Athenia's Plight - Imperial Revenge

[ah3nos]

This is my first journal and as a matter of fact my first RP playthrough for Skyrim (or any game for that matter). Please be patient with me as I get the hang of this. My first post will be quite lengthy to let you know all of my restrictions and mods I have installed to help enforce those restrictions. Following everyone else I have adopted a modified version of BIGwooly's hardcore restrictions.

Restrictions:

• Difficulty set to 'master'
• HUD set to 0%
• No unrealistic perks
• May not fast travel except by carriage
• May only carry 30 arrows
• May not harvest unreasonable items from bodies
• Must wait 1 hour for each animal skinned
• Must always carry clothing
• May not swim while wearing or carrying armor
• Must have a hand free to quaff potions
• Must wait 3 seconds between taking potions in combat
• Must have both hands free to pickpocket
• Must have both hands free to pick locks
• May only carry 10 lockpicks
• Must have hands free to search bodies or pick things up
• May not remain crouched for extended periods of time
• Must sleep for at least 6 hours every day (allowed to make rare exceptions)
• A mercenary's fee is for a (1) 24 hour period
• May not use game exploits - wood chopping for gold is acceptable.
• Must wait one hour after chopping wood.
• No auto saving
• If killed, must load from last save
• May only save after sleeping or waiting.
• Must wait 1 hour after any crafting
• Must wait 2 hours after reading any spell or skill books
• Must pay for at least one level of training in order to add perks (of the correct traiing type).
• Must wait 2 hours after each level of training.
• See the below mod list for further restrictions. Some of the mods are very detailed in what they do and you will need to look them up on nexusmods.com in order to know what they do. It would take up too much room to post them here.

Mod List (This is a complete mod list I run - alphabetically not install order)

• 1st Person Armor Fix
• A Quality World Map
• Alternate Start - Live Another Life
• Ambient Seagulls
• Ancient Nord Armor 1st Person Fix
• Animated Weapon Enchants
• ApachiiSkyHair
• Ars Metallica - Smithing Enhancement
• Auto Unequip Ammo
• Bandolier - Bags and Pouches
• Bellyaches Animal and Creature Pack
• Better Beast Races
• Better Bedrolls
• Better Circlets
• Better Fast Travel - Carriages and Ships - for more carriage availablility
• Better Females by Bella
• Better Shadowmarks
• Better Turn Animation
• Better Weapon Swing Sounds
• Blacksmithforge Water Fix
• Books Books Books - because I like books
• Books PLUS - because I REALLY like books
• Bowlegged Jump Animation Fix
• Calientes Female Body Mod Big Bottom Edition
• Calientes Vanilla Outfits for CBBE
• Camping Lite
• Categorized Favorites Menu
• Categorized Favorites Menu Oni Edition
• Cerwiden - SMART Healer Companion
• Chimneys of Skyrim
• Closer Quiver and Longer Arrows
• Convenient Horses
• Coverkhajiits
• Crafting Takes Time
• Deja Vu - I Already Read It
• Dragon Glyphs HD - smooth version
• Dynamic Fires
• Economics of Skyrim
• Extended Vanilla Weapons
• Finer Dust
• Fixed Mannequins - Mesh
• FSS - Better Bards
• Gildergreen Regrown
• HD Cinematic Fire Effects
• HiRes Legible Road Signs
• Immersive Armors
• Immersive Skyrim Thunder
• Improved Combat Sounds
• Improved Torches Textures
• Infidels Ranger Armor
• Killable Camp Commanders
• Killable Children - only because everyone dies, not to kill them
• Lanterns for Caravans
• Lanterns of Skyrim - All In One
• Leather Backpack
• Light Up The Night - People Have Torches
• Marriage Expanded
• More Realistic Hair
• New Thinner Torch
• Radiance
• Real Effect Candle
• Realistic Lighting with Customization - nights and dungeons really dark
• Realistic Ragdolls and Force
• Realistic Room Rental
• Run For Your Lives
• Running With Your Bow Replacer
• Shadow Striping Fix Indoor and Outdoor
• Sit Anywhere
• Skyrealism - Capacity and Carry Weight
• Skyrealism - Encombrance
• Skyrealism - Feast and Famine
• Skyrealism - Mass and Materials
• Skyrealism - Portable Crafting Kits
• Skyrealism - Skills and Statistics
• Skyrealism - Stealth and Sneak Detection Durations
• Skyrealism - Time Scale and Travel Speed
• Skyrim Bigger Trees
• Thats Ice
• Torches for realistic Lighting
• Texture Pack Combiner - most of the texture mods installed
• WATER - Water And Terrain Enahncement Redux
• Warmer Magic Lights
• Wearable Lanterns

Backstory for Athenia:

Athenia was born on a small farm nestled in a remote part of the Eastmarch Hold. She spent her days farming, hunting and smithing with her father. They were a self sufficient family and she learned many things from him, but never truely advanced in any of them. One night a group of Imperial soldiers wandered onto thier land and started picking the crops for their own use. Athenia's father tried to stop them and they murdered him in cold blood. His last words to Athenia were to run. As Athenia ran to the trees she looked back to see that her mother had been dragged out of the house and the soldiers were having their way with her. Athenia had managed to hide in the woods and watched as her mother was slain as well and their house burned to the ground. One of the men was concerned with Athenia's escape, but the commander in charge said to never mind the child for she wouldn't last a day or 2 in the wilderness on her own. Athenia lived for many days in the woods before returning to her home and giving her parents a proper burial. She has vowed to make the Empire pay for their crimes. A khajiit stopped to view the destroyed farm and collect what he could when she attcked him. She was no match for him and after he quickly wrestled her to the ground he offered to help her travel anywhere she wanted. He was on his way to Solitude and Athenia saw this as a perfect solution to her immediate problem of getting to the heart of the Empire.

(I tend to be rather wordy at times, so I will break up my first day into a few posts for easier reading. Any comments, suggest, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Even if it's to tell me this is crap, lol.)

 

[ah3nos]

Sundas 17th of Last Seed - part 1
I awoke to find myself next to the khajiit caravanner I was traveling with. I can only breifly remember the Imperial soldiers commandeering his wares for the Legion's support and the foolish khajiit refusing to let go of his valuables. The soldiers proceeded to take away the khajiits nine lives and delivered a nearly fatal beating to me in the process. I can only assume that I was left for dead. We were on our way to Solitude where the now dead khajiit was looking to sell his cargo to another caravan before heading back to Eastmarch.
I am reminded of my homeland and family. They were murdered by these Imperial bastards and now have 'murdered' me as well. I will have my revenge on them. However, I am only one woman in the scheme of things and I must be careful in my redeeming fight against them. One thing my father taught me well is to keep your eye on your enemy and look for any tell tale sign of weakness, then use that weakness against them. It also helps if you can find others who will fight for your cause or have the same basic goals.

Since it is fairly early in the morning, according to the suns position, I will head back to one of the villages we passed through in order to rest and stock up on supplies. First I will need a weapon of some kind in order to protect myself from the dangers of the wilderness. I know a little magic, but I am afraid it might be too little to survive. Food would be great about now as I do not know how long it has been since I have eaten a proper meal. Living on berries and mushrooms is fine for an animal, but a strong nord woman needs more. Hopefully by tonight I will be safe in a bed and be able continue this journal yet one more day. Live for the now, at least until I can live for the future.

 

[ah3nos]

Sundas 17th of Last Seed- part 2

A boy ran up to me on the road asking me if I wanted to buy some things from him. He tried to swindle me into paying for the location of a Dwemer ruin he found the goods at. I threatened to take him over my knee and he quickly showed me on my map where this ruin was located. The only thing he had worth buying was a knife. However, I only had 4 Septims and he was wanting 46 Septims for it. I thought about beating the boy senseless to take the knife, but I did not want to accidentally kill the boy in my rage, so I took leave of him and continued on my way.

I had been traveling the road for hours without even a rabbit in sight for food when I came upon a mill near a lake. A chicken proudly walked the grounds with its head held high, taunting my hunger. I could not see anyone nearby as I approched the small house. I wondered if there might be someone inside that could offer help to a poor defensless woman in need of nourishment. Before going to the house I decided to wander the area first. I took a stroll across the wooden bridge to find a woman working in the mill. She offered me some coin in return for chopping some wood for her. She told me that they get visitors from time to time, but the ongoing civil war keeps many travelers off the roads. After finding a nice area to chop some wood I realized I had no axe. I returned to the nice woman to ask her if she had an axe I could borrow, but alas she did not have one available at the moment. After spending a couple of hours talking to her I bid her farewell. She had told me that her mill supplied the town of Falkreath just down the road to the south. As I was walking down the ramp I decided to check out a small shack nearby. In it I found some fresh venison and a couple of drying rabbits. My stomach growled as I dreamt of a nice meal even if it was raw. I looked around to see where the lady was and with her back turned to me I quickly grabbed two rabbits and a hunk of venison. I strolled away back to the road as if nothing happened.

I moved off the side of the road to a few small trees and sat down to eat a leg of rabbit and an apple I had managed to find in the khajiits cart that had not been taken by the soldiers. It was a welcome feeling to finally eat something. I returned to the road and as I made my way to Falkreath I reflected on how strange it was that I had not seen any animals along the way. I could hear the birds, but none would reveal themselves.

 

[ah3nos]

Sundas 17th of Last Seed - part 3

I passed some sort of watch tower and heard some commotion coming from that direction. It sounded like steel upon steel and I quickly continued on my way. There was no need for me to get in the middle of some dispute. In the distance, I could hear the thunder of an oncoming storm and prayed to the divines that I would make it to Falkreath before the strom hit.

I arrived in Falkreath mid afternoon and as the gate guard shared with me his story of an arrow that caught him in the knee I asked him about the rumors of war breakling out in Helgen, a little tip the nice lady at the mill had given me. He was unsure of what to say and suggested I visit either Solitude or Windhelm. The soldiers there would know more about it. I certainly wasn't going to head to Solitude yet with it being under Imperial control. I was not ready to see an Imperial for fear of going into a rage and killing him, even if it were in the middle of the city. Windhelm seemed like a place to start, but not before I got a good nights rest and stocked up for the trip.

Dead Man's Drink is the name of the tavern located in Falkreath and it is a nice cozy place. In my discussion with the other patrons I discovered that Falreath is one of the largest cemetaries in all of Skyrim with many battles being fought here. Thadgeir asked me to deliver the ashes of his good friend to Runil. I agreed in hopes that some coin will be exchanged to help me buy the supplies I will need for the long jouney to Windhelm.

Delacourt, the local bard, is very talented in both the flute and drums. He was very adamant about me applying to the Bards College in Solitude. I kindly let him know that I have no musical inclination of any sort and would not be able to carry a tune for the life of me.

 

[ah3nos]

Sundas 17th of Last Seed - part 4

Knowing that most rumors are found in such establishments I spoke to the barkeep. It seems there are a few rumors that may be worth checking out. One in particular caught my fancy. It seems that a boy in Windhelm is trying to contact the Dark Btrotherhood. Joining such a faction would work splendidly in my plans against the Imperials. I will need some more training in the art of stealth and the Brotehrhood would be the ones to help with that.

When I asked how much a room would be for the night I was shocked that she required 100 Septims for me to sleep. 100 Septims! Can you believe it? I must find a few jobs that can be done quickly before nightfall or I will be resting my head out in the rain tonight. It is already near the dinner hour. The only work the barmaid had for me was a bounty on a group of bandits at Knifepoint Ridge. That job would have to wait.

I showed myself out for the time being and searched for a good place to sell anything I had of value. I was able to sell a book I had taken from the caravan for a measly 8 Septims. At this rate I may be able to afford a room in a week's time. The owner of the shop was a soldier in the Stormcloack army at one time. I agreed with him the Skyrim has no need of the Empire.

Behind the inn I found the graveyard. There was a ceremony going on and I waited patinely out of respect for the dead to speak to the priest. He asked me to retrieve his journal in some cave and would pay me for returning it to him. At this point I have no choice but to accept because I need all the coin I can get. I delivered the ashes as I promised and Runil gave me 250 Septims! That was unexpected, but very appreciated as now I could sleep in a comfortable bed, warm and dry.

It was starting to get dark outside and I decided to head back to the Dead Man's Drink to get a room, have some food and drink. I am very tired and my body is still sore from the near death beating I received earlier. I think a good night's rest will be very good for me. Tomorrow I will check out the rest of town before heading out, or I may stay for a day or two to gather some more Septims.

 

[ah3nos]

Found out that one of my mods was buggy. Crafting takes time slowed me down to 1 fps then crashed. I have also instituted a few more restrictions because of it. I must now wait 1 hour after crafting anything. Also concerning spell and skill books I must wait 2 hours. One hour for reading and 1 hour practicing what I read. More entries coming today.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed
I woke this morning after a nice 10 hour sleep. It was much needed and I am ready to start my day fresh and anew. Last night before I went to sleep I was very tempted to take the coin purse and few coins on a table in the room I rented. Now that I have slept on it a bit I have decided that the coin is very needed and I have taken it for myself before heading to the local blacksmith to get some armor. These mining clothes I have been wearing will not do. I purchased a nice breakfast with the extra coin I had gained. I also had nice drink of mead before heading out. It did cost me quite a Septim though. While I waited for the Blacksmith to open I visited the Jarl's longhouse. The young jarl has quite an attitude about him. I left 'his holiness' alone for the time being. One day he will have some respect for visitors looking to help him out.

Prices are lot more than expected. My 186 Septims bought me an iron dagger, long bow, and 10 iron arrows leaving me with 36 coins. I may be here awhile longer than expected. I have yet to gather enough money to buy any armor. I guess it is time to go hunting in hopes of selling some pelts. Hunting in the rain is never fun and by the time I return I will be cold and wet. I also do not know if I will even get enough money to rent a room again tonight. Living day by day is hard.

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

I came across some ruins after an hour of searching the woods for game. I approached cautiously and soon turned back once I heard the buzzing sound. I know the sound of a spriggan when I hear one. I am in no condition to take one on. Not with just a dagger and no armor. I will keep it in mind for later though as I am sure there will be some old coins lying around.

I am beginning to wonder if there is any animals in this area to hunt. It has been 2 hours now and not a single one in sight. Maybe now that the weather is clearing and the sun is coming out the prey will start to feed. I can only hope for some luck in this matter.

I found yet another ruined tower to explore. What is it with all the spriggans? The distinct buzzing has driven me away again. I must find soem game soon. Not only to sell the hide, but it will be time to eat soon in order to retain my strength.

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

The rain has started again and I am no closer to killing an animal that I was 2 days ago. Will the rain ever stop and will I ever find anything to hunt? I am thinking that it may be time to cut my losses and move on. I will give it the rest of the day before I move on to another area. It seems that I will be sleeping outside tonight provided I can find somewhere comfortable to sleep. It wouldn't be the first time I have had a restless night and will most likely not be the last.

As I wandered thourgh the woods I came across a khajiit staring at the mountains. His name is M'aiq. A very strange khajiit to say the least. First he talks about how he likes the snow and the snowflakes are pretty. Then he says that it snows too much and he is not fond of it. He sent my head into a whirlwind with his conflicting tongue. It is just as well he got tired of speaking because I was tired of listening. I still have yet to even see an animal in the woods and I have covered every inch of forest surrounding Falkreath.

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

3 hours of hunting has still not yeilded any game. I am going to head back to the mill and see if the nice lady has an axe now that I can use to cut some wood for her. Hopefully she has one because I cannot afford even a decent meal now. At least I know there is some food there I may be able to 'borrow'.

The nice lady still had no axe. I am in desparate need of food. I had to resort to killing her chickens while she wasn't looking in order to get some food. I was also able to harvest some feathers which may come in handy later. What they will be useful for I do not know at this time.

On my way back to Falkreath I took a wrong turn and seem to have gotten lost. There was a horse by the roadside and I did not see anyone around who it might belong to. The horse got spooked and as I turned to see what had caused the horse to start bucking I saw a skeleton trying to attack the horse. I drew my dagger and prepared my flame spell. It did not take much to crumble the skeleton into pieces.

I searched the area to find who the horse might belong too when all of a sudden I saw an elk. Finally I would be able to hunt. My unting expidition was cut short as it took off into the water and started swimming across the lake. I am in no mood to jump in the water and try to catch up to it. Hopefully I will find another one though. This area seems to be much better for hunting. As I approached the road again to check on the horse I ran into a hunter whom I can only guess owned it. We exchanged a couple of words and realized that neither of had anything of value that the other wanted. I think I will continue down this path and see where it leads.

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

I came across a group of angry villagers today. None of them had anything to say, but they all looked very busy trying to hunt something. Each of them had a weapon drawn. I continued on with thoughts of what they might be looking for. Maybe there was a wolf about, or a skeever. I'm not really sure what the issue was as I did not see or hear anything at the time. Just then a wolf jumped out from behind the trees and attacked me. It bit ferociously and I barely had time to draw my dagger to defend myself. Lucky for me I had my flame spell prepared and with a blast from it in combination with a few swings of my blade I was able to slay the beast. It was not without cost however. I was badly injured and I am not sure I will make it to the next town in time. I do not have any potions to help and very little food. I ate the last of my chicken breast in hopes it would give me enough strength.

The villagers had caught up to me and I thought I would follow them. It wouldn't hurt to be in a group who would help ward off any danger on my travels. Although, they were a quiet bunch and conversation was not an option. We reached a fork in the road and they started up the hill. I am not sure where they were headed, but we parted ways with not so much as a goodbye. The path downward lead to a river where I hoped to get some fish before moving on. It was already noon and I was not sure how much further the next settlement would be.

I came across three stones near the river. I had heard of these guardian stones before and looked at each one intently. There was one for the warrior, the mage, and the theif. I knew that if I touched one it will grant me knowledge to help me on my path. I was torn in my decision, but since I needed stealth to infiltrate the Imperial army, I chose the thief.

Not wasting any time I continued down the road and finally came to a small village called Riverwood. It was a fitting name being located right on the river. Maybe I will have better luck here than I did in Falkreath. I have not forgotten my promise to return Rulin's journal, but he has gone this long without it, surely he can go a few more days.

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

I spoke with a wood elf named Faendal as soon as I enetered town and he told me of a little love triangle between Sven, Camilla, and himself. Faendal gave me a letter to give to Camilla as if Svem wrote it. It will be interesting to see what sort of drama this will cause and I am not quite sure I want to get in the middle of it.
While wondering around the mill I found an axe. I was able to talk to Hod who told me to cut him some wood and he would pay me for it. Before I started chopping wood I wandered around town. The blacksmith asked me to forge him a dagger for use of his forge in the future. I think he just wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing so that he wasn't liable for any mishaps. After forging the dagger he instructed me to sharpen it on the grinding wheel. It was an easy and meanial task, but it never hurts to practice a trade. The edge was sharp and the iron was strong. Alvor certainly has a nice forge. After making a helmet and working it on the bench to improve it some Alvor offered the dagger and helmet to me as a gift. I have no need for a helmet. I prefer to have my hair blowing in the wind. He accepted the helmet and paid me a small amount of gold to take it off my hands.

I need more Spetims. I cannot yet afford any armor. It seems that once I get some coin I have to spend it on other necessary provisions. I am hopeful though that there is more to hunt in this area. Maybe if I get enough pelts I can craft my own armor. I have soent a lot of time already at the forge and heading over to the local trader. Imight be able to sell something else or find a few cheaper items.

The shop owner and his sister were arguing over something. Lucan bought a couple of ingredients from me and then told me about a robbery from his shop. He lost only one thing, a golden claw. His sister wanted to go get it, but he was afraid for her. I offered to retreive it from the bandits who stole it. Besides I need coin. I'm sure that a golden claw must be worth something. Camilla was insistent that I start my journey right away and showed me the way out of town and told me which path to take in order to reach Bleak Falls Barrow. It was late in the day and I needed rest before trecking up the mountain.

I gave Camilla the letter Faendal gave me and let her know it was Sven. She will not be speaking to him any time soon and I immediatly found Faendal to tell him the good news. Faendal was grateful for my help, paying me 25 gold for my trouble. He has also offered to help me out whenever I need it.

I took a moment to sit near the river and eat some of the venison I had gathered from earlier in the morning. I proceeded to the Sleeping Giant Inn to check the room rates and get a nice tankard of ale to relax. One of the patrons there was new to the area just as I was and I struck up a conversation with her. She was sent here to investigate some dragon sightings. I have no use for such tales, but it was entertaining to hear the 'make believe' story of a dragon sighted in Skyrim. Everyone knows that dragons have been long gone. I humored the girl and even offered to show her around for a price. She quickly offered to pay me 500 gold in order to follow me and help her with her investigation. How could I refuse?!? 500 coins would help in getting some armor from the blacksmith in town. A few more pelts and I would be able to have some protection.

 

[Streets]

Good start! I was surprised to see that 100 gold to rent a room. If that were the case in my game, I'd be sleeping outside a lot.

 

[ah3nos]

Good start! I was surprised to see that 100 gold to rent a room. If that were the case in my game, I'd be sleeping outside a lot.

Thanks. The real room rental mod changes the cost depending on the area. A big increase from the standard 10 gold. Riverwood is 50.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ah3nos]

Morndas 18th of Last Seed

The only rumors the bar keep could give me was concerning the 'love triangle' in town. I let him know that the situation has been taken care of. I found Delphine, the owner, and rented a room for the night at half the cost I paid in Falkreath. I downed some Bloack-Briar mead I found on the nightstand.

There was still some time left before I needed to rest, so I took another stole around town. Hod was working in the mill and I was eager to see how sharp my axe blade was. I chopped wood for a bit and Hod payed me a nice sum of 30 gold. I could now afford some armor and maybe even a few more arrows. I will stop by Alvor's in the morning.

 

[ah3nos]

Tirdas 19th of Last Seed

Today I set out to find the angry mob I traveled with yesterday. They had traveled south on the road near the guardian stones. On the way Ceriwiden, me new employer, and I encountered 2 wolves. I dispatched of one while Ceri took care of the other one. I spent some time skinning the animals to sell their pelts to Alvor when I returned to Riverwood.

The sign said that the road led to Helgen. I remembered the information I received about soldiers heading that way. A fox ran out in front of me and I quickly drew my blade, capturing it and slitting it's throat. As I finished skinning him I noticed smoke rising up from somewhere up the path. Upon further investigation I found a camp site. The fire was burning with a cooking pot nearby. I waited for nearly an hour for someone to show up, but no one revealed themselves to be the owner of the camp. It could be that a hunter met his demise while out and about. I asked Ceri to keep an eye out as I cooked my raw venison into a nice charred chop. I am not much of a cook, but the thought of not eating raw meat was appealing. Cooked meat stays longer than raw meat and better for you. There was nothing else of interest in the camp and Ceri and I made our way back to Riverwood. The comfort of being close to town was a welcome change to the last few months.

Hunting is plentiful here. I was able to successfully skin a rabbit and without damaging it was also able to gain a leg of meat from it.

I stopped at the trader again to see how much he would give me for all of my pelts. He offered only 6 coins for the furs. I chose to speak to Alvor one more time before deciding to sell them to Lucan or not. Alvor offered the same thing and even though the trader was directly across the street I don't like making unnecessary trips. Alvor bought my pelts and I in trun bought some scaled armor and a few more arrows. I could have just as easliy made my own armor for a cheaper cost, but I didn't want to waste the time. There is too much to do before I continue on my journey. The armor fit like a glove.

On my way out of town a woman told me that I was pretty and to stay away from her husband Alvor. I did not want to tell her that I had already spoken with her husband. I already got involved in one dramatic love scene. I didn't need any more trouble in town. Sven was already mad at me for causing him to lose the love of his life.

Ceri and I sat down at the rivers edge to eat again. I told her that we would need our strength to make the arduous climb up to Bleak Falls Barrow. Hopefully I will be able to make another entry in this journal. I am unsure of what lies ahead. Such places can be very dangerous with all sorts of creatures, the chance of a cave in, and don't forget the bandits we will need to face.

 

[ah3nos]

Tirdas 19th of Last Seed

As we followed the path up the mountain we saw a tower in the distance. Luckily I saw the bandit leaning against the tree before he saw me and I was able to fire off 2 arrows before he got within range of my blade. Unfortunately there were 2 other bandits nearby that came charging in. Ceri and I quickly thwarted their aggression and I was able to get some better equipment from them. One of the bandits had a suit of ranger armor that fit nearly perfect. It was constructed much better than my newly bought studded armor. However, I would not be able to carry both and I just spent a lot of coin to get the studded armor. I had to make a decision and felt that the finely crafted ranger armor would be the best choice, even if it was not a completely perfect fit. I also managed to get some nice ranger boots and hide bracers. One of the bandits had some arrows. I filled my quiver to capacity.

I had forgotten that I was carrying a good amount of firewood and need to unload it so that I could carry other things. Besides that I shouldn't have the extra weight if I would be going into combat. Searching the tower I found a few gold and a chest. The chest was unlocked and contained 51 septims and a set of iron gauntlets that would be helpful in creating potions. Even if I do not use them at the alchemy table they should fetch a fair price. I was on my way to regaining the money I spent at Alvor’s for the studded armor.

Ceri and I continued up the trail to Bleak Falls Barrow. It had started snowing and was getting worse. I looked at one of the bandits one more time and decided that I should take his cloak for added protection from the elements.
I spotted the bandit on the ledge about the same time he spotted me. He yelled to companion to come help and made his way down the stairs firing arrows at us. His comrade charged with a great axe in his hands. I readied myself for the charge. As I was taking care of him, Ceri used her fire blast to dwindle the life out of the archer. My dagger had done the job, but I will soon need something a little more powerful. I managed to get a nice circlet, some gold and a hunting bow. I quickly exchanged the bow seeing how much better it was than my current long bow. Both bandits had a lockpick on them which I was grateful for. It was one item I forgot to pick up in town. I felt like a fool for it. At least I had a couple of picks in case I needed them.

There was one more bandit that I spotted up another set of steps. Two of my arrows hit home and Ceri sent lightning from her hands. I filled my quiver again. I wanted to make sure I would have enough. We continued our way up the last set of stairs to the doors. It was getting cold and I just wanted to get inside out of the wind and snow.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I could make out two figures standing near a fire. I sent an arrow flying into the neck of one bandit but it was not fatal. One charged in while the other remained out of melee range trying to shoot arrows into my skull. I was quick on my feet and none of her projectiles even came close to me. I collected about 20 more gold from them and found the chest they were standing near when I first entered. It was a very simple lock and I was glad I had taken the lockpicks. Inside the chest I found more gold and a potion of healing. The potion would come in handy.

Since I was in a tomb I had to investigate every urn. I know that many people leave 'gifts' for their loved ones. It may sound sick to some, but when you are desperate you will take the coin where you can. I could hear footsteps around the corner and stopped. I peered around the corner to see a bandit walking away from me. There was a level on the floor and I watched as the fool walked right up to it and threw it. What sounded like a million darts shot at him. He became a pin cushion full of poisonous needles and dropped to the ground immediately.

I was very leery about advancing into the room. When I made sure it was safe I moved in. There were stones on my left that could be turned. I have always been good at puzzles and looking around I found the clues above. Well, two of them above and the other on the ground in front of me., three carvings with the same symbols on the stones. I turned the stones so that each of the symbols correlating to the carvings were facing me. I help my breath as I pulled the lever. I had successfully overcome the trap and the gate before me opened.

I heard a shout from someone up ahead asking for help. I moved along the corridor and made a left. I could still hear the man but the spider webs were so thick I could not see anything. I cut through the webbing and as I moved through the doorway a giant spider dropped from the ceiling. I hate spiders! It was rough battle but we managed to kill it before long. The bandit had managed to get himself caught in the spiders web and asked me to cut him down. He promised everything under the sun if I would help him. I cut him down and he yelled that he was not going to share the treasure with anyone and took off. Ceri and I pursued and burned him to death before he could make it even 25 paces. This was the bandit that Lucan was looking for. I took the golden claw from his lifeless fingers and quickly scanned the journal he had in a pouch. It contained clues of what the claw was for and eluded to a great power deep within the barrow.

Ceri mentioned that she didn't like the feel of things, but we continued on despite her tingling sensation of danger. We could have easily turned back and be back in Riverwood in no time. However, I am like a curious khajiit when it comes to mysterious places. I had to find the source of power.

Ceri’s premonitions were right. We fought many draugr moving through the tombs, but I also collected quite a bit of gold. There were a few times that I thought our lives would end. It turns out that Ceri is a very skilled healer. After each combat encounter she healed us fully. I was glad to not resort to using my healing potion. It will be put use at a later time. In the progress we had made I picked up more coin and also exchanged my bow for and ancient nord bow one of the draugr was carrying.

 

[ah3nos]

Tirdas 19th of Last Seed

Finally we made it to strange door. I remembered the journal the bandit was carrying which included the description of this door and the clues to the puzzle to open it. On the palm of the golden claw were three symbols and I moved each ring of the door to match them. Cautiously I placed the claw in the holes and turned it. The door began to lower into the ground revealing the passageway behind it. We took a few moments to catch our breath from all of the fighting we had done. I suspected that there was more yet and any rest we could get would be helpful.

The passage way led into an enormous cavern. The bats nearly scared me to death as they flew at us. I could hear a faint noise that grew louder as I drew near to a wall with some strange writing on it. I felt power run through my veins and just then the coffin blasted open. It was one of the most powerful draugr I had ever encountered. Ceri and I never ran so fast trying to evade the massive great sword it sung at us. After what seemed like eternity we managed to fell the undead. I was given no choice but to drop my axe to make room for the sword. I am not particular about two handed weapons, but I could feel the magic within it and knew I could sell it for a nice price. I also found a strange stone with similar writing to the wall. I was quite sure it meant something and took it in hopes of finding someone who could translate it.

We found a secret passage that brought us outside onto the side of the mountain. We cannot return the way we came. We sat to recover and contemplate our next move. The lake below looked like the one that is near Riverwood. We will need to find a way down and get back soon. It will be getting dark soon and I do not much care for wandering the cliff side and wilderness in the dark.

 

[Assassin99]

good ones

 

[ah3nos]

Thanks.

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