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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day
4-202-03-23 07:23
Snowstone Rest, Bruma County, Cyrodiil
In heavy snowfall, we head for that crossing near The Sentinel statue from where a path leads to the Gautierre Manor. I remember the path goes further than the house, so hopefully it leads reasonably close to, um... Snowcrag Frost?... well, that high sharp tower, you know what I mean. I mean, the last time we were coming from the south, but I'd hate to have to travel all that long way to reach the southern road and then come almost all the way back uphill to the north along that road. We shall try to reach the tower from this direction instead.
Well, the path doesn't actually lead up the mountain, so we end up doing a lot of climbing and in fact end up on the southern mountainside. It's not far from the Hunter's Shack as the crow flies, but it was still a considerable shortcut, because we're already higher than that walkbridge – meaning, very close to the tower.
The nice little big cat attacks us this time. (We didn't have a chance to bathe this morning, so no Spriggan Soap effect.) We try to run away, but it pursues us and we have to kill it. We now know these animals are called mountain lions.
Finding and destroying the portal in Frostcrag Spire without being noticed is easy enough, and by 11 o'clock we're already back in Bruma. Letting my followers return to the inn to get some rest, I go to the Eastern Watchtower. Out of the guards' earshot, I tell Ovacca I destroyed her former gang. She hugs me and cries quite un-ex-bandit-like. Well, I'm glad I was able to help and I hope she can find herself a useful occupation.
After a brief stop at the marketplace, I proceed to the Synod headquarters to report to Cadius.
Most relieved that the danger has been eliminated, he gives me a rather modest monetary reward, as well as a permission to use the Arcane Enchanter in this building. That's awesome!
Now it's a few minutes past noon and I wonder if I ought to do some enchanting now or find Dar'taqto (because it's really not nice to run in and out of the city neglecting my boyfriend thus), or should we venture to the west, the area beyond Applewatch we haven't yet explored. I decide we'll go to the west now, and I'll be with Dar'taqto in the evening when it'll be too dark for meaningful exploration.
On our way to the city gate, we run into a beggar Serulius and somehow start a conversation. He's a veteran of the Great War and says bandits stole all his belongings, including his journal with all his notes on the war. I promise to try and get it back. He shows me the area on the map where he used to live. We'll go and explore that region right now. The northwest can wait.
We exit the city by the gate near the Western Watchtower and turn left. I'm baffled to see there's an entire suburb there we somehow managed not to notice the last time we were near here.
In front of the first house to our left sits an oldish man Balius originally from Skyrim. I think he looks beyond his age because he's blind. He shares a house with that boy who runs around selling those... what are they called, newssheets? Balius asks me if it's true that the Skyrim civil war is over. I confirm it is. He says it's been the talk of the town the past couple of weeks. The thalmors are very cross that they are being blamed for Ulfric Stormcloak's assassination.
"Isn't is ironic that the death of the very man who was leading the resistance against the thalmors in Skyrim has ended up dealing a heavy blow to the thalmors?" asks Balius.
"Indeed, it is," I agree.
"Armion is supposed to have said the way this turned out, he wouldn't be surprised if Yrsarald had murdered Ulfric himself."
"No no! He couldn't have." I'm glad Balius can't see the look on my face.
Lydia and I stand up. We see Jenassa and Jordis chatting with a couple of elves also from Skyrim who escaped the harassment by the Nords after the persecution of Talos worshippers started. (I mean, the elves were not Talos worshippers. The thalmors began to harass the Nords for worshipping Talos and the Nords harassed perfectly peaceful Dark Elves in turn.)
We leave the suburb now and climb down the mountains,
We leave quietly towards the hills in the southwest. We see a robbed horse-cart with two dead bodies on the roadside – an Imperial man with a Breton woman this time. Maybe there are some bandits somewhere near? Let's climb up those hills and take a look around.
Indeed, we discover a bandit camp.
It's a very exciting battle with enemies in various directions. They are hard to get a good shot at, because I'm reluctant to give up our advantage of elevation. We kill about a half of them from a distance, but the rest are hiding behind buildings and rocks and such, and then we climb down after all and take them out. Among other things, we find Serulius's journal, but the man is clearly not a great writer. This place, by the way, is called Plump Rat Camp.
From left: Jordis, Jenassa, Lydia, Laura.
It's almost 6 in the evening by now. Applewatch is almost directly to our north, but I suspect we won't be able to ascend those mountains as easily as we descended them. We shall try anyway. The alternative would be to go to the east towards Greenwood, and there would be mountains in our way too.
It's still perfectly light as a forest path leads us to a place called Underpall Cave. I remember someone in Bruma mentioned it in a conversation. Something about necromancers. Let's go in and take a look.
It's a very big system of caves and underground ruins and even a graveyard.
I can't imagine who would bury their dead in a place like this with heaps of rubbish everywhere.
There's decidedly nothing beautiful here to look at. Just many mages, zombies, walking skeletons and rats. The most amazing part are large halls with coffins placed high above (don't ask me how or why).
We don't bother to explore it all. Still, it's midnight and completely dark by the time we come out again.
A little way to the southwest, we kill yet another mage who is in the company of three dead Imperial Soldiers. She seemed to be in the process of waking them up and I wouldn't be surprised if she had killed them first. The path turns north again and I'm very happy to see stone staircases going uphill. There's a group of aggressive mages we have to kill. Fortunately, they put up wards whose glow reveals their position.
Otherwise, they would be completely invisible with their black robes.
The same mage a few seconds earlier.
The stairways go further to the north and then end.
We're so close to Applewatch. There must be a way up!
Well, it's a hell of a climb, but finally we're in the snowy forest west of Bruma. The big moon Masser gives the city a very dream-like appearance. Either that or we are half asleep already.
It's past 3 when we reach our inn. The only people in the taproom are Stantus, the adventurer Stenar and a man I've never seen. We must look very worn-out, because they jump up, ready to help us the dear guests into our bedrooms. Thank you, it won't be necessary. We'll reach them by ourselves. Somehow.
They give us a hand all the same. Can't pass up on an opportunity like this, can you? :D
next awakening
