Why Is Aela Dead? Unraveling the Fate of Skyrim’s Fierce Huntress

Aela the Huntress, the skilled archer and werewolf companion from Skyrim’s Companions guild, can meet her demise under specific circumstances. The most common reason for Aela’s death is that she is only an essential NPC (meaning she cannot die) before the Companions questline is completed. Once you’ve finished the questline, her essential status is removed, making her vulnerable to all the dangers of Skyrim, including the player’s own stray arrows or the teeth and claws of the many monsters inhabiting the land. Other contributing factors can include game glitches, mod conflicts, or simply her getting caught in the crossfire during a particularly chaotic battle.

Aela’s Mortality: Essential vs. Non-Essential

The Essential Period

During the initial stages of your interaction with the Companions, Aela is flagged as essential. This means that no matter how much damage she takes, she will only fall to one knee, recovering after the combat ends. This is a safety net, ensuring she’s available for quest progression and doesn’t accidentally die due to Skyrim’s often unpredictable combat scenarios.

The Turning Point: Post-Companions Questline

Once you’ve completed the main Companions storyline, a significant change occurs: Aela loses her essential status. From this point forward, she is subject to the same mortality as most other followers. This means she can be killed by enemies, traps, environmental hazards, or even accidental friendly fire from the Dragonborn.

Factors Contributing to Aela’s Death

Several factors can increase the likelihood of Aela meeting her end:

• High Difficulty Settings: Higher difficulty levels increase the damage dealt by enemies, making followers like Aela more susceptible to being overwhelmed.
• Powerful Enemies: Skyrim is full of challenging creatures, from dragons and giants to powerful mages and draugr. Aela can be killed if facing enemies whose damage output is too high, especially if she’s not equipped with adequate armor.
• Environmental Hazards: Traps, falls, and other environmental hazards can also lead to Aela’s demise.
• Friendly Fire: Accidental hits from the Dragonborn’s spells, arrows, or melee attacks can also contribute to her death. This is especially common when using area-of-effect spells or when fighting in close quarters.
• Mod Conflicts: Mods that alter NPC stats, combat behavior, or AI can sometimes lead to unexpected deaths. Mods that affect Aela’s character specifically are particularly likely to cause issues.
• Glitches: Although rare, game glitches can sometimes cause NPCs to die prematurely, even if they should be essential.

Identifying Aela’s Death

There are several ways to confirm if Aela has died:

• Check her Location: If you dismiss Aela as a follower and can’t find her at Jorrvaskr or your designated home, she may be dead.
• Look for her Corpse: If you remember where she was last fighting, return to the location and search for her body.
• Use a Command (PC Only): If you are playing on PC, you can use the console command prid 0001A69B followed by moveto player to attempt to move Aela to your location. If she doesn’t appear, she’s likely dead.
• Cure Lycanthropy: Curing your werewolf-ism will cause her to return to Jorrvaskr for good.

FAQs: Delving Deeper into Aela’s Fate

1. Can Aela be revived if she dies?

If you’re playing on PC, you can use console commands to revive Aela. However, without console commands, the only option is reanimation spells or the Ritual Stone power, which will turn her into a temporary zombie thrall. This is far from a true revival.

2. Where does Aela typically reside?

Before marriage or becoming a follower, Aela is usually found at Jorrvaskr in Whiterun. After marriage, she will move to the house you designate as your marital home.

3. How do I marry Aela?

To marry Aela, you must first join the Companions, complete the Blood’s Honor quest, and wear the Amulet of Mara. Then, speak to her with the amulet equipped, and you should have the option to propose.

4. What are the benefits of marrying Aela?

Marrying Aela provides several benefits, including a spouse who can cook meals, earn you money, and act as a strong follower. She also offers free archery training.

5. Can Aela become a vampire?

No, Aela cannot become a vampire. As a werewolf, she is immune to vampirism.

6. Where does Aela go after you marry her?

After the marriage ceremony, Aela will ask where you want to live. You can choose any house you own. If you don’t own a house, she will likely return to Jorrvaskr until you acquire one.

7. Why is Aela sometimes invisible?

Aela’s invisibility is often caused by conflicts between mods, specifically the Diverse Werewolves Collection and Bijin Warmaidens. A patch is available to fix this issue.

8. Is Aela essential throughout the entire game?

No, Aela is only essential until the Companions questline is completed. After that, she becomes vulnerable and can die permanently.

9. Can Aela be recruited into the Blades?

Yes, Aela can be recruited into the Blades. She will leave Jorrvaskr and reside at Sky Haven Temple.

10. Can Aela cure vampirism?

Yes, Aela can restore your werewolf form if you’ve been cured of lycanthropy or become a vampire. This allows you to switch between werewolf and vampire lord forms in the Dawnguard DLC, but you cannot have both at the same time.

11. What armor does Aela wear?

Aela uniquely wears Ancient Nordic Armor, setting her apart from other Companions who typically wear Wolf or Steel armor.

12. Can Aela become a werewolf again if cured?

Yes, if you cure your lycanthropy, you can speak to Aela, and she will grant you her blood again, restoring your werewolf powers.

13. Does Aela have a romantic interest in Skjor?

While it is rumored that Aela and Skjor had a close relationship, possibly romantic, Aela denies any such feelings. They were known to go on hunts together in beast form, which raised eyebrows among the other Companions.

14. Who are some other popular marriage candidates besides Aela?

Other popular marriage candidates in Skyrim include Muiri, Lydia, Brelyna Maryon, and Mjoll the Lioness. Each offers unique benefits and personalities. GamesLearningSociety.org provides valuable insights on the educational aspects of these player choices.

15. What happens if my spouse dies in Skyrim?

If your spouse dies in Skyrim and is not essential, they die permanently. You can remarry after a period of mourning.