I remember searching for such a game at an online store. After reading reviews for several RPG games (games that I can’t remember), I was overjoyed when I read the user reviews for Morrowind. I finally found an RPG game that I had been looking for.

I played Morrowind for countless hours, installed many mods, installed all the expansion packs, and created various characters, each behaving a specific way. Morrowind was probably the game that I played the most in my life. I followed up Morrowind by buying Oblivion and playing that along with mods and the expansion packs. Of course, I also bought Skyrim when it first came out.

The one thing that I also enjoyed was reading the online journals of fans that have enjoyed the Elder Scrolls games as much as I have. I enjoy reading how others have created a character and created a personality and life for their character.

Out of all the journals, I find that the best ones don’t usually stick to the storyline 100% of the time. Some of the best change the story of the game to add a unique experience to the game. Whether it is an alternate start for their character, or changing how quests are played out, the journals that add something different to the storyline are usually some of the best journals that I have read.

With my journals, I wanted to change the storyline a bit, but still maintain many of the quests in the game. For example, I in A Province Divided, the main character Avingard doesn’t start as a prisoner on his way to be beheaded. There is no dragon attack to start the story, or escape from Helgen.

Instead I wanted to provide a different start to my character’s adventure in Skyrim – a Breton arriving to Skyrim from Hammerfell. I also wanted to provide a simple back story for my character to explain how and why he came to Skyrim, especially during a Civil War.

Since the Elder Scrolls is non-linear, I can have my character advance through a faction without really playing the main quest. There are times where certain missions from the main story need to be completed before continuing within a faction quest line, but in such circumstances I would just complete only the necessary main story quests.

When telling the story of my character, I may leave out the extra main story missions to avoid breaking the continuity of my character’s story. I may later revisit the quests that I completed earlier by adding those quests into another story.

Creating the story about my character’s travel within Skyrim is the best part about writing a Skyrim journal. I have complete freedom over how I present the story, even if it does mean doing missions in a different order than what is written, or how it is played, in Skyrim.

When creating a journal for an Elder Scrolls game, you should focus more on what you want to do with your character, how you want your character to act or react, where you want your character to go, and how you want your character to interact with the world. This means you don’t need to follow what has been created in the game, but more about what has been created in your head.

The post Be Creative With Character Stories in Skyrim appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

Avingard examined his map to find where Legate Rikke had marked the ruins of Korvanjund. The ruins of Korvanjund was quite a trek from Solitude as they were located northeast of Whiterun, which could take almost a day to reach from his current position. Avingard could trek east from where he was, but that would mean crossing rivers, marshes, mountains and tundra, but more importantly, across land he wasn’t familiar with. His best option was to return to Whiterun and then head out east and then north along the road.

After putting his map away, Avingard began his trek to Korvanjund from Solitude. After walking for a minute he came upon a carriage, pulled by a single horse, stopped at the side of the road. A drive was sitting high in the carriage holding the reins of the horse. Near the back of the carriage a guard was keeping a watchful eye on Avingard.

“I can take you to any of the hold capitals,” the carriage driver explained to Avingard. “My carraige is the safest way to travel.”

Realizing that the ruins of Korvanjund was quite a trek, and heading out from Whiterun would make the trip easier, Avingard agreed to the carriage ride. “I’d like to hire your carriage.”

“Where do you want to go?” the driver asked.

“Whiterun,” Avingard replied.

The driver nodded his head. “Climb in back and we’ll be off.”

Avingard thanked the driver, walked to the back of the carriage – under the watchful eye of the carriage guard – and then climbed in.

The ride to Whiterun was rough at time, but Avingard did manage to get a little rest on the way. When his eyes were open he saw many of the sites he had seen on his trek to Solitude from Whiterun. This time, however, he wasn’t worried about any bandits or assassins charging after him. Carriages that travel the roads are usually left untouched, especially when they are accompanied by weel-trained guards.

It was late when Avingard arrived at Whiterun, and all was quiet and dark. Avingard looked up and couldn’t see any stars indicating that the clouds were still hovering above. Trekking to Korvanjund at this time would not be best, so Avingard decided to get a room at the Bannered Mare, and then leave early the next morning. He reasoned that it he would reach the ruins early the next day.

After thanking the carriage driver and nodding to the guard, Avingard made his way to the front gate of Whiterun. The two guards looked him over and then let him enter the city.

The city of Whiterun was quiet as all the shops were closed, although the Drunken Huntsman (a tavern), looked lively. Torches were lit to provide some light along the roads, and a few of the residents were quietly making their way to a local tavern. Avingard removed his helmet and continued along the road towards the Bannered Mare.

As he approached the door to the inn he could hear a lot of activity going on inside. He opened the door, and quickly felt the warmth from the fire blazing in the center of the room. The inn was filled with many of the local citizens of Whiterun who have come to relax after a day or work.

Not wanting to waste much time to get some rest, Avingard approached Hulda, who was busy, as usual, behind the counter.

“Welcome back, Avingard,” Hulda greeted him with a smile on her face. “Don’t you look fine with your Imperial Legion armor.”

“Thanks, Hulda,” Avingard replied. “I would like a room, please.”

Hulda smiled and gave Avingard a key to a room, after which Avingard paid Hulda for the room. Making his way from the bar, dodging the many people enjoying themselves, Avingard climbed the stairs to his room. He removed his armor and then placed that, along with his sword, next to the bed. Laying down on his bed, Avingard quickly falls asleep, even with the noise of the in happening directly below him.

The post Chapter 6 – The Jagged Crown appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

As she was last night, Faida was tending the bar but stopped as she noticed Avingard enter from the room.

“Good morning,” she greeted Avingard. “Did you sleep well?”

Not wanting to upset Faida about the bed, he simply replied, “I slept well.”

“Well, let me know if you need anything,” Faida explained smiling before resuming her work.

Avingard looked around the large tarvern. There were no other patrons in the room, but the fire was still roaring in the fire pit. He sat down at the nearest table and pulled out some food for breakfast. He slowly ate some bread, an apple and then drank some water. He was anxious to begin the final leg of his journey to Solitude, which according to his map, he should easily reach this morning.

Once he was finished his breakfast, Avingard stood up and then walked out the only door into the tavern and into the street. The clouds had rolled in the previous night, but were slowly breaking up and the sun peaked through the broken clouds. The sun was still rising as Avingard stepped into the street and looked around.

Dragon’s bridge wasn’t a very big town, only consisting of about four main buildings, with the Four Shields Tavern being one of them. Two other buildings appeared to be tied to a small lumber camp. The small size meant that only a single main road, leading up to Solitude, was the only road in town. The single road, however, split into two after crossing Dragon Bridge with both sections surrounding the Four Shields Tower.

Dragon Bridge was an important bridge for both the Imperials and the Stormcloaks, making this town a prime target for both factions. The bridge, with the large dragon’s head at the top, was the last bridge to cross the Karth river before Solitude. If the bridge fell to the Stormcloaks, they would have unrestricted access in an assault on Solitude.

As Avingard turned north on the final leg of his journey to Solitude, an Imperial soldier stopped and watched Avingard. Unlike other holds, which have their own city guards, Solitude is mainly patrolled by Imperial soldiers because of the strong Imperial Legion support and presence in the Haafingar hold. Not wanting to cause any alarm, Avingard just smiled at the soldier and continued on his way. The Imperial soldier kept an eye on Avingard until Avingard had left Dragon Bridge.

Avingard continued along the road, which forked into two directions – one heading northwest and up a small cliff, while the other northeast along a more flat route. After checking his map, Avingard took the northeast route, which eventually turned eastward. As Avingard walked along the path he noticed a cliff on his left, with snow appearing from the ledges, and a drop to his right. The drop off to his right, and after some distance, would eventually lead to the Karth river.

Peering back at the cliffs to his left, mainly because he wasn’t keen on looking down to the river, Avingard noticed some stone structures built at the top of the cliffs. He wasn’t sure what the stone structures were, but they did grab his attention for a few moments as he walked past them.

Just past the stone structures, the road once again forked, with the road ahead going up the cliff, and the road to the right appearing to go down. Once again Avingard chose the right fork and he began to descend down the cliff. Not far from the fork, Avingard started to overhear voices ahead of him.

“Come along, no more stops, we need to find our way to Solitude,” a male voice ordered.

“Why are we even going to a wedding at this far flung end of the Empire anyway?” a female voice questioned.

“I told you, it’s the wedding of Vittoria Vici, an extremely well-connected merchant with the East Empire Company,” the man explained. “The Emperor’s cousin? Remember? Hopefully these gifts will put us in her good graces, secure that import deal, and lead the way to an audience with the Emperor.”

As Avingard rounded a corner he spotted three people walking along the left side of the road ahead of him. Out front was a Redguard, and was dressed in leather armor and was perhaps the bodyguard. Behind him were two well dressed Imperials – a man and a woman. The man was traveling behind the woman. Avingard caught up to the group as they were traveling much slower.

“Excuse me,” Avingard interjected.

“Don’t bother me peasant,” the man replied seeming disgusted at Avingard. “I’ve had a long journey and paid too much coin on these gifts to be late to Vittoria’s wedding.”

“Enjoy the wedding,” Avingard said.

“Indeed,” the man said. “If we ever get there.”

As he has witnessed many times in his life, the wealthy always seem to believe they are above everyone else. While Avingard doesn’t have the temperment to put up with such foolishness, he also realized that the bodyguard traveling with the group looked like someone that could handle a sword. Avingard smiled at the man and then continued on his way.

After rounding the bend, Avingard noticed a large stone wall with a large opened door in front of him. It was the outer wall of Solitude, and Avingard was relieved when he finally could see his destination up ahead.

The stone wall was constructed of massive rectangular stones and it looked like it can withstand a large assault. A large square battlement was built on the right side that could provide protection against the road and the river. While the Imperial Legion help Solitude, no banners indicating such were displayed on the outer wall. Next to the main door through the wall was a solitary guard, which just watched Avingard as he passed through the entrance.

Once Avingard had passed through the outer wall ahead of him were the main doors to the city of Solitude. Built with similar stones as the outer wall, the main wall to the city was even more formidable, consisting of a large battlement on the right side and smaller one on the left. The doors to the city were closed with a single Imperial solder guarding the doors. Hung on either side of the door were Imperial Legion banners.

As Avingard approached the doors, the soldier turned to Avingard and explained, “if you’ve come to Solitude to join the Legion, speak to Rikke. If not, just keep your nose clean while you’re here…or you’ll end up like Roggvir.”

Unsure of who Roggvir was, Avingard nodded to the soldier and then opened the doors and entered Solitude.

The post Chapter 5 – Proving Grounds appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

More often than not I have my fighter join the Imperial Legion, and embark on a course that will usually see him becoming a paladin-type character. On the flip-side of the coin, I also like to create a thief or assassin that rarely tries to follow the law. I have tried to create a few mages, but never enjoyed those for some reason.

After playing through the Imperial Legion faction with a previous character I was disappointed with several aspects of the faction. First, the ending was disappointing. A final battle against the Stormcloaks in Windhelm, a brief conversation with Ulric, and his death, followed by a speech from General Tullius to the soldiers and then…nothing.

You spent a few hours building up to a grand finale that never happens. The war is over with with just a speech, and you are sent on your way to do as you please, many times having soldiers and guards not recognize you as one of the heroes that ended the Civil War – outside of modding the game, of course. Having recognition for your accomplishments would be nice.

Perhaps a more celebratory ending to the Civil Ware would have been more appropriate as it was a major event in the province’s history, that had finally ended. Another option would be to create dynamic quests that would send the character on quests to rid Skyrim of outlaw Stormcloaks that refuse to acknowledge the defeat of the Stormcloaks. That same could be said if you sided with the Stormcloaks.

In terms of earning those accomplishments, this is where I feel Skyrim really false short.

Many people online have felt that the factions within Skyrim have lost a lot from the Morrowind guild days. While I haven’t played many magic users, many online are disappointed with College of Winterhold (mage’s guild equivalent) quest line. They say that any character with a little knowledge of magic can become Arch-Mage, which is somewhat ridiculous. In Morrowind, you had to meet specific skill levels to advance through a guild, so a fighter with very little skill in magic couldn’t become leader of the Mage’s Guild.

There should be requirements to advance through any faction within Skyrim. Simply going out and completing quests, regardless of how they are completed, shouldn’t just be enough to gain rank in a faction. Each quest would become increasingly difficult, to the point where having low-level skills is not an option. For example, in the Thieves Guild, you would need to have stealth and lockpicking close to 100 to complete the last quests in the guild, or in the College of Winterhold, you would need to almost max out specific magic skills to advance.

While the main quest of any Elder Scrolls game is by far the most involved aspect of the games, the factions/guilds are what many players enjoy playing the most, myself included. This would be a good reason to look at making the factions more difficult, so the character would need to work harder and smarter to accomplish their task. The result would be faction quests that would take longer to complete, and increase the immersion in the game.

While I will continue to have my characters join the factions, I will usually implement more roleplaying than should be necessary to increase my immersion in the game.

The post Skyrim Factions Leave Much to Be Desired appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

It was probably the best mod ever created for Oblivion, and sometimes I still think about going back and playing it to this day. If you own Oblivion, I highly recommend you download and install Nehrim.

Moving on to Skyrim, the same team at SureAI that created Nehrim has now been working on an even larger project. They have been busy with creating Enderal: The Shards of Order, which is a total conversion mod for Skyrim.

I am excited to hear this news, mainly because the quality of the Nehrim mod was top-notch, and an enjoyable mod, that I can’t wait to see SureAI’s latest creation for Skyrim.

Enderal is the sequel to Nehrim, so it takes place in the same universe as the Oblivion mod, which is not in the same world as the Elder Scrolls. Not only will the mod take us to a different world, it will also change some of the gameplay mechanics of Skyrim. Some features of Enderal mentioned on their site include:

• The fantasy will be geared towards adults: dirty and immersive with no fairies.
• More player decisions with deeper characters.
• A different skill system – an XP-based system.

SureAI mentions that their XP-based skill system will help a player specify their characters in a more detailed fashion. I believe it will allow us to provide a more customized, and personal character that we can play through the world. I always enjoy a game that can provide a connection to the character.

At the moment, no release date has been announced, but I will be keeping a close eye on the development of this mod. Once it is released, I’ll be sure to download and play Enderal: The Shards of Order.

The post Enderal: Total Conversion Skyrim Mod appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

When you roleplay in Skyrim, there is not limit to how you go about doing it. There are may “rules” that you can follow, but everyone will have a different play-style than the next. In fact, many of the rules of roleplaying mimic how you would act in real life, so your characters feels like they come alive.

Some popular roleplaying rules in Skyrim include the following:

A character must always eat.

By default, Skyrim doesn’t force anyone to eat, in fact you can go a whole game without even eating or drinking anything. Many who roleplay choose to force their player character to eat as specific intervals. There are mods available that will help enforce this but draining specific skills of your character until they eat something. Such mods can go into great details with regards to the food that they are eating, as well.

A character must sleep at least once a day.

Much like eating, Skyrim doesn’t force your character to sleep, but there are a few perks to doing so. Just like in real life, however, many people feel that their characters should sleep at least once a day. Once again, much like eating, there are mods available that will cause your character to become weak and tired if they haven’t slept after so many hours, or have done a lot of physical activity, such as fighting.

Dead is dead.

This rule is for the hardcore roleplayers, and is not for everyone. Basically this rule means that if your character dies in the game, the character can’t be used anymore – no restoring.

No fast travel.

Skyrim is large, and can take some time to travel from one end of the province to the other, and as they did in Morrowind and Oblivion, Bethesda has included the ability to fast travel. This means that you can simply click on a destination that is on your map, and you have visited, and you can instantly be teleported to that spot. When roleplaying, you may want to not use this feature, but instead travel as you would in real life. The benefit is that you can find a lot more interesting locations and items by doing this. Of course, if the temptation to use fast travel is too great, you could always install a mod that disables that feature.

Don’t run everywhere.

While not related to fast travel, you may also not to have your character run all the time. While it is faster than walking, it is more natural to simply walk along a road instead of running the marathon. This is especially true if your character wears heavy armor. Running, or sprinting, over short distances is fine.

Give your character a lore-friendly name.

If you really want to be as genuinue as possible to the lore of the Elder Scrolls, you can research names for your character that match their race. There are several name generators online that can help you choose a name if you wish to be lore-friendly.

Add a backstory and personality to your character.

Everyone has a story to tell, and your character may have one as well. If you can, try to flesh out your character by providing a story about who they are and how they came to be. The history of your character could be instrumental into their personality. Many roleplayers like creating the backstory to their characters before they begin playing, but like all rules, this one is optional.

The above list isn’t, by any means, an exhaustive list. A quick search online can yield many sites that have very extensive lists of rules that they are following when roleplaying.

When roleplaying in Skyrim, and roleplaying in general, it is important to use your imagination. There really is not right or wrong way you can create and play your character. Be creative, and try different types of characters to see which character you like playing the best. Skyrim provides a system where you can mix and match qualities to make many different characters.

Since I have played Skyrim I have created thieves, melee fighters, mages, and assassins. Sometimes I will even mix characters, such as creating thieves that are also great at fighting with melee weapons, much like a fighter, or assassins that prefer ranged tactics. I may even have two games going where I am an assassin in one game, and the second game a paladin – one who only performs virtuous acts.

In the end, roleplaying in Skyrim is about having fun.

The post RolePlaying in Skyrim appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

Fast-forward to now, after countless hours playing Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim, I can honestly say, for me anyway, the only way to really enjoy the Elder Scrolls games is on a PC.

The reason? One simple word: mods.

Mods Bring Out the Best in the Games

Modding has provided the Elder Scrolls games with so much playability, realism, and creativity, that no single developer of games can match. Every facet of these games has been modded in some way, even going so far as creating an entirely different game (called a “total conversion”) using the game’s engine.

Modding has also increased the lifespan of the games as fans still enjoy playing Morrowind over 10 years later, and with mods that are still be developed and maintained. Installing and using mods is one of the reasons I still play the games.

I haven’t played Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim without any mods, except when I first get the game and rush into play it. I usually find many mods that I add to the game to increase my immersion into the world created by Bethesda.

As your read through the chapters for the journals on this site you can see that the screenshots show Skyrim with many mods installed. The most obvious is the look of the terrain, objects and characters. While Bethesda creates textures that can be played on even low-end computers, mods have been created so those with higher-end computers can enjoy all their computers can offer.

My Mod Requirements

With that being said, I choose my Skyrim mods wisely. I have specific ideas of what I like to look for in a mod, and with Skyrim it was no different. I try to use mods that will add to my game, but not change it so drastically that it doesn’t feel the same as the first idea I had about the time period and location. This is what is called “lore friendly” and I like to adhere to that principle.

With that being said, here are some things I like to think about when choosing a mod for Skyrim:

Atmosphere

I think of Skyrim as a cold and harsh province. It takes a strong person to live in this land, and so I don’t like to use mods that make the atmosphere too vibrant. Some areas, such as near Riften, are colorful, but most of the province is tundra, snow, and ice.

Character

There are a lot of mods that can change about anything on a player character. For me, the people of Skyrim are dirty, hardworking, and strong, and so I won’t use mods that show clean, flawless skin, perfectly neat hair, or anything that looks like the character came from a beauty salon. Most of the people of Skyrim seem too busy making a living to care about where they should get their hair done.

Armor and Weapons

Much like character mods, there are also a lot of mods related to armor and weapons. For me, I like to find armor that covers a large portion of the body. There are many armor mods that like to show off some of the player’s well-toned body, but I really can’t see my character wearing such armor in the cold province of Skyrim (unless you’re a Nord with cold-resistance) while they try to protect them self from other creatures. With weapons it is similar as there have been many different weapons, from guns to lightsabers mods created. While they are fun, they don’t help me immerse myself in the game.

Realism

I like to include mods that bring a sense of realism to the game. By this I mean such mods that force my character to eat and sleep, become affected by the cold, and just affect how my character survives. I don’t include mods that add powerful items and effects that can unbalance the game, and I don’t look at ways of trying to create the uber-character. I may choose perks that others may think are a waste, but when I’m role-playing, nothing is a waste if it adds to the story of my character.

The above list is just some of the things I think about when choosing a mod to install. I may install some mods that don’t meet the above list, just for some fun, but when I role-play I try to keep things a realistic as possible.

With the immense number of mods available, I can do just that.

The post How I Choose My Skyrim Mods appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

Looking around the market, he found what he was looking for – an alchemy shop called Arcadia’s Cauldron. As he walked over to the shop a guard, leaning against a post outside Belethor’s General Goods shop took notice of Avingard.

“I used to be an adventurer like you,” the guard explained. “then I took an arrow in the knee…”

Avingard looked over the guard, nodded politely and then entered Arcadia’s Cauldron. Upon entering the shop Avingard looked around and noticed that, as with most shops in Skyrim, the shop consisted of a single large room. There were two doors – on straight ahead and another to the right – that lead to the private quarters of the shopkeeper. A large part of the room was dominated by a roaring fire to keep the room nice and warm. To his left Avingard spotted the shopkeeper, Arcadia, behind a counter.

“Let me know if you see anything you like,” she greeted Avingard. As he moved closer to the counter, she seemed taken back by his appearance. “You look rather pale. Could be Ataxia. It’s quite a problem back home in Cyrodiil. Maybe a hardy Nord like you doesn’t need a cure-all. Hmm? What about an invisibility potion?”

“What have you go for sale?” asked Avingard.

“So you’re interested in my potions and ingredients?” Arcadia asked. She began showing Avingard what she had for sale, carefully explaining each item to him.

Avingard bought four potions of minor healing and a potion of cure disease to help remove the ailments that he had contracted during his adventures. After paying for the potions, Avingard used the cure disease potion and quickly felt better.

Avingard thanked Arcadia for the potions and then turned and left the shop. By this time the market area had come alive with sellers and buyers. Avingard didn’t stop to look over the stalls, as he was anxious to begin his journey to Solitude. He quickly made his way down the road, but decided to stop in at Warmaiden’s for one additional supply – a helmet.

As usually, Adrianne was outside the shop crafting armor when Avingard approached. She stopped working and greeted Avingard. Checking his gold, he realized that he had accumulated enough from his bounty hunting that he could now afford to buy a helmet. Looking over Adrianne’s inventory he found a steel helmet that would work perfectly so he paid 377 gold coins for the helmet. Adrianne thanked Avingard for the purchase, and then he turned around and walked away. Avingard opened the main gates of Whiterun and then left the city.

The weather was cool and cloudy as Avingard left Whiterun behind him and started to travel west along the road that would eventually take him to Solitude to join the Imperial Legion. After walking for a few minutes Avingard noticed three men in the distance in front of him. He wasn’t sure if they were bandits waiting for a passerby, or if they were just three men standing and chatting.

As Avingard approached the men, keeping his guard up, he noticed that the men were rather loud, and seemed to be drinking. In fact, they seemed to be ready to celebrate than to fight.

“Hail, friend!” one of them called out to Avingard. “It’s good to see another merry soul enjoying this find day. Ah, but you look tired. Come, share a bottle of Honningbrew Mead with me!”

“Honningbrew Mead?” Avingard asked.

“You’ve never had a taste of sweet Honningbrew?” the man replied seeming confused and surprised. “Why, it’s only the finest mead outside of Sovngarde! Its sweetness is like a fair maiden’s kiss on a starry night. And it’s got enough kick to put a frost troll on his hind quarters. Ha!”

The main stopped for a second to catch his breath, and then continued, “But enough talk. Come! Won’t you share a drink with me and my companions?”

Seeing no sign of hostility among the three men, Avingard agreed “I would love to share a drink with you, friend!”

“Ha, nothing like fine spirits to help raise your…well, your spirits,” the man replied excitedly. “Cheers, my friend! May your adventures find you fame and fortune!”

With that all four men drank Honningbrew Mead. It was some of the best mead that Avingard had ever tasted. His father enjoyed mead quite a bit, so Avingard grew up drinking mead himself. Once Avingard had finished the mead, he said goodbye to the three men and continued his journey down the road. He could hear the three men continue their enjoyment as he walked away.

It wasn’t long, however, until Avingard came across another man. The man as armed with a sword as his side, but didn’t seem aggressive as Avingard approached.

“Hello there, traveler,” the man greeted Avingard. “One itinerant minstrel and wandering wastrel, at your service.”

“I’m sorry?” Avingard asked confused by the man’s introduction.

“I am a minstrel, and was wondering if I can perform for you?” the man replied.

Avingard took a few seconds to think about the situation. A minstrel traveling on the road as offered to perform for Avingard. Thinking it over Avingard replied “Not at this time, but thank you for your offer.”

“No problem,” the man replied.

Before continuing, Avingard made a suggestion to the man, “There are a group of gentlemen just down this road that may enjoy your company.”

The minstrel pointed straight ahead of him, and Avingard nodded in agreement. The minstrel ran down the road, waving to Avingard as he left.

Smiling at the waving minstrel, Avingard turned and continued his journey down the road. After a few minutes he noticed a large stone structure on his right. As he came closer he noticed that it was a large fort, with some damage to one of the side walls. On the walls, Avingard noticed some archers perched above looking down. From a distance Avingard could make out that the archers were bandits, simply by the way they were dressed.

The bandits could attack anyone on the road from their position, so he decided to pause on his journey and try to clear out the fort. Quickly pulling out his map, he noticed that he was about to attack Fort Greymoor.

The post Chapter 4 – The Dangerous Road appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

After rising to his feet, and doing a quick stretch to remove any stiffness that had set in overnight, Avingard gathered his armor and greatsword and exited the room. He walked down the stairs, past the fire that was still burning furiously, and walked over to the bar.

“Good morning,” the lady behind the bar greeted Avingard. “I’m Hulda, owner of the Bannered Mare.”

“Good morning,” Avingard replied. “You have a nice inn with very comfortable beds. You must enjoy your work.”

“I enjoy this work well enough, but I’m ready to retire,” Hulda explained. “I’ve been thinking of selling the inn to Ysolda. Anyway, what do you need?”

“What have you got for sale?” Avingard asked.

Hulda explained the different foods and drinks for Avingard, which all seemed good to him. He would buy some food and some mead, and then ate his purchases as he sat looking around the room.

“So,” Hulda began, “what brings you to Whiterun?”

“I am here to pick up some supplies,” Avingard answered. “I am on my way to Solitude to join up with the Imperial Legion.”

Hulda stopped what she was doing and stared at Avingard, “This Civil War is tearing Skyrim apart. If you walk around Whiterun you can easily see what it is doing to families and friends. Splitting them apart.”

“I saw that yesterday,” Avingard said. “I saw to men talking to an elderly woman. I believe the woman owns the stall out front.”

“The men are Battle-Borns and the elderly woman is Fralia Gray-Mane,” Hulda explained. “The two clans were once friends, but with the Battle-Borns supporting the Empire, and the Gray-Manes supporting the Stormcloaks, there has been a lot of tension between the clans recently. Why do you want to join the Legion?”

“As a promise to my father. He always supported the Empire, and even helped fight the Thalmor in Hammerfell. He didn’t agree with what Ulfric Stormcloak did to the High King.”

Hulda didn’t seem to want to get into a deep discussion about the Civil War. “Have you had much experience in combat,” she asked.

“Not until I arrived in Skyrim,” came the reply. “I fought some bandits near Falkreath, but I haven’t had many opportunities in my life to do so.”

“Well,” Hulda began, “I do have two tasks that you would be perfect for. You will, of course, be paid for the tasks, and you will also gain more combat experience before you join the Legion.”

Avingard thought about what Hulda had just offered him. He wanted to head to Solitude without any delay, but the thought of making some gold seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. “What do you have for me?”

“Here. Take at look at this. Some of the Jarl’s men came by and left this bounty letter,” Hulda said as she reached under the counter and pulled out a piece of paper. “I’ll give you the second task when you return.”

Avingard took the letter and read it. It read:

Bounty

By order of Balgruuf the Greater.

To all able bodied men and women of Whiterun. The bandits located in Silent Moons Camp have been harassing, robbing and attacking citizens and visitors.

A reward will be offered to anyone who kills their leader.

–Proventus Avenicci

The task seemed like something he could handle, so he thanked Hulda and left the Bannered Mare.

Outside, in the market, the owner’s of the stalls were setting up for the day. Avingard didn’t waste anytime looking at the stalls as he rushed passed and headed towards the entrance to Whiterun. He quickly left Whiterun and headed down the road out of the city.

Turning north Avingard looked across the tundra, which consisted of small bushes and ponds, he stopped to smell the fresh morning air. Avingard then proceeded to Silent Moons Camp.

On the way, Avingard came across a shallow small pond. The one thing that set this pond out from all the others was that a skeletal hand was poking out from the water. In the hand someone had placed a steel sword.

Avingard looked around to see if anyone was nearby, and to find a clue as to what this represented. He couldn’t see anything so he slowly walked away.

He looked back at the hand every few steps, still confused by the hand, but then set his mind back on the work of getting to Silent Moons Camp and killing the bandit leader.

The post Chapter 3 – Bounty Hunter appeared first on Skyrim Travels.

Inside his room in the Dead Man’s Drink in, Avingard remained asleep in his rented bed. He hadn’t stirred since he collapsed down onto the bed. Suddenly, he felt a jolt of pain run through his arm, waking him instantly. He clung to his arm and grimaced in pain. The wound he suffered from the Orc’s dagger was causing him problems this morning.

He then remembered that he had two minor healing potions in his possession, but was hoping to save them until he was more badly wounded. The pain was growing more intense, so he scurried through his belongings and took out one of the potions. Opening he bottle he drunk the entire potion. Almost immediately he began to feel better and sat back on the bed.

He rose to his feet and strapped on the iron armor he had obtained from the Orc and sheathed his iron sword. After checking to ensure he had all his belongings, he opened the door to his room and walked back into the main room of the inn.

Valga was busy behind the counter, but gave Avingard a quick smile before resuming her work. He sat down at the nearest table and ate some breakfast, which comprised of bread and apples that he found within the fort the previous day. Avingard stood up, and without saying a word, left the tavern.

After the cloudy day he experienced yesterday, Avingard was glad to feel the warm son on his face. Looking around he noticed that Lod was busy talking to someone, so Avingard didn’t want to disturb him just yet. He, instead, walked across the way to the local general goods shop – Gray Pine Goods.

Gray Pine Goods was a small store, and pretty much sold many different varieties of items. The store had a few storage containers, such as sacks, urns, chests, throughout the shop. To the right was the sales counter, which the proprietor stood behind eyeing Avingard. Behind the counter were a few shelves, which were mostly empty.

“Welcome to Gray Pine Goods,” the merchant greeted Avingard. “I’m Solaf, the proprietor of this shop. I don’t recognize you from Falkreath. What’s your name?”

“I’m Avingard.”

Well met. Unlike my brother, I’ve no dislike of strangers,” Solaf said. “Met lots of ’em while I was a Stormcloak.”

“You are a Stormcloak?” Avingard asked.

“I was once, but not any more. I was wounded in a skirmish up near Windhelm. This was years ago, mind you,” Solaf explained. “Now, maybe I don’t pick up a blade in Ulfric’s name no more, but I still hold with his ideals. Skyrim is Nord land, and we ought to rule it.”

Not wanting to get into any time of scuffle, especially if Solaf knows how to fight, Avingard quickly changed the subject to that of selling some of the items he found at the fort.

Avingard started to show Solaf some of the items, and Solaf was more than happy to buy them all. Some items, such as the armor he had found but wasn’t wearing, Avingard saved so he could sell them to Lod. He also kept the shards he found on the pedestal hidden from Solaf as he didn’t know what he really had in his possession.

After their business was completed Solaf said “Thanks for the business.”

“No, thank you,” Avingard replied knowing that the money he just received would go a long way in helping him on his journey.

Avingard turned around and walked out of the shop and down the street a little to Lod’s forge. Lod had completed his conversation and was now back at work crafting steel armor. He stopped when he noticed Avingard coming up to see him.

“It’s good to see you again, Avingard,” Lod greeted him. “I was a little worried when I didn’t see you return to the inn last night.”

“I arrived back a little late,” Avingard began to explain. “I went exploring as you suggested. I followed a path to an old fort that was being used by Orcs not too far from here.”

Lod thought for a minute, and then replied “You must mean Cracked Tusk Keep, which is just west of here. Orcs you say? Were there many?”

Avingard quickly tried to add up the number of Orcs he dealt with in his head. “About six or seven of them. I have some armor pieces and weapons to sell you that I manage to salvage.”

“Let me have a look,” Lod replied seeming interested in what Avingard had retrieved from the Orcs.

Avingard showed Lod all the armor and weapons that he hadn’t sold to Solaf in the general store. To Lod’s surprise Avingard also sold his iron sold, as well.

“Won’t you be needing this?” Lod asked.

“I have used two-handed swords in the past, and I would feel more comfortable using one again,” Avingard replied.

Lod showed Avingard the two-handed swords in his inventory and Avingard proceeded to buy a steel greatsword.

“One more thing,” Avingard began saying. “I also found this locked away and protected by traps.”

Avingard pulled out the dagger shards and placed them on Lod’s workbench. Lod’s eyes widened as he saw the shards.

“The Shards of Mehrunes’ Razor!” Lod exclaimed.

“Mehrunes’ Razor?” Avingard asked seeming puzzled by the shards.

“Mehrunes’ Razor is a powerful dagger crafted by Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction, Change, Revolution, Energy, and Ambition,” Lod began explaining. “The dagger has the unique enchantment to kill anyone instantly. Even without the enchantment it is still as powerful as anything I can craft. Of course in order to repair the dagger, you will need to find the remaining artifacts, and I believe, complete a quest for Mehrunes Dagon, himself.”

“I think I’ll just keep the shards for now,” Avingard replied not seeming interested in completing a quest for the Daedric Prince of Destruction.

“I don’t blame you,” Lod agreed. “Where are you going to explore today?”

“I think I’ll try to make my way up to Solitude to join up with the Imperial Legion,” replied Avingard. “It appears to be a long journey, so I’d rather start soon.”

“It is also a dangerous journey,” Lod explained. “Make sure you are prepared. I suggest you make a stop at Whiterun first to gather supplies before heading up to Solitude. The road to Solitude is long and dangerous, so you shouldn’t leave unprepared.”

Avingard thought it over for a minute. Whiterun was to the northeast of Falkreath, and a little out of his way. He also knew that Whiterun was a fairly large city where he would be able to find all the supplies he would need before journeying to Solitude. He decided it was best to make the stop, then be left without the necessary supplies before heading north.

“I’ll make my way over to Whiterun and then head for Solitude,” Avingard agreed.

“Good,” Lod said relieved. “Now let me repair your iron armor before you leave as it does look like it has seen many battles.”

Avingard smiled and removed his armor for Lod to repair. As Lod repaired Avingard’s armor, Avingard went over to the tanning rack and made a packed bed roll with 2 deer hides he had found in the Cracked Tusk Keep. He had seen his father create bed rolls in the past, and had also created some many years ago to help his father. Avingard figured the bed roll will come in handy for the journey he is about to take.

The post Chapter 2 – The Traveler appeared first on Skyrim Travels.