked in. Why have you taken your shirt off, dear Modryn? Are you trying to flirt with me in a ‘lack of personal boundaries’ way? I was confused. It was somehow even more full-on that he was half naked and so close to me. At least he still had his trusty mace to hit people with.

Magic Modryn

A little later on, his mace vanished and he started punching any enemies we came across. It was comical and bizarre. Often, he would fall unconscious because he wasn’t exactly a powerhouse right now. Then he’d spring back up and the cycle would continue. What on earth? I was streaming during this time so a viewer Googled it for me. I didn’t know until then but if your companion’s armor and/or weapons become broken through excessive use, they simply take the item off and, well, go half-naked.

My first reaction was to speak to Modryn. Communication is everything, after all. He didn’t want to discuss his armor situation and I was a tad stumped. I decided to use pickpocketing to take a look at the situation for myself. I had no plans on taking the items from him but he got the wrong idea. He got angry at me and our relationship fell apart. Oops. I save scummed and retreated back to an earlier save, having learned from my error.

Now what? Another quick Google taught me that I sort of had the right idea. Wait until Modryn is asleep, pickpocket his armor, repair it, then slip it back on him while he’s snoozing. Logical? Er, kind of? I’m not sure how high one’s pickpocketing skills could be to steal chunky armor off someone without them noticing, but I definitely did not have that prowess. I left Modryn as he was. He didn’t seem too bothered by the situation and he still threw himself into battle.

The real hero of Kvatch

We developed a fond bond. I referred to him as ‘the shirtless wonders of Modryn’ and got used to turning around and finding this half-naked guy sticking stubbornly by my side. It was ridiculous.

As anyone who’s played Oblivion will tell you, there are some truly big battles to contend with. One noticeable one is the Defense of Bruma as you gather together the many forces you may have recruited, all to stand up against the Great Gate. It’s an epic battle and it’s even more memorable when your companion is a half-naked force to be reckoned with. Modryn didn’t even have a weapon at this point. He’d just run in punching all manner of enemies and hoping for the best. He’d collapse often but he’d always get back up again – a wonderful metaphor of how we should always keep trying even when up against tremendous adversity.

Following that mission, you head to Paradise to retrieve the Amulet of Kings. Modryn didn’t follow me. I felt kind of lost and certainly vulnerable. I liked the moral support if nothing else. Much of the end of the game had me fighting without him. I was so relieved to see him pop back up at the end, far too close to me of course, and still looking like he needs a trip to a clothing store.

Saving the world felt bittersweet knowing my time with Modryn was at an end. That was until someone reminded me that I hadn’t actually pursued any of the fighters’ guild content and I still had time. They told me of how I could get to the point where Modryn would paint for me. Like that scene from Titanic? Maybe not. I’ve resisted researching any more about it but you can guarantee I want to see what happens next. Me and Modryn have a special bond after all. Maybe I’ll even get my pickpocketing up to scratch. Just for him.

After 8 hours of being hunted by a murderous unicorn in Oblivion Remastered, I'm torn between "we're so back" and "please save me"