Appuyer Sur Start

'Appuyer Sur Start' are the first game instructions I see. Well, that's easy enough.

'Lancer une nouvelle partie?' Another easy one. 'Oui!'

But, then it gets harder. I don't have time to digest much of the introduction text other than knowing I am in a world divided by war . Then, I'm aboard a horse and cart and being taken somewhere with three others - we're tied up and they are all talking French to me, but I don't really understand what they are saying apart from a few words (Regarder..nous avons...).

There's another horse and cart ahead of us and more prisoners there. We get to a village and get asked to get off the cart. There are soldiers here that ask us in turn to come forward. One of the prisoners runs off and is followed. Then it's my turn...

'Qui êtes vous?' This is the part of the game where I get to decide who I want to be for the next 300 hours or so of gameplay, so it's not a question I should take lightly. Let's see what my choices are...

'Nordique...ils sont grands et ont les cheveux blands. Aussi forts qu'intrépides, les Nordiques sont cèlebres pour leur rèsistance au froid et leur amour innè du combat. Ils peuvant se servir du Cri de guerre pour faire leurs adversaires.'


I'm surprised at how much of this I understand, and hope that this means that the more I play and listen to the other characters talking to me, the better my listening comprehension will get - at the moment I find it difficult even to get the gist of what the characters are saying. Maybe I have to concentrate harder.

The other options are...'Orque' (Aha! An Orc. Not really my style)...'Rougegarde' (not sure what this one is, but apart from a resistance to poison, it doesn't sound interesting)...

'Khajiit...Originnaires de la province d'Elsweyr, ils sont intelligents, vifs et agiles. Leur capacité à agir en toute discretion fait d'eux d'excellents voleurs. Tous les Khajiits voient dans la nuit et se servent de leurs griffes pour attaquer.'

Now they sound interesting...a type of bipedal feline...

I've always been a cat person, so I quickly reject the others (Imperial, Haut-Elfe, Elfe Noir, Elfe des Bois, Bréton, Argonien

'Terminer et donner un nom à vôtre personnage?' OK

I call myself 'Chathomme' and then the guards start talking to me...they are sorry about something and ask me to follow the capitain. And then there's a sound in the sky as we are waiting around to be decapitated...first one of the prisoners 'Je suis desolée(?)' and just as it's my turn for the chop, a dragon arrives...

How do you say 'Just in the nick of time' in French?