[Gmdykfuiygh66476]

[This gameplay journal may contain occasional mild or moderate blood & gore scenes and slightly mature content in the plot.]
[br]

I first became aware of a very severe, sharp pain in my head. Second to that was the high pitched ringing sound in my ears. For a minute or two I was unable to move, it seemed as if I was paralyzed or I was in shock. I slowly opened my eyes as direct sunlight streamed in to enhance this terrible headache. However, my eyes quickly adjusted. Next, I sat up and my headache seemed to quickly diminish. Aside from that, I had cuts, scrapes, and bruises in various places and was sore all over. But I managed to gain enough strength back to stand up. I noticed everything around me was on fire - structures barely stood and boards of wood were scattered about. It was a disaster.



After walking around some I managed to discover one of the village's gates.



I recognized this place. I thought it was Helgen, but I checked the sign at the nearby cross roads to make sure. And sure enough, it was.

I left out of the north gate, instead. To my knowledge, the south gate lead to Falkreath. I didn't particularly care to go there. I wanted to make my way to more civilized parts of Skyrim.

Immediately after leaving, a massive mountain with a beautiful stone structure came into view. I've seen it before and have heard of it. The undead live within the mountain and its tombs. I couldn't put a name to it though. Perhaps I had a bit of amnesia. I knew where I was at and how to get around, I couldn't remember the names of some places though.



I followed a road down the base of the mountain that the village of Helgen was at. I came to a crossroads once again and followed the signs to Riverwood - I clearly remembered that Helgen was in the southern part of Skyrim. I would prefer to go north as the huge city of Whiterun wasn't too far away and Riverwood was approximately halfway between Helgen and Whiterun.



The road continued down the mountain. The stone structure continued getting closer and closer, yet nothing would jog my memory as to what it was called.



At one point I accidentally lost the road. I ended up approaching the entrance to mines, mines which I had never seen before, at least to my knowledge. As soon as I approached them, another Nord opened the doors and came out, drew his sword, and ran toward me.

Knowing there was no way to escape. I brought out my greatsword - it was very heavy but had a huge blade. His sword nearly landed in my side until I managed to block it just in time with my greatsword. Quickly and with great strength I lifted the massive sword and quickly landed it on my opponent's head. He was injured but still managed to attack me. While I was in great pain I landed my sword in his neck, instantly killing him.

As the adrenalin fizzled out the pain in my side from my opponent's attack returned, but I ignored the pain and proceeded.





Not even two minutes later, I heard rapid footsteps and then barking. Before I could even turn around I felt pain in my legs as the teeth of two wild and aggressive wolves sank their teeth into me.



I managed to escape their hold, and lifted my sword and instantly killed one of the dogs as the other grabbed my leg again, in the same spot. With a quick and strong attack to the dog's rear I severely injured him, enough to land my sword in the correct position to instantly kill him, which I did.



I felt dizzy as I started losing blood, but the injuries didn't appear to be life-threatening. I took some rags I was carrying, tightly wrapped them around my side and on my legs and the bleeding stopped shortly after.

Later on I noticed the bright sun beginning to sink behind the unknown mountain..



It was about 20 minutes later that I entered the village of Riverwood. I went into the Riverwood Trader, to find two people, a man and woman, arguing. Seemingly about theives and the man's unwillingness to do anything about it. I didn't quite get what they were talking about.



When the two noticed I had arrived, they immediately stopped and the woman went to a table inside the store and sat down. She yelled across the room at me, something about his "pig-headed father." I ignored the angry woman and asked the owner of the shop what had happened.

"Oh nothing in particular, just these theives.. they made off with a certain... artifact.. gold plated.. in the shape of a claw."

I didn't know what he was talking about, so I left it at that. I had 27 gold coins in my pocket, I spent 25 to purchase two loaves of bread and a slab of meat.

After leaving it began getting dark so I made my way to The Sleeping Giant Inn.


I only had two remaining gold coins, and the innkeeper requested 10 coins each night. Unable to afford that, she referred me to Riverwood's neighboring village. This was another place which I simply couldn't find the name for. Thankfully, it took only a few minutes to walk there, so I did.





The innkeeper there also requested too much coin, but she referred me to 3 small tents for poor travelers passing through the area. I slept in one.



The next morning I asked a resident of the village about a temporary home, because I needed to sort out what had happened immediately prior to Helgen being destroyed, as I wasn't quite sure. He lead me just outside of the village walls into a very small, abandoned house with a hay bed, small dresser, and empty storage chest. It overlooked Riverwood beneath it, and even though it was exposed to the cold, it would make a nice temporary place to stay before I left for Whiterun in a few days.

[Acko]

Excellent story! Keep going!

[Darth-Apple]

I love the plot so far. Very nicely written.

[Gmdykfuiygh66476]

t3haco - thank you!
Darth-Apple - The plot is partly written by the game itself, with some modifications. Thanks!

I woke up feeling refreshed and rested. I looked out my makeshift window upon the cloudy and foggy mountain, this stone structure atop it was called Bleak Falls Barrow.



I got out of bed and dressed myself, and when I did I noticed a small book on top of my dresser which caught my attention.





I continued to read, but it wasn't a very interesting book. But I sort of figured that I could figure out a tiny bit about what was going on from it, so I decided to read it later though I could just watch paint dry.

I went back into Riverwood and the destruction of Helgen was the only thing anyone was actually talking about. I went into the inn to ask about it but the innkeepers didn't feel comfortable discussing it openly. She did state however that a survivor of the attack lived in the village, and referred me to him. His name was Alvor.

By the time I arrived at Alvor and Sigrid's house, I suddenly remembered: the innkeeper said ATTACK. Who attacked Helgen? That was my main question. And why was I there during this attack? Impatiently, I knocked on the door and Alvor quickly answered.

"Oh, so you must be Cheesia Alleria, yes?"
"Yes. You must be Alvor?"
"Correct. Please, come in. We have important things to talk about."



I quietly stepped inside. Alvor sat me down at the kitchen table.

"So, what happened?," I asked.
"In short, a dragon attacked while the Imperials were preparing to execute you as well as Ulfric Stormcloak."
"Dragons? Alright than." I scoffed.
"Well, if it wasn't a dragon, than what WAS it?"
"Stormcloak army attack, perhaps?"
"How would that even be possible if Ulfric was under arrest and about to be beheaded?" replied Alvor
"Back up a second. They were preparing to behead us?"
"Yeah. They wanted Imperial rebels, but you were caught in the middle of a big arrest. You came home to Skyrim at a bad time I'm afraid. You were literally a second away from being killed had that dragon not attacked when it did. You, Ulfric, and some thief."
"Dragons? Are you joking?"
"Once again, what's your explanation?"
"Well, umm..."
"That's just it: you don't know. You just have to think you have an answer for everything, don't you."
"Perhaps, but why would it be a dragon? Haven't they been dead for thousands of years?"
"If the legends are true they were. But legends aren't always true, you know."
"I suppose. But still, it's unbelievable."
"Well, ask the Jarl of Whiterun."
"About what?"
"The dragon, of course."
"Now just WHY exactly did they arrest Ulfric?"
"Because of the war, remember? All thanks to that stupid treaty. Talos worship was outlawed. Eventually the Stormcloaks had to make a big deal out of it. Started arresting people and dragging them off in the middle of the night, because they held onto their shrines to Talos or openly worshipped him. Those fools plunged Skyrim, if not the entire empire, into chaos."
"Right. So what do you want me to do?"
"Me and all of Riverwood need a favor. Tell the Jarl of Windhelm that there's a dragon on the loose. It's likely lurking in the nearby mountains as we speak."
"And why can't you do it?"
"Because, I'm just too old. There's really no telling what thieves or wolves or bears will be walking about on the Riverwood-Whiterun road."
"Okay, and tell me again what you were doing at the execution?"
"I was helping to conduct it, remember? It was Imperials executing Stormcloaks."
"I see. So, tell me, if I'm your friend, than why the hell did you allow them to attempt to kill me when I did no wrong?"
"I had no choice. I had to obey the general's orders, which was to put you to death regardless. Fortunately for you, the dragon attacked when it did. You're the biggest miracle of the gods that I've ever heard of."
"Well, okay than. So when do you want me to go to Whiterun?"
"Now! It's still early enough in the day."

Alvor gave me various different foods because I barely had any coin. I then set off for Whiterun and within minutes this great city began coming into view. A beautiful city positioned directly in the center of a barren wasteland.



Some time later I approached the front gate of the city where a guard stopped me. Because of the dragon attack, the city was closed. Nobody was allowed in, or out. Fortunately, I managed to persuade the guard that I had news from Helgen. He cautiously allowed me inside afterward.





Just like Riverwood, there were discussions, fights, arguments, controversy, and gossip about the war and about the dragon attack. After eavesdropping on some to obtain information, and admiring the city's beauty, I made my way up the steps to Dragonsreach, the home of the Jarl of Whiterun.





The Jarl wished to speak to me personally about the news which I brought.

"A dragon attacked Helgen. It is still lurking in the mountains around Riverwood. Riverwood and its neighboring village are in immediate danger."
"This is very bad" replied the Jarl. "We need to send troops to Riverwood at once."
"But what about our OWN defense?" replied one of the court assistants.
"Our walls should be enough to defend against a dragon. Riverwood's walls are not. I will not stand by and let my people and my village be destroyed. Troops will be sent to Riverwood at once."
"Yes, sir."



I stood by watching as the Jarl prepared for his reply to me.

"You've done Whiterun a great service, and it will never be forgotten, my friend. You've potentially saved Riverwood from destruction, and I don't know how I could repay you."
"Well..."
"Now if you wish to assist further, our court wizard needs you to do something for him."

Before I could even say no, the Jarl began walking toward a side room. When we got there, the court wizard began speaking to me.

"I need you to find some stone tablet, which may contain vital information in my research about dragons."
"Umm, what?"
"It's deep in Bleak Falls Barrow. And when I say find, I mean go straight into Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve it for me. It may or may not even be there."
"You're kidding right?" I scoffed.
"I'm not. You seem young and strong enough."
"And how do you know that there WAS a dragon attack in the first place?"
"You shouldn't doubt this. Just because you've never experienced the attack or weren't in Helgen doesn't mean there WASN'T a dragon and there WASN'T an attack."

I almost told him what happened, but I felt it would be best to just keep my mouth shut.

"So, for the sake of Skyrim and all of Tamriel, go into Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve this tablet. Your payment will be very extensive if you do."
"Okay, fine than."
"Thank you so much. I will never forget you or your helpfulness in my efforts."

I walked out of Dragonsreach and when I did, I realized what I had accidentally gotten myself into. Delving deep into an abandoned tomb full of undead zombies and skeletons and other hazards. This should be fun.

As I started making my way home a thief demanded all of my possessions. This was on the base of the mountain outside of the city. My reaction was to simply slay the thief, which happened to be an Argonian. Argonians are these small lizard-men. In addition, there are elves, orcs, and cat men. What a strange world. The Argonian did possess a valuable red gem in his pocket, which I retrieved after he was dead. It would be very useful considering how poor I was in my current state.



By the time I arrived home, it was dark, so I decided to rest. It was a busy day, so I fell asleep quickly.

[Darth-Apple]

I like how the dialogue unfolds. Great update!

[Gmdykfuiygh66476]

Thanks Blake

---

So. Bleak Falls Barrow in search of the Dragonstone. After I woke up, I immediately visited Alvor and Sigrid's house once again.



"So, basically the court wizard wants me to go to Bleak Falls Barrow, in search of the Dragonstone."
"Oh, wow, really? While you're there, you can also obtain the Golden Claw! Every d*** time I step inside the Riverwood Trader, the owner and his daughter are fighting over it."
"So THAT'S the golden artifact?"
"Yep, sure is. So regarding the Dragonstone..."
"Yeah?"
"How does that stupid court wizard even know it's there?"
"That's my question. I don't believe most of the crap that magicians and enchanters and the like spew out."
"Neither do I. The only thing I trust in battle is a sharp blade."
"Same here brother."
"So, when you go inside, be prepared for thieves by the front entrance. Then, about halfway in, ready your sword and prepare for Draugrs and Skeletons. Basically you'll want to back up as fast as possible as soon as you attack the undead with your sword. Use your shield while you're at it. There's also a Draugr Overlord near the south exit. Your best bet there is to constantly be moving while attacking strategically with your battle axe. The Overlords use Shouts against their enemies. Oh, and you might learn a Shout yourself...."
"And apparently you've thought about this more than I have."
"Experience, my friend. I've had to do the same thing for the Golden Claw. And now, someone else took it! Kill that bastard and bring the tablet and the claw back. You've fought in the war before, surely you can take on a few Draugrs by now."
"Absolutely. So how do I get there?"
"It's a difficult path. I simply went up the trail on the west side, crossed the river, then ascended the mountain. Oh, and beware of the fort near the top of the mountain. It's a thief hide-out."
"Will do."
"Best of luck, my friend. I know you'll do well. Report to me as soon as possible."

I stepped outside into the fresh morning air. It was cold, but not uncomfortably so. The village bustled. I looked up at the Throat Of The World above. Even it was ominous and threatening.



I started up the trail and Bleak Falls Barrow quickly came into view...



Further along the trail I encountered wolves, which I quickly slayed.



Eventually I reached the river that Alvor spoke of. Continuing up the trail, I heard a distant creaking and ratting sound. It suddenly grew louder and appeared behind me. I turned around, and an undead skeleton was standing right beside me!



The skeleton was a very easy fight. It took one quick swipe of my sword to completely make the skeleton fall apart. It should be easy to kill them inside the tombs.. I don't know about the Draugrs though...

Eventually I reached the tree line. Then grass stopped growing. Then the landscape was entirely stone. I reached a fort made of stone. I assumed this was the bandit's hide-out.



As expected, they instantly came running outside. I was attacked, but still managed to slay each of them.



These thieves had been hiding large amounts of coins and various precious items such as gems. I collected all of it. I treated and wrapped my wounds from battling the bandits. After ensuring that I wasn't severely injured, I carried on.

At this point, the wind got bitterly cold and permanently frozen snow covered the ground.



After a brutal 5 minutes of hiking, I finally made it to the entrance. As expected, a couple more bandits were at the door waiting for me, though I managed to actually kill them without being injured.



Before going to the iron door blocking the entrance I decided to look at beautiful Whiterun beneath. From on top of a massive mountain, it looked puny despite being a large and significant city.



And there I was. The front door. Prepared to retrieve two precious artifacts and battle undead creatures and thieves to retrieve them.

[Darth-Apple]

Great update! I love right around when the snow fits into the plot.

[Acko]

I wish my PC could handle Skyrim... Well done!

[Gmdykfuiygh66476]

I slowly and cautiously opened the iron door as quietly as possible. A large, wide open area laid behind the door. I saw two bandits waiting at the other end of this chamber.



I tried to make my way up to them as quietly as possible in order to take them by surprise. Unfortunately though, they noticed me.



I lock-picked a chest nearby and found piles of gold coins and valuable gems. I grabbed all of it and continued.

The tunnels got darker and more eerie as I continued.



Eventually I fought my way to another large chamber. An iron gate prevented me from continuing. After looking around in the dark, I found a lever, but when I pulled it, arrows rained down out of the ceiling. I was stabbed by a few of them, but managed to get out of their way.



Off to the side I noticed three stone columns which I could rotate. They each had the symbols of a fish, snake, and bird on them. Above the gate, I noticed two stone engravings with the same symbols, and a third one laid collapsed on the ground below.

It took a few seconds, but I finally realized that if I properly aligned the stone columns, the door would open. I did so according to the engravings above the door.



And to my expectation, the door opened!

For the new few segments all was quiet until the tunnel turned into a spiral staircase downward. I heard rustling sounds so I proceeded cautiously. Then before I could figure out what was going on, I was being attacked by an animal.



The animal turned out to be a skeever. These rodents were often rabid and quite huge. I managed to kill them though, and proceeded forward.

Not too long afterwards I found a brightly lit chamber. The entrance to the chamber was blocked off with a very thick spider web. Something horrible laid inside that chamber. I cut down the webs, and as soon as I did so, I found out just why the webs were there....

Oh... no...