Posted by
Paul M May 10, 2014 -
469 views
So I have a couple of goes at striking out to the north, into the snowy hills and rock formations, but between the bandits, the ice wolves, and the giant frostbite spiders I end up dying three times. Clearly this environment is meant for someone of more skill than I, so I turn back towards Whiterun. Rather than go back the way I came I circle around the top of the mountain and find a shrine of Talos. From here the path goes down then either continues to the river or rises again between two peaks. I opt for the high road, despite the rain and thunder echoing around ominously.
A hunter runs up asking for help following an encounter with a vampire. I don't have a potion for that, and for some reason don't think to mention the shrine just up the road. She departs and I find a route leading south. I come to a place called Fellglow keep, which has a robed gent on its crumbling walls. Maybe this is something to do with the apprentice mages I met before. They weren't that tough as I recall, so I head in. I'm half right, in as much as this is something to do with the novice mages, but this ice and fire pairing are possibly my toughest fight to date. I down a bunch of resistance potions, and get through all my health tonics, before resorting to carrots and cabbages to stay alive. The fire Mage eventually brings a dagger to a sword fight and goes down joining the dispatched ice Mage.
I catch my breath and poke around the exterior of the keep. In front of a door into some sort of mountain cave is a flame atronach, who I approach using cover. I put a healing spell in my left hand, as I think the sword is the only hope of bringing this thing down. One swipe of its fist quickly puts paid to any ideas like that though, and it is only my shout ability that buys me a chance to escape. I dash north and then come round in a big arc to the mountains east of the keep. At the front gate again I use a skill I picked up at the ritual stone to raise the two dead apprentices, who dash in to go fight the floating, burning creature. I follow, but at a life loving distance.
The ice Mage takes it out then falls. The fire Mage seems okay, but in any case the exterior is clear of guys trying to kill me. Nice. I head inside the keep. Someone lives here, and there's room for quite a few by the looks of things. Given how tough the fight has been so far I decide to abandon further exploration, and head back outside to return to Whiterun. At a bridge across a river I take on about 5 bandits, who do themselves great honour before departing this mortal coil. The bridge is mine, including a tower with living quarters and some books. It is starting to get dark, and it's been a tough day so I decide to read a little and then get some rest. There's an interesting book about the snake and cat people, and the first part of a tale about a long lost princess returning unknowingly to her dead father's kingdom.
I awaken to a crisp and clear Loredas morning. It turns out the bridge is not crossing a river, but rather a mountain stream that becomes a waterfall as it falls over the edges of the peaks. Further out the view east comes to mountains a good couple of days travel from here. Two rivers pass through the land between, and I think I am still some way north of Whiterun.
I explore the rest of the bridge and it's towers, finding an enchanted bow and an alchemy table. Now a level 20 alchemist and a level 6 character, I take the physician perk. Today feels like a good day all round. From the south tower I can see Whiterun west of here, so I plan to head in that direction once I get down from the bridge. The fields are a bounty of ingredients, and I even manage to stealth kill an elk with a hunting bow. As I strip the carcass some hungry wolves show up so I back off and continue back to Whiterun.
As I pass the ritual stone where I first met the apprentice mages I am attacked from behind by a lizard man who is identified as an assassin. It is a pitched battle, and afterwards I ease my nerves by catching butterflies and pulling their wings off. On the assassin's corpse is a note from Astrid of the dark brotherhood. I have been targeted for termination, by someone who has performed a black sacrament and paid in advance for my death. It's hard not to take something like that personally. Most likely this is the to do with the bunch of trainee mages I met in the mountains, although I don't remember giving them my name. Perhaps it was the noble whose horse I briefly "stole", but if so that's very passive aggressive. Why didn't he just say he was angry about it at the time when I gave him the horse back?
I'm back in Whiterun at 2:30. I go see the wizard to ask about the Mountain Mages and the dark brotherhood, but he is no help, but I do use his enchanting table to transfer a spell from a bandit's axe to my preferred sword. The Jarl is more chatty though, and fills me in on the rebellion in Skyrim. Nord men (like Vikings) want to govern themselves, rather than being ruled by the empire (Romans, the people who were going to execute me). The Jarl seems a little split with his allegiance. I ask his lady elf bodyguard about her job, and she says about assassins trying to kill the Jarl. I hear that sister, those snake people are the worst.
I head back to the tavern, and appreciate having the raving lunatic as something of a landmark for navigating in the central dead tree plaza. I am still thinking about the mountain mages, as there is something I still can't explain: why when I first met the angry fire Mage had he just killed the ice Mage? I can get why they were there on the east bank of the river as it's a main road up to their keep and it is in good country for ingredients. But why did one kill the other, thus drawing my attention? And then why are they apprentice or novice mages? Who is training them? And why did the wizard in the castle say that he was the only one who did magic around here? Is he covering for the Mountain Mages? Or maybe he doesn't know they exist? Or maybe he is one of them. Does that explain how the assassin had a kill list with my name on it?
Unfortunately a direct assault to get more answers is out of the question, so my best bet is to go to the downs and carry out the wizard's mission, the hope being that this will get him to show a little more of his hand. The rest of my day will be among the simple folk of Whiterun, and tomorrow I'll head back to Riverwood, and see about sneaking in through the southern mountain door which leads to the ancient Nord burial chambers.
