Atreyu’s Photo Diary – Skyrim Part 17

Part 16 Here
Chapter List Here

WARNING: ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM SPOILERS!

Graves and Greenwall

I returned to Windhelm and could see that I was beginning to get the respect that I deserved.

I approached Ulfric Stormcloak bearing the good news that Hjaalmarch was ours.

I was beginning to wonder at the quality of the rewards he was presenting me with however…

A simple elven shield. Not that I’m not grateful and don’t appreciate the gesture, but I can knock these things together myself quite easily. And I’m hardly likely to even use it with Spellbreaker on my arm.

With the new nickname of Snow Hammer for some reason, I set out to liberate Riften. Laila Law-Giver and her subordinates had been quite unfriendly towards me since they lost their position. Perhaps they’d be a bit nicer if I got it back for them.

As I left, a courier stopped me and gave me a mysterious letter from a friend informing me of a Word of Power in Ragnvald.

Riften could wait, it had been some time since I had increased my Thu’um power.

Meeko and I hurried to the ruin and on arrival were met by Draugr.

Quite a normal occurence, although I am concerned at the way these Nords don’t seem to be able to stay dead for any real period of time..

Again, as was to be expected, the interior of the ruin was home to even more powerful Draugr Deathlords.
One of which lived up to its name and robbed me of poor Meeko.

I gained comfort in tearing the Draugr to pieces and the thought that Meeko had finally been reunited with his loving master.

I moved Meekos body to what looked like a suitable resting place. But he fell off and looked somewhat peacful where he landed.

A spiked gate blocked my path and if I was to find a way through I needed to explore other sections of the ruin.
In doing so, more Draugr woke to meet me only to be put back to sleep.

I found one of the strange skull shaped keys that I presumably needed to open the gate. It looked to be booby trapped, but I had little choice but to take it. I had come this far, it would be senseless to give up.

As expected, moving the key awoke a powerful guardian called Saerek.

With Elemental Fury I struck him down in seconds and moved on.

In another part of the ruin I found a second key piece.

I prepared myself to be attacked once again. I was right to.

Guardian Torsten was weaker than his colleague, and was hardly a match for me.

I took the keys back to the gate and found that they needed to be placed on the shrine type thing I had put Meeko. I did so, and as the thing moved, it knocked Meeko from his resting place.

Mechanical things moved, and from the coffin rose a dragon priest, Otar the Mad.

Summoning Elemental Fury once more I tore into the monster and struck him down. He fell with a final blast of lightning force sent in my direction.

With him dealt with, I helped himself to his mask, reminding myself that I still had one left to discover.

With that, I flung aside the remains of the priest and carefully placed Meeko into the coffin in his place. A fitting shrine for a loyal friend.

The gate to the Word Wall had opened, and inside a chest I found an interesting Priest dagger, Kahvozeins Fang.

It was time to make my way across the country in order to help recapture the Rift for the Stormcloaks and remove Maven Black-Briar from her ill deserved throne.

My journey took me through Forsworn country and I was ambushed a number of times by small groups.

I wandered into a place called Four Skull Lookout, where after being assaulted by three bandits, I found a mysterious pillar.

I assumed that it would do something if I touched it, but nothing. I moved on.

As I went on, I passed through a number of Forsworn camps, and as usual was forced to carve my path through.
In one such place, I found a hagraven performing some ritual on a giant. I’m not sure if I interrupted her of if she was done, but I slew her along with her Forsworn followers.

Moving on, I came to a mine called Soljunds Sinkhole. The mine owner and a guard stood outside stopping passers by from entering.
The owner, a man named Perth told me that they had accidentally dug into some Nord ruins and had been attacked by Draugr.

I felt compelled to aid them with their difficulty and immediately went into the mine. I couldn’t imagine anyone else bothering to help.

Inside, I was met by a couple of weaker Draugr, but then I came to a huge hole.

This did not look like an accidental hole…

Anyway, I climbed down hoping I would be able to find an alternate way back up.
In the hole, were much more fearsome Deathlords.

Using Thu’um combinations along with my powerful scimitar and Spellbreaker, the undead were little trouble.

Finally I came to a room guarded by a Dragon Priest.

He attempted to flee, but I caught up and cornered him.

I do wish these dead would stay dead.

I left the mine safe once more for working in. Perth thanked me with a hefty 1500 gold, which I gratefully recieved.

Not a moment had passed though, that a dragon attacked.

I chose to summon Odahviing to help me, while the frightened miners ran about helpless. Perth attempted to give aid, but he was in no position to, while the guard feebly attempted to use his bow and shoot the beast down.
Strangely, my attempt to summon Odahviing scared off the dragon, though a more powerful ancient dragon came in its place.

Odahviing and the dragon fought among themselves in the air for a time…

…though damage had already been done.

Perth was dead, but the dragon was still a threat.
Soon afterwards, the guard had been taken as a casualty too, and as the other miners had fled, I was all that stood against the monster.

Except for Odahviing.

Attacking from both sides, the beast was overwhelmed and destroyed.

Odahviing left me, his work being done and the remaining miner returned.

I went on, and travelled further through Forsworn land.

I cleared out a number of camps and towers where the scoundrels had taken residence.

Eventually I came to a little house that had been overrun by Skeevers.

Inside lay the owner, a man named Lund, dead, while more skeevers ran about his house.

I cleared them out for him, though what help it would be I do not know.

Moving on I came close to a giants camp and noticed a strange glowing tree.

I felt compelled to investigate. While two mammoths eyed be warily I approached the tree and discovered a spigot allowing retrieval of its sap.
I took some.

After a quick stop at Whiterun to drop off my extra weight, I had almost reached the Riften camp. At the Sarethi farm, I came across a guard fighting an Imperial soldier.

I wondered if the guard was a loyal Stormcloak being forced to work under Imperial rule or if there was another cause for the disagreement.
I did not get involved however and the guard came out victorious.

I moved on to the camp where I found Galmar and his men fending off a troll attack.

Once the monster was destroyed, Galmar informed me that the next move would be to take Fort Greenwall.

I made my way immediately.

It seemed that the battle had already begun when I arrived, so I joined my companions on the front line.

Once again, the battle was fierce. The Imperial resistance was much tougher here than before.

While the Stormcloaks pushed forwards, I took a lone charge and began cutting my way through the archers who had my companions pinned.

Fus Ro Dah!

Here, the Imperials attempted to overwhelm us with greater numbers, but our forces were stronger to the man.

The Imperials finally surrendered after heavy losses on both sides. Their remaining forces fled, while I began my short journey to Windhelm to report our latest victory.

Part 18 ‘Vampires and Victory’ Here
Chapter List Here