After collecting the bounty on those bandits at Bilegulch Mine from Jarl Siddgeir, I was offered the opportunity to buy some land not too far from town. It was exactly what I had been hoping for. Trouble is, the Jarl wanted 5000 gold for it and I only had about 3000 to spare. If I wanted to raise the extra 2000, I'd have to do some adventuring, as smithing my way to 2000 would take way too long. So, I inquired about more work and the Jarl told me that he'd only assign me more work if I could become well known enough around Falkreath Hold for the the people to regard me as Thane. And, to do that, I would have to start helping people out.
Great. So, I guess that means I'm going to have to sell vegetables and chop firewood unless another opportunity for adventure comes along.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Bilegulch Mine
A fine mist seemed to blanket the air as Faendal and I approached Bilegulch Mine. Jarl Siddgeir sent us to the mine in order to clear it of bandits. The Jarl is a shiftless character, content to sit on his throne and count his gold while making others get their hands dirty for him. That suits me, though. Getting my hands dirty is a small price to pay in exchange for gold. If I want to set up shop in Falkreath Hold, I'm going to have to get on Jarl Siddgeir's good side, and collecting the bounties is one of the ways to do that.
We approached Bilegulch as quietly as possible, hoping to scout out the situation before confronting the bandits within. It seems that either the clanging of my heavy armor or Faendal's deep, boredom laden sighs gave us away as we were attacked by a lone bandit once we were in sight of the defense perimeter. For an Orc, he didn't put up much of a fight. Faendal and I made quick work of him. "Try to be more stealthy from now on", I said to Faendal
Crouching down, we moved in through the gate and past the defensive walls. I couldn't resist checking out a nearby storage chest and looting the gold within. Obviously, this was part of the percentage that this group owed Jarl Siddgeir. Maybe they just hadn't gotten around to delivering it. Not my problem.
We spied two bandits atop the watch tower. I nodded to Faendal and we both drew our bows. I loosed mine first, and Faendal, as ever, was right behind. Both arrows hit their marks which brought the two bandits racing towards us. They proved to be no match for our arrows as they dropped dead well before they could reach us. The most trouble they gave us was their corpses littering our way up the stairs.
A full smithing station complete with a smelter sat outside the entrance to the mine. In a nearby cart, I found the reason why the Orc bandits were hiding out there: Orichalcum ore. Seems like the Jarl's Orc friends were looking to smith up some Orcish armor and weapons. They must not have gotten far, considering that the ones Faendal and I encountered were wearing nothing more than hide armor. Good thing we arrived when we did.
No doubt, the bandit leader was holed up within the mine itself. Mines are such dirty, dingy places; exactly the kind of place an Orc would be at home in. "Let's get this over with", I said to Faendal as we slipped past the door to the mine. We moved silently through the mine with our bows drawn. I could hear the bandit leader talking to himself. I could practically smell him as we inched closer. The moment he was in sight, I loosed my arrow. It went stray and missed, yet Faendal, as ever, hit his mark.
The arrow didn't do much to stop him, as the bandit leader was on top of me so fast that I barely had time to stand up and change weapons. He was in full-on berserker mode, practically ignoring every hit I scored on him while pummeling me soundly with his war hammer. Faendal kept shooting arrows at him from a distance, but they had little effect. If we didn't change tactics quickly, we'd both be done for.
I broke from the fight and ran further down into the mine. Just as I had hoped, the Orc ignored me and went straight after Faendal. I popped three minor healing potions before returning to the fray. Attacking from behind while Faendal kept the bandit busy from the front yielded better results. We were relentless, cutting into the bandit over and over again until his body simply gave out. We had won. It was a dirty victory, but a victory nonetheless. Faendal was so relieved, he didn't bother to chide me for leaving the fight for a moment.
We made a sweep of the mine and collected as much treasure and weapons as we could carry. I also mined all of the available Orichalcum ore. Even though I have no knowledge of Orcish forging, a pile of Orichalcum ingots would probably fetch a nice price from one of the merchants in town. Thank the Divines that I had access to a full slate of smithing tools since I now technically controlled Bilegulch mine.
We approached Bilegulch as quietly as possible, hoping to scout out the situation before confronting the bandits within. It seems that either the clanging of my heavy armor or Faendal's deep, boredom laden sighs gave us away as we were attacked by a lone bandit once we were in sight of the defense perimeter. For an Orc, he didn't put up much of a fight. Faendal and I made quick work of him. "Try to be more stealthy from now on", I said to Faendal
Crouching down, we moved in through the gate and past the defensive walls. I couldn't resist checking out a nearby storage chest and looting the gold within. Obviously, this was part of the percentage that this group owed Jarl Siddgeir. Maybe they just hadn't gotten around to delivering it. Not my problem.
We spied two bandits atop the watch tower. I nodded to Faendal and we both drew our bows. I loosed mine first, and Faendal, as ever, was right behind. Both arrows hit their marks which brought the two bandits racing towards us. They proved to be no match for our arrows as they dropped dead well before they could reach us. The most trouble they gave us was their corpses littering our way up the stairs.
A full smithing station complete with a smelter sat outside the entrance to the mine. In a nearby cart, I found the reason why the Orc bandits were hiding out there: Orichalcum ore. Seems like the Jarl's Orc friends were looking to smith up some Orcish armor and weapons. They must not have gotten far, considering that the ones Faendal and I encountered were wearing nothing more than hide armor. Good thing we arrived when we did.
No doubt, the bandit leader was holed up within the mine itself. Mines are such dirty, dingy places; exactly the kind of place an Orc would be at home in. "Let's get this over with", I said to Faendal as we slipped past the door to the mine. We moved silently through the mine with our bows drawn. I could hear the bandit leader talking to himself. I could practically smell him as we inched closer. The moment he was in sight, I loosed my arrow. It went stray and missed, yet Faendal, as ever, hit his mark.
The arrow didn't do much to stop him, as the bandit leader was on top of me so fast that I barely had time to stand up and change weapons. He was in full-on berserker mode, practically ignoring every hit I scored on him while pummeling me soundly with his war hammer. Faendal kept shooting arrows at him from a distance, but they had little effect. If we didn't change tactics quickly, we'd both be done for.
I broke from the fight and ran further down into the mine. Just as I had hoped, the Orc ignored me and went straight after Faendal. I popped three minor healing potions before returning to the fray. Attacking from behind while Faendal kept the bandit busy from the front yielded better results. We were relentless, cutting into the bandit over and over again until his body simply gave out. We had won. It was a dirty victory, but a victory nonetheless. Faendal was so relieved, he didn't bother to chide me for leaving the fight for a moment.
We made a sweep of the mine and collected as much treasure and weapons as we could carry. I also mined all of the available Orichalcum ore. Even though I have no knowledge of Orcish forging, a pile of Orichalcum ingots would probably fetch a nice price from one of the merchants in town. Thank the Divines that I had access to a full slate of smithing tools since I now technically controlled Bilegulch mine.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Welcome To Falkreath
My grandfather used to tell me stories about Falkreath and how Nords and Bretons had been fighting over the area for centuries before the arrival of Hjalti High-Beard. One night, after beating back Reachman forces, Hjalti was visited by Ysmir who taught him the Way of the Voice which allowed him to shout down the walls of Old Hrol'dan. From that moment on, he was known as Talos and he would go on to unite Tamriel and be crowned Emperor Tiber Septim. His eventual death turned him into one of the Divines. But worshipping him is outlawed throughout the Empire now, thanks to the treaty that ended the Great War with the Thalmor.
And here, in Falkreath, is where much of that history took root. It's apparent from the size of its ancient cemetery that many warriors fought and died for their beliefs here. Being he makes me wonder what it is that I believe. I don't have an answer yet. All I know right now is that I want to start a business and make a living. Once that's done, I can better afford to have a philosophy. I'd need to be able to purchase some land first. To that end, I approached the Jarl of Falkreath in the hopes that he might be able to provide Faendal and me with some adventuring work. He wouldn't even consider it unless I could bring him some Black Briar mead. I asked Faendal where we might be able to get some, but he just stared at me.
I figured that perhaps some of the locals might have some work, so we went to the local Inn, Dead Man's Drink, to inquire about. Turns out the Thane of Falkreath happens to be a conspiracy nut and he hired me to steal the note from the home of the local blacksmith. I normally wouldn't stoop to thievery, but I couldn't pass up a chance to take my competition down a peg. You'd think a blacksmith would have a better lock on his house. I picked the lock easily, went in and stole the letter. As I picked it up, I noticed that there was a bottle of Black Briar mead nearby, which I also picked up. So, not only did this minor theft earn me a little coin, but it also earned me some credibility in the eyes of the Jarl. He has already sent Faendal and I off on an adventure: We're to clear one of the nearby mines of bandits.
And here, in Falkreath, is where much of that history took root. It's apparent from the size of its ancient cemetery that many warriors fought and died for their beliefs here. Being he makes me wonder what it is that I believe. I don't have an answer yet. All I know right now is that I want to start a business and make a living. Once that's done, I can better afford to have a philosophy. I'd need to be able to purchase some land first. To that end, I approached the Jarl of Falkreath in the hopes that he might be able to provide Faendal and me with some adventuring work. He wouldn't even consider it unless I could bring him some Black Briar mead. I asked Faendal where we might be able to get some, but he just stared at me.
I figured that perhaps some of the locals might have some work, so we went to the local Inn, Dead Man's Drink, to inquire about. Turns out the Thane of Falkreath happens to be a conspiracy nut and he hired me to steal the note from the home of the local blacksmith. I normally wouldn't stoop to thievery, but I couldn't pass up a chance to take my competition down a peg. You'd think a blacksmith would have a better lock on his house. I picked the lock easily, went in and stole the letter. As I picked it up, I noticed that there was a bottle of Black Briar mead nearby, which I also picked up. So, not only did this minor theft earn me a little coin, but it also earned me some credibility in the eyes of the Jarl. He has already sent Faendal and I off on an adventure: We're to clear one of the nearby mines of bandits.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
It Pays To Be An Adventurer
I'm just not ready to deal with what might be waiting for me in Whiterun, so I decided to head to Falkreath as it's about as far from Whiterun as one could possibly get. Faendal and I didn't get too far out of Riverwood before an assassin attacked me. I hadn't thought that we would encounter much more than a few rabbits en route to Falkreath, so I was wearing my regular cloth outfit when we were attacked. As the assassin closed in on me, scoring hit after hit, I called out for Faendal. He had been walking so far behind me that, at times, I believed that he might have gone back to Riverwood to try an settle things with Camilla. So, I wasn't surprised by his lack of response.
I fought back against the dual wielding assassin, power bashing him in the face in order to stagger him back so I could go on the offensive. I had him on his heels when I heard the telltale whiff of arrows being shot. Faendal had finally joined the fray. I had considered letting the assassin yield so that I could I ask him who he was working for, but before I could step back, a final arrow from Faendal hit him in the throat and he went down gurgling.
I searched the corpse and found a note that said:
As instructed, you are to eliminate Guillaume Coupe-Lacier by any means necessary. The Black Sacrament has been performed - somebody wants this poor fool dead.
We've already received payment for the contract. Failure is not an option.
- Astrid
Failure is not an option? Seems to me that the poor bastard failed pretty hard. Still, he got in some good shots. I used up all of my healing potions trying to undo the damage he had done to me. I figured that if this sort of thing was commonplace in Skyrim, we'd have to stop somewhere for supplies before moving on to Falkreath. Luckily, I could make out a small cottage in the distance. Maybe someone there would be willing to trade for supplies. I put on my Imperial armor and we headed towards the cottage
We had a quick look about the area when we got there. Apparently the place was called "Pinewatch". Nobody was outside, so I tried the door. It was locked. I looked over at Faendal and said "Looks like nobody's home". Faendal just stared at me which I took to mean that he wouldn't mind if we had a look inside. It was a fairly easy lock, so I picked it and went inside.
"You're not supposed to be in here", Faendal said. I wished he would have told me that BEFORE I had picked the lock. But, what's done is done, so I began to look around. Although there was quite a bit of cheese and meat, I didn't see any healing potions. I did, however, notice a set of stairs leading to what I presumed was a basement. Perhaps there were potions stored down there. The moment I stepped onto the staircase, I encountered a bandit! I swung my sword at him as Faendal loosed some arrows into him. He was no match for the two of us and his corpse fell down the stairs as the life left his body.
He certainly wouldn't be needing all that armor that had been left on the table in the basement, so I looted it, as some of it was better than what I was already wearing. There was a curious note among the items that mentioned wine that had been left in a bucket behind a shelf. I could hear a breeze blowing through the room, so I followed the sound to a shelf and found a button beside it. Pushing the button caused the shelf to swing open, revealing a hidden tunnel. I didn't have to ask Faendal if he wanted to explore the tunnel. I knew he'd be right behind me.
We got to the end of the tunnel to find a room being patrolled by three bandits. I crouched down and drew my bow, signaling Faendal to be ready to take down the other two once I dropped the first one. My first shot missed and the bandit looked around puzzled after the arrow hit the wall next to him. Nervously, I drew another arrow and shot. That arrow found its target, but the bandit was onto us. Instead of alerting his compatriots, he came charging towards us. Faendal finished him off with another arrow. The other two didn't notice that their comrade had been killed, so I let loose upon another bandit. This got the attention of the third who charged towards us. I drew my sword in order to battle him while Faendal continued to work on the other one with his bow.
Two bashes from the hilt of my sword staggered my opponent enough for me to move in for a quick kill with the dagger that I had in my left hand. I looked over at Faendal's opponent and saw him kneeling on the ground. "I yield! I YIELD!" he said. Those would be his last words, for I ended his life by pushing my sword through his gut. I had always heard that Nords never asked for quarter. Pathetic.
The next room led to a dining hall where we took two bandits by surprise as they were eating their evening meal. They were no real match for us and once we were finished dispatching them, I began to loot the room. I unlocked two chests, wasting nearly a dozen lockpicks on one of them. It was worth the effort, though, as it contained a pair of boots of higher quality than the Imperial ones I had been wearing. Even though these bandits weren't much for fighting, they certainly were well equipped.
They couldn't have been bandits for long, as any real bandit would surely have thought to loot the dead drugr that we found laying about. I must have gotten 20 gold pieces from doing that alone. I was shocked at how easily the bandits lived among the ancient corpses. We even found one of them fast asleep in the next room. I ensured that he would never wake up again. Nearby, there were four bandits going about their business and they put up enough of a fight that I had to stop for a moment to heal up.
The moment I drank down a healing potion, she appeared. She was clad in heavy Nord armor and wielded a war axe. The battle was joined. She put up a valiant effort, often blocking my attacks , practically anticipating my every move. Ultimately, I was victorious and sent her to Sovengarde by practically butterflying her chest open with my sword. Faendal remained silent, and, soon, I suspected why. Strewn about the room were a number of letters, one of which was from the lady's father. Her name was Rigel Strong-Arm and her father was imploring her to give up her life of crime and join the Stormcloaks. He obviously was not successful. That woman was a good fighter. The Stormcloaks could have used her. I felt for her wasted life and for the emptiness that would certainly swell within her father's heart now that she was gone. I looked at Faendal with a heart-felt sigh.
My melancholy would not last long, though, as I found a key on Rigel's corpse that unlocked a room filled with a fabulous treasure trove of gold, armor and potions. Finally, this adventuring thing had paid off. This was just the sort of haul I needed in order to start work on building my own blacksmith shop.
I fought back against the dual wielding assassin, power bashing him in the face in order to stagger him back so I could go on the offensive. I had him on his heels when I heard the telltale whiff of arrows being shot. Faendal had finally joined the fray. I had considered letting the assassin yield so that I could I ask him who he was working for, but before I could step back, a final arrow from Faendal hit him in the throat and he went down gurgling.
I searched the corpse and found a note that said:
As instructed, you are to eliminate Guillaume Coupe-Lacier by any means necessary. The Black Sacrament has been performed - somebody wants this poor fool dead.
We've already received payment for the contract. Failure is not an option.
- Astrid
Failure is not an option? Seems to me that the poor bastard failed pretty hard. Still, he got in some good shots. I used up all of my healing potions trying to undo the damage he had done to me. I figured that if this sort of thing was commonplace in Skyrim, we'd have to stop somewhere for supplies before moving on to Falkreath. Luckily, I could make out a small cottage in the distance. Maybe someone there would be willing to trade for supplies. I put on my Imperial armor and we headed towards the cottage
We had a quick look about the area when we got there. Apparently the place was called "Pinewatch". Nobody was outside, so I tried the door. It was locked. I looked over at Faendal and said "Looks like nobody's home". Faendal just stared at me which I took to mean that he wouldn't mind if we had a look inside. It was a fairly easy lock, so I picked it and went inside.
"You're not supposed to be in here", Faendal said. I wished he would have told me that BEFORE I had picked the lock. But, what's done is done, so I began to look around. Although there was quite a bit of cheese and meat, I didn't see any healing potions. I did, however, notice a set of stairs leading to what I presumed was a basement. Perhaps there were potions stored down there. The moment I stepped onto the staircase, I encountered a bandit! I swung my sword at him as Faendal loosed some arrows into him. He was no match for the two of us and his corpse fell down the stairs as the life left his body.
He certainly wouldn't be needing all that armor that had been left on the table in the basement, so I looted it, as some of it was better than what I was already wearing. There was a curious note among the items that mentioned wine that had been left in a bucket behind a shelf. I could hear a breeze blowing through the room, so I followed the sound to a shelf and found a button beside it. Pushing the button caused the shelf to swing open, revealing a hidden tunnel. I didn't have to ask Faendal if he wanted to explore the tunnel. I knew he'd be right behind me.
We got to the end of the tunnel to find a room being patrolled by three bandits. I crouched down and drew my bow, signaling Faendal to be ready to take down the other two once I dropped the first one. My first shot missed and the bandit looked around puzzled after the arrow hit the wall next to him. Nervously, I drew another arrow and shot. That arrow found its target, but the bandit was onto us. Instead of alerting his compatriots, he came charging towards us. Faendal finished him off with another arrow. The other two didn't notice that their comrade had been killed, so I let loose upon another bandit. This got the attention of the third who charged towards us. I drew my sword in order to battle him while Faendal continued to work on the other one with his bow.
Two bashes from the hilt of my sword staggered my opponent enough for me to move in for a quick kill with the dagger that I had in my left hand. I looked over at Faendal's opponent and saw him kneeling on the ground. "I yield! I YIELD!" he said. Those would be his last words, for I ended his life by pushing my sword through his gut. I had always heard that Nords never asked for quarter. Pathetic.
The next room led to a dining hall where we took two bandits by surprise as they were eating their evening meal. They were no real match for us and once we were finished dispatching them, I began to loot the room. I unlocked two chests, wasting nearly a dozen lockpicks on one of them. It was worth the effort, though, as it contained a pair of boots of higher quality than the Imperial ones I had been wearing. Even though these bandits weren't much for fighting, they certainly were well equipped.
They couldn't have been bandits for long, as any real bandit would surely have thought to loot the dead drugr that we found laying about. I must have gotten 20 gold pieces from doing that alone. I was shocked at how easily the bandits lived among the ancient corpses. We even found one of them fast asleep in the next room. I ensured that he would never wake up again. Nearby, there were four bandits going about their business and they put up enough of a fight that I had to stop for a moment to heal up.
The moment I drank down a healing potion, she appeared. She was clad in heavy Nord armor and wielded a war axe. The battle was joined. She put up a valiant effort, often blocking my attacks , practically anticipating my every move. Ultimately, I was victorious and sent her to Sovengarde by practically butterflying her chest open with my sword. Faendal remained silent, and, soon, I suspected why. Strewn about the room were a number of letters, one of which was from the lady's father. Her name was Rigel Strong-Arm and her father was imploring her to give up her life of crime and join the Stormcloaks. He obviously was not successful. That woman was a good fighter. The Stormcloaks could have used her. I felt for her wasted life and for the emptiness that would certainly swell within her father's heart now that she was gone. I looked at Faendal with a heart-felt sigh.
My melancholy would not last long, though, as I found a key on Rigel's corpse that unlocked a room filled with a fabulous treasure trove of gold, armor and potions. Finally, this adventuring thing had paid off. This was just the sort of haul I needed in order to start work on building my own blacksmith shop.
 |
| I Went In Dressed As An Imperial And Came Out Like This |
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Moving On
21st Of Last Seed, 4E 201
It's Appreciation Day. A holy day for contemplation dedicated to Mara.
Secrets don't stay secret long in small towns. This is especially true of Riverwood. I had been staying with Ralof and his sister Gerdur since the incident in Helgen and, when I woke up this morning, Ralof and I talked about the dragon and the Stormcloak rebellion and he urged me to head to Whiterun to speak with the Jarl. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was trying to put the incident behind me. I was going to head towards the mine to see if I could pull any more iron from it and, just before I left the hose, Hod, Gerdur's husband, approached me. He wanted to know what it was like to see a dragon up close. I didn't want to talk about it.
On my way out of town, I bumped into a Wood Elf named Faendal who talked to me about Camilla. Apparently, Hod and I weren't the only ones who were struck by her beauty. Faendal told me that Camilla was being wooed by Sven the bard. Yet another indication that I should have been a bard. Anyway, Faendal had a plan to break them up. He had written a letter in Sven's handwriting that was sure to anger Camilla. Assuming she wouldn't bother to investigate any further, that is. Faendal asked me to give her the letter. I found her at a table at the Sleeping Giant Inn. I approached her and she smiled at me. That smile melted my heart. For a moment, I considered telling her the truth, that Faendal was trying to frame Sven. But.....I couldn't. Part of me wanted Camilla for myself knowing that, despite anything Sven would do, she'd never give her heart to Faendal. A Nord and a Wood Elf? I don't see it ever happening. So, I have her the letter and Camilla assured me that she'd never speak to Sven again.
Faendal was beyond pleased, but I felt sick at what I had done. On a day devoted to the goddess of Love, I diverted love's course. I saw it as yet another indication that I should move on. To my surprise, Faendal offered to join me. Maybe he was hoping to get out of town before Camilla figured everything out and the jig was up. Maybe he just wanted to go on an adventure. And as for Sven......I wonder if he knows any old songs about dragons.
It's Appreciation Day. A holy day for contemplation dedicated to Mara.
Secrets don't stay secret long in small towns. This is especially true of Riverwood. I had been staying with Ralof and his sister Gerdur since the incident in Helgen and, when I woke up this morning, Ralof and I talked about the dragon and the Stormcloak rebellion and he urged me to head to Whiterun to speak with the Jarl. I didn't have the heart to tell him that I was trying to put the incident behind me. I was going to head towards the mine to see if I could pull any more iron from it and, just before I left the hose, Hod, Gerdur's husband, approached me. He wanted to know what it was like to see a dragon up close. I didn't want to talk about it.
On my way out of town, I bumped into a Wood Elf named Faendal who talked to me about Camilla. Apparently, Hod and I weren't the only ones who were struck by her beauty. Faendal told me that Camilla was being wooed by Sven the bard. Yet another indication that I should have been a bard. Anyway, Faendal had a plan to break them up. He had written a letter in Sven's handwriting that was sure to anger Camilla. Assuming she wouldn't bother to investigate any further, that is. Faendal asked me to give her the letter. I found her at a table at the Sleeping Giant Inn. I approached her and she smiled at me. That smile melted my heart. For a moment, I considered telling her the truth, that Faendal was trying to frame Sven. But.....I couldn't. Part of me wanted Camilla for myself knowing that, despite anything Sven would do, she'd never give her heart to Faendal. A Nord and a Wood Elf? I don't see it ever happening. So, I have her the letter and Camilla assured me that she'd never speak to Sven again.
Faendal was beyond pleased, but I felt sick at what I had done. On a day devoted to the goddess of Love, I diverted love's course. I saw it as yet another indication that I should move on. To my surprise, Faendal offered to join me. Maybe he was hoping to get out of town before Camilla figured everything out and the jig was up. Maybe he just wanted to go on an adventure. And as for Sven......I wonder if he knows any old songs about dragons.
Monday, March 18, 2013
The Golden Claw
20th Of Last Seed, 4E 201
I visited The Riverwood Trader again today, and, as usual, I heard Lucan Valerius arguing with his sister, Camilla over something. I normally don't pay attention when they argue, because it's really none of my business. It's clear to me, though, that if I want to make enough money to finance my own blacksmithing shop, I'm going to have to do it through adventuring. Adventuring basically involves going to places you wouldn't normally go and doing things you wouldn't normally do. The hazards are high, the hours are terrible, the work is unreliable, but they pay is great and the fringe benefits can't be beat. Plus, armor and weapons become a tax write-off.
I asked Lucan if I could help somehow, and he sent me off to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve some golden dragon claw artifact that had been stolen by some thief. Sounds easy enough. Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find the thief, get the claw, collect the reward. Sounds easier than dealing with a mine full of bandits, anyway. I put on my Imperial armor just in case that thief got in a lucky shot before I turned his face into bone meal.
Camilla insisted on showing me the way and, as we walked to the edge of Riverwood, I was struck by her beauty and inner strength. I hadn't noticed it while she was arguing with her brother, but, as she walked me through town, it was unmistakable. As if I didn't have incentive enough already to get that gold dragon claw back.
Bleak Falls Barrow is....well....bleak. I could see why a thief would choose to hide out in there. As I climbed up to the barrow, I could feel the air growing steadily colder. My Imperial armor was no match for the stinging cold as the wind whipped around me, chilling me to the bone. Bleak Falls Barrow came into sight and as I began the slow climb up the stairs to the entrance, I encountered a group of bandits. Again with the bandits! I should have known that the thief would be part of a larger group. The had caught me by surprise, so, as the first bandit charged down the stone steps, I was still drawing my sword. The sweat of battle that flowed from beneath my skin nearly froze the instant it contacted the cold air. The bandits must have been feeling the cold as much as I had, for the first one rushed at me clumsily. I swiped my sword across his chest and drove it deep into his belly. I pivoted around in time to block a mace blow from a second bandit. I made short work of her by slicing her open with a devastating backhand cut. I felt an arrow sail by my head and looked towards the bandit archer as he loosed another one. I charged at him with my shield and slashed at him as my blood began to boil over from the rage of having nearly taken an arrow to the knee. Two shield bashes and a sword slash later, the bandit fell to his knees with a pitiful gurgle.
After looting the bodies, I quietly slipped inside the barrow, desperately hoping that the battle hadn't attracted any attention. The sound of the shrieking wind ensured that not a single battle cry had been heard. I found two bandits by a campfire. The smell of goat leg roasting on the fire along with rotting skeever made me miss my mother's cooking. I crept closer to the fire, thankful that its warmth was quickly soothing my frost-ravaged skin. One of the bandits was sleeping while the other one was stirring the cooking pot. I drew back my bow and loosed an arrow, catching the bandit in the back of the throat. She turned around in time to see me loose the arrow that finished her. I then crept up to the sleeping bandit and ran him through.
I crept further down into the ruins, coming to another set of stairs. I spied another bandit at the bottom of them. I drew my bow again and took aim. The bandit was walking towards a lever in the center of the chamber. He was trying to operate the gate at the far end. He pulled the lever and was attacked by dozens of tiny steel barbs shooting out from the walls. Moments later, the bandit dropped to his knees and died. Posion! This stint in adventuring was looking a lot less attractive. Maybe I should have become a bard instead. It's much safer to sing about adventuring than it is to actually go adventuring.
It was obvious that the darts would only be triggered by the lever, so, perhaps I could get through the gate without using it. Maybe the lever was just for "show". The gate was bolted into the floor, so there was no way I could simply lift it. As I looked around the chamber, I noticed three pillars with carvings on them set into one of the walls. I got a closer look at them and realized that I could rotate them. Each side had one of three different animals carved into it. This had to mean something. I look around for some sort of sign and noticed three other pillars with similar carvings above the gate. The middle one, however, had fallen off, and I saw it resting by the lever. I turned back to the three pillars, and I rotated them so that they matched the images above the gate. I grabbed the lever, prayed to The Divines and pulled. The mechanism unlocked the gate from the floor and it slid upwards revealing a tunnel that was carved into the rock of the mountain. I heard a voice calling from somewhere further into the tunnel.
"Is that you, Griswald? Help me!" I cautiously followed the voice down the tunnel.
As I turned the corner, I encountered a massive spider web stretched across an entry-way. I cleared the way with a few swipes from my sword. This allowed me to see the man who had been calling out for help. He was caught in another large web.
"Help me!" He cried, "Cut me down before that thing gets us." I'm no fool. I asked him to hand over the golden claw first. He claimed that he couldn't reach it while he was stuck to the web. Okay. We were going to have to do this the hard way. I had planned to free him halfway, get the claw and then decide how to proceed afterwards. Yet, as I began to cut him down, a shadow fell over me. I turned around to find a gigantic spider descending towards me menacingly.
I charged towards it and slashed my sword, cutting open a river of green blood. The monstrous spider shrieked in pain. It tried to attack me again. I drove in closer, slicing at its legs as it attempted to shoot me with impact webbing. I thrust my sword forward, into the beast's head, making it shriek in its death throws. A few moments later, it was still.
"You did it! You killed it!", the thief exclaimed, "Now cut me down from here!" He sounded an awful lot like Lucan. Maybe he was a brother or a cousin or something. Then again, a lot of Imperials seem to sound alike for some reason. Whatever their affiliation, this smug little thief was standing between me and my reward. I demanded the claw from him. "Yes! Yes! The claw! I know how it works! The claw, the markings, the doorway in the Hall of Stories, I know how it all fits together! Cut me down, and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden here!".
Power? Something in the back of my mind told me not to trust him. Then again, maybe there was more to the golden claw than Lucan was letting on. There had to be a reason why someone would steal it and take it deep into a Nordic ruin rather than simply fencing it. The thief was clearly no match for me, so I cut him down. The moment his feet hit the ground he took off running, saying "You fool. Why should I share the claw with anyone?" and took off down the passage behind him. I charged after him. I drew my bow and went after him, shooting arrows as he led me through the twisting passages.
We came upon a passage that had corpses lining the walls. As the thief ran past one of them corpses, its eyes opened. I stopped cold for just a moment, trying to make sure that I saw exactly what I thought I was seeing. I watched as more corpses began to rise and unsheathe their weapons. Their eyes glowed with an eerie, super-natural blue haze, and they groaned soulless groans as the surrounded the thief. "Gods, no!" he shouted as he turned to run. He stepped on a pressure plate which launched a large spiked gate at him. Before he could react, he was impaled by the spikes jutting out of the gate, and was flung halfway across the chamber. His body came to rest at my feet. I knelt down and looted the claw from his corpse. As I searched his corpse, I noticed that he had a journal, and as I opened it, I noticed that those undead abominations were bearing down upon me. I closed the journal and drew my sword. Was it possible to kill something that was already dead? A quick swipe from my sword indicated that it was indeed possible. I had wounded the thing, and, if it could be hurt, then it could be killed. A smile crept across my face as I ran towards the creatures.
If death has a smell, then I would guess that it smells much like those abominations did when I cut into what was left of their desiccated flesh. Obviously hampered by their decaying forms, I was able to take all three of them out with a few bashes from my shield and a few good stabs from my sword. At this point, I could have turned around and brought the claw back to Lucan. But, I had come this far and the thief's talk of "power" had me intrigued. I decided to try and find this "Hall Of Stories" that he had been talking about. More undead attacked me as I moved through the tunnel but, as I had before, I easily took care of them. I soon exited into a large chamber. It was clear of corpses, so my worries about being attacked by yet another mob of undead warriors were put aside. At the far end of the chamber was a magnificently carved door. It had markings on it with a key stone in the center, which, upon closer inspection, was a perfect fit for the golden claw. But, what did the circles above the key stone mean? I looked at the claw more closely, noting a sequence of markings running along its palm. Three markings on the claw and three markings on the door. I soon realized that I could rotate the markings on the door around, so I arranged them to match the markings on the claw. I then inserted the and turned the mechanism. I steadied myself in preparation for being hit my poison darts. Instead, the door shook as the machinery beneath it ground to life and sunk the door into the ground, revealing a flight of stairs. I drew my bow and proceeded up the steps.
A glorious sight met me at the top of the steps: an enormous cavern with an underground stream running through it surrounding a raised burial platform. Behind the platform sat a curved wall covered in markings that appeared to be from some sort of ancient language. There was a glow about the wall that seemed to call out to me. Clearly, I could not hope to read what was written on the wall, yet, somehow, I was still compelled to approach it and try to read it. As I walked closer, one word began to glow brighter as the rest grew dark. Somehow, standing nearly against the word, I could actually read it. “FUS,” it said. And although I did not know what it meant, I had the urge to shout it out loud. Yet I couldn't. It was as if the word was now locked inside my mind.
How was I able to read the word anyway? Was it the Mer side of my Breton heritage; some aspect of my mage abilities at work? The answer would have to wait, as my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud crack. I turned away from the wall to see another undead creature emerging from the tomb on top of the platform. I drew my sword the creature stalked towards me. It stopped for a moment. Our eyes locked. I moved in to strike, and it shouted at me and suddenly my sword and shield were ripped from my hands and sent sliding across the floor. No matter. I had collected plenty of weapons and armor from various corpses in the barrow. I drew a mace and attacked. I slammed my weapon against the thing, knocking it backwards. I pressed my advantage and kept up the attack. The creature slashed me with its sword and I felt a deathly chill run through my body. I stepped back, desperate to avoid another cut from that icy blade. The thing pressed forward, forcing me into a defensive posture. I managed to parry one of its swings which left the creature open for a good hit from my mace. Undaunted, it shouted at me again and sent my mace flying from my hand. I could tell by the look on its cold, dead face that it thought it had me beat. I drew a dagger and with two quick slashes, the creature was on its knees. I stabbed it in the back of the neck and watched its eyes go dark.
Its corpse was holding a strange burial stone along with the enchanted sword. I retrieved my other weapons and left the chamber via a door at the back which led outside. As I made my way back to Riverwood, When I arrived at The Riverwood Trader, I returned the golden claw to Lucan. He simply put it back on his counter rather than locking it up in a strong box. No wonder why it got stolen. Lucan and Camilla were both very grateful and I was happy to both get the reward and sell my looted items to Lucan. Even though he low-balled me on the prices once again, I didn't care. I was too busy thinking about what had happened. I thought of that word again. What did it mean? And why couldn't I speak it? Was the stone the key to unlocking its power? Did I even want to unlock the power?
I visited The Riverwood Trader again today, and, as usual, I heard Lucan Valerius arguing with his sister, Camilla over something. I normally don't pay attention when they argue, because it's really none of my business. It's clear to me, though, that if I want to make enough money to finance my own blacksmithing shop, I'm going to have to do it through adventuring. Adventuring basically involves going to places you wouldn't normally go and doing things you wouldn't normally do. The hazards are high, the hours are terrible, the work is unreliable, but they pay is great and the fringe benefits can't be beat. Plus, armor and weapons become a tax write-off.
I asked Lucan if I could help somehow, and he sent me off to Bleak Falls Barrow to retrieve some golden dragon claw artifact that had been stolen by some thief. Sounds easy enough. Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find the thief, get the claw, collect the reward. Sounds easier than dealing with a mine full of bandits, anyway. I put on my Imperial armor just in case that thief got in a lucky shot before I turned his face into bone meal.
Camilla insisted on showing me the way and, as we walked to the edge of Riverwood, I was struck by her beauty and inner strength. I hadn't noticed it while she was arguing with her brother, but, as she walked me through town, it was unmistakable. As if I didn't have incentive enough already to get that gold dragon claw back.
Bleak Falls Barrow is....well....bleak. I could see why a thief would choose to hide out in there. As I climbed up to the barrow, I could feel the air growing steadily colder. My Imperial armor was no match for the stinging cold as the wind whipped around me, chilling me to the bone. Bleak Falls Barrow came into sight and as I began the slow climb up the stairs to the entrance, I encountered a group of bandits. Again with the bandits! I should have known that the thief would be part of a larger group. The had caught me by surprise, so, as the first bandit charged down the stone steps, I was still drawing my sword. The sweat of battle that flowed from beneath my skin nearly froze the instant it contacted the cold air. The bandits must have been feeling the cold as much as I had, for the first one rushed at me clumsily. I swiped my sword across his chest and drove it deep into his belly. I pivoted around in time to block a mace blow from a second bandit. I made short work of her by slicing her open with a devastating backhand cut. I felt an arrow sail by my head and looked towards the bandit archer as he loosed another one. I charged at him with my shield and slashed at him as my blood began to boil over from the rage of having nearly taken an arrow to the knee. Two shield bashes and a sword slash later, the bandit fell to his knees with a pitiful gurgle.
After looting the bodies, I quietly slipped inside the barrow, desperately hoping that the battle hadn't attracted any attention. The sound of the shrieking wind ensured that not a single battle cry had been heard. I found two bandits by a campfire. The smell of goat leg roasting on the fire along with rotting skeever made me miss my mother's cooking. I crept closer to the fire, thankful that its warmth was quickly soothing my frost-ravaged skin. One of the bandits was sleeping while the other one was stirring the cooking pot. I drew back my bow and loosed an arrow, catching the bandit in the back of the throat. She turned around in time to see me loose the arrow that finished her. I then crept up to the sleeping bandit and ran him through.
I crept further down into the ruins, coming to another set of stairs. I spied another bandit at the bottom of them. I drew my bow again and took aim. The bandit was walking towards a lever in the center of the chamber. He was trying to operate the gate at the far end. He pulled the lever and was attacked by dozens of tiny steel barbs shooting out from the walls. Moments later, the bandit dropped to his knees and died. Posion! This stint in adventuring was looking a lot less attractive. Maybe I should have become a bard instead. It's much safer to sing about adventuring than it is to actually go adventuring.
It was obvious that the darts would only be triggered by the lever, so, perhaps I could get through the gate without using it. Maybe the lever was just for "show". The gate was bolted into the floor, so there was no way I could simply lift it. As I looked around the chamber, I noticed three pillars with carvings on them set into one of the walls. I got a closer look at them and realized that I could rotate them. Each side had one of three different animals carved into it. This had to mean something. I look around for some sort of sign and noticed three other pillars with similar carvings above the gate. The middle one, however, had fallen off, and I saw it resting by the lever. I turned back to the three pillars, and I rotated them so that they matched the images above the gate. I grabbed the lever, prayed to The Divines and pulled. The mechanism unlocked the gate from the floor and it slid upwards revealing a tunnel that was carved into the rock of the mountain. I heard a voice calling from somewhere further into the tunnel.
"Is that you, Griswald? Help me!" I cautiously followed the voice down the tunnel.
As I turned the corner, I encountered a massive spider web stretched across an entry-way. I cleared the way with a few swipes from my sword. This allowed me to see the man who had been calling out for help. He was caught in another large web.
"Help me!" He cried, "Cut me down before that thing gets us." I'm no fool. I asked him to hand over the golden claw first. He claimed that he couldn't reach it while he was stuck to the web. Okay. We were going to have to do this the hard way. I had planned to free him halfway, get the claw and then decide how to proceed afterwards. Yet, as I began to cut him down, a shadow fell over me. I turned around to find a gigantic spider descending towards me menacingly.
I charged towards it and slashed my sword, cutting open a river of green blood. The monstrous spider shrieked in pain. It tried to attack me again. I drove in closer, slicing at its legs as it attempted to shoot me with impact webbing. I thrust my sword forward, into the beast's head, making it shriek in its death throws. A few moments later, it was still.
"You did it! You killed it!", the thief exclaimed, "Now cut me down from here!" He sounded an awful lot like Lucan. Maybe he was a brother or a cousin or something. Then again, a lot of Imperials seem to sound alike for some reason. Whatever their affiliation, this smug little thief was standing between me and my reward. I demanded the claw from him. "Yes! Yes! The claw! I know how it works! The claw, the markings, the doorway in the Hall of Stories, I know how it all fits together! Cut me down, and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden here!".
Power? Something in the back of my mind told me not to trust him. Then again, maybe there was more to the golden claw than Lucan was letting on. There had to be a reason why someone would steal it and take it deep into a Nordic ruin rather than simply fencing it. The thief was clearly no match for me, so I cut him down. The moment his feet hit the ground he took off running, saying "You fool. Why should I share the claw with anyone?" and took off down the passage behind him. I charged after him. I drew my bow and went after him, shooting arrows as he led me through the twisting passages.
We came upon a passage that had corpses lining the walls. As the thief ran past one of them corpses, its eyes opened. I stopped cold for just a moment, trying to make sure that I saw exactly what I thought I was seeing. I watched as more corpses began to rise and unsheathe their weapons. Their eyes glowed with an eerie, super-natural blue haze, and they groaned soulless groans as the surrounded the thief. "Gods, no!" he shouted as he turned to run. He stepped on a pressure plate which launched a large spiked gate at him. Before he could react, he was impaled by the spikes jutting out of the gate, and was flung halfway across the chamber. His body came to rest at my feet. I knelt down and looted the claw from his corpse. As I searched his corpse, I noticed that he had a journal, and as I opened it, I noticed that those undead abominations were bearing down upon me. I closed the journal and drew my sword. Was it possible to kill something that was already dead? A quick swipe from my sword indicated that it was indeed possible. I had wounded the thing, and, if it could be hurt, then it could be killed. A smile crept across my face as I ran towards the creatures.
If death has a smell, then I would guess that it smells much like those abominations did when I cut into what was left of their desiccated flesh. Obviously hampered by their decaying forms, I was able to take all three of them out with a few bashes from my shield and a few good stabs from my sword. At this point, I could have turned around and brought the claw back to Lucan. But, I had come this far and the thief's talk of "power" had me intrigued. I decided to try and find this "Hall Of Stories" that he had been talking about. More undead attacked me as I moved through the tunnel but, as I had before, I easily took care of them. I soon exited into a large chamber. It was clear of corpses, so my worries about being attacked by yet another mob of undead warriors were put aside. At the far end of the chamber was a magnificently carved door. It had markings on it with a key stone in the center, which, upon closer inspection, was a perfect fit for the golden claw. But, what did the circles above the key stone mean? I looked at the claw more closely, noting a sequence of markings running along its palm. Three markings on the claw and three markings on the door. I soon realized that I could rotate the markings on the door around, so I arranged them to match the markings on the claw. I then inserted the and turned the mechanism. I steadied myself in preparation for being hit my poison darts. Instead, the door shook as the machinery beneath it ground to life and sunk the door into the ground, revealing a flight of stairs. I drew my bow and proceeded up the steps.
A glorious sight met me at the top of the steps: an enormous cavern with an underground stream running through it surrounding a raised burial platform. Behind the platform sat a curved wall covered in markings that appeared to be from some sort of ancient language. There was a glow about the wall that seemed to call out to me. Clearly, I could not hope to read what was written on the wall, yet, somehow, I was still compelled to approach it and try to read it. As I walked closer, one word began to glow brighter as the rest grew dark. Somehow, standing nearly against the word, I could actually read it. “FUS,” it said. And although I did not know what it meant, I had the urge to shout it out loud. Yet I couldn't. It was as if the word was now locked inside my mind.
How was I able to read the word anyway? Was it the Mer side of my Breton heritage; some aspect of my mage abilities at work? The answer would have to wait, as my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a loud crack. I turned away from the wall to see another undead creature emerging from the tomb on top of the platform. I drew my sword the creature stalked towards me. It stopped for a moment. Our eyes locked. I moved in to strike, and it shouted at me and suddenly my sword and shield were ripped from my hands and sent sliding across the floor. No matter. I had collected plenty of weapons and armor from various corpses in the barrow. I drew a mace and attacked. I slammed my weapon against the thing, knocking it backwards. I pressed my advantage and kept up the attack. The creature slashed me with its sword and I felt a deathly chill run through my body. I stepped back, desperate to avoid another cut from that icy blade. The thing pressed forward, forcing me into a defensive posture. I managed to parry one of its swings which left the creature open for a good hit from my mace. Undaunted, it shouted at me again and sent my mace flying from my hand. I could tell by the look on its cold, dead face that it thought it had me beat. I drew a dagger and with two quick slashes, the creature was on its knees. I stabbed it in the back of the neck and watched its eyes go dark.
Its corpse was holding a strange burial stone along with the enchanted sword. I retrieved my other weapons and left the chamber via a door at the back which led outside. As I made my way back to Riverwood, When I arrived at The Riverwood Trader, I returned the golden claw to Lucan. He simply put it back on his counter rather than locking it up in a strong box. No wonder why it got stolen. Lucan and Camilla were both very grateful and I was happy to both get the reward and sell my looted items to Lucan. Even though he low-balled me on the prices once again, I didn't care. I was too busy thinking about what had happened. I thought of that word again. What did it mean? And why couldn't I speak it? Was the stone the key to unlocking its power? Did I even want to unlock the power?
Saturday, March 16, 2013
A Career Opportunity
18th Of Last Seed, 4E 201
Alvor, the blacksmith of Riverwood, had been training me in smithing. He even said that he should hire me as his assistant, which I took to mean that, if I proved myself, he'd give me a job helping him. I figured that I could impress him by mining some ore, making some ingots and crafting some armor and weapons. First, I would need to mine some ore, though. I knew there was a mine near Riverwood, so I headed to Embershard Mine, which I had passed on my way to Riverwood from Helgen.
I approached the mine and encountered a Nord just outside of it. I was going to ask him if I could make some sort of arrangement to mine some ore from the mine. Before I could even ask, he told me to turn around. I know that some Nords in Skyrim can be a little gruff with other races, but, all I wanted to do was mine some ore. Surely we could come to an agreement. I approached slowly, without any weapons drawn, but he attacked me without provocation. Divines, I swear to you that I went in with the purest of intentions. My life was in danger, so I had to kill him. His face collapsed against my mace as I struck the final blow, sending him to face Shor's justice.
I went in to search his body, hoping that I might be able to identify him and send word to his kin. That's when I discovered that he was a bandit. No doubt, he was guarding Embershard Mine for his bandit friends inside. I could have just walked away, but I started to worry that the bandit had friends who would come to Riverwood asking questions. As a Breton, I have no doubt that some of the Nords there would not hesitate to give me up. No, the only solution was to go in there and kill them before they could kill me. There weren't many of them, and they were dumb enough to attack in pairs rather than all at once. I sent them all to their deaths.
I guess the Whiterun Hold guards hadn't bothered to investigate Embershard Mine due to being occupied with the Stormcloak Rebellion. As distressing as that is, it ended up working out for me because it resulted in a half-dozen dead bandits who wouldn't be needing their gear anymore. After looting all of the bandit corpses, I set about mining as much iron ore as I could carry. When I got back to Riverwood, though, I discovered that Alvor didn't have a smelter. How could I make iron ingots without a smelter? And how could I smith without material? Alvor was willing to sell me iron ingots, though. What a scam. I had no choice, so I took the gear I had looted to Lucan Valerius, owner of The Riverwood Trader so that I could get some money to buy some iron ingots from Alvor. It turns out that I made more money from the gold I had looted from the bandits than I did from selling the gear to Lucan.
I ran out of The Riverwood Trader to find Alvor speaking with his young daughter, Dorthe. She was talking Alvor about smithing. I was just about to buy some ingots from Alvor when Dorthe interrupted me.
"My father is Alvor, the blacksmith. I'm his assistant. I mean, apprentice", she said.
That little snot. She KNEW that I was hoping to get hired on as Alvor's assistant and she was mocking me. I'd have slipped her a dose of weak fear poison if Alvor hadn't been right there.
Maybe this is a sign from The Divines that I need to strike out on my own, build my own smith, create my own gear and sell it to the citizens of Skyrim.
Alvor, the blacksmith of Riverwood, had been training me in smithing. He even said that he should hire me as his assistant, which I took to mean that, if I proved myself, he'd give me a job helping him. I figured that I could impress him by mining some ore, making some ingots and crafting some armor and weapons. First, I would need to mine some ore, though. I knew there was a mine near Riverwood, so I headed to Embershard Mine, which I had passed on my way to Riverwood from Helgen.
I approached the mine and encountered a Nord just outside of it. I was going to ask him if I could make some sort of arrangement to mine some ore from the mine. Before I could even ask, he told me to turn around. I know that some Nords in Skyrim can be a little gruff with other races, but, all I wanted to do was mine some ore. Surely we could come to an agreement. I approached slowly, without any weapons drawn, but he attacked me without provocation. Divines, I swear to you that I went in with the purest of intentions. My life was in danger, so I had to kill him. His face collapsed against my mace as I struck the final blow, sending him to face Shor's justice.
I went in to search his body, hoping that I might be able to identify him and send word to his kin. That's when I discovered that he was a bandit. No doubt, he was guarding Embershard Mine for his bandit friends inside. I could have just walked away, but I started to worry that the bandit had friends who would come to Riverwood asking questions. As a Breton, I have no doubt that some of the Nords there would not hesitate to give me up. No, the only solution was to go in there and kill them before they could kill me. There weren't many of them, and they were dumb enough to attack in pairs rather than all at once. I sent them all to their deaths.
I guess the Whiterun Hold guards hadn't bothered to investigate Embershard Mine due to being occupied with the Stormcloak Rebellion. As distressing as that is, it ended up working out for me because it resulted in a half-dozen dead bandits who wouldn't be needing their gear anymore. After looting all of the bandit corpses, I set about mining as much iron ore as I could carry. When I got back to Riverwood, though, I discovered that Alvor didn't have a smelter. How could I make iron ingots without a smelter? And how could I smith without material? Alvor was willing to sell me iron ingots, though. What a scam. I had no choice, so I took the gear I had looted to Lucan Valerius, owner of The Riverwood Trader so that I could get some money to buy some iron ingots from Alvor. It turns out that I made more money from the gold I had looted from the bandits than I did from selling the gear to Lucan.
I ran out of The Riverwood Trader to find Alvor speaking with his young daughter, Dorthe. She was talking Alvor about smithing. I was just about to buy some ingots from Alvor when Dorthe interrupted me.
"My father is Alvor, the blacksmith. I'm his assistant. I mean, apprentice", she said.
That little snot. She KNEW that I was hoping to get hired on as Alvor's assistant and she was mocking me. I'd have slipped her a dose of weak fear poison if Alvor hadn't been right there.
Maybe this is a sign from The Divines that I need to strike out on my own, build my own smith, create my own gear and sell it to the citizens of Skyrim.
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