The Khajiit Chronicles: Skyrim "Hardcore Realism"

[SilverLeaf167]

I've been considering this sort of thing for a while, both in order to try out this sort of format and to milk even more out of Skyrim, and here it is: A gameplay journal of a Skyrim playthrough where death means death, there are no reloads and realism is enhanced by mods. I will have to eat, drink and sleep regularly, in addition to staying warm. I will not use the Fast Travel or Wait functions, but I'm not sure whether I'll bother walking all the time instead of sprinting; while that would be realistic, it's also INCREDIBLY slow. Obviously, this means I'll play way more carefully than usual and will derail the plot from the very beginning, but I plan on being a Khajiit hunter/thief and building up from there, with in-character goals to push the story along.

I have numerous mods installed, mostly tiny fixes or graphic enhancements, but nothing that should effect the game too heavily; the notable mods I installed just for this are
Frostfall - Hypothermia, Camping, Survival Hypothermia v1.4 I give up for now
Imp's More Complex Needs
I have a lot of mods, but few should really affect the game too much, and I will deliberately avoid the ones that do. If they become noticeable, I'll mention it.

So, before I get started, I'm asking you: would you be interested in reading this sort of thread here on this very forum, complete with screenshots? Also, any special wishes or ideas regarding the journal? Among my first concerns is whether I should write this in first or third person, in or our out-of-character etc.


Chapter #1: The Unlikeliest Escape (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14746394&postcount=4)
Chapter #2: White Running (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14749422&postcount=7)
Chapter #3: Second Chances (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14751245&postcount=12)
Chapter #4: Guild Wars (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14756628&postcount=17)
Chapter #5: Domestic Disturbance (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14757149&postcount=18)
Chapter #6: Horsing Around (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14758327&postcount=23)
Chapter #7: Causing A Buzz (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14759555&postcount=30)
Chapter #8: Cold Welcomes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14764500&postcount=39)
Dar' Wars Episode IX: A New Home (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14768264&postcount=42)
Chapter 10: Home Improgression (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14774750&postcount=47)
Chapter 11: Return to Whiterun (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14797432&postcount=50)
Chapter 12: Bleak Outlook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14805405&postcount=56)
Chapter 13: It's in the clouds! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14810211&postcount=60)

[Eldonauran]

:smallconfused: I am oddly intruiged by the thought of playing through skyrim without being able to reload if killed.

Walking or jogging (normal movement) would be slow but would bring to the foreground a need to group and complete quests that are near each other.

Having a horse, and horse mods, would be highly recommended. As some add inventory space to the horse.

Get a more followers mod, simply because more bodies = less risk of death and more inventory space for loot. I can easily see having two or three companions doing this. :smallamused: Make it feel a little more D&D-ish.

I would definitely keep an eye out for this thread and read it. I'd suggest first person writing style, especially if you get multiple companions.

Good luck! :smallwink:

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, I most likely won't do that much quests... I'm roleplaying a Khajiit who steals and hunts for money, after all, and I'll try to stay true to that role, only doing quests my character would find safe enough and beneficial for himself. Unless the journal gets too boring for me and you readers, obviously.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #1: The Unlikeliest Escape

I am Dar'varden of Elsweyr, a land located elsewhere (pardon that). I am a Khajiit of little honor, little fame, little wealth and great guile. Traveling around the Empire has gotten me into many a mess, but I've always come out on top. I guess that all belongs in the past, though, because this seems to be it for me. I sit here, bound, arrested for unclear crimes I didn't commit. How ironic: I am guilty for so much, yet now I am going to die just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I and the so-called rebels I happened to be traveling with are being taken to be executed by the Imperial Legion. They are spouting some sort of patriotic non-sense I don't really care about, though it appears there is also another unlucky outsider, much like me. All the others are Nords; I wonder how nobody has come to doubt my allegiance with them, but ah well, they won't listen to a word I say, why would I expect them to think for themselves?
I'm considering my chances for escape, as only my hands are bound, but those hopes falter as one of the other prisoners tries to make a run for it and is promptly shot in the back. Even after they notice my name is not on the list of prisoners, they keep up this charade and send me to the block. What a bunch of fools...
As I close my eyes and brace myself for the end, I suddenly hear an ear-piercing roar and the earth trembles. I stand up dumbfounded to see a gigantic dragon (I didn't think those things even existed!) and one of the rebels, who is motioning me to follow him. My hands still bound, I stumble after him to group up with some other rebels. After a fiery dash through the ruins and streets of the village of Helgen I find myself at the main keep. The Imperial Captain's assistant and the rebel are both telling me to follow one of them. The choice between one of my would-be murderers and the closest thing I have to an ally takes me about half a second to make and I go with the rebel. Hell, I'll probably kill that Imperial, Hadvar I believe his name was, if I ever see him again!
My rebel friend, Ralof, opens my bindings. With some equipment borrowed from dead soldiers we fight our way through the Imperial-infested keep and the... literally infested caverns beneath. On the way I stock up on as much food, potions and equipment as I can possibly find, as well as some alchemical ingredients. I'm sure I'll find use for those later on.

When we finally find our way outside, a magnificent forest view spreads before my eyes, nothing but trees and mountains as far as I can see. Ralof tells me his sister lives in Riverwood, quite nearby, and that I'm definitely welcome there, but warns me about Imperials and the dragon looking for us. Instantly after that proposes that we split up for now. Hesitant to go on my own in this unknown land and unable to comprehend his logic, I try to follow after him at first, but soon enough find myself chasing rabbits and foxes through the wilderness. Bagging my prize, I turn around to realize I've lost sight of Ralof. Luckily, he told me the village is just down the road, so I try and follow in his footsteps.
I come across a small circle of Guardian Stones on a cliff by a river. One of them appears to be of the Thief. According to my mother, I was born under the sign of the Thief... she always took it as a sign. I most definitely delivered. That reminds me of all the supplies I ”found” in the keep and I notice my stomach grumbling like the dragon itself, so I stay around for a while and have a snack. Continuing down the road, I come across a dead wolf. Ralof's handiwork, I presume. Wolfs don't usually travel alone, though... no sooner do I finish this thought than I am suddenly jumped by two other wolves, which I manage to kill with some well-placed blows from my sword (surprisingly well-made for Imperial steel), taking some nasty wounds which I heal with the basic Healing magic I've picked up over the years.
Not long afterwards I come to the gates of Riverwood. It seems like a nice enough place, though rather small. Looking around, I spot Ralof, talking to whom I guess to be that sister of his, Gerdur. Ralof rounds us up and recaps the events of the day. The others seem just as confused as I was, but he praises me to no end, which Gerdur seems to take very seriously, offering me a key to her house and a whole bag of assorted supplies, all of which I accept sheepishly. Of course, it turns out it's not completely free (nothing is) and they want me to deliver a message to the Jarl of Whiterun regarding what happened Helgen. I guess I might as well head in that direction, as I have nowhere else to go either. Ralof thanks me once again and tells me I should join the Stormcloaks, this rebel group of his. I decide to pass up on the chance, since they seem a little too militaristic for me and I don't really want to get tangled up in the local politics anyway. I also feel somehow uncomfortable about the Stormcloaks only having Nords in their ranks (although Ralof assures me I would be accepted)...
I visit the local blacksmith and general store, selling most of the equipment and useless trinkets I've collected and buying some basic supplies. Everyone seems very friendly and I have yet to hear a single unpleasant comment regarding my race. There's some talk of a break-in at the store, but I pretend not to hear it... Trouble in paradise I guess, not my problem.
The local Sleeping Giant Inn doesn't mind me using their cooking pot or alchemy lab, so I cook as much food as I can (these Nords sure use a lot of salt) and make some healing potions. I have no idea what I will face in this land, so for now I'll just have to play safe.

To kill the time (it's only early evening) I decide to ask the bartender about recent events and rumors, most of which don't ring a bell for me of course. He also mentions a bounty notice left behind by some guards earlier. I guess he thinks I'm some sort of sellsword, because he hands me the note and ignores my defiant head-shaking. Ah well, at least I know where to stay away from.
I spend a while listening to the Bard named Sven play the lute and drums. I've got to admit, he's not too shabby. I talk with him for a while and my view of him changes radically: the very first thing he says is how jealous he is of the storekeeper's sister and how the hates some elf named Faendal. He continues ranting for a while and even asks me to bring the lady a fake letter that would make Faendal look bad. Not a bad idea, I admit, but I've suddenly taken a great dislike of Sven and instead opt to throw the letter into the fireplace. Handle your own relationships, silly Nord.

It's getting quite late and it has been a very stressful day, so I head over to Gerdur's house, expecting to find a bed as I was promised, but alas! All the beds are already occupied by Gerdur, her husband and Ralof! Disappointed and feeling mischievous, I take all the supplies I can get my hands on, shove them in my bag and head back to the inn to rent a room.
I wake up rather early and eat a hearty breakfast of bread, cheese and fruit, leaving town when everyone else is still just waking up.
Screenshots (spoilered for size and for slower computers' sake)
http://s20.postimage.org/wceiu2se5/2013_02_20_00002.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/77nignsxp/2013_02_20_00005.jpg

"With some equipment borrowed from dead soldiers we fight our way through the Imperial-infested keep and the... literally infested caverns beneath."

http://s20.postimage.org/nxyw5zrct/2013_02_20_00009.jpg

"... I notice my stomach grumbling like the dragon itself, so I stay around for a while and have a snack."

http://s20.postimage.org/ym2n4u1bx/2013_02_20_00012.jpg

"Ralof rounds us up and recaps the events of the day."
I'll have another chapter of similar length ready tomorrow, I think, though it feels a little too long to me...? What do you think of the format, detail, style, length etc.? Any ideas for changes?

[Eldonauran]

:smallbiggrin: So far so good. Not too much to work with in the first hour or so of gameplay.

I could see that character accepting a quest and, partially through it, decide he's had enough and just leave.

Definitely have to get him a house or shack of some sort to set up base. You have any mods for that or are you going to purchase one of the pre-existing homes?

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, Hearthfire would sure come in handy but I don't have that installed... didn't seem worth the money. I was thinking of either settling down in Riften (I think the thane quests over there are pretty easy) or downloading some sort of shack mod and... stumbling over it. :smalltongue:

Breezehome is probably out of the question, I can't really imagine Dar'vander fighting the dragon.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #2: White Running

Based on the map I was given, Whiterun should be just a short way to the north-west, so that's where I'm headed. Luckily the road I'm on seems to lead there. On the way I run into some more local wildlife, including a bizarre amphibious rabbit that escapes me by diving into the rapids. Clearly I have much to learn about this place.
Not far from the village I run into a group of Imperial soldiers escorting a prisoner of some sort. Startled, I duck behind some rocks, but apparently there is no bounty on me and they do not recognize me. I walk up to them to ask them what they are doing, but they just tell me to scram. I do find out that the prisoner is a Stormcloak, though! I think for a while about what should I do, but the decision isn't that hard to make: I bear a grudge towards Imperials, I'm thankful to the Stormcloaks and I could really use some more loot. I pretend to walk away but instead perch myself on a rock out of sight and fire an arrow at the leader. The ensuing battle becomes a storm of arrows, but there's four of them and only one of me so soon enough I'm taking cover behind a rock and trying to heal myself. This isn't working.
Moving behind the rocks, I get right next to them and jump out with my sword drawn. Two of them draw swords of their own and I manage to lure them out of sight of the archers. With some magnificent footwork and generously applied healing I manage to fell the two soldiers, moving on to the archers and doing the same. The Stormcloak thanks me profusely, reminding me again to join the Stormcloaks and running in a direction I assume to be toward Windhelm. The way is long, especially with no equipment whatsoever. I doubt he'll make it.
Whiterun is actually even closer than I imagined. As soon as I've climbed the very first hill I can already see it towering over the plains, surrounded by farmhouses. One of the farmhouses, on the other hand, is surrounded by some warriors and... a giant?! I stay out of sight, observing the battle and only coming to inspect the massive body after it's dead. The warriors berate me for not helping. What do they think I am, a hero?
After the warriors have gone, I basically rob the nearest field dry of vegetables. There are other workers present, but they seem to assume I'm just helping with the harvest and do nothing but look dazzled as I pocket the entire crop and run towards the gates of Whiterun. I stop for a while to greet a Khajiit caravan camped outside the city walls. Finally, some of my kin! I chat with them for a while, do some trading and have a drink before moving on.
I get stopped at the gates, and am worried for a second, but apparently the city is just under general lockdown and it has nothing to do with me. I tell them I am delivering a message for the Jarl and they reluctantly let me in, reminding me not to do anything stupid. I run along the cozy streets, through a busy market and up a lot of stairs before finally finding myself in the Jarl's palace.
I deliver the message about Helgen being burnt down and Riverwood needing more protection. It seems the Jarl had just been debating this very matter with his advisor when I had run in. After barking orders at his servants, he hands me a suit of Imperial armor as thanks (seriously?) and tells me to follow. His court wizard has a task for me. Sure enough, he asks me to go explore some ruins and find a stone tablet that has something to do with dragons. Just some spelunking? No problem, so far I think abandoned ruins would actually be safer than the rest of Skyrim! I bet he'll pay me very well for something like this, and money is something one can never have enough of!
I look through his wares while I'm there, but all of his spells are much too complicated, obscure and most of all expensive for me, so I head out of the palace and look at the map where they marked the location of the ruins. They are located in the mountains right next to Riverwood, where I left just a few hour ago. Uh-huh. Well, it's only noon, so I guess I might as well get going right away.

Instead of stopping by Riverwood, I decide to take a shortcut that runs on this side of the mountain. Right next to an ominously burnt down watchtower I run into two nobles accompanied by their bodyguard. They tell me they're headed to a wedding in the capital, and appear to be carrying a lot of wealth and presents. After checking that no guards are nearby I kill their bodyguard, but while we're fighting the nobles have plenty of time to run towards Whiterun. By the time I'm finished, they're already too far away and I have to settle for a shield and helmet the bodyguard was carrying.
I reach the majestic ruins and just look at them in awe for a while before snapping back to reality. I spot some bandits patroling around! I guess this won't be as easy as I thought... I take a few potshots at them with my bow before running in and finishing them off. They're spread around, so I have time to engage each bandit one-on-one before the others have time to help. Inside the ruins there are more bandits, a couple dead ones and a lot of skeevers. I kill two bandits sitting around a small fire and take the food they had lying around.
In the next chamber I see a rather dimwitted bandit leader trying to figure out a puzzle. As he seems distracted, I get a few free shots at him until he closes into melee. He is quite tough, but my newfangled shield does a good job of blocking his hits and putting him off balance. After killing him, I figure out one of the easiest puzzles I've ever seen (the answer was right there in wall-sized symbols) and open the portcullis that was blocking my way. I'm also feeling a little thirsty, so cheers to that! Bleh, I have nothing but that horrible mead, but it'll have to do.
I hear pleads of help coming from the next room and head over as fast as possible. A Dark Elf is wrapped up in some webs, in a room covered entirely by the same webs. I don't like the looks of this... A gargantuan spider, thrice as big as the ones I fought earlier, descends from the ceiling and jumps at me. I manage to slay it, bleeding and panting, fatigued but standing proudly over its corpse. That's when I feel a stinging pain in my heart.
The spider's poison!
I fumble around my backpack for a potion, but it is too late. My body succumbs to the poison and I fall on top of the potion I was just about to drink, dead.
What an embarrassing death. How disappointing.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/nfv0i13y5/2013_02_21_00006.jpg

"Finally, some of my kin! I chat with them for a while, do some trading and have a drink before moving on."

http://s20.postimage.org/gdx2vu0cd/2013_02_21_00007.jpg

"I reach the majestic ruins and just look at them in awe for a while before snapping back to reality. I spot some bandits patroling around! I guess this won't be as easy as I thought..."

http://s20.postimage.org/t6l6vrby5/2013_02_21_00009.jpg

"He is quite tough, but my newfangled shield does a good job of blocking his hits and putting him off balance."

http://s20.postimage.org/fe6s04l6l/2013_02_21_00010.jpg

"A gargantuan spider, thrice as big as the ones I fought earlier, descends from the ceiling and jumps at me."
Well, uh, as I guess everyone was expecting, this ended rather quickly and abruptly. That spider is such a pain if you forget the poison (I was playing on Expert btw, a step down from my usual difficulty)...
Should I have a new go at it? If people enjoy reading this, I guess I'll either start over or waive the "death is death" clause, but to keep the mood I'd need to have some sort of (rather heavy) penalty for dying so I would keep avoiding it (perhaps "drop all your stuff and teleport to your home?" :smalltongue:). I really like this character, and I truly enjoy writing this, but starting over would be sort of a pain in the arse... As mentioned, the start of the game gives you very little to work with. I'll let you decide for now: what should I do?

[P equals NP]

You'll be happy to know that I consider you to be on the 10%-side of the Sturgeon's Law distribution of writing ability, so I support bringing the character back to life, albeit with some penalties. Perhaps you could handwave it by his soul being bound to his destiny of slaying Alduin or somesuch.

[SilverLeaf167]

You'll be happy to know that I consider you to be on the 10%-side of the Sturgeon's Law distribution of writing ability, so I support bringing the character back to life, albeit with some penalties. Perhaps you could handwave it by his soul being bound to his destiny of slaying Alduin or somesuch.
Why thank you, I am indeed happy to know that :smallredface: I have an idea that would be very nice for roleplay and also encourage me to stay alive without making it increasingly harder with penalties.

[Psyren]

What an arduous and toxin journey :smallwink:

I think you should waive the "no reloads" clause, but only save when you go to bed for the night. That way, you can chronicle all kinds of hilarious poignant deaths like this one, without invalidating chapters of storytelling when you do die, and folks who want to read your "canon" heroic tale can simply string together the spoilers where you survive.

[Eldonauran]

I'm in firm agreement with the others. Handwave the no-reload clause. I am quite surprised you made it that far playing on expert without dying. Normally, the bandits at the ruins (hell, even before that at the tower leading up to it) hand me my still beating heart some of the time (on expert/master). The first ten levels are brutal on expert/master if you arent overly careful.

You might be able to use a 'deja-vu' feeling in your story line whenever he busts bites the dust, giving him a decent incentive to not try the exact same thing again. Having no realy memory of how he died would make for a good story.

Perhaps having a side-story of whenever he dies, he recalls everything that has happened to him while in the after life, but forgets all of it when he 'wakes up' in the mortal realm.

EDIT: busts the dust? :smallconfused: My fingers have a mind of their own sometimes...

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, that's funny, it seems you guys basically explained my idea just as I was playing and writing the story. I only saw them now that I came here to post the next chapter :smallamused:

Chapter #3: Second Chances

What an embarrassing death.
Those were the words running through my head and out of my mouth as I suddenly woke up in the bed at the Sleeping Giant Inn where I had left this very morning. Oh, thank the gods, it was all a dream! A very vivid nightmare, at least towards the end, but still, not real. What a relief.
I stand up, eat breakfast and step out onto the road. Once again, I set course for Whiterun, noticing as I walk just how eerily realistic my dream had been. As I walk down the very familiar road, I come across a group of Imperials escorting a Stormcloak, much like in my dream... very much indeed. Moving closer, I notice they are indeed the exact same people. This is getting rather suspicious, but just like before, I couldn't just leave the poor sod to be executed by these bastards. Before the guards have time to react, I have already slashed open the prisoner's bindings and thrown him one of the swords I had lying around. Together we have a much easier time defeating his captors, but sadly he is struck dead by an arrow from a spiteful soldier just before I plunge a sword through the shooter's back. Disappointed that I couldn't save him but also intrigued by the very first thing that changed from my dream, I carry his body over to the nearby river and throw it in, watching it flow along the rapids. I hear this is sort of thing is a tradition for Nords. As an additional bonus, if anyone stumbles over the bodies, there's no proof of outside aid and they might think the rebel had simply managed to escape on his own.
Suddenly, it begins to rain heavily and thunder rings in my ears. Another difference from my dream! Clearly it was of no significance after all and I was just being stupid. Eager to get out of the rain to avoid my fur getting wet, I run towards Whiterun and come across a group of warriors fighting a giant in the fields. I stare at them in confusion until deciding to keep running and settle this once and for all. I pass by the familiar caravan, have the same conversation with the same guards (though this time I am feeling increasingly nervous and soaking wet), run through the same streets and meet the very same Jarl, who gives me the same ironic gift.
Sure enough, he asks me to complete a task for his court wizard. I listen to them patiently and try to keep a straight face. After the wizard, Farengar, is finished talking, I calmly walk away and take a seat at a table in the great hall.
Now, I may not be a superstitious man, but I'm not a stubborn fool either. I know when not to defy Fate, especially after it has kindly warned you in advance. Instead of racing out into the rain and towards the adventure that would be the end of me, I dry my hair and have a hearty meal at the firepit. After that, I pocket a whole tableful of silverware (this bag sure is spacy) and stick my head out the door. It is still raining, so I sprint down to the nearest tavern to have a drink, chat with the barmaid, listen to the bard and most importantly, gather my thoughts.

I am not sure whether Fate gave me a warning in my dream or a second chance after I actually went and died to that spider, but I will not let that gift go to waste. I'll let the Jarl and his stupid wizard figure out their own dragon problem and head somewhere as far away as possible. I've heard that Riften has a Thieves' Guild of some sort and is located halfway across the province. That should do.
Sprinting around the soaking wet city I sell all of the loot I've found and also happen to meet a Dark Elf woman named Jenassa. Though she won't say it straight, she's a mercenary, and apparently of the sort that won't mind my more... questionable endeavors. We talk for a while and she seems like a bearable person. I'm also sort of scared for my life, so I hire her. There goes almost all my money, but apparently she'll now follow me until I dismiss her and I should still have enough for a trip to Riften. We purchase ourselves a ride on a carriage leaving from the city. We leave in the afternoon but don't arrive at the gates of Riften before after midnight. I didn't get any sleep on the rather bumpy ride, so I'm rather tired by the time we get there, but sleep will have to wait for a little while.
It seems the rumors regarding the Thieves' Guild were true. One of the guards at the gate tries to scam us, but I get in for free by threatening to rat him out. On our way to the inn, we are threatened with another shakedown and witness one in action between two locals. Though I am getting quite tired, I smell the chance for money and ask the victim, a Redguard named Shadr, whether I can help. He tells me his business partner, a woman named Sapphire, has scammed him and is now trying to do it again. I sigh deeply, tell him I'll see if I can do anything about and finally reach the Bee and Barb inn.
Of course, Sapphire is there, but luckily she doesn't really require much persuading to leave Shadr alone. I guess that either I'm scarier than I think or Shadr was really small fry after all. It doesn't matter for me, really, but I'll have to visit Shadr in the morning and see. Just across the bar I get recruited into an elaborate ploy to steal a horse. After I'm finished talking to the somewhat repulsive man (Louie or something, his name eludes me), a different man named Brynjolf walks up to me. Apparently, he saw how I handled the guard at the gates and is interested in recruiting me into the Thieves' Guild. But before I get accepted, he'll need my help with – yes, another scam. Truly, this is a benevolent city of friendly, law-abiding people who wish nothing but to make a honest living.
I think I'll like it here.
I eat until my stomach is full, tell Jenassa to entertain herself for a while and basically collapse on my rented bed, falling asleep almost immediately. When I awake, it is already evening. Jenassa is waiting for me in the hall where I left her. She seems to be either a very precise or a very boring person. Either way, we head outside to have a look around town. The main marketplace is deserted and I take my chance, picking the locks on the merchants' stalls and robbing everything I can find in their lockboxes and display cases. I now have a small fortune in loot, but it will be hard to find anyone willing to buy it after such a big robbery spree. I'd need a fence... I guess I'll have to join the Guild after all.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/yd5zhnmf1/2013_02_21_00011.jpg

"... I carry his body over to the nearby river and throw it in, watching it flow along the rapids. I hear this is sort of thing is a tradition for Nords."

http://s20.postimage.org/igbsyojel/2013_02_21_00019.jpg

"Eager to get out of the rain to avoid my fur getting wet, I run towards Whiterun and come across a group of warriors fighting a giant in the fields."

http://s20.postimage.org/sro5rcb3x/2013_02_21_00021.jpg

"It is still raining, so I sprint down to the nearest tavern to have a drink, chat with the barmaid, listen to the bard and most importantly, gather my thoughts."
I understand that the screenshots would probably be more interesting for people who have never really played the game (we others have basically already seen it all), but isn't that the case for almost all Skyrim screenshots? Besides, it would be rather interesting to hear what an "outsider" thinks of the journal and what sort of picture it gives of the game...
Also: The Frostfall mod refuses to load properly, so I'm trying another similar mod instead: Hypothermia v1.4. I'll update the opening post appropriately if it works out.

[Eldonauran]

Excellent.

I imagine that once a part of the Thieves guild, he'll have more access to poison and antidotes. I can see him eventually making his way back to the main quests once he's stocked up on a few dozen antidotes, especially if he 'dies' a few more times and starts to react accordingly to his perceived 'immortality'.

Or not. :smallamused:

[P equals NP]

You know, I wonder what will happen when you stumble across Krosis... it is fortunate that Riften is so very far away from his coffin.

[Slipperychicken]

I find it amusing that he straight-up abandoned the main questline. Might make things more interesting, just wandering around.

[Silverbit]

This looks good. Khajiit are my favourite elder scrolls race too!

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #4: Guild Wars

After robbing dry every merchant at the market, I decide to get some more sleep since Brynjolf told me to meet him in the morning and I don't want to take any risks by trying break-ins right now. I wake up at 7 o'clock to walk around a little bit. I visit the blacksmith, who complains about his magical forge malfunctioning but doesn't mind selling me some more lockpicks (one can never have too many of those). Everyone seems rather unfazed about a Khajiit walking into town and a bunch of money disappearing right after. Maybe the people of Skyrim aren't quite as racist as I'd heard.
Brynjolf finally shows up and tells me the plan: I'm supposed to break into the Argonian merchant Madesi's lockbox (which I already picked open last night) and steal a ring, which I'll then plant on the Dark Elf named Brand-Shei (what an odd name, sounds like an Argonian). Brynjolf will provide me with a distraction, so this should be a piece of cake. In a couple of minutes, everyone gathers 'round to listen to Brynjolf blabbing nonsense about some obviously fake miracle medicine of his. Meanwhile, I sneak behind Madesi's stall, take the ring from the still unlocked lockbox and slip it into Brand-Shei's pocket.
The crowd disperses and Brynjolf congratulates me on a job well done. I have been accepted into the Guild... if I can make it to the guildhouse, that is, and the guildhouse happens to be hidden in the sewers beneath the city. Marvelous. I hope I won't get my fur wet. I get Jenassa and we head into the Ratway, as the locals call it. Sounds very promising.

We descend a staircase to the lower level of the city, basically at water level, and carefully open the creaky door leading into the tunnels. As soon as we step in, I sense two people ahead. Judging from their conversation, they're some sort of thugs and haven't noticed us yet, but I'm not taking any chances. I carefully aim my bow and shoot one of them in the back. Noting her cue, Jenassa charges them and I fire off a couple more arrows before wading into melee. Jenassa takes a lot of arrows to the torso and even falls to her knees once, but stands up again and helps me finish the job. She sure is one tough lady. I'm happy to have her on my side.
We continue down the murky, dirty passageways, encountering a bunch of skeevers and some sort of madman (who I notice to be very tall) who tries to punch us to death. I respond by dropping a lamp into the oil spill he's standing in and burning him to death. Zigzaging through a room full of bear traps, presumably set up by the madman (whose sort of neat, seemingly enchanted gloves I pried off his lightly charred corpse), I scavenge his stash of mead and move on. Walking up a staircase, I hear a distinct click from under my feet and a worrying clank from above. My heart jumps into my throat and I dive forward just in time to avoid a swinging log that would surely have killed me had I been hit. Panting on the ground, I watch the log slowly lift back into the ceiling. I don't know if the trap really reset itself, but I'm not willing to try. Jenassa calmly walks around the pressure plate and asks me whether we should get going already. As I said, one tough lady, but also somewhat snide.
A pleasant patch of flowers and butterflies is the last thing I'd expect to run into in a place like thism but that's exactly what we find. There seems to be some sort of misty haze seeping from a hole in the ceiling, but... this sort of thing can't be natural. I stare at the abnormal scene quietly for a while, not really in confusion but just to enjoy its beauty. Jenassa just stands there and waits for commands. You know, maybe she'd be less grumpy if she snapped some of those arrows off, she's like a walking pincushion right now.
Around the corner I see another Khajiit, dressed in rags. For a split second I feel angry at the Nords for forcing the only Khajiit in the city to live in this filth, but I change my mind once he grabs an iron mace and swings at me. I shrug, deciding that he brought this on himself and stick some metal in his belly.
Finally, the Ragged Flagon, home of the Thieves' Guild! It's not what I expected, to be honest, just a little bar build next to a questionable circular pool. I notice Brynjolf discussing some business with his colleagues, but he interrupts the conversation to greet me. He's surprised to see me alive. Frankly, so am I. How do they even move around with all those traps and thugs around? Anyway, he seems to have one more task until I can join the guild (I just wanted to find a fence...): I have to collect some debts from disrespectful storekeepers in the city. I'd say this sounds safe enough, but the last time I did, I got killed within the next few hours. Cheers to that! I drink a couple bottles of mead to quench my growing thirst. I ask him for any advice regarding the subjects. Apparently, all three of them have some convenient weak point I can exploit. Sounds almost too easy. Once he's done with me, I get back out into the sewers. I lower a bridge that seems to act as a shortcut through the Ratway (I bet they raised it just to annoy me) and get the heck out.

I have a tip for you, kids: never drink on the job. Especially not Nord mead, that stuff is really strong. My vision blurry, I stumble through the streets and towards my first target, Bersi Honeyhand of the Pawned Prawn. He refuses to pay and personally insults me as well as the Guild. Clearly the mead is really acting up on me, since instead of exploiting the elaborate hints given to me by Brynjolf, I challenge him to a fist fight to pay for his insolence. In what turns out to be a moment of genius, I slip on the gloves I took from the madman and start wailing down on him. He surrenders and pays up after just a few punches. I think I'm keeping these gloves.
Next up is Keerava the Argonian barmaid, the one whose inn I'm staying at. Too bad, she seemed nice, but business is business and I've got some hot merchandise burning a hole in my pocket. According to Brynjolf, I should try prying some useful info out of her mate Talen-Jei, so I do just that. I manage to convince him that it's much easier for everyone if he helps me and he buckles. Based on what he told me, I threaten Keerava by implying his family will get a little visit from the Guild if she doesn't pay her debts (I felt bad about this after sobering up a little bit). Confused about how I got my information, she gives me the money. I hope I didn't ruin her and Talen-Jei's relationship, they both seem nice enough. Hopefully she'll even let me keep sleeping here.
The last one on the list is Haelga, owner of Haelga's Bunkhouse, another inn. She trashtalked me earlier and said her inn isn't open for outsiders like me. I don't know whether she meant Khajiit, but either way, she doesn't seem like the nicest person in town. As soon as I step into the building she starts telling me to get out. I demand her to pay, but she keeps refusing. I could just beat the money out of her, and would be happy to do so, but I remember what Brynjolf told me about her and decide to humiliate her a little bit. I grab the golden statue of her beloved Goddess Dibella from a nearby table and slam it down in front of her, telling her to pay if she wants to ever see it again. She's still mocking me, but sheepishly hands me the money. I walk out of the inn with a smug look on my face.
With my new shortcut through the Ratway I'm at the Ragged Flagon in no time. Brynjolf takes the money I've collected and finally welcomes me into the guild once and for all. I tell Jenassa to wait at the bar while he shows me the actual Guild quarters hidden behind a secret door. The room is quite spacious and impressive, but there are a little too many beds in one room for my tastes. Even in my caravan days I at least had my own tent. I am introduced to Mercer Frey, the grumpy leader of the Guild, who bids me welcome and tells me to retrieve my new gear from Tonilia, the Guild's fence (finally), but also says that I have yet to prove myself - personally, I think I've already done so at least three times - and proposes that I do so by helping them show a traitorous business partner who's boss. Seriously, it seems like the Guild is more about ”honest business with dishonest partners” than actual thievery. Either way, I think I might do the job at some later date, but right now I've gotten what I wanted and it is time to take care of myself for a change.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/e2qsqgl6l/2013_02_22_00001.jpg

"Jenassa takes a lot of arrows to the torso and even falls to her knees once, but stands up again and helps me finish the job. She sure is one tough lady."

http://s20.postimage.org/gb9kljhod/2013_02_22_00002.jpg

"I stare at the abnormal scene quietly for a while, not really in confusion but just to enjoy its beauty."

http://s20.postimage.org/w6ttb3iv1/2013_02_22_00003.jpg

"He surrenders and pays up after just a few punches. I think I'm keeping these gloves."

http://s20.postimage.org/xzwpzf41p/2013_02_22_00004.jpg

"The room is quite spacious and impressive, but there are a little too many beds in one room for my tastes."
OOC Info
I've decided to put this portion into spoilers as well to avoid, well, spoiling anything regarding the journal. I once again want to ask you for opinions: do you mind me going into detail about things that every Skyrim player is already at least moderately familiar with, or would you like me to focus more on the more unusual things? I should hope my in-character viewpoint and writing in general is "fresh" enough to keep people interested (I've found this immersive roleplaying way more fun in general), but really, if there's anything you dislike I really want to hear it. Better than being falsely ecstatic about everyone loving me :smallwink:

Mods I thought I'd mention:
Amazing Follower Tweaks - Gives me a bunch of additional customization capability, but I've turned off the settings that make followers immortal etc.
Arrows Stick - As you can see from the screenshots, Jenassa has a lot of arrows stuck in her. That is the effect of this mod. In addition, I have a mod that makes arrows travel at more realistic speeds to make archery better for both me and my enemies (my enemies typically have way greater numbers and an equally greater amount of arrows in the air as well, so this really tends to favor them over me).
Hypothermia v1.4 - I mentioned replacing the Frostfall mod with this. Hasn't had any effect yet, but at least seems to work.
Katixa's Usable Barrels - Allows you to refill your bottles of alcohol at the appropriate barrels. Doesn't really feel like cheating to me, since alcohol has negative effects on your stats plus a neat but annoying blur effect and refilling at bars costs you money.
That's Racist! - Adds some handy features to make the less popular races more useful. The Khajiit gain a sort of Detect Life ability, active whenever they sneak. This is the power I mean when I say I "sense" the thugs in the Ratway.

All mods I am using are from the Steam Workshop.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #5: Domestic Disturbance

I head back to the bar and talk to this Tonilia woman, who gives me some enchanted leather armor and buys my stolen goods, for horrible prices though, but it's better than nothing. I put on my new equipment and leave through a secret passage that, oddly enough, leads to an open crypt behind the Temple of Mara. My next problem: I don't think I can rely on Keerava housing me anymore, the Guild's underground common quarters are a little too, well, underground and common and Haelga wouldn't rent me a room earlier and definitely still won't. I need a place to sleep. Where I come from, property was sold by the people who own it, but based on what everyone keeps telling me I should ask the local Jarl's steward if I want to buy a house.
Riften seems a nice enough place with plenty of people to rob and easy access to the guild, so I head over to the castle. I find the steward, a High Elf if I'm not mistaken, who tells me that there is indeed a nice house for sale right here in Riften, but it is quite expensive and frankly, she doesn't trust me enough. I ask for any other options, and it turns out there is one. A short way from the city there's an empty lodge that was owned by a mysteriously deceased hunter. Nobody else has really even asked about it, since it's located in the forest and people are feeling rather nervous about all the recent rumors, so I'd be able to get it for just 500 gold pieces. I now have some money just lying around, so sure, I'll take it.
It's only late afternoon, so I decide to start hiking towards my new, hopefully-not-covered-in-hunter-gore cabin. First, however, I visit Shadr at the stables near the city gates. He thanks me in disbelief and gives me the Potion of Invisibility he had been saving for his impending escape. Not much of a reward, but it's not like I really did anything to deserve it. With that taken care of I begin my walk down the weaving mountainous road with Jenassa at my back. Luckily, I left just in time to enjoy the fascinating northern sunset. Less luckily, I soon find out the real reason why nobody wanted this house, and perhaps the cause of the former owner's death as well. The backroad I have to take runs right through a small ruined fortress, occupied by bandits. Even if I could get around it, I don't really want to live next to a bandit outpost, so we'll have to do something about it.
With a meaningful nod to Jenassa, I snipe a patrolling bandit off the wall with a well-placed arrow. A drawn-out skirmish ensues, with all participants ducking and weaving behind cover and firing off a few arrows every now and then. Once I can no longer sense any foes, we run straight through. It's getting late, so I plan to come back in the morning to check the rest of the fort for bandits and loot.

My new home is rather modest, but well-equipped with crafting equipment and a small vegetable garden and overall cozy. There is one problem though: there is only one bed, a double bed, in the house. I and Jenassa exchange awkward looks and agree that she'll camp outside. She's my hireling, after all. I get a good night's sleep and cook some breakfast before returning to the fort.
We sneak into the fort and I can sense multiple bandits around. There is one right in front of us, with his back turned, muttering to himself. I try to sneak up on him, but he notices me just as I'm about to strike. He manages to hit me back once, but I'm much faster than him and he goes down soon enough. I now notice the pile of rubble and bodies in the middle of the room. A mugged Khajiit caravan. As I duck down to take a closer look, Jenassa cries out and strikes at a bandit who had managed to sneak up on me and had already raised his warhammer to bonk me on the head with. This is precisely why I keep her with me.
We clear out this small section of the fort with only two more bandits and find ourselves on the roof. Jumping on the walls, we discover a trapdoor leading back inside and drop in as quietly as possible. Another bandit with his back turned... however, I learn from my mistakes, so instead of trying to stab her in the back with a sword I decide to do the same from afar with an arrow. I fumble the shot and hit her in the back, so of course she shouts out in rage and charges at me with her axe held high. Judging from her gear and ability, she's some sort of chief, but with me and Jenassa flanking her she hardly manages to land a single blow. Her yelling draws a few more bandits to our position, but they arrive one at a time and we take them out easily.
Descending further into the fort, we come across a narrow corridor covered entirely in huge spiderwebs. I shudder at the thought and even consider just leaving now, but eventually gather my courage and ready my potions. It turns out there were only a couple spiders in the cell block, and only the size of those I fought in Helgen (not like the nightmare beast from Bleak Falls), so we take them out easily enough. For my troubles I find a Staff of Summon Familiar on a dead bandit. Interesting...
As we exit the way we entered, I feel pretty confident, but am confused to notice three heavily armored brutes just walking around in the other end of the fort courtyard. Wondering to myself how I'd managed to miss so many bandits, I fire a couple arrows at them and they come running. The ensuing fight is quite tough; I and Jenassa get separated and I find my back against a wall just as a huge man is charging at me with an equally huge axe, so I decide to take my chances by jumping off the wall and take nary a scratch. Two of the men follow me while Jenassa dances with the third one up on the wall, but at least now I have more space to maneuvers. Mobility turns out to be my greatest asset in the fight, allowing me to strike, retreat and chug a potion when necessary. Pelting the last one with arrows from afar, he finally falls dead. I look through their belongings, expecting to find the usual stuff like a coin purse and some mead, when to my surprise I find a note with writing on it (I'm not sure these people could even read). Apparently, they were mercenaries specifically hired to kill me. Hired by none other than Keerava.
That little lizard. As exaggerated as her response was, I intend to make her pay for this.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/oi1kd47r1/2013_02_22_00005.jpg

”With that taken care of I begin my walk down the weaving mountainous road with Jenassa at my back.”

http://s20.postimage.org/ygmizlh6l/2013_02_22_00006.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/6ujrewxtp/2013_02_22_00010.jpg

”Her yelling draws a few more bandits to our position, but they arrive one at a time and we take them out easily.”
OOC Info
My new house is from the Ranger Cabins mod. Technically, I didn't really need to pay for it all, but I know myself well enough to realize that once I start adding free benefits with mods it is bound to get our of control. This also made for some interesting roleplaying, in my opinion.

One problem I've noticed regarding the Imp's More Complex Needs mod is that the only non-alcoholic drink available is water, which can only be bought from merchants (though almost all storekeepers seem to have at least a dozen bottles). As alcohol has negative effects on your character but you still need to take care of your hydration, I've found a workaround in the form of different soups, stews and cabbage, all of which quench one's thirst just as well as booze.
I'm worried about posting faster than people are reading, should I slow down? :smallwink:

[RabidKoala]

Personally I don't think you're going to fast. I really enjoy the story so far, keep it up.

[Eldonauran]

Personally I don't think you're going too fast. I really enjoy the story so far, keep it up.

Ditto. I don't mind coming back after a night and seeing two new chapters. Makes me day, really. :smallbiggrin:

Also, I do not mind at all how in depth you go with your descriptions of the quests or other activities long time players may have already experienced. From my perspective, you make me look at it an entirely different way than I experienced it and I find myself nodding along.

As for the mods, looks good to me. I may pick up on that follower mode you have, since the UFO mods I use doesn't give me enough customization options for their AI in battle.

[Psyren]

Go in-depth - the things you think "every Skyrim player already knows" may in fact not be.

I like that you keep the mod list current as well, it's giving me a wishlist of things to try out once I have time to actually sit down and play.

[P equals NP]

I'm looking forward to how you return the favour to Keerava. Hiring thugs to kill you just because of a little shakedown is a little extreme.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #6: Horsing Around

I am usually a very patient and understanding man, and I realize that not everyone likes me, and I know darn well why. One thing I cannot stand, however, is people plotting against me while keeping up a fake smile and a happy charade. I intend to do to Keerava that which she was too cowardly to do to me personally.
Jenassa sees the note and recognizes the look on my face, smirking slightly and following me without a word as I run towards Riften. I dash through the gates and burst into the Bee and Barb inn. It is early evening and people are just starting to gather at the bar. Keerava looks very surprised to see me and even says as much, but pretends not to know why I'm here. I flash her a meaningful smile and take a seat in the corner of the tavern. I tell Jenassa to wait for me outside and then I just watch. I stare at Keerava intently for quite a while, waiting for her to move from her position at the bar, but she doesn't and Talen-Jei keeps glaring at me the whole time. To kill some time and pretend I'm not doing anything suspicious, I cook a big bunch of food in the side room and then try to chat up the sad-looking man I've been sitting next to in complete silence for the last hour.
The man, a son of the Snow-Shod family (I don't know if I should recognize that name), is indeed very sad. She's grieving over her sister who was recently killed in a battle between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks, apparently fighting on the Stormcloaks' side. He says he doesn't want to talk about it, but when I keep asking about it he tells me about how this whole thing has caused a lot of division within his family and now he can't even really speak to his parents. He just wishes the civil war would end.
This honestly gets me thinking. Do I really need to kill Keerava? She now definitely knows I'm alive, and I think I've made it pretty clear that if she ever tries something similar again I will seek her out and make sure she never does anything so stupid again. Killing her would do me no good. All it would probably do is make Talen-Jei try to avenge her, cause a lot of unnecessary grief for both their families, and most importantly, risk getting the whole city guard after me. No, I will not kill her, at least not for now.
I walk up to Keerava and notice she looks a little frightened. I can't even describe the surprise in her eyes when I just buy some water and walk out, bidding her a good evening. I mean this as a sign that I'm not holding any unnecessary grudges. I do not know whether she understood that. Outside the tavern I meet up with Jenassa, who I'm sure can read my thoughts just from my eyes, and we get going.
To clear my head I try to remember what else I had to do in Riften. Oh yes, I had to help that Lou Legbush (or whatever his name is) steal that horse. I visit the city jail, where Lenny's crime partner, a member of the influential Black-Briar family is imprisoned, and he tells me I need to steal the horse from the Black-Briar estate and then deliver it to Larry. Sounds ea-... wow, I almost said that again.
It is getting late though, so that will have to wait until tomorrow. I still have to return to my cabin and get some sleep. Once again, that is delayed for a while as I notice a Khajiit caravan stopping outside the city walls. The dead caravan I found inside the fort springs to mind, and I hope that I have made these people's travels easier by clearing out the bandits. I speak to them for a while, and they tell me the local Nords really don't like them that much, though I guess they still manage to sell enough merchandise for the business to be lucrative. Why else would they still be doing it? One of the Khajiit, a mercenary serving the caravan leader to pay his gambling debts, tells me how his Moon Amulet, his last memory of Elsweyr, was taken in a bandit raid not long ago. Unfortunately, I realize the mine they're holed up in is way on the other side of Skyrim, beyong Whiterun and toward Markarth, but I promise him I'll keep my eye out if I ever find myself over there.
Approaching the fort, I suddenly notice a silhouette patrolling the wall. Soon after I sense more and more people around the fort. For a second I think more bandits have come and taken over the place, but also decide that even if they keep coming and coming, I can't simply let the matter be. Just as I'm sneaking behind one of the men, ready to drive my blade through his spine, I realize he is not a bandit at all. They are all Stormcloaks, and they've come to secure the empty fort! I am more than happy with this turn of events and thankful that I realized this before it was too late. I tell them I live in the cabin just up the hill if they ever need anything. They realize I'm the one who killed the bandits in the first place, and don't even mind me taking one of their horses as thanks. I bid them goodbye and finally get some sleep.

In order to help Lewie and get my pay, I'll need to steal both the horse itself and its lineage papers from the Black-Briar estate, east of Riften. I contemplate riding there on the horse I got from the Stormcloaks, but then realize I'll have to ride the stolen horse back. I decide to leave the horse home with Jenassa, who I couldn't take either because she'd have to walk once I got the horse. Arranging rides is always so complicated...
After a couple of minutes of hiking, a thunderstorm breaks out. I already wish I'd found some way to take my horse to get there faster, since soon enough I'm soaking wet. I also think I might have caught some weird local illness or at least a very bad cold, as suddenly I start sneezing and shivering. I run into three separate packs of wolves on the way and kill them easily, as usual, but this time I'm actually having a little more trouble thanks to how horrible I feel. Right after the last wolf pack, I find three dead soldiers lying by the side of the road, assuming they'd been killed by the wolves... but why, and how would the wolves have stripped them naked?
I get an answer soon enough when three people dressed in Imperial armor, led by an orc, walk up to me and tell me to pay some sort of passage tax. I refuse, of course, realizing that this is yet another stupid scam, so they attack me. I manage to beat them, but the orc is quite strong and one of the others is a mage so I end up chugging quite a few health potions.
My whole body shivering, my eyesight blurry and my limbs cold, I finally reach the estate. Naturally, as nothing can ever be easy for me, the house is guarded, with at least two mercenaries in the yard with most likely more inside. After some hurried aiming I manage to drop one guard with a long-distance shot to the head. By the time the other one realizes what happened and starts to run towards me, I've already let fly enough arrows to fell him. I see the expensive white horse I'm supposed to steal, Frost, in the stables and make a mental note of his location.
The frost in my bones takes precedence over the one in the stables, though, so I burst into the house, very much aware of the guards who swarm me soon enough but even more desperate to find some warmth. They drop surprisingly easily and I spend a while warming myself in front of the fireplace before finally freeing the house of valuables, including the lineage papers and some extraordinary pink gem that shines with a cold light and hovers a few inches above the table I find it on. It settles easily enough into case I find nearby and slide into pocket. Surely I will find someone interested in a treasure like this.
Now the last thing there is to do is to meet Leo in the forest and complete the exchange. I finally get to ride Frost and soon come to realize what a fine steed he is. He gallops tirelessly through the difficult terrain, leaping over every obstacle and off small cliffs. He also doesn't look too shabby, for that matter. By the time I reach Lee, I've had some time to think it over. One horse definitely isn't enough if I prefer to travel with a partner, right? Also, this horse would definitely be found and taken back again if it was kept by someone living in the city. There's also something I just don't really like about the man's face.
I try to threaten Lucas by claiming that I'll report his plot to the Black-Briars if he doesn't let me keep the horse, but he calls my bluff. I calmly tell him that this leaves no chance for both of us to leave the meeting alive, to which he agrees. We fight, my sword against his measly dagger, and the fight is of course rather short and pathetic. He tries to run at the end and I momentarily consider letting him go out of pity, but then realize he'd just call the authorities on me and decide to shoot him in the back, ensuring his silence.
The ambient cold is creeping back into my bones again, so I ride up the road to Riften, leave Frost behind a cliff where nobody should find him and enter the city. I quickly sell my loot to the unsuspecting merchants before stumbling into the Bee and Barb. Keerava is probably frightened by my sudden appearance, but who cares about her, I really need to warm my hands.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/66awvyz3x/2013_02_22_00011.jpg

”I stare at Keerava intently for quite a while, waiting for her to move from her position at the bar ...”

http://s20.postimage.org/p9co1v3nh/2013_02_22_00012.jpg

”... I realize he is not a bandit at all. They are all Stormcloaks, and they've come to secure the empty fort!”

http://s20.postimage.org/5sryfc8jh/2013_02_22_00013.jpg

”I try to threaten Lucas by claiming that I'll report his plot to the Black-Briars if he doesn't let me keep the horse, but he calls my bluff. I calmly tell him that this leaves no chance for both of us to leave the meeting alive, to which he agrees.”

http://s20.postimage.org/afy0h3vwd/2013_02_22_00014.jpg

”Keerava is probably frightened by my sudden appearance, but who cares about her, I really need to warm my hands.”
OOC Info
I'm glad everyone's enjoying it so far. This will probably be the last update for today (it's 9 PM in Finland), but I'll probably keep posting over the weekend. After that my pace will slow down quite a lot, though, since right now I'm on vacation and have way too much free time. From next week on, only one of those is true :smallwink:

I understand if someone feels disappointed about how I handled Keerava, but that stupid overgrown kobold never ever seems to leave her workplace.

I'll probably have to delete the Hypothermia mod though. Though it technically loaded and worked just fine, I got the mod to add some realism to swimming and moving in the northern parts of Skyrim, not to reduce me to a whimpering pile after three minutes in the rain. Sure, I got wet and that much makes sense, but it was also noon in the the middle of summer at the southern border and I was wearing a full suit of leather armor. :smallannoyed:

Ah yes, in the screenshot you can see the Horse Armors mod I have installed. It adds an unique sort of armor (and invincibility) to Frost, Shadowmere and the horses purchased from each city. I think it's a very nice touch.

[Triaxx]

I was going to suggest the Build Your Own Home mod, but I think it's only on the Nexus.

I also use a mod which gives Khajiit a detect life power, and toggleable night eye. Works quite well.

[SilverLeaf167]

I was going to suggest the Build Your Own Home mod, but I think it's only on the Nexus.

I also use a mod which gives Khajiit a detect life power, and toggleable night eye. Works quite well.
Yeah, I have the night eye mod too, but I hardly ever use the power anyway. :smalltongue:
I also had the Build Your Own Home mod at one time (or at least a similarly named mod I found on the Steam Workshop, not sure if that's the one you're talking about) but I found it rather buggy and not really worth the trouble even when it did work.

[P equals NP]

Amusing how your character is dismissive of Louis Letrush to the point of not bothering to remember his name. I wonder if your sneaky Khajiit will bump into the army of Louis Letrushes someday...

However, I suggest that you proofread your chapters, because there are numerous mistakes in this one. Keep up the good work!

[SilverLeaf167]

Amusing how your character is dismissive of Louis Letrush to the point of not bothering to remember his name. I wonder if your sneaky Khajiit will bump into the army of Louis Letrushes someday...

However, I suggest that you proofread your chapters, because there are numerous mistakes in this one. Keep up the good work!
Army of Letrushes? :smalleek:
That joke actually began with me being honestly unable to remember his name. Instead of bothering to check what it was, I decided to try this approach to the issue. :smalltongue:

Sorry about the typos, the quality of writing drops but the amount of detail rises somewhat when I write a little piece of text every half an hour instead of finishing the whole chapter at once after playing for hours. The reason I'm even doing this is that I'm having some mysterious crashing problems and don't want to waste the time I have to spend waiting for my mods to be rechecked. I'll try to watch my spelling though, a lot were honest typos but I noticed a couple cases of simple awkward wording as well. English isn't my native language. The latest chapter should now be fixed.

EDIT: Oh, you mean this bug (http://images.wikia.com/elderscrolls/images/5/5a/2012-02-09_00010.jpg) don't you?

[Triaxx]

BYOH was buggy earlier, but a lot of it was due to the inherent buggieness of Skyrim at the time. (Dragons flying backwards.)

[SilverLeaf167]

BYOH was buggy earlier, but a lot of it was due to the inherent buggieness of Skyrim at the time. (Dragons flying backwards.)
Nah, I had my problems just a couple of months ago... stuff like being unable to move or delete most objects after placing them, so pretty annoying and not at all functional. It is possible that I had a different mod than you did.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #7: Causing A Buzz

Jenassa will have to keep herself entertained just a bit longer, since I'm feeling a lot better already and it's only early evening. It finally stopped raining, the sun's come out and I have a fine new steed. I might as well do the job given to me by the Guild: they want me to scare the owner of the local apiary, or a bee yard as one might call it, into submission. To accomplish this, I should burn a few of his hives and steal the deed to his mansion. This time I'm not even going to say it sounds easy, since his mansion is located on an island chock-full of guards and I'm not allowed to kill anyone, but it doesn't sound impossible either.
I leave Frost at the shore of Lake Honrich, just a couple hundred yards from Riften, and decide to swim to the back of the island where the hives are. After painstakingly hopping and climbing up a cliff onto the island, I ignite three of them with a simple fire spell and try to sneak away, but the flames attract a huge number of guards who notice me. I make a run for it and dive into the lake, a hail of arrows swooshing after me in vain. As soon as I'm out of sight, I quickly swim back around the island and enter the main mansion through the front door while the guards are busy wondering where I went, and presumably trying to extinguish the burning hives.
The way through the mansion is relatively simple. There are a few guards on the first floor, but they appear to be utterly deaf and far too busy staring at a wall or walking back and forth in a short corridor. Since they don't seem too threatening, I rummage through a couple closets and storage rooms while I'm there and find a nice amount of gold before easily sneaking past the inept mercenaries by simply choosing a different hallway than the one they were all ”guarding”. I sure am crafty.
On the second floor, however, a guard is sitting in such a position that I have to pass within two meters from his back in order to reach the main bedroom, where a key to the safe holding the deed should be hidden. Realizing I can't sneak by him undetected without some magical aid, I remember the seemingly useless Invisibility potion given to me by Shadr as thanks. I thank my absent-mindedness for forgetting to sell the darn thing and raise a toast, chugging down the bluish liquid. It works perfectly and I manage to sneak into the bedroom without the guard seeing me. I guess he was too busy contemplating his horrible career choice to notice a creaky double door in the same room being picked, opened and closed again. Picking the lock dispels the effect of the potion (I've never quite understood why they work that way), but I manage to slip in.
One can only imagine how startled I was to stand up, thinking the coast was clear, and turn around just to notice the owner himself squatting in a corner behind his wardrobe. I stare at him in confusion and wonder what I should do, while he yells nervous insults at me but doesn't alert the guards. Uh... I really have no idea what is going on. I assume he's having some variety of psychotic panic attack, so I just leave him alone and start scanning the room. I find a shiny golden bee statue, which I pocket (duh), but no keys whatsoever. I realize the owner must have the keys on his person, but I don't really think approaching and possibly startling him would be a good idea, so instead I head downstairs, hoping that I could pick the safe in the cellar without really needing the key.
I run into quite a big problem right outside the bedroom door: the guard is still there and I only had that single Invisibility potion. After searching through my backpack for anything helpful, I decide to just take my chances at sneaking past him. This, unsurprisingly, is a horrible idea. He notices me nigh instantly and alerts the entire house to my presence. I have no choice but to dash, jump and weave through the mass of men blocking the corridors and hide outside. Apparently, they are either just as stupid as I thought or have very rigid patrol routes, since not a single one of them bothers to follow me through the doors. I wait for a while and go back in, only to find out they've returned to their dazzlingly useless posts as if nothing had happened. Really starting to wonder whether these are actual people and not mindless undead zombies, I slip past them, pick the door to the cellar and step in.
I easily bypass some more guards until coming across a trickier situation. He's sitting in a chair, facing the only door into the room with the safe. I can't help but notice that the whole room is basically swimming in oil, and as easy as that would make things, a deal is a deal: no killing. Instead, by firing an arrow at a wall at the back of the room I manage to distract him long enough to get through, but he catches a glimpse of me just as I sneak through the door. He's coming to check, slowly but surely, and I'm desperately trying to pick open the lock on the safe. I succeed just in time to see him swing his sword at me and to block with my own. While he stumbles back, I grab a coin purse from the nearby table and run towards the only exit in sight: a trapdoor into the sewers. The guard follows me for a while, but when I exit the sewers through another trapdoor at the end of a short tunnel he seems to give up. Maybe the guards are actually vampires, afraid of going outside and risk dying in the sunlight. Or maybe they're ghosts, forever bound into the house where they tasted the worst honey they've ever had... we'll never know.
After looking around to check that nobody or nothing is pursuing me, I swim back to Frost just in time to kill a wolf harassing him and then ride back home. Everyone definitely knows I was there, as I made a huge mess, reduced the landlord to a cowering madman and attracted the attention of literally every guard on the island, but at least I completed my mission. A job well done.
I really better stay away from that (undead-infested) island for now.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/ap06kry2l/2013_02_22_00015.jpg

”I leave Frost at the shore of Lake Ilinalta, just a couple hundred yards from Riften, and decide to swim to the back of the island where the hives are.”

http://s20.postimage.org/7jfkukfgd/2013_02_22_00016.jpg

”Uh... I really have no idea what is going on.”

http://s20.postimage.org/8zr3cpid9/2013_02_23_00001.jpg

”A job well done.”
OOC Info
Note to self: stealth without quicksaves is hard.

Has anyone else had that weird bug with Aringoth, the owner of the place? I've had it every single time I've ever played this mission, and there doesn't seem to be a sensible explanation for it, or really a solution either. One thing all my playthroughs have had in common is that I've lit the hives on fire first, before entering the house. I think that might have something to do with it? Maybe? No?

[P equals NP]

I think he just has superhuman (...supermer?) hearing and begins his panic attack from the moment he or any of the guards detect you, never to stop.

[Eldonauran]

Has anyone else had that weird bug with Aringoth, the owner of the place? I've had it every single time I've ever played this mission, and there doesn't seem to be a sensible explanation for it, or really a solution either. One thing all my playthroughs have had in common is that I've lit the hives on fire first, before entering the house. I think that might have something to do with it? Maybe? No?

I've always burned them after leaving the house. Never had that particular bug before.

Enjoying the story so far.

[Triaxx]

He's always there. If you're interested in a slightly more friendly and not as distant house, there's a mod called Owning Goldenglow on the Nexus, complete with automatic door. (The main one on the bridge because there's no key for it. So as you approach it's automatically opened for you.)

This is the Build your own mod I'm using: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/18480 Is that the one you were?

[SilverLeaf167]

He's always there. If you're interested in a slightly more friendly and not as distant house, there's a mod called Owning Goldenglow on the Nexus, complete with automatic door. (The main one on the bridge because there's no key for it. So as you approach it's automatically opened for you.)

This is the Build your own mod I'm using: http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/18480 Is that the one you were?
Oh, I don't think that's the one I had. In my mod, you had to painstakingly spawn and even more awkwardly move every single tiny item inch by inch... that one looks nice though, I might try it out.
I considered Goldenglow, but I don't plan to spend my whole life in Riften and I have plenty of roleplaying reasons to stay away from that place. :smallwink:

EDIT: Apparently, the annoying mod I had was called Pocket Empire Builder.

[Triaxx]

Ah, I heard of that one.

[SilverLeaf167]

I'm having some infuriating crashing problems... the game crashes to desktop whenever I try to save or sleep, and sometimes even when I'm not.

I'll come back to you when I get the game to work.

EDIT: Ok, uh, to get around the crashing bug (it still crashes occasionally but not quite so often) I had to replay the Goldenglow Estate quest and also delete some mods in the process. I need to edit the latest chapter just a little bit to maintain continuity with the next chapter.
EDIT-EDIT: Oh, I don't after all. Never mind that. The point about replaying and mod-deleting is still true though.

[P equals NP]

It seems to me like your game is rather heavily modded, so I'm actually surprised that it took this long for everything to fall apart. Trust me, I'm a computer science student, I know what I'm talking about. =D

[SilverLeaf167]

It seems to me like your game is rather heavily modded, so I'm actually surprised that it took this long for everything to fall apart. Trust me, I'm a computer science student, I know what I'm talking about. =D
Yes, my game is indeed heavily modded, but I had to install a bunch of new ones for this project, and at the same time I ran into some other nice-looking ones... I tend to load mods in clusters, then crash like a drunken driver for a while until I manage to weed out the bad ones.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter #8: Cold Welcomes

I decide to let home sweet home wait and instead ride back to Riften to report my success to Brynjolf. He greets me with a scowl and tells me I made a huge mess of the job. What? It's not like I killed anyone! I didn't even draw my weapon a single time, the only way that could have happened is if someone fell down the stairs while chasing me or something equally retarded!
He's buying none of my excuses and instead tells me Maven Black-Briar wants to see me. As he's saying this right after berating me for badly messing up a job, I get rather worried but he assures me it's just business. *gulp*
He does tell me where I can find sell some of my more unusual loot, however: Vex and Delvin, right here in the Ragged Flagon. Muttering to myself, I start checking the footlockers next to each bed in the common quarters like the curious cat I am. Nobody seems to mind; I basically lift up an Invisibility Potion I find and ask very loudly whether I can keep it. The only answer I get is shrugs, so I put the potion in my bag along with pretty much everything else I pillage from the chests.
Vex, a human woman whose age or race I cannot quite place, identifies the pink hovering gem I found as a Stone of Barenziah, some sort of antique artifact. However, despite its wondrous qualities and dazzling appearance, it's basically worthless unless I manage to find all of the 24 existing gems. Yeah, right, like that's going to happen. I'll keep it though, as it... honestly just looks very pretty. And shiny, too. Delvin, a rather old man who blathers about the Guild being cursed, has nothing really specific to say about the golden bee statue I found but buys it anyway since it looks rather unique to him. Whatever suits your fancy, old man. The rest of my loot I sell to the fence Tonilia before heading to sleep in one of the Guild's beds.
In the morning I head over to the Bee and Barb – I really wish this town had another proper tavern - where I'm supposed to meet Maven. When I step in, Keerava is almost exaggeratedly gleeful at my arrival (presumably because she's still alive) and bosses Talen-Jei around to help me, but as soon as we're out of her sight he just insults me and gets back to his duties. I shrug and begin my conversation (or lecture) with Maven, the elder and leader of the Black-Briar family. At least she fails to connect me to the loss of their prize-winning Frost, but can't resist the temptation to mention my ”failed” robbery in a very condescending tone. Brynjolf didn't really tell me what I did wrong, but she does mock me burning down half the hives instead of the three I was meant to torch. Uh... I guess my spell hand might have slipped, it's not like I realized the exact number was important!
Still, Brynjolf has assured her that I'm not totally incompetent and she's willing to give me another chance to prove myself. Okay, I'm seriously losing count, this is the fourth or fifth time I do that, right? For details, I'll have to meet some man named Maccius in Whiterun. Yeah, if I ever go over there and find myself in a suitable mood, I might actually bother doing that. As I walk out disgruntled, she reminds me one more time not to mess this job up. Anger boiling in my veins, I stomp out and take a deep breath.
My day isn't exactly starting well and is about to get worse. I see Jenassa run through the gates and ask her why she's not at the house. According to her, the house is no more. Bandits came at night and burned it down. She managed to fend them off with some help from the Stormcloaks, but it was too late to save the house. I sigh almost exaggeratedly. Luckily I didn't leave anything important in there.
Maybe I should take this as a sign that I should move on. Exploration is what I came to do in Skyrim, right? I'll hardly get very much of that just by sitting still in a single city and running errands. However, I don't want to drag Jenassa along with me: after all, she has served me better than well for the measly 500 coins I paid her when we met in Whiterun. I tell her what I think. She disagrees with me, but isn't going to argue. She just reminds me that Skyrim can be a very grim place without companionship and walks away without another word.
I buy some camping supplies and look at my map, planning. If I've gotta go somewhere, I might as start with Windhelm, which is located straight to the north from here and also acts as the base of the Stormcloak rebellion, which I strongly identify with based on what I've seen so far (I know they don't like the Imperials, that's it).

I jump on Frost and begin my long ride. I might have mentioned this before, but really, I've got to adore the locals' ability to live rather peacefully with every possible sort of beast and bandit frolicking in their backyards. I run into plenty of wolves in the first part of my trip, the descent from the mountainous Rift into low-lying Eastmarch. You know your horse is tough when the most effective way to deal with annoying critters is to run straight at them and watch them fly aside limply. I meet a trio of drunken revelers who've chosen quite risky spot at the edge of a cliff. They ask me to join them in their partying, but then we get stuck arguing whether Black-Briar mead is better than classic Nord mead (I like Black-Briar more because it isn't quite as strong, they hate it for the same reason). Our argument is interrupted by a wolf, giving the men a chance to vent some frustration. Watching them beat the wolf to death with only their bare hands and alcohol-fueled rage, I decide to just ride away. I'm not really hungering for a knuckle sandwich.
Soon I attract the attention of a ferocious sabercat. These things are known for their deadliness, so I don't really want to fight, but I can't seem to shake it off my back either, even at full speed. I see some Stormcloak soldiers up ahead. Galloping past their group, I let out something similar to a panicked monotone scream and they take care of the sabercat for me. I come to a ruined fort and assume it to be the base of those soldiers, so I dismount my horse and open the gates for a visit. I am greeted by three men in black robes.
”You shouldn't be here!” they growl, their hands lighting up with destructive magic.
Ok, message received. I shut the gates in front of them before jumping back on my horse and continuing my trip, full gallop.
I arrive at Windhelm faster than I thought: it's not even evening yet, so I decide to look around the surrounding countryside some more. There are some tiny farms on the coast, but nothing really of interest. I decide to take a look at the Morrowind border - no, I do not intend to cross it, I remember what happened last time. On the way, however, I get ambushed by a small group of bandits (See? This is exactly what I mean), who just happen to have such perfect timing that I also run into two wolves and a giant spider at the same time. Uh-oh.
Obviously, I don't want to get stuck in the middle of the huge group, so I run a short way ahead before jumping off my mount. While they're catching up to me, I fire off a few arrows before drawing my sword and shield. Two of the bandits seem to be fighting the animals and one is getting a face full of hoof from Frost, but there are still four bandits attacking me. I manage by continuously backing up and raising my shield whenever the closest one tries to strike, swinging my sword a couple times while they're off balance. Rinse and repeat. Soon enough all opponents are done for... except for one bandit I find squatting behind a tree in fear. Feeling malicious, I chase him around but he manages to stay out of my reach, until he runs into a cliff wall and I kill him that is.
About as close to the border as I'm willing to go I find a Khajiit traveler camped near a ruined tower. She has a couple animals she's raised since they were pups and would be willing to let me adopt one of them.I say thanks, but no thanks. I don't think I'm really fit to take care of another animal. I bid her farewell and head back towards Windhelm; the sun is starting to set.
As soon as I step in through the huge gates, I witness two men threaten and insult a Dark Elf woman. After they leave, I talk to her and ask what's going on. Apparently most of Windhelm is very racist, especially towards Dark Elves who are forced to live in a specific part of the city and Argonians who live in actual slums down at the docks. The men threatening her were two of the worst and noisiest bigots.
I roll up my metaphorical sleeves, slip on the trusty old magic gloves and stomp into the inn I saw one of the men enter. Without further ado, I challenge him into a fistfight. He agrees proudly, clearly expecting to kick my hairy behind, but is given the same treatment himself and falls to the ground after just three solid swings. I tell his bloodied face to stop messing with foreigners before sitting in his chair, having a nice long snack, chatting with the other patrons as if nothing had happened and finally heading to a rented bed.
Even if its the base of my Stormcloak friends (whose friendliness I'm starting to doubt), Windhelm is far too snowy, breezy and (judging from the words of pretty much everyone I've spoken to) xenophobic for my tastes and I doubt it has anything other than trouble to offer me. I saddle up Frost and decide to head back around the Throat of the World and towards Whiterun for now.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/gi63qz1a5/2013_02_23_00004.jpg

”She just reminds me that Skyrim can be a very grim place without companionship and walks away without another word.”

http://s20.postimage.org/83qh2w08t/2013_02_23_00006.jpg

”... the first part of my trip, the descent from the mountainous Rift into low-lying Eastmarch. ”

http://s20.postimage.org/b814zoh19/2013_02_23_00005.jpg

”Watching them beat the wolf to death with only their bare hands and alcohol-fueled rage, I decide to just ride away. I'm not really hungering for a knuckle sandwich.”

http://s20.postimage.org/fxr2oa81p/2013_02_23_00007.jpg

”Feeling malicious, I chase him around but he manages to stay out of my reach ...”
OOC Info
I had to delete the Ranger's Cabin mod because it apparently had some serious navmesh bugs or something (the game crashed whenever an NPC even got close to the shack), but this made more sense from an in-character perspective and also gave me a good reason to get moving.

The camping equipment I mention briefly is part of the Camping Lite mod, which allows me to set up camp (duh) with a tent and stuff. Might come in handy at some point and makes sense.
The Khajiit merchant with the animals is from the BFF Animal Companions mods, which I downloaded but decided not to use after all – for now at least.
It doesn't have any flashy effects, but I can really feel the changes made by Duel – Combat Realism 5. It does exactly what it does on the tin and works very nicely.
As you can notice from one of the screenshots, yes, I finally braved my mind and delved into the Skyrim Nexus, from which I downloaded the ”Dual Sheaths and Shields on Back” mod. Adding more mods when my game is already rather unstable might not be the best idea, but who cares? :smallamused:

[P equals NP]

The best reason for joining up with the Stormcloaks is that it keeps smug little Maven from claiming the throne. I wish you could put her in her place if you...
become Listener and guild master of the Thieves' Guild
but alas, no luck.

Also, only fools would engage a Khajiit in a fistfight because of their military-grade bonus to unarmed combat, but oh well, those Nords in Wildhelm are pretty dense anyway.

[SilverLeaf167]

The best reason for joining up with the Stormcloaks is that it keeps smug little Maven from claiming the throne. I wish you could put her in her place if you...
become Listener and guild master of the Thieves' Guild
but alas, no luck.

Also, only fools would engage a Khajiit in a fistfight because of their military-grade bonus to unarmed combat, but oh well, those Nords in Wildhelm are pretty dense anyway.
I've gotten the image that the inability to kill Maven is a running joke/semi-serious complaint in the Skyrim community, and I can definitely see why. Dar'vander would definitely at least consider if given such an opportunity, especially if it wouldn't harm the Thieves' Guild.

I might become the Guildmaster at some point, but definitely won't spend time "strengthening the guild's influence" in the different cities. Riding from Riften to Markarth just to steal a single item and then riding back (repeat five times for each city) is painful even with fast travel. The same thing sort of applies to the Dark Brotherhood (though I like their questline, not as much as in Oblivion though), plus Dar'vander isn't really a mindless killer.

As a side note, I'm frankly surprised by my own survival skills. Level nine, Expert difficulty, only one death? Not bad at all (though I guess my 100+ hours on Master might have something to do with it :smallredface:)

[SilverLeaf167]

Dar' Wars Episode IX: A New Home

Riding along a river, I spot a Khajiit traveler and a man in Guild armor. Thinking that there's a robbery (of my folk!) going on, I swiftly dismount and run over. However, they're just exchanging pleasantries. The thief recognizes me as a collegue, hands me some lockpicks as a gift and runs off. The Khajiit spouts some nonsense before running off in the opposite direction. What a weird bunch.
I run into another sabrecat, which I manage to outrun, some wolves which I just ignore and an armored Nord traveler who I try chat with. Instead, she calls me a milk drinker (what's wrong with that?) and challenges me to a fight. She has a magical flaming sword that chars my fur where it strikes, but dancing around I manage to defeat her without even needing any potions. I pick up the sword and see carvings running all over the blade, glowing red and feeling warm to the touch. It is a fine sword and Im definitely going to use it. I play with the idea of naming my blade, like fabled heroes do, but... in an ironic manner, I guess. Beefskewer sounds nice, since, well, I use it to skewer things... yeah.
I stumble across an abandoned, yet totally intact woodshed next to an awe-inspiring waterfall. There doesn't seem to be anyone nearby, and all I find in the shed is two books. The first seems to be a journal of a Nord called Lucky, which I skim through until I get to the end. He mentions looting a deed to a small house from an Imperial he killed and deciding to find said house, which I presume isn't far from here. He also writes about a haunted prison nearby (which I think I can see on the other side of the river), but considers it rather harmless as long as the ghosts stay inside. The last entry is about how he's going to fell a huge tree that's shadowing his house.
I look around and quickly see that it wasn't such a good idea. There is indeed a huge fallen tree lying nearby, and I notice that it has crushed a small house down by the river. Inspecting the rubble, I find Lucky's remains stuck in some scaffolding. I take most of his stuff and set him on his way down the waterfall.
The other book details his plans for expansions to his house and the exact materials he'd need for them. I also find the aforementioned deed. An idea is cooking in the back of my head... the location is quite beautiful and also practical, quite close to Windhelm and not too far from Riften or Whiterun either. It would be nice to have somewhere to live, even if I don't spend all my time here, and heck, I just need something to do.
I ride back to Windhelm and hire a few hardy Nords who help me roll the tree into the river and gather most of the rubble. The work takes all day, but once it is done I hand them their pouch of money and send them on their merry way back to the city, most likely to spend it all on mead. These people are so predictable. Either way, I now have a clean slate to build my house on from scratch. That will have to wait until later though, since right now I'm just exhausted. I have a large dinner and set up a tent next to the woodshed, settling in for the night.
The next morning I ride to Windhelm, once again, this time to buy some tools and materials for the house. I buy a pickaxe and as much iron and steel as I can find (the merchants tell me to come back in a few days once they've resupplied). On my return trip to the house, I run into the very same sabrecat once again. I recognize it from the cut my sword made on a random ride-by swing the day before. This is the fourth time it's bothering me, always in the exact same spot, so I assume it has a nest nearby and I need to kill it to get some peace. It is a tough opponent, but at least I manage a surprise attack with my bow before it closes in. I bash it into submission before driving Beefskewer through its neck. I spend the rest of the day building a basic framework for the house out of logs.
I wake up early and spend half the day building walls. There is still a lot of the day left, though, and I don't have enough materials for anything else right now so I decide to go hunting and exploring. Upriver, in front of the biggest waterfall around, there's a very precariously settled fallen tree across the river. From a distance, I think I spot a person standing on the log, but can't be quite sure from this range. I try to approach, but am suddenly jumped by a sabercat. Just how many of those does this region have?!
It gets the jump on me and I get no free shots, so this fight is much more difficult and life-threatening than the last one. I'm out of health potions, so I have no other choice left than to glub some stamina potions and make a run for it. I manage to reach a cliff where he can't reach me, so I pepper the deadly beast with arrows until it dies. I feel somehow ashamed. From my vantage point, I spot the fort I mistakenly entered a few days ago and decide to take a closer look. It turns out my first guess was indeed right: the fort had been a Stormcloak base. Now there were dead soldiers lying around the courtyard. I see one robed man keeping watch over the road and one fidgeting with alchemy supplies in the back. I manage to climb onto the wall over a collapsed pile of rubble and shoot the watchman in the back of the head, killing him and sending him toppling off the wall. The alchemist notices this and goes to investigate, but by the time he gets there I've moved onto the other side of the courtyard and kill him in the same manner. I borrow his alchemy supplies for a while until proceeding to check the rest of the fort.
At the top of a tower I find another mage standing over a gory ritual circle with a dead soldier in the middle as sacrifice. I charge him, but he hits me with an ice spell that covers my joints in frost and slows me enough for him to get out of the way. I stumble around, trying to hit him, but I feel the deadly cold seeping into my veins and decide to retreat for now. However, instead of nimbly sliding down the tower wall like I usually do, I accidentally jump straight down and hit the ground like a brick wall, my frozen bones shattering on impact. I fade into darkness.
Oh, gods damn it.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/auin2f7el/2013_02_24_00001.jpg

”The Khajiit spouts some nonsense before running off in the opposite direction.”

http://s20.postimage.org/63ncy53y5/2013_02_24_00002.jpg

”There is indeed a huge fallen tree lying nearby, and I notice that it has crushed a small house down by the river.”

http://s20.postimage.org/64xark5rx/2013_02_24_00003.jpg

”I have a large dinner and set up a tent next to the woodshed, settling in for the night.”

http://s20.postimage.org/si51ed6pp/2013_02_24_00004.jpg

”From a distance, I think I spot a person standing on the log, but can't be quite sure from this range.”
OOC Info
That's what I get for bragging about survivability, I guess.

Yes, the house thing is from the Build Your Own House mod recommended to me. If you readers find it boring to read about, I can just skim over it in the journal, but I personally find it pretty interesting and will spend some time dawdling around with it.

The tent I set up is, obviously enough, from the Camping Lite mod I think I mentioned.

[Triaxx]

Awesome. Are you still using Hypothermia?

I like the description for the construction actually.

That guy on the log is awesome if you've got FRD, sneak so he's going away from the fall, and then blast him. He flies a long way and dies. If you throw him back against the fall, he doesn't die.

[SilverLeaf167]

Awesome. Are you still using Hypothermia?

I like the description for the construction actually.

That guy on the log is awesome if you've got FRD, sneak so he's going away from the fall, and then blast him. He flies a long way and dies. If you throw him back against the fall, he doesn't die.
Hypothermia was sort of overkill in my opinion... the concept was nice and the effects were realistic, but they simply happened far too quickly. A light summer rain making you hypothermic within thirty in-game minutes is just ridiculous and badly disturbs the game instead of enhancing it.

That log-guy is a great example of one thing I enjoy in Skyrim: certain "random" encounters being recurring, so that you can stumble across them in another playthrough and be like "oh yeah, this guy, I remember him, he was funny". I just get really anxious from trying to run on that log, probably even more so with this character. :smalltongue:

[Triaxx]

I first discovered it after getting lost while trying out a new darkness mod. I was playing a mage with Midas Magic, which has a FRD style spell. I knocked him off, then crossed the log and rested until morning because I couldn't see, then he was back and I was behind him. So I blasted him the correct way.

Falling off is only leathal away from the waterfall.

[SilverLeaf167]

I first discovered it after getting lost while trying out a new darkness mod. I was playing a mage with Midas Magic, which has a FRD style spell. I knocked him off, then crossed the log and rested until morning because I couldn't see, then he was back and I was behind him. So I blasted him the correct way.

Falling off is only leathal away from the waterfall.
I guess (s)he really loves that log.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter 10: Home Improgression

After a period of time that somehow feels both instant and eternal at the same time, I wake up in my tent, gasping for air. Wow, this again? Whoever is doing this, a god or something else entirely, is really doing me some big favors, and if I know anything about gods, it's that eventually they'll come asking me for return services. I... I don't think I've ever died before these two times in Skyrim, so I don't know how long I've had this blessing, but it has definitely made itself useful over the past weeks. I think it's best to just carry on as normally as possible until they do so, otherwise I might find myself tangled up in some sort of epic adventure.
I now have personal experience regarding the dangerousness of these mages, and as much as I'd like to just avoid the whole fort I don't think I'd feel comfortable living so close to such a place. After all, I should now know their positions and not get surprised again. Unless there are even more people in there, that is.
First things first. My unfinished house has been reduced back to the state it was in this morning, just a bunch of logs thrown together, so I rebuild the walls and get on my jolly way. As expected, I find the mages in the exact same positions and use the same pile of rubble to get inside. However, to avoid the risk of missing, I sneak right behind the one on the wall, slowly and carefully, before slitting his throat with my sword. This way the others don't even hear him cry out. I handle the alchemist with the same trick and double-check that the coast is clear before killing my would-be-murderer as well. Sweet revenge!
The exterior part of the fort is now clear, but I bet there are more inside. Three mages would hardly need such a base. I sneak and see a mage sitting in a chair with her back turned. I strike at her from behind, but botch it up somehow and she survives, calling out to her allies. She starts healing herself with one hand and roasting me with the other while I try to swing Beefskewer fast enough to hurt her faster than she can heal. Some other mages join in. There is fire everywhere. I swing at her one last time, landing the killing blow right before dashing out the way I came. I hide behind a corner to heal myself, but none of them follow me. I'm sure they'll be watching that door more closely now, so I use a different one leading into the same space and take them out one by one. I get some potions, a scroll and a staff for my troubles, on top of a secure feeling of course.

I leave the fort, wondering whether the Stormcloaks will reclaim their lost base like they did in Riften. It is only afternoon though, so I decide to have a look around. I need some more materials for the house, but don't feel like riding to Windhelm and back this evening. Instead, I walk a short way to the southeast and find some hot springs. Some hunters are bathing there and ask me to join in, but as you might have realized I don't really like getting wet. They seem to be okay with my refusal, so I keep looking around. I notice that one of them has sticked a sword into a stone. Wondering why the heck anyone would do that, I pull the sword out, which enrages the hunters disproportionately. Two of them run around in circles spouting insults and racial slurs while one retrieves her bow. Still confused about what is going on, I pull my sword and put the archer down. I leave the other two alive since they seem harmless enough (crazy, but harmless anyway) and head home. I try to cross a river by hopping on rocks, when – OH C'MON! I slip and fall headfirst into the water. I walk the rest of the way home without incident. I thinks being a wet rag is miserable enough, though. My house is superficially done, but has no furniture whatsoever, so I continue to sleep in the tent, after drying myself at a fire of course.
I'm getting ready for another to Windhelm when I'm suddenly approached by a Redguard warrior. She attacks me without warning, alternating between fire magic and a mace, hurting me pretty badly. I make do with some potions, however, and manage to kill her with some help from Frost. I have no idea why she did something like that: she doesn't look like a bandit, didn't have a contract on her or anything and I don't think I've even really met any Redguards here in Skyrim. I keep an eye on other attackers while dragging her body into the river.
On my way to Windhelm I see three more Redguards and decide to spy on them from a distance. They're dressed differently from the earlier woman... in fact, two of them are wearing traditional Redguard armor and the third, a woman, looks just like a normal peasant. They talk for a while until the two armored men finally leave towards Windhelm. I approach the woman and ask what that was all about: apparently the men are looking for a runaway Redguard and mistook the woman for her. Nothing concerning me, then. I ride past the two men and head to the market.
I buy plenty of iron and steel (I think I actually got a little too much, but oh well) and some vegetables – I'm planning to set up a garden. In particular, I'd like some cabbages (one of the few non-alcoholic sources of water around here) and can clearly see a whole basket full of them under the farmer's stand, but apparently none of them are for sale. Wondering why she'd display them like that, I pocket a few of them (along with some carrots and potatoes) while she's not looking and head towards the general store, hoping to find some hides over there. As an experienced hunter, I feel almost ashamed to buy them, but the area around my house seems totally devoid of game. Probably something to do with all those wolves and sabercats...
In front of the store I see an old Nord speaking to a Dark Elf and place a hand on my sword out of habit, but this conversation seems friendly for a change. The Dark Elf is thanking the man, one Free-Winter, for all he's done to help the Elves, but also sincerely pleads him to try and change the mind of Ulfric Stormcloak, the rebels' leader. After the Elf leaves, I speak to the Nord. According to him, Ulfric doesn't care at all about anyone who's not a Nord. Just a couple days ago, bandits killed a caravan and he didn't care at all! No soldiers or investigation were arranged. It's not like I enjoy getting mixed up in this stuff, but... I ask him if I could do something about it. He marks the bandits' lair on my map and promises me gold and training as a reward... if I make it back.
My visit to the store is ultimately fruitless, so I head back home. The bandits will have to wait until later, because I really want to get my house finished. I spend the next week or so doing little else than building. I set up a little vegetable garden, ”buy” a chicken and a cow from a passing merchant and build a lot of scaffolding across the river (the less likely to fall in, the better). I still don't have enough animal hides, though, and I make another futile trip to the city. The only interesting thing that happened to me was meeting an armored orc informing of an organization called Dawnguard being reestablished and looking for new members. He blabbed something about a huge vampire threat to all of Skyrim, which I dismissed since I have never seen a vampire in my life (except that one weird guy in Cyrodiil once, but that's a different story) and left.

Unable to really do anything about my house, I decide to explore the surrounding area some more. Maybe I'll run into some deer on the way, though I doubt it. I head towards the huge log-bridge that I forgot to inspect pre-death and once again see a humanoid shape from afar. I've learned my lesson and decide to go up the other side of the river, avoiding the sabercat I ran into last time. I sneak up to the log and see that there is indeed a bandit sitting there, just watching the waterfall. I stab him in the back and he falls into the rapids below. It is quite entertaining to watch him bounce around.
Just a hundred yards to the east I find the entrance to a crypt of some sort and a bandit-looking Nord watching over it. I sneak behind him and am just about to lower my blade when he suddenly turns around frightened. Surprisingly trustful, considering that I was sneaking behind him with a readied blade, he asks me to help him get rid of a necromancer defiling the crypt. Given his looks and odd reaction, I strongly suspect this being a trap and decide to just decline for now. He steps into the crypt and I step away.
The day is running late, so I return home. In the morning I ride to Windhelm again, though I'm not expecting much at this point. If I still don't find what I'm looking for, I think I'll give up and visit Whiterun instead. Since I'm not really looking forward to much anyway, I get distracted on the way and start wondering about a large fort watching over the road. Located basically next door to the Stormcloak base of operations and the realm of their leader, surely it would be occupied by Stormcloaks.
Clearly, I expect way too much of the rebels, since all I find inside the fort are more black mages, quite similar to the ones at the other fort near my home – that reminds me, I should check what's going on back there, but that will have to wait. There are four mages out in the courtyard; I shoot one of them, which causes two of the remaining ones to run into the wilderness looking for me, but when they get there I've already climbed inside. I kill the lone enemy without a fight. I do not sense my two dimwitted ”pursuers”, so I assume they've gotten pretty far already and sneak into the interiors. After killing about half the mages inside, I botch up, get detected and find myself in a storm of flames. As if the flames didn't make aiming difficult enough, some of the more powerful foes also summon Flame Atronachs to block my shots and add even more fire to the mix. I decide to make a run for it, sending a few potshots in their direction on the way (I think I actually killed a couple of them) before dashing out and hiding behind a corner to heal. Some of them follow me outside, but split up foolishly and get picked off one by one. I sneak back inside and take care of the last ones.
Geez, even if the Stormcloaks' motivations are questionable, I almost feel bad for them for having such incompetent leadership. For my troubles I got a lot of useless robes and an elven longsword, which is actually pretty cool. I ponder for a while and notice that Beefskewer's fiery runes have gotten rather dim lately, and if you ignore the enchantment the elven sword is way better anyways. When I get to the city, I buy a filled soul gem and use it to enchant the sword with the fiery magic I got from Beefskewer (destroying it in the process, unfortunately). This naming idea is actually pretty cool, so I start thinking of a name for this one as well. It's even more important since I even enchanted it myself. So... Elves live in forests, right? At least some of them do, and it's the first thing that springs to my mind. The sword burns things, so I decide to name it Leafsmoker, making an ironic reference to an unflattering Khajiit stereotype.
I find no hides, of course.
Screenshots
(long text but few screenshots this time, not really sure why)

http://s20.postimage.org/4qek56f5p/2013_02_24_00005.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/7yj1i81fh/2013_02_25_00002.jpg
OOC Info
Well, there is some skimming over the construction part, but that's just because I don't think anyone could consider ”I wake up. I build stuff. I go to sleep” very interesting.
Does anyone else have problems moving corpses in the game? In Oblivion it worked just fine, but in Skyrim it sometimes works perfectly (the corpse basically levitates around) and sometimes not all (the body just twitches slightly). Since I'm trying to roleplay a crafty characted, I feel pretty annoyed when I'm forced to leave dead Imperials lying on my doorstep etc. If so, has anyone found any sort of solution?

[Eldonauran]

I find grabbing them by the limbs (elbows and knees) are usually the best places to get movement when dragging. Otherwise, I usually use the animate magic, lure them off in a different direction and kill them again, leaving a nice pile of ash.

:smallbiggrin:

[Triaxx]

For a non-wizard, a staff of zombies is very useful. Also, if you want some nicely potent bows, with good damage, but a long draw for balance, I suggest Longbows by Grantiz. I really love them. Extra damage and extra range for all your sniping needs.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter 11: Return to Whiterun

After checking that the fort near my house has indeed been retaken by the Stormcloaks (why they don't get rid of the corpses of their comrades and foes is beyond me), I ponder for a second whether I should leave for Whiterun immediately or wait until morning. Since there's nothing I can do with the house and it's only a little past noon, I decide to go immediately.
I realize that there is a bandit camp on the way, the one mentioned in the bounty given to me by the Riverwood barkeeper many weeks ago. However, I'm a different man than I was back then, so I'm pretty sure I can take them out without too much trouble. I dismount as soon as their base comes to view: two towers on different sides of a river, connected by a narrow walkway. Lucky for me, it doesn't look like there are too many bandits inside. I manage to sneak up on one guarding the door and kill her in a single blow. Inside the tower, right next to the door there is a slightly too obvious treasure chest, which I realize is trapped with a string attached to a swinging spiky weight. After jamming the trap and looting the chest (just a decoy, not much inside) I try to sneak up to the top of the tower where another guard is posted, but a bandit on the walkway spots me. I run towards him and send him down into the river, but he has plenty of time to alert the others so I take cover inside the other tower. There's an archer on the roof of the other tower and another next to this one, plus two men armed with maces. However, the latter three can't attack me from their current positions so I focus on sniping down the first archer. By the time the clubbers reach me, I've hopped out of the tower onto a cliff and shot the second one as well. They take the long way around to reach me, allowing me to just run backwards and fire at them occasionally until they're finally dead. One of them, presumably chief, actually had a magic warhammer enchanted with the forces of lightning. Not a bad find, but heavy weaponry isn't really for me. I'll either sell or disenchant it.
Fast forward a couple hundred yards, I see a whole herd of deer spread around the area. I guess this trip turned out to be worth it after all. They're far enough from each other that I manage to kill each one with my bow without alerting the others. Not bad, not bad at all. Whiterun is already towering ahead (I think it looks much more impressive from this side than from the south), but I'm not quite there yet. In the middle of the road ahead I see two black-robed mages dueling and decide to hang back to observe. Soon enough, the ice-wielding mage manages to kill the fire-spewing one, only to find his own fate at the tip of my arrow.
As soon as I reach Whiterun, I head to the inn I visited last time but didn't sleep in. The innkeeper Hulda recognizes me from last time – I guess this place doesn't get very many khajiit patrons. She's very friendly regardless, but I just buy some salt (I hate the taste but need it to preserve my food), eat some of my own rations, rent a bed and drift off to sleep.
I curse my luck for waking up over an hour before any shops open, but I run into someone at the inn. Mallus Maccius, the man I'm supposed to meet about that Thieves' Guild job. He looks really, really pale, and for a while I wonder whether he's part of that ”vampire menace” I've heard about, but dismiss that thought as silly. He asks me what the heck I've been doing for two weeks, but tells me the plan to sabotage a meadery here in Whiterun to stop it from competing with the Black-Briars. Geez, so far I've done loan collection and this is my second sabotage job. I wonder whether I'll get to do any actual thievery at all.
The job can wait for a while, though, since I have some errands to run and have no hurry to appease Maven. I run up to the jarl's palace and collect the bounty for those bandits at the tower before proceeding to disenchant the thunder hammer, in addition to a bow with a fear enchantment I found. Farengar the wizard looks at me in disbelief. He thought I was dead after not hearing of me for a whole month! I guess I technically was, twice, but I'm not going to explain that to him. Once we've established that I am indeed alive and kicking, he says that it's about time I go get that stupid tablet. Fine, I will. I think I can handle that stupid spider... if it hasn't already been killed by the bandits, that is.
I sell all the loose clutter I have lying around, buy the alchemy merchant's whole stock and spend the morning mixing up ingredients. I end up with some really useful and some really weird compounds, but make a lot of notes regarding each ingredient's properties. The merchant is more than happy to buy all the useless ooze I made from the ingredients I bought from her just a while ago.
I ride towards the Barrow along the same path I took last time. I spot an escort ahead and assume it's another Imperial prisoner. Was that the case, I might actually leave them alone (I'm not quite as sympathetic towards the Stormcloaks anymore), but instead recognize them as Thalmor. I've seen plenty of them, and heard a lot, but this is the first time I see them in Skyrim. Spiteful for what they've done to my dear Elsweyr and sure that their prisoner is unfairly arrested, I let loose a volley of arrows at them. By the time they reach me, I've managed to kill their leading mage, but there are still two soldiers left and they scorch me with fire spells. I back off, swallow a resistance potion and slay them with Leafsmoker. The battle is over soon enough and the prisoner runs away into the horizon.
I see a rather large fort and decide to check what's inside. Not surprisingly, I see nothing but bandits. This is a little weird for such a large fortress so close to a major city, but I guess I should be used to that by now. There are far too many guards at the front, so I walk around and look for another way in. Much to my delight, I find a large sewage pipe only covered by loose planks. I throw them aside and sneak in.
I find myself in some sort of storage area. I sense some guards around, but they're quite separated and in different rooms. I sneak up on one, but I fail to kill him in one hit and he yells a warning before dying from a second swipe. Another bandit rushes at me with a warhammer, but I manage to block her swing and kill her before she gets another chance, but right after she falls to the floor, the room is suddenly filled by a flash of searing fire and I fall dead on top of her.
God, I really hate mages.
Screenshots
http://s20.postimage.org/jjvieszlp/2013_02_26_00001.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/5eppczqkd/2013_02_28_00001.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/u99772bel/2013_02_28_00006.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/9qeb1zxh9/2013_02_28_00007.jpg
OOC Info
OMG WIZARDS OP NERF WIZARDS PLOX!!!!11!1!!11111

(seriously, one hit kills? really?)

[Grantiz]

For a non-wizard, a staff of zombies is very useful. Also, if you want some nicely potent bows, with good damage, but a long draw for balance, I suggest Longbows by Grantiz. I really love them. Extra damage and extra range for all your sniping needs.

Yes I agree Grantiz's longbows are awesome!

[Triaxx]

Heh. Reminds me I need to endorse the file. Great idea for a great mod. I had been using the bows from Expanded Weapons but an interaction with the author caused me to look for another bow mod.

Yours is a lot better. The only thing is that if I save on the horse and don't then dismount and remount, when I start to move, the horse goes skidding off into space. Not sure if it's your mod, or something else. Just weird.

Sorry for rambling, but it's a great mod.

@SilverLeaf: To be fair you had just blocked a warhammer with a sword. That tends to do a lot of damage without a proper shield.

[SilverLeaf167]

Well, I actually do have shield. Also, with the Duelism mod, shields block all damage but blocking drains A LOT of stamina. My stamina is usually all gone after just a couple blocked swings.

[Triaxx]

What I meant was you'd just gotten whacked pretty hard so dying to a magical attack wasn't unexpected.

[SilverLeaf167]

What I meant was you'd just gotten whacked pretty hard so dying to a magical attack wasn't unexpected.
Well, in-character maybe, but as the player I clearly saw that I had a full health bar that got depleted entirely by the single Fireball. :smalltongue: Not trying to start an argument over such a simple matter though.

A new chapter should be online within an hour from now.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter 12: Bleak Outlook

I wake up at the inn. This time the experience is more frustrating than agonizing. I walk downstairs, fully knowing what to expect and speak to Maccius. I rush through the conversation, since I actually already know all about it, and run up to the palace where I claim my bounty, disenchant my items, ignore Farengar and run out. I repeat the whole potion-making process (since I clearly need them) and ride out of the city again.
I'm still going to head up to the Barrow, but this time I'll just ignore the fortress. I didn't even have a real reason to go there, and all it earned me was a sudden death. I'm expecting to run into the same Thalmor though, and planning to treat them the same way, but instead there's just a nobleman riding a horse with an Imperial guard walking in front of him. The snotty man tells me to get out of the way since I'm a peasant. Must... not... kill... Especially as we're right next to a ruined watchtower and there's a whole bunch of guards around. Instead I pass them by and start riding up the hill. I look back after a while and notice that a giant spider (bigger than most of the giant spiders but not as big as the biggest giant spider, I really need a better rating system) has attacked the travelers. By the time I bother getting back there, both the guard and the nobleman are lying dead in the shrub and the guards are just looking confused. Huh. Give mercy and the universe just might do your dirty work for you.
On the way up I fight a couple wolves and a sabercat and shoot a deer or two, but when I reach the summit I dismount and tell Frost to wait there, behind a cliff. I've had quite a bit of archery practice since last time and the bandits are even easier to kill than last time. I manage to snipe most of them and Leafsmoker takes care of the survivors. I make my way down to the puzzle room, but this time I sit back and observe the silly bandit instead of attacking him. Within half a minute he's managed to off himself by triggering the trap. I just waltz into the room, solve the puzzle and move on.
As I approach the room with the giant-giant-giant spider, I hear the same yells for help as last time. How is this possible? Is the man really tough for surviving a month, is the spider really weird somehow or does the world really revolve around me? Whichever it is, I cover my blade in paralyzing poison before charging into the room and straight at the spider. Oddly enough, the poison seems to do diddly squat, but I still have little to no trouble defeating the monster without even using a potion. I guess some combat experience really gives you new perspective.
I head to the back of the room, where a Dark Elf is suspended from some webbing. He blabs something around a ”Golden Claw” and promises to share it with me if I cut him down. Instead of asking questions, I just slash the webs apart and wait for an explanation. However, he just taunts me and tries to run away, but within a few seconds he finds himself staring at my blade, sticking from his chest. He drops to the ground, dead, and I take his belongings. There is little of interest, other than the Golden Claw he mentioned – a golden ornament in the shape of a dragon's foot, with three animal symbols carved on the bottom – and a journal of some sort. There are only two pages of text in the journal, about him finding a clue on the workings of a puzzle door deeper in the dungeon: "when you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands."

Sigh.
I haven't even seen the puzzle yet and it seems obvious already.
I seem to be descending into the actual barrow part of the Barrow and am running into some undead creatures. They're pretty similar to the zombies I've seen elsewhere, but pretty much intact. They're also surrounded by a chilling aura and occasionally growl something at me in a language I don't understand, but I think they sound kind of angry. That would explain why they're attacking me, as well. Yeah, I think that's it. They succumb to Leafsmoker's flaming blade with unusual ease. I guess fire is effective against their frozen husks. These might be some of those ”drogar” (or however that's pronounced) that I've heard some people talk about. Their name doesn't really matter, though: they stand in my way, they end up under my boot.
The undead seem to stay in their little alcoves right until they sense me. This is actually good for me, since they smell... different, somehow, so I can tell them apart from the actually dead bodies and take them out in one hit before they have time to stand up and fight back. Occasionally, one hit is not enough, and the monster instead stands up and alerts its comrades as well. Luckily, they aren't too tough, and I actually get a nice bow from one of them that I approximate to be even a little better than the Elven one I've been using for quite a while.
I come to some sort of gauntlet corridor, with pendulum axes swinging from the walls rhythmically. I decide to play it safe in short hops instead of dashing straight through, and it works out alright.
The ruins gradually descend into some sort of unworked cavernous area, full of durgur all the same. The caves are illuminated by glowing mushrooms and the occasional hole in the ceiling. Soon enough I find myself back in the ruins (I don't know whether this detour was originally built into the barrow) and after a lot of undead-fighting I come to an odd semicircular door that doesn't seem to have a normal lock, latch or handle.
Instead, there's a slot for the Golden Claw and three animal symbols on wheels I can turn by hand. At first, I simply try shoving in the Claw, just to be thorough, but it does nothing. Yes, I guess I was right about the obviousness. I turn the wheels to match the order shown on the Claw and try again. The door grinds open theatrically. Seriously though, who puts the solution to a door-opening riddle on the key itself? That way, if anyone gets the key they'll be sure to know the answer as well, thus making the whole riddle useless. I guess these Nords might just be really stupid, though. Ugh.
Behind the door there is one final cavernous chamber with a coffin, a chest and a huge stone wall with odd carvings on it. I approach the coffin carefully, fully capable of sensing the creature within, but it doesn't pop out after all. The coffin is sealed shut, too, so I can't stab it either. I turn around to look at the stone wall and feel a strange voice calling to me from it. I'm lured in by blinding lights, towards a particular glowing carving... until suddenly it stops as quickly as it had started. I hear grinding sound and a *thunk* from behind me and realize that the guardian has risen.

I turn around and draw my weapons, but the undead monstrosity bellows out some sort of curse in its ancient language. For a second, I feel like the room is spinning around me, and my weapon is thrown away. I dodge a swinging greatsword headed for my head and slip past the enemy to pick up my weapon and brace for battle.
The battle is rather long and one of attrition. My hit-and-run tactics serve well, as usual, but every now and then I'm a tad too slow and he manages to land a painful blow. One time he shouts another curse and I'm thrown across the room like a ragdoll, but after a few seconds I reclaim control of my limp body and heal up for another round.
He finally falls and I get his enchanted sword, but once again, I prefer lighter and faster weapons. From the chest next to his coffin I get an enchanted mace (bleh), some assorted goods and a jagged white orb of some sort. As I pick up the sphere, an inescapable, almost deafening voice echoes from the heavens and tells me to get the orb to Mount Kilkreath and become her new champion. The voice disappears as suddenly as it had begun. Perhaps this is that request from the gods I've been expecting?
I exit the cavern through a hidden back entrance and notice that I'm on the other side of the mountain. The sun is beginning to set and I've still got to retrieve Frost. I'd really just like to get some rest, but I can't really abandon my valiant steed, so I get on my way.
After clearing another bandit hideout – just a small tower with three people hanging around – I finally reach my horse. It is already dark and a blizzard seems to be starting. Regarding distance, Whiterun and Riverwood are pretty much equal choices from here, but I decide to head to Riverwood. It's been quite a while since my short stay there. Much to my dismay, the barkeeper tells me that the actual owner of the inn is out on business and I can't rent a room for now. I instead eat a large dinner and head to Gerdur's house to look for an empty bed. I am positively surprised to find one and sleep there for a good 12 hours.
In the morning I head to the general store, Riverwood Trader, to sell some odds and ends. He's still sulking about that robbery that happened over a month ago. Defeated, I ask him what exactly is wrong. He tells me that the bandits in Bleak Falls Barrow broke into his store and stole his family heirloom, a Golden Claw of some sort. Well, ain't this convenient. When I pull the Claw out of my bag and explain where I got it, he is delighted and pays me a generous sum of 100 gold pieces as a reward. Gee, thanks, I might be able to buy some bread for that price. After that, he places his long-lost beloved treasure ”back where it belongs”, which is to say ”in the middle of the counter”. I honestly think he really was asking to be robbed.
With that out of the way, I ride for Whiterun.
Screenshots (A LOT this time)
http://s20.postimage.org/v06z9yk3h/2013_03_01_00001.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/55sl6fupp/2013_03_01_00005.jpg

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http://s20.postimage.org/3n1sf7dj1/2013_03_01_00015.jpg

http://s20.postimage.org/u9e946hq5/2013_03_01_00016.jpg
OOC Info
Nothing special, really.
I installed a mod called Realistic Ragdolls and Force that, as an unmentioned side-effect, seems to help a lot with the trouble I had dragging bodies around.
I got the Longbows mod a while ago but have yet to run into one.
A mod called Steel Soldiers With Cloaks gives soldiers and guards better equipment that also looks way cooler.
Wet and Cold adds a whole bunch of visual effects, like water dripping and breath steaming.
Last but not the least, Expanded Enchantments v1.1 gives my enchanted weapons a more impressive visual effect than just a slight glow. Burning weapons, for example, are literally on fire.

While it might seem like I'm installing a lot of mods, I've been deleting so many useless old ones to help stabilize the game that I actually have a lower total number of mods than I had at the start of this project. :smalltongue:

[Divayth Fyr]

While it might seem like I'm installing a lot of mods, I've been deleting so many useless old ones to help stabilize the game that I actually have a lower total number of mods than I had at the start of this project. :smalltongue:
You do know this is the best way to destabilize the game? Any mod which has but a single script leaves it in the savegame, and if it can't find the data it needs, problems tend to appear (file bloat, crashes, game freezing etc.). Though the latest SKSE has a command (which you need to start manually) to help clean such things.

[Triaxx]

I thought 'Install Game' was the quickest way to destabilize the game?

[SilverLeaf167]

You do know this is the best way to destabilize the game? Any mod which has but a single script leaves it in the savegame, and if it can't find the data it needs, problems tend to appear (file bloat, crashes, game freezing etc.). Though the latest SKSE has a command (which you need to start manually) to help clean such things.

Well, yes, it's a double-edged sword. General stability gets worse but at least the game doesn't crash everytime I enter a certain area or use a specific ability. I'll try that SKSE thing asap.

[SilverLeaf167]

Chapter 13: It's in the clouds!

On my unusually peaceful ride, I have time to think. If the voice that shouted at me when I picked up the orb was indeed some sort of god demanding return service for my repeated resurrections, I guess I really should take care of it. Not only am I grateful for the help, but I also want to keep receiving it. On the other hand, I don't really want to just drop everything I'm doing just to head there immediately.
As a compromise, I decide to take care of the business I currently have in Whiterun, visit home and then head to Mount Kilkreath to satisfy this god, or whatever it is.
But, right now, I realize I'm passing the Honningbrew Meadery, which is the one I'm supposed to sabotage for the Guild. I shrug, thinking that I might as well take care of it right now, and head in. A middle-aged Nord man named Sabjorn angrily asks me why it took Maccius so long to finally send me. Maccius told me that there's a serious pest problem at the Meadery and that I should offer to take care of it while secretly poisoning the mead as well. Sabjorn plays right into our hands by giving me a bottle of rat poison and tells me to head into the basement. I ask him how exactly he knows Maccius, and he almost pridefully tells me how he fooled the poor man into debt bondage and is forcing him to work for free. As an antiheroic *cough* defender *cough* of the oppressed, I'm not very pleased with such behavior. Fully expecting this plan to go awry at some point, I manage to get half of my pay in advance by threatening to tell everyone about the pest problem (though everyone apparently knows already) before finally heading down.
There are some skeevers in the basement, but I shoot two of them with my bow and the third one kills itself on some bear traps. Rather heavy ordnance to use against pests, but I guess these aren't normal rats anyway. There's a gaping hole in the wall that looks like it was boarded up, but then broken again. I crouch through and find myself in an eerily glowing tunnel system. Some more skeevers; no problem. I also stumble upon a whole bunch of giant spiders and two giant-giant ones, which prove fairly challenging, mostly because I'm trying to save potions and instead have to rely on normal spells.
In the largest chamber there's a half-naked man, surrounded by skeevers. I'm just about to charge in and save him when I realize that the skeevers aren't attacking him at all. As a test of sorts, I decide to shoot one of the skeevers from afar. The skeevers scurry around furiously and the man's hands arc with lightning. He rambles some nonsensical threats at me. Yeah, I think I can kill him without further remorse. I pepper him with arrows, but he takes it in stride and sends the skeevers after me. I duck behind a corner and take them out one by one as they appear. Once all the skeevers are dead, the skirmish begins. Both of us weave between pillars of stone and large rocks, firing arrows/lightning whenever the other presents himself. With a shock resistance potion and some healing (which he seems to lack) I finally take him out.
On his body I find a journal that seems to imply his name was Hamelyn. The journal rambles on and on about how everyone thought he was mad and he would prove them wrong by raising an army of skeevers. I skim through and toss the journal aside. I lather the main nest in poison (the Guild wants to use this building for themselves), take some of the man's belongings from a nearby chest and head into the last passage.
The tunnel takes me back aboveground, to the main brewing vats of the Meadery. I drop the rest of the poison in them and return to Sabjorn, who gives me the rest of my pay. Maccius is there, and so is the captain of the guard who's come to taste the new mead. Oh, the full genius of our plan is just occurring to me. I and Maccius stand aside and observe. As soon as the captain tastes the mead, he spits it out and arrests Maccius for trying to poison him! ”For the rest of your life”, he says, but that's mostly just some angry exaggeration. I cackle and wave Sabjorn farewell, promising to visit him sometime.
I and Maccius, the impromptu owner of the Meadery, sit down and have a laughing lunch. I mightn't have done any thievery, but at least the fool got what he deserved and we had fun watching it happen. After we're finished eating, there's one last thing I need to do: Maccius hands me Sabjorn's key and I head upstairs to the former owner's room. I open a locked dresser and take out some official papers I'm supposed to retrieve. While I'm there anyway, I also empty the rest of the room of valuables, including a golden decanter that looks rather valuable.

I see that the Khajiit caravan is once again stopping outside Whiterun and visit them, selling them what little trinkets I found inside the tunnels, before reporting back to Farengar with the stone tablet.
He is busy discussing the dragons (and me) with a woman whom I recognize – much to my surprise – as the Sleeping Giant innkeeper. Regardless, the innkeeper congratulates me for a job well done before leaving and Farengar takes the stone tablet from me and tells me to retrieve my reward from the Jarl. Uh... thanks. Before I have time to do that, however, the Jarl's bodyguard Irileth runs up to us and exclaims that a dragon has been sighted nearby! Farengar has to stay here, but I'm told to follow. Oh gods... I've seen what a dragon can do, and it ain't pretty.
The jarl sends me, Irileth and a group of guards to investigate the situation. I follow nervously, completely ready to just panic and run if things go awry. However, when we get to the ordered location, a ruined watchtower, there's no dragon to be seen. The surviving guards, understandably frightened, tell us that the dragon left for now but is sure to come back. I climb to the top of the tower and confirm their warning: a dragon is flying straight at us! I gulp nervously and fire an arrow in its direction. The arrow hits it straight in the face, but is pretty much ignored as the dragon just flies over me. The draft of air almost knocks me over, but I maintain my footing and fire some more arrows. The dragon lands and engages the guards with its bone-crushing jaws and scorching breath. I'm actually rather safe on the tower; I just keep firing at the dragon, which isn't too difficult while it stays in one place. It takes off a few times, only to circle around the tower and land again. One time it tries to breathe fire at me on its way, but I quickly tumble inside the tower and get only lightly charred rather than well done.
The dragon finally loses to the combined force of my and the guards' arrows and Irileth's lightning magic. However, as I approach the body to take a closer look, the flesh suddenly starts melting off its bones as if on fire. All the guards back off when a bright light (reminiscent of the stone wall inside the Barrow) arcs off the bony dragon and envelops me completely. After what feels like hours it finally stops and I feel an odd, warm tingling within my veins.
One of the amazed guards walks up to me and says:
”You... you're Dragonborn!”
Uh, no, I'm a Khajiit.

The guards tell me about an ancient Nord legend: the Dragonborn is a mighty warrior who swallows the souls of killed dragons, but it's been quite a while since he last appeared... Some of the guards are a little skeptical, and so am I. They tell me to shout as proof.
I'm not quite sure what they mean, but I comply and yell out a random grunt. Unexpectedly, the shout is amplified into an echoing guttural shout. A blue blast of air emanates from within my throat, kicking up dust and sand and stumbling the surrounding guards. They are overjoyed! The Dragonborn has returned!
Personally, I'm still very confused and skeptical. I don't really think that I'm some mythical warrior... but I can't really deny absorbing some sort of power from the dragon and shouting with magical force. Irileth shares my attitude, but is happy to have a dragonslayer on her side. I'm told to report to the jarl and see what he thinks.
On the road to Whiterun I hear an echoing voice from above, speaking some gibberish I can't really understand. Why has there been so much magical yelling lately? I'm pretty sure it's something important, but nothing really seems to be happening and I can't really do anything about it so I carry on.
At the palace, the jarl seems to be discussing the voice with his brother. I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one who heard it. Just like the guards, he is overjoyed to hear about this Dragonborn business. He tells me to see the Greybeards at the High Hrothgar, on top of the tallest mountain in all of Skyrim. He assures me that the Greybeards can teach me more about my powers, and were in fact the ones calling for me just a few minutes ago.
I believe I am now at the crossroads. Assuming I really am this Dragonborn character, I probably have some higher destiny (which I'm not really happy about) or something. What if that's the thing keeping me alive? What if the orb is totally meaningless, just a distraction, a red herring? Until I receive proof in either direction, I think I shall stick with my current plans.
Before I leave, however, the Jarl is proud to proclaim me a Thane of Whiterun, a local hero. Aww, I don't want to be named a local hero! That's embarrassing for someone of my stature! He tells me that I now have the right to purchase property in the city (I thought that was a common right? Are all the people in the city Thanes?) and to request the services of my very own Housecarl.
The Housecarl, a woman named Lydia, meets me right at the doors of the palace, but I tell her to stay here as politely as I can. However, she does remind me of something, or rather someone.
Screenshots
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OOC Info
I ran the SKSE cleaning feature, but apparently it didn't find anything to delete. Odd. :smallconfused:

[Brennan1214]

You still here?

[SilverLeaf167]

Oh, yes, I am in fact still here. I've just been rather busy with school, with a lot of exams and projects going on, and in the weekends I've been DMing some D&D sessions so that has eaten up a lot of my remaining time as well. I most certainly haven't forgotten this thread, I just haven't had much time to play. I'll try to find some time when I can.

Sorry for the temporary hiatus, just stay subscribed and check every now and then. I'll post as soon as I can. :smallredface: