Nord Refugee Character Diary - Hrisskar III

[Bytebrain]

Wow. Thanks! Appreciate you following my adventures!

I hear you on the difficulty. I learned with the previous two games (Morrowind and Oblivion) that I had to make some adjustments to how I played to get the most out of the game. To me, limiting how much you can carry is the most important. Otherwise you end up with so much gold so quickly that the game gets boring. My current character has been flat broke twice in just the last two game weeks and trust me, it's a scary place to be.

Regarding smithing/enchanting, I was lucky enough to do some research before I started playing Skyrim. I found a lot of people complaining about how smithing and enchanting were overpowered so I decided just to avoid them from the start. To be honest, it's much more exciting to find a special piece of gear or purchase it with some very hard earned gold. So I'm really glad I did this. I remember having full enchanted armor in the other games and how that made it boring to find loot.

Anyways, I would start a new character and impose some restrictions. If you're looking for a semi-hardcore playstyle I would incorporate the following at least: carry limit, difficulty on expert, only carry 30 arrows, no fast travel except by cart, no smithing or enchanting. I would also consider limiting your character's abilities, like maybe he doesn't pick locks .. or maybe he doesn't use magic, or certain types of magic.

As for the boat situation, I had to use my imagination for that. I wish there was a way to actually use the boat, but there isn't. The problem I was facing up to when I found that boat is I couldn't get around the islands because of the water depth. My character is not allowed to swim with armor on, and especially not in freezing cold water. So I was starting to think I couldn't complete this quest. But when I saw the boat I decided that even if the game doesn't let me use it, my character should be able to.

Hope all that helps! Seriously, start a new game with restrictions and you won't regret it. You are right, my experience thus far has been totally epic. d;-)

I will try a new character based on your recommendations. Thanks you so much for your advice. :-)
It makes a lot of sense to leave smithing/enchantment alone, I've played a load of rpg's through the years, also played a lot of AD&D in real live, and it was always a great feeling to find some great new gear after a particular tough dungeon/quest. That's really missing for me in Skyrim the way I've been playing the game.

The Devs really ought to adjust the balance in the game, and limit what's possible with enchantment and smithing, they probably won't, so I'll start a new character the hard way. :-)

Thanks again, and please keep writing your journal, it's a huge pleasure reading it.

 

[BIGwooly]

The sad truth is that Bethesda seems to be dumbing their games down with each release to appeal to a larger and less detailed/patient market. I think that's why Skyrim has the same (and worse) balance issues as Oblivion. Oh well.

Good luck with the new character. I'm having an amazing time playing with this character and these restrictions. Every day I play feels epic. Keep me up to date on your progress. I'll be keeping this journal going .... d;-)

 

[brandon]

dude i just finished reading your story so far and its epic. i dont have a good enough memory to write my experiences like you can. but this is a great read thanks.

 

[BIGwooly]

dude i just finished reading your story so far and its epic. i dont have a good enough memory to write my experiences like you can. but this is a great read thanks.

Thanks a bunch, man! It's been epic to play this way. As for a good memory, no, I don't have that. I literally stop playing and write the journal entries at the end of a day, before playing any further. It's the most authentic way to do it in my opinion. d;-)

 

[brandon]

ah i see. when i play i feel like my heart and soul gets sucked into the game. and at the time that is my world scouts for kills is me and skyrim my home. and when i hit pause to do something i forget what just happened. and then i get frustrated and sit and think a min. cant wait to read how everything turns out with the ice wraith.

 

[BIGwooly]

Well, I have a feeling the ice wraith is going to kick my ass, but I'm hoping I come up with something ingenious to defeat him. Guess we'll see soon enough. d;-)

 

[brandon]

Well, I have a feeling the ice wraith is going to kick my ass, but I'm hoping I come up with something ingenious to defeat him. Guess we'll see soon enough. d;-)

yep i hope it goes well for you. i had a back story for my first character but my current character is just an experiment type.my next is gonna be a nord mage to complement my wifes nord mage. his back story is similar to the main quest line and a random scene i found the other night. it was an old couple slain by some bandits. and hes on his way home from cyrodill after recieving a letter from his wife about his families death. hes on a crusade to wipeout the bandit strife with his majic who gets caught following a group of stormcloaks he paid to help get him home.

 

[BIGwooly]

- Morndas, 23rd of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201 -

If yesterday was a good day, today was a great day. First thing this morning I loaded up the bandits' boat with all their gear. It took me nearly two hours to reach the coast, but I was rowing against the current and it was fairly strong. I arrive on the shore at the base of the massive cliffs near Winterhold thoroughly exhausted, and my day was just begun.

It took me a full four trips to hike all of the gear up to the town and sell it off. Eight hours of trudging up the snowy slopes with my back breaking on every step. I thank the gods for that boat. What took me all day today would have taken a week without the boat.

Tonight the only thing weighing me down is the gold in my pocket. Between my payment from the jarl and the payoff from the bandit loot I made a good bit for my efforts. A day ago I had one gold piece to my name. Today I have more than fifteen hundred. I feel alive again, even if my legs and back disagree.

Tomorrow I head out to the island with the ice wraith to scout it out. I anticipate this will be a difficult fight and I will need a good plan if I want to survive it.

 

[BIGwooly]

- Tirdas, 24th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201 -

Navigating these waters is not a simple matter. There are chunks of ice floating all over and I'm sure some of them could make short work of my boat's old hull. I shudder to think what it would be like to fall into the icy depths.

I've returned from scouting the island and I have mixed feelings. It's easy enough to get to, considering the aforementioned blocks of floating ice. And it's fairly easy to reach the top of the island. There is an old path that leads straight up the backside.

When I arrived on the island and started up the path, I spotted a snow fox ahead of me. That was a good sign as it meant the area was likely fairly safe. He ran on ahead of me and I followed .. carefully and quietly.

As I neared the summit of the island I climbed onto an outcrop of rocks to get a better view. I didn't want to approach too close because I wasn't prepared to tangle with the fiend just yet.

There was an old stone arch, crudely constructed, and several tall carved stones arranged in a loose circle beyond the arch. It was while taking this in that I noticed several glowing ... well, they looked like ghosts from where I was. And in their midst I could make out the fox running in circles franticly. Within seconds he was dead, and the reality of what lay before me really sunk in.

At first I was concerned that there were multiple ghosts or wraiths to deal with. I circled the ancient structure from afar, trying to discern what evil lurked in it's midst. Finally, after an hour or so of excruciatingly slow sneaking, I saw the ice wraith.

It's an evil-looking creature to be sure. I could make out a spiny, snake-like body with very sharp fangs in it's mouth. I observed it for quite some time, and finally deduced it was the only wraith present. The glowing orbs I saw earlier must have been the remnants of some sort of frost magic that the wraith had directed at the fox. I feel much better now knowing I only have to deal with one of these demons.

Now I'm back at the shipwreck eating an afternoon snack and debating how to approach the coming fight. Ulfric's advisor gave me some potions to aid me, and I have to find the best use for them. Three of the potions are very strong poisons, while the fourth is a potion to resist frost magic. It is also very powerful.

Originally I had planned to use the poisons on my arrows, and poison my mace with one of my remaining paralyze potions. But upon observing this evil thing today, I'm concerned I may have a hard time hit it with arrows. It's movements are smooth but strangely erratic. I certainly can't afford to poison arrows and then miss with them.

Then there's the issue of not having my shield handy if I'm using my bow. The demon looks to be fairly quick, and in battle it may be even quicker. Once it spots me it might be on me before I can make the bow effective. And I could certainly use the protection of my shield.

Decisions. Decisions.

What I've decided for the moment is to not be hasty in my decision. I've had a good two days and I could use a break. The weather is nice and there are still several hours of daylight left. I think I'll sit out on the deck of this grand old vessel and watch the clouds drift by. Today I celebrate. Tomorrow I battle.

 

[Bytebrain]

I look forward to hearing about your battle with the Ice Wraith. :-)
I started a new character, and the game is fresh and challenging again, much more fun and wrought with danger.
I'm not playing anywhere near the hardcore way you are though, I'm starting a bit softer... I don't think I have the nerve and skill to do as you do..

I'm playing on Master difficulty, and I'm not allowing myself to do any smithing.
I'm doing alchemy, though, I find it handy to make my own potions, and I like the taste of butterfly wings in the morning,,, :-)
Haven't decided whether I'm gonna dabble in enchantments yet, I think I may do it, but I will not use any alchemy boosting on that.

All my equipment is coming from loot, and if I have the money, I can buy some.

My weight allowance is a third of what the game allows, I'm playing a strong Nord, he can take it.
Got my ass handed to me several times already, but I do allow myself to save at the beginning of a dungeon, so it's not too bad.
Had to walk away from a couple of quest and fight another day when I'm stronger, it's far more challenging and loads more fun to play now.

I don't think I'm gonna go back to my über powerful thief/assassin character anytime soon, if ever, even though I've invested many hours on her. It just wasn't fun anymore when I can kill everyone and everything in one or two hits...
This time I'm going with heavy armour and sword and shield. No magic.

Thanks for making Skyrim feel fresh again to me. :-)

 

[dragonkilla]

Don't know if people already said this, but you should write a book, that is how intense your diary is.

 

[BIGwooly]

Don't know if people already said this, but you should write a book, that is how intense your diary is.

No one has said that yet but I love it. To be honest, I'd like to make a movie out of it. d;-)

 

[dragonkilla]

No one has said that yet but I love it. To be honest, I'd like to make a movie out of it. d;-)

That would even be better, i guess whatever you choose good luck and peace im loggin out

 

[BIGwooly]

- Middas, 25th of Sun's Dusk, 4E 201 -

I have to confess I didn't get much sleep last night. The demon was on my mind. No matter how I look at it I don't feel confident. It concerns me that the Ulfric's man gave me three flasks of strong poison. I will only have the opportunity to use one of them. Will I need all three? Will even that be enough? And what of this other potion? It supposedly protects against frost magic, but will it have any effect if the unholy beast uses it's fangs? I tend to think not, but I can't know for sure. This is maddening.

I've settled on not using my arrows. That much is decided. I can't afford to waste arrows and poison if I miss. That leaves me only my mace and my shield.

So why am I still mulling this over? What is left to decide? I suppose how I should approach the foul creature to start with. I could creep up the hill and then dash in and attack quickly, but that would tire me and I wouldn't be able to block as well or swing with all my strength. I could try and scale the cliffs on the west or east side and surprise the wraith that way. But those cliffs looked far too steep and they are covered in ice.

So how to start the attack? How to maintain it? How to end it? Should I really be thinking as simple as smash and bash? Will such a brutish approach actually work? Or will it merely get me killed in a matter of seconds? Perhaps I should try using a paralyze potion instead of the strong poison? But what if the evil spawn is immune to paralyzation? Then what? I'll be dead ... likely in seconds.

The sun is rising quickly this morning, almost as if it hastens me off to my fate. Perhaps I'm debating this simply to avoid it. I do admit to having a really bad feeling about it. My stomach feels as if I consumed a spoiled bottle of ale. The image of that thing gliding unnaturally over the ground .. magically ... with those evil fangs .... I can't get it out of my head.

If I don't leave soon I may as well consider myself a coward. What is stopping me from leaving? What is left to plan? What is left to decided? I must confront the demon and kill it. Simple as that. And if I wait all day I'll just end up having to do the deed at night .....

Wait.

That's it.

I'll attack it tonight.

The wraith already glows with devilish magic, so it won't be hard to track. But I .. I will be hard for it to see if the night is around me. This will allow me to get close without sprinting and using up my energy. I'll drink the special potion to give me protection from it's frosty breath. Then I will strike it my mace, tainted with the strong poison. My shield will be ready to absorb it's fangs. And if it all goes badly, and I have a moment before it kills me, I will try and use my shout of fear.

That is the plan. No more procrastinating. Tonight at dusk I'll head over in the boat. I pray to Talos that clouds and snow shut out the moon and stars tonight, and Stendarr grant me a righteous hand against this foul aberration . I will leave my journal here with the shipwreck ... just in case ....

 

[BIGwooly]

- Middas, 2nd of Evening Star, 4E 201-

As I rowed toward the island I couldn't help but notice the current helping me along. I told myself it was a blessing from the gods, allowing me to preserve my strength. But deep inside it felt more like the island was drawing me in to my doom. I hope I have since learned to trust my instincts.

I moved up the path toward the old ruins easily enough. The dim glow of dusk was giving way to the twinkle of stars. I cut off the path and circled around a bit, just to make sure nothing had changed since my scouting trip the day before. I could see the wraith, slithering in and out of the standing stones, an ominous nightmare beckoning me.

I applied the poison to my mace and crept toward the steps that led up to the ruins. I considered taking the potion for frost protection, but it has a fairly short duration. I decided to try and get a bit closer before taking it.

It seemed the whole night had passed by the time I snuck the 20 paces to the head of the steps. I felt out of breath despite moving so slow. I tried to tell myself it was the cold night air on my lungs, but it was fear and nothing less than that.

As I mustered my courage to take the steps the nightmare appeared. I was horrified that it had somehow caught me off guard. There was no time to take the other potion now. The demon was slithering down the steps to greet me with it's fangs. My heart raced.

A blast of frost left it's mouth and served mostly to blind me. As I stepped through it the creature was gone. Spinning around I caught it dancing behind me just as it attacked. I wasn't able to get my shield up in time. It danced away as I swung futilely at the air with my mace.

I tried to ignore the pain of it's bite and focus on hitting it, but the demon was quick, and it danced around me such that I nearly became dizzy. I blocked a bite, then bashed it back with my shield. Unfazed it darted behind me and to the sides, confusing me and preventing my attacks. I blocked a few more of the fiend's vicious bites before the battle was suddenly over. I had failed.

I'm mostly recovered today, after many days in bed on the shipwreck. I've barely had enough food and must return to Winterhold to procure more. I haven't decided if I should return to confront the wraith again or if I need to improve my abilities first. I do know it would be immensely helpful if I could return the magic to my mace. Perhaps I'll set out and see if I can find a way to do that. I'm going to need every advantage I can get against that creature.

 

[BIGwooly]

- Middas, 2nd of Evening Star, 2E 201 -

With no cart service in Winterhold I had no choice but to walk to Windhelm today. It took me the entire day to make the trip, no thanks to three hours spent skirting around a sabre cat. That was no fun.

Late in the evening I finally spotted Windhelm. I was crossing over the mountains and could see the glorious roof of Ulfric's palace. I figured staying off the roads would at least keep me safe from bandits and thieves. Not quite. As I started down the mountain I heard a commotion off to my left, and decided to investigate.

With the utmost of caution I crept up over the edge of a rocky crag. Below me I saw a man with a bow battling a mage who was blasting him with fireballs. I began to move in to help the poor hunter but then noticed that the mage had help. A flame atronacht was also slinging fireballs at the man, no doubt a conjuration of the mage. I knew it was a flame atronacht because my grandfather, of my same name, told me a story of fighting one back in Morrowind. They are worthy opponents as I understood it.

I felt helpless watching the unfortunate hunter being slaughtered, but what could I do? By the time I got to him he would be dead anyways, and then I would be shortly thereafter.

The fight ended as I expected, but then something unexpected happened. The mage turned to me and unleashed a fireball! I didn't realize I could be seen from my vantage point, but now things were dire. Both the mage and his conjured friend started up the mountain towards me. I turned and retreated, but after running just a few paces I changed my mind.

You see, the mage was charging in ahead of the atronacht. It wasn't the smartest approach because if I could kill the mage his flamed friend would disappear. I wasn't really up for running through the dark and running into who knows what else, so I decided to make a stand.

As the mage approached I sprang at him. He backpedaled and scorched me with blasts of fire, but I pressed forward on him. It took a good powerful swing to drop him to a knee, and I rained down a few more blows to be sure. The mage didn't die, though, and took the blows well enough. He tried to stand again and I dropped another heavy blow on his back. About this time I was wondering where the atronacht was, but I think the spell had run out. Lucky me. Another series of quick blows finished the conjurer off.

As it turns out the hunter was actually an outlaw. I didn't feel the least bit bad about not assisting him now. Instead, I took what I could carry from both bodies and finished the hike to Windhelm. In the morning I'll find a shop and sell these items off, then return to the bodies and collect the rest of what I can.

Hopefully someone in Windhelm knows how to restore the magic to my mace. I tried the college at Winterhold. Everyone in town talks about it and I thought surely someone there can help me with this. But this annoying little woman wouldn't let me enter the college unless I could cast a specific spell for her. I can't cast any spells, so that was a short conversation. Perhaps I should have just 'convinced' her to let me in.

 

[Grey Fox]

If and when you ever purchase a horse, would you allow yourself the luxury of a little extra carrying capacity?

 

[BIGwooly]

If and when you ever purchase a horse, would you allow yourself the luxury of a little extra carrying capacity?

Yes, but only while on the horse. I did this in Oblivion. So if I left the horse and went into a cave, I would have to leave the extra weight outside with the horse. And likewise, if I wanted to take more loot from the cave using the horse, I first had to make a few trips to get the loot out of the cave to the horse (if that makes sense).

FYI, my eagerness to make some gold just cost me .. and it's totally related to carrying capacity. Journal entry forthcoming.

 

[BIGwooly]

- Turdas, 3rd of Evening Star, 4E 201 -

I'm feeling a bit miserable tonight. I spent the day out and about near Windhelm, starting with going back to retrieve items from yesterdays skirmish victims. I was quite disappointed to find that the bodies were gone, probably hauled off by a hungry sabre cat or a bear. I did manage to find the bandit's imperial bow.

This led to a difficult decision. The imperial bow was somewhat more deadly than my enchanted hunting bow, given that the enchantment has worn off. However the imperial bow was a hair heavier and also, well .. imperial. I'm not keen on using or wearing anything remotely imperial, especially not around Winterhold and the stormcloaks. But times are tough right now and I just don't see myself restoring the enchantment on my bow anytime soon. It wasn't easy, but I sold it and kept the imperial bow.

This afternoon I came across a pair of bandits accosting a weary peddler. He had already managed to kill one of them but the second was quickly undoing him. I rushed in but not in time to save him. As it was, I nearly died myself at her hand, but was just able to use my voice to turn her away. She didn't get far before I knocked her to the ground and killed her.

Between the three of them there was a lot I could potentially sell. I felt bad removing the ingredients from the innocent man, but they were just going to go to waste anyways. Next I stripped down the bandits. There was more than I could carry, though, so I made two trips. On the second trip I decided to leave behind my enchanted helmet, my steel gauntlets and the imperial bow, so that I wouldn't have to make a third trip. It was getting late in the day, after all.

Which leads me to my sour mood. No sooner had I returned to collected my belongings when I realized they were gone, as were the bodies. I was quite upset to say the least. I'm going to really miss that helmet, and now I no longer have a bow.

To make matters worse, when I came back into the city one of the guards claimed to recognize me. When I inquired further, he informed me that I was wanted for a crime. My bounty was only five septims, but I convinced the guard that I wasn't worth his hassle, so he let me go. Too bad I still have the bounty on me and too bad I don't know why. Perhaps someone saw me over the dead peddler's body and thought I killed him?

Bah. Tomorrow morning I'll go pay the fine to clear my conscious. But only after I get tossed on mead tonight.

 

[hexperiment]

This is so hardcore. Probably 200% more realistic and badass compared to my journal. I'm jealous