Skyrim Day 005 - More bounty-hunting

21 Last Seed, 4E201

Whiterun

~~~

Valtheim Towers was the location of last night's bounty notice, a ruin the innkeeper, Hulda, said used to serve as a toll for Whiterun long ago. With the unification of Skyrim into the Empire, the towers were no longer used and fell into disrepair, often being occupied by one group of bandits or another until the city's guard chased them out. No attempt has ever been made by Whiterun to either repair or destroy the towers and today it fell on me to scour the ruin once again.

I left Whiterun and headed towards the crossroads I had arrived at from Riverwood a few days ago. Distracted by several deer along the northern road, I stalked and successfully shot down one of them before realizing I had walked in the wrong direction for almost an hour, finding myself north of Whiterun and in front of a lot of snow. Though I am sure there is no avoiding it completely, I had no desire to venture into the cold today and turned around.

My second walk past the city allowed me to examine it a bit closer than I have been. Whiterun's defenses are in a deplorable state. The walls are uneven, thin, and crumbling, shored up in places by wooden palisades and garrisoned by far too few guardsmen. Should the civil war bring either the Legion or the Stormcloaks to its gates, Whiterun may find surrender to be the more prudent option.

Ahead of me I encountered a farmer escorting a cow which was painted with blue circles all over it. When I asked him why the cow looked like that he replied that he was going to a giant's camp and was offering the animal as tribute to protect the rest of his herd. I have never heard of anyone voluntarily offering something to a giant before and the farmer admitted it might just be superstition on his part. Still, he did say that his herd had not suffered a loss due to giants since he started his routine, so maybe there is something to it. I was curious to see how the exchange would play out and offered to escort him to whatever camp he was heading to, but he thanked me and declined my offer, stating his concern that an armed person with him might cause trouble. I suppose he had a point.

Along the correct road heading east towards the Towers I was stopped by a woman claiming to be a 'Vigilant of Stendarr', an Order she said was formed after the Oblivion Crisis for the sole purpose of battling Daedra and other "abominations". Given my own history I cannot say I disapprove of such a thing, my life could have been easier long ago had such an Order existed in Cyrodiil during the Crisis rather than after it. Still, I do not recall hearing of the Vigilants in the years following the Crisis, but there is likely a great deal I no longer remember. I am no Daedra, so we parted amicably.

Further down the road I found a shrine of some sort and walked up the hill towards it to investigate, only to be attacked by a would-be necromancer. He had enough skill to summon two skeletons against me, but neither of them were particularly powerful and I dealt with them easily before turning to my assailant. His combat magicka was weak enough for me to shrug off and his skill with a dagger was equally lacking.

He was guarding a Standing Stone attuned with the Ritual birthsign and would aid me in raising my own corpses, should I ever want to do such a thing. I, however, do not and left the Stone alone.

I arrived before the Valtheim Towers just after noon.

Two bandits were immediately visible: one atop the tower on my side of the river, the other patrolling the bridge between the two. Each were armed with bows and obviously more bandits would be inside the towers. As I studied the area, trying to determine the best way to approach, a woman walked out of the tower in front of me and attended to a cooking pot set just outside the door.

She fell first, struck in the back by an arrow and her friend atop the tower joined her via a close-range shot into the neck. That cleared one tower. The fellow patrolling the bridge took an arrow in the leg, causing him to plummet to the ground below, killing him as well. My luck was holding strong.

But it was not to last. In the second tower I dueled a considerably more alert bandit which alerted my bounty who was armed with a two-handed hammer. As such, my light hide-covered shield was little use and my armor just about as bad. I gutted the first bandit quickly, but had to retreat from what I guess was the leader owing to my inability to withstand such powerful blows. He was heavily armored though and I could move much quicker, beating him to the far side of the bridge I had come from by enough that I was able to fire arrows back down the bridge at him.

Armed with a two-handed weapon, he could do nothing against them and re-engaged me in melee combat with four arrows sticking out of his chest. He soon collapsed at my feet after exhausting himself with desperate, powerful swings of the hammer, all of which I dodged this time. Another bounty done with.

Their loot was not much, most of what was at the Towers was clothing and cheap goods of no use to me. I foundd two Corundum ingots which I can sell at Whiterun and, oddly enough, a helmet made of hides that someone had enchanted with an Illusion spell. An idea came to me and I made sure to collect some clothing before I left, as well as any arrows.

The walk back to Whiterun was peaceful and I stopped to speak with a young woman on the steps up towards Dragonsreach. Her name was Ysolda and she was seeking to learn the ways of the merchant from the Khajiit traders that worked the caravans. She had an offer from one Ma'dran to teach her in exchange for a mammoth's tusk, the acquisition of which was consuming most of her time. I thought it a good thing for Khajiit and Nords to work together in Skyrim, so I told her I would return with a tusk if I ever came across one. She thanked me and I proceeded into Dragonsreach to turn it another bounty.

Before leaving I visited Farengar and purchased his Illusion spell books, part of the plan I have been thinking of since the fight at the Towers. He had both 'Calm' and 'Frenzy' spells, each of great use to me...if I could cast them.

Right now I cannot, but I will work on that. After renting the room at 'The Bannered Mare' I removed my armor and replaced it with the clothes from the Tower. If I had been more silent I might not have had to run from the bandit there and even the lightest armor will creak and rattle occasionally. Now I am wearing a simple cheap tunic, pants, and shoes. I am unarmored, but my steps are now almost completely silent. Should I bolster my skill with Illusion magicka, I can bring havoc to my enemies while remaining unseen. Such is my plan, for it does appear I am back to fighting once again.

I asked around the Inn for the location of a mammoth's tusk that would not involve killing a mammoth and it was suggested to me that I try looking north of Whiterun where a band of poachers were said to be camping. If anyone has a tusk, it is likely them.

Oblivion Day 5 - On My Own Again

1 Heartfire, 3E433

Bruma

~~~

As they say, there is no rest for the weary. My morning at Weynon Priory monastery started while it was still night, courtesy of an over-eager Jauffre seeking to reach the Blades stronghold before the afternoon. To his credit, the man also procured mounts for the three of us and though I was unaccustomed at riding, it was not my first time and I was able to keep my horse at a decent pace.

The land gradually changed from lush and green to grey, white, and barren as we worked our way along the northern road past Bleaker's Way Goodwill Inn, which I was pleasantly surprised to find still standing and in business. I must make it a point to stop there one day, it was a favorite of ours back then.

After several hours of on horseback I spied the top of the turrets of Bruma, grateful for the opportunity to massage feeling back into my legs.

Our visit to Bruma was brief. Jauffre hurried us to the gate on the far side of the city and exchanged a few quiet words with the guards, who just as hurriedly opened the gate for us after Jauffre finished speaking. The stronghold of the Blades is quite an unimpressive structure, mostly just unfinished stone blocks and an unimposing gatehouse.

One of the Blades that had been part of the Emperor's escort met us at the gate. He looked as thought he had not slept in a year, but brightened up somewhat when told that the man with us was the Emperor's true (and last) heir to the Empire. The heir did not look quite as happy.

Jauffre led us both into the fortress where several Blades were milling about on various duties. With a word, he summoned them to the courtyard and gave a small speech telling them that the war continued, but that the heir was in fact safe and in front of them right at that very moment. He then asked the heir (I may as well divulge his name, Martin, at this point) to speak, much to the man's discomfort. He gave a rather hesitant and not at all rousing speech promising that he would do his best, but Jauffre and his Blades seemed pleased nonetheless.

I spoke with Martin after the Blades dispersed back to their chores. He was confused and obviously scared of his sudden responsibility and I had to gently remind him that we needed the Amulet of Kings back before we could make any further moves against the forces of Oblivion.

He surprised me by dictating to me the relationship between our world and the Plane of Oblivion. He said that the existence of the portal at Kvatch indicated that the old 'rules' no longer applied between the two worlds and that such knowledge would be familiar to any practitioner of Daedric magic. He slipped up on his next sentence, for he then stated that everything he knew of Daedric magic said that such portals were impossible, then blushed, obviously not having intended to reveal his dabbling in such an art. He said that he knew more than an ordinary priest should about the seductive nature of Daedric magic and insisted we leave that particular subject at that, which I was happy to do.

Far more amusing was Jauffre somberly inducting me into the Blades...an organization I technically never left since my conscription six years ago in Balmora. The titles have changed a bit, for now I am a 'Knight Sister'. It is a rank I do not believe existed while I was in Morrowind, so perhaps the Blades in Cyrodiil follow a different chain of organization.

Unlike the past few days, I finished today's task just as the Blades started their communal lunch, so I had nearly a full day ahead of me with nothing specific to do. I decided to visit the city of Bruma, figuring that I would be passing through it more than a few times on Blades business.

Bruma was abuzz with the recent murder/execution of an innocent citizen/terrible vampire, depending on who you asked. The dead man's name was Bradon Lirrian and his assailant, Raynil Dralas. Vampires are a dire threat and to think one could be living inside of a city would make anyone shudder, but I heard enough doubt around Bradon's death to make me think there was more to it.

The city guard was not very helpful. The guardsman "investigating" the crime at Bradon's home was convinced that his fellow citizen had been a vampire solely based on the fact that he was killed by someone claiming to be a vampire-hunter. The idiot even expressed empathy for the man's wife, stating that she had no clue her husband had been infected. Obviously if he had been infected, she would have been the first victim! Their "investigation" revealed that no one ever saw Bradon out during the day, which was as solid an admission of guilt as the guardsman required.

Bradon's wife was convinced that her husband had been senselessly murdered and pleaded for me to help clear her late husband's name. The utter ineptitude of the city guard already convinced me to help and she was very grateful for my assurance that I would find out what really happened to her husband. She said that she had walked in on Raynil just after the murder and screamed for help, summoning the guards. After a search of the house, the guards found the body of a beggar in their basement, seemingly confirming Raynil's story. His wife sardonically pointed out that your own house is a very poor place to hide a body and suspected Raynil planted the body there prior to the murder.

I need more information. Innkeepers are always excellent sources of rumors and local knowledge, so I inquired as to the nearest inn and paid a visit to 'Olav's Tap and Tack'. Luckily, the innkeeper, Olav, was sympathetic towards Bradon's reputation and gave me the key to Raynil's room. Behind the dresser I found a small weather-beaten journal that seemed to archive the plundering of a ruin, which would be mundane except for that Bradon was one of the plunderers. Another name, Gelebourne, was also part of the gang's activity that night.

When I asked Olav if Raynil ever mentioned a 'Gelebourne', he seemed surprised, as that was the previous "vampire" Raynil had dispatched. Suddenly everything became very clear. The final pages of the journal had made mention of a special chest the trio had built, one with three locks and each of them with a key. Whatever their previous arrangement was, it looked like Raynil had lost patience and decided to claim the chest for his own.

When I confronted the gullible guard he immediately changed his tune and told me that Raynil had just been seen departing Bruma through the west gate, into the Jerrel Mountains. He offered the suggestion that Raynil was headed towards a cave the locals called the 'Boreal Stone Cave' and urged me to hurry after him.

I had never been so far north while in the Auxiliaries and the area's tough pines and cold, hard ground reminded me of Solstheim, though with a great deal less bears to contend with. In fact, I contended with absolutely nothing on my way to the cave and was soon creeping down the damp corridors looking for the murderer.

He was fiddling with the locks on the chest when I called out to him, causing him to curse and spin around to face me, drawing a cheap two-handed blade as he approached me. He declared that I was to meet my death this day and attacked with a mighty swing of his sword.

A mighty...slow swing of his sword. Evidently he was not well practiced with the weapon and he threw himself off balance, giving me time enough to drive the edge of my long blade into (ironically) his neck, killing him instantly.

The chest contained an amulet with no enchantment I could detect upon it, but I took it anyway, figuring Bradon's wife might appreciate the keepsake.

On my way back to Bruma I heard a dull roaring sound and decided to investigate. A small gate to Oblivion was simply sitting there, shooting out flames and the stink of melted rock. I was curious to see what would await me behind a gate not apparently opened for any specific purpose, so I stepped inside.

I found much the same as I did within the Kvatch gate, only this was a much smaller landmass and a smaller tower. Again, only Scamps existed to bar my way and they are no challenge for me. In a short time I had ascended to the top of the main Oblivion tower and rid it of its Stone, destroying the gate and sending me back to Cyrodiil, flush with accomplishment and pride.

It was well into the next morning when I finally arrived back at Bruma, a habit I am growing tired of already. I gave the amulet back to Bradon's wife, Erline and she thanked me but told me that I should take it instead. The amulet was enchanted to mask its actual enchantment, but she knew how to dispel it. With a word, the amulet glowed and she handed it back to me. The amulet is surprisingly powerful: wearing it makes me noticeably lighter on my feet and quicker to jump and run, a very useful item to have!

Again I have worked through a night and into the next day. No matter, I shall take a short nap and resume today's activities, whatever they may be.

Morrowind Day 5 - Justice done

20 Last Seed

~~~~

I woke up this morning in Shenk's Shovel and wasted no time in finding out about the Khajiit bandit, Dro'Zhirr. After a quick breakfast I started asking around the Imperial guilds and shops and Ernand at the Mages Guild helpfully offered that he overheard someone saying that a group of bandits had been seen moving into a small, abandoned mine on the other side of the mountain ridge. I thanked him and decided to follow this lead.

Getting to the other side of the ridge proved far more difficult than it looked. I'm not much of a climber without armor, let alone a tunic of maille, so it was the long walk back into the ashy foyada for me. The weather was unusually clear and I could see the Ghostfence in the distance, ambling around the Red Mountain, which looked deceptively calm. I passed another Daedric ruin, likely also deceptively calm and cautiously skirted around it.

The bandit's cave was tucked into the mountains at the end of a small canyon off the main foyada. Mindful to make use of my magical abilities as often as possible, I wisely spoke the words of my invisibility spell and cracked open the cave's door. My intention was to sneak in and gather information, but when I had opened the door I found myself staring at a very eager looking, axe-wielding Orc. He must have assumed whomever opened the door was standing just outside, because he yelled some battle-cry and charged out the door...right at me.

Now, I've never had to fight Orcs in Cyrodiil. There were two Orcs in the Auxiliaries and several in the Legion and their strength and pure enthusiasm has always left me glad that I wasn't fighting against them. So when I found my invisible self in the way of an attacking Orc my first thought was to dive out of the way. I'm glad I didn't, my invisibility would have worn off by the time he had realized no one was outside and even if I could have sneaked in behind him I'd still be dealing with him on the way out.

Instead, I braced my spear, thankfully within the sphere of my spell, and thrust it right into his abdomen. I don't know why I expected that to slow him down. Instead, he kept running as the shock and pain hit him and collided into me, wrenching the spear out of my hands as he tumbled into the dry dust of the foyada. A sharp stab with my sword into the base of his unarmored skull mercifully ended his life. Fight smarter, not harder, right? A quick search of his body revealed nothing useful or valuable.

With the doorman safely deceased, I tried recasting the invisibility spell, but couldn't draw the magicka required. I elected to use my natural Khajiit stealth instead of using a potion, which didn't work out nearly as well. 

I crept along the stone walls and managed to catch snippets of a conversation between two women, a Dunmer and a Redguard. As I tried to quietly approach for a better view my foot caught on something and I wound up smashing my shield into the wall while I struggled not to fall over. Naturally, this alarmed the women and they showed the same lack of restraint and strategy as their Orc comrade, drawing weapons and charging down the corridor. They were poorly armed, the Dunmer with a dagger and the Redguard with a chitin spear. The ease at which both fell make me feel a little guilty.

I felt considerably less guilty when I turned the corner and found the first slave pen carved out of a recess in the wall. Inside were two Khajiit, a mated pair, both traders, who had been kidnapped while doing business on the mainland. When I freed them they told me they were heading for Vivec and hopefully back home and advised I visit Vivec if I hadn't already. On their way out, the female, whose name I never got, gave me a quick estimate of how many bandits were in the cave. Subtracting the three I had slain, I figured there were only two left, one of which would be Dro'Zhirr.

The not-Dro'Zhirr was a Bosmer woman, whom I successfully managed to approach without her noticing. Covered in blood as I was and she armed with only a wooden staff and no armor, I tried the honorable thing and announced myself, demanding her surrender. She laughed and said she didn't remain Dro'Zhirr's favorite through cowardice. I expected with her weak armament to have some control over magicka, but she simply swing the staff at me, which though iron-shod at the ends, lacked weight to do me serious damage. I was careful to ensure her end was quick and painless, the futility of her fight demanded it of me.

After the deaths of his gang, Dro'Zhirr's surrender seemed like cowardice rather than prudence. I told him I had come for Aeta's treasures when he asked why such a "great and powerful warrior" had bothered with his tiny band of thieves. He seemed surprised and offered to give me the jewels in exchange for half of the reward money. The notion that I would work with him after slaying five people to get to him was ridiculous and I counter-offered by suggesting it might be in his long-term interest to hand over Aeta's goods, which seemed to have sentimental value at best.

He refused, insisting he would need the money to enter into honest business, having seen the error of his ways. I'm not sure who he thought he was fooling, but I did not fail to notice his left hand dropping slowly to his belt. So when he suddenly lunged at me it came to no great surprise. His weapon of choice might have been one of Ra'Virr's "Devil" weapons, the simple iron dagger morphed into a wicked looking Daedric...dagger, for lack of a better term. The weapon cleaved through my shield with little difficulty, but Dro'Zhirr was a thug, not a warrior and he landed only superficial blows. I pressed my attack once his enchantment wore off and he joined his comrades in death, perhaps plundering the afterlife just as ineffectually as they did in life.

Just behind Dro'Zhirr's shabby living space was a second slave pen, this one with two Argonians. They weren't aware of other slaves in the cavern, so they were probably the earliest acquisition. Unlike the Khajiit they had no idea what to do with their freedom, so I revealed that I had freed other slaves and that they were headed to Vivec. They agreed to head there as well and both stopped to kick Dro'Zhirr's corpse on the way out.

The sun was already setting when I left the cave, having spent some time rifling through the group's inventory. The pickings were slim, Dro'Zhirr's enchanted weapon is probably the most valuable item I have taken. Aeta was thankful to receive her family's heirlooms back again and handed me a purse of three hundred Septims, probably more than what the total value of the gang's cheap goods and lives were worth. 

Before turning in at Shenk's Shovel I stopped by to see Irgola, a pawnbroker, to see what I could get for the meager items I brought from Dro'Zhirr's cave. I was surprised to sense a great deal of magicka from one of his rings. At my level of competency with spells, any magicka I can sense has to both be pretty strong and attuned to Illusion. I wound up trading a few mundane scrolls for the ring and was rewarded with a ring that would make me both harder to see and to hit. Definitely worth the price. 

I decided I didn't want the "Devil" weapon of Dro'Zhirr's and the armory was on the way to the inn, so I stopped there as well. I sold the enchanted dagger and traded in my trusty iron spear, plus quite a lot of money, for a silver-plated, lighter, spear. 

I guess today was productive, even though I spent almost all of it trying to find and kill bandits, shades of my previous life in Cyrodiil. Aeta got her family's heirlooms and I bought a better spear. Having met my final contact near Ald'Ruhn, I may travel to the city of Vivec tomorrow to seek training, it is going to be a long walk, but I'm going to have to endure many hardships if I'm going to further my skills in any meaningful way.