Spoiler Heading to Markarth early...

This is a question for new character addicts. I've noticed that with just about every character I've created, Markarth ends up being the last town I visit. There doesn't seem to be many quests that send me in that direction, except for that delivery quest for the guy in Riften.

Other towns seem to have related quests which you can access early on, for example, the rumours about Aventus Areteino will lead you to Windhelm, and then to Riften. Joining the Stormcloaks also requires you to travel to Windhelm, while enlisting in the Imperials and/or bard's college will send you to Solitude. And asking anyone about magic instruction will lead you to Winterhold. And of course, Whiterun is an obvious starting point because the people in Riverwood ask you to meet the jarl. But there doesn't seem to be many quests that require you to head to Markarth. I'm wondering if anyone has found or thought of any good RP reasons to head to Markarth early on in the game, besides just starting a new character and thinking "f#ck it, I'm gonna go to Markarth at the beginning for a change."

sticky runes said:

This is a question for new character addicts. I've noticed that with just about every character I've created, Markarth ends up being the last town I visit. There doesn't seem to be many quests that send me in that direction, except for that delivery quest for the guy in Riften.

Other towns seem to have related quests which you can access early on, for example, the rumours about Aventus Areteino will lead you to Windhelm, and then to Riften. Joining the Stormcloaks also requires you to travel to Windhelm, while enlisting in the Imperials and/or bard's college will send you to Solitude. And asking anyone about magic instruction will lead you to Winterhold. And of course, Whiterun is an obvious starting point because the people in Riverwood ask you to meet the jarl. But there doesn't seem to be many quests that require you to head to Markarth. I'm wondering if anyone has found or thought of any good RP reasons to head to Markarth early on in the game, besides just starting a new character and thinking "f#ck it, I'm gonna go to Markarth at the beginning for a change."

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As I was heading up the road outside of Falkreath, I ran in to these ruins that were terribly impressive. All of stone and with HUGE bronze doors. They were right at the top of the a hill. I was rather intimidated by the large buildings right up against the mountains, but there was a smaller outbuilding that looked promising. Having picked the lock rather easily, I found myself in what appeard to be a small living quarters. There was another door and a gated area that I also managed to pick the locks on and, as I entered, there was so much dust that my torch nearly went out. Lo and behold there were so many objects made of what appeared to be gold!

I thought to myself - JACKPOT! But then I took a closer look. The gold material of which there were many ingots, a number of what appeared to be shelf braces, plates, gears, cogs and any number of other objects were not gold. I wondered greatly what they were and if they had any worth. Pocketing a few of these items, I thought I would head back to Falkreath and check in with Lod, my friendly smith there who professed much knowledge on many types of metal.

To my surprise, he advised that they were of Dwemer make and that the ingots were of their very special metal. He even provided me with a knife (really a small sword) made out of that same metal and told me that you can find armors, weapons and other items about in that same material. Needless to say, I was facinated. If everything was of the same quality of that blade, I just had to have more!

Lod went on to say that there was an entire city built on the site of one of the ruins that I had encountered, far to the west and it's name was Markath. He did warn me that Markath had a reputation as a very rough city and that they were reknown for their terrible prison. He also told me that a friend of his was working on an archeological dig with a certain court mage known as Calcemo and that, if I was so interested, I should perhaps make my way up to Markarth and join in. Apparently the mag was always looking for assistance.

Needless to say, I was on the next carriage to Markarth...

The temple of Mara in Riften will send you there if you do the agent of Mara quest, and while you are there, stop in the temple of Dibella for their quest, and you'll get fairly substantial boosts that you can get very early. In the name of lust/love/worship

Silver, mining, orc strongholds, forsworn vengeance, dwemer history. I think it's the most interesting city in Skyrim.

Visit the dwemer museum, take a dwemer artifact to Calcelmo, learn archery from the Forsworn(meaning get a good bow) Hagravens, the witch heads from the Companions questline are close too I think.

In my early games I'd wander too far west down the plains from Whiterun hunting deer. This is dangerous but exciting. The forsworn can really bring it to you if you are under level 10 or 15. Great loot though if you can survive it.

I literally love the Dwemer...

Stigweard Ruadhan said:

I literally love the Dwemer...

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Kinky. Of course they must be pretty boring date though, being in another dimension and all...

Well, there is a reason to start heading west. In the carriage on the way to Helgen in the opening seen, there is the one thief from Rorikstead and it would be a shame for his family to never know what became of him, so you should head out west to Rorikstead and then keep heading west and just stumble upon Markarth or upon some forsworn and then you have to find out who these guys are.

What's the name of the town you start in after escaping the beheading and the dragon?

Sent from my GS2 running LSS NeatRom Lite

You escape Helgen to Riverwood if you follow the directions. You can go anywhere you want though

Riverwood! That's the place! Going to pay the household a visit belonging to the family that briefly took me in.

Sent from my GS2 running LSS NeatRom Lite