Deflorator's game, 9–14 Frostfall (Driftshade – Northwatch – Solitud)

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SPOILER INFO
This unfinished story follows closely my actions in an actual game, so it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous chapter






The author has chosen to remove the text of this unfinished game report, because he is no longer happy with it.

Don't say Skyrim is an uncivilized country. Some of its inhabitants just can't live without books.
Either that or someone at Bethesda is out of his mind.

next chapter

Always Lost, Always Hopeful (33) A Day Washed Away

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it inevitably reveals a lot about the game.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-09-18 08:47
Coldwind Mine, Haafingar, Skyrim


Throughout the previous week, I haven't had a good chance to talk to Rayya about that Redguard sailor Fadeel in Solitud. It's actually not right to be in such a hurry all the time that you have no time or are too tired to talk, is it?
Well, I think this is a suitable moment.
"How many times did Fadeel do it?" I ask Rayya while we're getting dressed.
"Six or seven," says Rayya. Seeing our astonished looks, she explains: "That's including the next day, so it's not all that spectacular... for a Redguard."
"From what I know, they don't last very long," says Lydia.
"No," confirms Rayya. "They can come incredibly often, but from what I kept hearing when I was growing up, it's usually just a few minutes. But I know how to..." She fells silent embarrasedly. "Lydia, did you notice that Fadeel wanted to swap partners after we'd done it once?" Clearly she wants to change the subject.
Lydia shakes her head.
"I didn't let him," says Rayya.
"Yeah, I wouldn't have been too keen either," say Lydia. "Being in the same room with another couple was already... I would have never done it sober. Although, in a way, it was an interesting experience."
"Redguard men don't like to do it several times in a row with the same woman," explains Rayya. "That's why we have so much polygamy in Hammerfell."
"And so much fighting," adds Jenassa.
"Exactly."
That figures. When men have several wives, many men will obviously have to go without any wives, and naturally they won't put up with it.
We've finished dressing. Let's go. Great deeds await us.

We're well-rested and the weather is fine. Actually, we're a little above our carrying capacity, but I take a carryweight potion and with its help we manage to bring everything to Dragonbridge.
I first go to the inn to apologize for ordering food and then leaving last night. Faida insists it's all right and doesn't want any money.
To my utter dismay, Athragar is in the taproom. He walks up to me with a bright smile and says: "Hi, Laura! Glad to see you. I'll be in my shop if you need anything."
He leaves. I'm fuming. There's no way I'll follow him, so I chat a little more with Faida. When I feel enough time has passed, I go to do my smithing. Afterwards, I'm somewhat annoyed to see that the general store is still closed. I can only sell some of the stuff to the blacksmith Marcus, but he doesn't have much money.

Headed for the marketplace, I meet a farmer woman called Aesa walking in the other direction. I have never talked to her, but I've seen her so many times on the streets that I greet her without a second thought. She smiles when she greets me back. I suddenly feel so happy. I stand on the main street and look at the people going about their daily business. Even though I know that not all of them are necessarily happy at this moment, the sight of their peaceful routine fills me with tranquility and joy.

The general store being closed, I decide to visit the alchemy shop after all, but I take the girls with me. Thanks to that, Athragar remains decent, almost. He only greets us with "Glad to see you all," and sees me off with "It's always a pleasure," accompanied by a wink my girls aren't able to see.
Lydia seems to suspect something. "Is he always like that?" she asks when we're outside.
"No," I reply truthfully. "He's much worse."

We have three options now. I hadn't planned on going to Solitud, but it's very near and we have much loot to sell and I've been feeling I'd like to pay Elisif a visit and see how she's holding up. She really needs support from someone who has no interest in local power games.

Or we could take the eastward road and travel to Dånstar to deliver those two items we've retrieved. If we go by road, we are likely to discover a town called Morthal which has to be somewhere between Dragonbridge and Dånstar. It's bound to have shops and there might be interesting things to do.

The third possibility is to go to Hviterun and check out Outcast Valley.

After some, as it were, collective reflection, I choose Solitud.

Our short trip is completely eventless. In the southwestern suburb, we step into the Jana's Flaggon inn where Lydia and Rayya spent that interesting night I was talking about with Rayya earlier today. In the taproom is a female sellsword Celcai who is like an astrological twin of Jenassa – they talk so similarly. There's also a trader Bojena who has a lot of money. An amazing place, as well as amusing.

A pouring rain starts. Market traders near the main square can't afford to be bothered:

I'm all drenched when I arrive at the palace. Elisif is overjoyed to see me and tells me she'll appoint me thane if I buy a house in the city. I'm quite eager to use the opportunity before she might change her mind, but unfortunately I haven't got enough money. I hope she won't change her mind. It's clear she trusts me. I can see that Falk is not too happy with the idea. I must find a way to convince him that I have no interest in sticking my nose into other people's business, unless something truly evil is happening.

I drop by the Bards' College – mainly just to get some shelter from the rain – and have a chat with a number of advanced and less advanced students. When the rain ceases, I stroll to the fortress hoping to meet my boyfriend Hadvar. When I can't see him anywhere, I approach an officer and ask him if they have a soldier named Hadvar Bandorsson from Riverwood here. He asks what makes me think himself's any worse. I retort with something unladylike and leave quickly.

I go to check out the ships in the harbor, something I've been postponing all the time.

I fail to find anything interesting, and it's already getting dark and I'm tired. When I fall into the water from a gangway, I realize it's time to call it a day. I go to The Winking Skeever to get a good night's sleep.



next awakening






return to the table of contents

Always Lost, Always Hopeful (26) Shouldn't Make Things Complicated

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it inevitably reveals a lot about the game.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-09-11 02:49
Four Shields Tavern, Dragonbridge, Haafingar, Skyrim


In the silence of the night, I can do my smithing without being distracted. Among other things, we picked up several pairs of Vampire Boots  in that cave yesterday. They offer clearly stronger protection than the boots we've been wearing so far, and they look stylish too.

I have a few hours to kill before the shops open, so I decide to walk around and explore what I can. My first stop is at the barracks. The guards in this village have a funny name – Penis Occultus or Penitus Oculatus or something like that. There's only one guard in the guard dormitory. He's quite handsome, so I decide to take the opportunity and slip into his bed. But then he fails to get a hard-on! We try for more than an hour, and then I give up and leave.

I feel like crying. I return to the inn.

Yesterday, on our way to Dragonbridge, I thought I should give our dog to the market trader Eydis. She has a daughter and no husband, so I think the child would feel less sad if she had a dog for a companion. And I don't want a dog hanging around us all the time. He won't survive long, not with the kinds of enemies we're dealing with.

I left the dog at the inn and now I'm going to fetch him and go and see if Eydis is already up and if she would take the dog. Strolling uphill pensively, I begin to wonder how would a dog react when seeing a Khajiit. They're felines, after all.

Well, I'm getting my answer now. There is a Khajiit in the taproom, and our dog doesn't pay any special attention to him.

As concerns the Khajiit, I've seen him here before. Now I strike up a conversation with him. His name is Dar'Jidarr and he says he doesn't need any help from fighters. He hints that he's hiring prostitutes, and I suspect he may also be a slave trader. I'm not interested.

I don't have a problem with prostitution as such. It's good that men can get their needs satisfied and women get men's money. Better the horny guys go to a brothel than roam about catching women and raping them. And from what I hear, Skyrim is well covered with licensed brothels that provide a civilized environment where both the workers' and the customers' interests are protected. For that, the owners make good profits which they totally deserve.

Yes, Eydis and her daughter Sveina are already up, eating breakfast.

They cheer up visibly when I ask them if they'd like a dog. Yes, they'd be delighted to. I hope he hasn't grown too fond of me yet.

In the meantime, shops have opened, and I sell what I don't need. Weirdly, the general store isn't opening at all. Has the owner gotten himself killed or something? That would be really inconsiderate of him. Although, come to think of it, Solitud is quite near, so it's not such a big disaster after all.

My followers are ready. They tell me how they chatted with Faida the barkeeper and Julienne who lives in the last house on the road to Solitud. Then they notice I'm downcast and ask me if something happened, and I tell them.

Rayya says when a man can't get hard, you're supposed to suck his... well, that. As a matter of fact, I knew it, but I was kind of shy. I'll do it the next time. Although I hope this will never happen to me again. Maybe I should change my hairstyle? Lydia says: yeah, down there. I slap her, friendly-like. She runs away from me. All right, let's get serious. People are looking at us. Lydia... come... here... now!

I'll deal later with her and her smutty jokes. I occasionally do trim my pubic hair, but you're not supposed to talk about it so casually. Or maybe I'm envious because Lydia isn't embarrassed to talk about it so casually.

In a cheerful mood, we run northwards along the highway, and in a cheerful mood we run into a thalmor patrol twenty minutes later. They are clearly aggressive. I'm not entirely sure it's us they're after, but I won't wait until they hit me with their terrible magic (okay, maybe it's not so terrible, but I'm afraid of such things), so I shoot first. There are four of them. Our enchanted weapons prove clearly superior. Or is it that mages wear virtually no armor, relying only on their magic to protect them, and once they get hit by an arrow poisoned with the Damage Magicka Regeneration poison, they're doomed? And maybe they weren't after us to begin with, and we shouldn't have killed them? Well, never mind. It's done. Even if thalmors haven't yet declared us their enemies, they're bound to sooner or later. Apart from which, High Elves are so haughty that they totally deserve to have their numbers reduced a bit.

We run on. Speaking of which, maybe you've been wondering why we run so much. It's because people all over Tamriel are used to running ever since they're children. Long-distance jogging is our favorite means of travel. Horse-cart transport is available between major settlements (at least in Skyrim), but it's rather expensive. So we run. Within settlements, most people prefer to walk, and some walk between settlements as well, but at least all housecarls and sellswords are perfectly comfortable with running considerable distances. As am I. You don't really get tired unless you run too fast.

We leave the Dragonbridge–Solitud highway and head northwest.

Soon we arrive at a crossing near Wolfskull Cave. There's a little skirmish between imps and storks. This time the storks win.

We enter the Wolfskull Cave without any idea what would expect us there. Strange noises, or what did that man from Dragonbridge say? I can't remember.

There are passages leading in various directions. I have no idea where we should go, so we just go somewhere, killing an occasional draugr and such. Soon we find ourselves on a little rock plateau. There's a very high drop into certain death. Across a wide gulf, we can see castle-like structures that go higher than where we are.

There's evidently a magic ritual going on. Apart from those violetish-blue energy streams flowing through the air,
we can hear that someone is trying to awaken something called Potema. (An evil ruler in the distant past, Jenassa tells me. Thanks.)

Everything is too far for my Sense of Smell  power. But I imagine that there is something going on at the very top of that structure. It's too high for us to see over the defense wall, so I shoot an arrow just over it. That's a pretty efficient method of making enemies highly excited and run around frantically trying to figure out what the hell it was and where it came from.

Indeed, there seem to be several people up there, running back and forth looking for us, but they have hardly any chance spotting us in this enormous cavern. We can briefly see a creature or two, but it's rather obvious that we'll have to get closer if we want to achieve anything (such as getting a halfway decent shot at them). In order to get up there, we'll obviously have to cross the wide and deep gulf in front of us, and to do that we need to somehow descend from this plateau first.

So, we return into the passages, looking for enemies. We descend to the bottom of the cavern, killing mages and draugrs. The mages are surprisingly harmless, but the draugrs need quite a few arrows to die. Have I already told you that in addition to conventional weapons, draugrs have the ability to do something similar to dragon shouts that can send a shockwave at you that throws you off balance? It's really scary.

As we advance, new enemies appear. We go into a citadel, up the stairs, out again, up a staircase...

Deathlord? That sounds serious.

Anticipating much stronger resistance from the main group of mages on top, I use my Ritual Stone  power to awaken, among others, that very Draugr Deathlord I just killed. Now we enter the main citadel and ascend its spiral staircase. When we are near the top, several mages come to engage us. After a somewhat confused skirmish, I reach the top. There is but one enemy left on the platform. I kill it. It's an old woman.

There is no more resistance. The ritual has evidently been interrupted, because nothing spiritual and weird has materialized. So our job is done. Now, that was fun!

Bardslayer guides me to the switch that lowers a gangway that leads us to the exit.

We have plenty of time to get to The Burning Queen shipwreck. Too lazy to search for a proper road, we climb down a steep mountain slope halfway there. Just short of the ocean shore, we meet a mercenary in an incredibly cool black armor. I strike up a conversation and he warns us from going to a dangerous place nearby called Shadowgreen Cavern.

When he has left to wherever he was going, the girls and I proceed to the shore, I strip naked and swim to the shipwreck. I'm disappointed to not find any sword, just a journal that tells about some bandits somewhere in the area of Dragonbridge. Looks like I'll have to go back there if I want that sword. I'm beginning to wonder if I do want it that badly.

I return to the shore and we get onto the road to Solitud. And then we see that Shadowgreen Cavern place on the roadside. It looks kind of spooky and kind of fascinating. We could take a look inside while we're here. What do you think girls? Lydia looks rather worn out. No, she insists she's fine. Let's check the place out, they say. That's the attitude!

So we leave the road and approach Shadowgreen Cavern. I'm dumbstruck. What I had taken for a fascinating structure is in fact just a rock formation that looks nothing special from a different angle. The actual Shadowgreen Cavern is nothing more than a regular cave entrance like dozens of others I've seen.

We go in anyway. The interior is lush and beautiful, and it has a pond. Don't tell me there are spriggans here.

I take a couple of shots at a small animal and fail to hit it. When we get closer, I see it's a hare. (Lucky I failed to hit it. I mustn't shoot at things just because they move!!) Then we kill a few wolves. And then we do indeed see a spriggan. No! Screw it. I'm not going to kill spriggans. It's not right. Let them go on guarding this beautiful place. We're out of here.

It's about 7 in the evening when we arrive in Solitud. I go to the palace. Fortunately, the city administration is still at work. I tell Falk about that weird ritual we witnessed in the Wolfskull Cave. He's really shocked to hear that someone was attempting to revive Potema. I reckon she must have been really very powerful and very evil.

Then I inform Sybille that we destroyed that vampire gang in the Pinemoon Cave, and her attitude towards me changes completely. Now I'm suddenly like her best friend. She even shares some local political gossip with me. The late jarl Torygg, the husband of Elisif, who was killed by Ulfric Stormcloak, was actually quite independence-minded. Meaning, he had in fact a lot of common ground with Ulfric and the latter made a rather bad mistake by killing him. It would appear that their essential difference was only in their estimation of the situation. Torygg was convinced that the time was not yet ripe for Skyrim's independence. The Aldmeri Dominion is so big a threat that Skyrim needs Empire's protection. That's what Sybille thinks and that's what Torygg thought.

Seeing that no one wants anything further from me, I approach Jarl Elisif herself for the first time. We make some polite small talk and then she asks in a low voice if I would do her a favor. She would like me to bring her dead husband's warhorn to a shrine of Talos in the Hviterun area. She couldn't make an offering to Talos herself, because the ban on Talos worship is strictly observed in Solitud.

Sure thing! I'll be honored to do what she's asking.

It's past 9 now. I wonder if Hadvar has already returned to Solitud or is he still in Riverwood. I stroll from the palace up to the fortress through a long dark street somewhat lighted by symbolic lanterns. Maybe I'll see him there.

I get a blessing of Arkay at the temple – it's always good to be on the gods' good side as I've told you – and then I enter the fortress itself. There's an oldish woman talking in an agitated manner not unlike that metal bitch in Helgen.

She's in a heated dispute with none other than General Tullius. He is not as short as I remember him from Helgen. Nevertheless, the sight of him brings it all back – how I was kneeling at the chopping block waiting for the executioner's axe to cut my head off. I quickly exit before I would kill Tullius and get myself in trouble. I have been thinking the Imperial Army is not for me, and now I'm positive.

I go to the inn. The taproom is full of people, but my followers are not here. An Imperial man sitting on a bar stool evidently overhears me renting two rooms for myself and my followers. When I start walking towards the staircase, he stands up and tells me I look tired, and may he help me up the stairs to my room? Somehow I find it hilariously funny. I try to shrug and keep a serious face, but then I can't help bursting out in laughter, and he laughs and puts an arm around my shoulders. As we walk, I look quickly left and right without moving my head. Everybody seems relaxed and merry, men and women mingle freely and no one pays attention to us, only a petite female bard smiles in my direction, but maybe it has nothing to do with me.

The man introduces himself as Aurelius as we walk up to one of the rooms I rented. I'm not sure if there'll ever be a chance for an actual relationship with that antisocial-looking man, but at least a certain part of my body is getting a proper treatment tonight. That's what I needed to make my day perfect. We do it twice and it's past 2 when we go to sleep, completely exhausted.



next awakening






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Always Lost, Always Hopeful (18) Too Much of Everything

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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it inevitably reveals a lot about the game.
———————————————




previous day






4-201-09-03 03:48
Northwatch Keep, Haafingar, Skyrim


The sun is not up yet, but it's no big deal. As you might know, snow usually reflects enough light to see where you're going, as long as you don't get too careless.

We travel eastwards along the ocean shore. Sooner or later we'll have to end up on the road that leads to the city of Solitud.

I feel very bad about what we did yesterday. Last night when we were talking outside the fortress, Thorald hit the nail on the head: "Why would you risk your life for me, a stranger?" I see now how reckless I was. I decided to attack more than a dozen enemies who had superior armor and weapons, just to save one prisoner because I took pity on his old mother. But there are surely tens if not hundreds of people like Thorald imprisoned and maltreated by the thalmor organization. It was so stupid to endanger the lives of myself, Jenassa, Lydia and Rayya just to rescue one of them. And don't try to tell me there's nothing to worry about, because everything went well. I acted irresponsibly, taking a stupid risk. I just can't put the thought out of my mind that we all could have easily ended up dead.

Well, don't mind my depressed mood. I just needed to let it out. I'll feel better tomorrow, I'm sure.

During our journey along the ocean shore, we get attacked by an occasional animal, discover the entrance of a cave I won't bother to explore right now, and see a curious small citadel ruin with something humanoid inside. I can't tell if it's a human or a spriggan. My intuition tells me it's a human, but I can't be certain, so I leave it alone.

Soon after that, we reach a road. It goes east and then turns south, following the coastline.

Solitud is magnificent. One can truly see it's the capital of Skyrim. The number of buildings and people is just overwhelming. I doubt I've ever seen anything like this, even in the first part of my life which I can't remember.

It's early morning. Near the city's main gate, they seem to be about to execute a traitor, but I don't pay attention. I find a smithy where there is nobody there, the blacksmith possibly having gone to watch the execution. I improve our gear as much as I can. (Unfortunately, I have very few raw materials.) Then I equip myself and the girls with the best gear and go to sell the rest.

I have now reached the point where not only do I have more than 10,000 septims of money, but the merchants in this city don't have enough money between them to buy everything I want to sell. Clearly the time has come for me to start buying stuff from merchants. For starters, I purchase some metal ingots and leather and animal skins, so I can do better smithing in the future. Thanks to the money I pay for those wares, the vendors can now afford all that awesome thalmor armor I've looted. There's a large spread between the traders' buy and sell prices, but when I have no use for all that gear anyway, I'd better exchange it for something useful, even though in terms of market prices I end up making a loss. Let the traders have their profit. They deserve it for providing a useful service to the community.

Naturally I chat a little bit with every trader – with the exception of an incredibly grumpy elf Endarie; she sells fancy expensive clothes. On the marketplace, the alcohol vendor Evette complains that a shipment of hers is being held at the harbor.

I promise her I'll go and try to find out what's wrong.

I stroll in the direction of the harbor. While I'm looking at the sea and thinking, my legs carry me to a woman named Vittoria Vici who is actually the person responsible for holding Evette's shipment. So I ask her what it's all about. She demands 2000 septims kickback... oops, I mean tariff.
I tell her it's absurd to demand "tariff" in the amount that is almost as much as the merchandise itself is worth. Ms. Vici gives me some argument which doesn't sound too convincing to me, so I tell her I'll go to the palace and find out if she even has any authority to demand any tariff from anyone, and if this is some kind of a criminal racket, I'll get her into a hell of a lot of trouble.
I actually feel frightened, realizing what I just said. As you know, I have absolutely no influence in this city while she might have a lot. I'm seeing Vittoria Vici for the first time in my life, and for all I know, she could be the daughter of the jarl.
But I've already said what I said, so I just try to look like I'm sure of myself.
After a brief tense silence that feels to last awfully long, Ms. Vici agrees to release the shipment without the "tariff". I'm astonished it went so easily. I thank her, hoping my voice doesn't quiver, and leave.

Solitud harbor is full of ships, bigger and smaller. It feels like a gateway to many thrilling and unpredictable adventures.

WHAT is that? A flying ship??

There seems to be enough for an entire lifetime to explore, but my mood is still kind of gloomy. More importantly, I notice all of a sudden I need a bath real quick. Now, I could go a little way northwards, away from the houses, and wash myself in the sea, but I'd rather do it in a proper bathroom. So I hurry to the southwestern suburb where I stop briefly to check out a street vendor. Then I enter the city proper through the main gate and go to the inn. The Winking Skeever  is the most expensive guesthouse I've seen so far, a whopping 100 septims a night; that means 33 septims if you just want to have a bath. Most incredibly, this luxurious inn doesn't have a bathroom as such. It's just big barrels in the basement next to all kinds of rubbish. But it's private enough, as understandably no one goes to that dump unless they have to. I've been told there are also two bathhouses in Solitud, but they're actually brothels.

Clean and joyful, I return to the taproom where I'm surprised to see my followers have arrived in the meantime. Maybe they can somehow sense where I am. Or maybe they saw me entering the city. Or maybe someone told them that someone who looked like me went to the inn. Or maybe I really should stop pondering over such utterly unimportant details.
I sit down and tell the girls about my recent negotiations at the harbor and they look almost as astonished as myself.
"Now that I think back to it, I'm having the impression she looked like she was sensing something unusual about me, and it made her uneasy and so she decided to play it safe and give in for the time being," I conclude my report.
"She's not the only one, if I may say so," opines Rayya.
She's right. I remember what Mandyn Hlaalu told me in Riverwood. For that matter, I recall that Farengar mentioned something to that effect as well, but I thought it was a clumsy attempt to flirt with me.
Lydia shakes her head slightly. "Still, it's quite astonishing that Victoria Vici let herself be intimidated by you."
"Maybe she is doing something she doesn't want to come out?" says Rayya. "Could be something completely unrelated to business, but she's still scared of any potential scandal?"
"Wait," I cut in, "you two talk like you know her."
Lydia looks at me. "Vittoria Vici is the emperor's cousin."
I burst out laughing. "Get out of here."
"No, really," confirms Rayya. "She's getting married soon. It's the talk of the town."
I'm glad I'm sitting, because my legs go all wobbly. I managed to pick a quarrel with possibly the most powerful person in all of Skyrim. And that in the city where I wield no power whatsoever! For a moment, I wonder if we have enough time to escape before the guards come to drag me to the scaffold which is conveniently across the street.
Wait, how come the emperor's cousin is here in this remote cold and snowy place dealing with market traders?
Jenassa seems to either read my thoughts or see my shocked expression. "For your information, Laura, the emperor's father had children with more than twenty women, so the emperor has many cousins."
"Twenty?" Lydia is astonished.
"I said 'more than'. The point is, they are well-placed, that's for sure, but that Vici woman isn't even important enough for the emperor to attend her wedding."

A boy comes running in, telling something excitedly to the innkeeper. We go to find out if it's anything interesting. Turns out a certain man who is evidently someone important in Dragonbridge arrived a moment ago, highly worried, and hurried to the jarl's palace.
"I want to check it out," I inform the girls. "You may come along, but stay inconspicuous."
"What do you mean?" asks Lydia. "Can't we even dance in front of the throne?"
I give her a playful slap and we hurry to the palace. It's easy to find – just along the main road for as long as it would go. In the throne room is a well-dressed man reporting about a cave apparently somewhere near Dragonbridge where something weird and evil seems to be taking place. He begs to have it investigated. Jarl Elisif, a young beautiful woman, agrees to send out a legion. However, the nobles standing around her throne advise against it.

From left: Thane Erikur, Varnius from Dragonbridge, jarl's bodyguard Bolgeir, Jarl Elisif, court mage Sybille, steward Falk.

And so she settles for sending a few soldiers to Dragonbridge.

I talk to Sybille the court wizard and Falk the steward. Sybille is most haughty, yet deigns to offer me an opportunity to prove my worth by clearing out a vampire den at a certain location she marks on my map. Falk tells me I can go and find out what's going on in the aforementioned weird cave if I want to. I make a note of it.

In addition to those two, there are two thanes present, a man named Erikur and a woman named Bryling. The two seem to be bickering about everything. Jarl Elisif, the ruler of this hold known as Haafingar, is clearly unable to rule anything. She looks lost like a cat on a float. All her four advisers seem to be competing to get their voices into her ear while retaining the appearance of civility. I feel sorry for Elisif, but there's nothing I can do for her.

The word on the street is that Falk is the one who's really in charge here, but due to Skyrim tradition, one can only become a jarl if one is blood-related to past rulers, or, well, married to such a person. Ability or, for that matter, willingness is of secondary importance. A rather stupid system if you ask me, but I don't think they'd be interested in my opinion.

Having left the palace, I take a quick peek at the oh-so-famous Bards' College that is in the same neighborhood. They seem to be happy to have me as a student, but becoming a bard is just about the last thing I want to do with my life. I return to the street, do some final shopping and pay a visit to the big temple they have here:

Good to know. Thanks.

Then the girls and I chat the evening away at the inn. No one tells me anything really interesting.

I'm inclined to not hang around in this area. I have the feeling that the new quests we were given today have the potential of keeping us occupied for a considerable time. I don't want that. I want to go and wrap things up in the Hviterun area. We'll return here sometime in the future. However, I'm not really sure of anything at this moment. I'd better postpone thinking until tomorrow.

At least my room upstairs is magnificent. Life's not so bad after all.

We get two double rooms. I'm sharing this one with Lydia.

next awakening






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