Nah dude, if I'm dying, my last words would be "I hid the million dollars near the..."

...Near the what?

Yeesh, I know just how poor LHM feels here! I keep jumping into old forts and caves in the northern parts for a dungeon dive and half the time I end up getting murdered! The northern parts of the Skyrim are absolutely merciless for lower level characters, especially all the places that are infested by rogue mages.

And I'm happy to entertain, Elisabeth! I'll admit I'm having a hell of a lot fun playing Terrenna. Mainly because I can play as the psychotically greedy borderline-sociopathic that's my usual playing persona and still keep up a roleplay (just as a complete moron instead).

Extract from the Journal of Terrenna Calmenin

Day 5
So myself and my main squeeze got to Winterhold, stopping by Windhelm on the first night of the journey. Windhelm was a bit rubbish, mainly because everyone kept giving me trouble for being a Dark Elf. I'd like to see how much trouble those damn Stormcloaks want to give me when they're on fire and dead.

Note to self: Join Legion. Burn Stormcloaks in a way that's totally legal. Also, liberate oppressed brethren etc etc.

Closer to the present, though, and I made it to Winterhold. I got there fairly late in the night so I decided I'd try the college in the morning; in the inn, I chatted to the Jarl of the region, Jarl Korir. He was nice, and asked me to pick up the Helm of Winterhold for him from an old shipwreck. I did a couple of oddjobs for people aroudn town in the evening and stole a staff from an Altmer to give to another Dark Elf in exchange for some hints on chatting people up, and helped a drunk settle his debts, and got the Helm from a shipwreck in the morning [Mustard's note: I actually got given this quest twice due to a glitch, but as the reward was 500 septims, I wasn't complaining...]. Apparently all this helping people business is a good thing, as the Jarl made me Thane of Winterhold! That's another title to add to my collection (three titles in a week, I've been productive).

Anyway, after a productive morning I headed off to the College. Unlike the rest of the place, it wasn't a dump.It was pretty cool, in fact, sitting on this big rocky outcrop. Learned two new spells today, those being Fear and Lesser Ward. Neither of them involve fire so I doubt I'll be using them in future. I also met some of the other apprentices including Brelyna, a Dark Elf like me and J'Zargo. J'Zargo's great; he's all about Destruction magic like I am and we really hit it off. I also got given my own room in the Hall of Attainment with an alchemy table nearby with a whole ton of ingredients to use [Mustard's note: Expensive potions ho!!] and some new robes to help me regenerate magicka quickly and cast destructions spells with less energy, and a hood that improves my overall magicka capacity [Mustard again: The Novice Robes of Destruction and Novice Hood, along the perk I took for halving the amount of magicka that Adept-level destruction spells need are an absolute godsend; I'm able to rapid-fire firebolts at lower level enemies and slam the higher-level ones with a couple of the dual cast ones before Lydia finishes them off. Makes my life so much easier].

So we did some tutelage stuff and tomorrow we're going to check out an old ruin called Sarthaal. This evening, however, I'm using my newly-acquired status of Thane of Winterhold to requisition a few barrels of ale and booze; J'Zargo and I are having ourselves and all the new apprentices a party. Freshers week, whoop!

Can I just post the important stats on here? I doubt anyone wants to know how many hours my elf has waited, lol

Speaking of, do we HAVE to post stats, or can I just post the gameplay?

Elisabeth, feel free to post whatever you are inspired to write. Some folks like to keep to the facts, while others fictionalize things to varying degrees. I’ve seen one character’s game story told entirely through reports and letters written about him by NPCs. All are welcome.

Yesterday Revansch had a thief come up to her and give her 500 gold, which he said was her cut of his earning. Only Revansch has never done a single Thieves Guild quest?!?

I suspect that the thief was reacting to Revansch's armor. The Nightengale armor is a reward in the Thieves Guild quest line.

I'm the only one who posts stats in detail, and it's mostly because I like looking back at where my character was at a certain point in time.



Do whatever you like. It's creative writing. You don't have to post a long, elaborate story either. Some folks are perfectly content with...

Today Sasha went to Whiterun. Killed several bandits afterwards. Farkas would have been proud, had he been there.

and leave it at that. Me on the other hand....

Middas, 1:16 PM, 31st of Evening Star

Days Passed: 136

It has been two days since Lord Haaf-Mersey has slept. He's walking along a road he's never been on before, and comes across another traveller. The traveller seems friendly, and does not draw his war axe.

"Oy'm on my way to Solitude", he says. "A united Empire is better for everyone".

The Lord neither agrees nor disagrees with this statement. He just wants to walk with this man (safety in numbers, again) and find a way to get back to Dawnstar, where he left Marcurio behind.

He looks at his map, and sees he must be near Solitude. And while following the man, the two come across what looks to be a village or town way up near the sky. This must be the place. Haaf-Mersey is curious about Solitude, which does not seem as run-down as some other areas of Skyrim, but he cannot waste time. He must get back to Dawnstar.

"Been up to the Blue Palace?" asks a guard as the Lord walks onto a dock. "Tis a sight to see. Even if it is filled with fops".

Lol I've never heard that one before

2:00 PM
"'Hoy there".

The Crusader from Cyrodiil finds a man sitting on a dock, near a smaller boat.

"Looking to hire a boat?"

"I am".

"Where are ya headed?"

"Dawnstar, please". Lord Haaf-Mersey can barely keep his eyes open.

"Climb on in the boat and get comfortable".

Lord Haaf-Mersey does so, and is asleep in minutes.



10:47 PM

"Let me know if there's anything else you need".

Lord Haaf-Mersey arrives in Dawnstar, only to find Marcurio did not wait here for him.

"Very well then. I shall have to go to Falkreath, then. And see to my little girl Lucia".

Haaf-Mersey plans on staying in Falkreath for awhile. As he eats some baked potatoes and beef with goat cheese melted upon them, he decides it is time to bring his manor-house into full order. Falkreath also needs his assistance, and he can become the village's Thane if he accomplishes two more tasks for the Jarl.

He also wants to seek out a wife. Being around a seductive and charmful creature such as Serana has .... touched something inside he did not know existed, by Dibella! He can't have Serana, but there must be plenty of other potentials about, in either Falkreath or Whiterun.

Frdas, 1:24 PM, 2nd of Morning Star

"No! Leave me alone!"

"I'll kill you if I have to!"

Lord Haaf-Mersey is taken by surprise. As he nears his home, he cannot believe it. His girl is under attack!

"YE SHALT PERISH IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, MISCREANTS!"

The Lord unsheaths his silver sword, and starts battling the attackers. Bandits? This scum seems a bit more well-equipped than the typical bandit. They are wearing steel, not furs and leather.

"Pray to Stendarr while you can!"

"I have. And yet to Arkay shall ye bow as ye fall!"

One by one the enemies perish. Haaf-Mersey apparently kills their leader, and a nearby archer decides to give up the fight.

"No more! I yield I yield!"

"You had better. For I shalt take thee to face thine maker, otherwise".

As the archer leaves, Haaf-Mersey searches for Lucia, casting Detect Life all the while. She appears far away as a blue image in his vision,

"Papa! You're back! Look what I found! Here, take it!"

"I have returnth mine little one. And I have a little something for thee as well!"

ha ha, he remembered her gifts this time!

"What is it? What is it?"

He gives her a blue dress, finally replacing the wretched green one she's been wearing since her Whiterun days. He also gives her a couple of dolls, and a honey nut treat.

"Thanks!"

I have no idea what she gave him. Went thru his inventory, and nothing is really standing out. I also wanna say how AWFUL that was. Those bandits were literally swinging at Lucia from close range! Something needs to be done about this, and this is the reason Haaf-Mersey needs to marry. Or become Thane. I think Thanes get a natural follower, right? If this follower is a female, and LHM likes her, all they gotta do is go to Riften and seal the deal

The next morning, LHM was surprised to hear an additional set of foot steps in his house. Turns out, Marcurio returned here. LHM can't get rid of the guy. Lol.

I suppose it must be. I looked in the CK and the Nightingale pieces have a "Nightingale Armor" keyword. The Thieves must be keying off of that. It surprised me though. I knew they would do that after you finish the TG questline. So I thought it was some sort of scripted variable that was kicked off in one of the last TG quests. Like the way random dragons are kicked off when you deliver the dragonstone to Farengar and kill the first dragon outside Whiterun. Instead the Thieves themselves must have a script that causes them to look for those keywords in your gear, then if they find them they give you money instead of attack you. But I could swear that Thieves have attacked Revansch before...

ES games are always full of surprises. One you think you know how things work, presto! they surprise you again.

LHM is jousting in the lists of love, eh? Well, I could certainly see him and Mjoll the Lioness getting on rather well indeed.

And Elisabeth, there's no right or wrong way to do these. You want to post up bullet points of what you did, bullet points are fine. You want to do a journal, a journal is fine. you want to do prose, and prose is fine. Hell, if you wanted to write it in the style of an Icelandic Saga I doubt anybody would complain about the style of that!

Anyway, Terrenna's day in Skyrim...kinda sucked. First off, it's hit this bizarre glitch where no spells consume magicka; as she's a mage, it basically means that I'm playing with cheats whether I like it or not, and removes any real sense of challenge (it's now possible to spam firebolt with one hand and just hold down Heal with the other). Secondly, Lydia died! She got murdered by a powerful Draugr under Sarthaal and it left me kind of annoyed; now I have nobody to lug all my stuff around!

In any case, with that game broken I thought I might try a new character; Terrenna was kind of fun, but I was never really able to get into the role of a pure spellcaster and I do like Skyrim best when I'm in somebody's face with a weapon. So with that in mind, I started a new game as The Kid. I've been playing a lot of Bastion lately, so I'm trying the narration style in the same vein as that you get from the game's narrator; if you want an example of what this is like, I'll point you in the direction of this Let's Play.

So without further ado, we shall begin the tale of The Kid!




Well, if the Kid had one thing going for him that day, it was luck. The others were merciful, if you could call leaving him with a weapon, an old, rusty suit of armour, and a weapon merciful. But even when he was on the Bard's Leap Summit, he knew that he'd got lucky. He thought about going after them, but he didn't; no point trying to take revenge for a stupid mistake like his.

It's getting dark by this point, so the Kid looks for shelter. First place he tries is an old abandoned tower, off in the distance; inside he finds himself a Hagraven who seems eager to make his acquaintance and give him a nice and warm greeting of fireballs and claws. Now, the Kid ain't no pushover; he's a good shot with a bow, can swing a weapon pretty well and he's Breton, so he can cast a spell or two without too much trouble. But Hagravens are nasty old creatures, all hate and black magic, so he finds himself running away; no point dying like a fool so soon.

The next place the Kid tries is an old grotto; the Spriggans there don't take kindly to uninvited guests and the Kid finds himself having to run once more. It seems like tonight ain't a night where he's gonna be allowed to sleep, so he decides he's gonna have to try something else.

O' course, by this point, he realises something; the cities out to the east don't know who he is. Sure, the Folks over in the Reach might not take kindly to him, but there are other holds. He keeps his head down and stays out of trouble for a few months, and he should be fine. Hell, if he stays away from Markarth long enough they'll probably forget they even have a bounty on his head, what with all the trouble they're having with the Forsworn. The way he figures, he can head to Whiterun, maybe get himself a job as a mercenary with the Companions or something like that.

His road's a lonely one, the only company that he gets on that journey are a couple of wolves who try to stop him. The Kid stops them instead. He skins them, figuring he can make some coin from their hides, and heads on his way.

Dawn's rising overhead as he finally reaches Whiterun. He's footsore, tired and hungry, but he's got himself to civilisation and he's got himself a fresh start. And he's sure as hell hoping to make the most of it.

Huh. That's a painted up glitch, the magicka one. Has that been reported by other gamers?

On the other hand, it's good to read about the Kid. It sounds like you're just as addicted to this game as I am. Glitch shows up in one game? Start another! Lol. I am at the point where my newest character (Sharonne the Ice Witch) has a story that I'm (finally) not going to be writing up. Her story is kinda similar to Skankee Krahk-ho's story, so I have been gaming with her when I don't feel like writing. LHM still will get the bulk of his tale written, of course.

This is my Attmer, Kayla.I picked this name because it's my real nameand didn't feel like being creative and givng her her own name.

Also, my keys are sticking. My husband spilled my hot chocolate and some splashed on my laptop. He did this while gracefully trying to hope over our couch and sit. He broke three glasses. So please be ind aout spelling mistakes, lol

I can't believe this. I can't believe this. I got dragged into another campaign against the undead.

I HATE undead.

Falk called me again to deal with Potema. I hate Necromancers. I hate undead. You're dead. Stop acting like you're alive!
I sneak in the chapel's undercroft and dispatch any draugr and vaampires I see. Blech. Draugr disgust me the most. Their dried up bodies with their sinewy muscles showing, skin rotted off but not so rotten they are skeletons.
I keep my Ebony bow on hand. If I can kill them from a distance, I won't smell them. If I can smell them, they're too close.

Potema has called me to her side. When she spoke, my vision grew fuzzy. I wasn't expecting her to use her magicka to contact me. I'll have to steel myself for any future contact.

Draugr rose from the walls, from the water, and vampires snapped and struck at me. I kept checking my pack for cure disease potions, but I can't find any. I'm probably panicking too much to see them. It's okay, Kayla. Just get Potema's skull and bring it to Styrr. That wonderful, wonderful man who would consecrate Potema's skull and I would never have to deal with her again.

The temple's undercroft eventually turned into a cave. I will never understand why Skyrim has so many caves. How has it not collapsed from under them? A blinding light shone from above in the next room after I killed a vampire. I absentmindedly wondered why no one noticed a giant hole in Solitude as I shot the resting draugr against the wall. I heard a choked growl. Oh Sithis! One was hidden behind the pillar! I unsheathed Dawnbreaker and quickly stabbed his dried up body until it no longer moved. As a precaution I loaded the strongest fireball spell I had to burnt the corpse of the...corpse.

I continued. I saw a large lever in the center of the room. I stared at it. What...why?? Where's the gods-damned door? I pull it and duck. The wall next to me makes a grinding, scraping sound that makes my teeth hurt. I now hate ancient Nords.

I try to duck through the opening when the bars rise. I barely slip through before being crushed in half. (at this point my notes simply say "turns in" and I have no idea why I wrote that.) I see an alchemy station, and around it are old potions and dried ingredients. I taste one potion; it's a very strong healing potion. I put that in my pack and open the other one and stop myself from tasting it. Judging from the smell and viscosity and...the smell, it's Frostbite Spider venom. Wonderful. I put that in my pack as well.

The equipment seems to be functioning alright, so I check my ingredients. The only useful thing I could make is a slow poison, and a damage magicka poison. I mixed these two together. I don't know what form Potema will be in, and in case she has possessed one of her undead servants, I'll need this.

I walk through the door and hear...too much activity. That grinding, scraping sound can be heard. I slink to the next room, down the stairs and see the rotating doors. No one else seems to be around. So I stand up straight and pull a lever. One door stops...aw, Sithis. I pull it again and it continues in the other direction. I think I've figured this out. Eventually all three doors have an opening for me and I slip though quietly. But not quietly enough.

In the next room I see a draugr...no, a draugr DEATHLORD on a throne, his head bowed. A vampire casually walks out from behind the pillar and addresses me. Once he mentioned joining Potema, I lost it. I ran at him so fast he yelled in surprise. When Dawnbreaker's blade sunk into his cold flesh, an explosion resonated from the blade, reducing the vampire to ash. Tears stung my eyes. I will never, ever be ANYONE'S slave.

I heard the sound of old bones and joints rubbing against each other, papery muscles gaining strength and an old throat finding its voice.

The deathlord.

I had rushed the vampire without forming a plan of attack. I pretend I can't hear him, so when he raises up his sword for the death blow, I see it in the fire light. Right before he strikes I roll out of the way. The greatsword hits the stone ground and I can see the vibration in the sword. He doesn't care. He opens his mouth.

"FUS, RO DAH!"

I hit the stone wall, Dawnbreaker knocked out of my grasp. "Oh yeah?" I choke out. "Two can play at this game."

I take in a deep breath as the Deathlord rushes me and put all of my strength in the shout.

"IIZ!" Arms raised in another final strike, one that would have surely killed me or wounded me beyond saving, the draugr's mangled face was frozen under the ice in a look of rage. I grabbed Dawnbreaker and searched frantically through my pack for a healing potion. I had about ten seconds. I find the one from the room, and see some of my potions were broken. Sithis. I downed this one and coughed at the bitter taste of the ancient potion. Potions are NOT like wine.

I stand up and gripped Dawnbreaker. I could see the ice melting. This gods-damned leathery piece of Mammoth dung was NOT going to kill me before I killed Potema for good.

Great post Elisabeth Hollow! I can understand why there are so many spelling mistakes. Not much you can do about a broken keyboard. Though I'd reccoment putting quotation marks on all of the character dialogue, I'm not sure if it's due to your keyboard sticking. Great Write! Seems quite interesting

I see quotation marks on all dialogue...Hmmm...I bet you're talking about inner dialogue. I didn't specify when she was thinking lol

Oh I see. I just got a bit confused ( I'm a bit dyslexic so sometimes I read stuff backwards or wrong )

It's cool :]

*

WOO HOO !!! Elisabeth !!! Very powerful beginning! I loved the Potema quest, that dungeon, and LOVED what you did with it in this chapter! This feels like a Kayla is a friend telling me about her day, I absolutely love that! I have no nits to mention at all, this was absolutely perfect !!!!


*

awww! ---gets teary-eyed-- Thanks!!

Not that I know of, though I don't really frequent any forums where people report glitches and so forth, so I can't really say either way.

But yeah, I'm beginning to relapse back into my old Skyrim addiction now that I've played all the 2012 releases I was into and 2013 doesn't really have all that much that interests me. Plus with the DLC and the big load of mods abounding that I haven't tried yet I've now got a whole ton of new content to try; I'm trying to work the Kid up to level 15 or so and get him some good shouts so I can try the Moonpath to Elswyr mod.

I'm loving Kayla btw; I haven't actually done the Potema quest yet (never hung around Solitude all that much) but it's a great read and dead exciting, especially the fight with the Deathlord; those things are nasty pieces of work, and no mistake...



The Kid makes a stop just outside of town to trade goods with a small group Khajiit who've set up camp just outside the gate; gets rid of his mace and shield that he got lumbered with and finds himself a few health potions. As well as this, he gets himself a weapon more to his liking, an old iron hammer with a fire enchantment on him. Give that Kid a hammer and there ain't much he can't smash down with it.

So he heads inside town, looking for some work to do and coin to make. He lends his hand at a forge at Warmaidens, learning the basics of smithing and metalwork, and makes a little coin selling what he puts together. With that done, he makes his way to Jorrvaskr, the home of the Companions.

His greeting ain't much, what with all involved being distracted by a fistfight going on between a Dark Elf and a Nord. Figuring he ain't gonna have a chance to talk to anyone before it's over, the Kid watches. Once that's done, he asks a couple of questions about joining, and is sent to talk to old Kodlak Whitemane, Harbinger of the Companions. Kodlak takes a shine to him, says he can join if he beats Vilkas in a duel. The Kid agrees, knowing that he should be just fine when it comes to swinging his hammer. When he's asked what his name is, his says; "Folks call me the Kid." The Companions don't ask any more about it. The Kid appreciates that a lot.

He's given dogsbody work after that, fetching and carrying, sent off to a farm to go act as the muscle in some dispute. Once he gets back from that job, Skjor wants to talk to him; says he's going to an old tomb by the name of Dustman's Cairn, that he needs to fetch a fragment of the Axe Wuuthrad, the weapon once used by Ysgramor himself. Farkas is gonna go with him, see how the Kid does, and if he makes a good account of himself Skjor says he can call himself a Companion. The Kid agrees.

The journey there ain't long, and there ain't much chatter in it; neither Farkas nor the Kid are folks much inclined towards talk, and so without much talking they get along just fine. The Cairn itself has a few more surprises for them beyond just Draugr and traps, though; a bunch of crusader-bandits calling themselves the Silver Hand are waiting for them in that old tomb. At one point, the Kid gets cut off from Farkas, leaving the Companion to fend for himself against a bunch of Silver Hands who think they have him cornered. The thing they forgot is this; you back a beast into a corner and it'll fight twice as vicious to get out of there.

The Kid ain't too bothered about Farkas' little secret of being a werewolf, and he swears himself to silence; he never took the time for gossip in any case, so that's one thing that ain't much trouble to do. Once the Kid's set free, they set to work their way through the tomb; the undead and the Silver Hand alike find them too much to handle, and no matter what they throw at them Farkas and the Kid just knock them back. Some of them the Kid takes with his bow, but most of the time he uses his old, reliable friend, his hammer.

They find the fragment right at the bottom of the tomb, and the Kid finds something else real interesting too; an old wall, carved with funny runes of a kind that he's not seen before. So once all the Draugr are cleared out, he takes a moment to have a look at it. He gets a funny feeling, let's call it intuition, that he knows what one of those runes means; the word 'Inferno'; and somehow he gets the sense that if he some kinda key, he could unlock that rune's power. He does that, but that's a story for another day.

So the Kid and Farkas head back to Jorrvaskr. Farkas does him the favour of helping him claim a bounty on a bandit chief in Redoran's Retreat on the way, but once they're back in town, the Kid's taken round the back of the Companions' hall. The whole bunch of them are gathered there to meet him, and he's sworn in, one of the group.

I LIKE this narration. It makes him seem like a cowboy!

Nice job Elizabeth Hollow! Other than in your preamble, I didn't really notice any spelling errors. I've done that Potema's Skull quest a couple times before, but as usual my memory is pretty bad so I barely remember it. Good to be able to read it in a story form.

The Kid: will he accept 'The Gift' from the Companions? that is the question....

Mustard, good luck with The Kid! Gotta love a Kid with a hammer.

Elisabeth H., I feel your keyboard pain. I have worn some of the letters off on mine. It does not help my spelling. I loved your post about Kayla!

Mikke of Green River and Torvar climbed the 7,000 steps. Here’s what she says about it:

I was wrong about the rain. By mid-morning Mother Kyne was smiling. We made the climb with wind in our ears and sun on our heads.

Torvar made good use of his new dragonbone bow. I only had to draw steel once in four frost trolls. We took our time and stayed away from the pilgrims. Some folk come to look at the plaques along the steps and meditate or some such sitting down activity. The words I need are written in blood and bone, and Julianos knows that Torvar is not one for reading. None of them looked like they were lost or injured, so we walked on by. I guess the trolls just have a nose for dragon blood.

The Greybeards had a lot to say for old men under an oath of silence. At least one of them did. He’s not their master, though. He tried to talk around the subject of who that is, and why I can’t meet him yet. It’s possible that the old man takes me for a fool. I know what lives on mountain peaks. The whole time we were there a part of me was calling out to one of my own. I was right to ignore the summons for so long. The wolf blood drowned it out for a long time. Now I have whispering Words and Greybeards’ Shouts coming at me from all directions. It’s damned unsettling.

The weather held for the trip back down. Once when we stopped Torvar said he could see Jorrvaskr. My eyes went north to Sofie and Alesan, and Roggi. I know they are safe together and loved the way they deserve.

Then I looked at Torvar, and he looked at me. We made camp under some rocks where the wind wouldn’t blow out the fire. Soon enough we’ll be back on the trail going after a bandit or a dragon or finding some old thing for somebody. For now he is mine and I am his. The world can wait.

.

OK, I had to leave in the middle of posting as often happens. Anyway Mikke and Torvar were attacked by cultists as soon as they strolled into Ivarstead. One of them had A Note. So it’s off to Solstheim! That was fast. I probably won’t write anything about the Dragonborn MQ since most people aren’t playing it yet, or if I do I’ll put it in spoiler tags even though this is the spoiler section. Just seems nicer that way.

*Claps*

So are the cultists the worshipers of the Big Bad in the DLC?

Indeed. The Girl has run into one even though she does not have dragons active. Her Solstheim is somewhat disrupted in a way that would be resolved by doing the MQ, but I’m sure you can deal with that through a mod or console command. It’s nothing so bad as the Dawnguard vampire attacks, but it could get annoying.

Here are some thoughts from Mikke:

The Skaal have named us friend and welcomed us to their village. A part of me longs to stay here and live among them with Torvar in the old way. They exist in harmony with the land and all upon it, for they are one. Each of them knows the peace that comes without fear of separation, for death to them is a drop of rain returning to the river. But I know I can’t be like that. My love is too selfish and far too deep.

I have met my enemy, and I fear him. He pinned me in place with his will as if I was no more than an errant pup. I fear for Torvar. This foe is too great for him. It’s likely that our deaths will be worthy of song, but he will not find me in Sovngarde. Nor will I run with him in the Hunting Grounds. Perhaps this is what draws me to the Skaal. They do not try to hold on, so they have little to lose.

I thought you had to do the main quest up until the Jurgen Windcaller quest before the Solstheim main quest could start? How did The Girl get around that? I would like to know, because it is probably the only way I will ever be able to do the Solstheim mq.

btw, have I ever mentioned that Mikke's name always makes me think of this song?

You do. There is Big Bad activity going on in Solstheim already, but the Dragonborn quests don’t start unless you have completed The Way of the Voice (which starts the Jurgen Windcaller quest). The cultist in The Girl’s game was in Solstheim, not

I love that song. Mikke was partly named for a real person who is called “Green River.” The real Green River’s life would actually make a pretty good story.

Continuing Kayla's quest!




I hopped over the almost-thawed body of the draugr Deathlord, casting a fire rune on the ground. I turned around and steeled my nerves for the imment explosion, Dawnbreaker in one hand and a firebolt spell in the other. As I expected, the Deathlord stepped on the rune and a fiery explosion engulfed him in flames. he never stopped. He gripped his sword and took a deep breath and-

Got a firebolt straight into his mouth. I don't have time for this. As he recoiled from the force(apparently they don't feel pain) I severed his head from his body. I can't do this. I can't deal with this. I want to go home to Onmund. I want to feel his stubble against my cheek as he whispers "Hello, my love."

Tears spilled from my eyes as I cried in rage. I threw a fireball spell at the Deathlord's corpse and coughed as it burned. I dropped to one knee. This isn't fair. This...drive to help people, when it could kill me. The knowledge that if it isn't me, it would be no one. There would be no one to protect Onmund, or keep the world safe for our future children.

I stood up and wiped the snot and tears onto the back of my hand and pressed on. I don't have time for this. I have to kill Potema.

Eventually I came to a room full of draugr. The stench was overwhelming. I gagged and heaved, and failed in stepping gingerly over them and ended up tripping over one with its hands reested in the funeral position. I grasp the gate bars and ehar Potema speak again. I shut my eyes. NO.

The draugr rise. I panic, casting a fire rune spell on the ground in th middle of the room, incinerating the first one that stepped on it. My panic subsides when I see that not all of the draugr have risen, only five, including the one I killed. I gripped Dawnbreaker and hoped for the effect I needed to get out of this situation.

I dug my sword into the first one and it crumpled. Nope, no explosion. Sithis. The other three rallied in a line in front of me and I was cornered. "IIZ!" I got two of them with my Ice Form shout, the other with only his arm frozen. sadly, not his sword arm. I had little room to use my sword, so I had to use my magicka. Firebolt after firebolt, he finally caught fire. Kept at bay by the sheer force of my magicka, yet ignoring the fire that would have made the strongest Orc scream from the searing pain, he finally caught fire and burned. His body caught the other body on fire and the gate opened. I ran. The other draugr did not follow.

I'm guessing because in the next room, there was Potema. She issued a challenge, and from the crypts on the walls in the large room came her minions. Dawnbreaker tasted undead flesh over and over, and when each draugr's dried up heart was pierced by it, a holy(unholy?) explosion reduced the draugr to ashes and caused any nearby to flee. I defeated the last draugr at the top of the steps by the large wooden door opposite to the one I entered in, and dodged Potema's spirit as it blasted the door open and posessed her skull. I rushed the foul spirit, plunging Dawnb4reaker to the hilt in Potema's chest with a roar. And that was it. I collected the skull and left the undercroft back the way I came.

The priests and priestesses gasped and nodded to me as I passed. I went to the Hall of the Dead, earning myself a few stares out in the daylight. I handed Potema's skull to Syrr and said simply "Here." He went on about how great a service I had done, but I hardly listened. I walked to the Blue Palace, in my dirty armor, and told him the deed was done. He sung me praises and I took my compensation and left. I took the next carriage to Whiterun.

The whole trip I felt woozy. Any sleep I did get was plauged with nightmares, and my head hurt so much that sunlight made it worse, and no food would make the terrible cramps in my stomach ease. Onmund greeted me with excitement, then fear. He rushed me into bed where I slept for a day.

When I awoke, I felt better. Onmund gave me a small smile but I could tell her was still worried. "When you want to talk about it," he murmured, "you can tell me."

"It was Potema," I whispered. "And she had so many draugr, and so many vampires."

His eyes widened. "Vampires?! Did you take a potion?"

I felt the color drain from my face. Onmund's face surely matched mine. "Take my hand. We are going to the Temple of Kynereth."

I grasped his hand and feebly stood up. He led me to the door. when he opened it, the light felt like it literally hit me. I drew in my breath sharply.

"Why is it so bright? I can hardly stand it!"

At that point, I vomited on the floor.

Wait, so you've got your invitation to Solstheim but you haven't done any of the MQ? That's strange. I like Mikke, by the way; she's got a good 'voice' for a character and I enjoyed her reflections on the Skaal (man, I missed those guys).

And that was an absolutely riveting read, Elisabeth! You've a real knack for writing intense and exciting fight scenes.


And now for an update on the Kid.


The next few days for the Kid are busy ones, most of it being taking bounties for the Companions or old man Balgruuf. It's makework, but he's learning while he does it, and finding it strange to see the other side of things when it comes to bounty hunting. Most of his time in Whiterun is spent up at Jorrvaskr, getting to know the Companions, or learning how to shape steel with Eorlund Grey-Mane at the Skyforge. He gets himself a few more spells, too, most useful one being an Alteration spell called Oaksin; not much is going to get through a magical shield and a good set of steel that he's managed to forge for himself. He even gets himself a new hammer, an orc made one, enchants it to deal fire damage too; a hammer, a bow, and an alteration spell might not be the fanciest things to take to a fight, but they sure work.

Then Skjor says he wants to speak to him, meet him at the base of the Skyforge come nighttime. The Kid agrees, and come darkness, he's there with Skjor and Aela. The two of them take him to a secret place, a cave called the Underforge, and there they make him an offer; become a part of the circle, take the beast blood. Become a werewolf.

The Kid considers this for a few moments. On one hand, everything he's been told, ever since he was just a little boy dandled on the knees of his dear old grandma, says that werewolves are evil, but the Companions are decent folk, he knows that much, and he ain't a fan of the Silver Hand. So he agrees. Takes the beast blood, becomes one of the circle, one of the pack.

When he comes to, he's near an abandoned fortress, name of Gallows Rock. Aela's waiting for him, explained she followed as he turned, kept him out of trouble and under control. The Kid's grateful, wondering what he's doing here. The place is a Silver Hand stronghold, with a small army of them holed up in there, lead by a real nasty piece of work by the name Krev the Skinner. I'll leave you to guess how she got that name. Skjor had already headed inside by another entrance, to hit them with a pincer movement, and Aela wanted her and the Kid to be the second wave. The Kid takes the beast form again, and they go in.

The Silver Hand put up a hard fight, but it isn't anything the two of them couldn't handle. The Kid's the one who soaks up most of the hurt, with a good suit of steel and spell to absorb the worst of what they can throw at him, and Aela hangs back, doing what she does best with her bow. It's when they fight their way to the bottom fo the fort and find Krev, that's when they realise what's happened.

Skjor didn't make it. He fought hard but there were too many Siver Hand and only one of him. Krev pays for it, though the Kid and Aela make sure of that.

It doesn't take a genius to see that Aela's angry as a soul can be. She gives the Kid some orders; go clear out a group of Silver Hand up at Fort Fellhammer, then report back to Jorrvasrk and we'll take out more of the Silver Hand. The Kid's happy to oblige.

There were a good two dozen Silver Hand hold up in Fort Fellhammer. Only the Kid walks away from it alive.

The next few days are going to be bad ones to spend being part of the Silver Hand, the Kid's sure of that.

Uh oh. What a riveting update, Elisabeth!

Mustard, it sounds like the Kid is experiencing some dark days. I remember the quests that follow through my character's red rage.


No, Mikke got her invitation as soon as The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller started (early in the MQ), which is how it’s supposed to happen.

You can go to Solstheim right away without an invitation though, which is what The Girl’s character did. You just go to Windhelm and hire the new boat to take you. There’s a new loading screen that tells you about the boat. There is a lot to do on Solstheim that is not related to the Dragonborn quests.

If you really love the Skaal... And for that reason The Girl's character returned to Skyrim and started the MQ.

Good! He gave into the Beast blood! He's just a part of nature as natural animals. Hunting, killing and eating for survival is all part of being Hircine's creation.

I always wanted more out of the SIlver Hand. They just seem to be common bandits with no real story behind them and why they hunt werewolves or their previous relationship to the Companions.

Well, it was a good quest. Wonderful to hear Kid take on Krev. Poor Skjor, may his Spirit run wild in the forests of the Hunting Grounds . Screw Sovngarde!

Cool, I am glad to see others are writing. It feels like an early Christmas present or something. Lol.

Tirdas, 5:28 AM, 6th of Morning Star

Days Passed: 142
Level: 26

It is early in the morning and Lord Haaf-Mersey awakes from a dream, a very pleasant one. This dream had seemed very real, and at the moment, this is all he can remember of it.

He is in Lakeview Manor, and has recently spent a few days here with his little friend Lucia. His latest accomplishment? He has finally figured out how to get some light into his man cave, by filling goat horns with candle wax and placing a wick in the wax while it's hot. Light the wick, and it's done. The 'cave' needed some light, it was pretty dark down there. The Lord does not need to keep casting and re-casting Candlelight spells while he works.

"Marcurio, are you here?"

His partner certainly is. As the Crusader from Cyrodiil hears the Destruction Wizard from Riften walk up the steps, he struggles to remember his dream.

He had been in a chapel, praying to the Nine. It was warm outside, and Haaf-Mersey's ministrations had been interrupted .... by....



He remembers! And smiles! Grins so hard, he feels his face might just split in two. Dyan phor a'Cauz herself had walked in to the chapel at some point. The dream had been so real! Dyan had been grandly accompanied by the Jemane brothers, who had joined her late in her days as Cyrodiil's Paladin. The trio had traveled briefly, according to text and lore, until one of the Jemanes has stolen the Crusader's Sword from Dyan. But Dyan had managed to defeat Umaril anyways, even without this sword.

In the dream, the Jemanes stood dutifully as squires in the background, whild Dyan had spoken with Lord Haaf-Mersey directly. She told him he must stay on his chosen path, Skyrim would need him. From the way she spoke, it was if she'd been watching him for a long time.

Haaf-Mersey's mentor had been long dead of course, so having a dream in which she made a very personal appearance was just as grand as having a dream in which Talos or Zenithar or Mara showed up. And again, this dream had seemed very real. As real as Marcurio, bumbling up the steps.



5:48 am

"We must maketh our assist to Falkreath, Marcurio", Haaf-Mersey says, still feeling overwhelmed by his dream.

"Divines smile on you friend".

"Very good. Falkreath needth our assist. Ye are to cometh with me, to travel these woods. And seekth upon a sudden sort of manly beast. One known to be a 'werewolf'. Have you heard of such, Marcurio?"

"Alright. What is it? What do you need?"

"Ye shall assist, while I travel these woods. I gather ye have not heard of werewolves, then? 'Tis alright. Once we find him, all shall be clear".

Lord Haaf-Mersey had recently been to Falkreath alone, and had learned of the death of a local girl, probably no more than Lucia's age. His questionings brought the Crusader to Falkreath's jail, where a strange man had given him a ring, and then explained how this ring would cause him to transform randomly into a werewolf, if the Moons were out. Haaf-Mersey had not put this ring on his finger, but it had somehow wound up there anyways.

The strange man had escaped the jail after transforming himself into a werewolf. Haaf-Mersey knows that if it's daylight, there is less of a chance that he shall follow the same fate.

"Are you ready?" he asks Marcurio.

"Anything else?".

"No. We must make haste, however! The proper time to hunt this beast-man must be in daylight, which is how I have come to conclusion".

"Let's go".

Haaf-Mersey likes the man's attitude, and agrees with him.



7:54 AM
It takes hours for Lord Haaf-Mersey to get himself ready. He wears his crusader's armor and carries a silver sword. He is not sure if silver affects werewolves more than usual, but he remembers back to his his days with the Companions. All Silver Hand Bandits carry silver weapons to combat with. Since werewolves and Companions are their main enemies, perhaps there is a reason why they prefer silver.

I actually don't know if silver affects werewolves the way it affects undead.

It is a sunny day outside. Perfect. The Lord casts his Clairvoyance occasionally, keeping to the correct path. Hopefully he and Marcurio will then dispose of the menace who killed the Falkreath girl quickly, and without much blood shed on their part.

10:02 AM
The pair upon a giant white elk. Haaf-Mersey's skin pricks with goosebumps, as he wanders way too close to the animal, which does not run. He casts Clairvoyance again, and then realizes he's staring into the face of what could be his next enemy, yet the animal does not attack.

"Are ye...." he starts to talk to the animal. At some point, he had met a talking dog, but this animal (the elk) does not talk back. "I know not what to do, Marcurio".

And then he remembers Hircine is the Daedric Lord in charge of hunting. Perhaps that is what he and Marcurio must do, then. They must hunt this animal.

"On the count of three, Marcurio, we shall make our attack. One...two....." Haaf Mersey draws his sword "THREE!"

The white stag falls with just one blow. At first the Crusader thinks he has just killed an ordinary animal, then he sees there is a ghostly image, slightly bluish, standing over the body of the dead elk.

"Well met, hunter!" a voice speaks out. Haaf-Mersey is not surprised.

"Ye...I speakth to thee, Hircine?

"I am the spirit of the hunt! Just one piece of the glorious fauna that your kind stalks. Hircine!"

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, Crusader from Cyrodiil! and I now asketh thee what shalt thou make of preference? For a child is dead, and thee have responsibility towards such".

"Your future is precious to me! I will make good use of it. You bear my ring. The one sho stole it has been led to what he thinks is his sanctuary. Just as a bear tries to seek his own, but only winds up trapped, I need you to do my bidding".

11:06 AM
Haaf-Mersey considers this. He would not normally perform acts for one of Oblivion's Lords, but the man from the jail did kill a little girl. And if it is Hircine's wish that Sindig should die, let it be so.

"I shall do as ye sayeth, but only for my own good, and for the good of Skyrim"..

"Ahhh my hunter!" said Hircine, rambling on a minute. ...."don't dally while the prey flees!"

As the spirit form of Hircine vanishes, Lord Haaf-Mersey is not sure who's bidding he is really performing: his own, or Hircine's.

Yay for Dyan's appearance! Not to mention Renee's patented Compass Delete Mod

LHM thinks of Dyan kind of the same way we think of saints, so that's a pretty big deal for him. That was a lucid dream he had, by the way. I've had a few of these, they are very real, not sure if you've ever had one of those.

Well, I am kinda bummed. LHM took care of Sindig, and also wasted the bandits at Knifepoint Ridge (this was one of their latest bounty quests) yet his "Assistance to Falkreath" ratio is still at 1/3. Dangit. I want him to become Thane!

.

Middas, 2:09
AM, 14h of Morning Star

*

Lord Haaf-Mersey

Days Passed: 150

Lord Haaf Mersey stands before his most recent find, a statue devoted to Talos. This statue has been tucked into a lonely area of Riften, behind a large building. It's easy to miss, and probably for good reason. The Lord discoveres it as he's strolling about the village. Talos has been pushed to the side (the Lord thinks) but at least he's stilll here.

The statue is accompanied by an idol, and the Crusader from Cyrodiil feels the mighty power of Talos rush through him as he places his hand upon this idol.. He needs some guidance from Talos. The next day, he's decided to take on a group of bandits by himself, without Marcurio's help. He's dealt with the bandits of Broken Helm before, but not on his own.

"They shalt pay for their misdoings. For the Jarl requires such".

After taking on the bandits (assuming he lives) he will then return to Castle Dawnguard, to speak to Isran once again, and report what (who) had been found at Dimhollow Crypt.



6:29 Am
Lord Haaf-Mersey is still in Riften, and comes upon a fallen Riften Guard as the morning brightens. A second man is kneeling before this guard, praying for the man's soul, perhaps. The Lord lights a Candlelight 0 and also says a quick prayer.

"What has become of this poor man?"

"New in town eh? Here for the fishing I guess?" asks the kneeling one. Perhaps I shouldn't have bothered him as he grieves, Haaf-Mersey thinks.

"No. I cometh to serve and appear before thee, the peoples of Skyrim" Lord Haaf-Mersey answers.

"Only the best in all of Riften..." the man starts, ignoring the Lord's answer. At first, Haaf-Mersey doesn't know what the man is talking about, until he says he "owns Riften's fishery", and then blabs on about how he started with nothing, but now he's made his business into a success.

"'Tis good. I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, Crusader from Cyrodiil. And I have also cometh to Skyrim with very little, yet 'tis I who will make eventual the Savior of days. And ye? Yer fishery is making of profit, then?"

"I see", answers the fisherman in a droll tone. "My catch spreads across a good portion in Skyrim. The only untapped market is in Markath, however if you're headed by that way, I may have a task for you".

See, this is why I love RPGs. Wasn't I just talking about how he's never been to Markath?!

"I shalt take on such a task. What is it?" Haaf-Mersey trusts the man, whose name turns out to be Bolli. Bolli seems honest.

"Good. Klepper will pay you as soon as you arrive with the letter. Here you are".

Lord Haaf-Mersey takes the letter, and starts to make his way back to the Bee 'n' Barb for a few hours of shuteye. He starts to walk away, and then turns around.

"Thee shan't be in needing of thine armors, Sir" he speaks to the fallen guard. "Might I traipse upon thine clothings? And make service where ye have failed".

He takes the guard's armor, thinking it might come in handy at some point. The fallen guard doesn't seem to mind.



Middas, 2:10 PM

"Where ahh these vampires coming from? We need to wipe them out befohh things get out of hand!" says a guard.

"In the grandest sceme of things, such is of possibility. And I aim to playeth mine part to the fullest".

Lord Haaf-Mersey leaves Riften wearing the fallen guard's armor: helmet, cuirass, shield, and greaves. He improvises this with a set of superior dwarven gauntlets and magical boots that provide a bonus to his Stamina. If he is going to be performing a service for the village of Riften, he shall do so properly: representing the directive from Riften as best he can.

I am a little nervous. He's wearing all that light armor, yet has absolutly zero perks in this area.

5:29 PM

"That's it? That's all you got?!"

The road to Broken Helm is busier than he thought it would be. So far he's fought two giant spiders, four wolves, and a couple of bandits. He managed to convince one of these bandits to "give in to the Nine!" (I accompanied this with a successful Calm spell), but now Lord Haaf-Mersey has defeated his latest foe: a Dark Brotherhood lizard-woman.

As he loots the body, he finds something he has not seen in a long time: a glass sword! "Thee have cometh to me!" and he takes this sword, leaving behind his superior-strength sword of steel.

He realizes he is at the bottom of the big hill. Only one place left to go now.



8:54 PM
As he climbed the hill, it had started to rain, and darkness soon falls. This is not a problem for Lord Haaf-Mersey, as he lit his path with a Candlelight spell. 0 As he arrives to the bandit's stronghold, he calls out...

"I AM LORD HAAF-MERSEY, CRUSADER FROM CYRODIIL. I MAKETH MINE WAY IN REPRESENTATION OF THUS HAMLET OF RIFTEN. Give thineselves up for forgivness, or ye shall pay", he quiets his voice once he has their attention, and they start to draw nearer. There are two of them guarding the outside. Haaf-Merse sees them as he quickly casts Detect Life.

The bandits to do not answer back, instead they volley him with several arrows, all of which miss as Haaf-Mersey runs behind a large rock.

"That was a bad thing to do. GIVE IN TO THE NINE, MISCREANTS! OR BE IT THINE FATE THAT YE SHALT PERISH!"

"True Nords never back down!"

That does it. Haaf-Mersey has given them the chance for redemption, yet they've refused. He draws his new sword of glass, and charges forth.

"IN THE NAME OF RIFTEN!" he clobbers the nearest archer.

"Die already so I can take your uhhhhhh!" the nearest archer falls. Despite the fact that Lord Haaf-Mersey then takes at least three more arrows, he also quickly dispels of the second archer.

"YOU'RE DEAD....DEAD! Ughhhh!!!!"

These first two were easy to combat, and fell quickly. Young and malnourished, as many bandits often are. But Haaf-Mersey knows their leader is inside, and this leader (and his or her closest minions) would not be young and malnourished. Bandit ringleaders often got the lion's share of the best foods, magic, and coin. They often live well, and often also possess a lot more strength. And they might also surround themselves with others who would also have more strength than these two guards.

"Speaketh to me, Talos. Might thine will prepareth me for battle".



11:18 PM

WHISSHAP!

"What was that?" says a bandit out of eyesight. Haaf-Mersey knows Broken Helm Hollow is a one-room cave. He is not in the main area, yet, he is merely walking in the place. He has just cast a shield spell *, which the insiders had managed to hear.

"Thought I heard something", his friend answers. Two of them. Lord Haaf-Mersey is not afraid.

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, Crusader from Cyrodiil! And I now carry a message from the Jarl Riften! Give up thine holdout, cast aside thine weapons and spells, and cometh freely into the hands of the Jarl! Make amends, and ye shall be spared".

"I'll show you what a real orc can do!"

There happen to be three of them in here, not two. One of the orcs also happens to be their leader. As teh Lord fights, one of the bandits falls quickly! The Lord must run to a safe place to swallow a few health potions before continuing the fight.

"Pray to Stendarr while you can!"

"I have! I thinketh it shalt be ye who must pray to him, for truth! ARRGH!" he slams the orc with his blade, staggering him!

"You won't get the best of me!" the orc now charging him is wearing less armors than the other one, which means he moves a little quicker. It is he who falls next.

"One left! And YE shall perish next!"

"Just give up!"

"No. Never!"

Haaf-Mersey quickly dodges by the bandit leader, running up a ramp-like area while drinking a stamina potion. He must run around the room occasionally, taking time to heal up. He senses that this final enemy is getting weak.

"I'LL BURY YOU! ARRRRGH!!"

"Might want to re-think that one", Lord Haaf-Mersey quips in return, as the orc falls before his blade. "Once again, I have made triumph. As such, the final move was mine".

The Crusader from Cyrodiil then loots the bandit's chest, has some dinner, and calmly takes a few hours of sleep in a bedroll, in preparation of the days to come.

GO LHM!!!! He's my favorite read on this thread

I don't often post here, but I wanted to share this.

@Lady Saga: Love the way you show the magical effects in your writing.

~~~

“Careful,” Kharjo hissed as Aravi reached for the door.

“Don’t worry, I was just through here not long ago, it should be clear,” Aravi whispered back.

“Then why are we whispering?” Kharjo asked. Aravi glared at him.

“Just be quiet.” Aravi pushed open the door, and froze.

“You’ll make a fine rug, cat!” a woman shouted at her and charged. Aravi looked at the bow in her hands, then dove out of the doorway. The woman’s – Aravi saw her eyes – the vampire’s wild swing thunked into the dirt floor. Before the vampire could lift her mace back up, Kharjo’s shield crashed into the side of her face, sending her sprawling at Aravi’s feet.

Aravi was still holding her bow. She dropped it and sent her fist into the vampire’s throat, crushing her windpipe as she tried to draw breath. Her ragged gasp was silenced by a precise swing by Kharjo’s own mace.

They both stood there a minute, breathing. That was fast. The shakes started to set into Aravi’s hands when she finally picked up her bow. She looked at Kharjo to make sure he was fine. He didn’t say anything, but he gave her a look. Aravi squashed the urge to stick her tongue out at him. I was careless.

She cast a muffle and then an armor spell on herself to reinforce her light armor. Then she properly armed herself for close in fighting – a pair of swords. She went through the door and deeper into the ruin. Kharjo followed behind, making not a sound without the assistance of magic. She didn’t know how he did it, but he was just as quiet as she was while wearing heavy plate armor. It was times like this that she was the most grateful she had met him. It didn’t matter if she was fighting a dragon or taking a shortcut through a ruin under a mountain, she could count on him to have her back.

I love this scene with Aravi and Kharjo !!! Awesome write, KC !!!

Yeah, that is great, King Coin. Keep it up! And thanks so kindly, Miss Hollow. That means a lot to me.

the colored magical effects are silly, I know, but it's what I like to add to my stories.

The crumbled temple stood in front of me. Odahviing bid me farewell, stating that he couldn't join me in my battle with the World-Eater.

" This is as far as I can take you. Krif voth ahkrin. I will look for your return, or Alduin's.

Odahviing took to the skies and flew off, leaving me alone at Skuldafn Temple. I had the felling I was going to die. My entire life flashed before my eyes as I slowly forced myself to walk towards the temple. Defeating Alduin may be scary, but I am the Dragonborn. It is my destiny. I became unfocused to the point where u was struck down by a draugr, and had to fight my way back up before knocking the monster to the ground. I repeatedly struck it's head with the hilt of my sword until it's skull cracked.

Where there should have been brains, there was a mushy, blackish-red paste that flowed out of the skull of the draugr. It smelled like something crawled in the draugr's head and died. Nausea began to set in.

" By the nine! Why did I do that! What's wrong with its brains! How vile!"

I felt vomit rising to my throat. The smell and sight was of the inside of the draugr's head was repulsive. I didn't have time to vomit all over the floor though. Before I knew it, a golden-scaled dragon hovered above me, blasting searing fire out if his mouth and on to me.

" Argh! You [censored] oversized pet lizard!"

The dragon dove at me talons first, but I dodged his attack. He hovered above me in mid-air, preparing to let another blast of fire loose. Before he could i used dragonrend on him.

" Joor Zah Frul!"

The golden-scaled beast let out a mighty roar as he fell to the ground. I charged, trying to avoid the snapping jaws of the beast. I climbed onto his back, and decapitated him with ease. The soul of the beast became mine, as the golden essence of his soul swirled around me. His soul became mine.

****

I continued to fight my way through draugr before I finally reached the temple, and when I did I was greeted by traps, puzzles, and more draugr. I had been set on fire, nearly sliced to pieces, and I was being attacked by draugr continuously. But the temple wasn't done with me. I was greeted by a dragon priest at the top of the temple, with a very powerful staff of shock.

Once the priest was dead, I reopened the strange portal with his staff, and entered it. I was transported to a mostly land with a beautiful, star-filled sky.

" Sovngarde...." My voice was barely a whisper. I've never seen such beauty in my entire life. I could hear the songs of the great bird heroes coming from the hall if valor, and I wanted to get there quickly, but I was only greeted by purple mist.

I bumped into the soul of a stormcloak soldier. He gave me an ominous warning.

" Beware, the World-Eater hides in the mist."

I ignored his warning and continued my journey. Alduin surely couldn't eat me, I wasn't dead. Right? I was so focused on watching the skies for Alduin that I had almost passed the hall of valor. At the gates, I was greeted by a giant named Tsun. His voice sounded like that of a god.

"I am Tsun, gatekeeper to the hall of valor. Who are you and by what right do you think yourself worthy to gain entrance to the hall of valor?"

I swallowed hard and answered. " By right of birth. I am the dragonborn."

Tsun might as well had jumped with glee. " It has been long since I have been able to test the worth of a dragonborn! Please, tell me your name so if you are deemed worthy of entering the hall, I may remember you so I may grant you access when your time comes."

" I am Scar."

" Yes, now that we have exchanged names, shall we get down to business?"

Tsun unsheathed his greatsword and charged. I used unrelenting force to knock him to the ground, and dug my dragon-bone blade deep into his chest.

" Argh! You are truly worthy of entering the hall of valor, I barely got a chance to fight! Go ahead, you may pass."

I crossed the bone bridge, hoping I wouldn't fall into the rocks below. The hall of valor was just as beautiful of a sight as Sovngarde itself, and my mouth dropped in awe at the inside of the hall. Endless song, food, drink, and everything seemed to be made of gold.

I didn't have much time to absorb the serene beauty. I was greeted by Ysgramor himself!

"Welcome, Dragonborn! Our door has stood empty since Alduin first set his soul-snare here. By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not the vale's dark mist. But three await your word to loose their fury upon the perilous foe. Gormlaith the fearless, glad-hearted in battle; Hakon the valiant, heavy-handed warrior; Felldir the Old, far-seeing and grim."

I greeted those who awaited me and joined them in battle to defeat Alduin. A growing fear of dying filled me. I feared I would stay in Sovngarde. We had to clear Alduin's mist first. We all combined out clear skies shout. The first and second attempted failed, but the third sent Alduin out if his hidin spot. He spit fire, and when he roared the ground shook. He tried to devour me but I used dragonrend on him.

When he hit the ground I charged. He bit mr ferociously, but I managed to pull through and plunge my blade into his throat, ending his life. I didn't absorb his soul. He melted away. Literally. It was jut as disgusting to watch as the draugr brains. Then reality hit me. I defeated Alduin, and the black sky became golden.

I was greeted by Tsun.

" When you are ready to return to Tamriel, just say the word."

I bid farewell to my new friends, and Tsun used a strange shout to send me back home. I had really killed Alduin. I won.

That looks like an important part of a quest up above, a quest I'll probably never do since it involves dragons.

Aravi and Kharjo worked so well together in a Dwemer ruin tonight, it was amazing!

They went down some stairs and came upon a group of 5 or 6 falmer. Kharjo stayed back at the top of the stairs at first and shot an explosive ice bolt from his crossbow into the group, dealing area of effect damage and slowing them down.

Aravi went in with a sword and a fury spell. Fury was ineffective so she used a fear spell to temporarily reduce their numbers. Then it was all dual sword! She sliced through one of them instantly and then did another dual power attack, injuring all the others near her. Then Kharjo joined the melee with his axe and shield. Aravi needed to duck out of the fight at that point to heal up. Kharjo held their attention and Aravi was able to heal unmolested. Then she joined in again and finished off the rest of the falmer. The falmer caster was actually able to put Kharjo to his knees, but Aravi did a leaping sprint attack and that was that. She used healing hands on Kharjo after that to bring him back to full health.

So much fun.

a lot has happened since Haa-Rei and I last gave you all an update. The main event was our visit to Solstheim and our journeys through the daedric realm of Apocrypha, which i must admit was one of the most interesting places we've visited throughout our Elder Scrolls career We've made lots of friends on the island and of course wasted no time crafting new armour and learning new conjuration spells.

Outside of questing and DLC exploring we've just been wandering the wilds as usual, nothing too exciting if i'm honest but it's good to take it easy once in a while (especially since Haa-Rei is around 200 years old )

Cool! One of these days I'm going into Solstheim, probably in late May, at the rate I'm going. I actually braved the Dragonborn forums the other day, and found a thread where they were comparing the orginal Morrowind expansion (I think it's Bloodmoon?) to the new Dragonborn. There was some disappoinment here and there, but most of the people seemed to be digging Dragonborn. Some of them are the RMFs (Rabid Morrowind Fans). ya know, the ones who usually diss every other game after TES: III.

So if they like Dragonborn, and can compare various places in both games and give a thumbs up, that's a good sign in a way.

Coin: yeah, that sounds intense!

Fredas, 10:48 AM, 16th of Morning Star

Lord Haaf-Mersey

Level: 27
Race: Breton

Perks: Novice Alteration, Apprentice Alteration, Adept Alteration, Magic Resistance (1/3), Steel Smithing, Dwarven Smithing, Juggernaut (2/5), Well Fitted, Tower of Strength, Shield Wall (2/5), Armsman(3/5), Bladesman (2/3), Haggling (2/5), Novice Illusion, Apprentice Illusion, Animage, Novice Resoration, Apprentice Restoration, Regenearion, Recovery (1/2)




"If you're heading nohth, stay away from Snap-Raven Cave. Thooose hagravens haff invaded da place"

..says a guard. Lord Haaf-Mersey has recently arisen, and has walked upon an entire shift of Riften guards, sitting at a long table outside. .

The morning's weather is pleasant, as it usually is here in Riften. The guard seems to know who Haaf-Mersey is, and tries to offer advice to the Crusader. This means word must be getting around about him. Good.

As he hears this, he spontaneously decides he wants to ask them a question. He is still wearing his Riften guard cuirass, and hopes this will sway their answer, perhaps.

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey. Crusader from Cyrodiil. Might I beg upon thee to make mine query?"

"I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow to the knee", one says in a raspy voice.

"You don't say!" Lord Haaf-Mersey is shocked. "Next time, beg upon the goodness of Mara. For she shalt set thee to rights! But might I make mine query upon thee?" he addresses the entire table now. "I am here to maketh official mine desire to serve thee, and jointh thine ranks. Might this be so?"

He wants to become an official guard

"Riften's undeh ahh protection", answers one of them. "You watch yourself now".

"Watch myself?" Haaf-Mersey says, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. "Ye sayeth ye not needth of mine help? Or perchance that ye desire I not take upon mis-steps, in parts of thine organization?"

11:05 AM
Nobody answers the Lord directly. Perhaps it is they who are feeling unfomfortable then. These are ordinary guards, after all. Nords who have given their young lives in service to the village. They seem to be claiming that they've got a handle on things, that they do not need his help.

Very well. But as Lord Haaf-Mersey walks away, one of the guards speaks up....

"Da Theeves Guild used to ron dis city. Dey used to ron Riften. But now, dey ahh nothing but rats and villians, wotting away donn in their Watway".

The Thieves Guild. Yes! This is something Haaf-Mersey has been meaning to do: see what the Thieves Guild is all about. "Miscreants" is what Dyan would have called them. Do they really interfere with the daily lives of the villagers? as Haaf Mersey has heard? If so, this must be stopped!

"I shalt take visitation upom them, I promise as such", he tells the guards. Then he walks away to visit the court.



12:53 PM

"I shalt needth thine help today, Marcurio"

The Lord had just arrived to the Bee 'n' Barb, and has decided what his plan for the day shall be:

1). Get Marcurio

2). Put on the rest of the Riften guard's outfit: helmet and shield. These pieces (plus the guard's cuirass) he shall improve at the smith. He will also be wearing dwarven gauntlets and superior-strength iron boots.

3). Pay a visit to the Ratway. To see if they need some 'light' brought into their darkness.

"Is that an Amulet of Mara you're wearing?" Marcurio gushes.

Again, Haaf-Mersey feels some discomfort at this prospect. The pair (he and Marcurio) do spend a lot of time together, but the Crusader feels abosolutely nothing for his partner, not in this way.

"We are but a working pair, Marcurio", Haaf-Mersey says, awkwardly trading his Mara amulet for his Stendarr one. "I haven't the time for such. I knowth of thine feelings, but they are not to be addressed in full. We have a job to take upon".

"Divines smile on you friend".

"Then come with. We are going into this such-called 'Ratway'. To have a viewing upon them. And then, we shalt decide upon their fate".



11:15 PM
It is hours later, and finally Lord Haaf-Mersy is done with his smithing. His armors are stronger now, and he feels ready to explore the Ratway.

He looks back at Marcurio. The man has still been wearing Rahgot (his green-stoned mask of heavy armor), along with a grim-looking suit of blackish vampire armor. The armor is better for exploring than Marcurio's Riften Robes, they offer better protection while still allowing a faster magic regeneration rate. But Haaf-Mersey finds himself disapproving of the Mage's choice for clothing. Too dark.

"We really must procure ye some things brighter, for wearing".

The Destruction Wizard from Riften says nothing. After the pair makes a few wrong turns in the lower level of Riften, they finally find their destination: the Ratway. Haaf-Mersey prepares his usual Shield 0 and Candlelight * before going inside.

11:37 PM
The corridor they step into is cool and clammy, just as Haaf-Mersey expected it would be. He senses the place is not a good one.* He casts Detect Life, and sees two figures up ahead. db db

*(I usually wait to simulate this. If there is no option to wait, Haaf-Mersey "feels" the place contains evil

"I am Lord Haaf-Mersey, Crusader in service of the Jarl of Riften. Maketh thineselves present, and showeth thine faces to the light", he says, walking forward with Marcurio in tow.

At first, there is no answer. Haaf-Mersey and Marcurio hear something snap shut in the distance, but those who dwell within remain still.

"What was that?" asks one of them, finally. a female.

"Over here!" says the other. He rounds the corner at the end of the corridor, readying a large bow.

"GIVETH THINESELVES OVER TO THE LIGHT!" Haaf-Mersey says, drawing his glass sword. One of them rushes the Crusader with his weapon, while the other volleys arrows.

"Now you're mine!" calls the female archer.

PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!!

Marcurio blasts these two over and over as the Lord bashes them with his shield! Or slams them with his glass sword!

"FALL BEFORE ME!!!" the Lord calls out "and be it thine fate!" as the second of the pair dies. "And SHOULD ANY OTHERS PREPARTH TO MAKE BATTLE? COME FORTH! INTO THE LIGHT OF KYNARETH!"

"I'LL KILL YOU IF I HAVE TO!" a lady calls out from some other corridor. "Where are you?" she says a moment later.

"Come with Marcurio. Could be more of them ahead".

"I'm right behind you".

12:33 AM

"You won't get the best of me!"

Lord Haaf-Mersey comes to an edge. Thank goodness for his Candlelight spell, otherwise he may have walked straight down into a dark room, with (apparently) no way up. There are no stairs here.

"I'll kill you if I have to!" the lady below promises.

"Marcurio? Have at this one". Lord Haaf-Mersey takes a few steps back. The lady could be drawing a bow below: a ranged attack. Perhaps Marcurio can take care of her with one of his dreadful lightning bolts.

But Marcurio does more than this! Instead of walking to the edge, the man jumps down into the room itself!

PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!! PIIIITHEWWWW!!!!!

"Now look at what ye have done", the Lord shakes his head after the enemy falls. "Never mind, here I cometh".

Lord Haaf-Mersey jumps down into the dark room, casting yet another Candlelight. A few minutes later, they come to a door, and Haaf-Mersey easily sees there is some sort of trap trigger built inside. He opens the door, and then jumps back slllllllliiink!!! while a set of giant knives slash across the entrance.

"Hah! Damn low-lives. They shalt pay for their misdoings!"



2:34 Am
They find a door that leads to an area which is even darker than the small labyrinth they just left. A large room that looks to be circular in shape. Haaf-Mersey casts Detect Life again, and sees two figures ahead. db db These figures are blue in his vision, which means they are not a threat. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, Haaf-Mersey does nto feel it is particularly evil here.

"Hmm, Ragged Flagon. Seems to be a sort of establishment, Marcurio. Hidden beneath the very feet of thus Riftenites".

"Yeeeah?" asks a patron as the Lord walks up. The man appears sauced, and does not attack. "Oym listening".

"Looks to be like a tavern, only located down here", the Lord ignores the drunk, and walks over to the man behind a bar.

"You'd better have coin to pay for your drinks", the 'tavern owner', named Vekel the Man says. "There's no handouts here".

"I am not looking for such".

"Got a lot of nerve coming down here", Vekel offers. ....."people tend to get hurt coming down in the Ratway".

"I cometh to seekth out the miscreants known to us above as the Thieves Guild. Show yerselves of mercey, and we might spare thee".

"Sure", answers Vekel the Man. "How about you mind your own business about it? ...and I won't have to get Dirge to toss you into the cistern!"

"Are ye .... threatening me?"

Vekel the Man does not answer. Eventually, Haaf-Mersey walks away from him. After all he could just be an innocent barkeep.

"I have no business with you" says a woman wearing dark armor as Haaf-Mersey walks by. She wears darkened armor, certainly looks as if she plays the part.

Haaf-Mersey thinks of drawing his blade, but why? Why should he do this? He has no evidence of their misdoings. Unless somebody officially challenges him, he has absolutely no grounds for an attack. And on top of this, he still senses no evil amongst himself and Marcurio. But he eventually finds the man named Dirge, the one who would "throw him into the cistern".

"And ye? What sayeth ye, patron?"

3:54 AM
Dirge (again) wants it clear that Lord Haaf-Mersey has no grounds to barge in here with accusations. Lord Haaf-Mersey tries to intimidate the man into giving up his positon, which does not work. So perhaps persuasion is the next tactic.

"Ye sayeth ye have not any participation upon making terror, up above in tha's villiage of Riften?"

"Oh yea, I think so too", Dirge says, apparently trying his own brand of persuasion. "You're pretty smart. Hey! here...have one on the house", he says, offering Haaf-Mersey a drink.

He did not expect this! To be ignored, and then bribed with drink! Lord Haaf-Mersey looks into his hand. He's been given a bottle of Black-Briar Mead. "I do not want such!" he pouts to himself, throwing the bottle in the water.

With nothing to go on, and no official attack from them, Haaf-Mersey has little to do here. Not unless he actually catches one of them in the act.

"I shalt be watching you! ALL of you!" he warns.

"Ahh, I suppose I can work with your face", says a female sitting a few feet away. Again Lord Haaf-Mersey is off-guard. "..after all, the sculptor cannot always work with the finest clay!"

HEH HEH I know who this is! YES!!

"Work with clay upon mine face?"

"I assumed you were here to see me about your face" the robed lady goes on. "... soo are you here as a client? ShalI I make your face?"

Lord Haaf-Mersey has no desire for this, but he learns the lady can also craft his hair into new shapes and colors, something very few Tamrielites had managed to perfect

"I shall return", he promises, and means it. "Well Marcurio, ye cannot blame me as such. I could use a freer flow to mine scalp".

Marcurio, finally, says nothing.

BUHAhahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! The first one made me crack up, and I just imagined LHM making a sweeping motion, pointing at everyone and they're just like "What?" in the second quote XD

ha ha yeah, that's what I was going for, so good!

LHM did come back to the salon lady, by the way. She did not change his face, but he got his hair braided, got it dyed slightly lighter, and has grown blond whiskers on the lower half of his jaw. I also darkened his complexion just a step (simulating a slight tan, since LHM spends so much time walking outdoors).

Unlike his mentor Dyan (she was one of my OB characters), LHM is very vain. He cares about his looks. Dyan was the opposite in this regard, a pure serveant who did abosolutely nothing for herself so far as primping and dolling. I liked to think of her as the equivalent to a modern-day EMT or policewoman. All work/no play.

I haven't gone to the creepy elf lady yet lol. All of my characters are gawgous XD

Today Lord Haaf-Mersey is on his way to Markath, but decided to spend the night in Frostfruit Inn. This is the Inn in Rorikstead, and the side quest there is to convince the innkeep to let his son (Erik) become an adventurer.

Well, several of my characters have started this one in the past, but LHM is the only one to succeed in convincing the innkeeper to let his son change professions. Maybe it's because LHM actually has some Speechcraft perks? I dunno. Anyways, all of this happened awhile ago, it's been months since LHM has been to Rorikstead. Well tonight he's gone there, and now "Erik" has become "Erik the Slayer!" We can hire the dude for 500 gold!

But he's up front about the fact that he's "green". I don't know if LHM should hire the man. Marcurio tends to overkill the game most of the time, maybe it's time for a change?