Rowan and Lydia are walking to Solitude from Riverwood. There has been quite a lot of flower picking along the way, so it’s taking a while. Met a cute, red-headed farmer boy and encouraged him to pursue a life of adventure. Must check back later and see if he’s still alive.
Had a very satisfying dragon fight on the road, lots of jumping over rocks and sprinting while being flamed by the dragon and peppered with arrows from a nearby idiot bandit. I got to see Rowan’s dragon finishing move for the first time, it was great! Until I realized that she was still wearing her talking-to-the-cute-farmer dress, not her health-enhancing battle wear. Oops. No wonder she needed so many potions.
But the big news: we got a dog! Woo hoo!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/Liliandra_Nadair/LiliOblivion/TESV2011-11-1619-39-50-95.jpg and Lydia are making a casual path to High Hrothgar. Bagged her third vampire master and his nest while getting some http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/Liliandra_Nadair/LiliOblivion/TESV2011-11-1901-31-14-18.jpg duds for both of them.
Chloe looks great! I haven’t found any vampires yet.
mALX, we found Meeko!
Here's how it happened:
My Dunmer, Relyn Drelas, has officially gone rogue. While on assignment for the Main Quest, he ended up joining the Thieves Guild, and has now taken up a much less-than-honorable streak than one might expect from someone who is also a member of the Companions. However, Relyn does try to keep his new life of thievery a secret as much as possible. Absolutely no theft in Whiterun, for instance. Unless specifically ordered to. He's been spending a bit of time here and there brushing up on his pickpocketing, finding random passersby and relieving them of some spare change here and there.
Unfortunately, his reputation in Riften has taken a bit of a bad turn, so he has decided that most of his thievery efforts will take place there. So long as he keeps his head down and nips the bud whenever he's caught, word shouldn't spread outside of The Rift. It's an interesting life for him now, juggling his duties toward the Thieves Guild with the Companions and trying his damnedest to keep both parties in the dark about his work for either side. I will be amazed if this doesn't end up blowing up in his face.
Also, due to the fact that the Legion is in the pockets of the Thalmor and having attempts made on his life more than once by both parties, Relyn has now taken up arms with the Stormcloak rebellion to drive the Empire out of Skyrim and teach the Thalmor a lesson in humility.
For those wondering, the Thalmor is a branch of the Aldmeri Dominion, which surfaced shortly after the Oblivion Crisis and the end of the Septim lineage. What happened between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion is revealed in the game, though, so talking about that would be a spoiler.
Melinoe has been spending some time in Riften. A very handsome Nord asked a favor of her, though it would require something illegal. She's not too concerned about breaking the law, anything for some coin at this point, but as she found out there is no marrying him, she decided that there is no rush to please him.
So she headed south to do some exploring. Bandit camps were what she had hoped for. Instead, she came across an unfriendly conjurer, some spiders, and of course, wolves. The horrid spiders started to deplete her precious potions so she headed back north to Riften when she met a Khajiit named Maiq. He had a couple of interesting things to say before taking off.
There was also the Captain who needed something out of a fort. Melinoe was rather excited. Finally some non-creature action, and with someone to help out no less. However, he held the door open for her and said he'd meet her by his spit once she was done. When Melinoe asked why he wasn't coming in, he flat out said he was far too important. Typical Altmer! She thought. She slammed the door and told him to take a spear and shove it up his... well, you've got the idea.
As she stormed off a man shoved a suit of enchanted armor in her arms and demanded that she hold it for him until he comes to collect it, or he'll kill her. Melinoe took the armor, though once she gets back to Riften there's no guarantee she won't sell it. Let the man come and try to kill her. At this point she just might gut someone and skip rope with their innards...
Well, Aravi went hunting and bagged quite a few deer. She teased a few mudcrabs in a stream until they started to actually do some damage, then killed the pests.
While out hunting she ran into an Altmer dressed in unique robes and made conversation with him. He was quite full of himself and then started talking about Talos... Aravi isn't religious so she kept quiet when he asked her opinion on such matters. He didn't like that one bit and attacked her. He must have had some goons waiting nearby because she was suddenly fighting him and two others wearing elven armor. She barely survived the fight, but is now in possession of elven armor!
Back in Whiterun she turned all the deer and wolf hides into leather armor and then sold them. She then used the money she made to enchant her Orcish sword and war ax.
J'Drell has just finished clearing one Fort Hraggstad, west of Solitude. He discovered it whilst travelling down from getting himself blessed at the Steed Stone...Which seems to be the only way to up your carrying capacity by a decent amount...Snassnfrassn...Aaamywho, he was shocked to discover that having ousted the Bandits, within five minutes of going to sell his stuff, the Legion have now occupied the fort and are well and truly settled in...
"Huh?" thought J'Drell...
*Shrug* Went Robert...
Anyways, he'd just travelled back to Solitude to off load the stuff and do some more smithing...
Trey had a rather disturbing experience with the Companions in Whiterun and decided that a drinking contest with a stranger at The Bannered Mare was a good idea.
Sometime later, he found he had annoyed some folk at a temple.
He then witnessed a murder and was asked to investigate- "unofficially."
He MUST have dachshund in him- he seems to have a nose for trouble.
Meeko is gone. Rowan and Lydia tangled with two frost spiders and a troll in a marsh right before dawn. I’m hoping that Meeko just ran off, because he was nowhere near the bodies. There were arrows and fire balls flying all over the place, and the local mudcrabs got riled up at some point as well. Plus there were slaughterfish in the river. A lot could have gone wrong.
Maybe he’ll catch up.
Chloe and Lydia are currently clearing out Meridia's temple of inky undead. Already done some work for Clavicus Vile, mostly just to get rid of Barbas who kept sniffing at Chloe's *coughs* and getting in the way of her shots.
Also, if Meeko was/is a stray, you might find him back where you first found him. I know I had one following me for a while then he just sort of... wasn't there anymore.
Went back to Meeko’s cabin, but no Meeko. I’m afraid he’s really gone. If Rowan finds another dog, she’s going to take him straight to somewhere safe!
mALX, there has to be a way to make him essential on the PC, but I don’t know it. I’m on a PS3. That’s also why Rowan is still on foot. She doesn’t want a dragon to eat her horse.
Last night Rowan got to meet some of the Thalmor she's been hearing about. They did not get along. I expect she'll be adding to her collection of "Kill Rowan Varrus" notes pretty soon.
Today’s mission takes us from Whiterun to Riften. The road has been quiet so far. Keep an eye on the sky, travelers!
Aravi made it to the Winterhold College and made a point to speak directly to the Thalmor there. He didn't react to her in any special way. He's either unaware or unable to act. She'll keep an eye on him while she's there.
Since then she has traveled around a bit. She found a smith that was selling the materials she needed to improve the elven armor. It was expensive, but she bought it anyways.
After some smithing she started to some main quest related stuff that I'll not describe beyond saying it was very interesting.
I was so excited last night - thought I saw a troll while in sneak and quite a ways back - was sure it was a troll !! I hit it once with that spark spell duel casting and it flew up in the air and landed against a rock facing, slid down.
I hurried over, so excited I had killed a troll with one hit !!! - It was a wolf. ARGH !!
I now have over 100 locations discovered - North, West, and East. I'm working my way down to the South, but have to watch out I don't put that Bleak Flats Barrow on my map.
Maxical met several friends, joined the College and got a few quests to do from there. She finally got everything sold out in Whiterun (thank goodness !!!) so she can walk a little faster now.
She caught another disease, but it is cured now. She had just gotten rid of the brainrot and got some bonejoint disease (or something) right away. She had to go right back to the shrine and clear it up.
She met some interesting people on her trek. Some just wanted to talk, some gave her quests to do. One gave her fire boots and threatened her life if she did him dirty or snitched on him. Some soldiers told her to look the other way and move or she'd be next. Some very adept mages tried to kill her when she said Hi to them. URK !!! She got through that somehow.
OH! And she got two more words off walls !!! (but no more Dragon Priest Masks).
@ KC - I met that Thalmer at the College, what a butt !!
@ Grits - Oh no! I thought Bethesda would have made followers essential, including the canine ones !! If I get Meeko he is going to stay safe at his daddy's shack till I get a place that is safe for him.
@Grits:
Has Rowan had more than one encounter with the Dark Brotherhood? Aravi's only had one attempt on her life from that group.
And sorry to hear that your dog might be gone.
@mALX:
That guy is pleasant compared to the other ones you meet.
Chloe has been named Blood-Kin by the orcs in the west after a nasty encounter getting a new Word from a tower full of undead with a dragon priest to cap things off. It's made her a bit wary on going to the next word she's been given a heads up on from her annoymous 'friend'.
Also started another character under a few challenges, Redguard warrior named Chance the Unlucky on a 'no magic' game. She gotten to Whiterun without any noticible difficulty, though she's been out of health potions since the start of the last floor of Bleak Burrow.
Maxical has discovered 133 locations and has 8 words for the shouts when she start getting the dragon souls. Some of them even have two words !! (one of those is the Ethereal, the other is the "detect life" one). She still only has two dragon masks though.
Wulff Olfsson is crossing Skyrim in search of these Words of Power...He's no idea what they're for as yet, but he does so like a pretty light... ...
Plus he's upping his levels like a...Wossname...Level 32?...Urgh...And I've not done anything like a "big" quest yet... ...
Melinoe has officially joined the Thieves Guild! http://youtu.be/IT1vDaf7RwA was her reaction to seeing a few of the guild members. Unfortunately none are able to marry. Just as well. That bad-boy/girl thing needs to be nipped in the bud.
She did a pickpocketing favor for Delvin. The target was a little too stuck up for Melinoe's taste so she didn't just swipe was was requested, she took everything that was of any value. Then there was a job from Vex called a sweep job where she's supposed to loot a house of a few valuable things. During this she found a book called The Legend of Red Eagle. Supposedly its a sword buried in a dungeon somewhere. Melinoe kinda skimmed so later she'll have to read it over a little better.
Maxical has 152 locations discovered, and three dragon masks now - plus two more shout words !! One of them gave all three shouts at once, the other gave a third shout for one I had two of.
I think that's all of the dragon priests in the game then. Or at least I'm not found/heard of any more then three masks.
Chloe has bagged her 8th dragon and is working her way down the western Reach hunting a few more Words before looking heading back to Riverwood to talk to a certain barmaid about some elves.
Chance, in the meantime, has proven her name yet again by becoming a werewolf. She and Aela are clearing out a band of Silver Hand as part of a not-very-enthusiastic welcoming party. All the while, wondering what else is going to go wrong in her life. More dragons? Ghosts? Vampires? *sigh*
Today, Derelas of Skyrim (yup, he really did make it) was given a task by Danica in Whiterun to help restore Gildergreen: recover a special weapon called Nettlebane from Orphan Rock. There was just one complication: Hagravens.
Orphan Rock was just east of Helgen on the western slopes of the Throat of the World (as part of my RP, I can only enter my map immediately after I speak to a quest-giver NPC, making it into a sort of "get directions" function). After killing off a few hostile lesser Witches, the Hagraven entered the fray, and she was literally fire and brimstone about the death of her followers. It took a lot of shooting to bring her down, but eventually Dere and his housecarl Lydia managed it. They found Nettlebane on the Hagraven's corpse.
After staying the night in the nearby camp, it is now time to move on. Dere will eventually bring Nettlebane to Danica, but first... a visit to the Greybeards.
I started a new character in the Dead Is Dead thread over on the *cough* other forum. He’s a Khajiit warrior, sword and shield, archery for backup. Here’s another picture of my TV: http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h361/grits29/JShanji.jpg
(Includes a discussion of Bleak Falls Barrow.)
I made a bunch of food for tomorrow, then I let J’Shanji back out of the box. I’m getting to know some of his quirks. He won’t wear anything with fur, for example. And he eats his fish raw.
J’Shanji spent some time in Riverwood after the barrow adventure. Lucan Valerius was pleased to have his special item returned. So was his sister, Camilla. A little too pleased for J’Shanji. I mean, Faendal was standing right there.
“Here’s a little something to show you my gratitude,” she said, stroking J’Shanji’s arm fur. “Don’t be a stranger, now.” She handed over a selection of foul Nord brews.
“J’Shanji doesn’t drink,” Faendal told her. “You should have gotten him some moon sugar.”
And perhaps grown a tail, thought J’Shanji. He tried not to purr.
The Bosmer and the Imperial tramp headed off for the evening. J’Shanji sold Camilla’s gifts back to her brother.
“This one has a stone tablet for sale,” said J’Shanji.
“You should take that up to Dragonsreach and show it to the court wizard,” Lucan told him. “Then you can tell the Jarl about the dragon. If it comes here, we’ll be defenseless. We need him to send some Whiterun guards.”
“Khajitt are not welcome inside the city,” said J’Shanji. His angry tail lashed the sales counter.
Lucan took a step back. “Tell the guards you have a message for the Jarl. Riverwood sends for aid. And, uh, you should probably try not to show so many teeth.”
Lucan’s advice was sound. J’Shanji left Faendal with his beloved Camilla and made the trip to Whiterun. Events took over. Before he knew it, he was wiping dragon blood from his sword.
“You should return to Dragonsreach and speak to the Jarl,” said the uptight Dunmer boss lady.
Jarl Balgruuf the Greater showered J’Shanji with gifts and the gratitude of his people. He had plans for J’Shanji that sounded like more work for his feet than for his sword arm. J’Shanji walked out while he was talking.
A big Nord woman stopped him at the door. J’Shanji prepared for a fight.
She spoke of honor, Thanes, and carling his house. These Nords are nuttier than a love-struck Bosmer, thought J’Shanji. He decided it was time to get the hell out of Whiterun.
I love how you wrote that out
Melinoe will update her adventure tonight, as she isn't quite done for the day.
@ Liliandra - there are def more masks, Maxical is on a mission to find them all, lol.
@ Grits - GAAAAH !!! I almost gave Maxical those long ears too, I love them !!! Love the mini-story !!
BTW, Maxical ran into a drug dealer skulking in the roads outside a small village - she bought some Moon sugar from him, lol. Hasn't tried it yet, though.
Somehow Rowan pissed off one of those drug dealers, and she ended up looting Moon Sugar from his corpse. He was unarmed, no armor, and tough! Respect the jaguar folk.
Good luck to Dere on his climb! I love to hear 7,000 steps stories.
I hope Melinoe had a good first day in the guild. It's hard to tell if the prison guards are hot, they all wear those masks.
Chance is, at the moment, beating her steel helmet encased head on a rock reminding herself to keep her mouth shut next time. After having made a note of a canoe on an island near the Silver Hand base, she went to check it out after being dismissed by Aela from Gallows Rock. On the island, she found a smugglers den. Easy enough right? Only it appeared the smuggler's last trip was a pair of vampires.
Chance will be keeping an eye on the sky while she heads back to Whiterun.
Further up river, Chance found a small ruined house with a dead Nord under one of three felled trees that hit the place, it left her thinking that while she may be Chance the Unlucky, she was still alive while Lucky Lorenz... wasn't
Though the abandoned ruin across the river brought that into question as the old prison was populated with, you guessed it, ghosts.
It was a very stressed and twitchy Redguard that walked into the Bannered Mare for a drink or 6. Fortunately Sam, a new face in the tavern, offered to buy if she would have a friendly drinking contest with him. Sounds like a good way to relax and unwind. Nothing could go wrong with that.
Finding Lucky Lorenz was lucky for Maxical - she had caught another disease and he had a shrine in his cabin. It took forever to get to it, had to climb up the hill behind the shack and walk the fallen tree down, lol. She's cured for now, lol.
Today, Ragnall found his past catching up to him.
A few days ago, Ragnall had politely informed a distinguished group of elves met on the road that he considered himself successor and heir to Talos, and as such, gave sacrifice at the altars of his predecessor. These elves, members of the Thalmor, disagreed with Ragnall's religious beliefs and acted accordingly.
Ragnall subsequently demonstrated his superior "debate" skills, which had been honed against numerous dragons utilizing quite powerful rhetorical techniques to bolster their debate voices. Ragnall came away with some good armor and loot, making the incident profitable enough to justify a practice of repeating this process.
Today however, Ragnall discovered that some of these higher-ups in the Thalmor hierarchy didn't like him too much, and now the elves on the road that happen to have prisoners will attack Ragnall on sight.
Fortunately, Ragnall is still the only true master of debate in the dragon school, and his training has prepared him for times like this...
I'm glad that Ragnall is out there taking down those Thalmor. Rowan still has to slink on by when she meets them.
Here's an update from J'Shanji:
J’Shanji leaned against the fence in the morning sun, waiting for Faendal to come out of his house. He hoped to convince the Bosmer to join him on a bandit hunt. It wasn’t difficult.
On the way there Faendal told the tale of his evening with Camilla. J’Shanji had been right about her. Well, she sounded more flexible than he had imagined. And a lot less concerned about hygiene.
“Perhaps in our travels, Faendal will find a woman who possesses some dignity and self-respect,” J’Shanji said.
Faendal gave him a look. “This one isn’t interested in that kind of woman.”
The keep was visible from a good distance. Two towers joined by a bridge over the swiftly flowing river. That meant the road was also visible from the keep. J’Shanji and Faendal crouched down for some tactical planning.
J’Shanji decided they would cross the river and take the western tower first. He expected that the bandit leader would be in the most fortified location, and this way they wouldn’t have to cross the narrow bridge while under fire. A quick swim and a careful climb up the rocks put them into position. J’Shanji’s arrows sent the first bandit falling to his death in the river. He hoped that he wouldn’t need to retrieve anything from the body. J’Shanji hugged the cliff wall, waiting for his next shot. (Though how they missed a black cat against a gray cliff in the sunlight is beyond me.)
A commotion arose on the far side of the river. The bandits in the tower were shooting at someone on the ground. A hapless traveler? J’Shanji turned to consult with Faendal.
The Bosmer wasn’t there. J’Shanji had one second of confusion before he heard Faendal’s distant battle cry. The crazy elf had swum back over the river and engaged the bandits.
Dammit! J’Shanji plunged back into the river, angling downstream toward the fight. He quickly realized that the current was strong because of the WATERFALL. On the other side, Faendal scorched the air with his curses. J’Shanji was too busy fighting bandits to be impressed.
When his last enemy fell, J’Shanji looked up to find Faendal on the bridge, trading arrows with the bandits on the opposite cliff. That looked like a bad idea. J’Shanji raced up the tower to get an angle on Faendal’s opponents. He took one down with arrows, but then he couldn’t see Faendal anymore. There was a small body washed up against the shore on the opposite side of the river. It occurred to J’Shanji that Faendal could have crossed the bridge and been shot on the cliff by J’Shanji himself. Crap.
J’Shanji couldn’t get a shot at the last bandit, and she headed for the tower on that side. He decided to race her so that they would fight in the tower. While J’Shanji was charging across the bridge we realized that somehow Faendal was now behind him. Yay, he’s not dead, but that complicates things.
Did I mention that I got stuck with the crappy controller? That is significant because when J’Shanji hit the door with Faendal at his heels and the bandit queen stepped out and pushed J’Shanji off the bridge onto this tiny little ledge, the controller stuck and I was on my feet trying to get him back on the bridge through my own sheer body motion. I’m recovering from a disc injury, so this is not good. Then when J’Shanji got back onto the bridge, Faendal and the bandit queen bashed him off onto the ledge again, and the controller stuck AGAIN! This time he got back on behind the bandit. He and Faendal took her down in a shower of red.
Cue quest update. Whew.
Wulff is at some Bastion just outside Falkreath...Vampires and word walls a-go-go!!...
Chance had a nice nervous breakdown. The simple game somehow ended with her halfway across Skyrim in Marketh, the fact she had apparently been fondling the icon of Diebella wasn't too promising either. Her trip back home, hangover surprisingly faint, saw a dragon attack her barely outside the town.
She doesn't even want to start thinking about the goat. And she apparently either proposed or was proposed too a stranger. She still hasn't found her drinking buddy Sam yet.
Melinoe had an interesting day.
She took on her first unofficial guild jobs. Just stealing something from a shop in Solitude. Along the way she saw a group of elves slaughter a man out of nowhere! Upon closer inspection, she found the poor man was a Stormcloak soldier and the elves were the Thalmor.
Of course the Thalmor didn't take kindly to her snooping and drew their weapons immediately. Melinoe huffed. These couldn't be experienced Thalmor. They had been taken down quickly by a mere thief! She quickly took everything of value from their corpses. The Stormcloak, she left alone.
Melinoe entered Solitude just in time for an execution. She didn't watch. As half the town was there, it should have been the perfect time to do her job. I say "should have" as she didn't count on the shopkeep's son watching over the place while she was trying to steal.
"Can't a man have any privacy?" He demanded.
So Melinoe left, trying to remember to come back after his bedtime.
As she walked the streets a man (he seemed to be missing his eyes!) approached, begging for help finding his master. He was having tea with a friend at the Blue Palace. Then an Altmer woman came and started insulting her clothes. Well, technically armor, but still. She told Melinoe that if she would be willing to put on one of her (fugly) dresses and ask the Jarl what she thinks, she'll get a reward and keep the (very fugly) dress. Yes, Melinoe would like nothing more than to ask a grieving widow what she thinks about her outfit.
Speaking of grieving, there was the little girl who was the niece of the man executed. She wanted her mother to go back to Temple again. How could Melinoe refuse to help?
After doing all that, Melinoe decided to take her leave. Though she had this odd feeling she forgot to do something. It wasn't until she got to Windhelm that she realized that she never did her Thieves Guild job!
Trey's nose for trouble seems to be growing.
He FINALLY decided that having Lydia come along would be a GOOD THING and so invited her to accompany him to Markarth- where there was some unfinished business....
Some snooping, a fist-fight, and two Forsworn attacks later- he found himself in prison. AGAIN!
Guest-starring in the role of "New Meat," Trey learned what a "shiv" is- why it is good to have one, that just because someone helps you break out of prison DOES NOT make them a friend- AND that Markarth is probably no longer on the list of places to visit.
He and Lydia got back to Breezehome in Whiterun (apparently named for the gaps in the walls and around the doors).
Trey decided bed was a wonderful idea and explained to Lydia that- No- he really did not need "help" with that. Perhaps he should not have been so abrupt...
Trey slowly awoke in an abandoned shack and was addressed by someone claiming that he had done something of questionable legality. That aspect did not upset his kidnapper though- she felt he OWED her a death. SHE felt he should murder one of three other captives- and wanted TREY to decide which one.
Trey considered for about 2 seconds- kill a stranger, with a 2 in 3 chance of getting it wrong? OR kill the noble seamstress who dragged me out of my bed? "Well- she DID say I could not leave until I gave her a death.... So- here ya go, sweetheart!"
Glass arrows are SO satisfying- as is the "little gift" Trey got from his friend Sam...
Trey freed the prisoners and stumbled out into the pre-dawn darkness. A look at the stars and landmarks showed he was bloody well nearly in Solitude!
Blast and drat! Nothing for it but to hoof back to Whiterun.
On the way, Trey found a barrow. He has rather a "thing" about undead. Mostly, he feels that they should be ALL THE WAY dead. Just as he entered the first chamber, Lydia nearly got herself pin-cushioned with arrows stepping on his heels.
"Where in OBLIVION did YOU come from? Never mind- time for that later."
Many draugr and several traps later- ("When I tell you to 'wait there' I MEAN 'WAIT THERE AND DO NOT STEP ON ANTYHING'!")- he has found an intriguing journal and an ivory claw. More barrow delving in the future- plus another mysterious claw to go with the golden one.
Today, Wulff Olfsson found himself in a most bizzare place...The Bard's College...Why? He had no idea until he found himself face to face with yet another glowing word...It's like some force is only sending him to places where all these words are... ...Still, he's now very rich and still going about doing stuff...Like...Helping to write a poem...Big chap...Full Legendary Ebony armour...Two Ebony Swords...Shield...War axe...Settles down with the headmaster of the college to finish off a poem...Of course... ...
However, in RL Robert shudders to think about all the dragons he's going to need to kill to charge all of these words... ...
It is so fun to read Trey’s adventures while they are happening this time!
I was chuckling at the image of Wulff bristling with Ebony death and hunched over a scrap of parchment, trying to think of a rhyme for “orange.” Rowan has a bunch of spare souls and not enough words. Wish we could swap.
Rowan’s attempt to drop off some crap in Markarth resulted in a bunch of new items on her to-do list. Don’t know if I mentioned it, but a little while ago Rowan finally had enough of Lydia’s lip. She sent her back to Whiterun to get some carling done at the house. Whatever that is. She can cool her heels there until she has a better attitude when Rowan is giving her some more damn healing potions. Anyway, after that Rowan picked up Sven.
Sven has the endearing habit of occasionally whipping out his flute during quiet moments. He is a bard, after all. The road to Markarth was full of Foresworn, sabercats, and bandits. Sven spent a lot of time on his knees near death. It was quite worrisome. I’m guessing there might be an issue with companion leveling.
While they were fighting off Foresworn and trying to get a dragon to land, Sven had an epiphany. He was born to be a Blade. Rowan helped him get that done. His first act at the fortress was to claim a bed and get some sleep. Rowan realized that he had been watching her back day and night. Oops.
Now Rowan is rolling with the ultra-hot Vorstag. She upgraded his gear. Hopefully he will be a little more durable than Sven.
Markarth is beautiful. Rowan is going to do some questing in the area before she gets back to Esbern’s chores. The Reach is so different from the rest of Skyrim. Makes me want to visit High Rock.
.
I have to say Grits, I loved reading about J’Shanji.
I'm kind of sorry that he's dead is dead because with Skyrim, sh-t happens very easily.
Aravi's been very busy. She completed the Companions questline and saved a tree in Whiterun, though the expense of that quest was, in Aravi's opinion, too high for the stupid tree. She's also been working on the main quest lately.
And while on the road Aravi spotted a dog sitting on the side of the road. It darted into the woods nearby and Aravi followed. Hello Meeko.
Just to add, I went through the list of Dragon Shouts...And between all the words that I've collected and the ones I get given from the quests...
You ready for this?...
In order to charge them all...
42 Dragons...
*Wails*...
And that's not all the shouts...*Shudders*...
Edit...Markath is the most beautiful city I've ever seen in a game...I'm glad it's my home...
Trey got a bounty on a giant from Dragonsreach Palace. He needed the money to finish furnishing the house. Minor detail left out of the bounty- there were TWO giants. Climbed rocks and sniped. Bloodthirsty Lydia decided to dance around amongst their legs. I have a feeling she (and her snarky attitude about the dwarven armor Trey GIFTED her) may not last long.
Back in Whiterun he accidentally mentioned the Dark Brotherhood incident where a guard could hear. Guard got all excited- “Did you say ASTRID!? She is the leader of the Dark Brotherhood in Skyrim! You need to go tell Commander Maro at Dragon Bridge right away!”
(Grumble grumble- all the way back to blinking Solitude).
Commander Maro- “Did you really? I have had my eye on Astrid for some time- just waiting for the time to strike.”
Yeah right- and I have some land on Masser to sell you.
Maro- “But now- YOU can finish them off while they are disorganized.”
Right- a group who makes their living doing assassinations is going to fall apart when their leader dies. They would NEVER have contingencies for that. Oh- and I am supposed to help out the Imperial Legion- the people who wanted to CUT OFF MY HEAD- all because I was just trying to get home to Skyrim. (Author’s note- this is a different Trey- a Nord rather than a Breton. However, the attitude is remarkably similar).
Instead, Trey heard about a shrine to Meridia nearby. Since he had dispatched quite a few draugr, perhaps the old girl would be pleased with him…. Yeah, right.
:Retrieve my beacon, mortal. My temple has been defiled. YOU will cleanse it.:
Um- can I just help out the Imperial Legion instead?
Little detail Meridia did not mention- such things being beneath the notice of Daedra Princes and all- the “beacon” was held by some bloody Forsworn- INCLUDING a “Briarheart.” Explanations to Lydia about why just rushing in and laying about with swords seemed futile- finally had to take her out of the cavern and say firmly-
“Sit. Stay. Good housecarl.”
Using Sam’s present was quite helpful, and Trey rather appreciated the humor, although he imagined that was a quality in which Meridia is lacking. That done, beacon restored- “Oh gosh, look at the time- got to go…”
Nope- lifted up into the sky high over the mountains and TOLD-
:You will be my Champion and cleanse my temple. I will reward you. Retrieve Dawnbreaker and kill the bad person in my temple. Guide my light into the darkness and I will open the way for you. :
GULP. “Um- okay, but could you… put me down now? Please?”
Mission accomplished- Dawnbreaker given. Trey wisely refrained from saying- “Nice sword, but I could make a better one at the forge.”
*Shrug*...All I wanted to do was help the Legion when it was coming out...The instant I saw them looking like Caesar's Legion in New Vegas, that was it - Stormcloaks a-go-go...Whether this was as they were always meant to look being a Legion and all...No way am I helping them...
Aaamywho...Wulff Olfsson, Bard (Available for weddings, children's parties and all your skull-crushing needs...) offered to find a nice old lady's son that had been held prisoner by the Imperials...Turns out the Thalmor had him in some fort...So Wulff went off and recruited his Khajiiht chum J'Zargo to help out...Having first forged him a full-set of Legendary Glass Armour-y stuff, y'know, armour-gauntlets-boots-shield-sword and an Ebony bow...Which he looks well-hard in ...Off we went to said fort to smack some Thalmor!!...Finally!!!!...Freed said son and all was happy!!...Even wound up with one of them swanky robes the Thals wear...Ooooh Wulff looks sooo good in that!!...Even did meself one of them "Beauty" save pictures of Wulff stood facing the camera with Be-Glassed J'Zargo behind and Falkreath behind him...Ooooh it were reeet nice... ...
So now Wulff 'nd J'Zargo are off to sort out the college of Winterhold...
Rowan and Vorstag have pissed off quite a few people in Markarth, but the big fun was in the non-quest adventures after they returned to Whiterun Hold.
First, a frost dragon swooped down and attacked some bandits in the cliffs above the road where they were. That led to an up-and-down cliffside scramble dragon fight. Eventually Rowan drew it across the river to enlist the aid of the Whiterun Guard archers in bringing it to the ground. In the back-slapping aftermath she noticed something. No Vorstag. Another frantic scramble up the cliff checking bodies as she went, and there was Vorstag standing by the entrance of a bandit hideout. Yessss!!
These bandits have been a hassle since level 1, Rowan has to kill a couple of them every time she goes down that road. It was not only satisfying to take them out without anyone even asking her, but it was also a really neat hideout with some unexpected things that I will not spoil here. Also they found gauntlets to finish off Vorstag’s steel plate killing outfit.
Then they found a genuine treasure map, also non-quest and a complete surprise. Vorstag has been commenting lately that he would like to find a chest full of gold. Well, they followed the map and found one. Happy day.
Edit: Argh! Spelling.
Treasure maps were an awesome addition. I've found four across my games so far. Up to Treasure Map X.
I just had a VERY hairy tussle: me and two Hagravens for a Word of Power. Together, they were much too strong for me to fight, so I had to get creative, because I was not leaving without that Word. In the end, I managed to lure them away long enough for me to sneak into their lair, learn the Word, and loot their valuables. Afterwards, I made a very dramatic escape by using my Become Ethereal shout (the word I received was the second word for it) and jumping off the top of a 50-foot waterfall.
Good times! Gooood times!!!
Those are the hagravens that tossed Maxical off that island and into the water - she couldn't climb back up the steep sides of it. They followed, bashing her head under the water constantly till I was sure she would drown. She finally gave up trying to zap them and instead whipped out an axe. That ended the fight, but they gave her Brainrot in the melee. Urk !!
So far she has discovered over 200 locations, has 3 Dragon Priest masks, and probably about 12 shout words. She found a raft of Dwemer stuff that is weighing her down, it may be time to check out how safe the storage is in her room at the college, lol.
Here are some thoughts from J’Shanji:
Rumors abound of dragons in the sky, taking livestock and burning villages. Folk speak of war, despair, and the hope that a hero will rise to save them. J’Shanji turns things he has learned through his mind.
Many heard the thunder that day on the tundra outside Whiterun. The guards also felt the tremor that drove J’Shanji to his knees. But few heard the voices moaning on the wind, Dovahkiin.
They were calling him, J’Shanji knows. It is what others say that bothers him.
Some say the Dragonborn must carry Septim blood. J’Shanji holds no ill will toward man or mer. But the thought that a furless flat-face may have sired one of his line churns the stomach. The alternative is worse. Born with a dragon’s soul, others say. J’Shanji is Khajiit. How could the gods give him the soul of a lesser creature?
The Greybeards have the answers. J’Shanji knows where to go, when he is ready.
For now, J’Shanji wants the wind in his mane and the prey running before him. The Bosmer Faendal wants the same. Today they will hunt, and leave troublesome thoughts for tomorrow.
After waking from an odd dream where she was ruthlessly overpowered by eye-less goblins and their pet bugs. (Eeeewwwwww *shivers*) Cameron resumed her studies in the Collage of Mages, not quite noticing her increased interest in Illusion spells. ((Was getting insanely trounced by Falmer despite several battle plan change ups, realized Cameron's perks were too spread out to make her effective, reloaded a level 4 save and replayed.))
While she gets along well with Brelyna through a series of misadventures when running some class assignments and some extra credit for the Library though Cameron is not going to let her Dunmer friend get near any more Alteration spells while she was close.
The Breton's scholastic endeavors have recently gone through something of a hiccup following a dragon attack at the Collage itself. The lizard, however, was apparently only the tip of the ice burg as the Thalmar 'adviser' to the Arch-Mage did something stupid.
The Collage in a panic, Mirabelle and Tolfdir have sent their two favorite students to the ruins of Labyrinthian in a last ditch attempt to stave off disaster.
All-in-all, Cameron thought, not the best time to ask Brelyna to marry her.
Don't let a little thing like a dragon, a Thalmer, and your future bride turning you into a cow stop you from asking, Cameron!
After resolving some minor issues of an undead frost dragon followed by an undead Dragon Priest, Cameron and Brelyna went back to stop the end of the world as they knew it. Those matters behind her, Cameron faced a real challenge in asking her dear friend to marry her. Thankfully http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/Liliandra_Nadair/LiliOblivion/TESV2011-11-2715-45-28-46.jpg.
Day after returning to the Collage, however, there was a http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/Liliandra_Nadair/LiliOblivion/TESV2011-11-2717-50-24-65.jpg matter to take care of. Growing irritated at the constant disruptions in studying, Cameron and her wife started heading to High Hrothgar, hopefully the Greybeards will have some idea what is up with the dragons around Skyrim.
Glad to hear about it liliandra! Aravi helped her with her spells and ran away very quickly.
Aravi entered Windhelm today and actually looked around the town. While in the dark elf run bar, Aravi unexpectedly ran into a familiar face. Apparently he had been hiding in this bar for a couple of days because a Thalmor assassin was after him. Because this person had been very helpful in the past, and feeling sympathy for him, Aravi went out and looked for this assassin. He had better cover than expected, but she found him and killed him. Back at the bar Aravi sent her friend on his way, and probably will never see him again since he said his destination was Morrowind.
Lydia has been getting on Aravi's nerves. Aravi just can't enjoy herself when Lydia's always standing around with a severe expression. She's about to get sent back to Whiterun. Anybody know of a follower that's a bit more easy going?
Not sure on any details on personalities, but there's a pretty good list http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Followers of followers and how to get them.
Techically yesterday in Skyrim, Arch-mage Wulff Olfsson, Bard (An education in poetic Death-maim-kill!!!...), saved the college of Winterhold from getting it's collective wands shoved somewhere by the Thalmor and ambled many miles with J'Zargo to recover the Staff of Magnus...Which Wulff then used to beat over the head of Ancano...
For his efforts, the remaining wizards decided to promote this slightly smelly giant Nord to Arch-Mage over people eminently more qualified, that had been working in the college for many many years previously...As you do...*Shrug*...
Afterwards, Wulff decided that it would probably be best if J'Zargo had some Legendary Ebony-Death Armour...'Cause someone found out that one of J'Zargo's major skills is Heavy Armour...Duh...So currently they are in Markath raiding Wulff's stash of Ebony Ingots...
EDIT!!...
The blacksmith is right next to the archery shop if that helps. I went right past it so many times while I was hunting for it.
Maxical's forsaken armor and weapons are all improved, making them the best stuff in the game that she can get at her level. They are all lightweight and once improved have great armor ratings!
The rating is 55 for the armor. 19 for boots and gauntlets, 26 for the headress (it looks cute on her, but she wears the scaled helmet instead for a 29 armor rating). She has enchanted the guantlets to increase her one-arm skills. (and maybe the boots too, can't remember).
For some reason the helm and armor would not enchant, or maybe wouldn't with that particular enchantment.
** OH !! I'll bet whatever you are wearing has to have a certain value level to get a good comment. (like that guard in Castle Leyawiin, (Oblivion) - where he won't let you in the dinner party unless your outfit is a certain value?
Wulff's armour rating is 425 altogether...At the mo... ...
And the Ebony Ingots were bought at whatever blacksmith or shop I was near at the time...Before I started raiding it, my stash was 55 Ingots altogether... ...
Today brings sad news.
J’Shanji the Khajiit warrior could take down a dragon, and he could kill a sabre cat. But alas, he could not do both at the same time. As his blood-clouded vision faded to red, he noticed with some satisfaction that at least the sabre cat was on fire, too.
J’Shanji’s last thoughts were of his doomed friend, Faendal. Even as his soul winged toward Aetherius, J’Shanji heard Faendal scream at the dragon, “I’ll see you in pieces!”
That seems unlikely, my friend. Your bones will not rest in Valenwood, nor will this one’s find the warm sands of Elsweyr. (Unless the dragon goes for a long flight after dinner.) No, they will land somewhere near here, entombed in a dragon pellet along with those of the STUPID FETCHING SABRE CAT for all eternity or until the world ends, which is now likely to be pretty damn soon.
Now before anyone hunts me down in vengeance, I must point out that cats have nine lives. J’Shanji’s spirit will no doubt return to inhabit another Khajiit, looking a lot like the first one because I was lazy when I made him and just used a bunch of presets.
I’m done with DiD for now. Skyrim is a crazy place! This weekend Rowan tried to set a record for most deaths in a ten minute period. Then she couldn’t find Vorstag. My nerves can’t take it any more!
GAAAAH !!! Not another !!! I am so glad you have decided to drop the DiD, that is so sad !!! URK !!! I couldn't have played DiD when I first started Oblivion either, but once I got the hang of the game my character lived a lot longer.
Fallout 3 - I used to search for ways to kill my character, so it wouldn't have done me any good to play DiD with her, lol.
Aww, I liked J’Shanji and his crazy bosmeri friend...
I don't think I could do DiD in Skyrim. You never know when something completely random is going to happen and kill your character.
For example, awhile ago Aravi was cutting through a mob of Silverhands as easy as you please. She gets to the last one and starts to swing her swords only for a kill scene to pop up showing the Silverhand put her little iron dagger into Aravi's neck while she was in mid swing.
Aww... poor kitty. Saber cats are nasty if they catch you by surprise. I'm not even thinking of a DiD game for some time yet. Regardless of character I tend get squished/sliced/incinerated/whatevered two or three times a session. Thought Chloe's best at avoiding it, she's still gotten killed quite a bit. Maybe in a month or so I'll give it a try. There've been some times where I don't even see what killed me, just walking then wham.
@mLAX. Only certain enchantments can go on armor peices now. Gloves/boots seem to have skill fortify and resists. Helm and armor for health/stamina/magicka fortify/regen and spell cost decrease.
Today in Skyrim, I got distracted by caves. Again.
Always, always with the damn caves...
I guess they are trying to keep the player from becoming uber, but it still bothers me.
Here's another one for you, Colonel.
Rowan and Vorstag went to Shadowgreen Cavern near Solitude on a little errand. I could not believe how pretty it is. It really begs for a mod, or a portable campsite. On the way back to town they found the shortcut up from the river, instead of going all the way around by the stables. Bonus!
Either Rowan has passed a Lockpicking milestone, or the folks of Solitude just don’t like her. Now she’s getting thief remarks from the guards. She does have a small bounty in the Reach, but that’s for accidentally hitting a horse while she was trying to rescue it. Turns out that horses are pretty good at rescuing themselves. And they’re big, so they get in the way of the occasional sword.
Rowan needs a trip home to Whiterun. A long alchemy session is way overdue, and both of them are loaded down with dragon bones. She’s considering letting Vorstag go for awhile, and maybe hiring him back later. They’ve had some rough fights lately, including one where Vorstag fell into a pit and was getting killed by too many bad guys for Rowan to shoot fast enough, so she jumped in after him. That is not healthy behavior.
I wonder if it would be tacky to ask him to give the plate armor back.
Rowan and Vorstag had an interesting cave dive recently. Their first Falmer encounter, their first chaurus hive, and their first Dwemer ruin all at once. They tested one another’s patience throughout.
First, Vorstag decided that the way to deal with a chamber full of blind enemies is to stand up and charge them while shouting. At the end of that debacle he had two of Rowan’s arrows in his back and several Falmer ones in his front. One of Rowan’s had been poisoned.
Then in a very dark cave with some glare on the mist from glowing mushrooms, Rowan viciously and mistakenly attacked Vorstag with a flurry of blades, thinking he was a third chaurus. He responded with a quiet, “Hey.” I guess that armor she improved for him really works.
At the end he kept mentioning a warm fire and a belly full of mead while Rowan was loading him down with a bunch of metal stuff that she had no real reason to take other than, “It’s heavy, so it must be good for something.” They were not of like minds at that point.
After dodging a mysteriously rampaging mammoth during the star-lit walk home, the Whiterun crew spent a cozy night indoors. Lydia upstairs coughing in Rowan’s room, Vorstag downstairs yawning in his chair, and Rowan contentedly mixing potions and fooling around with all of the junk that ends up in the “MISC” endtable. (I wish storage had inventory tabs. Also, Breezehome would not make a comfortable marital dwelling.) It was a very good adventure close to home.
Today in Skyrim, Elovar Drayl, Dragonborn Dunmer, caster of spells, hitter of things with swords and all-round sexy beast was trolled by a dragon.
The giant flying sky-lizard seemed content to merely circle overhead the entire time and flame-breath him, well out of reach of Elovar who couldn't get a good hit in with a single damn fireball. Not seeming to realise that, being a Dark Elf, Elovar was naturally inclined towards being flame retardant and was also quite handy with a healing spell (thus meaning he could heal faster than it could burn him) it spent enough time in the air for our extremely attratcitve hero to call in not one, but two Lightning Storm shouts, both of which failed miserably to do a Benjamin Franklin on the dragon. Finally, the bloody thing deigned to land and battle commenced, which was essentially a short period of furiously whaling on it with power attacks from Elovar's two bound swords. After nearly half an hour of combat (the term used in the loosest possible sense), it landed and swiftly gave up to the fact that Elovar could pause the flow of time itself to instantly replenish health and died.
All in all, it was considered a rather disappointing fight, and the crowd left feeling rather let down.
Both Cameron and Chloe had irritating encounters with dragons themselves.
Cameron, following an older lead from some annoyomus 'friends' went to Autumwatch tower to find a dragon napping at it's sumit. Casting her preperation spells (dual ironskin, dual flame atronach) and gave the beast a simple wake up call (dual flamebolt). A few circles, then the dragon dropped to land... on the other side of the mountain ridge. The next five minutes was spent watching the jerk fly amung the peaks and land on the other side before it finally came close enough for the two mages to 'wamrly' great it.
Chloe, on the other hand, was simply walking south in the Reach with Lydia when a dragon shadow flashed over head, the animal just kept flying in erratic circles and ignoring Chloe. Finally, the wood elf just growled and walked on, returning the favor. The dragon she found later at a torched out tower felt the frustrations of the two women and was trounced in under a minute.
Aravi is still in Windhelm.
She was walking somewhere and happened on a murder scene. Well, nobody else was going to do anything about the murders it seemed like, so Aravi started looking into it. She talked to some people, followed some clues and now the Windhelm dungeon has a new occupant.
This one was kind of confusing because when Aravi found the killer's hideout, she looked at the clues, but left everything undisturbed to not alert the killer that she was in their hideout. After that, she walked around and talked to people and was getting nowhere. She went back and grabbed everything she found of significance. Success!
Now she's in Candlehearth Hall sitting at one of the tables upstairs near the warm fire. It would be really nice and cozy, except a merc for hire is staring at her rather intensely and making her feel uncomfortable...
Melinoe had the "pleasure" of clearing out a dog wolf fighting pit. It was awful
First they decided to sic the wolves on her. Poor things. Then the bandits came out one by one and each got flames to the face and a dagger to the belly. She had to go hunt down the ring leader, as he was hiding away at the top of the tower.
She was going to call it a day and go back to Riften, but something compelled her to go into the fort itself. Sure enough there was more bandits. She even came across a few betting on the animals and instructing them to tear each other's throats out Melinoe found perverse pleasure in putting the bandits down. After she cleared the cave she worried about the poor dogs, even though she left them plenty to eat...
Oh Aravi cleared that place a while ago, but in reverse. She started at the top and worked her way down. She couldn't fight the ringleader with swords because he was too strong. She instead blew him out of the tower with Unrelenting Force. Gravity took care of the rest.
Chloe had an interesting day. First she found a mine that had been forced closed do to Drugers from an unexpected Nordic ruin they found. While at first tempted to let the miners wait for the Guard, one look at Lydia's raised eyebrow and the wood elf was down the cave. The undead were pathetically easy to down from the shadows, she only had a problem when she found a door that would only open when someone was on a pressure plate, it also made more noise then a dragon. Faced with two charging undead, Chloe was forced to draw her all bu never used sword. She was also very glad she had changed it to Meridia's 'gift' as it made quick work of the undead. Her bolstered confidence took a bit of a hit when finding the central chamber occupied by a Druger Deathlord. The first charge was interrupted when the statues behind it spat firebolts at her.
Chloe was concerned at first until she found that, for some reason, the undead monster was unable to leave the room. At that point, she made a nice pincushion out of his head it perfect safety. She even found a 'new' toy to give to her friend. Lydia liked the Ebony axe so much, she strapped it right to her side.
Back on the road again, 1000 gold heavier in thanks, Chloe found an exceptionally large Forsaken compound. A few long range arrows dropped some of the guards before their mages got involved, along with the unpleasant surprise of two hagravens. Her poor housecarl took quite the beating before the last one fell to her arrows. They stopped for several hours at an Orismer stronghold to recuperate, repair and trade supplies before setting, once again, on the road to Vaulthume. One final surprise was waiting however.
Chloe had encountered the Thalmar once or twice so far, she had stepped off the road and let them pass each time with only a sneer directed at her. Thus it was with considerable surprise that she saw the trio ready weapons and charge. Even more so when finding an execution order for her for interference. 'Interference? Interference in what?'.
Finally, several days after she at first expected to arrive, Chloe stood on the steps to Valthume. This note from her 'friend' was getting to be a lot more trouble then it was worth. She was expecting something equally stupid to be waiting for her inside.
Hmm.. if this goes for random or wierd. I decided it would be a great idea to punch a chicken in riverwood. I stood over the chicken and towered over it. I said I will beat you chicken. Then I punched it and got arrested by the gaurds.
...Well, could have been arrested by Gourds I suppose... ...
Aaamywho...
The occaisonally Hirsute Archmage Wulff Olfsson the Dragonborn Harbinger, Bard...(Erm...AWOOOOO!!...) Finished the Companions questline by marrying Aela...*Sighs happily*... ...
So obviously the first thing he's then going to do is go get his bessie mate J'Zargo back and go tell the Jarl of Whiterun that there be Dragons...Off they go to kiw de dwaaagon!!!...One FUS later and we're trying to find the end of the 7000 steps... ...Well yeah...Greybeards ahoy!!...
I had one of those signature "down the Rabbit Hole" moments a couple days ago on my first visit to Markarth:
I was tasked to help a Vigilant of Stendarr investigate a house that was apparently used for Daedra worship a while back, but was now deserted. As we entered, though, it became clear the house was haunted, and after the usual clanking chains and flying books, my ally was eventually persuaded to turn on me, forcing me to defend myself.
After defeating the Vigilant, I was asked to come further down to claim my reward. The house's basement gave way to small cave system. Inside was an altar, housing a very familiar artifact....
No, no. The Raider DLC hasn't been released yet.
Today Ragnall was going about, minding his own business when some more Thalmor ambushed him. This was not at all surprising, it's been happening.
However, Ragnall had finally finished that new suit of dragon-plate armor he'd been working on, and with it fully enchanted, he was ready to go. And by "minding his own business," I really mean "just visited the Lord Stone and wow I can't wait to put this to good use." Add in a recently optimized shout and a nearby pack of wolves, and it became fun for the whole family!
Ragnall got some more stuff to sell once he gets back to Whiterun, the wolves all got dinner (and their all-important annual physical and six-month dental work) and the elves learned to better understand the true nature of the afterlife. By going there. And not coming back.
I'm saying that they're dead.
Because Ragnall killed them.
With a level of glee and enjoyment not considered healthy by any but Daedra worshippers and Talos fanatics.
Maxical toured Skyrim yesterday. She has now discovered 275 locations, has 6 Dragon Priest masks, and knows 22 shout words (although she has no dragon souls to use them with). She has done 60 quests now, all but two were side/misc quests since she is avoiding dragons (the main questline, lol).
She met the nice Jarl of Markarth, who (in thanks for her clearing out a Forsaken camp) allowed her to buy a beautiful house there. (She is way below level 20, so not sure why the WIKI said level 20 is required). Anyway, the house is gorgeous - and built inside a mountain so dragons can't destroy it.
Unfortunately, it is way at the back of the city from the gates and hard to find till she gets used to the town. She may need to get the ID from the bed and do a magic "placemeat" to go home. Also, not sure if this is just a Skyrim thing or what - but there is no fast travel from that house. Is that the way it is in all the houses?
She helped three people in town a few times each and the Jarl declared her Thane of Markarth! Not really sure what that means, but hoping it is good.
Maxical found out it means some big burly guy has moved into her house. There goes all her privacy, since there is no bedroom door to shut. He better have his own bed, and stay out of her bedroom - that's all she can say about that.
The Jarl has given her encouragement to wipe out any Forsaken she finds, and she is becoming quite wealthy off the sale of their equipment. She even improved and enchanted one set of their armor and wore it (hoping to sneak into their camps un-noticed, but that hasn't worked ... at all).
Because she has promised to keep secret the fact that the Steward in Markarth is having some issues and needs ... viagra, he has placed a lot of trust in her for other things too, like ... killing Falmer for him - oh wait, that was someone else in the Underkeep. Never mind.
Maxical also discovered Riften yesterday, and is now sporting an "Amulet of Mara" properly after paying the 200 gold for it. (she had two of them previously, but sold one and put the other in a drawer - she was unsure if it would work without the quest being started by the Priest in Riften).
Maxical ran into a certain Jiz-ic (spelling?) Priest in a bar and was curious to see more of what he looked like since the robe covered everything but his nose and fingertips. A quick spell, and VOILA !!! Not bad, and clean! Unfortunately, (other than saying there was no pleasure greater than talking to her) he didn't have much else to say, even with the aid of a console tapping at him. So Maxical went away disappointed.
While Maxical was out exploring the south, she came across a gate in the middle of nowhere, stuck in the side of a mountain. It doesn't open or give any indicator anywhere when you run your mouse over it (and does not come up as a "found" location) - so I'm thinking it is either disabled till a certain quest is raised or that it may be set up for a DLC that will bring us into ... THE JERALL MOUNTAINS IN CYRODIIL !!!!!!! Well, one can hope, lol. How cool would that be, open borders, lol.
After her nasty encounter with the Thalmar, Chloe made it back to Riverwood to talk to her contact. At which point she found the Thalmar must have oracles as she was to infiltrate and steal information from the Thalmar. And just to spice things up, she was to do it with minimal equipment and alone. Asking Lydia to head back to Whiterun, she made her arrangements and snuck in. Though she wanted to keep it bloodless, she was forced to turn several Thalmar into feather holders. At least any further attacks will actually be warented now.
Wondering back, she picked up some smithing instructions to get more out of her Elven armor and almost feels up to working on Lydia's steel plate.
In the meantime, a trip to Riften is on the plan, she's heard that there's some folks there she can talk to about improving she silent movement skills even more.
In a move which should please Thomas Kaira, I'm running everywhere in order to try and get a dragon...With middling success...
Anyways, Wulff and J'Zargo are currently abandoning the main quest for a short while in order to go to somewhere where there's apparently a Dragon Priest and it's near Markath...Aaaand I'm currently in Solitude...Then, after that, we're running to Riften to help Mjoll the Lioness get her sword back...Yes, yes we are...
Oh, we found Meeko...*sigh*...Couldn't leave him could I?...Oh noooo...Anyways...I put him in the house with Aela and told him to wait...Last time we went back he was lying by the fire...Bless him... ...
Wulff and J'Zargo killed the Dragon Priest, did some more killing of Forsworn on the way back to Whiterun...Stopped off to visit the missus...Got another note off the courier but Wulff has not yet read it...*Shrug*...Off to Riften next...
Aravi and her new friend are about to enter a ruin with no map marker and blood all over the outside. Doesn't seem like the best decision, but the fact that it isn't on the map makes her very curious.
EDIT: That was short. It was the exit to a quest related dungeon. No way to get past the gate from the side she entered, and the front door (when she found it) was locked. Key required.
....
Did some running...Killed some Dragons 'nd stuff...Made some money...
...
Oh, and then discovered that the game had lied previously and was now making me look like a Thermos... ...
J’Shanji spent some time in Falkreath recently, earning a name for himself. Unfortunately the name is Thane of Falkreath, a town with no house for sale. That put him in a mood. J’Shanji dismissed his companion Uthgerd the Unbroken and stalked north to Solitude. Uthgerd had a very negative attitude, and J’Shanji will not miss her. He will however take the opportunity to beat the crap out of her again, should he ever return to Whiterun. She seemed to like that. To replace Uthgerd, J’Shanji hired the spellsword Belrand, a Nord who has a great attitude but is very hard for Grits to look at. So far he also gets lost a lot.
In Solitude J’Shanji made the surprise announcement that he was joining the Bard’s College. I really hope he doesn’t plan to sing. Anyway, the bards seem to lack an adventurer in their ranks, because now everyone wants him to go get bloody while retrieving various things for them. J’Shanji is game.
What he really needs right now is a place to put his stuff. He has accumulated rather a large wardrobe, and he wants to keep all of it. Also even though he loves his new ebony axe, he wants to keep all of his various swords just in case. It’s a good thing he doesn’t also want to collect books or we’d have to find a place out in the woods to drop a bunch of stuff. We might end up doing that anyway.
McB, which quest line made you look like a picnic implement?
Today: Dere of Skyrim, having finished a job for Maven Black-Briar by taking down the Honningbrew Meadery to turn into her own Mead Brewery, decided it was time to pay a visit to her lodge and steal a prized Stallion named Frost for a man named Louis Latroush. If you are wondering, he had already consulted Maven about the job, and she told him to go ahead with it as if they never spoke of it. Probably because doing this would give her leverage to put Louis in his place.
On the way to Maven's lodge, he had a nasty encounter with a Dunmer outside an old ruined fort long forgotten, who proceeded to butcher two bandits and a helpless courier before turning on our Bosmer. It was a hard fight, but eventually, the Dunmer fell. Dere found a book in his pack titled "Boethiah's Calling," giving him a hint to the location of the Shrine of Boethiah.
It was a little bloodier than Dere had hoped, one of the hired mercenaries guarding the place was killed and another wounded, but he eventually made it out with Frosts's lineage papers and the horse in tow. After turning it in to Louis and being paid out, he returned to retrieve his own horse and make scarce before the rest of the guards figured out what happened.
He then happened across an interesting trail leading up a mountain in the Rift, where he encountered a couple of bandits and a Frostbite spider, who were quickly dispatched. After performing a quick public-service-eviction of the bandits in the nearby Broken-Helm Cave, he proceeded further up until he happened across a huge Nordic barrow: Vorelhost.
It was here he met a Legion Captain, dispatched to the barrow to retrieve a mask from a Dragon Priest. Now, Dere must enter... and who knows what awaits within.
Sorry, should have said like a right Richard...
We discussed on the Coffee Shop thread at great lenght I seem to remember the auto-censor changing short-for-Richard into Thermos... ...
Aaamywho...
Got Mjoll's sword back for her...Having detoured to Solitude briefly...SnassnFrassn...Went back to the dwarven ruin...Aaand then ran to Whiterun to see to the missus...And then ran all the way to kill a bandit chief somewhere near Ivorstead...And wouldn't you know it?...There's an Elder Dragon just nearby!!!...Although I may have killed J'Zargo... ...When I've finished this battle I'll fast travel here and see if he turns up...Otherwise...Oooh wait...There's an autosave earlier...Yes...Not fast travel...Yes...
Today, Elovar found his first example of the famed Draco Retrorsum, and verily did he laugh out loud with great mirth.
Also, he discovered how to carry things without picking them up. Useful.
Today Melinoe decided to explore north!
After doing a burglary job for the Thieves Guild in Whiterun, she decided to just go north from there. Of course it was anything but boring.
First there was a bandit fort. It was rather small, but thank Azura the bandits didn't have the good sense to drink the health potions laying about! Just outside there was a small pit that led into a cave. Well not only was the interior a Skeever fighting pit -ugh- but there just so happened to be an old family sword she had been on the look out for. So back to Whiterun she went to return it to the grateful Redguard.
After that was an even larger bandit fort. This place had to have been a military outpost at one point. There was a mini tavern, the former proprietor was killed in his bed, which two bandits with him. Melinoe couldn't help wondering exactly what they were doing in bed with him....
Then there was a prison keep. More bandits inside. Then the main room. Then the final bandit in the commander's room, a rather weak Argonian mage.
That took all night! Soon after, Melinoe was able to steal (and very narrowly escape from) a giant camp.
Going further north, she came across a shipwreck. There was no one inside but a bunch of mudcrabs. It was near impossible to walk through because of how confusing the angle was, but it was worth the trip. She found some gold ore, an amulet, and lots of septims!
The last thing she did for the day was explore an old tomb. There was a Nord already inside who Melinoe almost killed. The Nord needed help finding a scroll that would prove her lineage to Ysgramor. I can't remember her name, so I'll call her "Nakies" since she was nearly naked.
Melinoe and Nakies got through the tomb pretty easily. Nakies would shoot explosions of fire, then Melinoe would follow up with her daggers. The tomb led them to an old Dragon priest. If it wasn't for Nakies' help, Melinoe might not have bested him.
After Nakies got her scroll and Melinoe got everything else in the tomb, they parted ways. Now it's time to go east.
Kiw de Dwaaagon!!, Kiw de Daaagon!!!...x8... ...Huh-huh-huh-huh... ...
Random Note. High Elf PC are fetching TALL.
Been starting throw-away characters to see how flavor text changes between races and experimenting with playstyles. Got to the Altmer last night and when I finally got to shift the camera to third person... All I could think of was some lines from Deuce Bigalo. "That's a huge b***h!"
Today Rowan met Paarthurnax.
.
Today, my adventures ground to a halt after encountering a broken 1.2 dragon and discovering that I no longer seem to be capable of obtaining dragon souls.
I think I'm going to put Skyrim on hold for awhile and go back to Oblivion until Bethesda actually demonstrates some competence with patching this game.
This is a great thread! I have completely fallen for every on of your characters! Grits, I really want to hang out with J'Shanji. I just got the game myself, despite all the problems being reported with the PS3 version. I can't wait to fire it up!
While Aravi was traveling from Solitude with High Hrothgar as a final destination, she encountered a fort. Skeleton archers and necromancers manned the walls and towers.
Aravi and Kharjo cleared the walls with bows, then moved into the keep. Along with more necromancers and skeletons, Aravi found quite a few spell tomes and alchemy ingredients. She already knew most of the spells, but had no idea what most of the ingredients did. She packed them anyways. She'll try them later and hopefully won't throw up.
The final necromancer had some powerful ranged ice magic, but didn't have the range to properly employ it. A quick swirl of swords and there was a dead necromancer and two slightly chilled Khajiit.
On the way out, a chest provided Aravi with the final item she needed to begin a quest... way out by Markarth. So Aravi and Kharjo are back on the road, with High Hrothgar as their final destination still, but a significant detour planned.
Oh, Maxical found High Hrothgar in her travels, but couldn't go inside. Still, the trip up to it was Awesome !!! Kind of like driving across state in the old days with the "Burma Shave" commercials, lol. Don't miss any of the messages, they are well worth the stop to read !!!
An ancient and epic argument, long subdued but never truly dormant, was re-ignited in the most extreme of circumstances.
http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20111205
Okay, I have given Skyrim a bit of time to cool down after my bug-filled experience yesterday (broken dragon, dragon failed to yield soul, both on 1.2), so that embarrassment of a patch has been removed from my game for good. I gave Oblivion some love before trying Skyrim again, and this time, things worked out. Dragons are giving me souls again, so I'm back to playing the game.
And this time, I'm waiting until I get confirmation that 1.3 actually fixed the things it was supposed to before I put Steam back online.
@Hammer: Neither! Cookies all the way!
@Kaira: No! Iiz Kahnu!! (ICE CREAM!!)
It's great to hear from you, Destri!! I'm still having fun on the PS3, despite the, uh, hiccups.
I started a Nord Archer today, I’m hoping she turns out to be what I think of as a Buffy Build. Maybe this one will cooperate. I tried it with a Bosmer last week and only got as far as Riverwood. The Bosmer pretty much said, “Screw you, I’m going back to Cyrodiil.” Sigh, start over. Anyway, I made up some stuff about a matriarchal Eastmarch hunting clan for her backstory.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h361/grits29/JensaSummer-Song.jpg was born to Clan Early-Winter, the seventh daughter of clanmother Hedla Four-Fingers. The clans of the high passes never counted their sons, for they would be married off to other camps and so lost to the family. Still, Jensa knew she had three brothers. Her heart broke every time one of them left Early-Winter’s camp.
As the youngest daughter, it was unlikely that Jensa would be given hunting rights of her own. She would never be allowed to marry, for how could she start her own camp with no lands to support it? As long as she stayed quick and strong her bow would be welcome in any hunting party, though the choicest cuts of meat would always go to the life-givers. Some day she would earn her broth by serving in her mother’s longhouse, which would pass to Jensa’s eldest sister. She would be Auntie Jensa by-the-fire, if she managed to live long enough and stay in her sister’s good graces. It stung to know that she would never hold her own child at her breast, though she would always have the opportunity to clean the bottom of someone else’s.
And so it was that Jensa headed out to find her way, carrying with her the good wishes of her clan but little else. After all, a highland hunter knew how to feed herself, especially in summer. The valley was rich and beautiful beyond her dreaming. Jensa Summer-Song, she named herself. The first of her line.
And that’s what she told the Imperials who took her in an ambush near Darkwater Crossing.
That's a great little story about Jensa.
And I remember you telling me about that bosmer!
Today, Elmer Fus, Bard found Sky Haven Temple...So he did in fact find, re-populate and leave the Blades...I thank y'all...
Then, just for fun he went hunting dwaagons...Vewy vewy quietly...And then he did KIW DE DWAAGON!!!, KIW DE DWAAGON!!!...X2...
Now he's back at Hugh Heffner...No...Wait a minute...Umm...High Hrofgar?...Anyways, home of the Greybeards...Catchy name...Yes it is...
Okay, its so far so good with Patch 1.3. I've taken a look at it:
General stability improvements (Game is running smoother)
Optimize performance for Core 2 Duo CPUs (PC) (Can't test, my CPU is a Core i5, Quad Core)
Fixed Radiant Story incorrectly filling certain roles (Could not reproduce bug on my end)
Fixed magic resistances not calculating properly (They are back to normal)
Fixed issue with placing books on bookshelves inside player purchased homes (Never ran into this one)
Fixed dragon animation issues with saving and loading (Still need to encounter a dragon)
Fixed Y-look input to scale correctly with framerate (Fixed)
At this point, though, I do give the green light on 1.3 since there have been no further reports of busted dragons on the official forums (it would have cropped up by now if the fix failed). Go ahead and grab it.
Trey has been getting into various kinds of trouble.
He decided he did not want to deal with Lydia's suicidal impulses- (or snarky attitude) and so left her at home in Whiterun, where she can sit around, and sigh, and cough- to her heart's content.
Meanwhile, he decided to see about earning another house (since some Daedric prince apparently LOCKED his bookshelf in Breezehome).
But then he ran into a talking dog- NO REALLY- which wanted his help.
So far the mangy mutt has led Trey into- a troll and two mudcrabs, two different bandit camps, a cave full of vampires.
But- well maybe it is in a good cause- Trey has noticed the dog walks with a limp. Perhaps he is just looking for the man who shot his paw.
Grits, Jensa sounds woooonderful!
Okay, I've had two dragon encounters on 1.3 so far (one random, one guarding a Word Wall). Neither of them exhibited any erratic behavior.
Looks like 1.3 did what it was meant to do.
Also, word on the street is that Dual Core optimization was specifically to combat a bug in how the game utilized Core 2 Duo CPUs, which would cause Skyrim to freeze constantly for 2-10 second stretches. And that same word is: the freezing is now gone.
@ Grits - what a wonderful back story for Jensa !!!
@ McBadgere - Hugh Hefner ... ROFL !!! Now go to your combat stats at the bottom - it lists how many Bunny's you've slaughtered, ROFL !!
@ Master Chef TK - WOO HOO !!! Finally !!!
@ Treydog - He may think Treydog hurt his paw and is dragging him to dangerous places for revenge, lol. I hope he is essential so he doesn't get killed in some of those places !!
Now for Maxical. As of this morning (because I played all night long):
Maxical has discovered 325 locations, and 17 of the standing stones. (not sure how many there are).
She has cleared 77 dungeons and learned 28 words (but only has 15 shouts and Zero dragon souls). She has completed 21 regular quests, 94 misc. quests, and 8 side quests. (and actually completed one questline, the College of Winterhold !!). She now has all the Dragon Priest Masks except the one you get at the end of the Main Questline !!
Last night she tried to console Quaranir into marrying her, but he never even got the topic added for some reason. She tested it out just to be sure she had keyed it in correctly - on the Jarl of Winterhold (not a bad looking guy, as a matter of fact - and clean !!!). It works, she can't talk to him without him oohing and aahing over her Amulet of Mara, lol.
She felt bad for ignoring his hints, so went ahead and stole his helmet back for him - only because she had to. There was no dungeon involved, and the guy that had it was too friendly to kill. (and no, she didn't console him into friendliness, lol).
As soon as she handed the Jarl of Winterhold his helmet back, he immediately started talking to her about becoming Thane of Winterhold. (Well, that was the second thing he did. The first was to bring up her Amulet of Mara again). He is hoping his townfolk will like her so she can be Thane - but so far they have all been jackar$$es to her. (Even after she rescued them from the Ice Wraiths!).
Quaranir has left the Country and gone back to whereever Jissiic priests go. Here is a screenshot of Maxical taken when he refused her offer and left
Today, Elovar Drayl discovered how to summon up a Dremora Lord, which he promptly named Ringo. Already, in one session, Ringo has managed to claymore to death:
Two dragons
3 Trolls
A Hagraven
A Frost Atronach
Countless Draugr and Forsaken
Ringo is already making things boring for Elovar, who's considering going back to fire and axes simply to keep things fun again and keepign Ringo back for emergency measures. Hmph.
The following contains a lot of quest details, so there are definitely spoilers. Read at your own risk. (Spoiler tags don't seem to be working, so I'm leaving a large space here to substitute).
Derelas Dragonborn recently picked up a new companion: Mjoll the Lioness. She requested to join me in my adventures after I found her treasured blade, Grimsever. So, I have now equipped her in some decent armor I don't need (Ebony, all five pieces, all improved to Exquisite quality). Her and Dere are now traveling Skyrim, hunting dragons, plundering dungeons, and having a great time.
The most recent dungeon was Saarthal. Dere was not happy that he had to join the College of Winterhold to get in. He gets everything he needs out of potions and poisons. But he did (had to anyways, he needed access to the Arcaneum to research the Elder Scrolls), and the plunder from Saarthal included a Word of Power (Flesh, word 2 of Ice Form) and a portion of the Gauldur family Amulet. Now, he's done with dealing with the mages, and whatever end of days the Psijic Order has seen, they can find someone else. Dere is perfectly happy to be saving the world already, thank you very much.
As for his Thieves Guild ties, things have taken a turn for the worse. Mercer double-crossed him in Snow Veil Sanctum after he was shot down by a respectably skilled archer, Karliah. After being stabbed and left for dead, the next thing he knows, Karliah is helping him up outside and explaining what happened. The poison on her arrow tip saved Dere's life. His heart rate was slowed to a crawl, preventing major blood loss. And now, the woman he originally went to kill... well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. And there was something odd about Mercer's story of her simply murdering the man she loved.
And then there's the big question that needs answering: the Nightingales. Who are they? Well, not names, Dere already knows those: Karliah, Gallus, and Mercer the three Nightingales. But what are their plans (aside from Karliah's vendetta on Mercer for murdering Gallus)? Gallus's journal may have answers... but it's written in the Falmer dialect. The only person who can translate it is Calcelmo in Markarth, so that will have to wait a bit. Dere still has business in Winterhold, helping one Septimus Signus, a scholar on the Elder Scrolls who traded a piece of his sanity for glimpse at one of the pages. Next destination: Alftand. Septimus thinks the Dwemer found a loophole in the magic of the Elder Scrolls that allows one to scry them without being stricken by blindness or insanity, and he wants Dere to exploit it.
All this is being kept track of in my own penned journal. If things go well, I am planning to convert it into a Skyrim Fan-fic at some point. A little reprieve from my four years of nothing much but Oblivion, you know.
Trey finished helping his doggie companion reconcile with his master. Said master tried to get Trey to kill the dog. He felt that was a bit rude and refused.
Found out the Jarl of Falkreath needs to be shortened by a head- and is wondering if there is a way to do that.
Wulff and J'Zargo went back to see the Chief Hugh of Hugh Heffner only to be sent off to another place where there be Word 'o' Powerrrr!!!...Unfortunately...This word wall appears to be broken...Having not found it the first time Wulff was there, it seems to have glitched...Meaning Wulff cannot get the word, which means (and he checked) Chief Hugh will not give him another word to find... ...Wulff is okay as he has a divine guide with a book...But still, add this as another reminder that it's a game not a second life... ...
Killed several dragons...Bit passe now... ...
Trey (the Nord version) decided to try and take care of 2 quests at a certain overlook.
He "overlooked" the dragon which- um well--- grabbed him in its mouth and threw him down the mountainside.
Although I am not playing Dead is Dead- it seemed a good moment to nuke the hated 1.2 patch and begin again.
Meet Trey- Breton light armor and stealth specialist, who does a bit of alchemy and smithing on the side. This Trey REALLY hopes the dragon that burned Helgen ALSO managed to kill the hateful "kill him anyway" Imperial captain. If not- he will stop back by there and give her a present... a sharp, pointy IRON present- just under the short ribs.
After the game crashed at the site of the knackered wall, after uttering some cross-words I decided to abandon the Word-search...Heh, you see what I did there?...
...
Aaamywho, went back to Hugh Heffner got meself an audience with the top dog hisself...
Met me lurvely Pantyslacks!!...Bless him...Awwww...*Tickles under his chin...*...
Then Wulff fell off a cliff...So I re-did the previous half hour again...
Thermos... ...
http://i.imgur.com/5SxlO.jpg in his new permanent armor. (No, its not Dark Brotherhood, but that's all I will say about it).
Just had an excellent nighttime stroll through Helgen, thought I'd share the tale.
Leaving his horse a safe distance away from the bandit-infested village, a quick flick of the tumblers on the gate offered easy entry. From there, the first bandit was seen, clad in steel. A second showed his face soon after, a hedge wizard. Since Dere had no intention of dealing with a warrior and a mage at the same time, the first order of business was to separate the two... this was accomplished by deliberately allowing the warrior an ever-so-brief glimpse of himself before a quickly-quaffed invisibility potion made sure he would not be found. Quietly trailing her footsteps, Dere waited until she dropped her guard, dismissing him as a flicker of shadow or something like that. For extra satisfaction, he swiped the bandit's coinpurse before slitting her throat.
Next up was the mage, and as his Aura Whisper revealed, three additional bandits in the southern courtyard, and one more acting as lookout at the tower. The mage was wandering back and forth between the entrances to Helgen's underground fortress, a small piece of crumbling wall was perfectly positioned at the end of his patrol path closest to Dere, who quickly and silently made his way to hide behind it. After carefully gauging when he would stop and when he would turn to leave, the second move was made. Again, the coinpurse and a couple valuables were pocketed before the throat was cut.
Two down, four to go. The next bandit was wandering the ruined inn, alone. He was felled like the previous two. The next part was a bit tougher... the next patrol of bandits was a two-man group, so up-close-and-personal would only end in detection. For that reason, Dere left those two alone... for now. His next target was the lookout in the tower. After waiting for the patrol to get some distance between them and the tower, Dere infiltrated, made his way up the stairs, quaffed another invisibility potion just to be safe, and made easy work of the fourth bandit atop the tower.
Up next... a bit of misdirection. Being a Bosmer, sure-footedness comes naturally to Dere, so he carefully climbed atop the battlements, waited for the patrol to exit the tower again, and sighted in on the bandit in the rear. One shot, one kill. This left one very confused bandit wondering why, supposedly, his lookout killed one of his own men. After waiting a bit for him to calm down a bit, Dere shifted positions, hiding beside the doorframe into the tower. And when the final bandit entered... down he went.
Six kills, and Dere remained a ghost through the entire gauntlet.
That was some real fun there.
One thing I thought was great in New Vegas was the ability to don an enemy's uniform/armor and "fool" them into thinking you were one of them. It is disappointing that we can't do that in this game, but would be livable if the NPC's didn't have instant ESP when you have killed one of their number - and where you are hiding in sneak. I honestly don't know how the Dark Brotherhood or Thieves Guild work in these conditions.
So Trey.2 or The Treytrix- Reloaded or... OK I will stop now.
Escaped Helgen- and spent a bit more time paying attention in Riverwood. Did some work for Alvor in exchange for the kindnesses he showed.
Got to Whiterun and debated whether he really wanted to see the Jarl or not.
Ended up taking a (slightly improved) sword from the War-Maiden to Dragonsreach.
Also found himself embroiled in the factional struggle between two families. He decided that he could go smack the Thalmor around all by himself, rather than with a group of loud, smelly Nords clanking around disturbing every sentient being within 20 miles. He will probably regret that choice.
Meanwhile- off to a bandit camp to collect a bounty- along with as many loose valuables as he can carry.
Farkas hates orcs. Let me explain:
My current character, Shakh gro-Largum, is level three and just tough enough to handle the wolves or the odd bandit encountered on the road. He heads toward Whiterun to do a favor for Gerdur who did him a solid back in Riverwood (just loooove that Honningbrew Mead). While on the road, he encounters a trio of Companions taking down a giant infesting one of the farms. Being an orc, he decides to lend an axe to their efforts. Apparently his single swing is impressive enough to get the saucy Aela to comment that he should join the Companions. It sounds like a good gig, especially after he walks into Jorrvaskr just in time to see Njada Stonearm put the beatdown on a culturally confused dunmer named Athis (ostensibly for talking like a cockney boot salesman . . . or maybe for not having the sense to sit somewhere other than right next to the archery targets when people are practicing).
After enduring the insults of a one-eyed Companion named Skjor (who sounds suspiciously like Michael Ironside), Shakh is kicked downstairs to get the approval of the Companions Harbinger (who, I must stress, is not their leader), Kodlak Whitemane. Kodlak gives Shakh the once over and decides to test him by having him spar with one of the Inner Circle, a Companion named Vilkas. Vilkas is surly, condescending, and in desperate need of iris pigmentation (not to mention a bath, a shave, and a retouch of his eye makeup warpaint). After another single swing impresses Vilkas enough to call him a whelp, Shakh spends the rest of the afternoon thinking about how good he must be with his axe while running swords and shields to and from the Skyforge. He is also kicked over to Vilkas’ twin brother Farkas (who is equally challenged where eye color and hygiene are concerned) for work.
Farkas sizes up the new victim recruit and, because he hates orcs, decides to send Shakh to clear out the ‘bandits’ in Shimmermist Cave. Those 'bandits' turn out to be more than a dozen Falmer (complete with the usual loadout of Chaurus and Frostbite spiders). They were not impressed with Shakh’s axe-swinging. I haven’t had my a$$ kicked this hard in a Bethesda game since I made a wrong turn in a Morrowind dungeon and wound up behind the Ghostfence at level two! Sometimes Radiant Story really hurts!
Finished the MQ...*Sigh*...It's quite sad at the end... ...Aaamywho...Don't have to deal with a bunch of chars that I don't like anymore...So that's all good...
Not sure what to do now...
Oh, I did go and kick the Goldur ghosts ar$es...They caused the original giving up by fus-ing me about like a rag-doll till I died...Well, I still got fus-sed but you can't go wrong with several bottles of Ultimate Magicka...Me wins!!!... ...
Said goodbye to J'Zargo...Went home to the wife...Put her in her Forsworn armour...Job done...
Think I'll give up now...
Here's an update from J'Shanji.
J’Shanji and Belrand the spellsword stepped down from the smithy and into Riverwood’s main street.
“Sigrid seemed upset,” Belrand remarked. The Nord’s face creased in a grin as he hefted his share of their coin.
“It is not a good trade unless the merchant’s spouse weeps,” said J’Shanji. He held a Staff of Sparks in his hand, part of his share from their last barrow raid. When they reached the middle of the road, he extended it to his companion. “Khajiit would make of this a gift to Belrand.”
“Aw, really? I get to keep it?” Belrand looked even more pleased. “Let’s go to the Sleeping Giant. All the ale you can drink, it’s on me.”
“This one still does not have a taste for your dog piss.” J’Shanji made his face solemn and folded his hands. “It is time for us to part ways, friend Belrand.”
Belrand looked surprised for a moment. “Uh, all right. I guess I’ll head back home then. If you ever need a hand, you know where to find me. Tell you what, cat, we had so much fun this time, next time it’s no charge. Just a fair split of the loot.”
J’Shanji inclined his head and started toward the bridge.
Belrand had been an excellent partner these past months. J’Shanji could count on his bow, his blade, and especially his spells. After a fight the Nord could laugh with the death stench still on him. Though his demeanor was uncouth, J’Shanji found much to admire in him.
But something occurred while they were fighting bandits in the hills above Riverwood. When his blood is up, a man will sometimes shout what he would otherwise not speak. J’Shanji knows this. Skyrim is for the Nords! Belrand cried. His hate was for the Bretons they fought, but it pierced J’Shanji.
Khajiit will make a home here. It is J’Shanji’s will, made stronger by the thoughtless words of a friend.
Now J’Shanji is alone in a hungry land. He will learn the spells that Belrand used to keep them alive. His steps turn north, toward Winterhold.
Aww... perhaps J'Shanji will find another friend to travel with.
Poor J'Shanji, next time he needs to get a non-Nord companion. If they say it too, things are wierd.
Oh, poor J'Shanji !! Maxical has run across the same statement - even from a couple of the men (one of them a Jarl) trying to marry her. She takes that as a clear indication marriage with them would not be a happy one.
I spent a little time with Jensa this weekend. Here she is with her http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h361/grits29/ForswornArmor.jpg. We were both pretty disappointed to discover that the male Forsworn “armor” is NOT the shirtless version you see on the Briarhearts. Oh well. I’m taking a little liberty with the game and allowing for more than one Dragonborn. Really, what were the gods thinking when they didn’t make themselves some spares? Or maybe they did…
Here’s the first page from Jensa’s journal:
Dragons are real. I know because I saw one. It stopped my execution. Then it burned Helgen to the ground. I hope it got that Imperial captain who decided we should all lose our heads. My mouth was still sore from when that bald sergeant punched me, so I made sure I spit some blood in her eye when I passed her. Imperial dog humper. I hope she got a taste of that dragon’s fire.
There were a lot of folk in the wagons with me, and not all of them were Stormcloaks. I wonder how many made it out? That Khajiit looked half-dead, but she got lively as soon as the dying started. At least I think it was a she. And I know the Breton made it. I saw him with one of the Stormcloaks.
I would have been dead if not for one of the Imperial soldiers. He got me past the dragon. Then I saw a Stormcloak with a sword, and I ran. We got away, and now the Legion needs to do some more recruiting. They should have just let us go.
That Stormcloak has kin in Riverwood. I won’t say who, in case someone finds my journal and it gets them in trouble. They gave us supplies and let us rest up for awhile. My first night in a real bed with a man who’s not my cousin, and both of us too tired to even wink. Another reason to be mad at the damned Imperials. I should have spent a few days with those two red-headed traders in the valley. Then I would have crossed the Darkwater somewhere up river, stayed out of this whole mess. Jarl of Windhelm, High King, or Emperor, I’m not likely to bend my knee.
So now I’m traveling with Sven, a bard from Riverwood. He’s quiet enough when he needs to be, and handy with a blade when he gives away our position. I wish he wasn’t so mournful, though. He got jilted by his girl in Riverwood, and all he wants to do is moan about it.
We’re loaded down with things we don’t need, and running out of things we do. Sven says we’ll head for Whiterun in the morning. Another town with walls, I’m not too sure about it. Imperial walls didn’t help against that dragon. I’d rather go back to Riverwood. That Stormcloak’s sister was kind to me, and her boy made me laugh. She even gave me this journal.
How in the world can you make such a pretty girl with the vanilla sliders? She is beautiful !! Great background story!
Great character and story!
Last night in Skyrim, Maxical bought a horse and rode up to the Throat of the World, just to look around. There was a wall of words up there, but it was dead as a doornail, just a block of ice. However, when she climbed to the highest peak she did find a fancy pick, which she promptly improved and now uses to the exclusion of any other.
Unfortunately, the horse seems to like her too much - following her even into dangerous situations when she tries to hurry somewhere. She has found it safest for her horse if she stops in at nearby towns or homes and travels on foot to any place dangerous. The horse does not like Winterhold, stamps his feet and whinnies loudly in the cold. Maxical would like to sell him to some nice stables in a warmer climate, but can't find a buyer.
Maxical also summoned and tamed a Dremora Lord, who in his beaten state gave her a sigil stone. A hunter gave her a reward for killing off seven giant ghostly beasts - lucky for her there were plenty of high ledges around to range attack them from.
She also joined the Bard's College long enough to help them get permission for their burning of King Olaf's effigy back from the Jarl. She even helped them fill in some great lyrics that were missing from the original pages. Unfortunately, after hearing her sing she was no longer welcome in their midst in spite of the fact that she had found several special musical instruments they were seeking. They wouldn't even take these from her. Now she is stuck carrying them, as a magic enchantment keeps them locked in her backpack, they cannot be removed.
A note was delivered to her to meet with a small boy who was very troubled. He wanted her to kill someone for him. Maxical went home to her house in Solitude to think about what to do, and although she slept on her decision for a full night she did not wake feeling even rested. (A bug perhaps? Or maybe a noisy new housecarl?)
Maxical tried to use magic to summon Quaranir to her side so they could be wed, but he never showed up. In her disappointment, Maxical has decided she will become a dragon slayer for hire. She turned down several offers of marriage, (the only tempting one being from her new female housecarl - that was the only one she could stand to wake up to or look at first thing in the morning) - however, the Jarl of Winterhold has renewed his suit in earnest now. Maxical is too heartbroken over Quaranir's defection to think about it right now.
Maxical went to bed early to prepare for her new job as a dragon slayer...unless something better comes up between now and then.
Poor Maxical, been a bad last few days for her. *hugs*
Last night, Ryoko made her way to Riften and found an appriciation for horses for more then dinner. A dragon dropped down almost right in front of the North gate (for the third game in a row) and while the Orc, her housecarl and four guard fought it, a pair of horses also charged in and made much with the laying about of hooves.
Following the beasts defeat, and Ryoko's soul sucking snack, she then had to deal with one of the guards demanding a tax for entering Riften. The Orc politly questioned if he remembered what her war hammer had done to the dragons skull, if not, she was happy to demonstrate it once again on his.
After concidering her offer, the guard unlocked the gate.
Creation Kit!
I forgot to mention the good news/bad news that happened awhile ago.
The good news: Found some shirtless armor for gratuitous displays of man candy! The bikini looking fur armor is topless for the boys. Yay.
The bad news: It was J’Shanji who made this discovery by handing over a bunch of loot for Belrand to carry. Belrand immediately equipped the fur armor, which had the effect of ripping off his shirt right in J’Shanji’s face. This was startling and troublesome for J’Shanji. Here’s why.
1. J’Shanji finds clothing made out of fur to be disquieting. Leather is fine, cloth is better. But he has had too many Nords tell him that he would make a fine rug to feel comfortable around men wearing fur.
2. J’Shanji is modest. He does not approve of exposing the torso. He sometimes finds himself looking too long at furless skin, especially at Ysolda’s. Just to make sure that he still does not approve.
3. J’Shanji would never say anything that would hurt a friend’s feelings. He will tease endlessly, but only to annoy. Cultural differences between himself and Belrand make J’Shanji careful with his words. He could not think of a way to address this shirtless situation.
So J’Shanji had to stay ahead of Belrand all the way to the next merchant and not cringe visibly when Belrand kept running into the back of him. That Nord has no brakes. Now I’m on a mission to find some of that armor for Jensa to slap onto Sven before she levels up too much and it gets him killed.
This is what I’m reduced to in a game without dragons. Grits needs a patch!!
You can remove all patches by doing a hard drive maintenance - your game will be just as it was before any patches were applied - same saves, etc. Then play till they fix the issues.
J’Shanji just doesn't get a break does he?
Could be worse. Beth could've made the greeves show up as a da-da-dan-dat (bananna hamock).
I vote for a feather thong with dangling bones. For decoration. Heavily enchanted, of course.
Speaking of under dressed, here's an update from Jensa's journal.
(There's a discussion of the beginning of the main quest, and the player's first approach to Whiterun.)
I've been playing a lot before the calendar explodes for a few days. Here's an update from J'Shanji.
(There's a discussion of a favor done for a mage associate at the College of Winterhold.)
*
ETA: Fawkes, how about Lund's Hut for your Altmer? I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that there is something inside that would appeal to a necromancer. Plus a chest and endtable for safe storage, at least it's been safe for me.
mALX, when you're tired of playing with Habd's remains, I put a suggestion in the Spoiler section (new thread).
If it's half of someone else's bloody head, uh, good luck.
I should also mention that J'Zargo does not offer to re-grow whiskers in the game.
I'm happy things have worked out for J’Shanji. I really liked his interaction with J'Zargo.
J’Zargo is awesome. He has a great voice, a positive attitude, and he’s very fast with the shock spells. The only problem is that his kills tend to go flying. It’s funny when they crash into walls, not so much when you have to chase a dead bandit down the mountain for its loot. I am endlessly grateful to Maxical and Aravi for inspiring me to try a Khajiit character, and then double the fun!
Jensa is not cooperating with the mystic archer plan. She is more of a, hmm, barbarian. Mystic barbarian? I doubt it. Still, I’m putting some points into magicka in the hope that she’ll warm up to the higher level spells. Or maybe it’s just Illusion that she dislikes. She has the archer part covered, though. A nearly naked archer who likes to finish the fight with four feet of steel. Yeah, she’s going to need some perks in Alteration.
Hence why I had him follow me for most of my game...I love J'Zargo....My best bud...I miss him...*Pouts*...
He misses you too, McB. He's all alone in his box. He wants to come back out and play!
Main Quest is done.
Now, until Bethesda gets some of these bugs wrung out, I am returning to Cyrodiil. See all you Skyrimmers later!
An update from Jensa:
Edited: Sorry, I should have said there's a reference to a quest, Missing in Action.
Edited to remove spoilers. Very sorry about that. Info is in the spoiler section.
Yikes. It's hard to please anyone in Riften. Maybe that's why I like Balimund so much.
This wasn't today, but it was rather interesting.
It all started when Melainoe came across her first giant. She thought she'd be friendly and say hello! Well, the giant didn't want to say hi. He got hostile real quick. So Melainoe ran away until he got tired of chasing her and walked off.
I say outloud, "Stupid #^$%!"
Right as I finished saying it, the giant turned and ran back to attack Melainoe! She ran away again. Once he was walking away, I said, "Wow what a #@)*#!"
Again, as if he could hear me through the tv, he chased Melainoe down again!
This time as he walked away, I kept my mouth shut. He kept walking.
Let me guess, you have lockpick or sneak above 40-60ish? Around that stage, my girls keep getting rude 'warnings' from guards.
J’Shanji gets those remarks, too. I wasn’t sure if it was because he’s Khajiit, or the lockpicking thing. He’s not in the TG.
Here’s a page from Jensa’s notebook:
Today I met an Altmer who didn’t try to kill me, but we still didn’t get along. Sven and I went into a shop to see about a trade, and the lady behind the counter started giving me a hard time about what I was wearing. I’ll admit that I don’t know much about city ways. Instead of giving her a smack I asked her what she meant. She said she had an outfit that would make me look less like a bandit. I noticed that she didn’t say much to Sven. Of course by then he was back in his bard clothes.
Her fancy gown might be something that a Jarl would wear, but I didn’t care for it. The damn thing itched my skin, weighed a ton, and the color was straight out of a diaper. I asked Sven if it made my backside look big. Poor man looked like he had half swallowed a bee and didn’t know whether to choke it down or cough it up. I took that as a yes.
The Altmer lady started to give me a hard time again, but then I told her I had some Thalmor robes to trade. Those elves have been busy trying to Justiciate me. When I heaved the stack up onto the counter her eyes got big and her mouth got quiet. She made a good trade and didn’t even mention the blood. Now I have a new dress, a lot like the blue one Auntie Dorka made for my thirteenth spring. It’s soft, and it makes me feel pretty. I can tell that Sven likes it. Maybe it reminds him of Camilla. He’s getting that mopey look again. Tonight I’ll latch the door and give him something else to think about.
Yeah, that would do it too. My mage has been getting people complain about the ruin we first entered even though it's been a month since then. My TG get comments about recognizing TG armor as well so.. yeah. There must be a broadsheet of all guild members/activities sent out every other day to all holds.
From Jensa, who will soon be decapitating people with her greatsword. I'm pretty sure the mystic archer plan is not going to happen with this one.
Dammit, now my book is missing the last chapter! I should have known something was up when Sven took it into the bushes after he ate all of those snowberries. For a bard, that man is not much of a reader. Everyone knows you start pulling out the pages that folk have already read. I’m pretty sure I can guess how it ends, though. They weren’t really talking about bread.
It wasn’t because of the book, but Sven and I have parted ways. He was watching the sky all day on the road, and then a dragon attacked while we were in the middle of Rorikstead. We put it down with the guards’ help. That means they saw what happened after. I still don’t want to think about it. Now there are a bunch more folk telling me to climb the Steps. I guess it all got to be too much for Sven, and he left me. That's all right. There’s a fellow at the inn who wants to go adventuring. I suppose that’s what I’m doing. He handled himself pretty well against the dragon, so I’ll walk with him for awhile. Tonight I’m staying at the inn. It’s late because there was a lot of mead to drink. Erik told some regular-folk stories, and they were all funnier than Sven’s bard tales. Maybe we’ll make some new stories out on the road.
An update from Jensa:
Erik and I have gotten better at fighting together. With his battleaxe and my greatsword, we need some room to work. I guess his farm gets a lot of attention from bandits. Just like our camp back home. It seems like no matter how little you have, there’s always someone who’s willing to take it.
I’ve been meaning to tell Erik about my little Thalmor problem, but the moment never seemed right. Now there’s no need. Here’s what happened.
We’d been climbing over hot rocks for hours, trying to keep between the giants and the sabre cats without either one taking notice. Erik is no hunter. That man has some heavy feet. We finally came out on the top of a waterfall with the road down right on the other side. The sun was up and we could see clear across the valley. The river sang in our ears and rumbled our bones. Even the mud smelled clean.
“By the Nine,” Erik says. Then he gives me a quick look like he’s not sure what I’ll do.
Before I can say a word there’s a flash of light off of that gold colored Elven armor. It’s Justiciars on the road, and they have a prisoner. I don’t need to ask what Erik wants to do. He just admitted he’s a Talos worshiper. “I've got your back,” I told him, and I found us a quick way across the river. The next thing I know there’s angry words and weapons drawn.
I got the prisoner free and gave him my dagger. He couldn’t do much with it except die pretty well. He was glad for the chance, though, I could see it in his face. I’m going to pick up a couple of spare axes in case this happens again. No one should end their days in a Thalmor prison.
Has anyone confirmed that Erik's voice is done by Todd Howard himself? It sure sounds like him, and I think Todd would have done something like that as a tribute to Immok. I was terrified at the thought of getting Erik as a follower unless I was sure he could be made essential, just in case the game did not set him up as essential.
I think Erik has the same voice as Sven, but I don't know. They both say some of the same things.
Erik will be immortal in my game through reloading. If he dies I'll reload and tell him to go his own way so that Jensa will have to deal with the consequences, but I'm not going to leave him on the ground.
For anyone who is wondering, the "Erik the Slayer" NPC was created in memory of Erik West, or as he was known on the Bethesda Forums, "Immok the Slayer" - who passed away last May 11 at the age of just 19 from cancer.
Erik was a visitor to Bethesda's HQ when Skyrim was in development through the "Make a Wish" foundation. They picked him up from Washington DC in a stretch Limo and drove him up to Bethesda. The Devs were so impressed with his knowledge of Oblivion that they gave him an in depth tour of Bethesda studios and decided to create a character in his honor that he could see in Skyrim.
Erik's own words expressing his excitement about meeting everyone at Bethesda can be found here:
http://scrollstudio.com/forum/Thread-Immok-goes-to-Bethesda
He was as tight-lipped as any of the Dev's about the secrets revealed to him, as you can see by his responses.
Sadly, Erik died in May 2011 from his long battle with cancer and never got to see the release of Skyrim.
Thanks for sharing mALX!
Indeed, thank you mALX! And thank you, Bethesda, for honoring Erik West's memory.
Now, to business: http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4968
I know, lots of text in the first post, but that's simply the introduction and backstory.
mALX, thank you for posting that. It's great to know the real story behind such a delightful character.
I don't know if they made Erik the Slayer essential, but he is extremely tough. Yesterday I saw him get hit by frost and flame attacks while he was already on his knees from a swinging gate trap. I guess the mages must have already started their attacks when he took a knee, because normally they would stop attacking at that point. Anyway, he got back up while still on fire. I was not expecting that.
*
Jensa is in a bit of a pickle:
It’s been a rough day. I drank too much last night and woke up far from where I started. I’m sore in places I won’t admit to, half the city is mad at me, and the other half just smiles and winks. And where the hell is Erik? I don’t know whether to look for him or stay put and hope he finds me. Or maybe pray that he doesn’t, depending on what he might have witnessed. The details are just starting to surface, and so far they are not good. I’ve got a mess on my hands here. Maybe he’ll show up while I’m dealing with it.
Last night I decided to start a new character. http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/8421/tesv2011122221335671.jpg is an Argonian battle mage with an affinity for fire magic and necromancy. He's a good guy in general, but definitely has a looser set of morals than Aravi has. He doesn't do any of that sneaking crap either.
~~~
The smell of burned flesh is heavy in the air of the crypt as Fire Walker checks if anything is salvageable from the corpses. A few coins from each one makes him grunt in disapproval. No bother. Their deaths will profit him when he returns to Whiterun. The Nord with the big rusty axe had a bounty on his head.
The groan of his zombie gets his attention. It is unusual that this zombie survived the fight with the two bandits he just searched. He looks at the zombie and grips his mace. The zombie is no longer useful now that the crypt is empty of the living, save himself. With that in mind, he dismisses the zombie with a casually brutal strike to the temple. As the zombie falls away, he is disturbed by what he hears… a quiet whisper from his former tool.
“Thank you…”
That freaked me out to know the zombies would say that. URK !! I may never use that spell !!! Great story, KC !!!
Grits: Lemme guess, met Sam in a pub?
Yeah, today was my last day on Skyrim. My copy is now getting re-gifted for my bro, who only plays X-Box, so I can wait for the debugged PC version to exist.
Anyways, today in Skyrim...
Ragnall woke up with a headache the equivalent of getting hit in the head by Stendarr's Hammer. And he had no idea where he was.
For the record, the night before, Ragnall decided to go see a guy named Sam, who was hanging out in a bar in Markath. Figures. Hopefully what happens in Markath stays in Markath...
Anyways, Ragnall had lots o' cleaning up to do. I won't get into specifics, but apparently it involved a spur-of-the-moment marriage (and not even to a, ah, that is, an...exotic dancer, which at least speaks to my awesome virility), a goat (not a tiger, which would have been awesome) a giant (not a famous competitive boxer, albeit one with a certain reputation), some upset guards (probably because of the embarrassment I caused them), and a minor injury that's left my throat hoarse and shout-less.
The worst part? My fellow Companions weren't with me. I was a http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l42uwdMpVR1qa9armo1_500.jpg that night...
Quick Addendum: Also, apparently there was massive gambling with a guy whose descent is from an eastern province, bandits, and apparently I owe him 10 grand...
Holy Cow, Capt !! Obviously you don't need the Stallion's potion !! Raerek must be green with envy !!
My favorite quest so far.
Jensa and Erik the Slayer have been adventuring. Here's a page from her journal:
Today was a big day for dragons.
The first one attacked us on the road. We had no cover, no help, and our arrows didn’t hurt it. Good thing it was spitting frost, or we would have been dead. Even so we were a mess by the time we got to a narrow place between some rocks.
That made it mad. It had to land so it could snap at us.
Erik gave me a look that said he was ready. I got out in front and he put his axe through its wing, right at the joint. I don’t remember much except teeth and screaming after that, but we killed it.
Then I was in the middle of another storm, with lights and wind and a song in my blood. There’s no feeling in this world or the next as good as that, I’ll wager. Afterwards there was Erik standing by the dragon bones with that look on his face. The same one the guards had.
I hit him with a healing spell before he could say anything. That always makes him kind of bashful. And it gave me time to quiet my mind. I heard the dragon’s voice when we were fighting, and I remember one of the words. I know it’s a Thu’um. It could tear me to pieces if I try to Shout, I don’t have any training. I do have a new feeling in my guts. I think I might be afraid.
We didn’t get far before another dragon spotted us. This one didn’t roar, we just heard its wings. We had time to get under a ledge and drink some potions against its magic. The dragon had to angle low so it could reach us. We had a few seconds to shoot before the world turned to fire. One of us put an arrow in its eye. Then we had our chance to get out there and fight.
“You’re one of them,” Erik says when it’s all over. “Dragonborn. You absorbed its soul.”
This is not the time to start lying, so I just gave a nod.
“Maybe they’re hunting you,” he says.
Whether or not it’s true, I can tell he believes it. There are all kinds of adventures he talks about having. Getting burned alive isn’t one of them. This is the part where he leaves me, I thought. He’s going to tell me to go my own way.
Instead he lit up with one of those smiles. “You know, at first I thought I’d miss farming,” he says. “But I guess I’ve had my fill of it, because I don’t miss it at all.”
Went back on it...For...Nostalgia...Wish I hadn't bothered...*Shrug*...The Blades are ar$es and the conversation options haven't updated to account for the finishing of the MQ...Then as befits my story, I went to join Ulfric Stormcloak, only for him to have forgotten that during the MQ I essentially gave him most of Skyrim...
Bethesda are ar$es...The fact that Ulfric Knows I'm the Dragonborn should be enough for me to simply walk into the Stormcloaks...No, I have to go off and kill and Ice Wraith in order for me to "Prove myself"...There should be some updates to the surrounding questlines if you've done the MQ and are obviously the hardest man/woman in Skyrim...
Yeah, right...So I walked through the next quest, then did the battle that I was kinda dreading, but with less loss of life than I suspect it was supposed to have...(Killed the Legion, not the Guards)...Finished that but gave it to th'boy to save and switch off when the Jarl finished witterring and just went off to cook Chrimby dinner...Which was infinately more fun...
So...Giving up again...
@ Grits - that story reminds me exactly why I was hesitant to start the dragons in this game, lol. That is so dear about Erik, though !!! Awesome !!
J'Shanji the Khajiit warrior and his pal J'Zargo spent Saturalia outdoors.
Skeletal remains, a broken wheel, and an overturned cart told their own story. This trader had no more use for his merchandise. Much of it had been spoiled by weather and animals, but there was still more than two Khajiit could carry. Each item they salvaged would help Birna restock her shelves. J’Shanji held a rolled hide in his hands. “One more,” he told J’Zargo.
“J’Zargo only has so much room to carry things,” the mage objected.
J’Shanji eyed his friend’s slender frame. “J’Zargo is not encumbered by a warrior’s build. His steps might break the snow, with enough in his pack.”
J’Zargo glanced down at himself and up again. “J’Shanji cannot know the weight this one carries. How fortunate that J’Shanji is not so burdened.”
Resorting to violence is admitting defeat with that one, thought J’Shanji. Make the most of it. J’Shanji leaped onto his friend, pushing him face-first into a snow drift. The two of them wrestled like kittens.
Scent warned them an instant before the sabre cat pounced. J’Shanji rolled to his feet, blades flashing in the sun. Lightning cracked and flickered over the sabre cat. J’Zargo must be under it, thought J’Shanji.
He leaped onto the cat’s broad back. As his blades opened its throat, J’Zargo’s spell flung the sabre cat backward. J’Shanji sprang free. J’Zargo lay still and silent.
J’Shanji knelt in the red snow, reaching out a tentative hand. “Zargo-jo?” he whispered.
His friend’s ear twitched. Healing light began to circle and glitter.
J’Shanji rose to his feet, grinning his relief. He reached for his skinning knife. “Now J’Zargo will have two hides to carry.”
GAAAAH !!! Scared me to death !!! I thought J'Zargo was lost !!! WHEW !!
Oh good! I was worried there for J'Zargo.
Great ending!
Yes, I agree there...
How long ago was Oblivion though?...And weren't they supposed to have upped the ante with Skyrim...I know it's extra work, but dammit, the story of the character makes no sense...
*Sigh*...
I suspect I'm done with Skyrim properly now...Again... ...
Got pickpocketing to 100, no I so did not take the clothes of all the guys, nope nope not at all.
Thankfully this is a "just for fun" save file, because they won't equip any clothes that I put in their inventory
Either way playing as Gale (my Altmer Necromancer) he lives in Lund's Hut and well Erik has taken a huge liking to him. Gale of course well a lone wolf, so he is trying to keep Erik away, not helping though since Erik follows him EVERYWHERE! ;o
Why can't a retired necromancer live the rest of his years in peace!
Also since my laptops charger broke I have been writing on a this one subject notebook of mine, so many characters t-t
I saw this guy walking with a cow that was tattooed all over and he said that he was offering it to the giants, and not to stay close because then the giants will think that I'm also part of the offering, that of course gave me a idea.
So the character named Talos (yes I know name of divine) came to my mind, his parents gave him as a tribute to the giants when he was a kid
Yea, I have so many things revolving around my mind, time to write write write all these things
J’Shanji made the final adjustment over his friend’s shoulder and stepped back to view his handiwork. Thanks to the profits they had made on their last treasure hunt, J’Zargo was now protected from chin to toes in steel.
“Training does not make armor comfortable,” said J’Zargo. He swung his arms experimentally.
“Perhaps now J’Zargo will spend less time on his knees, begging for his life,” replied J’Shanji. “Let that be a comfort.”
“J’Zargo’s father was a warrior, as was his father’s father.”
J’Shanji handed J’Zargo his hood. “A skin of steel keeps a sorcerer’s guts on the inside as well as a warrior’s. This one is not confused so easily.”
“The Nords’ restless dead await our care,” J’Zargo said finally.
J’Shanji picked up his pack. “Khajiit will follow J’Zargo this time.”
I love the Khajiit in Skyrim. The first thing I heard one say was, "Khajiit guards other Khajiit." I get so thrilled when I see one of their caravans.
Some things have changed for Jensa:
Some time ago Erik tells me he’s had word from his Da. Between the bandits, Stormcloak foragers, the Legion’s extra “taxes,” Forsworn in the hills, and all the damned dragons, not a week goes by without blood. He says Rorikstead needs his axe. He’s going home. That fellow has been a friend to me. I’m going to miss him like crazy.
Now I’m with the Companions. They call me a whelp. There are some strange, serious folk here in Jorrvaskr. I hope they loosen up a little once they get to know me. Of course, they might not like that I’m in trouble with the Thalmor and there’s a Dark Brotherhood contract on my head, but then again they may look out for one of their own. For now I have a bunk in their longhouse and a steady source of work. I’m going to use every drake I earn on training. Some day I’m going to knock that Vilkas on his backside and then pour him some mead. He has a lot to learn about hospitality.
I’ve done some work already and been too tired to write about it. Tomorrow I get the chance to prove myself. They’re sending Farkas along to judge my valor. He says he’s not the smart one. Well, the gods know I’m not the smart one either. It could get fun.
Hoo-boy this is going to be interesting to read Jensa's next journal.
Time to try some thievery.
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h361/grits29/Allek.jpg crossed into Skyrim only slightly ahead of his pursuers. It took less than a heartbeat to decide between the trouble at his heels and the ambush that lay before him. A wagon ride under the protection of the Imperial Legion seemed like a good idea at the time, and the bonds they gave him to wear were just a temporary inconvenience. Until he met his fellow prisoners and realized that he had gravely miscalculated. A surprising turn of events offered him freedom.
Now Allek works in the company of a few like-minded folk headquartered in Riften. He has impressed them with his dedication and enthusiasm. Many of them have sad stories to share. Allek’s tale is different every time he tells it. He has little interest in the gold that falls into his hands and then slips just as easily through his fingers. After all, the only things that can’t be taken away are experiences.
One thing puzzles him. It would seem that in Skyrim, the very walls have eyes. It’s no matter. The hired thugs that find him have become another source of income. Their contracts identify him as Allek the Thief. Allek does not disagree with that title, but he finds it somehow inadequate.
Jensa and Farkas had a difficult day. Here's what she has to say about it:
I’m getting tired of having to say this, but it was all my fault. Well, mostly. I’m still alive thanks to Farkas. He let me see something he shouldn’t have, and I’m sure not going to write it down. The other whelps don’t know, and they won’t find out from me. Especially if someone decides to read my journal. That means you, Ria. Anyway, there are a lot of things that make sense to me now. I guess that’s what Kodlak Whiteman was looking for when he gave me that stare the first time I met him. Someone who wouldn’t lose their mind if they found out. I mean, they say I have dragon blood in my veins. Who am I to judge?
So in the end I showed my worth, and Farkas spoke for me to the Circle. Now I have Shield-Siblings, a new greatsword, and a hangover that’s like to kill me. I wanted to spend some time up at the Skyforge today, but that’s not going to happen. My head hurts anyway so maybe I’ll pick a fight with Njada Stonearm. I’ve seen her hit Athis pretty hard. I’d like to know if I can take her.
Trey: The New Edition has been avoiding doing anything that might cause giant flying lizards to show up.
That means a fair amount of wandering around looking for other kinds of trouble- I mean "work."
He still got caught up in a drinking contest with a fellow named "Sam." Less said about that, the better.
Apparently due to his name being familiar to her, Azura dragooned him into- no wait- ASKED for his assistance. He obliged and got a rather large, ugly, and seemingly useless piece of jewelry for his trouble.
On the way to Windhelm, Trey and his new friend, Vorstag ran into a woman who had a rather disjointed story about some bandits who have apparently made kidnapping for ransom their specialty.
Investigating caused something of a dilemma, and Trey is still not sure he chose the right path. Vorstag was less than helpful, remarking only that, "Bandits are usually cowards, but these were different."
Back in Whiterun, the two picked up a bounty on a giant. Seemed straightforward enough, except that the giant's herd of mammoth decided to rush to their keeper's assistance. How Vorstag avoided being stomped into jelly is a mystery. Trey avoided such a flat-- I mean "FATE" by rushing directly to a stockade full of bandits. Oops.
Oh well- mammoth steak all around. And a final mystery- how exactly a supposedly HERBIVOROUS mammoth happened to swallow a suit of steel armor... All Trey knows is- if those things ARE going carnivore- he may decide to take his chances with the dragons.
It’s great to hear from Trey, The New Edition! I imagine the giant/mammoth/bandit event was quite a scramble. I love Vorstag’s comments. He’s so earnest and completely unhelpful.
Here's an update from Jensa, Nord barbarian:
So I’ve cleared out a few bandit camps for the Companions. We get paid for the contracts, and all the salvage we find gets spilt between those who did the work. Today I was with Farkas. We got the job done, ate some lunch, and then dug through the cave for goods. I found an amulet with little gems set in it, so I slipped it over my head and went to show Farkas everything I found.
There he was by the cave entrance, dropping mammoth tusks on the loot pile. I swear he does things like that just to annoy me. How am I supposed to find the shiny stuff with my feet tangled up in tusks? Anyway, I laid out the weapons and armor real neat in a row, to show him how it’s done.
Farkas gives me this odd look, and his tone of voice is even stranger. “Are you wearing an Amulet of Mara?”
I say I don’t know much about jewelry. I would feel a little funny telling this huge, filthy warrior that I thought the stones might make my eyes look pretty. Especially since I was sure I still had blood on my face.
“Do you know what it means?” he says.
It means this time you have an excuse for looking at my chest, I almost say, but I don’t want to tease him until I know what’s going on. “Brother, I have no idea.”
He tells me it means I’m interested in marriage. Well, that’s not the way we handle matters in the high passes. I whip the necklace off and put it right on the pile. If we end up keeping each other warm some night, I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.
Yes- dear old Vorstag. I like his response to "here please carry this heavy loot" a LOT better than Lydia's eyerolling sarcasm.
Of course, he was also with Trey on the return to Bleak Falls Barrow (to retrieve the Dragonstone)- at which point he provided the wonderful insight:
"I don't like the looks of this."
A barrow full of draugr, spiders, bandits, traps, and ancient dragon magic- YA THINK?
What does Balimund say when you ask him to make you dinner?
Sigh, Balimund.
Followers are my favorite part of the game. Go get Erik!! You'll love him.
I checked out Vorstag's conversation when he's following Rowan, and he seems to still have all of the home dialog options. They can be somewhere deep in a dungeon and he'll happily fix her dinner, for example. The things he says when she approaches him are the follower remarks, though. "I've got your back" instead of "Nice to see you, my love" and the like.
Jensa has indeed been through some changes. Here's what she says about it:
Things have come to pass, and I know I’m with my real family now. A brother and sister offered me their gift. Now what’s in their blood is also in mine.
I’ve never felt so strong, like finally I’m the way I was meant to be. There’s nothing sweeter than running under the moons. Even in Jorrvaskr I can feel their blood calling out to mine. Hunt. Feed. Let everything else slip away.
Some things aren’t so good, though. I feel hungry all the time. My eyes are starting to fade from blue to ice. My blood burns, and I can’t rest. I wake up looking worse than when I lay down. Now I know why my brothers paint their faces. Pretty soon I’m going to have to paint mine, too.
Yeasterday was a dark day for Hides-His-Hand, my Argonian skirmisher. It all began with a simple fancy to explore Shimmermist cave, you see outside of the cave's entrance strange totems can be found athe the guards of Whiterun claimed unnatural things occurred near there. Being the Thane of the Hold, Hides felt obligated to deal with the "Threat".
"Hides, are you sure about this?"
Lydia and Hides crept through the dank bowls of Shimmermist cave, stopping every so often to examine the crude bone totems tied to posts.
"Lydia someone made all these things. Could be Necromancers though we have yet to find a cache of bodies or even a living soul!"Not a single soul, yet look at these tracks! What c-"
Hides stopped dead in his tracks and raised his hand.
"Shush.... Do you hear that?"
The two strained their ears, trying to pick up anything in the blackness of this cavern. As Hides moves to creep ever closer he hears something distinct. Sniffing and clacking. He turns his attention to the closest back wall, to the tunnel. Lydia tries to move forward but as she does Hides hears the familiar twang of a bow. He tackles Lydia into the ground then scrambles behind a nearby column, dragging Lydia with him.
"What wa-"
"Shush!"
Hides locks eyes with Lydia, memories of another that called him leader creep towards the surface of his mind but he forces them down. No time to bring up old ghosts.
"Lydia, we need to get out of here."
"Someone shoots at us and you want us to leave? Thane, you were obviously right, someone is here."
"Yes and they are fortified! We should get the town guard."
Lydia smirks and shakes her head. She grips the leather bound hilt of her steel blade and charges round the pillar, towards the archer.
"Lydia! Damn it!"
Hides follows after her, fumbling in the dark trying to catch up with the echoing footsteps ahead. An otherworldly screech pierces the dank air followed by Lydia's scream.
"By the Eight and One, not again. Please not again!"
For fear of clogging this up any more I shall suffice to say Lydia and Hides discovered a den of those blind elves. After regrouping they stole into the cave to deal with the remaining abominations until they reached Shimmermist Cavern, which connect to a collapsed Dwemer Ruin... The Leader of the beast was not happy to meet his new guests and activated home security. Lydia and Hides were no match for a Dwemer Centurion. Hides called for a retreat but Lydia was downed. the Beast charged after Hides and the two did battle far from the Centurions reach. Hides bested the beast with superior weaponry and added poisons. He used the same principle on the Centurion with his bow, dodging its scalding bursts of steam.
Once it had fallen Hides looked for Lydia, praying for her safety. The Eight are cruel to my poor Argonian, for there, sprawled out in the middle of the main hall lay the battered and broken form of Lydia. The Centurion was to much. So, with a heavy heart, he laid her to rest as he had done with his last companion, that spunky lass from the Whiterun Tavern, bless her soul, then left to inform the Jarl of his "victory".
Urk! Poor Lydia !!!
Things have come to pass, and I know I’m with my real family now. A brother and sister offered me their gift. Now what’s in their blood is also in mine.
I’ve never felt so strong, like finally I’m the way I was meant to be. There’s nothing sweeter than running under the moons. Even in Jorrvaskr I can feel their blood calling out to mine. Hunt. Feed. Let everything else slip away.
Some things aren’t so good, though. I feel hungry all the time. My eyes are starting to fade from blue to ice. My blood burns, and I can’t rest. I wake up looking worse than when I lay down. Now I know why my brothers paint their faces. Pretty soon I’m going to have to paint mine, too.
This is it, thought Rowan. This is how a little Imperial earns her place among the Nords’ honored dead. Even before I was born, I was made for this moment. There’s only one thing left to do.
Rowan walked to where Vorstag waited, restless under the eyes of most of the Hold’s Guard. He started checking her armor, the way he always did before they faced a fight together.
“It’s time for us to part ways,” she told him.
Vorstag simply nodded. “Your ancestors are smiling, love. I will look for you in Sovngarde.”
Rowan caught his hand. “Don’t look there yet. First go home and stoke up the fire. Spar with Jordis and make me some of your potato soup. This time I won’t be far behind you.”
And then Rowan finished the Main Quest.
*
My condolences to Hides-His-Hand. That frantic search after the battle only to find a crumpled body… Sigh.
Posted this on the wrong topic, whoops.
Balimund just got a HUGE order on Dwemer armor and weapons, guess who is going to brave some Dwemer ruins. Of course Balimund does not want to send Godfrey to the ruins, he already packed a good 20 healing potions, some food, and hired a bodyguard, hired an enchanter to enchant Godfrey's armor and weapons, hired a priest for healing during battles, has prayed to Mara for protection, among other things.
(LOL, I always imagine Balimund as extremely over protective of Godfrey, these past 4 in-game days Godfrey has been doing nothing except stocking up for this "little" adventure, potions, foods, ect. This trip the goal is 15 of each Dwemer smithable item)
Fawkes, I like Godfrey's mission to fill Balimund's order.
mALX, all I can say is that when you get to that part of the MQ, you will know that’s where Rowan had to say goodbye to Vorstag, and why he didn't expect to see her again. Also, OMG that part was so awesome!! They've been moving their junk up to Solitude, I will spare us all by skipping those events.
Jensa can't fix her broken heart, so she's trying to drown it. Here's an update, based very loosely on life in Jorrvaskr:
Every Companion may be in charge of themselves, but that sure doesn’t keep them out of other peoples’ business. There was a new bard at the Bannered Mare last night, so I went down to have a listen. Word is out about some of the things I’ve done for the Hold. I didn’t pay for a drink all night.
The place was full of folk passing through on their way up to Windhelm. When I found a seat between two redheads, I knew it was going to be a lucky night. We swapped stories for awhile until someone said do you want to go upstairs. Well first I checked to make sure neither one was named Sam. They weren’t. I didn’t have to pay for the room, either.
Next thing I knew, it was a sunny afternoon. I crawled back to Jorrvaskr to put some bread in my stomach. Not two seconds through the door I got all kinds of hassle from the other whelps about their songs must not be good enough and why do I want the Bannered Mare’s ale when there’s good mead in the hall. So I went outside to get some air.
That’s when my luck well and truly ran out. The Circle was having one of their silent meetings out there, staring at each other until who knows what they’re doing. Anyway five noses caught my scent. Five sets of eyes told me they knew exactly what I’d been up to, and they’ll know with whom if they ever meet them.
“New blood in town,” said Farkas in that growly voice.
So I dragged my sorry tail up to the forge. Eorlund may be a grumpy fetcher, but he can’t smell me and he never wants to talk. I just might start sleeping up there. It’s the only place a whelp can get some privacy.
SPEW !!! ROFL !!! That is so funny, they want all your fun to be with all of them and are sniffing out the competition like a jealous husband, ROFL !!! Loved this segment !!
I had an extra-long wait in carpool, so here's another page from Jensa:
There’s a woman called Tilma the Haggard who’s been working at Jorrvaskr since Ysmir was a pup. She sweeps a lot but doesn’t clean much. The living quarters are a mess. Anyway I guess she gets an earful just by always being around. “I see everything, hear everything, and know… everything,” she told me. “Oh, I’m a good keeper of secrets. Have to be, in this hall.”
There’s something about a kindly old lady that makes you spill your guts to her. I told her all about how Erik the Slayer is a stout-hearted warrior and so sweet but he just isn’t into me and I’ve been so upset and the rest of it. Well, I left out some of my deeds at the Bannered Mare, but she got the picture.
“There, there,” she said, which wasn’t very helpful but at least I had someone to talk to who isn’t a book.
I felt like there was a load off my mind until about ten minutes later when Torvar put his boozy grin right in my face. “Hells, I’d marry ya! I’d marry ya twice!”
I went to find that scarecrow Tilma and get my hands around her neck, but Vilkas has a nose for trouble. He got to me first.
There’s a rescue job he wants me to do, and fast. He doesn’t want to think about what will happen if I get there too late. Oh, and it’s all the way over near Markarth. And he gave me a look that said I'd better cool off by the time I get back.
So I grabbed Torvar and hit the road. I figure pretty soon he’ll forget what he heard. Hopefully he’ll sober up in a hurry if we meet a dragon. I’ve already gotten better with my healing spell just by working on his hangover. I’m one to talk, but that man does not know when to quit.
SPEW !!! ROFL !!! Tilma the Haggard is always so close-mouthed with the player, obviously that is the only one she keeps secrets to !! ROFL !!! Poor Jensa, lol. You have had me in stitches since Jensa joined the Companions, lol.
Jensa and Torvar have been busy.
Torvar and I finished the job and found ourselves in Riften. “Ah, the meadery!” Torvar said. “Smell that honey on the wind.” I didn’t want to say, but all I could smell was the damned fishery.
We turned in some salvage for gold and then looked around for somewhere to spend it. The first place we saw was called Haelga's Bunkhouse. Haelga wasn’t there, but we got an earful about her from her niece who works for her. “She sleeps with as many as three men in a month!” that wench told us, as if it was any of our business. “What kind of a woman would do that?”
Well I know exactly what kind of woman, without even doing any math. I dragged Torvar out of there before I split that dried-up harpy’s skull. I’m not one to smack a broom-pusher, even if she deserves it.
We got a room at the Bee and Barb and proceeded to drink ourselves to Oblivion. I trust Torvar enough to share a bed, but it took a lot of Black-Briar mead before I was willing to lie down close enough to share his stench. Anyway, we got a late start the next day.
I had a fuzzy head for awhile, but I didn’t complain because Torvar didn’t. When we came upon a frostbite spider I realized that he was suffering. We spread out to flank it. Torvar drew steel and slurred out to me, “Remember, aim for the middle one!” I guess he only looks like he can hold his drink. Gods help us if we really do meet three spiders.
“Remember, aim for the middle one!”
Not comforting at ALL.
There’s also Genuine Falmer Blood Elixir, “Make love like a sabre cat.” Whatever that means. Good hunting to Godfrey and Erandur!
Jensa has experienced another http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h361/grits29/RebelJensa.jpg. Here’s how she explains it. The short version: It Was All Her Fault.
Things have happened that I’m not proud of. I got in a fight with Njada Stonearm that turned ugly quick. Everyone got involved this time. I thought Skjor was really going to kill me. The old man called me a drunken lout, so I sat down with Torvar and proved him right. I woke up on the carriage halfway to Windhelm. Talos bless whoever packed my gear. They let me have my journal.
When I got to Windhelm it was windy as a bard and snowing sideways. I marched into the Palace of the Kings to give that Ulfric Stormcloak a piece of my mind. Now I know why the Imperials stuffed a rag in his mouth. It wasn’t just his Thu’um they were worried about, he might have talked half the Legion into joining his side. It only took a few words from him before I spoke up and volunteered. I’m still not sure what I was thinking.
I guess they get a lot of young women mooning around after Jarl Ulfric, because he sent me straight to his second in command to make it official. Ralof hasn’t made it back to Windhelm to vouch for me, so they still think I’m a criminal. Or maybe I looked at his bear hat funny, or maybe he doesn’t like a girl who carries big steel. I could have told him that mine was only longer than his because I need the reach. Anyway he sent me out on the ice to prove myself again and get seriously annoyed.
I came back with blood frozen through to my skin, and that old bear laughed. Said Jarl Ulfric never doubted me. That sounded like another line, but I let it go. I get the sense that these military types wouldn’t like it if I jumped their commanding officer, even if he deserved it. My commander now. I took the Oath before Talos, and now I have a king.
Gods, I hope Ralof’s all right.
Aravi has yet to get involved with either faction in the civil war. The Imperials got very close to chopping her head off and the Stormcloaks just don't like Khajiit.
Things have happened that I’m not proud of. I got in a fight with Njada Stonearm that turned ugly quick. Everyone got involved this time. I thought Skjor was really going to kill me. The old man called me a drunken lout, so I sat down with Torvar and proved him right. I woke up on the carriage halfway to Windhelm. Talos bless whoever packed my gear. They let me have my journal.
When I got to Windhelm it was windy as a bard and snowing sideways. I marched into the Palace of the Kings to give that Ulfric Stormcloak a piece of my mind. Now I know why the Imperials stuffed a rag in his mouth. It wasn’t just his Thu’um they were worried about, he might have talked half the Legion into joining his side. It only took a few words from him before I spoke up and volunteered. I’m still not sure what I was thinking.
I guess they get a lot of young women mooning around after Jarl Ulfric, because he sent me straight to his second in command to make it official. Ralof hasn’t made it back to Windhelm to vouch for me, so they still think I’m a criminal. Or maybe I looked at his bear hat funny, or maybe he doesn’t like a girl who carries big steel. I could have told him that mine was only longer than his because I need the reach. Anyway he sent me out on the ice to prove myself again and get seriously annoyed.
I came back with blood frozen through to my skin, and that old bear laughed. Said Jarl Ulfric never doubted me. That sounded like another line, but I let it go. I get the sense that these military types wouldn’t like it if I jumped their commanding officer, even if he deserved it. My commander now. I took the Oath before Talos, and now I have a king.
Gods, I hope Ralof’s all right.
Things have happened that I’m not proud of. I got in a fight with Njada Stonearm that turned ugly quick. Everyone got involved this time. I thought Skjor was really going to kill me. The old man called me a drunken lout, so I sat down with Torvar and proved him right. I woke up on the carriage halfway to Windhelm. Talos bless whoever packed my gear. They let me have my journal.
When I got to Windhelm it was windy as a bard and snowing sideways. I marched into the Palace of the Kings to give that Ulfric Stormcloak a piece of my mind. Now I know why the Imperials stuffed a rag in his mouth. It wasn’t just his Thu’um they were worried about, he might have talked half the Legion into joining his side. It only took a few words from him before I spoke up and volunteered. I’m still not sure what I was thinking.
I guess they get a lot of young women mooning around after Jarl Ulfric, because he sent me straight to his second in command to make it official. Ralof hasn’t made it back to Windhelm to vouch for me, so they still think I’m a criminal. Or maybe I looked at his bear hat funny, or maybe he doesn’t like a girl who carries big steel. I could have told him that mine was only longer than his because I need the reach. Anyway he sent me out on the ice to prove myself again and get seriously annoyed.
I came back with blood frozen through to my skin, and that old bear laughed. Said Jarl Ulfric never doubted me. That sounded like another line, but I let it go. I get the sense that these military types wouldn’t like it if I jumped their commanding officer, even if he deserved it. My commander now. I took the Oath before Talos, and now I have a king.
Gods, I hope Ralof’s all right.
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