Skyrim Journal 2nd Entry: "My... What big teeth you have!"

I've started a journal chronicling my escapades and shenanigans in the world of Skyrim. Last week my not so brave woodsman Rognar barely escape a vicious dragon with his life, to find solace and comfort in the little village of Riverwood before being attacked by vampires. You can catch up by reading more here.

"My... What big teeth you have!"

The first steps are always the hardest...

I made my way through the wilderness on foot, following well beaten paths and cobblestone roads that stretched between the great cities. Glancing at my map, I could see that Fort Dawnguard was a long journey into the East, across mountains and through swamps. Peering over the map down to my well warn boots, I could see that perhaps buying a horse would be the first thing I should do. This might also help me with the little problem I am having with the local wildlife that seems to enjoy attacking me...

North it was then, towards Whiterun Stables. It wasn't too long of a trek, with the sun bearing down on me, I followed a stream that led me around a mountainside until I could make out a great valley. Ahead of me nestled between mountains, was a hill on top of which rested Whiterun, a large walled city surrounded by an assortment of farms. What drew my attention however, as I made my way towards the city, was the fight taking place in one of the farmsteads.

"Fore!"

"Is... Is that a giant?!" I proclaimed perhaps a little too loudly.

The giant stopped its attack and turned towards me, its grim expression turning to anger. This thing was as tall as a pine! A solitary guard decided to attack the beast, perhaps in a vain attempt to defend my life. Stepping over the freshly pummeled body of the guard's friend, it swung its club in long slow arc and struck the guard, sending him careening past me into the forest behind us. Then it lowered its gaze upon me. I brandished my little woodcutter axe, gripping the hilt tightly. Perhaps out of fear more than anything else. It was about to charge when I heard a scream from behind it, followed by the distinct sound of arrows whizzing through the air. The beast screamed in pain as arrows struck its back. There were others! It turned towards them, swinging its club. HAHA! A distraction!

With adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I charged towards the giant, waving my axe impotently in the air. Letting out a whimpering battle cry, I struck at the beast's back and then kept swinging. My eyes closed shut waiting for the inevitable thump of a club that would send me flying off into the atmosphere. Yet, I heard the beast grumble and moan. Opening my eyes, I saw it collapse in a heap in front of me. VICTORY! I have slain the giant! Call me Rognar giant's bane! I AM MIGHTIEST OF AL-

The limp body of the giant collapsed, revealing a forest of arrows sticking out of its chest. Glancing up from the slain giant, I could see a small group of warriors lowering their bows and approach me. Slightly deflated, yet still convinced that I had at least landed the killing blow I greeted my saviors compatriots, returning my little woodcutter axe to my side. I discovered them to be warriors of the Companions, a sacred order of fighters who took on jobs, righting wrongs, killing troublesome beasts and collecting a good profit along the way. As luck would have it, my display of bravery in taking on the giant seemed the sway the opinion of at least one of them, offering me a spot in the companions if I so wished.

Knowing that my true goal was to join the Dawnguard for revenge, I bid them farewell and good tidings. I had no time for heroics, dragons or such other nonsense. My drive for adventure was purely that of vengeance for the slaying of my people in Riverwood. Coughing slightly, I made my way towards the stables. Once again someone commented on me looking rather pale or ill. Huh... Strange. Maybe I had lost all color from my face when I saw the giant for the first time? Regardless, I headed to the stable owner. Time to buy my steed!

"Looking for a horse?"

"How much?!!" I squealed. 1000 gold pieces. ONE THOUSAND. This wasn't happening...

I stepped into the shade from the bright sun, trying to rack my brain. I had only 230 in my pocket. Cutting wood wasn't really a high paying job. It was more of a community support thing. Damn... How could I make that sort of... cash. Then it dawned upon me. The companions! I could join them, rough up some people and get paid! Hell, I might as well learn some fighting skills while I'm at it as well, all the better when I join the Dawnguard. I turned back to the stable owner and leaned in real close.

"I'll be back." I muttered and walked off into Whiterun. Okay, that may have come off a bit more sinister than I had hoped. Hopefully the cost of the horse won't be doubled by the time I get back.  

Whiterun was a large sprawling city. Well, as sprawling as one could be, being walled in and on top of a hill. I made my way to Jorvaskr, the hall of the companions and pledged myself to their aid. After a brief fist fight where I pummeled one of the companions into submissions (A lot of tavern fights in Riverwood.) I fixed a sword and returned a shield before being tasked with my first quest! A bear was harassing a local farm, I was to go and kill it, bringing peace and prosperity back to their farmstead.

The Companions. Making heroism sexy. Also killing lots of bears. 

I decided to rest after my long day. I took lodging at the nearby Horse and Mare tavern, and laid my head down on the pillow. Drifting off, I was suddenly accosted by red flashes and a strange thirst in the evening... Wait... WAIT...

My mind started to race. I had been feeling this way for a few days now. Feeling rather ill, looking pale, yet by night time the feeling had usually faded. Especially today when the sun... was so bright? Oh dear god...

I shot up out of bed, a cold sweat forming on my brow. The vampire attack. I had been struck by one of them, but didn't pay any mind... By the gods, I was turning into a vampire! The very thing I had sworn to destroy! What foul joke had the gods played on me?! 

I tried to steady my nerves, touching the tips of my teeth with my tongue to see if they were sharp. Nothing yet. Or was there? Oh man... Okay... I could figure this out. These companions seemed like open folk. I'm sure I could stay among them as my affliction progressed. But the Dawnguard would never allow me to enter... Not anymore. I had to find a cure. A way to rid myself of this... Evil. For my Vengeance!

The following day, I took off early before anyone woke up. I would handle this quest quickly, get my money and continue in hopes of finding my cure. I made my way to the farmstead where the bear had decided to barricade itself inside the house. Ignoring what the farmers said, I kicked down the door and waylaid the bear, striking at the animal with my new companion sword. It was short work, and a small payment. I knew then that I would have to make due with my predicament until I had accrued enough money to buy my steed.This would be my life for the next few weeks... Well it was, until I turned into a werewolf.

Skyrim Journal 1st Entry: The Story Thus Far...

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, released in 2011, is a game almost unlike any other. Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, it is an action RPG continuation of their popular Elder Scroll series. Lauded for its dense, living and breathing environment, one truly feels that they have entered a real fantasy world. People mill about, doing their business, animals roam the wilderness, sometimes hunting, sometimes attacking a poor soul too naive to realize that a cave bear does not want to be petted (thats Far Cry: Primal). 

So... I've decided to do something a bit different. For a while at least, I'm going to journal my adventures in the game. I'll try and be as narratively concise as I can, but also I am going to be as accurate in documenting my gameplay as I can. You could consider it as a journal written by the character if you prefer. Anyway, this first entry will bring you up to speed with what I have done so far, and I'll probably skim a lot. So this will be spoiler heavy, but also skip a lot of plot elements etc. So if you want to live your own Skyrim adventure, you won't be totally spoiled by what I'm writing here. 

Why am I doing this? Well, mainly a writing exercise for myself. Keeping a journal for 31 days or longer. So I thought to myself, why not about my adventures in a game? It makes for far more interesting events, considering that I'll be evading warlocks and getting my ass handed to me by giants. Compared to say, getting a cup of coffee and finding out that it is cold and lamenting over the weather. So... Here we go!

The Story Thus Far...

My name is Rognar and I'm a slave... As far as I can tell, I am a Nord from these lands of Skyrim, which resides in the norther wastes of Tamriel the great continent. It also seems like I have no memory of my prior life. I found myself being taken on a horse drawn cart to a small outpost called Helgen and I was not alone. Alongside me were fellow northmen, one with a bound mouth, a couple of warriors and weak little man who could not stop talking. Maybe I was being carted off into a Gulag or some sort of work camp for what I had done? What did I do?

"Oh..." I declared when I saw the first head get lopped off by an executioner after we were offloaded into the courtyard. 

To my great surprise, this was not a prisoner transfer after all, but a god damned execution and my turn was next. I tried my best to discover an exit strategy, but my hands were tied and the earlier warrior died with such grace that I could not dare die a coward. Hmm... Coward, maybe I was one before I got my amnesia? Was I a deserter? I'm pretty buff for a normal person, and one doesn't really get this big working at a farm. Yes, my final thoughts as I laid my head down on the block were of my huge biceps. Well, this is a short lived game I thought as the executioner raised his axe.

Then came a strange roar. Everyone stopped and looked to the skies...

"Oh..." I muttered a second time as a dragon descended and literally lit the place up. During the fiery commotion, I managed to escape with the help of my fellow prisoners. We quickly made our way down through a cave as the outpost was destroyed above us. All I could hear were the roars of the dragon, the screams of soldiers and the crushing pounding of rubble hitting the ground. Finally, reaching sunlight we parted ways. Friendships are short, like our lives it seems, in Skyrim. 

Then, standing there, alone, in the wilderness of Skyrim, fear gripped me again. What the hell am I going to do now? One of the northmen spoke of a village he was heading to. But he was rather adamant that we split up. Screw it, I'll just follow him to his village and find myself a new life there. One of peace and quiet. Where no one or dragon will ever want to hurt me again. 

I was greeted by a small village next to a river called Riverwood. It was beautiful. A mill was quietly spinning as the river rushed underneath. A man was tending the mill, sawing some wood. I was greeted by a lovely old lady, walking about her day. There was a big gray dog happily chasing chickens, quickly followed by a child. Yes... This will make a swell home...

I spent my days chopping wood, working the mill and collecting plants. I frolicked naked around the river, went for a swim and got drunk in the tavern. I even managed to help sort out the local love triangle. Life was good. But, it seemed fate had other plans. And so did the people of Riverwood. Conversations kept on evolving into tasks people wished me to perform. I had to find a claw ornament that was stolen from the store clerk, I was asked to report of what I saw to the Jarl of the land, I kept on getting mail from people I didn't know to meet them at far of locations... The call to adventure was screaming in my ear and all I wanted to do is chop wood man! This place is awesome! I had my taste of combat when I slaughtered everyone to get the clerks ornament back. I saw far off places when I told the Jarl about the dragon attack, who promptly told me that another one was spotted and asked me to join in the fight. Yeah right! I'm just a woodcutter, man... I've had my fill of blood. Yet, this all changed when the vampires attacked.

I was making my way back to my friend's home (they had basically adopted me) back at Riverwood after a rowdy night of drinking and singing in the tavern when they attacked. It was dark outside, so I couldn't really see what was happening. All I heard was screaming, the clash of weapons and the cries of battle. I hid behind the bushes as they continued their slaughter of guards, when suddenly they attacked the nice old lady who lived down the road.

"No!" I screamed as I pulled out my woodcutter axe and charged headfirst into the fray. 

Whacking and hacking away until the last of them were dead. Almost including myself. I managed to heal myself enough and drag my bloodied body to bed and rest until I was healed. The following morning I walked outside, expecting a funeral for the old lady and the guards we lost, but it was not to be. The world of Skyrim is harsh and so life would be too to the point of disregarding human decency. Across the streets the bodies of the fallen lay where they fell. Including the lovely old lady. Right there, outside her home in an unnatural position. I did what I thought was right and dragged her body back inside. 

Stepping out, everyone else just went about their lives as if nothing had happened. Stepping over the other dead, I heard one of the guards mention the formation of what was called the Dawnguard. Vampire hunters. Yes! I thought to myself. Here was a chance for me to seek revenge on the ones who killed the lovely old lady. Here was a chance for retribution! I pressed further about the Dawnguard and was given the location of their fort. 

Fate had found its way as my days as a lowly woodcutter had come to an end. In the name of the old lady I would lay down my axe and replace it with a sword, to become one of the Dawnguard. Laying my vengeance upon all vampires, ending their scourge in Skyrim once and for all. This wasn't about adventure anymore... This was revenge!

Then as I took my first steps towards the fort, one of my fellow villagers stopped and looked at me funnily.

"You look a bit ill, are you ok?" she asked. 

Truth be told, I had felt a bit weak after the attack, but I was sure it was nothing to be worried about.