The Nocturnal Journal: The Thu'um Within

[Mytheos]

NO SPOILERS!: There will be a few thing's I'm doing in this playthrough that I've never done.

BACKSTORY:
After the loss of his mother from an out of control Fire Breath shout as a youth, Mytheos ventures to Skyrim as wished by his mother in her last words to seek his destiny and fortune.

GENERAL PLAY RESTRICTIONS: (THE BIGwooly PLAYSTYLE)
- proceed through the game intro and then leave the cave with NOTHING
- difficulty set to 'master'
- HUD set to 0%
- brightness dropped down 2 notches
- only carry 30% of what game allows
- only carry 30 arrows max
- must fully sheath weapon to use a potion
- must have a hand free to pick anything up
- must not move around crouched for unreasonable amounts of time
- may not harvest unreasonable items (if a dead elk has a garnet don't take it)
- may not activate overpowered/unrealistic perks (like conditioning; heavy armor weighs nothing)
- must sleep for at least 8 hours every day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- must eat 3 meals a day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
- must always carry clothing (worn under armor)
- may not use smithing or enchanting (must find/purchase all gear)
- may not swim while wearing armor
- may not enter freezing water unless on a horse
- may not use in-game map unless at a known location
- may not fast travel (except by cart)
- may not use exploits
- may not cut wood for money
- if you set off a trap and it injures you then you are dead
- may only use manual saves after sleeping (resting)
- when character dies must load from the most recent save
- if character dies must return to an inn and wait (recover) for 7 days
- must spend 300 gold with the innkeep to cover room and board

Will update as frequently as possible as to Mytheos' progress in Skyrim and what his struggles.

I want to hear what you think about this journal, and if it's worth continuing. I've not written a story in a long time, this is a new experience for me. I will do my best!

 

[Mytheos]

THE PAST...

"Mother! Mother!" said the boy bursting into the family home. "Mytheos! Where are you're manners? Mommy has guests and is very busy." replied the boy's mother. The young boy no older than 5, hung his head and headed back outside, slowly and dejectedly closing the door behind him.
The young boy walked from the family home on a farm not far from Kvatch back into the deep woods and forests to which he was accustomed to playing. "Too busy... Hmph... She would have been so impressed too. It would finally get her over father, or at least take her mind off him for a while. I'll just have to make the next time super cool and even better than before!"

Mytheos walked and walked until he found a good place to practice, and it was there that he spent the majority of his days. The nord child had not many friends, he was different, he always was. The children were afraid of the boy, not because he was violent, or disturbed, but because the child was sickly, and had been ever since leaving the womb. As a babe the nord child had troubles breathing and frail bones. Local healers were baffled by the condition because beyond weakness the child was otherwise fine. A strong heart, and no known illness plagued him. This mysterious condition could not be identified and as such sympathy from the other parents turned to concern and paranoia for their own children's well being. As the condition could not be healed or identified, concern over it being contagious grew and the boy was alienated from his peers.

It was nightfall now, and Mytheos scratched and bloody returned home quietly his stomach empty and his body weary. As the old house Mytheos called home came into view with its old wooden fence and the windows flickering with candlelight, he saw his mother frantically running down the dirt path yelling his name. His mother swept him up with tears and a warm embrace, Mytheos could tell she was worried sick and that he had been gone too long. There were sure to be questions about his bruises and bloody scratches, but he was sure his mother would forget all that when she saw how good he had gotten, how much stronger he had become, she may even let him help out around the farm, and he would finally be well on his way to making her proud.

"Mytheos! I had been worried sick! Where have you been? It's dangerous to linger in the woods past twilight. What were you thinking?! I've been looking everywhere for you!" she cried. "Mom it's okay, I'm fine" insisted the child. "By the nine... look at you, your a mess... What happened?" she said, the worry turning into curiosity and concern. "I was getting stronger in the forest, I'm super strong now, wanna see?" said Mytheos with a chip on his shoulder and feeling very proud of himself. "So long as right after you go to bed, do you have any idea what time it is mister?" She smiled.

"Okay mom, watch this". Mytheos stepped back and readied himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Gonna make you proud mom" he whispered to himself. "It's going to be my best one yet" he thought to himself.
A deep breath was taken in once more and his chest puffed and an orange glow radiated from the boy's stomach.
"YOL-TOOR-SHUUUUUUUUUUL!"

As the words of power left his lips Mytheos realized it was too much, too strong, the first word was all that he knew and that was all he meant to do, and the panic spread over his face and it was then that the inferno engulfed burst forward with blinding speed.
"NOOOOO!"

The boys mother stood there smiling as if nothing had happened, as the inferno set her clothing and hair ablaze. "I always knew you were special Mytheos. Don't cry, your my baby boy, and I will always love you. Grow strong and return to Skyrim."

It was then that the flames took hold and charred her skin as black as night, and the smell of burnt flesh and hair was in the air and then gone again, as if the inferno engulfed that too. The inferno raged and spread to the farm and the forest within seconds, the grass was dry and it had not rained in weeks, the flames could be seen from Kvatch and distant shouts could be heard down the road.

Men and woman from Kvatch had arrived to battle the flames wielding buckets and pots of water, the battle raged until well into the morning, but in the panic and confusion Mytheos slipped away.
Through the years Mytheos wandered and survived, clinging to life for no other reason than to punish himself and to push on. Emptiness might have been the only thing keeping him alive. Theft became his trade, not his choice. The items of questionable origin were never expensive, just necessary. Primarily food and gold for lodging were his focus but when he outgrew his clothing he did what he had to.

Now a young adult Mytheos appeared to outgrow his childhood illness and before long grew in size and strength and could be taken seriously as a farm hand. Work was hard to find for any length of time and the youth continued to wander the Imperial Province. Work was just a means to an end, he needed to get to Skyrim, he had nothing else. If there was something to live for it was that, if nothing else it was his mother's dying wish.
Through the years as the boy grew and worked wherever work could be found, he saved. Until finally one day he had enough savings to carry him for a few months in the northern province until he could make a living and a new life for himself in Skyrim.

 

[Mytheos]

DAY UNKNOWN...
My name is Mytheos. I am a Nord from... well that doesn't matter. My past is my own and I'm here writing this in this book because today I start a new life. A life in Skyrim. I've long waited for this day and now that it is upon me I can barely believe it. I've finally saved up enough coin to buy passage to this land. The years have been hard but I must find out why my... why she told me to come to this place. If there is some purpose for me to be here, I hope I find it soon... I'm so very tired, as I sit here on this tree stump on the side of the road, to rest my tired overworked body I find myself in amazement of how so very alive the landscape feels. How it speaks to me. Maybe I am to find a home here... Perhaps there is more to life than working in a field, or helping a blacksmith or hauling the goods of a local merchant. For those activities are all I know. By the nine this view... it's breathtaking....
I see blue butterflies nestling comfortably among flowers of orange and blue, and ants moving across the tree stump beside me. Perhaps I am not alone in my weariness. The ants carry weight much heavier than themselves, they don't complain, maybe there is a lesson in that. Maybe not, it is not for me to say. I'm not a poet, just a man. A tired man... a man that for one reason or another will keep track of his comings and goings in this small book, someday I want to look back on my humble origins and see how far I came.
My life starts now, my life in Skyrim. I'm eager to write more, I could write eternally about the view that my eyes are taking in, but I see some men now, men of blue cloth and brown leather coming down the road, they look like soldiers. Perhaps a charitable soul will allow me safe passage on their carriage until I can find an inn to stay in. Tomorrow I'll head to market for some food and supplies, I hope among all the wares the merchants have to offer there is more than iron and steel pointy things, I have decided to learn more about this land if I am to have any connection to it, a good history book or two would do. The men of blue cloth and brown leather are almost upon me, time to close this chapter and begin my journey. May the nine preserve me.

 

[Mytheos]

DAY UNKNOWN

Chapter 2:
The gods have abandoned Skyrim, perhaps all of Tamriel. What I have seen today... what I've had to do... I've never witnessed so much destruction except... once. There are things in this world that would be dismissed as legend and folklore, but let me be a cautionary tale to anyone who may discover this book off my likely charred corpse. Black winged demon of flaming breath, are you really what I would think you to be? Could you possibly be a bringer of the end times? A dragon....

Where to start? In my last entry I mentioned the soldiers, the men in blue cloth and brown leather. They offered me safe passage aboard their carriage, we rode for some time before we were ambushed. Imperial Legionnaires flooded in from all sides, they... rather, we were outnumbered. The men I rode with fought honorably and with such ferocity that I've ever witnessed before, and the blond man with the black coat, Ulfric was his name, he was the fiercest of them all. Ulfric wielded a type of magic that I've only ever seen once before, words spoken from the mouth that can kill, not like a curse, more like a force. The sound was thundering and loud and you could feel your bones tremble beneath from the pressure and sound of the words. The man shouted people apart, but he was only able to do so once before being snuck up by a few legionnaires. Ulfric was quickly gagged and bound.
In this confusion of the skirmish I attempted to flee before being warned by a crafty no good archer that another step would be my last. I urged the Imperials that I was not one of them, that I had just asked for safe passage, but it mattered not, a cold faced woman made the call that I go with the others. Out of sheer panic I attempted to flee before being struck down by a nearby imperial solider with a bash of his shield, it was then that I blacked out. Now bound like the rest of the "Stormcloaks" as they were called we found ourselves on a new carriage. This one bound for a place called Helgen. Upon waking from my concussed state I found myself in a carriage with the Stormcloaks heading into the place that was to be the "end of the line".

Townsfolk gathered on outside their houses and a father urged his son in the house. My heart sank for I took it as a sign. A sign of what the end of the line really meant. The carriage suddenly halted and we were asked to step forward, our names were called, all but mine but the cold faced woman urged the man holding the list to simply forget the list. It was the headsman's axe for me. A priestess was reading out last rights before an impatient Stormcloak solider walked forward urging the headsman to get on it with, as if he had some place to be. Either brave or stupid, I still don't know.
The axe dropped and his head separated from his neck with and his blood ran wild all over the headsman's block and into the grass and dirt below that. People shouted for justice, and death was wished upon us from the crowd. I was called next. "The nord in the rags".

It was then we all heard it. Another thundering sound, this one deep and bellowing. Crowd and prisoners alike all hushed. A man of ranking stepped forward and assured us it was nothing, and to press on, I saw that the man of ranking, this... General Tullius wanted Ulfric dead. There was a vendetta of sorts between these two men. I approached the headsman and rested my neck on the block, my own neck now wet and sticky with the blood of the man before me. The sound was heard again, the thundering echo and this time accompanied with a roar that could belong to your worst nightmares, a hollow sound that rang in your ears. That shook the very bones of you. This time the sound was much more as a shadow in the distance became nightmare incarnate within less than a second when the origin of the sound revealed itself as a gigantic black dragon, it's black sharp and spiky body, blood red glowing eyes and fearsome black wings caused widespread panic among the crowd, the monstrosity landed on an tower that overlooked the headsman and I and seemed to shake Nirn itself.
A thundering bellow and a whirling force left the monstrosity's mouth and the sky turned red and black. Fireballs rained down from the heavens. It was then that the headsman stumbled and lost his footing, as a fireball plummeted into the ground nearby. The shock-wave of the impact left my vision blurred as a familiar voice called out to me. "Kinsman, get up, the gods won't give us another chance!"

I got to my feet as quick as possible and stumbled clumsily to the doorway where the voice was and as my vision cleared I saw myself standing with Ulfric and another man. This man a dwarf compared to Ulfric but a strong looking soldier none the less. As I struggled with my rope that bound my hands together, Ulfric and the Stormcloak Soldier quickly devised an escape route through the tower. As we ascended the tower I spotted another Stormcloak soldier clearing rubble to clear a way for escape, I went to help him but... the monstrosity smashed through the tower wall and unleashed a hell-fire. When the demon flew off to terrorize the archers firing upon him this man that called out to me urged me to jump out of the tower to an inn below the tower. The inn's roof had been scorched by fire and left an opening large enough for me to jump into. Before I could jump I was shoved off the tower and I fell into the inn below. I barely felt the landing and was on my feet faster than I could have ever imaged. I don't know what got into me just then but it was then that I decided I would live. With that resolution in mind I dashed across the inn's upper floor, down to the lower floor and out the door, past a legionnaire and a young boy too frightened to move, the dragon landed beside me and I tumbled but quickly regained my footing, and ran down what between the back of a house and a wall, up a few stairs and through the remains of a destroyed home already on fire, out into the battle where the man of ranking barked commands at his underlings, arrows and fireballs from adept legion mages were sent hurling after the beast on black wings.
I didn't waste any time as my feet wouldn't allow me, I spotted another nearby tower and sprinted with all the stamina left in me to the closest door and threw my shoulder into it, the door gave way and I was in.
That was the last I saw of the black winged demon. The man who called out to me, a blonde nord who looked about my age bursted in shortly after I got to my feet. When he caught his breath, he cut loose my bindings and put an axe in my hand. I took the armor of one of his fallen comrades and we ran through hallways and corridors, battling legionnaire after legionnaire that occupied the lower levels of the tower basement. A broken wall in a dungeon offered us means for escape through a tunnel that led us to a cave occupied by spiders larger than most dogs. I abandoned the soldier, and ran past the spiders and never looked back, I ran until I found myself face to face with a man-eating bear. I stood my ground against hungry predator and sunk the axe in my hand deep into the open jaws of the bear, it's eyes went dark and it's jaw slack as it heavily fell and cracked the bones it had collected around itself. I ripped the axe from the jaw of the bear only to see the blond nord running down from where I had left him to die. Without hesitation I threw my axe at him, and kept running, I saw him duck the thrown axe. I ran faster he did. And before I knew it I was out of the tunnel and outside again.
Fearing only the worst from the Soldier I ran into the trees and didn't stop, never looking back to see if he was in pursuit. After I could run no longer, I hid, watching for any sign of chase from the soldier.

After I could be sure that I had not been followed, I made my way down a nearby road until I found a lake. I quickly disposed of the Stormcloak armor and left only with my loincloth I swam to a small camp that was left abandoned on a small island in the middle of the lake. There were a few items of interest there, but my heart still racing and now naked I searched for something to wear. I found a well worn set of clothes and put them on. It is here I sit writing a new entry into a new book I have found, for the previous one along with all my savings and supplies were lost in the blaze of Helgen.

I doubt I'll get much sleep tonight... so long as I don't see another dragon anytime soon, I think I'll be ok.
What do I do? Is this the end of times? Gods help us...

 

[Mytheos]

DAY UNKNOWN

It's been several day's since I last wrote, the shock of the dragon attack on Helgen too fresh in my mind to write with any clarity. I don't want to write any more about the dragon, at least for now.
The first few days I've tried to get back on my feet financially, the loss of my gear, supplies and gold has been devastating. I found a nearby village, Riverwood, and observed the people's comings and goings for a while before noticing their weren't an legionairres patrolling the road through town, but I did notice the presence of the blonde Stormcloak Soldier who saved my life, the very same one I betrayed and left to die. I didn't know him well enough to trust him not to turn me in to his leader, and I certainly do not want to take sides in whatever conflict plagues the Legion and the Stormcloaks.

The Soldier's name is Ralof, and he seems like a trustworthy man, too bad that ship has sailed... After Ralof his sister departed from the lumber mill where they spoke I moved into town to try to find some work to do to earn some lodging or some gold.
The general store in town is run by a man named Lucan Valerius and his sister Camilla. The two were in an arguement about accepting their losses. As it were the two were robbed but nothing more than a golden claw was taken, an ornament really, nothing overly functional. Why not take gold or weapons? I offered him to try to find the thieves suspecting with how little they took that the odds of having to deal with many thieves would be small.

As it turned out, I was wrong. Dead wrong. The thieves made their hideout in a nearby barrow. I ascended the mountain path hoping to find a clue or two before taking the thieves on in open combat. Before getting too far snarling and barking could be heard and a wild wolf hiding behind a few rocks attacked me. Realizing just then that I had no weapon I clenched my fists and fended the wolf off as best I could while sending punch and punch down on the wolfs skull. In short time did the wolf attempt to retreat but I knew better, wolves by nature are unforgiving, but too bad for them I'm merciless.. I followed the wolf behind the rocks from which he ambushed me and caught up to him in seconds and punched him as hard as I could in the back, and the wolf's back broke under the force of my blow and the wolf crumpled underneath me. My fists were scraped and my leg wounded from wolf bites, I calmed myself and healed myself with what novice healing spell I knew. The spell was sufficient enough to heal my wounds, but I realized that without armor or a weapon I'd soon wind up dead.

A blacksmith in Riverwood needed some help, I crafted him a dagger and hide helmet out of materials he provided for me, and he even let me keep them, he believes I'll make a fine blacksmith one day, making Skyforge steel... whatever that is...

With my new dagger and helmet I continued up the mountain path not knowing what was in store. I didn't get far before I was greeted by an great axe wielding Orc with something to prove, and well... the fight was close, but I proved victorious. The Orc was simply too slow and I was able to keep my distance while blasting him with hot flames and was able to seal the deal with my new dagger whilst weaving in and out between his slow strikes. Before I could revel in my victory I found myself face to face with a sword wielding wood elf that didn't take to kindly to me setting her Orc comrade on fire, but being as injured as I was I made I decided it was better to run and live another day than to die a warrior's death.

The rest of the day I nursed my wounds and recovered by the fire at the Sleeping Giant Inn and I planned my next move. That golden claw was mine, well... Lucan's, but mine to return to him! There is some gold in it for me and after loosing it all to the imperial soldiers and the dragon attack I need to recoup my losses. I made up my mind that under the protection of night I would sneak my way up the mountain path and see if the Orc's corpse was left where he was slain, after all, bandits have to tradition, and no honor, that Orc would be lucky to see his body thrown on a pyre.

Night came and my plan went off without a hitch. There he lay right where I left him, I was able to sneak up to the dead Orc and take his armor for my own, after all, he wasn't about to use it any more. I was able to sneak a ways back down the mountain path and dress myself in the Orc's studded armor, it was a bit tight but it fit none the less. I decided to not take chances with the wood elf woman I encountered earlier as she had little to nothing to do with my goal I decided to let by gones be by gones... for now.

As I approached the barrow I noticed bandits patrolling the barrow entrance, systematically I lured them beyond their post and had them meet their fate by flame and dagger before heading into the barrow itself. Now inside the barrow I could overhear two other bandits talking, one man and one woman. The mentioned something about one of their friends running off deeper into the barrow with the claw. I was so excited to hear what I needed to hear about the claw I decided that those two outlived their usefulness and I dashed into combat with them without thinking. I unleashed a gout of fire across the two bandits and sent a flurry of dagger slashes wildly like a madman, quickly realizing my foolishness I jumped backward while being slashed at by axe and shot at by bow I took cover behind a stone pillar to at least cut off the archer from any more free hits and I quickly disbatched the male bandit with a few more slashes of my dagger and a burst of flames from my hand. Now the woman... I remained very still as I was exhausted and wounded, I could feel that what limited magic I knew would be no good to me as I've exhausted my magicka. I remained still for some time and I was left alone. The woman must have either run off or been so intimidated that she was waiting for me to make the first move in order to barrage me with arrows again. Once I felt confident that I could once again make use of my flames I turned the corner and leapt up on some old tombs quickly gaining the archers attention, I baited her for a moment longer and jumped back off the tombs as she let loose her arrow, I dashed around the other side of the stone column and let loose my flames upon her with both hands instead of one, her clothes caught fire like pig fat, but despite her pain she knocked another arrow and let it loose, it struck hard at close range into my shoulder but I pushed through the burning pain and kept the flames on her. The archer dropped to knee begging for her life, but as she did I was once again exhausted from my use of magicka so I quickly freed my dagger finished the job.