Recent Entries
-
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 36: Finale
by Paul MWindhelm itself is still smoldering in the early morning snow, but it is something more than the soot and ash that has been troubling my sleep. The war is now over, and I mean for our night at the Candlehearth Hall to be our last stay in Windhelm for a while. Two things trouble me as Lydia and I pr... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 35
by Paul MFredas, 24th of Frostfall, and I have a feeling today will be the last day of the Stormcloak rebellion. In the early morning gloom I saddle up Bono and take the path east from Fort Amol before fording the river at Mixwater Mill. My aim is to report back to the imperial camp in the far east, which I'... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 34
by Paul MWhiterun has recovered from her brush with war, and the only obvious change since the battle seems to be the presence of imperial soldiers in town. In my travels the Pale seems the happiest land to be in, and as I am reunited with Lydia once more I chat to the steward of the city about buying a hous... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 33
by Paul MThe north wind seems to carry a thousand daggers as it blows over the fractured ice flows towards Winterhold. I stand facing it, at once reminded of the isolation and harshness of my old college and doing so affords me the opportunity to consider again the conversations I have had that brought me he... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 32
by Paul MMistveil Keep houses the Riften Jarl and her entourage, most notably for me the curious aide called Anuriel. She it turns out is a steward, and something of a spin doctor for the indecisive and overly cautious Jarl. It's about three in the afternoon, and the whole gang is settled down to lunch when ... -
The tale of Izlanda the fair
by Paul MIzlanda had never been wilful like her older sister Makalda. But then Izlanda had always known she was not her mother's favourite child, and known that she would not be afforded the same latitudes. So Izlanda had done as she was told, and taken to her role in the family as the reliable hard working ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 31
by Paul MA rascal called Mercer Fey welcomes me to the Thieves Guild as I stand ankle deep in the filth of Riften passing through the Ratway. I hate the thieves guild absolutely, but I go along with the membership rigmarole in the hope I can raise the guild's fortunes enough to weaken the town's defences so ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 30
by Paul MMy first go at collecting debts for the thieves guild goes slightly off script, and I beat a woman called Haelga (and some innocent bystander) to death before being arrested and thrown in jail. It's my first stay in this sort of place, and I'm surprised that they supply fine clothes and food free of... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 29
by Paul MLegate Rikke has been relocated to the Rift in an effort to shore up the Empire's supply lines into the hot zone that is Skyrim. She says she wants me to return to Riften and work on the good first impression I made upon the thieves of that city. I'm still a little shaken from the untimely death of ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 28
by Paul MThe woods just south of the northern coast are peppered with what appears to be dwarven ruins, which my curiosity demands I investigate as we travel to join up with the assault on Fort Dunstead. Doing so brings Lydia and I to Frostmere Cavern, and an interesting aside involving a group of bandits, a... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 27
by Paul MThe folks of Dawnstar are an unfriendly bunch, even with their nightmares now passed. The Jarl seems enamoured with the Stormcloak rebellion, mainly because of his absolute belief in the divinity of Talos. He seems not to recognise that the nightmares affecting the town had been the result of some d... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 26
by Paul MOur latest mission is simply to regain the pale, which I understand to be the flat lands around Whiterun. Lydia, ever one for local knowledge, suggests we start on the north coast and work our way south. Without any sort of better plan I agree, and it's a pleasant Turdas morning when we set off, hav... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 25
by Paul MBalgruuf is not surprised by Ulfic's warmongering, but feels a bit more confident about Whiterun's Stormcloak free future now the empire has sent him some troops. A legate pipes up that the enemy has been spotted marching toward the hold. This is it then: war has commenced! On the external ramparts ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 24
by Paul MThere'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 thril... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 23
by Paul MLydia and I leave Ustengrav at 7am on Loredas 20th of Hearthfire to continue finding a route to Dawnstar. In a mysterious burnt out house on the way I find some snazzy dwarven armour, which seems to fit me rather well even with my robust human physique. Further on I get my first view of Dawnstar fro... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 22
by Paul MLydia and I follow the path south and then east from Fort Hraggstad, passing a road sign pointing to Rorikstead and somewhere ominously called Dragon Bridge. Lydia, ever a fan of the direct approach, tells me to stop getting distracted with my dreams of adventure and stick to the task at hand. We m... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 21
by Paul MLydia and I arrive in Morthal at just after 3pm, having made impressive time through the flat lands of the Pale. As we stroll up Main Street there is some sort of confrontation with the local Jarl, but we try our best to ignore it. A lady asks me to deliver a letter to Danica back in Whiterun, which... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 20
by Paul MI continue my investigations in Windhelm with a trip to the morgue, aka the Hall of the Dead. Aside from the blessings of Arkay it's a swing and a miss. I take to wandering around the city and its docks in the pre-sunrise dawn looking for anyone suspicious before, by sheer chance, I stumble across t...comments -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 19
by Paul MSigning up to fight for the empire is all well and good, but having had a night to sleep on it there are a couple of things in Windhelm that Lydia and I should take care of before we mark our cards and find we're no longer welcome amongst the Nord fundamentalists. There are two possible ways to get ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 18
by Paul MIt's 6am when I leave the Forsaken Cave, on a windy Turdas morning. Strolling over to a good vantage point to overlook the land south of here I take in a half frozen lake and some mountains. At the western foot of the mountains the land flattens, and I reckon that is going to be my route back to Whi... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 17
by Paul MIt's Middas morning and the full cohort is back in digs asking me to help them out with various scams and japes. Sticking with the task at hand I go and speak to Savos, which leads to my being tasked to research the mystery glowing orb of power in the university library. Before I get there Faralda g... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter: Interlude
by Paul MThe air was still, but the candle flickered all the same, casting dancing shadows upon the damp stone walls. The flame was dancing to the throaty rattle of the dying man, his broken body fallen in the tight corridor. Yuri, the Woodcutter's son, stood before the body, his sword still wet with the sam...comments -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 16
by Paul MHaving answered the age old question of who would win in a fight between a stealthily poisoned snow sabre cat and 7 Horkers (2 of the walrus like creatures managed to outlive the now skinned and gutted feline), I head on up to the downs for a late afternoon meet and greet with some frosty Nord skele... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 15
by Paul MIt's amazing what lack of sleep will do to a man. Take Yuri Woodcutter for instance: A typical student in his first semester at college, he's gotten lost in a storm and is now questioning all the choices he's ever made. All he wanted to do was live a life that capitalised on his talents. His only dr... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 14
by Paul MI'm feeling buoyant after defeating the dragon on the roof of Winterhold college, so I decide to start Loredas the 6th of Heartfire with a trek into the mountains. I'm stocked with potions from last night's spin on the alchemy table, and I've learnt a whole bunch of new spells since coming here that... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 13
by Paul MFor a place surrounded by highly murderous wildlife and beset by a pretty much continuous snowstorm, I'm surprised more of the houses in Winterhold don't have walls and roofs. I chat to Faralda, who gives me the third degree about why I want to train at the magician's college. I spin her a line abou... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 12
by Paul MThere's a heavy snowstorm when we arrive in Windhelm, giving the place a strange twilight feel. The city is big, but my first aim is to find an alchemy table to mix up the ingredients I have collected on my way here, and I decide Calixto's curiosity shop is a likely candidate to have one. Clearly at... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 11
by Paul MI wake early on Tirdas having had the inspiration overnight to try searching Fort Amol with my candlelight spell to see if there is any trace of Maurice. Sure enough I eventually find the poor chap's body in a doorway, next to an interesting book about the first of the dragon blood line, which may... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 10
by Paul MWe go see Alvor on Sundas morning, and he shows me the joys of smithing, while totally blanking Lydia. I figure the Gentleman's Guide to Whiterun must have bought him some grief from the mrs, and that's why he doesn't want to seem too interested in the fairer sex. The extra dagger I make means I can... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 9
by Paul MI awaken just before 7am on Loredas. In the light of day Lydia and I inspect the camp we captured last night. There's lots of human skulls, Hargraven of course, something or someone called a Spraggan, which seems to be a magical being made from wood, and a twice dead witch. Hargraven had a nettleban... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 8
by Paul MLydia and I knock around Fellglow keep till Fredas, 29th of Last Seed. I read some books, but only a fraction of what the mages here had in stock. I also make use of the soul gems that are lying around to enchant my sword to inflict some lightning damage on my foes, and in doing so I reach level 9 o... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 7
by Paul MIt's a well rested Yuri that wakes on Tirdas, 26th of Last Seed. I'm not planning too much today, but the chief order of business will be to see the wizard about this Dragon Stone. I have some troll fat, small antlers and a human heart for breakfast, which while not the breakfast of kings is what fl... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 6
by Paul MIt's 9am on a bright Morndas morning, but where I'm going there is no light. There is no need for it, as the people who live here are all dead. I step once more into Bleak Falls Barrow, to brave the horrors and retrieve some ancient and outdated intelligence about the dragon menace that Skyrim now f... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 5
by Paul MI wake early on the Sundas after an interesting night in the tavern. I had a fight with the bard to teach him how to treat a local widow, earning me 250 coins. I also got to grips with the Battle-Born and Grey-Mane divide. Partly it's a class thing, with the Battle-Borns richer than the others, but ... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 4
by Paul MSo 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.... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 3
by Paul MTurdas, 21st of Last Seed, just about 7am. The name of the day may sound a bit suspect, but I've got a good feeling. Today's objectives: tell the chief about the dragon, make and sell some more potions, then see about joining a magician's guild or something like that. There's a few people packing w... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 2
by Paul MIt's Tirdas 19th of Last Seed, and the time is 11:22am. I'm a young man with a shack in the wilderness, and I have a date with this alchemy table. Even though there's a lot of food in here, none of it is any use to an alchemist, and I'll need ingredients before I can make anything. Using some logica... -
The travels of Yuri Woodcutter part 1
by Paul MSundas, 17th of Last Seed. 7:25am. I found myself on the back of a cart going through some woods. There's a thief on board and a couple of his friends. They (and probably I) seem to have been jumped by an imperial patrol and arrested as criminals. I guess when you go around identifying your friend a...