Entry 5.

As was the case for much of my first life, I have been working whatever menial job that I can find in the hopes of gaining enough respect with my fellow companions that I will be welcomed as a full member. While doing so I gained the attention of the Jarl, who requested that I assist his court wizard with his research into dragons. The fact that I had survived Helgen proved to be of some use in this research as I was able to describe a Dragon Attack in greater detail than any tome that the Wizard could find.

Eventually he sent me out to retrieve an ancient stone tablet that was said to list the locations of all known burial sites. And which was said to be buried within the final chamber of Bleak Falls Barrow, which is situated atop the mountain overlooking Riverwood.

The ride to the small town gave me a chance to plan how I would approach the ruins. I first decided to spend the night with Hadvar’s uncle in order to ask him what he knew of the ruins from his time living in their shadow. I would also use this chance to buy as many healing potions and torches as I could from the local trader. Once that was done, I would leave Frost with Alvor and then proceed up the mountain path.

The night that I spent at Alvor’s, I had a dream in which I was chasing a figure through a ruined hallway. As we entered a pitch-black room I was struck with a greatsword, dying instantly. Much like my dream with the wolves it felt almost too real to be just a dream.

It turned out that the trader had recently been broken into and a dragon’s claw made of gold was stolen from his shop. He claimed that the bandits were now located within the ruins; how he knew this I have no idea, but it would be best to be cautious.

The bandits turned out to be easy enough to pick off with a few well-placed arrows and I was able to make my way into the ruins. As I moved deeper I came across a Dunmer trapped in a giant spider web and guarded by an equally giant frostbite spider. Once the spider was dead, the Dunmer revealed that he had the Golden Claw and that he would give it to me in exchange for me cutting him down. As I needed to do so to get past anyway, I agreed.

The moment his feet hit the ground he ran off deeper into the ruin and I gave chase. As I followed him I recognised the hallway from my dream and slowed to a more cautious pace. Not long after I heard a scream followed by silence. The Dunmer had run headlong into a group of Draugr and it had been his end. When the Draugr lay dead I retrieved the claw and moved deeper into the ruins.

I eventually came to a natural cave in which sat a sarcophagus and a massive wall with ancient text carved into it. As I approached a Draugr burst forth from the sarcophagus. Unlike those I had faced earlier, this Draugr was much stronger and it took all of my strength to best him.

Within the now open sarcophagus ley the tablet that I had been sent to retrieve. As I picked it up from its resting place I noticed a strange chanting from the wall and a single word that was glowing with a strange power. Out of curiosity I moved closer to get a better look and the chanting washed over me so strongly that I thought my head was going to burst. After only seconds of intense pain the chanting stopped and I was left to wonder what had happened.