Days where everything in Skyrim is against you

[JoeReese]

I literally just stopped playing and came to share my story.

As a preface, I just started this playthrough, and it's my first time trying master from the beginning. I was doing one of the Interesting NPCs quests, I walked out of whiterun, and headed on the road south, as I passed the western watchtower, I hear the unmistakable sound of a dragon. Boom. Blood dragon swoops down and blasts four of the guards, nearly engulfing me in the flames as well. So I'm dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging my way through this fight, and when I had the dragon at ~20%, the ground started to rumble, I whip around, and lo-and behold, I see two mammoths and a giant running my way.

At first I try to ignore them, as they are helping me to fight the dragon, but right when the dragon came to the ground for the final time, I fired what would have been the final arrow, the giant did a sidestep right into the arrow's path. The dragon died, and by ths time there was only one guard left, my follower, and I, facing two mammoths and a giant at nearly full health. So I did what any noble warrior would do. I ran. I ran as fast I could, I was out of potions, I hadn't bolstered restoration at all, and I was just not going to be able to finish these folks off.

So I'm running as fast as my legs will carry me, even exhausting my last few stamina potions, the mammoths move surprisingly quickly and I'm just barely gaining ground on them when... a courier comes and stops me dead in my tracks. I get through the dialogue with just enough time to see a giant's club swinging towards my face. My body flew about as high as I've ever seen it, and it was spinning in such a way that I could see my characters face, it was the biggest FML expression possible.

Then I quit and came here.

That's tough! No shame in retreating aye, but I think all of us fell victim to the "messenger of death".

One of my episodes with those messengers was fleeing from a Thalmor execution encounter, but I was stopped on the road by a messenger and I was helpless as the two Thalmor troops hacked away while the Judiciar was sending bolts of piercing lightning. I lay dead under the messenger as the Thalmor walked away... Tragic.

I have to give 5 other users rep before I can rep you, but ^5 for the meme. LOL

 

[Wippii]

Oh yes. Like my trip to Solstheim in search of a Glass Bow of Blizzards (Treasure Hunter with note encounter). Was my first-ever visit to Solstheim pre-Cultists, by the way. Interesting changes in dialogue and a couple other things.

First off, I had set up camp just outside Raven Rock, near the Earth Stone. The following morning I awoke at a huge ruin of some kind, finding myself hacking away at a stone pillar. I had no idea how I had gotten there... and I had also left my tent behind.

Later I found myself at a different ruin, and a naked person was running towards me. I ignored him, not considering him a threat... until he started transforming into a werebeast. The one thing I fear more than anything is werebeasts, so needless to say I ran. And ran and ran and ran.

I kept running until suddenly I heard the unmistakable sounds of a dragon. I enjoy the challenge that fighting dragons provides, so I headed towards the mighty beast. Big mistake.
The dragon turned out to be an ancient one, and its frost attacks really hurt despite my near immunity to frost. Also, the place was hardly ideal for fighting a dragon, as there were several strong Draugr there as well.

Eventually I found myself all the way down on the coast, and the dragon had lost sight of me (and I of it). I was freezing (Frostfall mod) and had absolutely no firewood left. I was in no shape to fight (skills significantly reduced because I was so cold), so of course a Snow Bear chose that moment to attack. I had to run again. I didn't get far before I ran into a monstrous creature of some kind, and was forced to choose between the bear and that thing. I chose the former, and ran back where I'd just come from. Then I finally had some luck, and found a cave just as the bear found me again.

Later I tracked down the Ancient Dragon, and found a good spot for fighting it. Unfortunately it decided to call for reinforcements (Dragon Combat Overhaul mod) once I got its health low enough... and one of the reinforcements that arrived stuck around even after the ancient one's death. And THEN that reinforcement called its own friends... one of which, a second Ancient, stuck around.

At around 3am I finally killed that last dragon. The last hours had been horrible, as it had gotten pitch-black at around 8pm... I didn't have night vision, and I obviously couldn't hold a torch while wielding a bow. Aura Whisper was a real life-saver.

All because of a stupid bow that I'll never use...

 

[Irishman]

I had a trip up to High Hrothgar the other day. My Orc is Lv42 and so I decided to visit the Greybeards. On the mountain I usually encounter a pack of wolves, a cave bear and a frost troll.... not so easy this time!

The very first hill I encountered a frost troll and that set the mood for the entire journey. I encountered 3 frost trolls, a pack of Ice wolves, 2 snowy bears, 3 Ice Wraiths and an Elder Dragon on my way up that mountain! I started the journey at 5 in the morning and it was well and truly dark by the time I stumbled in the Greybeards sanctuary.

 

[Dradin]

Not so much a bad day but I still remained irked.

I finish the Dwemer ruins in Markarth and return to the Silver-Blood in where my pack mule Cosnach is waiting for me. Feeling magnanimous instead of retrieving my stuff, I take him with me to my house in the Pale, hoping to craft him a set of armor.

I arrive only to see a mob of bandits tear down the hill. High level bandits too. My Sterward, Brenya, My Housecarl and I rush to the defense.

"HEY YOU CAN YOU HOLD ON TO THIS... NO TIME FOR EXPLAINING. SNITCH OR DOUBLE CROSS ME AND I WILL KILL YOU..." A fugitive decides to run into the fight and hands a poorly made axe in my hand. I fire my lightning bolt wanting to kill him and miss, killing Cosnach.

I finish off the bandits and go over to at least retrieve my stuff from dead Cosnach when a courier comes running from the wilderness with my inheritance letter written by the Jarl Himself.

Certainly breaks immersion.

I throw my useless items into some chests and take my personal carriage to Winterhold. Of course a dragon takes it time to attack. I am in the middle of a battle when I am stopped.

"HEY YOU CAN YOU HOLD ON TO THIS... NO TIME FOR EXPLAINING. SNITCH OR DOUBLE CROSS ME AND I WILL KILL YOU..."

I ignore him when his buddy follows up immediately.

"DID YOU SEE A GUY JUST RUN BY?"

No... No I did not.

I quickly kill the dragon and run into the College and ended it there for the night. Didn't want to deal with anymore of that.

 

[Clau]

Oh yes. Like my trip to Solstheim in search of a Glass Bow of Blizzards (Treasure Hunter with note encounter). Was my first-ever visit to Solstheim pre-Cultists, by the way. Interesting changes in dialogue and a couple other things.

First off, I had set up camp just outside Raven Rock, near the Earth Stone. The following morning I awoke at a huge ruin of some kind, finding myself hacking away at a stone pillar. I had no idea how I had gotten there... and I had also left my tent behind.

Later I found myself at a different ruin, and a naked person was running towards me. I ignored him, not considering him a threat... until he started transforming into a werebeast. The one thing I fear more than anything is werebeasts, so needless to say I ran. And ran and ran and ran.

I kept running until suddenly I heard the unmistakable sounds of a dragon. I enjoy the challenge that fighting dragons provides, so I headed towards the mighty beast. Big mistake.
The dragon turned out to be an ancient one, and its frost attacks really hurt despite my near immunity to frost. Also, the place was hardly ideal for fighting a dragon, as there were several strong Draugr there as well.

Eventually I found myself all the way down on the coast, and the dragon had lost sight of me (and I of it). I was freezing (Frostfall mod) and had absolutely no firewood left. I was in no shape to fight (skills significantly reduced because I was so cold), so of course a Snow Bear chose that moment to attack. I had to run again. I didn't get far before I ran into a monstrous creature of some kind, and was forced to choose between the bear and that thing. I chose the former, and ran back where I'd just come from. Then I finally had some luck, and found a cave just as the bear found me again.

Later I tracked down the Ancient Dragon, and found a good spot for fighting it. Unfortunately it decided to call for reinforcements (Dragon Combat Overhaul mod) once I got its health low enough... and one of the reinforcements that arrived stuck around even after the ancient one's death. And THEN that reinforcement called its own friends... one of which, a second Ancient, stuck around.

At around 3am I finally killed that last dragon. The last hours had been horrible, as it had gotten pitch-black at around 8pm... I didn't have night vision, and I obviously couldn't hold a torch while wielding a bow. Aura Whisper was a real life-saver.

All because of a stupid bow that I'll never use...

This sounds epic despite all the struggles. A very rude awakening in a land where we are not accustomed to. Even without the mods, these series of encounters sounds tough already.

Reminds me of my encounter with an ancient dragon and serpentine one; I thought that they were going to fight one another, but both attention was on me. After that a couple of reavers and ashspawns. Solstheim is also home to high level pyro / frost mages.

Small island, but heavy in adversaries.

 

[Clau]

I had a trip up to High Hrothgar the other day. My Orc is Lv42 and so I decided to visit the Greybeards. On the mountain I usually encounter a pack of wolves, a cave bear and a frost troll.... not so easy this time!

The very first hill I encountered a frost troll and that set the mood for the entire journey. I encountered 3 frost trolls, a pack of Ice wolves, 2 snowy bears, 3 Ice Wraiths and an Elder Dragon on my way up that mountain! I started the journey at 5 in the morning and it was well and truly dark by the time I stumbled in the Greybeards sanctuary.

Must be because of the 40ish levels, but sounds exciting yet exhausting for the dragonborn, aside from ascending the steps, you had to fight for it.

I once encountered gargoyles in one of the slopes.

 

[Clau]

Not so much a bad day but I still remained irked.

I finish the Dwemer ruins in Markarth and return to the Silver-Blood in where my pack mule Cosnach is waiting for me. Feeling magnanimous instead of retrieving my stuff, I take him with me to my house in the Pale, hoping to craft him a set of armor.

I arrive only to see a mob of bandits tear down the hill. High level bandits too. My Sterward, Brenya, My Housecarl and I rush to the defense.

"HEY YOU CAN YOU HOLD ON TO THIS... NO TIME FOR EXPLAINING. SNITCH OR DOUBLE CROSS ME AND I WILL KILL YOU..." A fugitive decides to run into the fight and hands a poorly made axe in my hand. I fire my lightning bolt wanting to kill him and miss, killing Cosnach.

I finish off the bandits and go over to at least retrieve my stuff from dead Cosnach when a courier comes running from the wilderness with my inheritance letter written by the Jarl Himself.

Certainly breaks immersion.

I throw my useless items into some chests and take my personal carriage to Winterhold. Of course a dragon takes it time to attack. I am in the middle of a battle when I am stopped.

"HEY YOU CAN YOU HOLD ON TO THIS... NO TIME FOR EXPLAINING. SNITCH OR DOUBLE CROSS ME AND I WILL KILL YOU..."

I ignore him when his buddy follows up immediately.

"DID YOU SEE A GUY JUST RUN BY?"

No... No I did not.

I quickly kill the dragon and run into the College and ended it there for the night. Didn't want to deal with anymore of that.

Had a similar experience last night. I was fresh from a tiresome bout in Forelhost dungeon, after Rahgot went down finally, an ancient dragon attacked while the two turncoats also joined the fray against me. After that tiresome encounter, I went home to the Lakeview manor and found it being ransacked by bandits. The next morning, it was another frost dragon attack.

I swear there are just days when skyrim throws an awful lot of adversaries.