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.
Showing posts with label Falkreath Hold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Falkreath Hold. Show all posts
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.
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| I Went In Dressed As An Imperial And Came Out Like This |
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