Nogar's Tales- The Dragon-Wolf's Diary
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TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
15th of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 201
I’m thankful I didn’t run into any more trouble this morning, and was able to get to Northwatch Keep and back to Dragon Bridge fairly quickly. I did stop by the bridge to draw this, though, and I’m happy I did. Now I will forever be able to view those peaceful waterfalls!
I didn’t even bother going into Solitude when I got back from the Keep. Instead, I headed straight for the stables and hired the kind cart driver to bring me back to Whiterun. I write this now from the Bannered Mare, having arrived very late in the evening. There must have been 10 or 12 people drinking and dancing when I walked in, but no one gave any explanation for the rampant exuberance! I said hello to many friends, having not seen them for several weeks while fighting the Thalmor.
I had a wonderful venison stew, some bread and a couple of ales, gave Hulda a nice tip and did a little dancing myself with the townsfolk. I look forward to the morning and my conversation with Fralia about her sons and their survival! Then I will go visit the shops to see if they have any interest in my left over elf gear. I may even stop by the stables and inquire about a horse, sure would make it easier to get around a little faster!
I’m thankful I didn’t run into any more trouble this morning, and was able to get to Northwatch Keep and back to Dragon Bridge fairly quickly. I did stop by the bridge to draw this, though, and I’m happy I did. Now I will forever be able to view those peaceful waterfalls!
I didn’t even bother going into Solitude when I got back from the Keep. Instead, I headed straight for the stables and hired the kind cart driver to bring me back to Whiterun. I write this now from the Bannered Mare, having arrived very late in the evening. There must have been 10 or 12 people drinking and dancing when I walked in, but no one gave any explanation for the rampant exuberance! I said hello to many friends, having not seen them for several weeks while fighting the Thalmor.
I had a wonderful venison stew, some bread and a couple of ales, gave Hulda a nice tip and did a little dancing myself with the townsfolk. I look forward to the morning and my conversation with Fralia about her sons and their survival! Then I will go visit the shops to see if they have any interest in my left over elf gear. I may even stop by the stables and inquire about a horse, sure would make it easier to get around a little faster!
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
16th of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 201
I didn’t expect to be writing a new entry so soon, but I’m sitting here at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood a proud horse owner!! But let me tell about the start of my day, first.
I awoke early, barely able to sleep through my excitement of telling Fralia about Thorald and Avulstein. After a small breakfast of some goat cheese, bread and an apple, I headed out to the market, hoping that Fralia had made her way to the market stalls already. Thankfully she was there, and I regaled her with my tale of ripping apart Thalmor guards and mages, telling her of the ferocious fighting of her son and his penchant for saving my life and nursing me back to health!
When I told her Thorald was still alive when we found him, she didn’t believe me. This was complicated further by the fact that he and Avulstein had decided not to come with me to Whiterun. I tried explaining to her the danger they would be in if they showed their face in the city, and then remembered the words Thorald had told me for just this situation. I said to her “Your son, Thorald, bid me tell you: suffer the winter’s cold wind…” to which she completed “for it bears aloft next summer’s seeds!” She was ecstatic, bursting into tears at the news of her son’s life not being taken by the Imperials or Thalmor. Before I even knew what was happening, she was hugging me with a strength I would never had thought possible given her age and frail stature, soaking my shirt and my cheeks with her tears. It was quite an emotional scene in that open-air marketplace, and the whole time I could feel Jon Battle-Borns' eyes upon us and couldn’t help but wonder what the man was thinking.
Eventually, Fralia calmed down and said she had to go and let Eorland know that BOTH of his sons are still alive. I asked her, since she was going to go right past it, if she would mind stopping by the statue of Talos with me to say a few words for our fallen comrades. She said she would be honored, and we made our way over to the Shrine near the dying gildergreen tree. I left 2 bottles of nord mead along with the iron helmet one of them had been wearing¸ said a brief prayer and had the priest, Heimskr, bless our offerings to Talos.
After that, we said our goodbyes and she told me I would always be welcome in their house, welcoming me into their family with open arms. Now I was the one close to tears, as I couldn’t help but think of my mother and father, and how happy they must be to see their son helping to bring a family back together from the ruthless hands of the Imperials and Thalmor. I told her I would visit soon, saying that she was more family than I had in all of Tamriel, and that someday I would share with her the tormenting tale of my family’s end.
After that, I visited just about all of the shops in town, picking up a few ingredients from Arcadia and replenishing my supply of arrows, but no one had any interest in the remaining pieces of elven armor gear I carried with me. That was when I knew what I had to do, and it made me sick to my stomach. I would have to visit the Still-Drunken Huntsmen if I wanted to sell my wares. It killed me to do it, but I’m glad I did. Even though it was a pittance compared to what I had gotten from the Khajits outside Solitude, it was still enough for me to proudly walk up to the stables outside of town and purchase the finest steed they had available!
She is a gorgeous, silky brown color from head to tail, without a speck of any other color on her except for a streak of gray running through her mane. That was when I knew I must have her, and have decided that it would be a perfect name for her: Gray-Mane. I climbed aboard her, eager to give her a run and she damn near sprinted through the neighboring farms, leapt across the river in 2 jumps and came to a sudden stop right at the crossroads leading to the Towers and Riverwood, respectively.
I must not have known at the time, but I guess she sensed my uncertainty at where to go, which lead to her abrupt halt. We stood there for a good 10 minutes while I figured out what to do. I was anxious to return to the Towers, hoping to find them still vacant and ready to welcome the both of us back. But at the same time I had in the back of my mind Danica Pure-Spring and the dying gildergreen tree in Whiterun.
The towers could wait, I thought, and urged Gray-Mane up the hill towards Riverwood. When we arrived here, I brought her over to the field near the saw mill, tied her to the fence over there and gave her a couple of apples I had on me. Leaving her to graze on the grass, I headed into town to meet up with my old friends, especially Delphine and Orgnar at the inn. It’s later in the afternoon than I would like, but there is still enough daylight ahead of me to find my way. Orgnar says the place I’m heading towards, Orphan Rock, is best approached from the west, as there is a path leading directly to it from Helgen!
I don’t know if I have it in me to actually go to Helgen today, especially after the flood of emotions from my time with Fralia earlier. I may head up the mountain path behind town and see if there is some other way to reach this rock. I shudder to think about the abomination of nature that awaits me there. A hagraven. By Talos I swear I will do my best against this evil creature to restore one of the truest symbols of Skyrim’s strength and vitality to its former glory!
I didn’t expect to be writing a new entry so soon, but I’m sitting here at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood a proud horse owner!! But let me tell about the start of my day, first.
I awoke early, barely able to sleep through my excitement of telling Fralia about Thorald and Avulstein. After a small breakfast of some goat cheese, bread and an apple, I headed out to the market, hoping that Fralia had made her way to the market stalls already. Thankfully she was there, and I regaled her with my tale of ripping apart Thalmor guards and mages, telling her of the ferocious fighting of her son and his penchant for saving my life and nursing me back to health!
When I told her Thorald was still alive when we found him, she didn’t believe me. This was complicated further by the fact that he and Avulstein had decided not to come with me to Whiterun. I tried explaining to her the danger they would be in if they showed their face in the city, and then remembered the words Thorald had told me for just this situation. I said to her “Your son, Thorald, bid me tell you: suffer the winter’s cold wind…” to which she completed “for it bears aloft next summer’s seeds!” She was ecstatic, bursting into tears at the news of her son’s life not being taken by the Imperials or Thalmor. Before I even knew what was happening, she was hugging me with a strength I would never had thought possible given her age and frail stature, soaking my shirt and my cheeks with her tears. It was quite an emotional scene in that open-air marketplace, and the whole time I could feel Jon Battle-Borns' eyes upon us and couldn’t help but wonder what the man was thinking.
Eventually, Fralia calmed down and said she had to go and let Eorland know that BOTH of his sons are still alive. I asked her, since she was going to go right past it, if she would mind stopping by the statue of Talos with me to say a few words for our fallen comrades. She said she would be honored, and we made our way over to the Shrine near the dying gildergreen tree. I left 2 bottles of nord mead along with the iron helmet one of them had been wearing¸ said a brief prayer and had the priest, Heimskr, bless our offerings to Talos.
After that, we said our goodbyes and she told me I would always be welcome in their house, welcoming me into their family with open arms. Now I was the one close to tears, as I couldn’t help but think of my mother and father, and how happy they must be to see their son helping to bring a family back together from the ruthless hands of the Imperials and Thalmor. I told her I would visit soon, saying that she was more family than I had in all of Tamriel, and that someday I would share with her the tormenting tale of my family’s end.
After that, I visited just about all of the shops in town, picking up a few ingredients from Arcadia and replenishing my supply of arrows, but no one had any interest in the remaining pieces of elven armor gear I carried with me. That was when I knew what I had to do, and it made me sick to my stomach. I would have to visit the Still-Drunken Huntsmen if I wanted to sell my wares. It killed me to do it, but I’m glad I did. Even though it was a pittance compared to what I had gotten from the Khajits outside Solitude, it was still enough for me to proudly walk up to the stables outside of town and purchase the finest steed they had available!
She is a gorgeous, silky brown color from head to tail, without a speck of any other color on her except for a streak of gray running through her mane. That was when I knew I must have her, and have decided that it would be a perfect name for her: Gray-Mane. I climbed aboard her, eager to give her a run and she damn near sprinted through the neighboring farms, leapt across the river in 2 jumps and came to a sudden stop right at the crossroads leading to the Towers and Riverwood, respectively.
I must not have known at the time, but I guess she sensed my uncertainty at where to go, which lead to her abrupt halt. We stood there for a good 10 minutes while I figured out what to do. I was anxious to return to the Towers, hoping to find them still vacant and ready to welcome the both of us back. But at the same time I had in the back of my mind Danica Pure-Spring and the dying gildergreen tree in Whiterun.
The towers could wait, I thought, and urged Gray-Mane up the hill towards Riverwood. When we arrived here, I brought her over to the field near the saw mill, tied her to the fence over there and gave her a couple of apples I had on me. Leaving her to graze on the grass, I headed into town to meet up with my old friends, especially Delphine and Orgnar at the inn. It’s later in the afternoon than I would like, but there is still enough daylight ahead of me to find my way. Orgnar says the place I’m heading towards, Orphan Rock, is best approached from the west, as there is a path leading directly to it from Helgen!
I don’t know if I have it in me to actually go to Helgen today, especially after the flood of emotions from my time with Fralia earlier. I may head up the mountain path behind town and see if there is some other way to reach this rock. I shudder to think about the abomination of nature that awaits me there. A hagraven. By Talos I swear I will do my best against this evil creature to restore one of the truest symbols of Skyrim’s strength and vitality to its former glory!
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
22nd of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 201
Fireballs! I didn’t even see them coming. I guided Gray-Mane up a few small rocks south of Riverwood, hoping to find a path east of Helgen, rather than going all the way to that cursed city. We didn’t have to go too far into the mountains before finding it, although with the snow cover it was difficult to identify as a path!
I rode Gray-Mane further east from there and noticed a clearing up ahead with a giant elevated rock in the middle. This must be it, Orphan Rock. Not wanting to get her involved, I loosely tied Gray-Mane to a tree nearby, gave her a carrot to munch on and headed towards the rock. I noticed a little snow fox going in the same direction, jumping and running through the snowy forest.
I had only gone a little ways when it hit me, literally. Distracted by the snow fox I never even saw the giant fireball blazing through the afternoon sky from somewhere off to my right. Still ablaze, my armor starting to glow, I broke left, hoping to get to an outcropping of trees to avoid further attacks and nearly ran right into a witch. I scarcely had time to even recognize her as a witch since she too was ready to launch more fireballs at me. I panicked, and unleashed my battle-cry before I even knew what was going on. It hit her square, and even caught another one behind her a little ways that must have been coming over to investigate the commotion.
I turned to flee, hoping I could make it back to Gray-Mane before being burnt to a crisp. I’m getting really tired of fire magic and of being burned, I feel like the fires of Oblivion are blazing here in Skyrim, just daring me to venture into the wild!
I made it to Gray-Mane, but not the way I had hoped. As I neared, another fireball struck me from behind, lifting me in the air and dropping me right at my steed’s feet. I tried getting to my feet, but failed miserably. At least I was able to grab one of the reins, and I held on for dear life, urging Gray-Mane to flee from this place. I was finally able to climb onto the saddle, and I strapped myself in, not trusting my failing strength. I don’t know when I passed out, but I awoke in the Sleeping Giant Inn, recognizing Sven’s horrible singing voice almost immediately.
I have spent the better part of a week here recovering from my burns. It’s little solace, but at least now I know what to expect. I wish Danica at the Temple of Kynareth had mentioned the coven of witches protecting the rock and hagraven, as I would have been much more careful approaching the area. There is plenty of cover along the path leading to Orphan Rock, and I plan to use that to my advantage. I know of at least 3 witches patrolling the area, plus the hagraven. My only hope is to try and lure them to me one at a time, and try to save my battle-cry for that hagraven. May Talos guide and, and may Kynareth bless me.
Fireballs! I didn’t even see them coming. I guided Gray-Mane up a few small rocks south of Riverwood, hoping to find a path east of Helgen, rather than going all the way to that cursed city. We didn’t have to go too far into the mountains before finding it, although with the snow cover it was difficult to identify as a path!
I rode Gray-Mane further east from there and noticed a clearing up ahead with a giant elevated rock in the middle. This must be it, Orphan Rock. Not wanting to get her involved, I loosely tied Gray-Mane to a tree nearby, gave her a carrot to munch on and headed towards the rock. I noticed a little snow fox going in the same direction, jumping and running through the snowy forest.
I had only gone a little ways when it hit me, literally. Distracted by the snow fox I never even saw the giant fireball blazing through the afternoon sky from somewhere off to my right. Still ablaze, my armor starting to glow, I broke left, hoping to get to an outcropping of trees to avoid further attacks and nearly ran right into a witch. I scarcely had time to even recognize her as a witch since she too was ready to launch more fireballs at me. I panicked, and unleashed my battle-cry before I even knew what was going on. It hit her square, and even caught another one behind her a little ways that must have been coming over to investigate the commotion.
I turned to flee, hoping I could make it back to Gray-Mane before being burnt to a crisp. I’m getting really tired of fire magic and of being burned, I feel like the fires of Oblivion are blazing here in Skyrim, just daring me to venture into the wild!
I made it to Gray-Mane, but not the way I had hoped. As I neared, another fireball struck me from behind, lifting me in the air and dropping me right at my steed’s feet. I tried getting to my feet, but failed miserably. At least I was able to grab one of the reins, and I held on for dear life, urging Gray-Mane to flee from this place. I was finally able to climb onto the saddle, and I strapped myself in, not trusting my failing strength. I don’t know when I passed out, but I awoke in the Sleeping Giant Inn, recognizing Sven’s horrible singing voice almost immediately.
I have spent the better part of a week here recovering from my burns. It’s little solace, but at least now I know what to expect. I wish Danica at the Temple of Kynareth had mentioned the coven of witches protecting the rock and hagraven, as I would have been much more careful approaching the area. There is plenty of cover along the path leading to Orphan Rock, and I plan to use that to my advantage. I know of at least 3 witches patrolling the area, plus the hagraven. My only hope is to try and lure them to me one at a time, and try to save my battle-cry for that hagraven. May Talos guide and, and may Kynareth bless me.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
23rd of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 201
I spent most of the day hiding in the woods surrounding Orphan Rock, picking off witches one by one. I went the same way as I had before, coaxing Gray-Mane up some rocky hills east of Helgen, then left her to graze a ways off. Know what I was getting into this time, I kept to the shadows as much as I could until I reached the trees, and poisoned a couple of my orcish arrows. I was hoping the poison, combined with the fire damage it would cause, would be enough to bring down the witches with one or two shots.
I remembered just how far they were able to launch their fireballs the week before, so I kept my distance to about 70 paces away. I figured that would give me plenty of time to evade their attacks if I was discovered, and be able to get to my horse if I got into too much trouble. My movements were slow, calculated and deadly. It wasn’t easy from that distance, but my aim was true with all of my first four shots. It took 2 hits each, 1 with poison and the other without, to take down the first 2 witches of Orphan Rock, but I was able to bring them both down without being fired upon, or even detected!
As I slowly moved around the gigantic rock I knew the rest wouldn’t be quite so easy. I had no idea what was in store for me, though! I noticed a flight of stairs set back a ways in the northern section of the clearing, and figured I could use them as cover, especially since there were several outcroppings of rocks on each side of the stairs which would allow for more hiding places. This part worked perfectly, but happened much later than I had expected it to!
I was backing up the stairs with my bow drawn, about to launch an arrow at one of the 2 witches remaining, both of who were closely guarding their rough shelter. All of a sudden I heard screaming behind me and felt an arrow strike my leg! I spun around to see 3 bandits running out of an ancient stone tower built into the side of the mountain, and from the hatred and evil in their eyes I knew there would be no reasoning or running from them.
I still had my bow drawn as I turned around, and I quickly launched it at their archer, setting her ablaze in the morning sun. Immediately after releasing the bowstring I was already stowing my bow and switching to Havoc, my glistening, golden battle-axe. One of them had his sword drawn and raised above his head, ready to do me in, but I pushed forward with Havoc, catching the bandit off-guard and giving me an opening to rush him. Having been caught off guard like this, I didn’t have any time to think, all I could do was react. I’m sure to a well trained eye I must have looked ridiculous, flailing about with a murderous weapon in my hands, but most of my blows were hitting home, and I tried not to stay in one spot for more than a second or two.
I kept expecting to feel fireballs bursting into my back or helmet as this exchange was happening, but the 2 witches must have been far enough away where they didn’t hear our cries, grunts and curses. It didn’t matter, though, as my adrenaline was coursing through my blood and my strength felt magnified ten-fold. I would have sworn I had the spirit of Hircine flowing through my body as my furious blows hit home again and again on those poor bandits. I really can’t say how long the battle lasted, or how many strikes it took to bring them down.
When normal thoughts finally entered my mind again I looked down and was immediately appalled at the slaughter which lay before me. There was nothing recognizable left of them, with hacked apart entrails, appendages, armor, weapons, brains and blood strewn about the small alcove as if their bodies had simply exploded. Nausea and irrational fear burned inside of me so hot I could have sworn I had been hit by another fireball!
That was the thought which brought me back to Skyrim and the task at hand. Witches! There were at least 2 of them left, plus a hagraven and anything else that might have been lurking atop Orphan Rock. That name seems more and more fitting the more I think about it. I am an orphan, and can only hope that the spirits of my Imperial-slaughtered parents weren’t watching that horrendous, incomprehensible display I had just finished. If they had, I fear even my soul would be orphaned by them, for my actions were inexcusable, indefensible and abhorrent, as far from the noble teachings of my kind-hearted mother, Jahwen, as possible.
I knew that I must finish what I had set out to do, however, and so I crept up onto one of the rock outcroppings and snuck around the edge of the rocky hill between me and the 2 witches. I used the final poison I had with me on one of my arrows, set it to my bowstring, took a deep breath and carefully aimed at the closer of the 2, still about 50-60 paces away from me. My arrow found its mark in her side and immediately both of them began searching for where the strike had come from.
I snuck back to the other side of the rock and waited for a few moments, knowing that it was unlikely that they would find me. I was right, and just as they had given up on finding me, I crept back around and fired another arrow, hoping it was going into the same witch as before. This second strike would surely reveal my position, so while the arrow was still in the air I crept back to the other side of the rock and began my descent, hoping to be ready for them as they came around the corner to my side of the rock.
I was deep into my crouch within the shadows of the rock as I heard the anxious threats of the first witch as she described the suffering I was about to endure. An awkward smile appeared on my lips, and it was all I could do to not retort her clearly idle threats! I saw her greenish-blue glowing form as she rounded the corner, knowing that she had used some kind of protection magic to bolster her defenses and hoped that the forthcoming blow from Havoc would be enough to do her in.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as Havoc swooped down and I plunged its blade through her spine and into her heart in one mighty clout. With her last gurgle of life still upon her lips, I wrenched Havoc free and set my sights on the last witch, only to see a fireball already heading in my direction! I leaped to the side, but was too slow and felt the fire explode into my shoulder and arm. Undaunted, I brought Havoc back up and charged the evil witch before me, staggering my steps in hopes of avoid further flaming blasts of destruction. It worked, as her next attack sailed past me, only missing by the slimmest of margins, and I saw her reach for a dagger she must have hidden under her robe. I knew then that this battle was soon to be over, and struck a blow with Havoc that would have made Ysgramor proud in his tomb, spilling the blood of this foul woman upon the grounds of Orphan Rock.
To my utmost surprise, there had still not been any attacks laid upon me from above, although most of the battles had happened at a distance from the rock, and there was no direct line of sight from there to where I now stood. Hoping that I could still have the element of surprise on my side, I crept up to the tent area where I had seen the 2 witches make camp and also where there was a makeshift bridge connecting the rock to the rest of the forest. This bridge was really an enormous tree that had apparently fallen in such a manner as to provide a way to reach Orphan Rock from the raised edge of the forest.
I snuck over to their tent, using it as cover, and began launching arrow after arrow into the foul beast on the rock. The half-bird, half-woman, all disgusting creature was as blind as a bat in a sound-proof cave, allowing 4 of my flame-inducing arrows to strike her before she/it ventured across the tree bridge and in my general direction. Even when it was only a few paces from me, and my fifth arrow lodged into its chest, it still couldn’t get a bearing on my location. I had backed up so far, though, that it was difficult to pull back my bowstring to launch another arrow at it.
Instead, switched to my battle-axe, and quickly realized my error. To compensate for its poor eyesight, the blasted creature’s hearing had become quite good, and it heard the metal of my axe as I unsheathed it. Enraged at my attacks and finally know where I was, the beast lunged itself at me, ripping clean through my armor with its claws and tearing my flesh beneath! Not wanting to lose my advantage, I used that moment to shout my battle-cry at it, sending it scurrying from me to hide beneath a neighboring tree. I drove Havoc into the disgusting creature and was amazed when not only did it not die, but it rose and utilized a healing spell! I don’t know if it was because of its claws poisoning me, or because of how many foes I had already faced today, but I was furious, and for the second time today nearly blacked out as I was crazed with rage. Blow after blow landed from my axe as I slashed the abomination beyond submission and beyond death.
At least I didn’t destroy Nettlebane in the process. The hagraven had it under its robes, and one of my blows had struck deep only an inch or two away from where it had stowed it. I quickly surveyed the rest of the area, finding an unlocked chest in the tent of the hagraven which contained some gold pieces and a cloak that conveys some kind of magical advantage to its wearer. I have no use for it, but got a pretty good price for it from Lucan at the Riverwood trader. Inside the witches’ tent I came across a locked chest that gave me a chance to try out my new lock picks I had purchased from the Khajits over in Solitude. It took me a couple of tries, but the lock wasn’t too complicated and I found the tumbler with my second pick, clumsily sliding it around until I felt it click into place and the lock opened. They had kept a few potions for boosting magic in there, along with some more gold.
I found my way back to Gray-Mane, who had been waiting patiently for me to finish. I gave her an apple and a carrot and we rode off to Riverwood to sell a few things, and then continued on to Whiterun. I left her in the capable hands of the stable-master, who was also the man that raised her from a calf. She seemed happy enough to stay with him, so I made my way into town and rented a room at the Bannered Mare from Hulda. In the morning I will check in with Danica at the Temple and see if there is anyone in town who might be able to add some magical ability to Havoc, I can use all the help I can get out there in the wilds of Skyrim!
I spent most of the day hiding in the woods surrounding Orphan Rock, picking off witches one by one. I went the same way as I had before, coaxing Gray-Mane up some rocky hills east of Helgen, then left her to graze a ways off. Know what I was getting into this time, I kept to the shadows as much as I could until I reached the trees, and poisoned a couple of my orcish arrows. I was hoping the poison, combined with the fire damage it would cause, would be enough to bring down the witches with one or two shots.
I remembered just how far they were able to launch their fireballs the week before, so I kept my distance to about 70 paces away. I figured that would give me plenty of time to evade their attacks if I was discovered, and be able to get to my horse if I got into too much trouble. My movements were slow, calculated and deadly. It wasn’t easy from that distance, but my aim was true with all of my first four shots. It took 2 hits each, 1 with poison and the other without, to take down the first 2 witches of Orphan Rock, but I was able to bring them both down without being fired upon, or even detected!
As I slowly moved around the gigantic rock I knew the rest wouldn’t be quite so easy. I had no idea what was in store for me, though! I noticed a flight of stairs set back a ways in the northern section of the clearing, and figured I could use them as cover, especially since there were several outcroppings of rocks on each side of the stairs which would allow for more hiding places. This part worked perfectly, but happened much later than I had expected it to!
I was backing up the stairs with my bow drawn, about to launch an arrow at one of the 2 witches remaining, both of who were closely guarding their rough shelter. All of a sudden I heard screaming behind me and felt an arrow strike my leg! I spun around to see 3 bandits running out of an ancient stone tower built into the side of the mountain, and from the hatred and evil in their eyes I knew there would be no reasoning or running from them.
I still had my bow drawn as I turned around, and I quickly launched it at their archer, setting her ablaze in the morning sun. Immediately after releasing the bowstring I was already stowing my bow and switching to Havoc, my glistening, golden battle-axe. One of them had his sword drawn and raised above his head, ready to do me in, but I pushed forward with Havoc, catching the bandit off-guard and giving me an opening to rush him. Having been caught off guard like this, I didn’t have any time to think, all I could do was react. I’m sure to a well trained eye I must have looked ridiculous, flailing about with a murderous weapon in my hands, but most of my blows were hitting home, and I tried not to stay in one spot for more than a second or two.
I kept expecting to feel fireballs bursting into my back or helmet as this exchange was happening, but the 2 witches must have been far enough away where they didn’t hear our cries, grunts and curses. It didn’t matter, though, as my adrenaline was coursing through my blood and my strength felt magnified ten-fold. I would have sworn I had the spirit of Hircine flowing through my body as my furious blows hit home again and again on those poor bandits. I really can’t say how long the battle lasted, or how many strikes it took to bring them down.
When normal thoughts finally entered my mind again I looked down and was immediately appalled at the slaughter which lay before me. There was nothing recognizable left of them, with hacked apart entrails, appendages, armor, weapons, brains and blood strewn about the small alcove as if their bodies had simply exploded. Nausea and irrational fear burned inside of me so hot I could have sworn I had been hit by another fireball!
That was the thought which brought me back to Skyrim and the task at hand. Witches! There were at least 2 of them left, plus a hagraven and anything else that might have been lurking atop Orphan Rock. That name seems more and more fitting the more I think about it. I am an orphan, and can only hope that the spirits of my Imperial-slaughtered parents weren’t watching that horrendous, incomprehensible display I had just finished. If they had, I fear even my soul would be orphaned by them, for my actions were inexcusable, indefensible and abhorrent, as far from the noble teachings of my kind-hearted mother, Jahwen, as possible.
I knew that I must finish what I had set out to do, however, and so I crept up onto one of the rock outcroppings and snuck around the edge of the rocky hill between me and the 2 witches. I used the final poison I had with me on one of my arrows, set it to my bowstring, took a deep breath and carefully aimed at the closer of the 2, still about 50-60 paces away from me. My arrow found its mark in her side and immediately both of them began searching for where the strike had come from.
I snuck back to the other side of the rock and waited for a few moments, knowing that it was unlikely that they would find me. I was right, and just as they had given up on finding me, I crept back around and fired another arrow, hoping it was going into the same witch as before. This second strike would surely reveal my position, so while the arrow was still in the air I crept back to the other side of the rock and began my descent, hoping to be ready for them as they came around the corner to my side of the rock.
I was deep into my crouch within the shadows of the rock as I heard the anxious threats of the first witch as she described the suffering I was about to endure. An awkward smile appeared on my lips, and it was all I could do to not retort her clearly idle threats! I saw her greenish-blue glowing form as she rounded the corner, knowing that she had used some kind of protection magic to bolster her defenses and hoped that the forthcoming blow from Havoc would be enough to do her in.
Time seemed to move in slow motion as Havoc swooped down and I plunged its blade through her spine and into her heart in one mighty clout. With her last gurgle of life still upon her lips, I wrenched Havoc free and set my sights on the last witch, only to see a fireball already heading in my direction! I leaped to the side, but was too slow and felt the fire explode into my shoulder and arm. Undaunted, I brought Havoc back up and charged the evil witch before me, staggering my steps in hopes of avoid further flaming blasts of destruction. It worked, as her next attack sailed past me, only missing by the slimmest of margins, and I saw her reach for a dagger she must have hidden under her robe. I knew then that this battle was soon to be over, and struck a blow with Havoc that would have made Ysgramor proud in his tomb, spilling the blood of this foul woman upon the grounds of Orphan Rock.
To my utmost surprise, there had still not been any attacks laid upon me from above, although most of the battles had happened at a distance from the rock, and there was no direct line of sight from there to where I now stood. Hoping that I could still have the element of surprise on my side, I crept up to the tent area where I had seen the 2 witches make camp and also where there was a makeshift bridge connecting the rock to the rest of the forest. This bridge was really an enormous tree that had apparently fallen in such a manner as to provide a way to reach Orphan Rock from the raised edge of the forest.
I snuck over to their tent, using it as cover, and began launching arrow after arrow into the foul beast on the rock. The half-bird, half-woman, all disgusting creature was as blind as a bat in a sound-proof cave, allowing 4 of my flame-inducing arrows to strike her before she/it ventured across the tree bridge and in my general direction. Even when it was only a few paces from me, and my fifth arrow lodged into its chest, it still couldn’t get a bearing on my location. I had backed up so far, though, that it was difficult to pull back my bowstring to launch another arrow at it.
Instead, switched to my battle-axe, and quickly realized my error. To compensate for its poor eyesight, the blasted creature’s hearing had become quite good, and it heard the metal of my axe as I unsheathed it. Enraged at my attacks and finally know where I was, the beast lunged itself at me, ripping clean through my armor with its claws and tearing my flesh beneath! Not wanting to lose my advantage, I used that moment to shout my battle-cry at it, sending it scurrying from me to hide beneath a neighboring tree. I drove Havoc into the disgusting creature and was amazed when not only did it not die, but it rose and utilized a healing spell! I don’t know if it was because of its claws poisoning me, or because of how many foes I had already faced today, but I was furious, and for the second time today nearly blacked out as I was crazed with rage. Blow after blow landed from my axe as I slashed the abomination beyond submission and beyond death.
At least I didn’t destroy Nettlebane in the process. The hagraven had it under its robes, and one of my blows had struck deep only an inch or two away from where it had stowed it. I quickly surveyed the rest of the area, finding an unlocked chest in the tent of the hagraven which contained some gold pieces and a cloak that conveys some kind of magical advantage to its wearer. I have no use for it, but got a pretty good price for it from Lucan at the Riverwood trader. Inside the witches’ tent I came across a locked chest that gave me a chance to try out my new lock picks I had purchased from the Khajits over in Solitude. It took me a couple of tries, but the lock wasn’t too complicated and I found the tumbler with my second pick, clumsily sliding it around until I felt it click into place and the lock opened. They had kept a few potions for boosting magic in there, along with some more gold.
I found my way back to Gray-Mane, who had been waiting patiently for me to finish. I gave her an apple and a carrot and we rode off to Riverwood to sell a few things, and then continued on to Whiterun. I left her in the capable hands of the stable-master, who was also the man that raised her from a calf. She seemed happy enough to stay with him, so I made my way into town and rented a room at the Bannered Mare from Hulda. In the morning I will check in with Danica at the Temple and see if there is anyone in town who might be able to add some magical ability to Havoc, I can use all the help I can get out there in the wilds of Skyrim!
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
30th of Sun’s Dusk, 4E 201
I owe a man named Maurice Jondrelle for saving my life, a man I had only just met earlier that day. I hadn’t wanted him to come along with me, but reluctantly agreed, and now I’m glad I did. And they have taken my Towers!! Those scum, and they dared to charge me a toll just to pass by!! But I’m getting ahead of myself and angry all over again. Let me go back to the beginning.
The day started early as I walked into the Temple of Kynareth to meet with Danica. I presented her with the blade, Nettlebane, and briefly described to her the difficulty I had getting past the 4 witches she had failed to mention. She didn’t seem very apologetic about it, but did thank me profusely for getting the dagger for her. It turns out she was just buttering me up for her next request!
She had already told me about the only thriving tree in Skyrim like the Gildergreen, and the oldest living thing in all of Skyrim, called the Eldergleam, and that we needed its sap to restore life to the one in Whiterun. She said that with the war going on and all the injured people around it was impossible for her to leave the Temple long enough to attain this sap. I knew what was coming before she even asked, but she wanted to know if I could find it within myself to head far to the east and visit the Sanctuary on the edge of the volcanic springs on the other side of the river.
It sounded easy enough, as long as I could find the place, since I had never been farther east than the Valtheim Towers, so I told her I would go. It was at that moment that Maurice came over and introduced himself to me. He claims to be a monk of the Temple of Kynareth and has always dreamed of making the trip to the sanctuary. Needless to say, he begged to come with me. I told him that I would be traveling by horse didn’t intend to take my time getting there and back. He said he understood, and would do his best to keep up, but that he knew the way there in case we did become separated.
After that I stopped by Warmaiden’s to fill my quiver with orcish arrows, then checked around town but couldn't find anyone able to place an enchantment on Havoc. A little disappointed, I headed out the main gate of Whiterun. While stopping at the stables to saddle up Gray-Mane, I noticed that Maurice carried nothing but his fists and some food with him. I told him it might not be a bad idea for me to ride ahead a little to deal with anything hostile that may come across our path. He agreed, and we were off, although it didn’t take long before I was pulling out Havoc to deal first with a wolf, then a few skeevers, and then another 2 wolves. At least all of them were easy enough to bring down, as a single blow from my axe did the trick for each.
As I trotted forward on Gray-Mane, I could see the first hints of the Towers up ahead, and felt my pace quicken at the thought of seeing them again. That place had been my home for the better part of 2 months, up until I had gone to Solitude to squash some Thalmor and rescue Thorald with Avulstein, and I long for the views from atop the towers.
I began heading up the last hill and thought I saw someone standing outside of the first tower, tending to a fire. I knew for certain at that point that my former home had been confiscated by someone else, but I wasn’t very surprised. Such a fine hold as Valtheim Towers won’t stay vacant for very long, but it was what happened next that shook me to my core and got my blood boiling to a feverish pitch.
Most of the bandits I have come across in Skyrim immediately turn hostile, so I had my hand on Havoc, ready to let it loose. To my surprise, though, she made no move towards her weapon, and instead began speaking to me, telling me this was a toll road and I would have to pay them 200 septims just to pass! I laughed right in her face, telling her I had no intention of paying her even a single septim, and began to move along my way. That’s when the day started getting ugly, as she pulled out her sword and shield and charged me, ready to do me in. I was ready, though, but as I unsheathed Havoc I felt a searing pain rip through my forearm. I looked down to see an arrow sticking out of my gauntlet that had punctured my skin beneath it.
I glanced up and saw an archer high above me atop the tower, and knew I had to get closer to the building to avoid further hits. With my mood souring and my anger rising I charged into the toll-woman in front of me, catching her off guard and disrupting her attack. I brought up my battle-axe, uttering some guttural growl as I drove it into her midsection. It spilled her blood onto the dirt, but didn’t kill her, and she actually managed to piece through my chest armor with her sword!
The events that followed are for the most part a guess, mixed in with some of what Maurice told me he saw when he found me. As far as my memory goes, there isn’t that much to tell. I remember driving Havoc through the woman’s helmet, splashing blood all over my helmet and chest armor, but I swear I never even saw her hit the ground. I can still the sparks of my axe on an iron chest plate as I launched another bandit clear off of the bridge onto the rocks below. Most of it is both a blur and blackness, and it disturbs me that I can be so out of control of my emotions and actions. I can’t remember ever feeling anger like that before, and I seem to recall the events better when I’m dreaming than I can when I’m awake.
When Maurice arrived, he found me at the bottom of the stairs of the first tower, having been left for dead by the bandits. He said there were 2 other bodies outside the tower, and parts of at least 2 others strewn about the floor around me. He wasn’t surprised I had been left for dead, as I was covered from head to toe in blood, with gaping wounds in my neck and my legs that were still oozing blood when he arrived. Thankfully the remaining bandits didn’t discover him as he dragged my body out of the tower and towards Gray-Mane, where he poured the contents of one of my healing potions down my throat, hoping to keep me alive long enough for a return trip to Whiterun. He used the branches of some downed trees to fashion a stretcher, tied it to Gray-Mane’s saddle and slowly brought me back to Whiterun upon it.
Like I said, I’m really glad I had let Maurice come with me, and even happier that I told him to follow along a little ways behind me, or else we both may have lost our lives in that tower. He keeps asking me what happened in there, and doesn’t seem to believe me when I tell him I don’t know, but I don’t know. I can’t even answer my own questions, how can I answer his? I think it’s best to avoid going back to the towers until after we have returned from Eldergleam Sanctuary. I know I could take down the bandits with the right strategy, I’m just a little afraid of what that place brings out of me….
I owe a man named Maurice Jondrelle for saving my life, a man I had only just met earlier that day. I hadn’t wanted him to come along with me, but reluctantly agreed, and now I’m glad I did. And they have taken my Towers!! Those scum, and they dared to charge me a toll just to pass by!! But I’m getting ahead of myself and angry all over again. Let me go back to the beginning.
The day started early as I walked into the Temple of Kynareth to meet with Danica. I presented her with the blade, Nettlebane, and briefly described to her the difficulty I had getting past the 4 witches she had failed to mention. She didn’t seem very apologetic about it, but did thank me profusely for getting the dagger for her. It turns out she was just buttering me up for her next request!
She had already told me about the only thriving tree in Skyrim like the Gildergreen, and the oldest living thing in all of Skyrim, called the Eldergleam, and that we needed its sap to restore life to the one in Whiterun. She said that with the war going on and all the injured people around it was impossible for her to leave the Temple long enough to attain this sap. I knew what was coming before she even asked, but she wanted to know if I could find it within myself to head far to the east and visit the Sanctuary on the edge of the volcanic springs on the other side of the river.
It sounded easy enough, as long as I could find the place, since I had never been farther east than the Valtheim Towers, so I told her I would go. It was at that moment that Maurice came over and introduced himself to me. He claims to be a monk of the Temple of Kynareth and has always dreamed of making the trip to the sanctuary. Needless to say, he begged to come with me. I told him that I would be traveling by horse didn’t intend to take my time getting there and back. He said he understood, and would do his best to keep up, but that he knew the way there in case we did become separated.
After that I stopped by Warmaiden’s to fill my quiver with orcish arrows, then checked around town but couldn't find anyone able to place an enchantment on Havoc. A little disappointed, I headed out the main gate of Whiterun. While stopping at the stables to saddle up Gray-Mane, I noticed that Maurice carried nothing but his fists and some food with him. I told him it might not be a bad idea for me to ride ahead a little to deal with anything hostile that may come across our path. He agreed, and we were off, although it didn’t take long before I was pulling out Havoc to deal first with a wolf, then a few skeevers, and then another 2 wolves. At least all of them were easy enough to bring down, as a single blow from my axe did the trick for each.
As I trotted forward on Gray-Mane, I could see the first hints of the Towers up ahead, and felt my pace quicken at the thought of seeing them again. That place had been my home for the better part of 2 months, up until I had gone to Solitude to squash some Thalmor and rescue Thorald with Avulstein, and I long for the views from atop the towers.
I began heading up the last hill and thought I saw someone standing outside of the first tower, tending to a fire. I knew for certain at that point that my former home had been confiscated by someone else, but I wasn’t very surprised. Such a fine hold as Valtheim Towers won’t stay vacant for very long, but it was what happened next that shook me to my core and got my blood boiling to a feverish pitch.
Most of the bandits I have come across in Skyrim immediately turn hostile, so I had my hand on Havoc, ready to let it loose. To my surprise, though, she made no move towards her weapon, and instead began speaking to me, telling me this was a toll road and I would have to pay them 200 septims just to pass! I laughed right in her face, telling her I had no intention of paying her even a single septim, and began to move along my way. That’s when the day started getting ugly, as she pulled out her sword and shield and charged me, ready to do me in. I was ready, though, but as I unsheathed Havoc I felt a searing pain rip through my forearm. I looked down to see an arrow sticking out of my gauntlet that had punctured my skin beneath it.
I glanced up and saw an archer high above me atop the tower, and knew I had to get closer to the building to avoid further hits. With my mood souring and my anger rising I charged into the toll-woman in front of me, catching her off guard and disrupting her attack. I brought up my battle-axe, uttering some guttural growl as I drove it into her midsection. It spilled her blood onto the dirt, but didn’t kill her, and she actually managed to piece through my chest armor with her sword!
The events that followed are for the most part a guess, mixed in with some of what Maurice told me he saw when he found me. As far as my memory goes, there isn’t that much to tell. I remember driving Havoc through the woman’s helmet, splashing blood all over my helmet and chest armor, but I swear I never even saw her hit the ground. I can still the sparks of my axe on an iron chest plate as I launched another bandit clear off of the bridge onto the rocks below. Most of it is both a blur and blackness, and it disturbs me that I can be so out of control of my emotions and actions. I can’t remember ever feeling anger like that before, and I seem to recall the events better when I’m dreaming than I can when I’m awake.
When Maurice arrived, he found me at the bottom of the stairs of the first tower, having been left for dead by the bandits. He said there were 2 other bodies outside the tower, and parts of at least 2 others strewn about the floor around me. He wasn’t surprised I had been left for dead, as I was covered from head to toe in blood, with gaping wounds in my neck and my legs that were still oozing blood when he arrived. Thankfully the remaining bandits didn’t discover him as he dragged my body out of the tower and towards Gray-Mane, where he poured the contents of one of my healing potions down my throat, hoping to keep me alive long enough for a return trip to Whiterun. He used the branches of some downed trees to fashion a stretcher, tied it to Gray-Mane’s saddle and slowly brought me back to Whiterun upon it.
Like I said, I’m really glad I had let Maurice come with me, and even happier that I told him to follow along a little ways behind me, or else we both may have lost our lives in that tower. He keeps asking me what happened in there, and doesn’t seem to believe me when I tell him I don’t know, but I don’t know. I can’t even answer my own questions, how can I answer his? I think it’s best to avoid going back to the towers until after we have returned from Eldergleam Sanctuary. I know I could take down the bandits with the right strategy, I’m just a little afraid of what that place brings out of me….
Mr1cammando
asdf
I haven't been posting here enough. The forum auto-unfollowed this thread. I have like 3 pages of entries to read.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
Enjoy! Just to warn you, some of them are pretty long entries!
Glad to have you back!
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
1st of Evening Star, 4E 201
It was early in the morning when Maurice and I set out from Whiterun, and the air was crisp with the taste of winter and the smell of snow on it. We agreed to follow the same plan as last time with one exception. This time we would try climbing up the rocks a little bit, avoiding not just the toll those bandits were trying to levy upon us, but also the battle that was sure to ensue when we couldn’t pay them!
I headed up the path just before the trail started back uphill towards the towers and then veered off and up the rocks. I remembered the way from when I had taken out the archer months ago, and was surprised to find that Gray-Mane had not trouble with the rocks, either! She really is an amazing horse and has already been well worth my purchase! We made our way up and over the rocks, coming down on the other side a little ways past the towers. I waited for a few moments just to make sure Maurice made it through okay, too, and was pleased to see him come trotting down from the rocks just a couple of minutes after me.
We continued on our way, down the hill along the White River, and I could see it flowing on the other side of a small patch of trees, but the road went left and would have led us way out of the way from where we wanted to go. I checked with Maurice who, not surprisingly, was willing to give it a go through the trees. It didn’t take long to cut through, and must have taken at least an hour off of our travel time getting to the Sanctuary.
Unfortunate we lost that hour back actually trying to find the Eldergleam among the volcanic springs, but after meeting a few people who were relaxing in one of the springs, they thankfully pointed us in the right direction. I wanted to take some time to talk with them further, and enjoy a little bath of my own with them, but Maurice wouldn’t have it. I can’t really blame him, either, after having to wait a whole extra week just to get to the place after my…..incident at the towers.
We headed in the direction they were pointing, got to the end of the hot springs, and saw…nothing. We were both getting a little frustrated at this point, until about another hour later when Maurice told me that he had spotted a cave, and that perhaps we should check it out. Having found nothing else of interest in this area, aside from some necromancer’s alter up on a hill that will probably give Maurice nightmares for weeks, I said sure, and we stepped inside.
Neither of us had any idea if we were in the right place at first, as all we could see was a tunnel carved out of the rock leading deeper into the cave. We continued forward, with me in the lead just in case we ran into some kind of unpleasantness! Up ahead, I could see an opening as the tunnel ended and as we entered both of us were dumbfounded with awe and immediately happy that we have made this trip. It looked amazing, with the glorious tree rising up from the center, lush meadows reaching out from its roots, a waterfall crashing into a small stream that ran through the cave, it was all so amazing! While Maurice hurried over to speak with a couple of other worshippers who were on a bench in one of the meadows, I pulled out my sketching supplies to capture the moment:
After a little while, I decided to proceed to the tree itself, although I didn’t make it very far. Its roots are enormous, and were completely blocking the path before me. I tried climbing around, but couldn’t get a good enough foothold anywhere to allow me to continue. Then I remembered Nettlebane and Danica’s words to me back in Whiterun about how this is the only blade in Skyrim that can damage the tree in any way. I didn’t want to harm the tree, but I also needed to get some of its sap.
I took out the small blade swung it against part of the root. To my amazement, the tree shot its root up in the air to get away from the blade! I couldn’t believe a tree could react in such a manner, and new that this was truly an amazing specimen of nature and that Kynareth herself must have blessed it to give it such awareness and dexterity. By trying to get away from the harmful blade, though, the root had moved enough to where I could squeeze through to the next section.
Unfortunately, I ran into the same problem there, and had to strike the tree’s root another time in order to get by. I certainly didn’t want to, and cut as small a section as I could, but this time the tree’s movements caught the eye of Maurice, who sprinted over to see what was going on. He begged me not to touch the tree again with the Nettlebane blade, and I told him that I must if I am to help Danica restore the Gildergreen in Whiterun. He asked me for a few minutes of time so he could consult with the tree! I thought him mad, how could a man speak with a tree? Had he found some skooma in the week he was waiting for me to recover?
My amazement continued as he turned back to me and said that the tree has offered a compromise in the form of a small sapling that I could bring back with me to Whiterun. Maurice explained to me that with each touch of Nettlebane against its bark, the Eldergleam is brought a little closer to death, and if I were to take its sap, it would almost surely lose its life and its power. While I agree the tree in Whiterun is seen by many nords, and is viewed as a symbol of our great race and the city itself, I couldn’t stand the thought of destroying such an amazing form of life as the Eldergleam.
I agreed to Maurice’s plan, and he prayed once more to the tree and right before my very eyes produced a sapling which he gave to me. I thanked him for his help and told him that we should get back to Danica as soon as possible. He told me he was going to stay in the sanctuary for a while longer and that I should head back alone. I wished him well and made my way to the entrance, where I found Gray-Mane, loyal as ever, waiting for me and nibbling on some of the grapes that grow wild over there.
I mounted her saddle and headed off in what I hoped was the right direction, since we had gotten turned around several times just finding the cave in the first place! I guided her up a small hill of volcanic rock and was able to see a river off in the distance. I hoped it was the same one we had crossed on the way there as we made our way towards it. I think I recognized the current, if that’s even possible, and saw a familiar sawmill on the other side.
We made our way across the river, with Gray-Mane having little trouble carrying me through the cold water, and ran into very little trouble on the way back. Again, as we neared the towers, I chose to head up the rocks to avoid any trouble, and before I even knew it we were back in Whiterun! The sun had already set by the time we reached the stables, so I gave Gray-Mane a few apples, carrots and some hay, paid the stable boy to wash her down and give her a nice grooming in the morning, and made my way to the Bannered Mare for some stew, some mead and a good night’s sleep. There weren’t very many people in the inn this evening, so after dinner I retired to my room to write of my travels today. It will be another early morning tomorrow as I visit Danica and then figure out what I’m going to do, try to take back the bandits at Valtheim Towers or see what Farkas over at Jorrvaskr thinks of my training so far.
It was early in the morning when Maurice and I set out from Whiterun, and the air was crisp with the taste of winter and the smell of snow on it. We agreed to follow the same plan as last time with one exception. This time we would try climbing up the rocks a little bit, avoiding not just the toll those bandits were trying to levy upon us, but also the battle that was sure to ensue when we couldn’t pay them!
I headed up the path just before the trail started back uphill towards the towers and then veered off and up the rocks. I remembered the way from when I had taken out the archer months ago, and was surprised to find that Gray-Mane had not trouble with the rocks, either! She really is an amazing horse and has already been well worth my purchase! We made our way up and over the rocks, coming down on the other side a little ways past the towers. I waited for a few moments just to make sure Maurice made it through okay, too, and was pleased to see him come trotting down from the rocks just a couple of minutes after me.
We continued on our way, down the hill along the White River, and I could see it flowing on the other side of a small patch of trees, but the road went left and would have led us way out of the way from where we wanted to go. I checked with Maurice who, not surprisingly, was willing to give it a go through the trees. It didn’t take long to cut through, and must have taken at least an hour off of our travel time getting to the Sanctuary.
Unfortunate we lost that hour back actually trying to find the Eldergleam among the volcanic springs, but after meeting a few people who were relaxing in one of the springs, they thankfully pointed us in the right direction. I wanted to take some time to talk with them further, and enjoy a little bath of my own with them, but Maurice wouldn’t have it. I can’t really blame him, either, after having to wait a whole extra week just to get to the place after my…..incident at the towers.
We headed in the direction they were pointing, got to the end of the hot springs, and saw…nothing. We were both getting a little frustrated at this point, until about another hour later when Maurice told me that he had spotted a cave, and that perhaps we should check it out. Having found nothing else of interest in this area, aside from some necromancer’s alter up on a hill that will probably give Maurice nightmares for weeks, I said sure, and we stepped inside.
Neither of us had any idea if we were in the right place at first, as all we could see was a tunnel carved out of the rock leading deeper into the cave. We continued forward, with me in the lead just in case we ran into some kind of unpleasantness! Up ahead, I could see an opening as the tunnel ended and as we entered both of us were dumbfounded with awe and immediately happy that we have made this trip. It looked amazing, with the glorious tree rising up from the center, lush meadows reaching out from its roots, a waterfall crashing into a small stream that ran through the cave, it was all so amazing! While Maurice hurried over to speak with a couple of other worshippers who were on a bench in one of the meadows, I pulled out my sketching supplies to capture the moment:
After a little while, I decided to proceed to the tree itself, although I didn’t make it very far. Its roots are enormous, and were completely blocking the path before me. I tried climbing around, but couldn’t get a good enough foothold anywhere to allow me to continue. Then I remembered Nettlebane and Danica’s words to me back in Whiterun about how this is the only blade in Skyrim that can damage the tree in any way. I didn’t want to harm the tree, but I also needed to get some of its sap.
I took out the small blade swung it against part of the root. To my amazement, the tree shot its root up in the air to get away from the blade! I couldn’t believe a tree could react in such a manner, and new that this was truly an amazing specimen of nature and that Kynareth herself must have blessed it to give it such awareness and dexterity. By trying to get away from the harmful blade, though, the root had moved enough to where I could squeeze through to the next section.
Unfortunately, I ran into the same problem there, and had to strike the tree’s root another time in order to get by. I certainly didn’t want to, and cut as small a section as I could, but this time the tree’s movements caught the eye of Maurice, who sprinted over to see what was going on. He begged me not to touch the tree again with the Nettlebane blade, and I told him that I must if I am to help Danica restore the Gildergreen in Whiterun. He asked me for a few minutes of time so he could consult with the tree! I thought him mad, how could a man speak with a tree? Had he found some skooma in the week he was waiting for me to recover?
My amazement continued as he turned back to me and said that the tree has offered a compromise in the form of a small sapling that I could bring back with me to Whiterun. Maurice explained to me that with each touch of Nettlebane against its bark, the Eldergleam is brought a little closer to death, and if I were to take its sap, it would almost surely lose its life and its power. While I agree the tree in Whiterun is seen by many nords, and is viewed as a symbol of our great race and the city itself, I couldn’t stand the thought of destroying such an amazing form of life as the Eldergleam.
I agreed to Maurice’s plan, and he prayed once more to the tree and right before my very eyes produced a sapling which he gave to me. I thanked him for his help and told him that we should get back to Danica as soon as possible. He told me he was going to stay in the sanctuary for a while longer and that I should head back alone. I wished him well and made my way to the entrance, where I found Gray-Mane, loyal as ever, waiting for me and nibbling on some of the grapes that grow wild over there.
I mounted her saddle and headed off in what I hoped was the right direction, since we had gotten turned around several times just finding the cave in the first place! I guided her up a small hill of volcanic rock and was able to see a river off in the distance. I hoped it was the same one we had crossed on the way there as we made our way towards it. I think I recognized the current, if that’s even possible, and saw a familiar sawmill on the other side.
We made our way across the river, with Gray-Mane having little trouble carrying me through the cold water, and ran into very little trouble on the way back. Again, as we neared the towers, I chose to head up the rocks to avoid any trouble, and before I even knew it we were back in Whiterun! The sun had already set by the time we reached the stables, so I gave Gray-Mane a few apples, carrots and some hay, paid the stable boy to wash her down and give her a nice grooming in the morning, and made my way to the Bannered Mare for some stew, some mead and a good night’s sleep. There weren’t very many people in the inn this evening, so after dinner I retired to my room to write of my travels today. It will be another early morning tomorrow as I visit Danica and then figure out what I’m going to do, try to take back the bandits at Valtheim Towers or see what Farkas over at Jorrvaskr thinks of my training so far.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
2nd of Evening Star, 4E 201
I have a few minutes to jot down a couple of things while I wait for Gray-Mane to be readied at the Whiterun stables. It took some convincing this morning, but Danica accepted the Eldergleam sapling in place of the sap. I had to explain to her that the blade I had retrieved for her was killing the grand tree in the sanctuary, and stealing its sap would have been fatal. When I told her that Maurice was ready to die fighting me to protect the Eldergleam, she finally agreed. As she thought about it she came to the realization that perhaps the sapling is even better than trying to restore a dying tree, especially in this time of civil war with so much of her time being spent on healing rather than her priestess duties. A new tree to symbolize the rebirth of Skyrim could be just what Whiterun needs to pull together during these dark times.
Before she could even offer any kind of reward, I told her that I needed no compensation for my time or trouble. That was exactly it, I felt there was no trouble. Having gotten to see that glorious sanctuary and the oldest living thing in Skyrim, the Eldergleam, had made everything worthwhile already. It had given me such a sense of inner peace that I wouldn’t have felt right taking any kind of reward for my actions. It had even taken most of the darkness away that had clouded my mind since the incident at Valtheim Towers last week. I think I need to avoid that place for a while longer, I would hate for those feelings to settle back into me after such an uplifting experience at Eldergleam Sanctuary.
I told her I would visit when I can, and left the temple feeling really good. Perhaps it was Kynareth’s blessing, or the promise of new life with the sapling, or just the easing of the darkness from before. I don’t know, but I felt so good that I went right over to Jorrvaskr to find Farkas, ready to take up arms as a Shield-Brother of the Companions. I told him that whether he thought I was ready or not, we were going after that fragment of Wuuthrad. He was a little taken aback, saying that while he loves my spirit and enthusiasm, it is his responsibility to watch over me and report back to the other members on my honor and skill, or my death as the case may be.
Despite his ominous tone, I told him that I was ready to head out this morning. While he was getting his supplies ready for the trip, I decided to do a little shopping. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything worth my while at either Arcadia’s, or Belethor’s general store. However, as I got close to the main gate, I spied something leaning against the tanning rack over at Warmaiden’s. I made my way over to Adrianne Avenicci and told her that the battleaxe she had on displayed looked very similar to the one I carry with me-a dwarven metal beast of an axe I call Havoc. She told me that it is nearly the same thing, only her version of it had been enchanted to deal a significant amount of fire damage, which gave the blade a hint of red and orange streaks throughout the metal. When I asked her how much she wanted for it if I agreed to trade in my axe at the same time, her reply nearly floored me! She wanted over 1500 septims after deducting the price for Havoc, which would leave me with just under 500 septims. Despite my reluctance, I knew that the weapon was a great improvement over mine.
So with my pockets considerably lighter but my spirits still quite elevated, I made my way to the stables. I have decided that I shall still call my axe Havoc, since flames and smoke should only serve to further its legend! I can see Farkas coming down the path now, which is good since the stable master just brought Gray-Mane out to me. It is time to find this place, Dustman’s Cairn, and reunite this fragment of Wuuthrad with its home in Jorrvaskr.
I have a few minutes to jot down a couple of things while I wait for Gray-Mane to be readied at the Whiterun stables. It took some convincing this morning, but Danica accepted the Eldergleam sapling in place of the sap. I had to explain to her that the blade I had retrieved for her was killing the grand tree in the sanctuary, and stealing its sap would have been fatal. When I told her that Maurice was ready to die fighting me to protect the Eldergleam, she finally agreed. As she thought about it she came to the realization that perhaps the sapling is even better than trying to restore a dying tree, especially in this time of civil war with so much of her time being spent on healing rather than her priestess duties. A new tree to symbolize the rebirth of Skyrim could be just what Whiterun needs to pull together during these dark times.
Before she could even offer any kind of reward, I told her that I needed no compensation for my time or trouble. That was exactly it, I felt there was no trouble. Having gotten to see that glorious sanctuary and the oldest living thing in Skyrim, the Eldergleam, had made everything worthwhile already. It had given me such a sense of inner peace that I wouldn’t have felt right taking any kind of reward for my actions. It had even taken most of the darkness away that had clouded my mind since the incident at Valtheim Towers last week. I think I need to avoid that place for a while longer, I would hate for those feelings to settle back into me after such an uplifting experience at Eldergleam Sanctuary.
I told her I would visit when I can, and left the temple feeling really good. Perhaps it was Kynareth’s blessing, or the promise of new life with the sapling, or just the easing of the darkness from before. I don’t know, but I felt so good that I went right over to Jorrvaskr to find Farkas, ready to take up arms as a Shield-Brother of the Companions. I told him that whether he thought I was ready or not, we were going after that fragment of Wuuthrad. He was a little taken aback, saying that while he loves my spirit and enthusiasm, it is his responsibility to watch over me and report back to the other members on my honor and skill, or my death as the case may be.
Despite his ominous tone, I told him that I was ready to head out this morning. While he was getting his supplies ready for the trip, I decided to do a little shopping. Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything worth my while at either Arcadia’s, or Belethor’s general store. However, as I got close to the main gate, I spied something leaning against the tanning rack over at Warmaiden’s. I made my way over to Adrianne Avenicci and told her that the battleaxe she had on displayed looked very similar to the one I carry with me-a dwarven metal beast of an axe I call Havoc. She told me that it is nearly the same thing, only her version of it had been enchanted to deal a significant amount of fire damage, which gave the blade a hint of red and orange streaks throughout the metal. When I asked her how much she wanted for it if I agreed to trade in my axe at the same time, her reply nearly floored me! She wanted over 1500 septims after deducting the price for Havoc, which would leave me with just under 500 septims. Despite my reluctance, I knew that the weapon was a great improvement over mine.
So with my pockets considerably lighter but my spirits still quite elevated, I made my way to the stables. I have decided that I shall still call my axe Havoc, since flames and smoke should only serve to further its legend! I can see Farkas coming down the path now, which is good since the stable master just brought Gray-Mane out to me. It is time to find this place, Dustman’s Cairn, and reunite this fragment of Wuuthrad with its home in Jorrvaskr.
Mr1cammando
asdf
I take it you names your horse Gray-Mane? That confused me for a second.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
Yeah, it was the weirdest thing having just finished that quest for the Gray-Manes, going to buy a horse, seeing they have this gorgeous all-brown mare with a black mane. I bring her into the sunlight and there is this gray streak running right through it! I couldn't resist, and it seemed like a nice way to honor Thorald and Avulstein since I'll probably never see them again in the game!I take it you names your horse Gray-Mane? That confused me for a second.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
Thanks, and I intend to! Lots of great ideas running through my head to help tie all the plotlines together, too. Can't wait to get to it all!
It is really tough being patient with this playstyle, but I feel like I would be dishonoring Nogar if I didn't do it right!
shongo3258
Vampire of Skyrim
I see your forum is still alive Tamriel somehow I got unfollowed as well. Its good to see BIGwooly here I was wondering what you would be doing now that Hrisskar looks like its over. I am going to try to put up an entry today and see if there are still people at my thread
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
9th of Evening Star, 4E 201
There is so much to write about that I’m not sure where to start, and not all of it is good. I think Farkas may have been right, that I might not be ready to tackle the foul depths of Dustman’s Cairn. I have him to thank for my life, too, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
When we left the Whiterun stables we headed west. Farkas had mentioned that the cairn was a little ways past the Silent Moons and that we should head there right away. It’s strange, though, because as we passed the western watchtower I felt like I didn’t even need Farkas to tell me where to go. In fact, since I was riding Gray-Mane, I pushed her into a gallop ahead of Farkas, climbing up the small hill and reaching Dustman’s Cairn well before him. Something was drawing me closer to this place, pulling my very soul towards it. I still don’t know what it was, or what it is, but I must find out. Even if it takes a dozen tries, I have to find out what it is inside that place. It’s almost as if I can feel a pulse beating from within it that is somehow connecting to my brain, or my heart, or something. I don’t really know, it is very difficult to put into words.
When Farkas finally caught up to me, he asked what that was all about and I wasn’t really sure what to tell him. I mentioned that it felt like I had been there before, even though I knew I hadn’t. He said that a lot of these old ruins and cairns look alike, but that since I was so eager then why didn’t we get started! I agreed and we went through the door, entering into a strange, ancient nordic burial site. In the first room there were 3 vertical sarcophagi that had been opened, with the eerily lifelike remains of their inhabitants lying on the floor next to them. The smell is something I’ll never forget, too, like the stink of hundreds of long since dead bodies refusing to die, if that makes any sense. It was the rank odor of ancient death being forced to live again.
I asked Farkas what was going on, why those bodies looked so alive, why the coffins had been opened and why it smelled so bad in this place. He gave me a knowing look and said this must be the first time I had seen a draugr. I asked him what in Oblivion is a draugr, and he said that the question was more appropriate than I could have thought. That draugr are the raised dead of ancient people whose spirits have been forced back into the nearly disintegrated bodies. They have no fear, no consciousness and are being forced to guard the tombs, but by what, by who, or why, he couldn’t say. I told him that that explained the horrible smell, his description perfectly matching the image the odor had created in my mind. He did tell me that the 3 we saw before us had already been re-killed. Recently.
Farkas mentioned that a lot of them carry some gold, jewelry, weapons or armor on them, if I was brave enough to search them for it. I told him looting bandits is one thing, but these ancient men and women are being forced to fight when they should be resting eternally, and I’ll not desecrate their bodies any further. The hair on my arms and neck had begun to stand on end as he told me all of this, and I hoped that we wouldn’t encounter any more, especially alive, or not-dead, or undead. I’m not really sure what to call them, but in the very next room my hopes were quickly dashed.
I approached the doorway very slowly, with my bow drawn and an orcish arrow ready to fly. There ahead of my, in the second opening of the big room before me, was a draugr, walking around carrying a bow and searching. For what, I can’t say, but it was creepy to see. I was hesitant to release my bowstring, these were my kinsmen, ancient nords whose souls were being prevented from resting as they should.
Farkas whispered that I shouldn’t hesitate. These things aren’t really alive, and would show no mercy for us should they see us. Trusting my Shield-Brother, I let the arrow fly, lodging it deep into the ribs of the draugr. It didn’t bring him down, but he hadn’t seen us yet, so I quickly sent another arrow in his direction, and this one did the trick. It also managed to alert the other two, much stronger, draugr that were in the adjoining rooms! One came from the right and another from the left, and Farkas wasted no time charging in with his greatsword. It was lucky he did, too, for it caused both of them to focus on him, giving me a chance to try out my fire-enchanted Havoc blade while their backs were to me.
I must have hit the first draugr 3 or 4 times as hard as I could, setting him on fire each time, with Farkas getting in a few hits of his own, yet still the things stood, beating upon Farkas and forcing him to a knee. Now both draugr turned to face me, weapons raised ready to seal my fate. I started backing up while holding my axe in a blocking position, hoping to bump at least one of them off of their attack. It worked, as the one I had already hit was stunned a bit by my push, so I brought up Havoc and again brought it down on the creature with all my strength. I saw the fire blaze up its body and watched as whatever life it had inside of itself left it, again, and hopefully for the last time. I had expected the draugr to smell horribly once I killed it, (rekilled?) but it turns out they don’t bleed, and smell so horribly to begin with that it doesn’t matter if they are lifeless or moving.
There was no time to think about it, though, as the other draugr was already swinging its war-axe at my head. I tried ducking, but was too slow and caught a massive hit on my steel helmet, stunning me. As I tried to gather my wits about me I saw it raise its axe to strike again. I got my axe up and was able to block most of the impact, and tried getting a quick strike of my own in on it, catching the monster on its side and setting it ablaze. It was unfazed by the fire, though, and immediately brought its axe down on me again. Blood started pouring into my eyes as the force of its blow opened up a gash on my forehead as my helmet smashed into it.
Again I bumped it with my axe, this time catching it cleanly and knocking it off balance, allowing me to take a full swing with Havoc. This blow caught it flush in the chest, yet still it came forward and struck me with its axe. I could feel my strength failing and out of the corner of my eye saw Farkas, having finally risen off of his knees, raising his sword to strike the foul, undead creature. Thankfully that drew its attention away from me, and none too soon, for one more strike would surely have done me in. As Farkas fought the draugr I took the opportunity to sheath Havoc and utilize a couple of healing potions Arcadia had shown me how to make that also raise some of my health as well as restore it.
Feeling better and stronger I again took out my axe and found myself with a clean shot at the draugr’s back. Without hesitation, and using all of my might, I brought Havoc down on the beast, driving my axe so far through the foul creature that I had to use my foot to brace it enough to pull my axe out of its body! That was when I heard Farkas’ warning from weeks ago and earlier today, that with my current skill level I would be lucky not to get myself killed in this place. I apologized to him for doubting him previously, and told him that if we didn’t work together at least one, if not both, of us might not survive this place.
With my first draugr battle behind me, we pressed on deeper into Dustman’s Cairn. It didn’t take long before we encountered another draugr, but this one was alone and not nearly as strong as the other 2 we had just faced. It fell pretty easily after just a few blows from our weapons, and we easily blocked the few strikes it attempted.
We then found a stone staircase and heading down it allowed us to enter into a cavernous throne room of some kind, with a large circular stone pedestal in the center and some kind of alter in the far end opposite 2 thrones. I can only imagine what must have gone on in a room like this, and I expected the worst as we looked around, but there were no surprises. Our progress was hindered, though, by an iron gate blocking the only other way out of the room. I began to search the small rooms off the side of the main one and came across a lever in one of them. I mentioned my discovery to Farkas who told me to give it a try while he waited in the main room.
Pulling this lever, it turns out, trapped me in the small room I was in! Farkas ran over and said that it had opened up the other gate, too, and he would go and see if there was some way to open this gate again. As he walked away I could hear the sound of several people running, and then the yelling and grunting of battle. This went on for several minutes and I began to think I had been trapped intentionally and would soon be tortured or killed when the gate finally sprang back open! Farkas ran back over to me and told me that he had been attacked by a group of bandits know as the Silver Hands.
I asked what they wanted and he said he wasn’t sure, but he knew that they usually fight the undead with their silver weapons. We couldn’t figure out why there would be so many draugr still alive if they were supposed to be fighting them, perhaps they were just trying to keep them at bay and away from their hideouts. Who knows what their true intentions are, or if they might even be responsible for these poor people being brought back from the dead.
We knew we needed to press on, though, so we delved deeper into the horror of Dustman’s Cairn. There were only a few minor skirmishes for a little while, never more than one or two bandits or draugr at a time until we got to that crypt. The place was a mess, with the main path winding all around tombs and rubble. We were going slowly, but even then we were taken by surprise by a rather large member of the Silver Hand. He got a really good strike in on me before I even knew he was there, and I back-pedaled a bit to let Farkas do battle while I recovered.
Things went from bad to worse at that point, as I saw a draugr rise up behind them and get ready to attack one of them, I’m still not sure which. The words of warning were on the tip of my tongue, but I never got them out as at the same time I was struck from behind by another draugr, causing my vision to go blurry and blood to spill from my head again. I sprinted to the other side of the room, hoping for a moment’s respite and readied my battle cry, hoping to catch all of them with it. That was when I found out that my battle-cry doesn’t seem to work on draugr. The Silver Hand bandit started to flee, leaving just the 2 draugr for us to deal with, but Farkas had already been badly hurt and I was in poor shape, too.
The worst part was that I had positioned myself in a dead end, with nowhere to go to flee other than straight through the 2 of them. I had to try, though, it was my only chance. I put my axe handle up to block any potential strikes despite the fact that it slows me down terribly. I was able to deflect the first blow and made my move, trying to barge my way past them. The draugr must have caught me from behind with its war-axe as I was running past it, because everything just went black. Farkas tells me he was able to finish off those two and then dragged me out of there before the Silver Hand member could come back.
When he got me back to the entrance he was able to strap me to Gray-Mane and forced a healing potion down my throat, which kept me going enough to make it back to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. It’s been 6 days so far, and I can actually remember the last 2 of them. Farkas has already mentioned that he warned me about this place, and I know he’s right, but he also told me that I fought more bravely and honorably than most of the Companions members did on their initiation trials. He says we did well, and that if we can continue to work together then we should be able to get through that place and retrieve the fragment of Ysgramor’s axe, Wuuthrad. We leave in the morning.
There is so much to write about that I’m not sure where to start, and not all of it is good. I think Farkas may have been right, that I might not be ready to tackle the foul depths of Dustman’s Cairn. I have him to thank for my life, too, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
When we left the Whiterun stables we headed west. Farkas had mentioned that the cairn was a little ways past the Silent Moons and that we should head there right away. It’s strange, though, because as we passed the western watchtower I felt like I didn’t even need Farkas to tell me where to go. In fact, since I was riding Gray-Mane, I pushed her into a gallop ahead of Farkas, climbing up the small hill and reaching Dustman’s Cairn well before him. Something was drawing me closer to this place, pulling my very soul towards it. I still don’t know what it was, or what it is, but I must find out. Even if it takes a dozen tries, I have to find out what it is inside that place. It’s almost as if I can feel a pulse beating from within it that is somehow connecting to my brain, or my heart, or something. I don’t really know, it is very difficult to put into words.
When Farkas finally caught up to me, he asked what that was all about and I wasn’t really sure what to tell him. I mentioned that it felt like I had been there before, even though I knew I hadn’t. He said that a lot of these old ruins and cairns look alike, but that since I was so eager then why didn’t we get started! I agreed and we went through the door, entering into a strange, ancient nordic burial site. In the first room there were 3 vertical sarcophagi that had been opened, with the eerily lifelike remains of their inhabitants lying on the floor next to them. The smell is something I’ll never forget, too, like the stink of hundreds of long since dead bodies refusing to die, if that makes any sense. It was the rank odor of ancient death being forced to live again.
I asked Farkas what was going on, why those bodies looked so alive, why the coffins had been opened and why it smelled so bad in this place. He gave me a knowing look and said this must be the first time I had seen a draugr. I asked him what in Oblivion is a draugr, and he said that the question was more appropriate than I could have thought. That draugr are the raised dead of ancient people whose spirits have been forced back into the nearly disintegrated bodies. They have no fear, no consciousness and are being forced to guard the tombs, but by what, by who, or why, he couldn’t say. I told him that that explained the horrible smell, his description perfectly matching the image the odor had created in my mind. He did tell me that the 3 we saw before us had already been re-killed. Recently.
Farkas mentioned that a lot of them carry some gold, jewelry, weapons or armor on them, if I was brave enough to search them for it. I told him looting bandits is one thing, but these ancient men and women are being forced to fight when they should be resting eternally, and I’ll not desecrate their bodies any further. The hair on my arms and neck had begun to stand on end as he told me all of this, and I hoped that we wouldn’t encounter any more, especially alive, or not-dead, or undead. I’m not really sure what to call them, but in the very next room my hopes were quickly dashed.
I approached the doorway very slowly, with my bow drawn and an orcish arrow ready to fly. There ahead of my, in the second opening of the big room before me, was a draugr, walking around carrying a bow and searching. For what, I can’t say, but it was creepy to see. I was hesitant to release my bowstring, these were my kinsmen, ancient nords whose souls were being prevented from resting as they should.
Farkas whispered that I shouldn’t hesitate. These things aren’t really alive, and would show no mercy for us should they see us. Trusting my Shield-Brother, I let the arrow fly, lodging it deep into the ribs of the draugr. It didn’t bring him down, but he hadn’t seen us yet, so I quickly sent another arrow in his direction, and this one did the trick. It also managed to alert the other two, much stronger, draugr that were in the adjoining rooms! One came from the right and another from the left, and Farkas wasted no time charging in with his greatsword. It was lucky he did, too, for it caused both of them to focus on him, giving me a chance to try out my fire-enchanted Havoc blade while their backs were to me.
I must have hit the first draugr 3 or 4 times as hard as I could, setting him on fire each time, with Farkas getting in a few hits of his own, yet still the things stood, beating upon Farkas and forcing him to a knee. Now both draugr turned to face me, weapons raised ready to seal my fate. I started backing up while holding my axe in a blocking position, hoping to bump at least one of them off of their attack. It worked, as the one I had already hit was stunned a bit by my push, so I brought up Havoc and again brought it down on the creature with all my strength. I saw the fire blaze up its body and watched as whatever life it had inside of itself left it, again, and hopefully for the last time. I had expected the draugr to smell horribly once I killed it, (rekilled?) but it turns out they don’t bleed, and smell so horribly to begin with that it doesn’t matter if they are lifeless or moving.
There was no time to think about it, though, as the other draugr was already swinging its war-axe at my head. I tried ducking, but was too slow and caught a massive hit on my steel helmet, stunning me. As I tried to gather my wits about me I saw it raise its axe to strike again. I got my axe up and was able to block most of the impact, and tried getting a quick strike of my own in on it, catching the monster on its side and setting it ablaze. It was unfazed by the fire, though, and immediately brought its axe down on me again. Blood started pouring into my eyes as the force of its blow opened up a gash on my forehead as my helmet smashed into it.
Again I bumped it with my axe, this time catching it cleanly and knocking it off balance, allowing me to take a full swing with Havoc. This blow caught it flush in the chest, yet still it came forward and struck me with its axe. I could feel my strength failing and out of the corner of my eye saw Farkas, having finally risen off of his knees, raising his sword to strike the foul, undead creature. Thankfully that drew its attention away from me, and none too soon, for one more strike would surely have done me in. As Farkas fought the draugr I took the opportunity to sheath Havoc and utilize a couple of healing potions Arcadia had shown me how to make that also raise some of my health as well as restore it.
Feeling better and stronger I again took out my axe and found myself with a clean shot at the draugr’s back. Without hesitation, and using all of my might, I brought Havoc down on the beast, driving my axe so far through the foul creature that I had to use my foot to brace it enough to pull my axe out of its body! That was when I heard Farkas’ warning from weeks ago and earlier today, that with my current skill level I would be lucky not to get myself killed in this place. I apologized to him for doubting him previously, and told him that if we didn’t work together at least one, if not both, of us might not survive this place.
With my first draugr battle behind me, we pressed on deeper into Dustman’s Cairn. It didn’t take long before we encountered another draugr, but this one was alone and not nearly as strong as the other 2 we had just faced. It fell pretty easily after just a few blows from our weapons, and we easily blocked the few strikes it attempted.
We then found a stone staircase and heading down it allowed us to enter into a cavernous throne room of some kind, with a large circular stone pedestal in the center and some kind of alter in the far end opposite 2 thrones. I can only imagine what must have gone on in a room like this, and I expected the worst as we looked around, but there were no surprises. Our progress was hindered, though, by an iron gate blocking the only other way out of the room. I began to search the small rooms off the side of the main one and came across a lever in one of them. I mentioned my discovery to Farkas who told me to give it a try while he waited in the main room.
Pulling this lever, it turns out, trapped me in the small room I was in! Farkas ran over and said that it had opened up the other gate, too, and he would go and see if there was some way to open this gate again. As he walked away I could hear the sound of several people running, and then the yelling and grunting of battle. This went on for several minutes and I began to think I had been trapped intentionally and would soon be tortured or killed when the gate finally sprang back open! Farkas ran back over to me and told me that he had been attacked by a group of bandits know as the Silver Hands.
I asked what they wanted and he said he wasn’t sure, but he knew that they usually fight the undead with their silver weapons. We couldn’t figure out why there would be so many draugr still alive if they were supposed to be fighting them, perhaps they were just trying to keep them at bay and away from their hideouts. Who knows what their true intentions are, or if they might even be responsible for these poor people being brought back from the dead.
We knew we needed to press on, though, so we delved deeper into the horror of Dustman’s Cairn. There were only a few minor skirmishes for a little while, never more than one or two bandits or draugr at a time until we got to that crypt. The place was a mess, with the main path winding all around tombs and rubble. We were going slowly, but even then we were taken by surprise by a rather large member of the Silver Hand. He got a really good strike in on me before I even knew he was there, and I back-pedaled a bit to let Farkas do battle while I recovered.
Things went from bad to worse at that point, as I saw a draugr rise up behind them and get ready to attack one of them, I’m still not sure which. The words of warning were on the tip of my tongue, but I never got them out as at the same time I was struck from behind by another draugr, causing my vision to go blurry and blood to spill from my head again. I sprinted to the other side of the room, hoping for a moment’s respite and readied my battle cry, hoping to catch all of them with it. That was when I found out that my battle-cry doesn’t seem to work on draugr. The Silver Hand bandit started to flee, leaving just the 2 draugr for us to deal with, but Farkas had already been badly hurt and I was in poor shape, too.
The worst part was that I had positioned myself in a dead end, with nowhere to go to flee other than straight through the 2 of them. I had to try, though, it was my only chance. I put my axe handle up to block any potential strikes despite the fact that it slows me down terribly. I was able to deflect the first blow and made my move, trying to barge my way past them. The draugr must have caught me from behind with its war-axe as I was running past it, because everything just went black. Farkas tells me he was able to finish off those two and then dragged me out of there before the Silver Hand member could come back.
When he got me back to the entrance he was able to strap me to Gray-Mane and forced a healing potion down my throat, which kept me going enough to make it back to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. It’s been 6 days so far, and I can actually remember the last 2 of them. Farkas has already mentioned that he warned me about this place, and I know he’s right, but he also told me that I fought more bravely and honorably than most of the Companions members did on their initiation trials. He says we did well, and that if we can continue to work together then we should be able to get through that place and retrieve the fragment of Ysgramor’s axe, Wuuthrad. We leave in the morning.
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
For anyone playing along at home, that was the 40th actual journal entry, not counting backstory and the introduction!
Can't believe how little of the story has been covered so far, after around 45 hours of play time!
Can't believe how little of the story has been covered so far, after around 45 hours of play time!
shongo3258
Vampire of Skyrim
I like how you left out the werewolf part. Excited to see how you approach that in the future
TamrielsSavior
The Dark Nord of Helgen
I can't wait to tell it! It's killing me not to tell the story yet, but it's just not time! I have it all planned out, too!I like how you left out the werewolf part. Excited to see how you approach that in the future
