Titus is a treasure hunter from High Rock, the second son of a minor aristocratic family. His title of Patrician (hereditary, below Knight) got him a little respect, but no power, as the small family lands fell to his older brother to run when his parents began ailing. So he decided to set off to seek his fortune. Being of a curious intellect, he researched a legend that in Skyrim was rumored to be an artifact of great power in some undiscovered tomb. The legend spoke of an arch-mage in ancient Nordic times, name Gauldur, who had 3 spiteful sons who coveted his power. They plotted to kill him, and split his amulet in three. But soon their treachery was their undoing, and now they lie buried in 3 forgotten tombs, supposedly each still with his fragment of the amulet.
Consulting a seer, Titus came to believe that one such tomb, Folgunthur, might be in the mountains near the the capitol of the northern province, in Hjaalmarch Hold. He accepted some gold for equipment and provisions from his brother Hanse (who was only too happy to see his only competition for the family lands go off on some foolhardy quest), and booked passage on a ship to Solitude.
He stopped briefly at the inn to get his bearings and sketch out a rough map of the area. The Headsman/Jailer stopped in for an ale after a recent execution. The locals seemed hesitant to get near him, but I chatted with him for a while. Weird job to have, but he seemed a decent fellow. Then I set out to scour the rocky hills. Sure enough, where the seer had suggested he found a dusty tomb. Searching inside, he found the corpses of a few other would-be tomb raiders, mangled by traps and who knows what else! One of them had some scribbled notes and an ivory dragon claw with runes inscribed in it, which was evidently necessary to gain entrance to Mikrul's final tomb (one of the 3 brothers). Serendipity indeed. He careful advanced further in, forewarned by the legends he had read that the restless dead often prowled Nordic tombs. He hacked down several shambling corpses, tiptoed around traps, and finally gained entrance to the final sealed tomb. Mikrul's haunted spirit came murderously alive, but Titus's skill at arms and knowledge of the arcane won the day. He claimed the amulet fragment and an ancient, wicked-looking sword, and hiked back out to Solitude.
Bouyed by his success, he would establish a base of operations in Whiterun, in the central hold of the province, and begin hunting for clues of the other tombs. He hired a carriage to get there. Upon arriving, he had an interesting encounter with the local blacksmith - a woman named Adrienne, and she seemed to take a shine to him, showed him some basic smithing tips, and asked a favor - to take a new sword to her father, the Jarl's steward, up in Dragonsreach. Seemed like a convenient chance to pay his respects to the Jarl and start things off on the right foot in Whiterun.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Friday, May 18, 2018
Brande, Cysleister Brand
A James Bondian playthrough of Skyrim for #CharacterCrusade Unbound, using a mostly random start from the Unbound mod.
Brande. Cyleister Brande. I'm a Breton agent in His Imperial Majesty's espionage service, newly assigned as an attache to Commander Maro of the Skyrim Penitus Oculatus. I'm a patriot, a jack-of-all-trades, a man of action; but also a ladies' man, suave, debonair, deadly.
My tale begins on a mountainside south of Morthal. I'm embedded
with one of the local hunters and we're "working off the adrenaline" from having just slain a frost troll that charged our camp. The walking stick that doubles as a flame-thrower that Q gave me came in handy!
We've been surreptitiously observing Forsworn movements, but things have calmed down. So we need to bring this shipment of 10,000 arrows to the Imperial headquarters in Solitude - they've depleted their stock in skirmishes against the Stormcloak forces pushing West.
From there my orders are to report back to Dragon Bridge to debrief Commander Maro. But for the rest of the night I'll enjoy the warmth of this huntress in this tiny tent
Next morning we picked our way down the mountain, and trudged through the frosty marshlands westwards. We came across a nest of frostbite spiders who had killed a legionnaire, and the lovely huntress showed me how to avoid their venom and dispatch them with a dagger thrust.
Saw some interesting ruins, and some uptight Thalmor who we made fun from a distance but didn't engage. Couldn't afford any more delays, those soldiers needed these arrows!
Homework: story "value pairs." Think about how events cause the character to change from one state to another. Start out as a thrill-seeker, only feels alive when living dangerously. Avoiding dealing with something internal by being superficial.
Just past a little camp in the lowlands, we heard shouting up ahead... investigating we came across a few imperials cleaning up a battle site. Many dead Stormcloaks and Imperials but the Imperials prevailed.
We revealed our mission and asked directions to the city to deliver our shipment of arrows. They obviously needed them desperately with Stormcloak squads of this size getting bold around here! We hurried on over the next few miles and found Solitude. We marched past a public execution going on in the public square, to Castle Dour, and delivered the arrows to the Imperial Quartermaster. Mission accomplished!
While there, Legate Caesinneas mentioned there might be an assassination plot against the Jarl Elisif the Fair, the potential new Empire-friendly High Queen of Skyrim. I resolved to keep an eye out.
With a kiss, I sent the huntress back to her mountain perch to continue observations, and set off towards Dragon Bridge.
GHOSTS OF YORE 1:
That night, I made a small fire at my temporary campsite. A haggard and hunched stranger approached wearily from the darkness, laden with ornaments and talismans; I put a hand to my dagger but let him approach.
He sat and warmed himself by the fire. I gave him some of my rations. He smiled darkly and began creepily telling a tale of being cursed long ago, and seemed hopeful that I could help him. Some dark mystical forces were afoot, for as he smiled wider I could feel his curse subsuming my being as well! What foul sorcery was this??
It seems Hevnoraak, or Vokun (he couldn't say because of the curse) wanted to imprison him the "soul cairn" and now would be after me as will since I offered hospitality to their victim. I began to have a vision...
I made to the quaint village of (x) just a storm began brewing. An old woman advised that I get inside soon. The sky darkened and lightning flashed ominously as I thought I saw a figure approaching down the road. I entered the village inn, The Old Holdran, where a jolly scene played out with drinking and music.
I shrugged off the ominous feeling, and relaxed with drinks and games with the patrons. As I drank more, the ominous feeling returned, and I was gradually enveloped in a gray haze as the faces of the villagers seemed to morph into grotesque and diabolical visages. I felt like I was supposed to be somewhere, with someone... befuddled and anxious, I blacked out.
I awoke again to the clang of heavy iron door closing. Someone told me "Quiet Hjalti, there could be Reachmen out here... now come on." I crept along behind my companion. Where was I now? Who was I? Who was this sworn brother of mine?
We crept of out a cave mouth, squinting to see a host of armed warriors looking at us. They were the Reachmen we had come to rid land of. We killed them. We killed them all.
That night, as a lamented my sworn brother's Tolvdir's death, I had a nightmarish vision of a skeletal figure wreathed in lightning, in an expressionless iron mask, hissing "You have forsaken us!" Very unnerving.
Then I awoke in my campsite, under a clear sunny sky. There was no sign of the mysterious stranger. I took a long drag of Colovian brandy and splashed my face with cold water, then packed up and continued on towards Dragon Bridge.
Gave Maro my report. Received new orders, head back to Solitude, take a boat to Windhelm, meet with a contact, initials A.A., with knowledge of a plotter against Elisif.
But somehow I felt inexplicably called to travel by land South instead. I hiked the winding roads into the rocky Reach for 2 days before an overturned cart
with a slaughtered horse got my attention. Two merchants lay riddled with arrows, which also peppered the cart itself and horse... they were a strange, primitive kind of arrow, yet not of Forsworn make. My curiosity was piqued and I went on high alert, scanning the surrounding mountainside.
As I cautiously moved ahead, about a half mile down the stream I saw a small campsite on the opposite bank. I thought I would ask whoever was there if they had seen or head anything untoward lately. I waded across, but the camp was deserted but for some gear and a small journal - I snooped a little, and discovered that the camp apparently belonged to a pair of adventurers who indeed HAD seen what happened to the cart! They described some kind of abhorrent, twisted mer-like creatures, who they apparently tracked to a cave further up the mountainside, and it looked like the adventurers had just recently set out in pursuit of the murderous monsters.
I thought they could use my help, so I set out after them. I found the cave easily enough from their description, and crept in. A number of frostbite spiders lay dead, webbing everywhere. A few more scuttled at me but were easily dispatched thanks to my training from the huntress. Delving further into the depths, there was a chill wind, and in the eerie glow of the fungus I beheld one of the foul creatures from the journal's description - a Falmer!
It didn't seem to spot me before I caught it full in the throat with an arrow. More of the beasties lurked further in, and they all seemed to have poor eyesight, often not noticing me until I was upon them. There were also some massive insectoid creatures they seemed to keep as livestock, who spit venom and hissed angrily when I sprayed them down with flames from my secret staff.
In the furthest reaches, I found my adventuring predecessors - but they had perished in combat with the falmer. There were also lots of human remains, it looked like these creatures had been capturing prisoners along this road for a long time, and either eating them, or sacrificing them in some kind of abominable ritual? Hard to parse what I was seeing in there, but one man's corpse was splayed out on some kind of altar stone, and he had a note in his pocket, lamenting that he would never escape and make it back to his love, Eydis...
So I find myself drawn to the Old Hroldan Inn, where the inkeeper is Eydis! I giver her the note (exposition) and decide to spend the night. She put's me in what she calls Tiber Septim's room...
That night a ghost appears... it's Tolvdir, from my vision. He thinkgs I'm Tiber Septim... now I realize the first of the line of rulers of the Third Era was formerly known as Hjalti... was the ancestral emperor trying to communicate with me somehow? Was a part of his spirit in me? Was he just somehow guiding my fate? Maybe I had a deeper purpose in my clandestine activities supporting the Empire than just lining my pockets and putting notches on my bedpost.
So I felt called to help deliver my (Tiber Septim's?) sword to this appartion, as felt a kind of deja vu feeling about this Hroldan fellow and felt he deserved the promised sword. So I headed out to find it, trekking all over the surrounding countryside to seek it.
Eventually signs pointed to an ancient Nord ruin, acting as temporary redoubt for a small group of Forsworn savages. I approached them calmly, to parlay and explain that I just needed to take a sword off their hands, and was willing to pay or come to some other arrangment. But they turned me away, and when I insisted and wouldn't leave, they became hostile. I subdued a pair of their warriors before they could mount a defense, then charged in and made an example of their shaman, right in front of some strange and blasphemous moose-dragon altar they had set up. That seemed to break their morale, like their god was obviously not going to stop me from doing anything, and the rest of the heathens fled off into the woods. Now to search the ruins.
In the ruins were more Forsworn a few gave me trouble but I killed them or scared them off with my flame staff. I had to carefully pick my way past several lethal traps, but eventually came to a little central camp they had down below the surface, where I found one of their missives - apparently to another tribe indicating this tribe of the Matriarch was not going to help the other to pester Markarth with cowardly guerilla terror tactics, but rather was going to grow and expand, building it's strength until it could pose a direct challenge to the city with a full-on invasion. They also had some texts, including a tome on the legend of Red Eagle (a story of an ancient sword imbued with the spirit of untamed savagery with which the early Reachmen had resisted the yoke of the Empire) with notations about where the artifact was, and about which they believed the finding of would portend that the much-anticipated time of expansion and conquest was nigh.
Then Eureka! I found the first sword that had been calling to me... Hjalti's sword, the original sword of the man who would unite the Empire and found a dynasty, Tiber Septim himself. As I took it from a dias, a foul hagraven descended from up in the rock walls and shrieked as other Forsworn cried out and took up the charge with their Matriarch, coming out of the woodwork. I abruptly turned around and bolted, narrowly escaping their furious pursuit up and out of the tomb... I cleverly led them to their demise as in the pursuit I led them directly into the spike and swinging blade traps I had earlier navigated around! They perished at the hands of their own defenses and I made off with the acquired artifact. (How do I feel about holding it? Resolve my relationship to Tiber Septim? Was it a vision, hallucination, flashback, deja vu, omen, Cloud Atlas reincarnation thing, or what?)
I cautiously traveled back south the Old Hroldan inn. Got back and the apparition was there to greet me. To Eyedis's delight, I presented it with the sword, and it entered into some kind of communion with me, and now armed, it expressed an eagerness to help me also track down the other sword, an icon of power for the Reachmen now calling themselves the Forsworn, in order to help protect the new Empire from the same old enemies by preventing them from acquiring this symbol which might unite the untamed savages once again. Eyedis flirted with me in her gratitude and I set off with my spirit guide seeking the Red Eagle blade.
I went up into the mountains, and stalked another band of Forsworn, taking them down one by one with Tolvdir's guidance, until we found their chief, a Briarheart who carried the ancient blade! He put up a fierce resistance, but my flame staff made all the difference, and I claimed Red Eagle's Fury.
I would keep this potent symbol away from the Forsworn. I thanked Tolvdir and he faded away as I picked my way back down the mountain, and began the trek back northwards to continue on my mission for Cmdr Maro.
Brande. Cyleister Brande. I'm a Breton agent in His Imperial Majesty's espionage service, newly assigned as an attache to Commander Maro of the Skyrim Penitus Oculatus. I'm a patriot, a jack-of-all-trades, a man of action; but also a ladies' man, suave, debonair, deadly.
My tale begins on a mountainside south of Morthal. I'm embedded
with one of the local hunters and we're "working off the adrenaline" from having just slain a frost troll that charged our camp. The walking stick that doubles as a flame-thrower that Q gave me came in handy!
We've been surreptitiously observing Forsworn movements, but things have calmed down. So we need to bring this shipment of 10,000 arrows to the Imperial headquarters in Solitude - they've depleted their stock in skirmishes against the Stormcloak forces pushing West.
From there my orders are to report back to Dragon Bridge to debrief Commander Maro. But for the rest of the night I'll enjoy the warmth of this huntress in this tiny tent
Next morning we picked our way down the mountain, and trudged through the frosty marshlands westwards. We came across a nest of frostbite spiders who had killed a legionnaire, and the lovely huntress showed me how to avoid their venom and dispatch them with a dagger thrust.
Saw some interesting ruins, and some uptight Thalmor who we made fun from a distance but didn't engage. Couldn't afford any more delays, those soldiers needed these arrows!
Homework: story "value pairs." Think about how events cause the character to change from one state to another. Start out as a thrill-seeker, only feels alive when living dangerously. Avoiding dealing with something internal by being superficial.
Just past a little camp in the lowlands, we heard shouting up ahead... investigating we came across a few imperials cleaning up a battle site. Many dead Stormcloaks and Imperials but the Imperials prevailed.
We revealed our mission and asked directions to the city to deliver our shipment of arrows. They obviously needed them desperately with Stormcloak squads of this size getting bold around here! We hurried on over the next few miles and found Solitude. We marched past a public execution going on in the public square, to Castle Dour, and delivered the arrows to the Imperial Quartermaster. Mission accomplished!
While there, Legate Caesinneas mentioned there might be an assassination plot against the Jarl Elisif the Fair, the potential new Empire-friendly High Queen of Skyrim. I resolved to keep an eye out.
With a kiss, I sent the huntress back to her mountain perch to continue observations, and set off towards Dragon Bridge.
GHOSTS OF YORE 1:
That night, I made a small fire at my temporary campsite. A haggard and hunched stranger approached wearily from the darkness, laden with ornaments and talismans; I put a hand to my dagger but let him approach.
He sat and warmed himself by the fire. I gave him some of my rations. He smiled darkly and began creepily telling a tale of being cursed long ago, and seemed hopeful that I could help him. Some dark mystical forces were afoot, for as he smiled wider I could feel his curse subsuming my being as well! What foul sorcery was this??
It seems Hevnoraak, or Vokun (he couldn't say because of the curse) wanted to imprison him the "soul cairn" and now would be after me as will since I offered hospitality to their victim. I began to have a vision...
I made to the quaint village of (x) just a storm began brewing. An old woman advised that I get inside soon. The sky darkened and lightning flashed ominously as I thought I saw a figure approaching down the road. I entered the village inn, The Old Holdran, where a jolly scene played out with drinking and music.
I shrugged off the ominous feeling, and relaxed with drinks and games with the patrons. As I drank more, the ominous feeling returned, and I was gradually enveloped in a gray haze as the faces of the villagers seemed to morph into grotesque and diabolical visages. I felt like I was supposed to be somewhere, with someone... befuddled and anxious, I blacked out.
I awoke again to the clang of heavy iron door closing. Someone told me "Quiet Hjalti, there could be Reachmen out here... now come on." I crept along behind my companion. Where was I now? Who was I? Who was this sworn brother of mine?
We crept of out a cave mouth, squinting to see a host of armed warriors looking at us. They were the Reachmen we had come to rid land of. We killed them. We killed them all.
That night, as a lamented my sworn brother's Tolvdir's death, I had a nightmarish vision of a skeletal figure wreathed in lightning, in an expressionless iron mask, hissing "You have forsaken us!" Very unnerving.
Then I awoke in my campsite, under a clear sunny sky. There was no sign of the mysterious stranger. I took a long drag of Colovian brandy and splashed my face with cold water, then packed up and continued on towards Dragon Bridge.
Gave Maro my report. Received new orders, head back to Solitude, take a boat to Windhelm, meet with a contact, initials A.A., with knowledge of a plotter against Elisif.
But somehow I felt inexplicably called to travel by land South instead. I hiked the winding roads into the rocky Reach for 2 days before an overturned cart
with a slaughtered horse got my attention. Two merchants lay riddled with arrows, which also peppered the cart itself and horse... they were a strange, primitive kind of arrow, yet not of Forsworn make. My curiosity was piqued and I went on high alert, scanning the surrounding mountainside.
As I cautiously moved ahead, about a half mile down the stream I saw a small campsite on the opposite bank. I thought I would ask whoever was there if they had seen or head anything untoward lately. I waded across, but the camp was deserted but for some gear and a small journal - I snooped a little, and discovered that the camp apparently belonged to a pair of adventurers who indeed HAD seen what happened to the cart! They described some kind of abhorrent, twisted mer-like creatures, who they apparently tracked to a cave further up the mountainside, and it looked like the adventurers had just recently set out in pursuit of the murderous monsters.
I thought they could use my help, so I set out after them. I found the cave easily enough from their description, and crept in. A number of frostbite spiders lay dead, webbing everywhere. A few more scuttled at me but were easily dispatched thanks to my training from the huntress. Delving further into the depths, there was a chill wind, and in the eerie glow of the fungus I beheld one of the foul creatures from the journal's description - a Falmer!
It didn't seem to spot me before I caught it full in the throat with an arrow. More of the beasties lurked further in, and they all seemed to have poor eyesight, often not noticing me until I was upon them. There were also some massive insectoid creatures they seemed to keep as livestock, who spit venom and hissed angrily when I sprayed them down with flames from my secret staff.
In the furthest reaches, I found my adventuring predecessors - but they had perished in combat with the falmer. There were also lots of human remains, it looked like these creatures had been capturing prisoners along this road for a long time, and either eating them, or sacrificing them in some kind of abominable ritual? Hard to parse what I was seeing in there, but one man's corpse was splayed out on some kind of altar stone, and he had a note in his pocket, lamenting that he would never escape and make it back to his love, Eydis...
So I find myself drawn to the Old Hroldan Inn, where the inkeeper is Eydis! I giver her the note (exposition) and decide to spend the night. She put's me in what she calls Tiber Septim's room...
That night a ghost appears... it's Tolvdir, from my vision. He thinkgs I'm Tiber Septim... now I realize the first of the line of rulers of the Third Era was formerly known as Hjalti... was the ancestral emperor trying to communicate with me somehow? Was a part of his spirit in me? Was he just somehow guiding my fate? Maybe I had a deeper purpose in my clandestine activities supporting the Empire than just lining my pockets and putting notches on my bedpost.
So I felt called to help deliver my (Tiber Septim's?) sword to this appartion, as felt a kind of deja vu feeling about this Hroldan fellow and felt he deserved the promised sword. So I headed out to find it, trekking all over the surrounding countryside to seek it.
Eventually signs pointed to an ancient Nord ruin, acting as temporary redoubt for a small group of Forsworn savages. I approached them calmly, to parlay and explain that I just needed to take a sword off their hands, and was willing to pay or come to some other arrangment. But they turned me away, and when I insisted and wouldn't leave, they became hostile. I subdued a pair of their warriors before they could mount a defense, then charged in and made an example of their shaman, right in front of some strange and blasphemous moose-dragon altar they had set up. That seemed to break their morale, like their god was obviously not going to stop me from doing anything, and the rest of the heathens fled off into the woods. Now to search the ruins.
In the ruins were more Forsworn a few gave me trouble but I killed them or scared them off with my flame staff. I had to carefully pick my way past several lethal traps, but eventually came to a little central camp they had down below the surface, where I found one of their missives - apparently to another tribe indicating this tribe of the Matriarch was not going to help the other to pester Markarth with cowardly guerilla terror tactics, but rather was going to grow and expand, building it's strength until it could pose a direct challenge to the city with a full-on invasion. They also had some texts, including a tome on the legend of Red Eagle (a story of an ancient sword imbued with the spirit of untamed savagery with which the early Reachmen had resisted the yoke of the Empire) with notations about where the artifact was, and about which they believed the finding of would portend that the much-anticipated time of expansion and conquest was nigh.
Then Eureka! I found the first sword that had been calling to me... Hjalti's sword, the original sword of the man who would unite the Empire and found a dynasty, Tiber Septim himself. As I took it from a dias, a foul hagraven descended from up in the rock walls and shrieked as other Forsworn cried out and took up the charge with their Matriarch, coming out of the woodwork. I abruptly turned around and bolted, narrowly escaping their furious pursuit up and out of the tomb... I cleverly led them to their demise as in the pursuit I led them directly into the spike and swinging blade traps I had earlier navigated around! They perished at the hands of their own defenses and I made off with the acquired artifact. (How do I feel about holding it? Resolve my relationship to Tiber Septim? Was it a vision, hallucination, flashback, deja vu, omen, Cloud Atlas reincarnation thing, or what?)
I cautiously traveled back south the Old Hroldan inn. Got back and the apparition was there to greet me. To Eyedis's delight, I presented it with the sword, and it entered into some kind of communion with me, and now armed, it expressed an eagerness to help me also track down the other sword, an icon of power for the Reachmen now calling themselves the Forsworn, in order to help protect the new Empire from the same old enemies by preventing them from acquiring this symbol which might unite the untamed savages once again. Eyedis flirted with me in her gratitude and I set off with my spirit guide seeking the Red Eagle blade.
I went up into the mountains, and stalked another band of Forsworn, taking them down one by one with Tolvdir's guidance, until we found their chief, a Briarheart who carried the ancient blade! He put up a fierce resistance, but my flame staff made all the difference, and I claimed Red Eagle's Fury.
I would keep this potent symbol away from the Forsworn. I thanked Tolvdir and he faded away as I picked my way back down the mountain, and began the trek back northwards to continue on my mission for Cmdr Maro.
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
The Odyssey of Xenophon pt.1
Biography
Xenophon is a Breton, who signed on with the Empire's intelligence service in Cyrodil. He made a name for himself in undercover operations, partly due to his natural facility with various illusion and alteration tricks. Eventually he was deployed to Skyrim to infiltrate the Stormcloak rebels. It was as though assignment in a harsh climate but he sent back a couple briefs and was instrumental in luring the leader Ulfric into a trap.
Character Profile (based on Militant Wizard kit in AD&D wizard's handbook)
Loyalty: high to the Empire, likes Redguard and Orcs (Daggerfall Covenant), likes the Forsworn, dislikes Nords who oppress the Forsworn Bretons.
Piety: high to Julianos (magic) medium to Dibella (healing/beauty) low to other divines
Passion: magic, spycraft/intrigue, highborn ladies
Selfishness: medium, willing to work for the good of the Empire but expects to be rewarded
Cruelty: medium/low, but sometimes must interrogate or betray in the line of spy duties
Sanity: high, believes in a code like Sun Tzu
Journal
Today Ulfric was to be executed, along with the rest of our Stormcloak commandos and a couple of unlucky bandits, in the Imperial village of Helgen. I had led us into an ambush in the pass to Ivarstead, having set up said trap with a covert missive to the Whiterun Battleborns. I continued to play my part as a doomed fellow prisoner right up to the end, in case Ulfric were to let go any word of secret contingency plans that could be triggered upon his death.
But Ulfric smiled at me just as his turn on the headsman's block was to come, and a nirn-shaking roar issued from the sky! Fire rained down as a dragon descended upon the keep and attacked. Several guards, prisoners, and townsfolk were incinerated and the rest of us scattered around the town square. Ulfric dragged me away from danger, but I had had enough of his boorish company and in the chaos I slipped his grip and found my way to a guardsman rounding up civilians and ushering them into an armory. He released my hands from bondage and introduced himself as Hadvar. As the dragon raged overhead smashing down the guard tower and burning the houses and shops, he lead me down through the jaol to a subterranean tunnel that would take us out of town to safety.
We emerged some distance West, and began running for Riverwood, leaving the smoking charnel house of Helgen behind, knowing that the neighboring peoples must be warned of this draconic menace. Dragons hadn't been seen in Skyrim for generations. What did it mean that Ulfric was not surprised by his last-minute salvation? Was he somehow in league with the terrifying monster? We jogged the rocky trail for hours, finally arrived in the quaint logging village where we paused to rest at the home of Hadvar's uncle, the village blacksmith. We told him our harrowing tale, gasping for breath, and then he had his wife prepare us a meal as he headed off to the tavern to spread the word.
Upon refueling our bodies and taking some supplies for the road, we then continued our rapid hike down the foothills and into the tundra, to bring word to the local jarl in the hold capitol of Whiterun. We reached the city gates long after nightfall, hurried through the darkened streets, and Hadvar convinced the guards at Dragonsreach to admit me. As an Imperial Envoy, I gained an audience with the bleary-eyed Balgruuf and explained what had transpired. He sent for his court wizard to be awoken, an interesting fellow called Farengar Secret-Fire, and after some consultation he directed me to retrieve a stone fragment with a map of ancient dragon burial sites from a tomb near Riverwood, with hopes that he could discern from whence this dragon had appeared. Then we feasted, planned my excursion, and I slept.
Shouts in the great hall woke me just before dawn. The dragon had been sighted at the Western Watchtower! The jarl gestured me over as he spoke in clipped tones to his court wizard and guard captain. I volunteered to join a detachment of soldiers led by the guard captain to go fight it off. We grabbed bows and spears, then ran down the grey city streets, out the gate, and marched Westward. There it was! The guard tower was in shambles, fires burning and a few screaming guardsmen left alive. The dragon circled overhead and dove when it saw us approach! After a pitched battle we slew it with arrows and magical fire. Then something odd happened... as I approached its fallen corpse, it's skin kind of split open and some kind of spiritual energy leaped out of it an into me! The guards were astonished and began murmuring that I was Dragonborn, some strange superstition in this land. Anyways, we then returned to the jarl to report on what happened.
As I entered the great hall, a surreal shout echoed across the city, "Dovakiin." The guards began gossiping again, and when I had explained all that had transpired to the jarl, he also looked astonished. He named me Thane of the Realm for my heroism in slaying the dragon, awarded me a small parcel of land with a log cabin out near Riverwood, appointed a beautiful and stoic housecarl named Lydia to my service, and suggested I make my way to the Throat of the World to confer with the Greybeards who had probably been the ones to issue the surreal shout as a way to summon me. The wizard Farengar then interjected with a request to retrieve and ancient artifact he had uncovered word of in his texts, called the Dragonstone. It was rumored to be located in (barrow) and to contain a map of the ancient dragon burial sites, which Farengar believed would reveal some clue as to why and from whence the dragon had come.
So then, new housecarl in tow, I decided to head back to Riverwood to reassure them that a hold garrison was on it's way, and from there seek Farengar's artifact. On our way out of town we stopped at Warmaiden's to get Lydia some solid adventuring gear. Adrianne the blacksmith didn't have anything in her size, but after a little hushed girl talk, she offered to craft her some custom armor if we would procure some corundrum and help her out with a little marital problem she'd been having - her husband just wasn't that into her.
We hiked back up into the foothills, and man was it nice to have someone to carry my burdens! Stopping for a bite in Riverwood at the Sleeping Giant, we bumped into the proprietor of the Riverwood Trader and his sister, Lucan and Camilla Valerius, discussing the theft of their prized possession - a golden claw - and their speculation that a bandit had taken it and might be camped out near (barrow). Since I was headed there anyway, I suggested that I might be willing to retrieve it if they would pay a bounty, and they were interested. Lucan was desperate to get it back, and his sister seemed to take a shine to me... was Lydia jealous? So far she resolutely ignored my charms, all business. Anyway, we headed out across the river and became to climb towards the (barrow)
(get claw, dragon stone, fight drauger leader, find word of power) (then return claw to the Valerius's head up past helgen, to Ivarstead, reveal the sneaky illusionist, climb the mountain, train with the greybeards, climb back down, head down in to the valley of the hot springs on the way to Darkwater Crossing, through the pass to rescue an Anrgonian from the Falmer, get to the Crossing and meet the friendly ex-adventurer miner lady who also has a chat with Lydia, who now seems more open to me)
We stumbled across the beautiful Eldergleam Santuary and spent some time there, talking. We decided to stop and check out my new home on the way back to Whiterun, and began our hike.
We find it on the western riverbank, and wow was it a thane's manor. More like a compound. We spent a couple days opening it up setting up a household, then continued on to Whiterun, which could be seen off in the distance from my new scenic deck.
We hiked all morning and reached the gates in the afternoon, finding Adrienne the blacksmith at her shop. I gave her the corundrum and she set about crafting Lydia a new set of armor while we waited at the Inn, taking a vacation and visiting her by night to check her progress and counsel her and her husband. Finally she completed it, and Lydia was now more formidable as a result.
From there we hired a carriage ride to Solitude, and I finally was able to debrief the Imperial General about the Stormcloak plans, and events I had witnessed in Helgen. I also agreed to assist on a quick sortie to a nearby fort that had been plagued with bandits. I requisitioned some funds and headed to the Winking Skeever, a nearby saloon at which mercenaries were rumored to hang out. I hired one such strapping fellow and we set out for the fort!
We scared off the bandits, and cleared out some ragged necromancers from Wolf Skull Cave on the way, and returned to Solitude as Imperial heroes. I finally obtained an audience with Jarl Elisif the Fair, and she seemed to have eyes for me when hearing of my exploits, and was impressed by my title in Whiterun, but I would have to shake off the boorish Erikur from her court before she would see a potential tryst with me as feasible... the court sorceress Sybille seemed to be of one mind with me there and might prove an ally.
Then we stopped by the Bard's College and offered some advice on how to get their effigy ceremony started, and took a carriage back home to Riverside Lodge. Spent a few more days there, got a guard dog, and I decided it was time to head back to Cyrodil to check in with my superiors there. Lydia and I began hiking through the pass south of Helgen, into Bruma Hold.
In the Pale Pass fort, we came across some Imperials having a bit of a problem with a Stormcloak captive. I agreed to help interrogate him with my Penitus Oculatus training, and once again posing as a fellow rebel, I gleaned that a terror cell was plotting an attack on the Imperial City itself! It was a good thing I came by.
As I entered the great hall, a surreal shout echoed across the city, "Dovakiin." The guards began gossiping again, and when I had explained all that had transpired to the jarl, he also looked astonished. He named me Thane of the Realm for my heroism in slaying the dragon, awarded me a small parcel of land with a log cabin out near Riverwood, appointed a beautiful and stoic housecarl named Lydia to my service, and suggested I make my way to the Throat of the World to confer with the Greybeards who had probably been the ones to issue the surreal shout as a way to summon me. The wizard Farengar then interjected with a request to retrieve and ancient artifact he had uncovered word of in his texts, called the Dragonstone. It was rumored to be located in (barrow) and to contain a map of the ancient dragon burial sites, which Farengar believed would reveal some clue as to why and from whence the dragon had come.
So then, new housecarl in tow, I decided to head back to Riverwood to reassure them that a hold garrison was on it's way, and from there seek Farengar's artifact. On our way out of town we stopped at Warmaiden's to get Lydia some solid adventuring gear. Adrianne the blacksmith didn't have anything in her size, but after a little hushed girl talk, she offered to craft her some custom armor if we would procure some corundrum and help her out with a little marital problem she'd been having - her husband just wasn't that into her.
We hiked back up into the foothills, and man was it nice to have someone to carry my burdens! Stopping for a bite in Riverwood at the Sleeping Giant, we bumped into the proprietor of the Riverwood Trader and his sister, Lucan and Camilla Valerius, discussing the theft of their prized possession - a golden claw - and their speculation that a bandit had taken it and might be camped out near (barrow). Since I was headed there anyway, I suggested that I might be willing to retrieve it if they would pay a bounty, and they were interested. Lucan was desperate to get it back, and his sister seemed to take a shine to me... was Lydia jealous? So far she resolutely ignored my charms, all business. Anyway, we headed out across the river and became to climb towards the (barrow)
(get claw, dragon stone, fight drauger leader, find word of power) (then return claw to the Valerius's head up past helgen, to Ivarstead, reveal the sneaky illusionist, climb the mountain, train with the greybeards, climb back down, head down in to the valley of the hot springs on the way to Darkwater Crossing, through the pass to rescue an Anrgonian from the Falmer, get to the Crossing and meet the friendly ex-adventurer miner lady who also has a chat with Lydia, who now seems more open to me)
We stumbled across the beautiful Eldergleam Santuary and spent some time there, talking. We decided to stop and check out my new home on the way back to Whiterun, and began our hike.
We find it on the western riverbank, and wow was it a thane's manor. More like a compound. We spent a couple days opening it up setting up a household, then continued on to Whiterun, which could be seen off in the distance from my new scenic deck.
We hiked all morning and reached the gates in the afternoon, finding Adrienne the blacksmith at her shop. I gave her the corundrum and she set about crafting Lydia a new set of armor while we waited at the Inn, taking a vacation and visiting her by night to check her progress and counsel her and her husband. Finally she completed it, and Lydia was now more formidable as a result.
From there we hired a carriage ride to Solitude, and I finally was able to debrief the Imperial General about the Stormcloak plans, and events I had witnessed in Helgen. I also agreed to assist on a quick sortie to a nearby fort that had been plagued with bandits. I requisitioned some funds and headed to the Winking Skeever, a nearby saloon at which mercenaries were rumored to hang out. I hired one such strapping fellow and we set out for the fort!
We scared off the bandits, and cleared out some ragged necromancers from Wolf Skull Cave on the way, and returned to Solitude as Imperial heroes. I finally obtained an audience with Jarl Elisif the Fair, and she seemed to have eyes for me when hearing of my exploits, and was impressed by my title in Whiterun, but I would have to shake off the boorish Erikur from her court before she would see a potential tryst with me as feasible... the court sorceress Sybille seemed to be of one mind with me there and might prove an ally.
Then we stopped by the Bard's College and offered some advice on how to get their effigy ceremony started, and took a carriage back home to Riverside Lodge. Spent a few more days there, got a guard dog, and I decided it was time to head back to Cyrodil to check in with my superiors there. Lydia and I began hiking through the pass south of Helgen, into Bruma Hold.
In the Pale Pass fort, we came across some Imperials having a bit of a problem with a Stormcloak captive. I agreed to help interrogate him with my Penitus Oculatus training, and once again posing as a fellow rebel, I gleaned that a terror cell was plotting an attack on the Imperial City itself! It was a good thing I came by.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Li'nux
Li'nux the Khajiit hailed from Elsweyr, and did a brief stint with the Imperial Legion in Cyrodill before being hired away as a private contractor to guard the caravan of pawnbroker Ma'dran, a new franchisee of the merchant magnate Ri'saad. At the beginning of our tale, the has recently arrived in Southwestern Skyrim, and Ma'dran saw fit to hire an orcish guard who could also serve as guide to this vast new province. Li'nux took the opportunity to leave the caravan's service, and strike out on his own as an entreprenuer. He spent most of his savings to acquire Ma'dran's family skooma recipe, with a discount, in exchange for keeping the savvy old huckster cut in on the business. He sent a message to his wife and child, to travel by ship to Solitude, and began the long hike there to meet them.
Arriving without incident, Li'nux checked in with the Imperial Legion headquartered at Castle Dour guarding Skyrim's capitol. He thought they might have some assignments that could make him some quick scratch, and also introduce him to some new locations and contacts that could prove useful for his nascent skooma trade. Indeed, the Legate asked him to clear out some bandits holed up in a mountain fort to the north. Li'nux would use this opportunity to demonstrate his usefulness as a guerrila fighter and reconnaisance operative, hoping to avoid being drafted into a footman role, as he had heard of mounting tensions between the Empire and some of the local Nords who followed a bigoted ogre of a demogogue named Ulfric Stormcloak. It seemed plausible that the tensions would boil over into full scale war in the coming years, and if that happend Li'nux as a veteran would be re-called to active duty to fight in the front lines. He preferred to slink through the shadows, stalking his prey, rather than to charge into meat-grinding melees.
So, he headed off to do his bidding, and despite almost freezing to death in the northern heights (he would have to get used to this could, and acquire warmer clothes and a better utility ax for chopping firewood), he silently picked off the few bedraggled bandits and returned to Castle Dour. His solo performance earned him an audience with the General, who was pleased to have a capable Khajiit on reserve for when covert operations were called for. In order to stay on retainer, he was granted a small parcel of land out in the marshlands East of Solitude, upon which he promptly began building a humble homestead to install his family in when they arrived. As he did this, he made frequent trips to the nearby mill in Morthal for construction supplies, and ingratiated himself with the local Jarl by sniffing out a criminal vampire, and joining the angry mob in finding justice for a woman and child murdered by an arsonist acting on the vampire's orders.
Finally the family arrived, and moved in. But Li'nux needed more funds to improve the homestead, and so he reached out to some Khatjiit living in the southern hold of Falkreath, and invited them to join his "salesforce." A pair came, and fell into a rhythym of one staying at the house, helping cook skooma as well as act a steward, while the other traveled the trade routes with Li'nux, finding new customers and slowly building the business.
One day another call came from Castle Dour, and Li'nux took his wife (also an erstwhile legionairre) for an audience with the General. It seems that Ulfric believed he'd found the location of a symbolic artifact, a crown that he thought would improve his public perception if he were to possess it. The General wanted the Khajiit to go ahead as scouts for an elite squad that was to make sure he didn't get it, if it in fact existed. There was no time to waste, so Li'nux and his fierce lady geared up and headed out to meet up with the squad.
They found the group the next afternoon at an Imperial encampment they were using as a staging ground in the icy hills northwest of their homestead. Li'nux and his wife paused for a brief lunch and discussion of tactics, but then headed out on foot moving southwest through the valley, to make as much headway as possible before night fell with it's lethally cold temperatures. As darkness descended, they came to a monastic outpost called the Hall of the Vigilant. It was the priory of an order of demon-hunting clerics, and as they were friendly to the Empire, they stopped in to warm up, share a meal, and take a cat nap.
About an hour before dawn, Li'nux penned a message for the squad to follow if they stopped here, geared up again, and headed out into a light snowfall illuminated by the eerie norther lights. As they approached a small fort, Fort (name), they could here the sounds of a skirmish in the pre-dawn gloom! Their keen feline vision made out the shapes of burly Stormcloak warriors streaming in through a wide open gate. They crept up to peek in, and could see bleary-eyed Pale Hold Guards scrambling to strap on armor and grab weaponry to fight back, but most were slaughtered in the ambush just as the first rays of dawn lit up the inner yard. Li'nux and his wife noticed some bandits through the window of the canteen/tavern, and slunk inside to witness them cutting down the barkeeper and boasting of how they helped the Stormcloak force invade by gaining the trust of the guards, then leaving the gate open in the night. Li'nux and his wife pounced on the surprised mercenaries, ending their devious careers. There were too many outside to wade into full battle, so the Khajiit remained hidden in the shadows. A force of a dozen or so Stormcloaks remained, and formed up in the inner yard, stripping the Pale guards' bodies of valuables, while their captain walked to the canteen tavern and knocked. He poked his head inside, looked quizzical, assuming the bandits had died of wounds received from fighting the bartender, and barked orders. The Stormcloaks formed up, and marched back out they way they came through the Southeast gate.
Li'nux and his wife checked for survivors and found none. They also took a few remaining valuables and some food from the canteen, left another message for the elite squad coming behind them explianing what they had witnessed, then carefully headed out on the trail of the Stormcloaks. Following their trail through the day, the Khajiit reconnaiseuers watched them arrive at the purported tomb ruins where the crown was thought to be. They set up a base camp, killed a couple of local bandits they found loitering around, and began to send in small groups to look for a way in. Li'nux and his wife hid in the trees and awaited their reinforcements.
Arriving without incident, Li'nux checked in with the Imperial Legion headquartered at Castle Dour guarding Skyrim's capitol. He thought they might have some assignments that could make him some quick scratch, and also introduce him to some new locations and contacts that could prove useful for his nascent skooma trade. Indeed, the Legate asked him to clear out some bandits holed up in a mountain fort to the north. Li'nux would use this opportunity to demonstrate his usefulness as a guerrila fighter and reconnaisance operative, hoping to avoid being drafted into a footman role, as he had heard of mounting tensions between the Empire and some of the local Nords who followed a bigoted ogre of a demogogue named Ulfric Stormcloak. It seemed plausible that the tensions would boil over into full scale war in the coming years, and if that happend Li'nux as a veteran would be re-called to active duty to fight in the front lines. He preferred to slink through the shadows, stalking his prey, rather than to charge into meat-grinding melees.
So, he headed off to do his bidding, and despite almost freezing to death in the northern heights (he would have to get used to this could, and acquire warmer clothes and a better utility ax for chopping firewood), he silently picked off the few bedraggled bandits and returned to Castle Dour. His solo performance earned him an audience with the General, who was pleased to have a capable Khajiit on reserve for when covert operations were called for. In order to stay on retainer, he was granted a small parcel of land out in the marshlands East of Solitude, upon which he promptly began building a humble homestead to install his family in when they arrived. As he did this, he made frequent trips to the nearby mill in Morthal for construction supplies, and ingratiated himself with the local Jarl by sniffing out a criminal vampire, and joining the angry mob in finding justice for a woman and child murdered by an arsonist acting on the vampire's orders.
Finally the family arrived, and moved in. But Li'nux needed more funds to improve the homestead, and so he reached out to some Khatjiit living in the southern hold of Falkreath, and invited them to join his "salesforce." A pair came, and fell into a rhythym of one staying at the house, helping cook skooma as well as act a steward, while the other traveled the trade routes with Li'nux, finding new customers and slowly building the business.
One day another call came from Castle Dour, and Li'nux took his wife (also an erstwhile legionairre) for an audience with the General. It seems that Ulfric believed he'd found the location of a symbolic artifact, a crown that he thought would improve his public perception if he were to possess it. The General wanted the Khajiit to go ahead as scouts for an elite squad that was to make sure he didn't get it, if it in fact existed. There was no time to waste, so Li'nux and his fierce lady geared up and headed out to meet up with the squad.
They found the group the next afternoon at an Imperial encampment they were using as a staging ground in the icy hills northwest of their homestead. Li'nux and his wife paused for a brief lunch and discussion of tactics, but then headed out on foot moving southwest through the valley, to make as much headway as possible before night fell with it's lethally cold temperatures. As darkness descended, they came to a monastic outpost called the Hall of the Vigilant. It was the priory of an order of demon-hunting clerics, and as they were friendly to the Empire, they stopped in to warm up, share a meal, and take a cat nap.
About an hour before dawn, Li'nux penned a message for the squad to follow if they stopped here, geared up again, and headed out into a light snowfall illuminated by the eerie norther lights. As they approached a small fort, Fort (name), they could here the sounds of a skirmish in the pre-dawn gloom! Their keen feline vision made out the shapes of burly Stormcloak warriors streaming in through a wide open gate. They crept up to peek in, and could see bleary-eyed Pale Hold Guards scrambling to strap on armor and grab weaponry to fight back, but most were slaughtered in the ambush just as the first rays of dawn lit up the inner yard. Li'nux and his wife noticed some bandits through the window of the canteen/tavern, and slunk inside to witness them cutting down the barkeeper and boasting of how they helped the Stormcloak force invade by gaining the trust of the guards, then leaving the gate open in the night. Li'nux and his wife pounced on the surprised mercenaries, ending their devious careers. There were too many outside to wade into full battle, so the Khajiit remained hidden in the shadows. A force of a dozen or so Stormcloaks remained, and formed up in the inner yard, stripping the Pale guards' bodies of valuables, while their captain walked to the canteen tavern and knocked. He poked his head inside, looked quizzical, assuming the bandits had died of wounds received from fighting the bartender, and barked orders. The Stormcloaks formed up, and marched back out they way they came through the Southeast gate.
Li'nux and his wife checked for survivors and found none. They also took a few remaining valuables and some food from the canteen, left another message for the elite squad coming behind them explianing what they had witnessed, then carefully headed out on the trail of the Stormcloaks. Following their trail through the day, the Khajiit reconnaiseuers watched them arrive at the purported tomb ruins where the crown was thought to be. They set up a base camp, killed a couple of local bandits they found loitering around, and began to send in small groups to look for a way in. Li'nux and his wife hid in the trees and awaited their reinforcements.
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Melchior pt. 15 Whiterun For Your Money
Now I had two tricky pieces of business for the Jarl who had graciously taken me as a thane, and granted my order a priory on his great city.
But first I wanted to report back to Isran, and see if I could unload some of these heavy-ass Scrolls. I sent for Carcette, and she and I trekked back East. But a couple of bandits tried to ambush us, then fled into Echo Deep Mine, near Riften. We tracked them into the mine, but stumbled into some kind of crazy device and found ourselves teleported to the legendary isle of Falskaar! A soldier on patrol found us and lead us out of some ruins, to the town of Amber Creek, where we had an audience with the Jarl, and learned of a way home by ship, if we would help the Jarl deal with some mercenaries one of his competitors had enlisted against him. We agreed, and headed out to a monastery to ask his old cleric friend for aid or augury.
The monks didn't want to get involved in any potential conflicts, unless a full war broke out. They were dealing with their own problems - one of their number had fallen in with some necromancers and disappeared. In rummaging through his effects, Carcette found some notes indicating he was researching some "dream crystals" that could raise an army of zombies, and may have gone to a place called Volkrund Keep. She became adamant that we must help the priory in this spiritual matter before we got involved in any political entanglements with the local jarls.
The monks didn't want to get involved in any potential conflicts, unless a full war broke out. They were dealing with their own problems - one of their number had fallen in with some necromancers and disappeared. In rummaging through his effects, Carcette found some notes indicating he was researching some "dream crystals" that could raise an army of zombies, and may have gone to a place called Volkrund Keep. She became adamant that we must help the priory in this spiritual matter before we got involved in any political entanglements with the local jarls.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Melchior pt. 14 Interbellum
Intermission.
I returned home to Markarth to rest and plan. For a time, I let the routine of city life and mundane chores and errands take me away, and I was nearly able to forget the troubles and stresses of my destined course. It was nice being surrounded at home with brethren who would die for the cause and keep the Vigil strong. I spent a few weeks with Gia who'd saved Emma and I from the Battleborn assassin's, Ulric, a stormcloak recruit cleric, Keeper Carcette of course, my old mentor Paladin, beginning a worrying pivot to a darker side of vengeance with the Dawnguard but still a Vigilant ecclesiarch in good standing, and Britte, a braided neophyte tribute from rural Rorikstead. We organized a considerable stockpile of equipment, spent some time on business of the Order, and visiting family and old friends. Feasted and drank nightly. Finally thoughts of the dangers impending on Skyrim drew me back in, and we prepared for the next journey.
-------
I guessed that before searching for the ancestor glade, I might have some luck going back to Paarthurnax at the Throat of the World to see if he could help read the Scrolls.
Also went and did some Dawnguatd missions - tracking down a legendary rune hammer, and hunting a known vampire near Falkreath.
Finally took Serena to the ancestors grove. It worked! I was able to decipher the location of Auriel's Bow from the Scroll. Serena wanted to go immediately because it seemed Ienarath's minions are on our trail! We fought off a few before fleeing the cave.
From there we followed the clues and found an old uncorrupted falmer, a snow elf, who guided us through a pilgrims path, and we did battle with a fallen vampire snow elf Lord to finally gain the bow.
Then back to Markarth again to recover.
But the civil war was encroaching! Time to enter the banal fray of earthly politics and put the Vigil's thumb on the scales for the true sons and daughters of Skyrim. Ulfric insisted on coming of course but Paladin Carcette doesn't think wet should be docking around in political affairs so we left her in charge of the ladies (Emma, Gia, and little Britte) to build down the fort while we went marchng of to war. We decided to stop by the Breezehome priory to collect Lydia's boyfriend as well.
Finally after a journey, we walked into the halls of High King Ulfric Stormcloak. He was in the middle of a philosophical debate with his general, Galmer. The general sent us on a mission as a test to see if Ulfric would have us. We went to Serpentstone Island to face an ice wraith. We prepared for a cold jouney North into the ice sheets.
It was a bitter, miserable day but we tracked and slew the wraith. Then back to Whiterun for our formal induction. Galmer invited us on the next mission in a campaign to raid a tomb in imperial territory to recover the symbolically potent Jagged Crown for Ulfric Stormcloak to strategically don.
Off to it then! We rondesvouzed at the Nightgale Inn, in the closest town to the imperial.
Then by night we ambushed the ruin, the tools had a hopelessly predictable sentry patrol pattern, and I used my Dragonborn shouts to become a fearsome blur in the battle, slaughtering a few imperial scouts as the other soldiers charged in. We lost not a man. Then were descended into the depths, carefully searched various chambers and halls for hours, and unfortunately lost a soldier when a draugr
Death Lord came alive and attacked. But we recovered the Jagged Crown!
Back to Markarth to avoid being hunted down by Imperial squads looking for vengeance, and we laid low there for a good week to give the imperial patrols time to settle down.
Then we traveled back to Windhelm and presented Ulfric with the Jagged Crown. We feasted, and he asked me to bring his axe to Jarl Balgruuf. On the way though, I wanted to stop back at the Throat of the World to see about reading a Scroll at the Time Wound.
It worked! I saw visions of the past and learned Dragonrend. Alduin appeared, having sensed the scrolls magic, but my Stormcloaks and Parthurnax chased him off. Paarthurnax suggested I convince Balgruuf to use Dragonsreach as a trap for one of Alduin's lieutenants, to them interrogate about his plans and location so I cam go finish him off.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Melchior pt.13 - Scrolls at Dawn
We dropped off the Stormcloak soldier in Whiterun, then trekked east to Ft. Dawnguard. It was a largely uneventful journey, although we encountered a couple of giant frostbite spiders and an angry spriggan mother in the countryside near Riften. They were nothing Carcette and I couldn't handle.
We finally passed Riften and headed into Dayspring Canyon, where we unexpectedly came upon two vampire scouts lurking near the glacial run-off pond! We took them unawares as they were focused on spying on the Fort, but they put up a vicious fight. We barely managed to put them down, then hurried through the civilian refugee camp to warn Isran that we were finally under direct surveillance by Ienarath's forces. We hypothesized that the dark queen had been disturbed by my recent appearance in Blackreach... the chess pieces were maneuvering.
Inside the fort, we came to find out that our Moth Priest ally, Dexion, had lost his sight and could no longer read the Scrolls! What were we to do now, after all that work collecting them? He suggested I seek out an "ancestor glade" somewhere in the pine forests, where I could perform a special ritual using canticle tree bark and ancestor moths to read the Scroll myself. I agreed, hoping I wouldn't go blind or mad. We were also asked by the Dawnguard to keep an eye out for any more dwemer crossbow or firebolt schematics.
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