Recent Entries

• The Prophet 15: Oblaan

  by Clement Bilhorn July 6, 2014
  "And so the Dovahkiin passes. All that is and will be, may be. "Everything can continue. All things. All people. All possibilities. Colliding and breaking and screaming a song of ruin and life into the end. And I am with them. With everything. A cause. And an effect. Both and neither. The force at t...
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• The Prophet 14: Tiid

  by Clement Bilhorn July 6, 2014
  Skyrim is silent tonight.  Serana and I don't talk as Jo'rabi leads us both to the mountain, to the Throat of the World. I can see the concern, the grief, and the rage, on her face, shimmering past that implacable calm. I think she realized it, too, what my plan is. And she doesn't like it. And so s...

• The Prophet 13: Maelstrom

  by Clement Bilhorn July 6, 2014
  I hear Rikke and her troops at the gate. She should've left. I hear a crack of lightning and a roar of surprise. I try to shout, to tell Odahviing to flee, but I can't even move my mouth. I listen, then, in silence, smelling the charred bodies of the Ironline and the Legion. Odahviing is too bra...
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• The Prophet 12: Glass

  by Clement Bilhorn July 5, 2014
  I leave Fai'mar and the thieves at Kynesgrove. Rikke tries to stop me at the bridge. "You're not going across there." I can't tell if it's a command or just an expression of incredulity. She should know me better. "And I told you to leave," I answer. "Besides, don't I outrank you?" I keep walking, ...

• The Prophet 11: Jo'rabi

  by Clement Bilhorn July 4, 2014
  Anger. Humiliation. Fear. All of this and more roils in me during my long, desultory trudge back to Windhelm. Bested by the Favored, and yet allowed to live...this has never happened to me before. Saving Serana's still a priority, and avenging Lisin, yes, but now... But getting to Windhelm, it's app...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: On a Related Note

  by Clement Bilhorn February 27, 2014
  Watching the glorious unfolding majesty of Twitch Plays Pokemon has reminded me of the embryonic days of The Dockworker. Molding a story out of a player's (or, you know, 50000 players) attempt to fight against the forces of chaos is a singularly entertaining experience. If you don't know what this i...
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• The Prophet 10: Collision

  by Clement Bilhorn February 22, 2014
  Finding the Ancestor Glade empty, I can only hope it's because I got there before the Favored. Checking the tree gives me a glimmer of hope; it looks the same as it did last time I was here, and considering I came by dragon just half a day after speaking to him, I don't think there's any way he cou...
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• The Prophet 9: Counsel

  by Clement Bilhorn February 1, 2014
  I give up. My new nemesis is a chatty madman, and Serana remains gone. And my hometown has been taken by mercenaries masquerading as revolutionaries. I didn't like the real revolutionaries.  "Durnehviir," I say. "I need your help." "For the one who freed me from the Ideal Masters," he says, throwin...
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• The Prophet 8: Certainty

  by Clement Bilhorn January 25, 2014
  Upon leaving Riften, it strikes me that I'm still no closer to finding Serana or the Favored than I was before. I don't know if the thieves will actually serve me in my cause, and I don't know if Fai'mar's had any luck following the Ironline. But on my way down the Reach, I remember that I still ca...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: The Calamity

  by Clement Bilhorn January 23, 2014
  So I've been absent. Again.I don't plan these things. It's just that my new job is super demanding and I don't have as much time on my hands as I used to. Unfortunately, this delay is likely to be a bit longer, because......my motherboard died. So did my processor. My hard drive is fine, but because...
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• The Prophet 7: Motivation

  by Clement Bilhorn September 28, 2013
  Damn it, I gave a speech. Well...extraordinary times. In the event the Favored didn't hear me, I'll just have to keep looking for him on my own. With help, of course. Paarthurnax doesn't seem too interested in helping, though. I sense a rift between us, and not the time wound that brought in Alduin...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Trouble at the Shipyard

  by Clement Bilhorn September 20, 2013
  Hello, everyone. Sorry for the long delays in getting the new episode up. The problem is that my PC has been having conniptions for several weeks. The graphics card died, but I needed a new one anyways. The more pressing issue is that my computer has forgotten, apparently, how to interpret input fro...
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• The Prophet 6: Shout

  by Clement Bilhorn September 7, 2013
  I give Fai'mar a few hours to get moving after the Ironline head out of what's left of Falkreath. As much as I hate those bounty hunters, if they've got the Favored's trail, then I need them. And to get that trail, I need Fai'mar. I know I'm skilled enough to follow Zoya, but if I lose the trail fro...
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• The Prophet 5: Ironline

  by Clement Bilhorn August 30, 2013
  The road to Falkreath bodes ill. As usual, a brisk run from one end of Skyrim to the other isn't my favorite thing, but it's not too draining either, even with the sun up. Perversely, it's my concern for Serana that gives me speed. Fai'mar, to his credit, and my relief, manages to keep up. "Bodies ...
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• The Prophet 4: Mercy

  by Clement Bilhorn August 21, 2013
  Serana, bride of the Dragonborn. Now captive for his crimes. "Serana, of no family," says Skulnar, his voice harsh and clear. "On the following charges are you sentenced. Treason, for you have been inculcated in plotting against the Dawnguard, the noble men and women who have given their lives to ...
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• The Prophet 3: Favored

  by Clement Bilhorn August 17, 2013
  North, then. Again and again, I have to tell myself that Serana will be fine. It's just Falkreath, hardly the craziest lot I've dealt with. If things get bad, she can leave. I just hope her family is as much of a help as she thinks they'll be. There is something delicious about the notion of sendin...
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• The Prophet 2: Paths

  by Clement Bilhorn August 11, 2013
  Serana stops me. Again. For a vampire, she's quite the moderating influence in my life. Being accosted by the local guards is nothing new to me--it comes with my line of work. And I'm really not in the mood to find the easy, peaceful way out of the situation. But even as I'm running through my opti...
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• The Prophet 1: Red

  by Clement Bilhorn August 11, 2013
  Usually, I consider myself the stoic type. But I do, at times, take things personally. And finding one of my very few friends nailed to my dining room table? This is one of those times.  But I'm hardly going to sit around and wallow in misery. That comes later. And that's not my temper talking--it'...
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• The Prophet: Prologue

  by Clement Bilhorn August 3, 2013
  "You there. With the beard." "What?" he says, turning. He stops. Frowns. "Who are you?" "That house there. The one you just passed. Do you know who lives there?" "You don't? Everyone does." "All the same, I'd appreciate it if you told me." "The Dragonborn." His frown deepens. "What can you tell me ...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Premonitions

  by Clement Bilhorn August 2, 2013
  Okay, so I've been gone some time... I fear my absence may tax the resilience of my readers, but nonetheless, I hope this missive finds you alive, well, and thoroughly untainted by the stink of sweaty Noses.  I had, as many of you suspected several months ago, planned on doing a series on Dragonborn...
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• The Darkworker 13: Blood in the Family

  by Clement Bilhorn March 29, 2013
  Inside the old building, I'm happy to see I'm not the only one who has problems with Skyrim's cold. But my buoyant re-estimation of my own ability to resist the cold is short-lived--the cause of the Falmer's chilly indisposition is soon revealed. So now I've learned two things. First, Snow Elves a...
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• The Darkworker 12: Hiking Trails

  by Clement Bilhorn March 2, 2013
  Serana doesn't let me wallow in blissful confusion for long, and explains that we've come across some sort of ancient valley. Also, the sky lights come out so it becomes clear to me that we're outside. Well, it's pretty and all, but as usual, my duties compel me to more than sightseeing, so Serana ...
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• The Darkworker 11: Dark Fall, Darker Passage

  by Clement Bilhorn February 28, 2013
  Serana and I both roll our eyes when, about a hundred meters in, we see the reason for why the cave is called "Darkfall".  And, as if it's angry at us for mocking its creators, the bridge snaps apart and dumps us both into the raging torrent below. Either that or it's just calling one of us fat.  I...
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• The Darkworker 10: Chasing Butterflies

  by Clement Bilhorn February 26, 2013
  On leaving the Soul Cairn, it occurs to me that all this time in other dimensions might be messing with my head. Or maybe it's just the weather. In any case, Serana and I now have all the Scrolls we need to find this "Auriel's Bow" that Harkon's been going on about. But after talking to Valerica, n...

• The Darkworker 9: Varying Degrees of Reunion

  by Clement Bilhorn February 25, 2013
  Well, I'm starting to think Sovngarde wasn't so bad after all. This is where trapped souls go after their energy is spent? Yikes. I almost feel bad. It looks like this is yet another afterlife filled almost entirely with my sworn enemies. And by definition, anyone who's here because of me has a per...

• The Darkworker 8: Two is Company

  by Clement Bilhorn February 23, 2013
  As I prepare to ride back north to give Harkon the cup, the weather takes a turn for the worse. And improves not markedly when I make the last leg of the journey to Volkihar on foot. Upon entering the castle, I'm reminded immediately of everything that both impresses and repulses about these vamp...
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• The Darkworker 7: Druggies and Dragons

  by Clement Bilhorn February 20, 2013
  I am both amazed and a bit embarrassed that despite my substantial connections to Skyrim's criminal underworld, I've never actually been to a skooma den before. It's not a happy place. Well, okay, it actually is, but I can guess how these people are going to feel when they run out of money. If I st...
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• The Darkworker 6: Off the Wagon

  by Clement Bilhorn February 18, 2013
  I'm not sure how long it's been since Harkon bit me and made me into a vampire, but I wake up in some shadowy cathedral place, presumably still in Castle Volkihar. To my surprise, Harkon is there to help me up. He tells me that I'm more than just an ordinary vampire. Now I have the blood of an anci...
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• The Darkworker 5: Like a Gentleman

  by Clement Bilhorn February 17, 2013
  The woman who I've just found buried inside a stone coffin for who knows how long has a name. She's called Serana, and she's a vampire. She's also been in there for at least a thousand years. She doesn't get a chance to say much else before all the statues come to life and attack us. We fight our w...
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• The Darkworker 4: The Other, Other, Other Vampires

  by Clement Bilhorn February 17, 2013
  I'm still without the slightest clue where Dimhollow Crypt is, so I barge in on two foremen having dinner and ask for directions. They take a rather surly tone with me, but I can't blame them. I am, after all, intruding. And drinking their ale. But while they can't provide me with directions, I do ...
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• The Darkworker 3: Misdirection

  by Clement Bilhorn February 16, 2013
  After near on two days of wandering about in the Reach, I stumble across a cleft in the rocks that takes me into a canyon... ...which takes me into a glade the likes of which I've never seen. I can see some manner of gray tower in the distance so I suppose I'm finally getting close to Fort Dawnguar...
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• The Darkworker 2: Okay, Something Dawnted

  by Clement Bilhorn February 16, 2013
  Problem is, as excited as I am about finding my way to Fort Dawnguard, there remains the little issue of finding my way. I guess I'm not too surprised. If it's some big castle and I haven't seen it before, no reason I'm going to see it now. But my lack of motivation complicates things. Personally, ...
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• The Darkworker 1: Nothing Dawnted

  by Clement Bilhorn February 16, 2013
  It's been two weeks since I got back from Elsweyr. I guess if I'm really committed to making Skyrim my home, after all I've been through, then it's time to start tidying up. Starting with, for instance, the Stormcloaks. They've been taking their time disbanding since I killed Ulfric, and I stumble ...
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• The Dockworker's Epilogue 4: I Come from the Land of the Ice and Snow

  by Clement Bilhorn February 11, 2013
  My continuing investigation of the Thalmor investigation of the Khajit drug-runners sends me to the elves' camp in the desert. I'd forgotten just how fragile their bodies really are when faced with a well-placed arrow. My sword, on the other hand, has a bit of a struggle getting through their armor,...
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• The Dockworker's Epilogue 3: Dry Heat

  by Clement Bilhorn February 11, 2013
  Mervar's friend, some hulking Khajit, lays it out for me. Apparently the Khajit are less interested in overthrowing their brutal Thalmor overlords, and more interested in just dumping a ton of skooma and moonsugar on the rest of Tamriel. I can get behind that. But the Thalmor are getting in the way,...
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• The Dockworker's Epilogue 2: Beasts of the Southern Wild

  by Clement Bilhorn February 11, 2013
  I'm not quite ready to throw myself into another civil war, so I decide instead to attend to a very interesting problem one of the other Khajit mentioned. It seems there is a Sload in the jungle, causing some very big trouble, so I absolutely have to see this. While fighting through hordes of my de...
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• The Dockworker's Epilogue 1: Not Again

  by Clement Bilhorn February 10, 2013
  I've done all I really can for Skyrim, I think. Yeah, I never really tied up my business with the Brotherhood, but I'm willing to live and let live. I'm done with the Blades, that's for sure, and the Guild will be fine on its own.  So I'm going south for the winter. Which is to say, I might be going...
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• The Speaker 19: Krosis

  by Clement Bilhorn February 10, 2013
  I'm in Sovngarde. Yes, it's beautiful. It being the home for dead Noses doesn't change that. After all, Noses have beautiful noses, so there's no reason their heaven can't be the same way. But stunning as it all is, the sweetness of the air, the whisper of cold flowers, the gleaming of celestial li...
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• The Speaker 18: Melancholy

  by Clement Bilhorn February 10, 2013
  I arrive at Skuldafn and Odahviing takes off. There's nothing more to it now, just me and the inevitable path to Alduin, to finish what he started, what I delayed, and what fate has finally decided should end. Or not fate. I am, after all, here of my own volition. Paarthurnax encouraged me, Lisin p...
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• The Speaker 17: I, Dragon

  by Clement Bilhorn February 10, 2013
  I gear up before going back to the mountain. By which I mean I finally put to use all those gathered scales and bones from the dragons I've killed. This armor lacks the casual oeuvre of the Nightingales, but it is superior in every other regard.  Alduin's doomed. But first I have to use the Scroll a...
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• The Speaker 16: Diversity Initiative

  by Clement Bilhorn February 9, 2013
  Come morning, Lisin and I go back to Septimus to give him the Lexicon he wanted, keeping the Scroll for ourselves, of course. But when I'm turning to leave the cave, it seems like something is different. It turns out it's a Daedric Lord, which somehow doesn't surprise me. Hermaeus Mora, he calls hi...
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• The Speaker 15: In Blackest Reach

  by Clement Bilhorn February 9, 2013
  Finally, I find Blackreach. It's really something. I haven't the foggiest where to even begin exploring the cavern, but at least I know we're getting close. I check the nearest of the Dwemer buildings, hoping the elevator takes us even deeper. By now? I should have known better.  But I know how to...

• The Speaker 14: You Go, My Lad

  by Clement Bilhorn February 9, 2013
  My mind is reeling. The Graybeards' leader, a dragon named Paarthunax, explains that the oncoming apocalypse is because of some epic procrastination from three thousand years ago. So now I have to find an Elder Scroll and figure out how to defeat Alduin. I suppose I should see what Lisin has to say ...
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• The Speaker 13: Right is Wrong

  by Clement Bilhorn February 9, 2013
  As I expected, I reach Karthspire hours before Esbern and Delphine, so I make camp for the night and wait for them to show up. They're there when I wake, and I hope they got a bit of sleep, because it looks like we've got a real fight ahead of us. I try to take it stealthy-like, but Esbern loses his...
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• The Speaker 12: Life, Actually

  by Clement Bilhorn February 9, 2013
  The moment Esbern gets his door open, I rush in and collapse at his desk. I'm tired, I realize. As a vampire, I'd always complained about the sun and the general affliction known as daytime, so much that I'd forgotten how normal people feel. I haven't slept in...actually, I'm a bit afraid to specula...

• The Speaker 11: All Over the Place

  by Clement Bilhorn February 8, 2013
  I grab a carriage back down to Whiterun Hold so I can see Delphine, and not a moment too soon. There's already a dragon at work, and while the motley assortment of guards and farmers and giants makes short work of the beast, I count myself a valuable asset to the team. I wonder what the Skyrimmers d...

• The Speaker 10: Business Casual

  by Clement Bilhorn February 8, 2013
  I'm cured, I really am, but I scarce have time to think about it. I made a promise to Lisin (and by proxy, to Delphine) that I'd help them out. And Nocturnal taught me to keep a promise. So I'm off to Solitude to meet with our inside guy at the inn. He lays it out for me, how I'm going to dress up a...
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• The Speaker 9: Dragonborn, Reborn

  by Clement Bilhorn December 16, 2012
  Having the Star sends tingles to my toes, but I'm close enough to Morthal that I can't wait to go see Farion with my ensouled gem. The other mage up north will have to wait. But while crossing the ridge and into the valley west of Whiterun, I catch sight of an old friend. No, not a wolf, but they ki...
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• The Speaker 8: Soul-Searching

  by Clement Bilhorn December 16, 2012
  I've still not the slightest clue where to find a black soul gem, so I figure I'll keep indulging Delphine's particular fascination with me, having nothing else to do. By the time I arrive at Riverwood, the skeleton from earlier still hasn't been cleaned up. These people clearly don't have enough ti...
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• The Speaker 7: And Taking Names

  by Clement Bilhorn December 15, 2012
  Delphine can't tell me why I'm carrying a sword like the one she keeps in her secret basement, but she can tell me a lot of other things. Like how the dragons are evidently not coming back--they're coming back from the dead. Well, first of all, I hadn't noticed that they were ever gone. My life has ...
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• The Speaker 6: Unlife Crisis

  by Clement Bilhorn December 15, 2012
  It's time I got my hands on that black soul gem. Last night's events being yet another indication of my vampirism as a problem, not an asset, I'm ready to move things along. Problem is, I don't know where to find such a gem.I know my contact in the guild, Enthir, has a talent for acquiring certain i...
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• The Speaker 5: The Ransom Note of Jurgen Windcaller

  by Clement Bilhorn December 15, 2012
  Like I've said: Quid pro quo. So, no, Farion hasn't exactly cured me of my vampirism, far from it, but I respect a deal when made. And the agreement was that Lisin would help me deal with my vampirism, and I have to admit it sounds pretty straightforward. I just have to find a black soul gem. But si...
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• The Speaker 4: Forward Unto Dusk

  by Clement Bilhorn December 5, 2012
  Lisin and I set off down the ridge, toward the nearest town that'll give us a carriage. As usual, daytime excursions tend to weigh on me quite a bit, but taking some time off to kill a few trolls is always good for the soul. Also, watching Lisin in action is pretty interesting. I love combat, but t...

• The Speaker 3: It's All Downhill from Here

  by Clement Bilhorn December 2, 2012
  I head inside High Hrothgar--the building, not the mountain--and come across the old dudes Lisin had told me about. I clear my throat and present myself as the prodigal Dovahkiin, finally deciding to answer their summons. The head Graybeard, Arngeir, seems pretty forgiving. All he does is command t...
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• The Speaker 2: 7000 Too Many Steps

  by Clement Bilhorn November 22, 2012
  The Speaker's just finished her schpiel about the Graybeards and me being the Dragonborn and me forsaking my destiny and all that. So, I do what any sensible vampire-assassin-crime-lord does when confronted with a paragon of virtue and discipline: I draw steel. If she wants a fight, well, I'm not go...
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• The Speaker 1: A Unexpected Visit

  by Clement Bilhorn November 20, 2012
  She is not the Dragonborn. But she is trained. For years, she has studied as the Graybeards' most secret charge, the one who succeeded where Ulfric failed.  When her land descended into war and her friends and family died at the hands of the Imperial Legion, and smoke rose from the city she called...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Leavetakings

  by Clement Bilhorn August 5, 2012
  Readers--it's been real.  What started out, for me, as an attempt to basically play a game I was going to play anyways, take pictures, and ask people to read it, turned into something else entirely. I was surprised to find that, not only did I have readers that actually enjoyed my writing, but also ...
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• The Dockworker 38: ...and Change of Hands

  by Clement Bilhorn July 29, 2012
  Dawn approaches as I travel north, toward Windhelm and the end of the war. I pass a few soldiers on the way, escorting a Stormcloak prisoner. I'm not totally sure this is the best use of manpower at this particular time, but I don't need more people getting in my way. So I bid them a good morning a...
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• The Dockworker 37: Change of Heart...

  by Clement Bilhorn July 29, 2012
  My latest meeting with Pajama-Girl is...unsettling. I usually receive my latest target's name with a sort of restrained excitement, but this time I'm less than exuberant. I'm also tired from killing an errant Falkreath guard and a dragon on my way over. Anyways, my next target is someone of importa...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Resurgence!

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  I'm back! New episodes rolling out starting Monday (I'm making a backlog this weekend because I'm going to be playing Orcs Must Die 2 all week). ~Clement
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• The Dockworker 36: The Beginning of the Ending

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  Still shaken by the sight of a dozen dragons, I stagger into Whiterun some time around midnight to grab a carriage to Riften to see Delvin. The local cult makes another incredibly obnoxious attempt to recruit me. They're just jealous that I'm in tight with the Thieves' Guild and the Brotherhood and...
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• The Dockworker 35: Nope Nope Nope

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  So it's another long walk out from Falkreath--that place needs a carriage, badly--to get to Riften. I meet an old man by a cottage on the roadside. Something about him gives me pause. I think it's the dead pools of nothing where his eyes should be. I'm almost hypnotized by the weirdness when a wolf...
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• The Dockworker 34: Ill Portents

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  What with singlehandedly turning the tide of a raging civil war, it's been some time since I checked in with the Dark Brotherhood. So I pay them a visit. Astrid has finally decided that listening to the talking corpse upstairs might be a good idea. So she sends me north to some tomb. Not, unfortuna...
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• The Dockworker 33: A Day in the Life

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  We're going to hit Winterhold next, so I take a carriage on over there. Everything looks about the same as usual. And yes, I notice the dragon this time. The Stormcloaks are on the brink of collapse and I'm about to drop some serious coin on a new bow--I just don't have the patience for this right ...
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• The Dockworker 32: A Bad Lizard Goes to War

  by Clement Bilhorn July 28, 2012
  I return to Rikke--she's pleased with the information I have and tells me it's time to assault the Stormcloaks' fort in the Rift. It's a beautiful morning as I head out, ready to bring war to this peaceful land. Okay, it's really not that peaceful--after the Stormcloaks are gone, the Legion is sti...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Hiatus

  by Clement Bilhorn July 18, 2012
  Dear readers! I am sorry to inform you that due to pressing demands of work in real life, "The Dockworker" will be going on a hiatus of unspecified length. I might be able to drop in the occasional entry here and there, but I think I'd rather just stop for the time being and hopefully resume within ...
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• The Dockworker 31: Dirty People

  by Clement Bilhorn July 16, 2012
  I arrive at the Legion's camp near Riften. Rikke's a tad busy, so I fiddle with one of the camp's warhorns. Unsuccessfully, of course, as lizards do not exactly "blow". Rikke gives me my new orders for taking Riften, and it involves getting information from someone in the jarl's court. So it's a bl...

• The Dockworker: Author's Note: Mods

  by Clement Bilhorn July 15, 2012
  First off, I want to say I love your (the readers') constant feedback. It's great to see my little experiment is getting such a positive reception, and I like hearing what people like/don't like as this story continues to evolve over time. That said, I notice a lot of people are discussing the mods ...
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• The Dockworker 30: The Other Battle of Dawnstar

  by Clement Bilhorn July 15, 2012
  My debt to Dawnstar paid, I continue on my way south to intercept the Stormcloak courier and set about opening the way for the Legion to invade the town. I rough up a local innkeeper for information. Hearing that the courier is already on her way north, I ride ahead, beating her to the intersection...
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• The Dockworker 29: The Battle of Dawnstar

  by Clement Bilhorn July 14, 2012
  I finish my business in Morthal and make my way back to Solitude, where I check in with General Tullius...a bit overdue, I must admit, considering Ulfric's army was beaten several weeks ago.  I also check in with the jarl's advisor, Falk Firebeard, about the message his courier gave me about two we...
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• The Dockworker 28: All Souls' Night

  by Clement Bilhorn July 12, 2012
  Karliah and I, our business with the Guild finally over--well, for her, anyways; I'm a bar owner now--head out from the tomby temple place together. But, seeing a nearby bandit hideout and feeling ready to test out my newfound powers from Nocturnal, we part ways. I watch her go, a bit fondly, now t...
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• The Dockworker 27: Ghosts n' Stuff

  by Clement Bilhorn July 8, 2012
  I'm ready to head back to Riften, thinking it's all over--the jerk's dead, Brynjolf's made me the leader of the Thieves' Guild, and I'm carrying more loot than I care to deal with, especially with the sun sapping my strength.  While passing through Anga's Mill yet once again, I reflect on this last...
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• The Dockworker 26: Mercer Frey, Jerk

  by Clement Bilhorn July 8, 2012
  Tripped out in my new Nightingale gear, I take a carriage up to Windhelm, figuring I'll knock off my two Brotherhood targets before heading to the ruins to find Mercer. Shrouded from head to toe--tail excepted--in my gear, I'm a bit more fearless than usual. With Nilsine dead, I battle my way out o...
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• The Dockworker 25: The Prodigal Pickpockets

  by Clement Bilhorn July 8, 2012
  The arrival of yet another dragon in Winterhold is cause for concern. They may be Ulfric's people, but they're still potential Brotherhood targets. And, well, I still feel bad about Dawnstar. Unfortunately the mages aren't around this time, so it falls to me to kill the dragon myself. Which I've do...
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• The Dockworker 24: Tourist

  by Clement Bilhorn July 7, 2012
  My journey to Markarth takes me through a part of Skyrim I really didn't know existed. It's temperate, foggy, and Imperial-controlled. It's not bad. I also meet the first crazy person who doesn't try to kill me on sight. He's kind of cool. So when I get to Markarth, it's more or less just what I e...
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• The Dockworker 23: Stage Five

  by Clement Bilhorn July 7, 2012
  Before I can find Enthir, I'm more or less roped into attending class at the college. It occurs to me that while I missed the memo on uniform color, I think my hood will still let me pass as a mage. Or maybe not--my heart about stops when the professor tells me I'm going to be demonstrating a ward...
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• The Dockworker 22: Treat Thy Neighbor Like Everyone Else

  by Clement Bilhorn July 6, 2012
  I suppose as long as I'm a vampire I should go about finding ways to mitigate this problem. Also, I'm a complete failure at magic and that unkind gatekeeper at the college will never let me pass if I can't make her stupid "fear" spell. Am I not scary enough as I am?! Farengar seems to think so, rea...
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• The Dockworker 21: The Lonely Lives of Vampires

  by Clement Bilhorn July 5, 2012
  I'm pretty battered by noon--working in the sun for so long is exhausting. Also, I'm out of materials again, so I take advantage of the recent fog and head out to Riften. I meet a waylaid traveler who seems in need of help. Smelling payment, I comply. And then a bunch of his buddies ambush me. Norm...
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• The Dockworker 20: Are You a Wizard?

  by Clement Bilhorn July 4, 2012
  I'm not terribly surprised that a dragon charges me less than a minute after I take my leave of Karliah. And it's a familiar breed--the same as the first kind I fought. It has friends in the wild.  Lots of them. The heaving mountains of fur and muscle, otherwise known as bears and sabres, trap me ...
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• The Dockworker 19: Night Comes Softly

  by Clement Bilhorn July 4, 2012
  I flee east from Dawnstar, pelted by the stinging wind and the insults from Dawnstar's last survivors. I feel bad about what happened, I really do, but there's nothing I can do about it. I still need to get my building materials from Riften, and Windhelm's got the nearest carriage I know of, so I h...
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• The Dockworker 18: Dawnstar of the Dead

  by Clement Bilhorn July 2, 2012
  I work through the night and into the morning, cutting the wood I'll need for my newfound housing project. It's surprisingly satisfying to just do some manual labor for a change. No one to threaten me with internal organ failure, no one to set me on fire, no one to nag me about joining a cult... It...
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• The Dockworker 17: The Stormcloaks are Coming!

  by Clement Bilhorn July 2, 2012
  While leaving Windhelm, it suddenly dawns on me that Ulfric may have been very serious when he said he'd "see me soon". After all, Whiterun is expecting an impending invasion. I realize that I may very well be the only warning Whiterun will have. I take off running into the forest. I stumble across ...
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• The Dockworker 16: Legging It

  by Clement Bilhorn July 2, 2012
  I drop off the crown and get my new orders--head to Whiterun with an important-looking sealed envelope. I fiddle with it on my way down to the carriage, but the seal's really, really strong. Clearly General Tullius doesn't trust an Argonian from the Thieves' Guild. In Whiterun, I'm surprised to see...
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• The Dockworker 15: Supernatural Ingredients

  by Clement Bilhorn July 2, 2012
  The dragon who ruined Solitude's weather is a bit weaker than the others I've fought--I ground him easily, although a nearby guard on patrol still buys it. The dragon stalks me through the forest as I hide behind various rocks and trees. I fire off arrows when I get a chance, and take the beast dow...

• The Dockworker 14: A Stalk in the Dark

  by Clement Bilhorn June 30, 2012
  My stay in Riften is quite brief. I pop in to be debriefed by the Thieves' Guild on my operation at Honningrew.  The plot continues to thicken...or so I assume, since I'm actually pretty confused by all the Guild's past politics. I'm just here to get my next job, which I'm delighted to learn is in ...
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• The Dockworker 13: Mother Nature's Recipes for Disaster

  by Clement Bilhorn June 30, 2012
  Melancholy hangs in the air as I leave the slain dragon's bones and return to the mill. Its inhabitants being dead, I suppose the least I can do is loot the citizens' homes and make sure that stuff doesn't go to waste. Burdened with the meager spoils of victory--the millers only had about a hundred...
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• The Dockworker 12: A Crown of Spiky Things

  by Clement Bilhorn June 29, 2012
  It's a cold, spare night as I wander aimlessly in what I hope is Korvanjund's general direction. I meet a giant and ask him for directions, but he just grunts at me, before and after I fill him with my shiny new elven arrows. I stumble upon Korvanjund after a little while, no worse for wear. Legate...
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• The Dockworker 11: People are Skeevers, Too!

  by Clement Bilhorn June 27, 2012
  I take a moment to watch the sunset while I plan my next move. Dragon detours aside, I'm still on track for Whiterun, as I have business with both the Legion and the Guild in that area. I arrive at Whiterun around midnight, but I expect my contact with the Guild will still be up. I head inside the ...
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• The Dockworker 10: How to Troll Your Dragon

  by Clement Bilhorn June 24, 2012
  In my hurry to get back to Legate Rikke in Solitude, I almost forget about Jaree-Ra, my pirate-marshfriend. I also almost forget about how beautiful nights can be in Skyrim, provided there's a warm current off the ocean to get rid of all the snow. I check in with Legate Rikke and am formally induct...
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• The Dockworker 9: Over the Hill

  by Clement Bilhorn June 24, 2012
  I approach Solitude, excited to see what it's like. So far, three out of the four cities I've visited have been pretty drab--Riften, Windhelm, and Dawnstar. Rat-infested warrens, snow-blasted stone hovels, and a sleepy pile of shacks on the edge of a glacier. Whiterun was okay. If the pattern holds,...
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• The Dockworker 8: How to Win Friends and Execute People

  by Clement Bilhorn June 22, 2012
  With Grelod dead, I take a quick carriage up to Windhelm to collect from Aventus. I'm dubious of this kid's ability to pay, and I'm not at all wrong. He stiffs me. Badly. And by the time I get back to Riften to pull off my heist on Goldenglow Estate, day's breaking. There's a heavy fog, though, so I...
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• The Dockworker 7: Become One with the Rat

  by Clement Bilhorn June 20, 2012
  Riften disappoints immediately. The ubiquitous damp is pretty appealing to a person of my race, but everything else is lame; the thug threatening me inside the gate being hardly the worst of it. The worst is the hyper-alert police force--I do some exploratory surgery on one of the bigger houses, and...
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• The Dockworker 6: Friend and Foe

  by Clement Bilhorn June 19, 2012
  With my butt freshly healed with the balm of inordinate quantities of praise, I head to the carriage, ready to take off for Riften. But I'm distracted by the nearby stable this time--looks like the stablehand's clever placement is a good advertising. We haggle briefly over the prices, but the guy w...
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• The Dockworker 5: Back to Business

  by Clement Bilhorn June 19, 2012
  I'm not in Windhelm five seconds before I start wondering why I came back. Didn't I hate this place? It's cold and full of mean people. Yes, yes, I am seriously long overdue getting back to Orthus, but couldn't he have come to meet me? My carriage fees are stacking up and my butt hurts again. I swa...
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• The Dockworker 4: Catch Me, Catch Me!

  by Clement Bilhorn June 18, 2012
  I arrive a little late at Hadvar's for breakfast, on account of the bandit and three wolves that attack me. But I expect Hadvar's uncle and his family will be forgiving--everyone in Riverwood is so happy to be alive, and besides, we'll call it a brunch and eat twice as much.I come inside and take a ...
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• The Dockworker 3: Oh, the Humanity

  by Clement Bilhorn June 18, 2012
  I break my ankle descending from the precipice. Some wolves offer to help me fix it, but I respectfully decline, fending off their assistance with my arrows. Back below the tree line, I'm completely disoriented, having lost sight of the city I spotted earlier. But after a minute, I catch sight of th...
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• The Dockworker 2: The Criminal Element

  by Clement Bilhorn June 17, 2012
  The carriage ride takes all night. I arrive at Dawnstar early in the morning with a sore butt and "Ragnar the Red" playing endlessly in my head. The sight of another dock causes brief, traumatizing flashbacks from my past (abandoned 12 hours ago), but I quickly get over it and begin looking around f...
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• The Dockworker 1: Robbing the 'Hood

  by Clement Bilhorn June 17, 2012
  My life begins like this. Trapped in a dank, Amnesia-esque wooden box with nothing but a faux Virgin Mary statue to greet me. It turns out she's pretty cool though, and offers me a chance to relive my life. I choose my choice and, with visions of "Awake" brimming in my mind, I pop into bed, excited...
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• The Dockworker: Author's Note

  by Clement Bilhorn June 17, 2012
  Before embarking on my Skyrim journey, as many have done before me, I will divulge the following details about my adventure.  First, I intend this to be very readable and approachable--low on the text, heavy on the screenshots, per my inspiration from Thingy Person's wonderful "Occupy Blackreach" th...
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