Writing a character who actually joins the Companions (without becoming a werewolf)

[BardCollegeQuill]

So I've been working on a fic where my OC is a Companion, but I realized most fanfic just... skips past the actual job. Like, they join, do a couple radiant jobs offscreen, then suddenly they're a werewolf and the story pivots to Hircine stuff.

But what if your character just doesn't want the beast blood? Or what if they join for the steady work and the shield-brothers angle, not because they're chasing some grand destiny? I'm trying to write actual contract work - the boring stuff, the repetitive stuff - without it feeling like filler.

The weird part is how much the Companions questline assumes you want to be a werewolf. Like, the game barely gives you an out. So in fic, how do you handle a character who's genuinely committed to the faction but actively resists that path? Do they get sidelined by the other members? Does Kodlak respect them less? I'm trying to make it feel earned, not like they're just being stubborn for plot reasons.

Also curious if anyone's written a character who actually cares about the Companions' reputation being trash. Like, they join specifically to try and fix it, or they're frustrated that nobody in Whiterun takes them seriously. That angle feels way more interesting to me than "I want to be a legendary warrior."

What's your take - does a Companion OC need the werewolf stuff to feel like they belong, or can you make it work without it?

 

[ScrollsOfTamriel]

I think you're onto something real here. The game's structure basically railroads you toward Hircine, but that doesn't mean the faction itself requires it - and honestly, Kodlak's whole arc is about wanting OUT of the beast blood, so there's precedent for a Companion who sees it as a curse rather than a gift.

The contract work angle is underrated. Those radiant jobs - clearing bandit camps, escorting caravans, debt collection - that's actually what the Companions do most of the time. Your character could be the one who takes pride in doing the work well, showing up on time, not looting the bodies, building actual relationships with clients. That's more interesting than "I'm the Dragonborn so everyone respects me immediately." A character who earns the Companions' respect through reliability and skill, not destiny, feels earned.

On the reputation thing - yeah, people DO treat the Companions like mercenaries at best and thugs at worst. Your character noticing that Whiterun's merchants lock their doors, that the guards don't respect them, that they're basically a glorified gang... that's character work. Maybe they're frustrated that Kodlak doesn't push back harder, or they think the group should take on more legitimate contracts to rebuild trust. That tension with the faction itself could drive the whole story without needing Hircine at all.

As for resisting the werewolf stuff - I don't think Kodlak would respect them LESS for it, especially if you play it right. He's literally trying to get rid of the curse himself. If your character refuses it and Kodlak sees them as someone who wants to save the Companions' soul the old-fashioned way - through reputation and honor - that's actually aligned with what he believes. The other members might give them grief, sure, but that's character conflict, not a flaw in your premise.