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Posted by
Paul M September 6, 2014 -
502 views
There's many a yarn told in the Bannered Mare of Whiterun, but no one seems very interested in our tales of the crypts of Korvanjund. Lydia suggests it might be because we rolled in at 2am when everyone is already the wrong side of their mead, but I can't help feeling the tale itself lacks the thrill and danger of our past exploits. The Leggate somewhat legged it through the tombs, her imperial underlings dispensing with Stormcloak and Draugr alike, while Lydia and I wiped the spilled guts off the loot left in their wake.
A night's sleep puts me in a better mood, and I decide that before we head back to the General in his castle well away from the front lines we will make a quick stop in Riverwood to see about this cunning thief who is planning to meet me at the inn there. By the time I've made the short journey, sold some surplus supplies and booked the room for the night it's 2pm, so Lydia and I take a stroll over to the witch's shack that I "inherited" all those days ago. It's still as I left it, and on the way I finally manage to hunt an elk to death, his body falling next to a nirnroot of all things. I enchant my dwarven items for old time's sake and then we head back.
Time crawls on, and eventually Lydia and I head to our bed and await the master thief who called us here. Turns out it was Delphine, the bar owner, who is a little coy because of a paranoia she has about the Thalmor. She rattles on about my being the dragon born, and the resurrection of various dragons. She points to a map and insists I go with her to kill the dragon that is due to appear at a particular spot shortly. Lydia and I agree to go, but I'm conscious that the war's awaiting, so I'll try to wrap it up quickly.
It's a long trek, but after striking out east of Windhelm we come to a large black dragon resurrecting another dragon. Lydia, Delphine and I dispatch the newly awoken specimen, using just arrows. Delphine discusses her ideas about the dragons and the Thalmor, but I figure it's time to be getting back to the business at hand, which is putting down the Stormcloak rebellion. We head down from our location and clear out Traitor's Post in order to get some shelter for the night. A few fireballs through the front door does for all but the bandit chief, and he too soon falls to the swords of myself and Lydia.
The next morning we walk west as far as Windhelm, and then for the meagre sum of 20 gold pieces I hire a carriage to Solitude, arriving just after midnight on Turdas 25th of Hearthfire. Lydia and I take a room for the night at the Winking Skeever, before heading to see the General with the pointy hat we acquired on our last mission. After the debriefing the General says we are to return to Whiterun with a message for the Jarl. Easy enough: we may even be riding out on the horse cart we rode in on.
After our cart ride and another night spent at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun we go and see old Balgruuf. There's some jawing with his advisors, I'm given an axe to deliver to Ulfric, and the Jarl pens a letter to the General accepting a garrison of legionnaires to help defend Whiterun. Once again, Lydia and I make ourselves comfortable in the back of a hay wagon and ship out to the eastern hold.
We head straight up to the palace and deliver the axe. Ulfric notes we have sided with the empire, but he lets us leave with a message for Balgruuf and a threat to the safety of Whiterun. The life of a courier is becoming somewhat tedious for Lydia and I, but I get the feeling this will be the last such missive to be delivered.
It's a snowy Fredas night in Windhelm when Lydia and I step outside the palace. Everyone in town is talking about the murderer on the loose, and after taking a little stroll Lydia and I come to a murder scene in the city's graveyard. Suzanna from the tavern lies stabbed to death over one of the graves. I have a job persuading the guards to let me help with the investigation, even after they've said they don't have the man power to do anything themselves.
Helgrid the corpse keeper tells me the murder weapon was a curved blade, something not common around these parts. I've met red guards with scimitars before, and I think I may have sold one to the blacksmith at some point, so that might be a useful starting point. Also there is the adventurer with the curiosity shop, he may have picked up such a blade in his travels. I'll make some enquiries in the morning.
Poking around the crime scene in the light of day turns up a trail of blood leading to a house, which on closer inspection implicates the court wizard. I consider going straight to the authorities, but then decide to have a chat with the wizard myself, given we are both Winterhold alumni. He rejects the accusations, and suggests there will be another murder in the stone quarter tonight. Lydia and I head over there,and in broad daylight see the curiousity shop owner Calixto kill a lady elf, and then run to the house I'd searched earlier. We head in and wreak vengeance, and then head over to his house and look around. Eventually I find a journal which seems to indicate he had a plan to bring his sister back to life. A tale of many deaths, but at least we have resolved it before Lydia and I leave town for what I feel will be the final time.
