Carmelpoptart Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I dont think that was leggete rikke at the beginning. just some imperial captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnkhAscendant Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I dont think that was leggete rikke at the beginning. just some imperial captain. I never could figure it out myself. On the one hand I hope it was her so that I could be righteously pissed at her when we meet later. On the other hand, I hope it was someone else so that I could revel in the thought of Alduin toasting her :P Man she deserved it richly... And re: Mazoga - how tragic :< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luzburg Posted September 28, 2012 Share Posted September 28, 2012 I dont think that was leggete rikke at the beginning. just some imperial captain. I never could figure it out myself. On the one hand I hope it was her so that I could be righteously pissed at her when we meet later. On the other hand, I hope it was someone else so that I could revel in the thought of Alduin toasting her :P Man she deserved it richly... And re: Mazoga - how tragic :< If you go Stormcloak you get to kill her straight away lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 After a night of restless sleep, I've decided to get back to what I came to Skyrim for to begin with; visit Largashbur. I've nearly been beheaded, I've fought and defeated dragons, and the locals keep trying to convince me I'm a 'dragonborn'. To top it all off, old wounds have been reopened that I thought I'd dealt with long ago. I need to get away for a bit. Looking at the map, the easiest route to Largashbur is south to Helgen and east through the mountains; let's do this. The trip to Helgen was remarkably uneventful, just birds, deer, and rabbits. It sure is pretty country around here. The gates of Helgen are locked now. It's just as well, I don't need to see whatever is left there. The smell is pretty intense outside the wall, and I know it well from my time in Legion during the Great War. I followed the wall around the outside and headed east. As I went along, I remembered a woman named Danica in Whiterun wanted a weapon called Nettlebane that's in the possession of some hagravens at Orphan Rock. I double-checked my map and confirmed what I thought, Orphan Rock is just a little way north of my route. I'll see if I can get it for her, it'd be nice to that big tree in Whiterun bloom again. Problem; all the stories I've heard of hagravens put them in the company of witches. I may have to battle magic-tossers, and I have a natural weakness to magic. Luckily I was able to purchase a couple pieces of enchanted armor in Whiterun, so I have a little protection against lightning and fire. Nothing for ice, though, maybe I'll get lucky for a change. The side road up to Orphan Rock is fairly wide, but it looks like a perfect spot for an ambush from the trees. I stayed off the main road, and crept along the rock wall to the side. Sure enough, I found a witch. I was able to take her on alone, but the battle alerted to whole camp. It sounds like there's at least three more of them around here, and what I assume is the hagraven on top of the Rock itself. Discretion being the better part of valor, and survival instinct being the better part of discretion, I valiantly turned tail and beat feet back to the main road before I got swarmed over and planned my next move. That hagraven is the biggest threat, and it has a great vantage point to rain spells down on me before I can get anywhere near it. Time to see if I still remember how to use a bow. I crept back up along the rock wall until I got a good view of the top of the Rock. Between the trees, I got a good view of the hagraven moving around. Success! I took her out with my bow, I still got it! Killing the hagraven made the rest of the witches a relatively easy matter to deal with. I crossed a fallen log to the top of Orphan Rock. It looks like the hagraven was sacrificing a spriggan in some sort of ritual. I'm glad I didn't have to face off against the hagraven, anything that can treat a spriggan like that means bad things for me. Phew! Hagravens are hideous to look at, and the smell is incredible. I took the opportunity to make a close examination, though. Hagravens really ARE female. The stories say they're human woman transform to gain power. The price doesn't seem worth it to me. Danica was right, she had Nettlebane on her. It's a sort of crude dagger, really primitive looking. I'll make sure Danica gets it next time I'm in Whiterun. The rest of the trip to Largashbur was easy, except for a few spiders and wolves. The really odd thing that happened along the way was an encounter with a bunch of peasants have a kegger out in the middle of nowhere. These guys were REALLY fond of Honningbrew mead, and invited me to have a drink with them. Since it was nearly time to make camp and I had nothing better to do, I got out my own bottle and joined therm. We spent the evening telling tall stories around the fire, and had a great time. The next morning, I left what remained of my mead stash with them and they gifted me with a charmed necklace. This is going to come in really handy, it has a sort of feather spell on it. I said my good-byes and headed out on the last leg to Largashbur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 Well, THIS is lousy timing. I got to Largashbur just in time to see a giant attacking the stronghold. The giant was busy fighting the defenders, so it was easy for me to come up behind him with my axe. Between all of us he went down in short order. I spoke with a woman named Atub after it was all over. According to her, Malacath has cursed the tribe and they've been suffering giant attacks for a while now. Yamarz, the chief here, has forbidden them to leave the stronghold. Atub wants to contact Malacath to remove the curse, but she doesn't have the ingredients she needs for the ritual and she can't leave to get them. A little background on strongholds; anyone who isn't orsimer isn't welcome inside unless they're blood-kin. The only way to become blood-kin is to earn their respect. Guess I'm going on a shopping trip for Atub, she needs troll fat and a deadra heart. I'm fairly close to Riften, so I'll see if there's an alchemist there. ... I arrived at Riften's south gate. I couldn't get in there, the guards won't let any traffic through so I had to go all the way around to the north gate. The guards at the north gate are little better than crooks themselves. They wanted me to pay a bribe to enter (they called it a "visitor's tax". I called their bluff and they decided I wasn't worth the trouble, and inside I went. The first people I met were a woman named Mjoll and her friend Aerin. She gave me a quick run-down of Riften, and apparently my run-in with the guards isn't out of the ordinary here, It's a sinkhole of corruption at every level, no surprise the Thieve's Guild calls it home. My next encounter with the locals came in the form of Maul, who's a kneecapper for the Thieve's Guild and the Black-Briar family that runs this joint. After some threats and a warning to mind my own business, he wandered off. I had planned to spend the night at the local inn and see about an alchemist in the morning, but this town really made my axe arm twitch so I left before someone started bleeding. I'd rather spend the night outside with the spiders, at least they're honest. I broke camp the next morning and headed back to Whiterun. I'm starting to see a pattern here, nothing in this country is going to be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted September 30, 2012 Author Share Posted September 30, 2012 (edited) Back in Whiterun. It's starting to feel like home. Arcadia had troll fat, but no daedra heart. Deadra hearts are rare, so all I can do is keep on the lookout. At least Largashbur isn't in any real danger anytime soon. I went to the temple of Kynareth to deliver Nettlebane to Danica. Now, she needs some sap from the Eldergleam tree to revive the Gildergreen. I'm more than happy to help. It's going to be nice to help bring some beauty into the world for a change. Before I left, a monk named Maurice Jondrelle asked to accompany me for some protection on his pilgrimmage to Edlergleam. I welcomed him, he seems like a nice guy. As we journeyed to Eldergleam Sanctuary, I was very glad I'd cleared out the bandits at Valtheim Keep for the bounty. Maurice is no warrior. This was proven a little way east of Valtheim, the road was blocked by a troll. Now, trolls are notorious for healing rapidly in battle. Luckily, a two-handed battleaxe in my hands can damage them faster. Guess I didn't need to buy the troll fat from Arcadia after all. Maybe we'll meet a daedra along the way too!. ... Eldergleam Sancutary is a sort of open cavern far east of Whiterun and well north of Riften in the middle of a large expanse of hot springs. There's a perpetual haze and the faint smell of rotten eggs in the air. The springs are also a popular spot for tourists. Poor Maurice was horribly embarassed when we came across a couple enjoying a soak. The sanctuary itself is a stunningly beautiful place, full of plants and butterflies and dominated by the giant Eldergleam tree. I can see why Maurice wanted to come here, there's an almost palpable feel of holiness to the place. Inside, that path the the tree is blocked by it's own massive roots. Apparently, Nettlebane has been imbued with the evil of the hagraven rituals, since the roots lifted out of our way at it's touch. I had no idea, I'll be glad indeed to get what I came here for and get rid of this thing. As we approached the giant bulk of Eldergleam's trunk, Maurice asked just what I meant to do with Nettlebane. When I told him I intended to cut the trunk and bleed it of some of it's sap he begged me to stop. He has a point, defiling the sanctity of the tree with this ugly thing seems really wrong. He suggested another way, so I stepped aside as he went into a trance to commune with the tree. The sent of the flowers intensified and a hush fell over the sanctuary. A soft light washed over us, brightening until I could no longer see and a sense of ultimate love and well-being filled me. As the brilliance faded and my sight returned with the natural light, I was astonished to see a small sapling sitting before me. How fitting that new life should replace the old. I left Maurice there and returned to Whiterun with the precious treasure. As we reverently replaced the dead Gildergreen with the Eldergleam sapling, we were all filled with a serene sense of love and hope. Long may it stand to provide comfort to those visit it. Edited October 2, 2012 by digitaltrucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 As I wandered back home this morning after having breakfast at The Bannered Mare, I overheard some guards talking about a new society that's being reformed called Dawnguard. I didn't pay much attention until they said it was a group of vampire hunters. THAT got my attention immediately! I questioned them about it, but they didn't know much beyond the the location (way out past Riften on the Morrowind border). I packed my kit and headed out. I can swing by Largashbur on my way too, I hope they're getting along all right. ... Something is going on. I encountered vampires twice before I got to Largashbur. The first one was a pair of Vigilants of Stendarr chasing down a vampire. They didn't seem to mind that I stole their kill when I intercepted it with my axe as it ran past. The second encounter happened when I was just through the southern pass and alone on the road. I got jumped by a master vampire...and something new. Apparently the suckers have pets now, since the mister master had a couple of hounds with him. If anything can rival the evil of a vampire, it's a death hound. The ugly things are all teeth and hunger. You have to be careful they don't get too close to you either, the chill of death emanates from them and saps your energy. They're no more resistant to a good cutting edge than their masters, though. I continued on to Largashbur thoughtfully, either the vampires are up to something new or the Dawnguard has them stirred up. In the end I decided it really didn't matter, either way it makes them easier to kill than when they're hiding out in their crypts. ... No change at Largashbur, the tribe is still secure behind the palisade. I apologized to Atub for not being able to find a daedra heart. She begged me to hurry, food will become an issue for them if something doesn't happen soon. I'm confident I'll find a heart soon, though. If I can get after some suckers where they (un)live I figure I stand a good chance of getting one. Evil tends to congregate, after all. I pushed on to Fort Dawnguard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 As I neared Fort Dawnguard I was struck by the stillness of the land here near the border. Perhaps the refugees fleeing Morrowind picked the country clean. Speaking of refugees, I didn't meet any of them either. I guess anyone who could get out of Morrowind has already left. The only approach to Fort Dawnguard is through Dayspring Canyon, a box canyon whose entrance is a narrow gorge. There's barely enough room to march three abreast through the gorge, a band of 300 could hold off an entire army here. It's a highly defensible place (unless you can fly) but it would be so easy to trapped in here. I learned that lesson well during the Great War; always leave yourself an out. The fort itself is built into the rock at the very back of the canyon, a massive looming edifice of skillfully dressed stone. There were only a few people outside the fort itself, the first of which I met just as I got through the gorge. Agmaer is a farmer's son looking for adventure. He's a bit unsure of himself, though, and he's as green as new grass. An orsimer named Durak was practicing with a crossbow down the hill from the fort's main gate. A friendly chap, he gave me a crossbow and some quarrels. I spent a little time familiarizing myself with the weapon, as I'd never used one before. It's faster than a bow and much simpler to use, although it took me a while to get accustomed to it. Unlike a bow, you don't draw it then aim (I launched a few shots way wide until I figured that out), you aim and THEN fire. More than a little awkward for someone who's used a standard bow all his life, but I can definitely see the advantage. Standing watch at the main gate was Celaan. He told me the fellow in charge is named Isran, and that they were Vigilants together. I gather they don't quite agree on everything. Inside Fort Dawnguard, my first impression is that it's been abandoned for quite a while. There's filth and cobwebs everywhere. If this Isran plans to rejuvenate the order he's got a lot of work ahead of him. I met Isran in the main hall, a large round room with an oculus. He was having a discussion with a Vigilant named Tolan about the vampire situation. According to Tolan the suckers attacked the Hall of Vigilants, killing everyone there. When they were done, Isran welcomed us to the Fort and explained the situation. He does indeed have his hands full getting the place back in shape. After a short interview, he accepted me into service, and assigned me to field work. Apparently one of the things Tolan reported to him was that the suckers are looking for some sort of artifact in a place called Dimhollow Crypt. My job; find out what it is. Tolan left immediately for Dimhollow, the fool, he I should have gone there together. He doesn't appear to have much in the way of combat training, and I suspect I'll find what's left of him when I get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 Dimhollow Crypt is in the snowy mountains southwest of Dawnstar, so I took a carriage there and walked the rest of the way. When I went inside I found that Tolan's report was accurate (as were my suspicions). There are indeed suckers in here, and Tolan was killed by them almost immediately. The trip through the crypt was about what I expected; vampires, death hounds, draugr, and spiders. Happily, draugr and spider don't like suckers any more than I do so I let them do what they do best. The main cavern in the crypt is large, with a convenient balcony at the entrance. Down on the main floor below the balcony a Vigilant named Adalvald was being interrogated by a group of vamps, unfortunately I didn't arrive in time to save him. I avenged him, however, putting my new crossbow to good use. I like this new toy, although like all weapons it would go well with a flame enchantment (fire purifies EVERYTHING). After I put the suckers down I investigated the main feature of the cavern; a circular area surrounded by pillars, unlit braziers, and a pedestal in the center. On top of the pedestal was a button (gee, no way THIS could be a trap). Having no other option and expecting the worst, I pressed it. Immediately, a large spike shot up impaling my hand. A blood-lock! I'd heard rumors of these things. According to legend the vampires of old used them to secure their most valued treasures. In order to open them you need to give a sample of your blood, which activates a series of blood braziers. You then need to move the braziers into a specific pattern, which will open whatever it was protecting. This one was simple, as the required pattern was highlighted by the braziers themselves. Seemed ridiculous to me, why bother locking something if you're just going to hang the key on it? Oh well, vampires always were noted more for their arrogance than their smarts. After I moved the last brazier into place, the floor lowered around the center pedestal revealing the reliquary beneath. I carefully examined it, but saw no sign of any more traps. As I opened it, I was shocked to find a female vampire inside! My first impulse was to kill it of course, but I stayed my hand...at least long enough to find out why it was in there. It was important enough to be secured behind a blood-lock I needed to know the reason. The fact that it had an Elder Scroll strapped to it's back piqued my interest too. As I questioned it, I found it's name was Serana and part of the Volkihar clan of vampires. Apparently it's been imprisoned there for a long time, it didn't know the Empire even existed. After I was done questioning it it asked me to escort it home to it's clan at Castle Volkihar. Yeah...right. It's going to Fort Dawnguard, let Isran decide what to do with it. In the meantime I'm not letting the thing out of my sight. The only thing left to explore in Dimhollow was a sort of amphitheater at the back. The place was crawling with undead, so I put my new 'companion' to good use. Let the undead battle the undead, at least the sucker can be of some service. At the back of the room was another one those strange word walls. By now, I wasn't really surprised to find I could absorb the meaning of this word. Maybe the nords are right and I AM a dragonborn. This new word is “Gaan” which means “drain vitality”. What a surprise in a hole filled with suckers. … We didn't talk much on the way back to Fort Dawnguard. I could tell it wasn't happy to go there instead of Castle Volkihar, but it was smart enough not to argue. It was also smart enough not to complain when I bound it hand and foot every night. I'm not undead and I need to sleep, but I'm not closing my eyes with this thing free beside me. We arrived at the fort without incident and I reported the developments to Isran. He's not any happier about this than I am, but he decided I should go ahead and escort Serana back to Castle Volkihar after all. We'd both just as soon kill it, but the opportunity to find out more about what the suckers are planning is too good to pass up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted3507349User Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 (edited) Serana informed me that Castle Volkihar is on an island off the coast north of Solitude, and they maintain a boat to travel between the castle and the mainland. We set off for Riften, where I'll hire a carriage to take us to Solitude via Whiterun. We're going to have to go from Solitude to the jetty on foot, horses are too expensive and there's no guarantee I'm coming back. We ran into only one bit of trouble on the way to Riften, and what trouble it was! A spriggan jumped us as we entered the eastern forest. Naturally, the weed got every animal around in on the fun. It was quite the pitched battle between the two of us, the weed, and at least a half-dozen animals ranging from deer to rabbits. I must admit, Serana held up her end of the battle quite well, keeping the spriggan's attention while I battered it into kindling. We continued on to Riften, entering by the south gate. The stables are outside the north gate, so I took the opportunity to see if the alchemist had any daedra hearts yet...no luck. We were greeted by a dragon as we exited the north gate. This was some bad timing for mister dragon. I don't know if it expected easy pickings way out here but it found itself met by a small army and was taken down before it was able to use it's breath more than a couple of times. Dragon's are formidable creatures but if you can catch them on the ground and keep them there they don't last long. Again, Serana proved to be a powerful opponent, showering the beast with blast after blast of ice spike. As we climbed into the carriage for Whiterun it occurred to me that I would have my hands full if I squared off against it. I pondered this as we bumped along to Whiterun. Edited October 5, 2012 by digitaltrucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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