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Gamer Diaries

Skyrim

By Evan Drake

Part XXIII: Divine Intervention

I am so sick of divine powers. All the gods can go suck it for all I care.

That beacon had to go. It started following me everywhere. If I ever moved more than a few feet from my pack, it appeared near me. I woke up with this thing in my bed almost every night. The final straw was when it started floating next me in the bath. What next? It's going to join me in a threeway? This thing needed to go.

I thought Serana would have a problem with me taking yet another detour from our quest to find the moth priest but she was actually relieved saying she wanted that beacon gone as much as I did.

Turned out Mount Kilkreath was just a few hours from Dragon Bridge.

I should have known better than to think it was that easy.

The moment I returned the beacon, I was conscripted into clearing out the temple because a necromancer had taken up residence in it and was experimenting on dead soldiers. Meridia demanded I destroy him and cleanse the temple. I wanted to say, "find someone else" but I was floating several miles in the sky at the time and didn't want to have a talk with gravity.

The temple was easy enough to clear. Corrupted shades and dead bodies, just like the nord crypts I was sick of looking at.

Malkoran the necromancer was a bit tougher. Too bad for him, I was his opponent. Some potent magicka poison I had stolen in Whiterun and one well-placed crossbow bolt was enough to put him on the backfoot. His shade minions didn't have enough sense to watch out for the runes I placed by the door. One explosion took out the lot of them as they tried to rush in. Malkoran tried to fight back but my ward held his spells at bay while I peppered him with arrows. After he died, his shade rose up to take revenge. Too bad it tried to take on three archers and a vampire.

The time I see Tolfdir, I'm buying him a drink. His lecturing on wards made this go so much smoother.

As a reward, she gave me dawnbreaker, some kind of enchanted sword. The thing glowed with an unnatural light. Serana said being near the thing made her uneasy making me wonder if it has some kind of effect on the undead.

All in all, it was a good day. Malkoran was more worried about his minions so he left all of his victims with their coin purses and I got a powerful new sword to play with.

Maybe there was something to this treasure hunting business.

---

Part XXIV: The Moth Priest

We finally made it to Dragon Bridge to look for our moth priest. No sooner had we arrived the courier approached me and gave me a note. The note mentioned Lucifer. Someone had been keeping tabs on him and wanted him kept safe. I decided to keep it myself. I still hadn't fully decided to trust Lucifer. He proved his combat skills in Mount Kilkreath, but whether he would be more than just another merc was a different story.

We went straight to the inn since we were tired and it was late. The innkeeper mentioned the moth priest had just left a few hours ago. She also mentioned that a little boy in Windhelm was trying to contact the Dark Brotherhood.

It was perfect. I needed to deal with them as soon as possible and get that bounty off my head. This kid could be my key to getting in touch with them.

As for the moth priest, we needed to catch up while the trail was fresh. It was still night, but Serana could see in the dark. I'll just have to rely on her.

We didn't get far before coming across an overturned cart on the road, a dead imperial soldier, and a dead vampire. Luckily, there was a blood trail on the ground we could follow. It led us to their hideout nearby.

They really needed to step up their security or maybe they were too focused on their prize to watch for intruders. Either way, we got the drop on them.

Dawnbreaker definitely lived up to its name. The moment I killed a vampire with it, they exploded! In a burst of light, they turned to ash instantly. So did the other vampires near me. I worried about Serana though. She said she felt a searing heat but that was it. Maybe it was because she was an ally. It would take some pretty serious magic to design a spell that could tell friend from foe, but I wasn't gonna complain.

We saved the moth priest and even better, he agreed to help us. He said it would be safer if he traveled alone when I offered to escort him. True. Once the vamps found out we had him they would be looking for Dawnguard escorts.

Now that was out of the way, it was time we moved on to the next thing on my list. The Dark Brotherhood. Aventus Arentino was trying to contact them. I should hurry to Windhelm.

---

Part XXV: Mistaken Identity

No one attacked us on the road to Windhelm. The problem was, I didn't want to come back here. As a thief, I was used to insults, strange stares, and whispers. Still, with the war going on and tensions running high, going to a place I knew I would be unwelcome felt like a really dumb idea.

It was colder than a snow bear's balls out here so we went straight to the Arentino house. I had never seen the Black Sacrement performed before. It was...interesting. The house wasn't being taken care of which caused me to step on a loose floorboard and gave away my intrusion. Aventus wasn't angry and didn't call for the guards. He was actually happy.

The poor kid thought I was the assassin he wanted, and I didn't have the heart to tell him no. I could tell just by looking at him he had been up for days and he was too thin for his clothes. If talking to me convinced the kid to get a meal and some sleep, I'd let him believe.

He asked me to kill Grelod the Kind, the owner of an orphanage in Riften. Lucifer had mentioned her and said she was the kind of nasty that made scoundrels look like saints. I don't know how he felt about going back to the source of his childhood nightmares. I really didn't want to ask.

Although it did make me wonder if I was doing the right thing. If I killed this woman, those orphans had nowhere to go. But if she was as bad they said she was, those kids were better off on the streets--something I never thought I'd say.

I had business in Riften anyway, so I'll think on it on the way.

We waited for two more days for the assassin to make an appearance. They were a no-show. I wasn't going to freeze my tail off here so we decided to get a move on.

We walked until it was too dark to see then set up camp near the road. We traded stories, laughed at jokes, and enjoyed ourselves.

It felt pretty good actually. For once I forgot about the troubles of the world.

But as soon as I wake up tomorrow, I'll be reminded.

---

Part XXVI: Growing Power

My hands won't stop shaking. We killed a dragon. Another one. Only this one was much tougher than the one we faced near Whiterun and it was only the four of us.

It had descended in storm of wind and fire. Before I even knew what was happening, everything had gone to chaos. I used every spell I knew and fired my arrows faster than I thought possible. Even with our combined efforts, it wasn't enough.

The dragon mocked us the entire time. Called us weak. Bragged about how it would display our bones after it finished stripping the meat from them.

Normally I would write it off as bragging or arrogance, but this thing killed two giants in an instant. With one swing of its tail, it sent a mammoth flying.

That we even survived was a miracle. Somehow one my arrows found its mark and the beast fell.

Just like before I felt a sudden surge of energy all of my pain and fatigue vanished in an instant as another word jumped to my mind: Gaan.

Before we could celebrate our victory, another dragon flew overhead. We quickly hid under some trees and waiting for it to pass by.

Lucifer mentioned the dragon had come from the mountain nearby so we decided to check it out. There was nothing there but some old bones and another word wall.

I was definitely getting used to this as this one didn't even make me feel weak. It was starting to rain so we skipped the conversation and decided to move on.

---

Part XXV: Miscellaneous Adventures

I'm beginning to wonder if my path isn't preordained by some mystical force. The dragon who we avoided went southwest so we decided to go southeast to hopefully get around it on our way to Riften. Hopefully our moth priest passed through here already. After what we went through, losing him to a dragon just seemed cruel.

On the way, Khash pointed out that Stony Creek Cave was near here. Apparently, I had been assigned to clearing out the bandits inside when I joined the Companions.

I'm glad the kid remembered because I had no memory of it. Finding out I was Dragonborn shocked me more than I thought. After fending off a dragon, bloodthirsty vamps, and starving bears, a couple of bandits was a welcome change. Between arrows and magic, none of them stood a chance. We cleared the place out quickly.

Their leader was carrying a map on him. It was poorly drawn but I knew a treasure map when I saw one. I told the others we'll check it out if we ever have the time.

I will never admit this to the others (Serana will never let me live it down) but I got lost on the way back. This route was different from the one I took the first time and nothing looked familiar. We came across what looked like a mine and I recommended going through it to the other side. The lack of equipment outside told that this place had been abandoned for years which also meant we wouldn't find bandits inside.

I wish it had bandits inside.

The skeletons weren't an issue. They fell quickly to our arrows. The problem was the mine led us to the top of the mountains, right at the front of a dragon lair. The last thing I wanted was to tangle with that thing but by the time we saw the dragon was home, he saw us.

I recognized the dragon as the one who flew away before. Somehow we managed to track him to his home without meaning to!

The fight was just as brutal as the last one. But it felt like I was getting the hang of dragon slaying. I actually leapt onto the beast's head to deliver the killing blow this time. Given the close quarters, I couldn't rely on my crossbow.

The moment we approached the word wall, another word jumped into my mind: Laas.

Were the word walls the source of the dragon's power? Did the dragons create them? It didn't matter now. We won and another dragon was dead. I jokingly told the others we could make a habit of this.

They didn't share my amusement.

---

Part XXVI: Her End of the Bargain

The trip back to Riften was uneventful. Other than a brief detour to avoid a fortress overrun with bandits, the worst we had to deal with was a spriggan matron who had a host of bears under its thrall. Too bad bears are very combustible.

Once back in Riften, I went straight to work. It was late, but I didn't have time to pussyfoot around. First, I spoke to Maven and found out some things about the mystery rival bent on destroying the guild. It turned out they left a clue, an argonian working for the East Empire Trading Company by the name Gulum-Ei. According to Brynjolf, he was the most stubborn lizard in existence which would mean I would to get creative to make him talk. Luckily, I also found out he's more of a coward who will gladly sell out his "partners" if it meant saving his own skin.

Next up, I visited Honorhall Orphanage. Lucifer wasn't happy to be back there and I quickly found out why. Grelod the Kind was, to put simply, an evil, hateful, old bitch. Definitely not the kind of person anyone would shed tears over if she turned up missing. Still, I rather not traumatize the children any more than they've already been, so I waited until the old crone was alone before putting a crossbow bolt through her skull. It was damn messy but it felt good.

It was late by the time I wrapped up everything so we decided to sleep in Riften and head out to Fort Dawnguard at first light. Once I finished talking to Isran, it was on to the Greybeards.

Honestly, this whole "Dragonborn" business is already getting to me. Word's already gotten around about the greybeard's summoning. I can't even pass a guard without hearing their whispers. Lucifer has taken to calling me "Dragonborn" now whether as a tease or a sign of respect, I have no clue, but it's the first time someone's called me something that's bothered me.

---

Part XXVII: The Next Move

On the way to Fort Dawnguard, I encountered a skooma dealer. At first I simply dismissed his offer and went about my business. That should have been the end of it. But then, I remembered my first job.

It was back when I was still young and naïve. Some noble hired me and some Breton to steal something from another noble. I'm a bit sketchy on the details. What I remember clearly is my partner was a skooma addict. Partway through the guy got the idea of how to make even more coin to feed his addiction: by selling me out. I woke up in a cage, naked and alone to the sound of someone butchering meat. I have no idea who my captor was, but one well-placed illusion spell and I was set free. Still, the trip back to civilization nearly killed me. I had never been more scared in my life.

I saw red. Seeing that guy brought it all back. By the time my vision cleared, the dealer was dead with a bolt through his neck. The others didn't ask and I didn't offer to explain, so we just moved on.

While we were heading to Fort Dawnguard, we were ambushed by vampire scouts. They were getting bolder. That's never a good sign.

The fort had been improved since I was away. We now had a working forge and training area and several more recruits had joined the cause.

Sorine came to me and asked me to help her track down some ex-priest named Florentius. The vampires were a threat and they were worried we would need the extra help. I had no real reason to say no so I agreed.

Isran wasn't happy but he told he last heard Florentius was helping the vigilants in Ruunvald. According to the maps, it wasn't far so we would take care of it first.

Luckily our moth priest survived. He read the scroll for us. He mentioned something about a bow but nothing about what it had to do with the sun. If we wanted to know more, we would need to track down two more elder scrolls. And not just any scrolls but one about ancient blood and another about dragons. Yeah, sure because those are just lying around. Even if we knew where they were, no one was going to let us borrow it.

The only good news was Serana had an idea where we could look for one of the scrolls. Her mother had gone into hiding and it would make sense if she took the scroll with her or the knowledge of where it was. We didn't have much to go on except that her mother may or may not be hiding out at Castle Volkihar. No one had any better ideas so we're heading back to Serana's home.

But first, I needed to see the Greybeards. I needed to learn how to master this new power.

---

Part XXVIII: What Lies Beneath Ruunvald

The moment we arrived to Ruunvald, I knew something was wrong. No guards, no vigilants, and camp had been abandoned for days. But there were no signs of combat, not even a struggle. A journal left by a guard revealed that people who went into the ruins stopped coming back out.

My first thought was draugr, but the last entry mentioned someone made it out but instead of calling for help, they invited the others inside.

It didn't sound like the work of a vampire but I still warned the others to be on guard.

We didn't get far before coming across a pair of vigilants. I approached them and they attacked me! No warning, no words, nothing. Just immediate weapons drawn. Even when I tried telling them I was part of the Dawnguard, they didn't listen. Serana and the others put them down quickly.

We examined the bodies and learned they were starved, dehydrated, and hadn't slept in days. Their hands and feet were raw from constant use. These people were working themselves to death.

We all agreed that something wasn't right and that we should assume that everyone from this point forward was an enemy. That they didn't even give me a chance to explain myself was proof of that.

Turned out the source of all the trouble was some mage named Minorne. She had found a staff that gave her the power to charm others and went mad with power. What she planned to do with her army of thralls, I had no clue.

Magically creating your own followers, how desperate can you get?

Either way, her charms were powerful but not powerful enough. A few illusion spells of my own and she attacked her own followers. While she was destroying her harem, I put some arrows in her back.

Florentius was...well, let's just say I understand why Isran didn't want him around. Still, if he could help, I wasn't going to complain.

---

Part XXIX: The Greybeards

7,000 steps, they call it. 7,000 my ass. Someone miscounted. It felt like we were climbing for years before reaching the top, to say nothing about how cold it was. A vampire's tits were warmer than this. That got a good laugh out of Khash but Serana didn't share the amusement.

The greybeards were greybearded men. Honestly, I didn't think their name was literal. But what was weird was how they stared at me when I first walked in. It was a mixture of rage, wonder, and pity.

They wasted no time training me and teaching me how to use my Voice. Apparently being Dragonborn came with special perks like being a very quick learner. In one afternoon, I learned Ro, the second word in a shout they called Unrelenting Force. I had learned the first word in Bleak Falls Barrow. They also taught me Wuuld, the first word of Whirlwind Sprint. I could definitely get a lot of use out of that one. Being able to cross distances almost instantly was every archer's and thief's dream. According to the Greybeards, it took years to learn just one word.

Too bad they also mentioned that the dragons returning may be linked to me in some way. Even they weren't sure how, but either way it wasn't good news. If word about that got around, I would be the most hated person in Tamriel.

Luckily, the Greybeards were still eager to train me. A little too eager to be honest. Maybe it was because I was Dragonborn or maybe it was because I was likely the first female any of them had seen the longest time. Or maybe both. I'm betting both.

As part of my training I have to explore some old ruin and retrieve an old horn. Supposedly, the power of my Voice will lead the way. Lucifer wasn't too happy to explore a crypt filled with more draugr and neither was I.

There was something else about that place. I noticed it when we got there, but I didn't mention it to the others. In the halls, there were carvings on the walls. I recognized some of them. They resembled my marks. It wasn't an exact replica but just that I could see the resemblance was worrying.

I wanted to ask the Greybeards about it but they were being a bit guarded with information, claiming I wasn't ready to hear everything.

In this case, I believed them. I didn't want to hear that my entire life, all my suffering, all my struggles were preordained by the gods.

---

Part XXX: Hunted

I found out the ruins the Greybeards wanted us to infiltrate was near Solitude. We had business there anyway so we would take care of that as soon as we were able. But first, we had more pitstops along the way.

The moment we reached Ivarstead, I was approached by these masked weirdoes. They said something about me being the false dragonborn and attacked. One of them was a mage, but it was still a pretty one-sided fight. My barrier did most of the work and while they were distracted, Khash and Lucifer filled one with arrows while Serana made quick work of the other one.

I searched their bodies and found a note stating they were from Solstheim. It was odd because I've never been anywhere near Solstheim. And the other name, Miraak. I had no idea who he was either. It seemed strange that some guy would go through this much trouble to bother me. Whatever. Khash and Lucifer said I should head there right away and kill him but we had bigger things to worry about. The vamps weren't going to wait while I took care of some weirdo and it would be a while before more cultists came looking for me.

Our first stop was Windhelm to tell the Arentino kid the good news. The fact that this kid had to call on an assassin to help spoke volumes. I just hoped he would finally find some measure of peace.

Once that was done, we were quick to leave the frozen city and head to Whiterun. I wanted the bounty from that bandit camp we cleared out.

I should have waited.

Once I turned in my bounty, Skjor pulled me aside and said I needed to help Farkas retrieve some fragment of something I couldn't care less about. I wanted to say so and tell him to bug someone else but Khash was watching and she was really eager to become a Companion. It didn't help Farkas wasn't taking no for an answer either so it looked like I was being dragged off to yet another crypt.