Ripples of Ancient Times

I entered the ruins at dawn.  Bandits had infested its upper levels, but the lower levels were secured by an ancient locking system, one that I had seen something similar to before.  A book on a pedestal gave the clues needed to open the gate.  I descended.

The writings of Shalidor were deep within the complex and this sanctum was guarded by a a powerful Dragur Lord.  This creature had a corrupted power of the voice.  Battle was difficult.  I left Lidia behind to guard the back passages as it was beyond her.  It was almost beyond me.  But my ability has returned for the most part, though some areas remain closed to me, likely forever.  My body has healed and grows strong, perhaps stronger than before.

I translated what I could of the ancient writing.  Shalidor was indeed writing of dragons.  He mentioned they were kindred spirit to something, but the something was marked out.  There is indication that somehow their creation is related to the creation of time itself.  And a master dragon is hinted at, named Alduin, a first creation of the All-Father, who turned on the Creator and sought to devour the world instead.

Exiting the ruins I discovered high on the mountain a word wall that called to me.  The word had just flowed into me, when a Dragon Priest rose and attacked me.  It was an even stronger opponent than the Draguir had been.  Lidia was with me, as I had not suspected any more threat.  Good thing.  It took both of us to bring this thing down.

We took the road back to Solitude.  I spotted a dog by the road and followed it to an old shack where the body of an old man lay on his bed.  A note mentioned he had contracted Rockjoint and he knew he was dying.  The dog took up with us.

On the way home, we happened upon a fort, Snowhawk, filled with renegade mages.  The dog doesn't like mages, though it seems to like me.  There are an awful lot of renegade mages around.

The dog took up with the residence in the Pale. Its collar says "Meeko".  Gregory and Meeko were soon fast friends.  I made a few trips into Whiterun to trade.  I sent Lidia back home since she was feeling very ill.  She needs rest.  And I decided to make a trip to the College.  It is later winter, but I hoped the passes were started to open and the travel would be easier.

I left in early evening and was attacked by a dragon near Lake Yorgrim, but it flew away.  I don't know if it lost me in the darkness or the trees, or decided I was more than a match for it.  I spent the next night in an unexpected Inn high atop the passes, a place called Nightgate. The next morning dawned clear. I spotted large Drarven ruins on the south side of Lake Yorgrim.  But I was starting to feel a bit sick myself, and suspected I had come down with Rockjoint.  So I pressed for the college.

The librarian of the college set to work translating the recovered writing of Shalidor.  And I had good news. Enthir had returned.  I thought to settle the argument between him and a fellow mage.  But he insisted on keeping a certain amulet, but decided he would trade it for a certain staff.  He said he had traded this staff to someone who he later discovered had gone rogue.  I didn't tell him, but I had already come across this man, and took possession of the staff.  It was in safe keeping back in the Pale.

I mixed up medicine for the Rockjoint and rested a few days, getting the translation.  Basically the same as what I had come up with.  Then I decided to make a quick trip out and back for the staff.  A young woman named Brelyna asked to tag along.  I allowed it.

Returning to the college I traded the staff to Ethnir for the amulet, the amulet I returned to Ormund for good will.  This was his first word of praise to me since the College recognized me as Archmage.  While there, I received word of a dragon attack on Dawnstar and the death of a woman Abelone.  Dawnstar has been hit hard by dragons. I don't know how much more then absorb.

Ormund shared that he would like to enter into my service, so I sent him and Breylna back home to the estate in Pale.  I had another journey in mind, a secret journey,. I planned to head south and then up the great mountain to seek out the monks who might know more about dragons.

I had heard tales of these monks, graybeards, recluses, masters of ancient art, the voice.  I wondered who they were and hoped I would find a living dragon lord in their midst.

I made first for Windhelm. Trying to enter the Inn, I was confronted by a man named Rolff who took exception to my armor.  Said it looked too damn elvish.  Its not elvish by the way.  But Glamdring likely is, of ancient times.  I had to fight the idiot just to get past him.

Inside I heard more from the locals about why they support the rebellion.  They seek to worship the first emperor as an ascended god, "Talos".  They recognize him as an addition to the other gods.  Most people are so mislead about truth of the world around them, naming things as gods that are not and ignoring the God in their midst.  The All-father, the One, the creator of all things.  These other so called gods are either rebellious sevants or misunderstood true servants.  Talos may indeed have been favored by the Creator, but he is no god.  But the Empires subservice to the Thalmor and the High Elves of their land, to subjugate the free exercise of religion is indeed a problem.  Freedom in faith, religion, philosophy...these are the cornerstone to any human civilization.  They must be preserved.

I overheard that there is a killer on the loose. I stayed overnight in the Inn.  Made sure the door was barred from the inside and kept a weapon handy just in case.  It was the 5th of Second Seed. Hopefully Spring comes soon.

The next morning I stopped in and spoke with Ulfric.  He makes a convincing argument for the independence of the north from the empire.  I had not realized how bad it had become following the death of Martin.  The empire has entered an alliance with the Dominion of the High Elves and they are oppressing the freedoms of people throughout the Empire.  Ulfric also confessed to having studied with the monks known as the Graybeards and having learned some ability to harness the word.  But I find myself still very reluctant to involve myself in the rebellion.

Outside, I came across a murder scene.  A young woman had been brutally assaulted.  As she lay near the hall of the dead and was murdered at night, I first suspected a werewolf or a Draguir.  I explored the Hall of the Dead, but all looked quiet and undisturbed.   I spoke with Helgrid who was preparing the body for burial and learned that the wound looked as if it had been created with embalming tools.  Curious.

I reexamined the crime scene and found a blood trail that ended in an abandoned house.  Here I turned up a journal of a mage.  Another rogue mage.  This one turned necromancer, but up to something insidious.  He was harvesting body parts for something.  And from the journal it appears he was once a member of the College in Winterhold.  This person must be found and brought to justice, so I resolved to stay and deal with this.

That night I patrolled the city looking to see if I could catch him in the act, but nothing developed.  The next morning reexaming the house, I discovered a secret panel and room I had overlooked before.  I also discovered a strange green amulet of a human skull.  Speaking with the steward for Ulfric, who is Jarl here, he pointed me toward two people who might help.  The first was most helpful. Viola shared that this confirmed for her suspicious she had been harboring for some time regarding the Court Mage.  And she said that she had seem him in possession of the amulet.  I returned to the steward and the mage was arrested.  I followed the party to the dungeon to make sure he did not resist and escape.  He still professes his innocence, but his connection with the amulet is hard to deny and the handwriting in the journal matches handwriting from his rooms.

Returning to the inn I decided to visit the common room before turning in for the night.  I noticed a dark elf who kept staring in my direction.  Turns out that she is known as Sun's Wind and is one of the chief advisers to Ulfric regarding matters with elves who live here.  She knew more of me than I would have guessed, having learned from Ulfric I found out.  I hadn't realized Ulfric was as informed of who I was as he is.  He knows of my slaying of various dragons and he knows too that I am the former Archmage of the Citadel.  This information, she shared, is known only to a few of his most trusted advisors and he directed them to leave me alone, that I had important matters to attend to.  She then shared something amazing.  She seemed surprised that I didn't understand what had happed that day I first returned to Whiterun after that first dragon.  She claimed that Ulfric told her, and just her, that I was strong in destiny and that my destiny would impact all the races.  That the monks had summoned me by voice.  It appears the overwhelming presence I had felt that day returning to Whiterun was not a dragon as I had thought, but the monks calling to me through the power of the Word.  Perhaps because the word had not yet been unlocked in me I didn't realize it.  But now the threads seem to come together.

And the tapestry is complex.  She turned to the sword, Glamdring, that I carry.  She asked if I knew is story.  I shared the man who gave it to me had said his family had somehow come into possession of it in the wars between the elves and men in the north.  She told me an ancient powerful story.  The sword is old, very old, and very noble.  It was crafted in a time almost from the beginning, by elves when they were noble, immortal, and in the graces of the Creator.  And the elves had come to lands west of here to do battle with evil twisted versions of themselves known as Goblins.  A mighty kingdom had been built, in a secret place ringed in mountain named Ondolinde.  Here mighty weapons were forged against evil.  Glamdring was the sword of its king, a warrior named Turgon.  It was lost to the elves when the evil one with is fire demons and dragons attacked a betrayed Ondolinde and turned it into dust.  She shared the sword was found and returned to knowledge of the High Elves during the time of the summoning.  The immortal elves were being summon homeward.  The sword she said came into the hands of mighty wizard and servant of the Allfather and was involved in mighty war against a powerful demonic lord.  She claimed it had been thought to be lost among her kin, until she saw it tonight.  She reasoned it must have been left behind by those who returned as summoned.

I asked her why if the elves were summoned home, they still remained here and how though long lived, they were long mortal.  The answer was the same.  The elves of today are descendents of those who refused the summons for various reasons and so lost the gift of mortality for their refusal to obey.  The elves of today she shared, are but a shadow of the glory that was lost.  She shared that the different elves are a product of mixed breeding but that even before the summoning, they had splintered into various factions.  But she shared the Altmer in particular, have fallen fartherest for theirs was the most impure of reasons for remaining here in what she called the middle of earth.  They sought dominion.

It was strange, perhaps my half elven blood, but I found with tears in my eye.  She rose and asked me to come with her and she took me to her home.  She opened a chest by her fireplace and unwrapped a strangely shaped sword with ancient writing on its blade.  She said it was a weapon of Ondolinde and none she had ever held was as sharp.  She told me that this sword had been found with Glamdring when it had been reborn to the knowledge of the elves in that ancient great war.  She told me it seemed only right, that in this mighty struggle against evil, that Glamdring and Sting be united again.  And she placed the weapon in my hands and closed my fingers around it.  And I could feel its strength.  I could say naught at this marvelous gift but to say thankyou.

Of dragons she knew no more.  No where they from nor why they remain or why they are here. 

The next day I set out for Ivarstead, thinking it may be time to visit the monks indeed.  I stayed at Gilfre's mill, strangely empty and silent without her.  I wonder where they laid her to rest.

I rode near Dragon Falls, but not did not take the road to the estate.  Not far past, I found myself ambushed by a Kajit.  Searching his body I learned that he was an assassin of the Dark Brotherhood and someone has placed a contract on me.  Overlooking Ivarstead I spotted the fortress of Nilhom, currently occupied by some Orcs who are not terribly unfriendly. 

I secured supplies in town and decided to search for the remain of poor man's sister.  On a hunch I looked in the river. I found what was left of her identifiable only by her unique necklace.

At the foot of the mountain of High Hrothgar I was warned that the path was treacherous yet because of winter.  Part way up I ran into a hunter who warned me that the weather was bad further up and the path likely unpassable, though he himself had never been to the top of the 7,000 steps.  And I can believe there 7,000.  I made it as far up as a place called the Moonforge before being forced down by the weather.  The trip will have to wait for spring to break.

Coming back into Ivarstead I heard a rumour of Drarven Halls to the north that are supposedly in good shape.  But before searching such out, I returned north to the college to report on the arrest of the Court Mage of Winterhold.  While I was there we came under attack by an elder dragon.  Great powerful beast.  It took the combined might of the mages and myself to bring it down.  For the better part of two hours we battled the beast from the battlements.  At one point I was so frozen by its breath I had to retire for a bit to regain my strength.  But in the end it made a mistake and grounded and we were able to corner it and kill the beast.








On the 13th of 2nd Seed, I was back in Ivarstead seeking more information on the location of the Dwarven ruins.  They are supposedly on the lower slopes of the mountains to the north.  We'll see.

Into the North

Gregory and I finished up the storage room for the estate on the 13th of Rain's Hand.  I am hoping for some fresh vegetables from our garden if winter will ever loosen its hold.  Made a few trips into Whiterun for supplies.

A letter came from the college. Tolfdir wrote that the anomaly associated with the orb has moving and he had lost track of it somewhere southwest.  I decided to explore the local area and began to sense something not right just north of Whiterun.  This thing had come far indeed.  It was not hard to spot on the plain as it was generating some manner of evil creature.  I was in the process of eliminating this threat when some local mammoths and their giant were attacked by them and somehow I think they thought I was the source.  These 3 mammoths and their friend chased me across have of Whiterun.  I thought to take cover in an abandoned house, but the giant was about to blast his way in.  I finally was able to use the walls of a nearby fort for cover.  But then started taking archery fire from the fort so I had to clean it out.

I returned to the college to see if Tolfdir had any word of other problems, to find the mages finishing up finishing off a dragon.  Thing died on top of one of our towers.  Enthir is still missing and the Jarl is still suspicious of the college.  I went down to visit with him.  And overheard that Ulfric Stromcloak, leader of the rebellion, is in Windhelm.  The Jarl asked me to retrieve a valued heirloom of his house that also happened to be near Windhelm, so I turned south.

Lidia and I traveled through strong winter storms.  We located ruins but at first could find no entrance.  It was further beyond guarded by two whisp mothers.  The gate was securely locked and I could not gain entrance.  Lidia said she thought the place was named Snow Veil Santum.  Name fits in this blizzard that was coming down.

We found the barrow we had been directed to by the Jarl of Winterhold, Ygol barrow.  It was a unique place.  Home to strange glowing green balls that seemed as if they wanted to talk to us.  They took to following us.  Stayed with us on our enjoy route through the place but didn't leave with us.  Deep inside we found ourselves face to face with a Dragur overlord.  Two blasts of fire and using the power of the word to summon fire and he was down.  Thank goodness, he had a mighty enchanted weapon.  It would have been the death of me had he gotten near.

We returned the Helm to Winterhold and I was name friend of the hold, Thane, and offered land nearby. The land I declined.  But I have been granted a steward/guardian all the same, but I convinced him to remain there to guard "my interests" against any dragon incursion. 

Lidia and I headed home via Dawnstar.  I found myself thinking once again of that ancient mage Shalidar.  Tolfdir had brought up that his writings were still thought to be found in ruins on the coast of Haafingar.  I wonder if these writings, if I can find them, might have any insight into the dragons and the reason for their presence, as he lived near the time of the end of the dragon lords according to lore.

So we headed for Morthal after a rest stop at the estate.  We cross the passes near the house into the Hjaalmarch.  From a distance we spotted, for it was impossible to miss, the huge dwarven ruin of Mincalft.  It begged exploration.  We found a nest of bandits cleaning the place out.  From a journal of a man named Malunl it appeared that the man had come into the north fleeing Cyrodil, ran into trouble in Markarth, had hooked up with these bandits and they were indeed looting the place.  I found no sign of the journal writer.  Deep inside the bandits were still working cleaning out the ancient machine guardians.  They were pretty much killing one another. 

We discovered a passage inside, the bandits had missed, and it lead to deep marvelous underground complexes, inhabited by Falmar.  It was an amazing journey through a different far removed time.  Amazing until we encountered its master machine guardian.   A mighty huge giant of a metal man that liked to knock me into next week.  I was not match for it with blade and fire didn't and lightening didn't seem to do much to it either.  Lidia was knocked unconscious.  I had the use the layout of the room itself, steps, columns, to slow the thing enough to think.  Finally I blasted it with the word's power of cold and then some ice storms and it froze up.  Lidia had come to and she and I dismantled this frozen thing a piece at a time.  And we made our escape from the cavern.

We headed into Morthal, only to be ambushed by bandits outside town.  The Thane of Morthal was very grateful for the work we had done to help with her community, first the vampire, then the bandits.  She granted me favored status as well and the right to use a small castle she had built for a retreat site, named Stunmah.  Located on her western border just across the river from Dragon Bridge.  She also named me a house carl, man name Vladmir. Looks like a real bruiser.

We made our way north into Solitude, did a bit of trading there.  Then we head down to Dragon Bridge and spent the night in the Inn.  One of the local women, Olda, was quite vocal in her opposition to armed legion soldiers in town but was also quite upset with her husband.  He is a boozer and I don't have much sympathy for boozers.  So I went and confiscated his stash and gave it to her. 

We crossed the river, finding the castle easily.  It is indeed gorgeous and comfortable, but a bit in need of maintenance.  Many of its feature are in disrepair and non functional.  But it is a beautiful place to visit and it held a fascinating book, "On Dragons".  It was by a person who was referencing legend and lore and was uncertain as to the truthfulness of what he wrote.  But I know from experience that much of what he said is true, the section that spoke of Iliac Bay as the birthplace of dragon peeked my attention.  Lidia had never heard of it.  Neither have I, but I need to be on the lookout for this place.

We turned back north for the place Tolfdir said was rumored to have the writing of Shalidor.  In the passes above Dragon Bridge we spotted a three person Thalmor patrol with a prisoner.  I liberated him.  We stripped and hid the bodies hoping to make it look like bandits had taken them.  And we found just little further on, in a fortress on the north coast, a nest of bandits, so the story should hold.  We spent the night of the 23rd of Rain's Hand in the fort and arrived a noon on the 24th at the ruins of Volkskygge. 

Volkskygge is old, decaying, parts of it almost buried by the mountain.  But at some time in the first era, thousands of years ago, this was a home to dragon lords possibility and certainly to later inhabitants who saw some value in the work of Shalidor.  Lidia and I are exhausted.  We're going to hunt this afternoon and bed down, entering the ruins tomorrow.  But I quiver with anticipation as to what we shall find inside.

Dagon

Headed west back for Morthal through a major blizzard.  The snow was deep and the cold bone chilling.  I overnighted in a legion camp .  On the way into Morthal I discovered a burned out house.  I was wondering if the legion was responsible and found myself feeling angry.  But I need to remain neutral right now.  Came upon the Ustengrav ruins and watched as some militants and vampires killed each other.  The passage way into the deeper part of the ruin is block by a collapsed ceiling.  Sister ruins, named Kjenstag lay to the south.  Nothing much of interest in either.

Morthal turned out to be a small fishing village.  I overheard conversation among the inhabitants that they were concerned about their Jarl and her newfound friendship with a mage.  The fact that mage had taken up residence here got my attention.  Decided to check on it.  But first I sought out the shards of the Razor.  A man named Jorgen did indeed have them, a descendent of a family that kept them safe.  He had little interesting in protecting them and I was able to buy them for a bit of gold.  Now I have all the piece of this evil weapon in my possession.

So I turned and sought out the mage, Falion.  He is rather the angry type. Claims the townspeople spread rumours about him sacrificing children and whatnot.  A little girl with him shared that she had been orphaned and he had taken her in and was training her in the art.  I thought it wise to seek out the Jarl.

She turned out to be an elderly lady, who said she need the mage because there were problems in town that only a mage could handle.  There were strange noises in the night near the swamps and a mysterious house fire, that she asked me to look into.  She claimed to have visions, but said her vision as strangely clouded regarding the fire.  For her, is is suspicious that the surviving husband, named Hroggar, would very rapidly remarry.  I think she is a leader of integrity.  She agrees the civil war should be avoided.  So I decided to check on the house for her. 

In the process I discovered some startling awful truths.  The spirit of a dead child revealed her own mother was a vampire and had tried to turn her daughter, but in the end tried to kill the entire family with only the husband surviving.  The mother had faked her own death.  And worse, the mother had been turned by another woman, the now wife of Hroggar, a woman named Alva.  I tried to talk to Hroggar about this to see if he had suspicions and pulled his weapon on me.  I was in the process of backing away trying to calm him down when Lidia struck him down from a distance with her bow.  She only saw me being threatened. 

I entered their house and found Alva in her resting tomb.  She was indeed a vampire, but not natural.  She had been turned as well.  Her journal explained it all.  The town was to be food for a master vampire.  And she as his thrall was to establish it.  It was far more complicated than that, but let it suffice to say there was an evil beast around and the town was not safe.  I shared with the Jarl and showed her the journal.  She insisted on sending out a force to deal with this vampire, a mix of rabble if you ask me.

I sent Lidia home as the guards were suspicious about the death of Hroggar and chased the rabble down, convincing them to let me confront the vampire alone.  The first thrall I encountered I knocked senseless with fireballs.  The next I had no sorrow for killing for he had in a pit the body of 4 recently dead.

The inner sanctum of the beast crawled with vampires. I was high and blasted them with fire from a distance.  The vampire Morvath, known in this region, but though dead for a hundred years was their master.  He is dead now, burned to a cinder.  The remaining vampires I dealt with one on one by blade.

As I returned to Morthal, I could not help but notice a dragon circling a distant peak.  Probably ruins there.  I reported the Jarl about the vampire and she revealed that she knew I was dragonborn.  And she asked for one more favor and said she would grant a boon of Thaneship if I would deliver.  Kill the dragon. 

So on the 8th day of Rain's Hand I set out to kill a dragon, hunting him rather than being hunted.  I crossed the pass near where a dragon was seen circling to discover this was not the same dragon.  This was a blood dragon.  We did battle in the forest, the trees being most helpful for cover and concealment.  The dragon I was sent after had a home above the ruins of the Labryinth. 

I did battle with this dragon, at place of the Word high above the Labrinth.  It circled and dove and I responded with lightening and cold.  I must have secured a powerful wound, for it crashed to the ground before me and I slew it were it rested. 

And then the wall.  The word inscribed into the wall called to me.  A stronger word of cold.  I traveled back to Morthal to report to the Jarl and then headed home to the Pale.  I took the time to deliver a letter from the healer in Morthal to Whiterun, where I heard a rumour that was most disconcerting. One of the guards said it was better to be here than to be with the pour souls in Riverwood.  I thought the worst, and rode hard for the village.  But it was still standing and there had been no more dragon attacks since the one that took the life of the village blacksmith.  I grabbed Lidia in Whiterun and returned to the estate.

Securing provisions, we set out for Dawnstar to finally resolve the issue with the museum curator.  Was he innocent and stupid of insidious.  The town was just finishing up a battle with another dragon but with major loss.  Why these people don't just retreat into their mine I don't know.  But this time two minors, Beitold and Ignir were dead. 

The 12th of Rain's Hand I confirmed my suspicion that the curator was more than he seemed.  He wished to reforge the dagger and claimed a portal was open to Dagon and that his power could be used.  The idiot has opened a portal to Dagon.  This is what caused the problem in Cyrodil and lead to Martin's death. This man is not historian of the Mythic Dawn cult, he is one last surviving cultist. 

I claimed to have no further interest and he took off for the portal site.  Lidia saw which direction he head and so we tracked him.  It turned out the portal/shrine site was high in the mountains near the Pale.  I observed while he tried to open the portal and failed.  I sighed with relief as I decided this was man was more braggart than substance.  I dropped down to reclaim the pieces of the dagger only to sense that indeed Dagon was here.  It was an unmistakable presence.  I had last felt it in the Imperial City when I had used forbidden art to sneak Martin past him into the temple of the One. 

Archmages from before remembered history, had passed the secret of invisibility to one but forbidden its use as too dangerous to be known.  I know longer had the implements of invisibility.  They were, I hoped, still hidden in secret room in the quarter of the Arch Mage of the Citadel.  But fortunately, probably due to the fact Dagon never knew I was there, Dagon did not recognize me.  He responded to the dragon blood in me though, and began to reforge the dagger and the sought to reinforce the portal.  With the mage heavily invested and Dagon vulnerable with part of his spirit here, I struck down the Mage, sealing the portal and heavily wounded the demon.  In the last moments before the portal closed he sent forth minions to attack me, powerful with fire.  But the blade did for them.  The shrine itself is ancient and there is still a small weak portal that was there before.  More Dremora were inside.  These I killed as well.  This portal remains open, but I warded the site strongly and will keep an I eye on it. 


I had left Lidia to watch the back passage, so I found her and headed down the ridges to the house, to discover just about the house a lost tower of sorts.  Looks Dwarven, but I could not gain entry.  This may bare more investigation.

Blades

Made a trip into Whiterun to visit with my friend Eorlund of the forge.  He had some much unexpected gifts for me.  First was a long ancient blade of incredibly durability and sharpness.  He said it been traded to him by a farmer of all people in exchange for a number of farm implements.  He the farmer claimed it was a blade of an ancient line of kings from a time of great glory for men.  He said its name was Narsil.  It is an amazing weapon.  I entrusted it to Lidia.

He also had a couple of shields for me, excellent workmanship.  One of these I also gave to Lidia.

I returned the recovered blade to Skjor and he said the family would be very happy.  Bought some supplies while I was in town.

The estate in Pale is coming along.  The tower is now done and is a welcome addition allowing me to move some items out of the main hall.

On the 13th of 1st Seed Lidia and I set out heading east for the statue of Azura.  I discovered the ruins of Korvand and we dealt with a number of militant bandits there, but was unable to secure entry.  The gates were barred. 

Arriving at the statue of Azura, I learned that repairing the star was not to be an easy task.  The reason it feels wrong is because the spirit of Malyn is inside.  The only way to cleanse it was for me to enter the star myself and do battle.  Malyn has definitely gone to the dark side.  He summoned demons, lower scale but powerful in fire, and they were difficult to slay.  Malyn himself was quite vulnerable to the blade. 

The star is whole, cleansed and in my possession once again.

Lidia and I returned to the estate and and I spent some time smithing.  I put a new edge on Glamdring and refined Narsil as well. Gorgeous blades. 

Lidia had a hankering to go north to Dawnstar so we went together.  Picked up some items from the smuggler's cache, which is still active.  And picked up a rumour a cult of people seeking to bring the presence of the demon Boethia into the world near Windhelm.  So we headed that way.  We found it on the 1st of Rain's Hand.  And it was too late.  Boethia's presence is strong here.  And they are consumed with it.  I could sense the presence of powerful mages and powerful enchantments on weapons and armour.  More than Lidia and I can deal with now.  Under the guise of possibily being interesting in joining I learned much and we took our leave as I claimed to need time to consider it.  In truth, I need time to figure out how to eliminate them. 

Leaving we came across an ancient gravesite and there I discovered in excellent condition an ebony helmet with strong ability to magnify the gift.  No idea who it once belonged to, but now it is my helm.

I decided that this fascination with the demonic lords was growing in danger, and it would be a good idea to finish recovering the dagger of which I had but the pomel stone.  So we headed west, through Riverwood, seeking the shards of the dagger.  The 2nd day of Rain's Hand was beautiful.  Springlike.  No rain, no snow... lots of sun. Good for the soul.

It was sad on such a day, to discover a memorial to Talos where many had been slain and still lay.  Bloodly Thalmor.  One dead Thalmor soldier was there with orders to uncover proof of the locations of such memorials.  The Thalmor are trying to extinguish the memory of Talos.  I wonder if the patrol we had ambushed earlier last month in this same area was part of a force looking for these shrines.

We uncovered a dragon lord hall nearby, Shriekwind was it name.  It's current inhabitants were vampires, but no longer.  And skeletons.  They rest now.  The vampire master had made his home deep in the lair.  I hit him with fire and when he fell to his knees, Lidia did the rest with Narsil.  Amazing blade.

And I felt a familiar call, a pull, a word.  The wall was ahead, through a mighty passage, pulsing with power and need to express.  It poured into my soul and became part of me, a word that enhances ability with blades.

High on a ledge outside the hall, I could see the town of Falkreath below.  Lidia and I headed into town.  It looked better from a distance.  For a hold, it is small backward town.  They have heard of dragons here, but have yet to see any.  I hope that remains true for them, for the place is kindling pit ready to go up any moment.  A dragon would make matchsticks of it.

Outside town I ran into the strangest and most concerning critter of all, a talking dog.  A dog that claimed to be the pet of another bloody demon lord.  He wanted an escort back to his master.  Once again, demons in the land, this must be dealt with, so plans changed and I chased this stupid dog halfway across Skryim to a cave in the passes of the far east named Haeman's shrine.  Once again vampires were nesting here, but these were mages.  Dangerous.  Deep inside I discovered the demon was somehow locked to this place and could not depart.  And somehow the dog being here was part of it.  The demon asked me to recover some special axe that would in some way allow him to go free and he said he'd take the dog back.  I made as if to go recover the axe, told the dog to remain for a moment, slipped out, locked the gates, warded the entrances and left.  A demon locked into one place where it cannot hurt anyone is not a bad thing.  Too bad for the dog.

We headed back west for the shards of the Razor.  In Falkreath there was rumour of a fortress not far away that was haunted by great evil.  This sounded promising.  It was filled with miltant bandits, some of them orcs.  And in its depths locked away were indeed the shards. 

Nearby also were very old ruins, a circluar carn built into the earth.  Not sure the purpose.  We could find no entrances or signs of anything more.  It seems strange, but maybe it had a ceremonial purpose for the dragon hall we had already explored. 

I headed home to the Pale. 

Trouble with Mages

 The cave was filled with Falmer, nasty things.  But I found the missing family treasure, nothing but an old rusted iron sword with writing engraved in the hilt.  Nothing especially dangerous about this.  But at least I know.

Because we were just south of the College, it made sense to continue north along the coast and check in.  Ran into a bit of a skirmish between bandits and legion soldiers, with the soldiers getting the worst of it.  By the time Lidia and I got there the soldiers were all down.  We made sure the bandits were as well.  We couldn't save them.  Two were already dead, and one was so seriously wounded he didn't last long.

Right along the route I noticed a large partially buried dragon head.  Signaled to me that important ruins should be about.  We found a dome hut, reminiscent of the same style as in the Labryinth, but no ruins.  I finally found a surface structure with marking pillars and a deep shaft with a grate going into something deep underground, but no sign of any entrance.  Maybe a place for exploration later.

I also so see ruins on an island off the coast, so we detoured that way.  We found an unexpected memorial to Talos and  dead mage, Ilas-Tel.  I knew him but not well.  It appeared a wolf may have gotten to him.  We discovered a shipwreck and some very unfriendly looters. 

The ruins turned out to be a barrow most likely.  I wanted to get to the college, so we did not explore.  We crossed the ice pack in the direction of Winterhold in the distance and discovered a long abandoned camp, the remains of someone, and a letter to a person named Shelly.  I appeared that some star struck lover had camped here among the ice waiting for ship, who knows if it ever came, carrying his beloved that was long overdue even by the time he wrote the letter.  He was faithful unto death.

We arrived in town and the guards wanted to know why I was here, was it about dragon.  No, it was not about the dragons, though we were ready if they showed.  We are always ready.

Good thing, because upon arriving at the College were we attacked in the main courtyard by one of the beasts.  No sign of the mages.   This really angered me.  Lidia and I took care of it.  Fortunately it kept trying to get to Lidia and it was confined in the small space of the courtyard and so made an easy target for lightening.

Inside I checked on my mage troop, if such can be called.  They are really more just a bunch of independent children who live together.  Nothing like the discipline we had in the Citadel.  Tolfdil told me the Jarl had asked for me.  There was supposedly strange goings on in town and in the countryside, and Tolf's investigation has revealed that possibly the power of the orb, though no longer present, is still manifesting itself here.  So I went visited the Jarl.  He really hates mages.  The people in town are convinced that experimentation in the college lead to a large part of Winterhold collapsing into the sea years ago causing the economic demise of the town.  Who am I to deny it.  I wasn't here then and I've seen the spirit of experimentation that is there among the current occupants.  Who knows about the previous ones.  Mages too often dauble in things human beings were not meant to mess with.

Back in the college to talk to them about these matters and the importance of keeping a low profile and friendly relations, I discovered that the Ormund and Enthir are fighting over some stupid amulet.  But more seriously, Enthir is nowhere to be found.  I mean no where.  I had them search every square inch of the college and I searched Winterrun.  Nothing.  I even did a summoning and the feeling is he should be here, even localized it that he should have been in his room in the evening hours as usual.  But he is not here.  No one knows why.  No one has an answer that I've found.  He has disappeared from the world.  He was always a shady character but I wonder if he got the spirit of experimentation and did something stupid.

I came down a sickness while there, terrible pain and stiffness in my joints.  It would last for days, until my later return to the estate in Pale.

The 3rd of 1st Seed (Spring must be coming sometime) we set out in a roaring snowstorm.  Too cold to head west along the coast to Dawnstar, so we headed south via Windhelm, thinking to winter over at Dragon Falls.  I noticed once again the strange statue of Azura.

Azura is a much misunderstood creature.  In the lore of this age she is considered a god by some, a demon by others.  But in truth, she is an avenging messenger of the All-Father.  She does not smile kindly on those who mess with powers that are not permitted to humans.  This I suppose has given the misunderstood impressions of her demonic nature.  She is a protector of the boundaries between the created realm and the mysterious powers and forces that are woven into the fabric of its rainment and foundation. I know Azura.  She and I had talked at one point far in the past and she had blessed me with an instrument of light, a bit of star, to capture the power of evil creatures and to use it to transfer my gift to object.  I reined up my steed as I thought of this.  I wondered...  my abilities to transfer the gift to objects was so much weaker yet than it ever used to be.  We detoured up the mountain.

There we found a priest of the All-Father who claimed to have communication with Azura and she told me that Azura knew of my plight and knew that I would come, here.  And she told me something most startling.  The star, that was taken with everything that mine, when I was arrested in the Imperial City, was stolen.  By mages.  Of course.  Areana, the disciple, shared with me that she was a Dunmar and this a Dunmar place.  Azura does not know the location of the star.  It has been transformed somehow and its presence is masked.  She doesn't know who stole it, only could she sense the power of mages who had been practicing in forbidden arts with the dead.  I do not understand the fascination with the dead in this land.  But Areana said that recently Azura had sensed the echo of the star upon a mage who was somewhere in the vicinity of Winterhold.  Not in the college, but somewhere probably in town.

I know who this is.  There is a mage there, an elf, a recluse with a poor attitude, who keeps to himself, who I noticed has a staff of authority from the Citadel.  Now it makes sense.  This is how it was stolen, an inside job.  This elf, was likely part of the group that saw my downfall.  Maybe part of why they acted was they wanted possession of the artifacts.  And if stolen, that would also explain why a Synod of the Citadel is in the north seeking artifacts - they may be looking for the star itself.  This elf, he and I have business.

We stayed over night at the statue of Azura and back to town.  The 4th of 1st Seed the weather broke and we sun and sky for the first time in days.  What a blessing.

I knew the mage to be camped out in the Inn.  So I made my way in trying to look as though I was there just for a meal.  I thought to engage in a drinking bout with a man named Sam.   Bad idea!  I don't know what was in that stuff, Lidia said I went nuts quickly and wouldn't listen to reason.  Sam and I supposedly went off on some grand adventure.  I awoke in the house of Dibella in Markarth.    The priestess told me that Sam said he was going to some place named Rorikstad.  I don't have no clue where that is.    She asked if I was willing to help with an issue the temple, but I have no time now.

Lidia and traveled upriver to Solitude and grabbed a trading vessel heading for Winterhold.  We had to fight off a blood dragon on our arrival.  But I had bigger issues with a mage.

My patience had run out.  I had Lidia in her imposing self take station and I entered his room.  He knew me.  I could see it.  So all facade aside, I demanded to know of the star.  He tried to deny, but he knew I knew and I could see fear because there was no way I should have known.  And he could likely sense the gift was once again strong in me, and had not been stripped as intended, and that I was more than a match for him.  His head bowed, he shared that he had fled from the mages that had stolen the star.  He was not the mastermind, but rather a mage named Malyn.  Malyn it seems had a dreadful disease unto death and sought to use the star as a home for his own soul.  But I knew the star was designed such that only evil creatures could be touched with it.  But he explained Malyn had engaged in dreadful dark actions killing and torturing the innocent, calling upon forbidden arts, to turn his soul black and using that to twist the star into a receptical for his residence upon death.  He told me the location of their experiments, Inata's Deep.  He said it was submerged keep on the north side of the lake.   I know it.  Indeed I had at one point entered its front door, but had not explored deep.

Lidia and  I headed south, cutnorht of Windhelm into the Pale and headed via Riverwood to the lake.  We found dark arts indeed.  Mages gone as bad as they can.  Summoners of the dead, and even turned to cannibalism.  On the lower level was one mage of great power.  And lower still I surprised two with fireballs.  In the inner sanctum we found the body of Malyn holding the star, cracked.  Darkened.  I took it, which I held so many times before, expecting to feel a fragile shattered shell, but no it has a presence, darkness, evil.  Twisted.

Out on the lake, we had just emerged from the partially submerged tower, when the dreaded black dragon was heard and it circled and circled.  I submerged myself in the lake but it kept circling me.  Looking at me.  Why???  I even found a shipwreck on the bottom.  Finally Lid and I took shelter in the trees on the south side of the lake and it flew away.  Ready for dragons?   Maybe not all.

Heading east we spotted a Thalmor patrol on the road with a captive.  Lid and I set up an ambush.  We took down at least three, but I think one or two escaped.  I only hope the captive escaped as well.  These Thalmor were a handfull.  The commotion drew the attention of another blasted rogue mage who tried to sneak up on me, but Lidia was there.  I found an altar where she had been up to something.

We stopped in Riverwood were I disposed of the Thalmor armor and weapons.  Then headed to Whiterun to sell a few other things I've come into possession of.  And to rest.

I need rest. 

Old Legends - New Legends

Lidia and I left town heading west.  It was cold and snowing.  Not surprising for a northern winter.  The northern sea is cold and not inviting.  We headed down toward the docks, which are substantial here as there is a huge trading port for Skyrim.  Suddenly a large dragon descended on us.  And we did battle bringing the beast down.  And citizens from this town now know that a Dragonborn walk again.

I made to leave town quickly.  Wanted to avoid the complications of being known for who I am and did not want to get caught up in this rebellion between empire and stormcloak.

The mountains are rugged and the rivers cold, which I know for we were forced by terrain and unfamiliarity with the land to cross one.  We discovered a road but we sought cover quickly as a Thalmor patrol was out and about. That coupled with the presence of regional guards and the fact that here, the region being loyal the empire which has granted favorable status the Thalmor, a conflict them was to be avoided.  So we carefully followed them observing from a distance and they lead us down the road to a town named Dragonbridge.  We waited an hour outside town to see if they were bedding down, but they passed through.  We also did not remain, though the story of the bridge might be fascinating to learn for it is obviously ancient.

We passed through quietly and headed onward to the portal for Merida.  Yes, this was a bit of a detour in my seeking to close out the legend of ancient dead mage, but I had in my presence a portal stone that belonged to this mighty angel and decided it was time to be rid of it.  This land is in need of some benevolent guardionship.

Merida is a mighty servant of the Allfather, often misunderstood as if she were a goddess or one a good demon (if such could exist) from the demonic realm.  The portal itself was easy to find marked by a large statue.  I placed the stone and the angel spoke with me and said that the gateway was defiled by someone named Malan.  And that locked there was a mighty weapon empowered by the power of the light itself against evil beings and she asked me to free the weapon and the portal.

The ruins were surprising because once again the architecture of the dragon lords was present.  Why would the dragon lords have sought the presence of a mighty angel?  What does this say about the dragons?  About their human servants or such as legend describes the dragon lords?  One small reference in an ancient book mention the dragon as a sentient race with language and strong intelligence who once sought to enslave humanity.  Somehow I think there is more to the story than this.  The presence of Merida in a hall of the dragon lords makes me wonder.

But the hall was most certainly defiled, filled with wrights, the wrestless undead.  Merida was sending a strong ray of light into the ruins and I had to reset reflection crystals at many points, as this source of energy had been cut off by someone closing off the reflectors.

The halls themselves were amazing.  Some of the most elaborate building I have seen in the north.  Good or evil, what a mighty time it must have been when these halls were filled.

I discovered the enemy and could sense his power.  I left Lidia behind to guard the back passage, but in truth this foe was beyond her.  Malkoran was a living human male mage of great power, a summoner and binder of the dead.  So strong in his power, that even when I slew his body, his spirit attacked with even greater power.   But my gift if fully wakened and flows strongly and my sword arm is strong again.

The portal was cleared.  Merida delivered into my hands the sword of light.

And Lidia and I went home for the estate in Pale.  I sent Lidia home to Whiterun and took Gregory with me as I set out east for Dragon Falls Manor and a barrow were I hoped to find the missing piece to story of the amulet that belonged to a long dead mage.

As we crossed the mountains just above the estate, I discovered the ancient keep of Fellglow was occupied by rogue mages.  These had to be dealt with as archmage of the college (and formerly of the Citadel).

Dragon Falls Manor was a welcome resting place after a long journey.  After a nice evening there before the warm fires, we headed into Ivarstead to seek out the barrow.  Gerimund Hall the locals called it and warned us off, a place of ancient dread they said.  No one goes there.

To enter required jumping into a large pit.  Something Gregory was not keen about, so I left him to guard the edge.  There were very strong wrights there and the ghost of treacherous son, Sigdis.  He had an interesting ability - to manifest himself in three places at the same time and he had command of the voice.  But he did not have the ability to stop the power of fire.  The final piece of the amulet was with me. And I found a writing suggesting it could be reforged into one in the tomb of the father, the ancient mage, and it provided a location for that tomb.

Gregory and I passed back west stopping in Whiterun.  I sent Gregory back to Pale estate and took Lidia with me back west.  The tomb was near the river port where we had previously ran into many Forsworn, and low and behold, it was occupied again.  And it had to be cleaned out again to pass.

Continuing onward, the great black dragon once again appeared, circling me, and this time I know it saw me.  He looked directly at me. Then flew away...east.  Could it be Martin???  Could there be a way to bring him back?  Is that what it seeks...its former life?  Why here?  Why in the north?  If Martin, why not in Cyrodil?  Am I the key?  Is it me that draws Martin here, if it is Martin, and is Martin drawing the dragons here.  Is there something I did during that final battle with the demonic Dagon that has tied us somehow?

I found the tomb and there was a campsite filled with Forsworn above.  These I eliminated.  I found the body of dead legionnaire in one of the tents.  It may have been a legion campsite before.

Inside the tomb I found evidence that I was not the only one seeking for the place.  The body of man lay near the entrance and on him was the key to the tomb.  I don't think he knew how to use it.  But I do.

I should have known it would not be easy.  The ghosts of all three treacherous sons had relocated here.  Once again I had to do battle, but this time Lidia was of great help.  She engaged at close range while I used my gift to attack from a distance. The three were vanquished and just as I thought to breath a sigh of relief, they were back.  Then suddenly a powerful presence entered the hall.  Power of magnitude that was beyond sensing.  The power just blew away the three treacherous spirits and then reforged the amulet.  I believe this to be the spirit of the ancient mage.  But he was gone as quickly as he came.

Lidia and I returned to the estate in Pale.  I am now the keeper of two ancient legendary instruments of power... a sword of light and a great amulet of the gift.

Reflecting on these ancient heirlooms, I began to wonder if perhaps I could forge something useful.  So I gathered strong metals and spent several days working the forge to craft a strong set of armor.  I used high grade steel reinforced with heavy elements and covered it in a fine black cloak.  It is magnificent.  But unenchanted.  My power to transfer the gift from myself to the object is limited.  I need to research this, for if I could somehow duplicate the power of the instruments in the Citadel for transferring the gift, this could be powerful rainment indeed. 


We weren't there long before the estate was attacked by a powerful dragon, first of its kind I've seen.  It was very strong in the power of cold.  Again, my gift with fire was indispensable. It helped also that it decided to attack a giant who lives just down from the house.  The giant and the dragon finished each other off.  But Lidia found herself in a tangle with two very angry Mammoths and I had to use fire to drive them off.



I spent quite a bit of time in Whiterun selling some things.  I was also approached about a missing man. One of the Gray Man family is missing, they claim a captive of the Battleborn.  They say he was taken because he support the rebellion, and the Battleborn are loyalists.  Whiterun is a divided city.  I decided to not involve myself in this now.  Bigger fish to fry.

But I was also approached to help recover a stolen family heirloom, an amulet. This might not ought to be floating around just anywhere, so this I decided to pursue heading east again.  On the journey another one Frost Dragon made it appearance, perhaps they come with the winter and there power is related to the strength of the season.

The 25th of Sun Dawn I was making my way through the passes above Windhelm to find my way blocked by a fortress. Legion soldier standing watch on the place and the pass above said it was named Fort Kastav and had recently been occupied by mages.  I could sense power there, and not a good kind.  There were powerful mages practicing forbidden arts here.  It was difficult dealing with these.



That night was one of the most beautiful nights I have seen in long while.  Lidia and I took some time to just enjoy.  I can't remember such a refreshment since I climbed Frostcrag tower so long ago and looked out over Cyrodil and watch the sun cast its yellow and orange rays upon my land.  Now the tower is destroyed and I am not welcome in Cyrodil.  But the stars remain the same, the moons continue to rise, and here the lights in the sky are the tapestry of the All-Father.