Nord Refugee Character Diary - Hrisskar III

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BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 28th of Rain's Hand, 4E 228 ~

I returned to the outlaw camp this morning with Anora. I was hoping to bring back a few extra items that the dead outlaws wouldn't be needing anymore. After looking around I decided to take a look inside the old mine, in case there was anything worth hauling back.

Instead of finding useful items, I found the leader of the outlaws. Luckily he didn't see me when I first entered. The entrance tunnel was dark, but at the end was a small chamber that was well lit by the flickering of a fire. The outlaw leader was leaning against the rocky wall, no doubt pondering what had happened to all of his men the day before.

I quietly set and arrow tipped with a health poison. The flew to it's target and struck solidly. I couldn't help but notice it didn't even stun the large man, though. I've recently gotten faster at setting arrows and drawing back the bowstring, so the next arrow was on it's way before the outlaw had any idea where the first had come from. Once again it struck solidly, but once again the man didn't falter in his step. And now he knew the direction of his assailant.

It's extremely rare for my arrows not to stun my targets momentarily. My bow is a very nice hunting bow and packs a good measure of power. This man was wearing steel plate armor, though, and was clearly tough as nails. So I decided to play it safe and the next arrow I used was tipped with a paralyze poison. As was the fourth that followed.

The fourth arrow finished the fight.

There wasn't much to be found aside from some iron ore, so I took that and headed back to our home. There is tower close to our home that has also been a den for thieves in the past. I haven't gone near it lately, but maybe I should take a look tomorrow. Not only is this providing great practice for my archery skills, it feels good to remove these unfit brigands from my valley.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 30th of Rain's Hand, 4E 228 ~

Getting home late tonight and don't feel much like writing. I've had a long day and I'm tired. But I have to write about how my day ended. My father would really be so proud I'm sure.

After a full day of hunting elk, and killing two of them, I was heading back to our cabin when I spotted a large sabre cat prowling in the grasses. It hadn't seen me yet so I quickly turned Anora around and took her to a rock outcrop a ways away.

After securing her to the rocks, I pulled my bow off my back and headed up into the far rocks. I was actually excited to hunt this big cat. I think that's the mark of a true hunter. I always told my father I'd be the best hunter on the plains one day, but of course I never believed it. It was just something to say to gain his attention. But now I'm hunting sabre cats and bears ... willingly. That must count for something.

I couldn't spot the sabre cat at first. The light was fading and his fur was the perfect color for blending into the grass. But finally he moved to a new position and I caught his movement. I readied and arrow but he stopped partway behind a rock. It was going to be a tough shot, but I was up for the challenge.

I adjusted my aim and then let the arrow go. Just then the sabre cat decided to move again, and the arrow sailed past where he was a moment before. This of course alerted the wary cat, and now I was in a dangerous situation. If the sabre cat saw me before I could strike it quietly with a critical shot, then my work was going to be cut out for me. Even worse, although I was in the shade, I wasn't entirely sure that my position was inaccessible to the sabre cat. So I was potentially looking at a full on confrontation.

For a moment I considered poisoning some arrows with a paralyze potion just in case, and in hindsight, I should have. There would have been no shame in it. But my pride got the better of me. I wanted a clean kill on this magnificent predator. So I set the next arrow.

I waited for the cat to stop pacing so much, then sent the arrow on it's way. This one hit perfectly, and the cat fell to the ground. For a second or two I thought I had killed it outright, and was about to be thoroughly impressed with my shot. But the cat stirred and got up a few seconds later, just stunned by the force of the arrow. I sent a second.

This arrow also caused the cat to fall, and once again I thought it was dead. Once again .. I was wrong.

The sabre cat was in no mood now. It was badly injured and looking to tear apart whatever was attacking it. It bounded over the rocks in my direction. I don't think it saw me but I wasn't taking a chance. The third arrow I had to aim in front of the charging cat, to let him run into it's path. It worked, and as the arrow hit the sabre cat let out a roar that made the hairs on my neck stand up. But he fell down dead on the rocks a moment later.

Tomorrow I'll cure his pelt and the elk hides. The day after I think I will head to the swamps to gather ingredients I've run low on .. canis root .. swamp fungal pod .. deathbell.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 6th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

I've returned from the swamps with a decent inventory of alchemy ingredients. I only found a half dozen samples of canis root, however. That was a disappointment. But otherwise it was a successful trip ... if not a dangerous one.

I took a new route this time, considering I had Anora with me. There was no way a horse could navigate the old foot route. So I went over the snowy pass through the mountains. I'd never been that way before, but I was pretty sure I could find a suitable route.

The pass itself proved to be the biggest challenge. I found it late in the day, in a blinding blizzard. It wasn't even evening yet and already it was dark from the clouds. It was so difficult to see that I decided to tie Anora off to a tree and scout ahead. I'd just make camp in the snowstorm and try to head through in the morning.

I scouted ahead maybe thirty or forty paces, just to make sure my camp would be safe through the night. It was a good thing I did. I spotted a large form in the swirling snow, and realized it was a frost troll at the same time it became aware of me.

While stumbling backwards I managed to get two arrows off. Both of them hit the troll, but neither of them slowed it's pace. I made a quick decision to use a paralyze poison, because I knew from the stories that trolls are nothing to take lightly. I'd seen a troll before, but never this close. My heart was racing.

Luckily the arrow brought the beast down, and I began putting one arrow after another into it. I had about a dozen seconds to take advantage of it being incapacitated, and I did my best. But the troll still rose to it's feet, and now I switched to health damaging poisons. Still, it was only about ten paces from me, and I had nowhere to run to. I had made the critical error of not leaving myself an escape route, something I always do.

At that moment Anora rushed past me, having broken free from her rope. She attacked the troll with her hooves, and distracted him long enough for me to finish off the savage creature with two more arrows. I didn't sleep well that night, knowing what could be lurking in the snowy darkness.

But it was a good trip overall. I did my best to avoid the spiders in the swamps, but I still left with less than twenty arrows on my back. The troll took a considerable amount of those arrows, but the spiders took their share as well.

I'm going to need to replenish my arrows after I make up these potions over the next few days.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 11th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

I discovered a cave today, while out looking for caves. I was looking for a suitable cave because I needed to gather some specific mushrooms for a potion. These mushrooms, as far as I know, only grow in the dark recesses of caves.

This cave had plenty of the variety I needed, and plenty of many other varieties as well. For all intents and purposes it was an excellent cave to have stumbled upon. Plenty of mushrooms and no bears.

However, the interior cavern of the cave has some sort of strange altar, made out of rocks and with a curious shaft of blue light extending up into a recess in the ceiling. There were three bodies on the altar, all dead for some days now ... but oddly with no signs of attack .. no wounds from blades or claws or teeth.

There were some bedrolls nearby, and a cold firepit with a cooking pot still perched over the ashes. I found a book and a key on a pedestal near a large iron door. I can only assume the key is for the door. The book on the other hand ...

The book was the journal of one of the men, much like my own journal, just written in a more simple tongue. The men it seems were bandits from the fort near our home. They had been ousted from the fort by the gang weeks before I showed up and killed the remaining outlaws. These three had been holed up in this cave for some time, and it seems some force had prevented them from leaving .. despite the author of the journal insisting he wanted to.

I set the book down and decided to leave. There was some compelling presence in the place that was quite possibly responsible for the death of the three men on the altar. And I could feel the presence and feel it's draw ... pulling my eyes toward the large iron door. I grabbed a few more mushrooms on my way out and did my best not to look back.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 14th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

Days inside the darkness ...

I barely have the energy to write, after what I've endured. No mushrooms were worth this trial. I feel utterly drained and not entirely myself. The evil that lurked inside that cave ... unspeakable.

It's dark, and I'm exhausted ... I just want to leave this cave behind and never come near it again. But it's not smart to travel in the dark, so I've no choice but to camp nearby. I know I should be safe, but I don't feel safe.

Too much to write and my eyes are tired from too many nights without sleep. Hard to sleep when there are ghosts wandering the passages. Yes .. ghosts. The ghosts of countless other victims who entered that cave and fell prey to it's evil spell. Ghost of all races and with all types of skills. I had no choice but to kill them all, as I was drawn further and further inside the cave by the sinister force.

I now understand the journal of the outlaw. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't. The spirit wouldn't let him. Just like it wouldn't let me.

But I faced the spirt today. I entered it's lair. It was a draugr like I've never heard tell of before. With incredible power and skill in magic. When I first saw him as I entered the room, he was frozen in a bluish light. It was the same bluish light I had seen coming from the makeshift altar.

I took a potion for my archery, and tipped my arrows with poison. Within minutes I was wishing I had come more prepared. The draugr's fireball spell was deadly and nearly killed me on several occasions. Only my health potions kept me alive, but I was running out of them quickly. A simple magic resistance potion paired with a fire resistance potion would have made things much easier for me.

Thankfully I had a full supply of arrows, having collected arrows from ghost archers as I made my way to this horrifying chamber of death. The draugr seemed invincible, and I began to wonder if my arrows were even having any effect. My poisons didn't seem to be.

Unexpectedly the draugr enacted some new sort of magic and disappeared. Luckily I had just ducked behind another pillar yet again and had just consumed my only invisibility potion. I was desperately low on everything at this point. I was hoping to escape back out of the chamber, and hoping the evil force wouldn't draw me back. The problem, I soon discovered, was that an iron gate now blocked the way I had entered.

If that wasn't trouble enough, there were now other draugr fiends in the room with me. I saw at least two right away. One was wielding frost magic and the other a fire spell. I wasn't leaving the room alive I decided at that point. My end had come. I was dying for a sack of mushrooms.

In that moment of defeat, I happened to think back to this journal. I thought about how I would never write in it again. I thought about how my story had ended, and no one would ever know what happened to me. Well, unless they entered this chamber, in which case they were likely to die just as I was going to.

But then I started thinking about my father. This was his journal first, and it couldn't be lost to the world over a sack of mushrooms. His story deserved better ... much better than my pathetic story. I had to at least try to get it out. And I didn't have much time before my invisibility was going to wear off.

I scanned the room with my eyes, straining against the fatigue to see something that would facilitate my escape. But there was nothing. Nothing I could see anyways. I was going to have to put up a dying fight.

The frost draugr was closest to me, so I positioned myself so that the other two couldn't see me. I say other two because there was a third draugr I discovered while searching for an exit. He was wielding lightning magic.

My first arrow dropped the frost draugr to his knees, and broke my invisibility. My second arrow was right behind the first and finished the monster. I quickly pivoted and took a quiet step forward, sending a third arrow at the flame draugr. He turned to face me and my fourth arrow struck home, staggering him. The fifth arrow killed him. All that was left was the lightning draugr, and he was a bit trickier but several arrows brought him his demise.

For a brief moment I thought I had escaped death ... but then the ghost of Halldir, the draugr I had initially encountered, appeared before me. I ran to a nearby pillar and gripped the stone for life and limb. I felt defeated. My brief moment of relief was gone, and was replaced with the grim reality of facing yet another apparition.

I expended the rest of my energy and used the rest of my health potions before the apparition faded. I left the chamber, and the cave, a walking dead man.

If I never go into another cave in my life, I'll be okay with that.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 16th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

I've decided to make a trek to the swamps. I could really use some more canis root, as well as some other ingredients. I'd like to be well prepared for this trip into the rift.

If I can find enough canis root I'll be able to make both archery potions as well as paralyzing poisons. Both would be very useful on a long and potentially dangerous trip. But canis root is hard to spot in the swamps, and it doesn't grow back quickly.

Still, I have to see what I can find.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 18th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

Several days in the wilds for just three canis roots. Avoiding trolls and spiders. Running from a band of people intent on killing me. It almost doesn't seem worth it.

Regardless, I have a few samples, so I'll make the paralyzing potions and make up whatever else I can that might be useful.

I did manage to find a new book. It's called 'Sacred Witness'. I found it on the body of a long-dead draugr, crushed under the weight of some old stones. Odd that I've been in the swamps many times and never come across this before.

I think I'll take it on my trip. I'd love to read it now but I'm tired from my journey and need to get some rest tonight. Tomorrow I'll be making potions all day.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 20th of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I'm nervous. There's a lot of unknown ahead for me. Not to mention I generally avoid civilization. Now I'm heading for it.

Still, this sword needs to be in more capable hands. It is my duty to deliver it to a noble cause. This would make my father proud.
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
~ 23rd of Second Seed, 4E 228 ~

I've spent several days traveling to the southeast of Skyrim, into The Rift ... searching for this fort called Dawnguard. It's been invaluable having Anora. Meet feet are very thankful for her back. I don't mind hiking in the mountains. I grew up hiking in the mountains. But this trip was quite a trek from our home. I wouldn't have wanted to walk this distance on my own two feet.

But aside from the distance, having a horse has allowed me to travel faster. I've also been able to take a bit more with me, packed into satchels attached to Anora's saddle. Equally important is the fact that Anora has allowed me to avoid dangers. I've avoided several trolls and wolf packs, and more bears than I'd care to think about. The Rift is far more dangerous country than I'd anticipated. The woods are thick and teaming with bears.

Just today we were attacked by a bear. I couldn't see it because of the trees, not until it was too late. The bear charged and I dug into Anora's sides to sprint away. The bear's claws dug into her sides as well and she bellowed in pain.

We escaped, but I've had to find shelter for the day so I can tend to her wounds. I had to avoid two more bears just to find a suitable place for us to spend the night.

Unfortunately there was a standing stone nearby … and testy mage. I tried to explain that we just needed to shelter in the rocks for the night, but he continued to warn me away. There was nowhere else to go, and the light would be fading soon. I had no choice but to lead Anora away and out of sight, as if we were leaving.

I then circled around to the other side of the rocks, and climbed up until I had a good view of the mage. I made sure he couldn't see me as I set an arrow, with a poison tip. I managed to land this arrow and the next before he was able to react. My speed with my bow has improved lately.

He attacked me with frost magic, and he was more powerful than I'd anticipated. I began to move down from the rocks, using the trees as cover as best I could. The mage sent a constant flurry of ice spikes in my direction. Some hit me and some missed. But each one that hit me slowed me down, as frost magic tends to do.

I couldn't risk losing too much mobility so I opted for some additional poison arrows and ended the fight a short time later.

Now the light is fading and I'm tending to Anora and hoping we can make it through the night without interruption. I'm not looking forward to being in unfamiliar woods in the dark.
 

hershangames

Well-Known Member
I just saw this, I don't know if you have any intentions on continuing it but I think this a great idea.
Pretty cool stuff written and the concept itself is quite awesome, I encourage you to keep going.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, seriously, don't stop now! Wasn't it YOU who always said, "I'm not doing this because people like reading it, I'm doing it for myself?" I mean, sure, you can LIKE that people read it, but the minute you stop doing something because it seems like OTHER people don't care anymore is the minute you've started doing it for the wrong reason. I stopped writing a FanFiction because people stopped leaving me reviews. Then I realized that was dumb because that's not the reason I started in the first place. I did it because I wanted to.

I mean, if you WANT to stop because YOU want to, then go ahead. But if you only stopped because OTHER people stopped caring, then that's, frankly, kinda dumb. No offense.
 

Kittym

Member
I know this thread is soooo old but I've been re-reading it and loving it all over again. What happened in your story Wooly? Are you still playing? Look - I'm cool if you've moved on to writing a journal for The Witcher 3 - just let me know where I can read it!! :-)))
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
Hey guys sorry for being AWOL. I got super busy with work and had to give Skyrim a break ... just started playing again but a different character .. still have this character on pause, though. ;)

The other character's story actually ties into this one. I can't promise I'll start writing again as it does take a lot of time to play AND write .. but I've held off playing this character just in case I decide to come back to the writing. :)
 

BIGwooly

Well-Known Member
Yeah, seriously, don't stop now! Wasn't it YOU who always said, "I'm not doing this because people like reading it, I'm doing it for myself?" I mean, sure, you can LIKE that people read it, but the minute you stop doing something because it seems like OTHER people don't care anymore is the minute you've started doing it for the wrong reason. I stopped writing a FanFiction because people stopped leaving me reviews. Then I realized that was dumb because that's not the reason I started in the first place. I did it because I wanted to.

I mean, if you WANT to stop because YOU want to, then go ahead. But if you only stopped because OTHER people stopped caring, then that's, frankly, kinda dumb. No offense.

You're correct that originally I was doing the journal for myself more than anything, because it added a unique element to the gameplay experience for me. The trouble is that it takes a lot of time to play AND write, so eventually I got to a point where I was playing and writing for YOU GUYS .. to keep the story going. So when I got busy with work and also felt like no one was really following the thread anymore I just kinda put it on pause and moved onto other things.
 

Kittym

Member
You were right to stop if it was more for us than adding to your enjoyment... Having said that, I would love to read the adventures of a new character - esp one that ties in to Hrisskar! I loved that cute little 'feather fingered' khajit you started the other journal with too. The Xbox at my house is gathering dust since we got an Xbox One (no PC :sadface:) but whenever I feel nostalgic I re-read your journals and it takes me right back to Skyrim again - I love it! I realise it must be a lot of work playing and writing but I really have appreciated your hard work over and over - so thanks!
 

Seris

Member
Just so you know, this is one of the best things I have ever had the pleasure of partaking in...I absolutely loved every second of it and wish it could go on forever!
 

Ratchetrock

New Member
I wish that's all it took, but like I said, the first time it happened I had already been holding the trigger down for like 10-15 seconds. So holding it longer isn't a solution for me unfortunately. d:sadface:

Something like this just started happening to me and I actually just made this account right now to see if I can help in any way, I've been using the bound bow so when I saw everyone saying try using different arrows I was like well plops but I think I might have found out why it's happening, by any chance do you have the quick shot skill? From what I just figured out or at least think I did is that its bugged so think of it like only the animation is fast but your bow is still acting like you don't have that skill so you need to hold it for a second just like before you got it.
 

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