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.

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. 

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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.