Dogun the Unbound, or "The Blacksmith's True Love".

The basics
Name: Dogun the Unbound
Race: Nord,
Sex: Female.
Age: 17 years born in the month of Hearthfire (the Lady)
Place of birth: On a small holding near Rorikstead.
Alignment: Chaotic good 
Profession: Blacksmithing.

Personality
1.Independant minded: She has rebelled against her family's wishes and gone her own way. She has a goal to make something of herself, and by doggedness and hardwork, she will achieve it, gods willing.
2. Compassionate. Despite her rebellion, her parents' teachings by word and example of "doing right by others" has taken firm root in their daughter.
Her sense of humor helps cushions herself and those around her against the impact of life's disasters.

Political
She shares her family's (and Rorik's) perspective of the war....."the longer the war goes on, the worse it will be for all of us". Her sympathy is with the small people, she hasn't been challenged to "take sides" as yet, or stepped away from traditional Imperial loyalty.

Religious
Mara is the goddess of her family hearth. She will leave offerings at her shrines, and occassionally offer prayers of need or thanks. She invokes Kynareth in her times of wandering away from her family, as an expression of freedom.

Background.
Opening entry of her Journal of Journeys. 

17th Last Seed
Is it today the day that's started my new life? The day I finally close the door on the disappointed faces of my Da and Ma? Their roots are always in the soil, ,and my head willl always be in the clouds, Da's always said. Leif is there for them, for the land. I would be guilty if it weren't for him. Thank the Gods for brothers! And Da did have his time with the Great War.
Anyway, today I started on one of my trips, the ones I always come back from. I've never made it to Solitude, or Riften, yet. Hah, but today I've only got as far as the Frostfruit, and who did I bump into but Erik the Slave. I shouldn't call him that, because him and me were much the same. I suddenly thought....that's why he's always rubbed me up the wrong way, because his weakness is also mine.
He wants to go adventuring too....but I think he's less ready even than me. Well, he wants -me- to give -him- an adventure. I want just to travel a bit and earn coin with something that doesn't have roots and leaves attached. I'd apprentice with a blacksmith, if anyone would have me. That's really what I want. And Eric......he needs better than his great great someone-or-rather's sword that wasn't good enough to be beaten down for a plow blade, or my great something's ironware....I've swapped him his bow for my ironware, not the boots. I'm hanging onto the food, which will see us through to breakfast tomorrow. 

So that will be our first adventure.

Adventure 1. Find some good ore and make Erik some new gear.....I hope we'll find enough surface deposits on our way, but I have a feeling we'll end up down a bandit hole. Maybe it will be empty. Whiterun is the best bet to aim for, for me, not that they'd take on an out-of-towner, but well, it's safer than the Reach, that's for sure. And warmer than Morthal.
I must make it clear to Eric that we are keeping within sight of the road!

Major skills (Ordinator perks) Blacksmithing, Enchanting, Bow, and eventually Restoration
Minor skills. Light armour (ouch again!) sneak, lockpicking, speech.

My "Surprise me" start of "An alternative start" was Erik the Slayer, which deposited my character in the Frostfruit Inn, facing Erik who has already taken the plunge and is ready to go adventuring.
My character's goals are 1. To learn the smithing trade 2. Keep Erik alive, using her trade and her common sense.
And we know what Eric's goal is....to be an adventurer.

My own RP rules, in addition to those laid down.
Sleep once a day, but if there is shelter (eg an overhang or a log) will "wait" ie sleep on the ground for half the night while the other one watches. Finding a coded bed often means fighting the nearest bandits for it, which can be a bit forced. Similarly, if there is a fire at the camp, the spuds are cooked! And barbecued meat doesn't need salt! I do eat before and after sleeps, and grab the odd apple, swig the odd bottle. And feed the henchie if he's not a dog that can catch his own.
If my character loses her hitpoints, she doesn't go near that place again for a -long- time. Maybe she dreamt that coven of witches. If my henchie gets sidelined and she survives...sorry Erik, no rerolls.
Spells, only those (Resto) found. I will try to weave those, and their perks into the story.

Playing on adept, unless Erik makes it too easy.

I have caught up on my reading of all the stories, I love reading beginnings, and making them up. I like how by heading for a far off goal, your wanderings in Skryim seem to easily weave stories. And vampirism, I haven't been game yet to run with the accidental infections, though I wouldn't fast travel or reload to prevent it.  Maybe we met Ostium's bloodsuckers.

Dogun's Journal of Journeys

18th Last seed. Whiterun
Some how we made it to Whiterun in the dead hours of the night. I could strangle Erik for not shutting up about our new life...when I was frantic that at least one of us might only have an undead new life.
The day on the road started well. There is nothing like starting out with the road opening before you, and everything to gaze at , from the small flowers making their way in the hard dirt at the end of the road, to the high mountains that ring us like parents....well, aye, Da was right about where my head is. Never will I do this alone. Three times I heard a growl and a yap and iron drawn and curses, and three times there were dead wolves strewn a few paces from me. I hope Erik knows what he's got himself in for, with me tagging along.
He did take me a little off the road, and we stood on an edge of a cliff, gazing down on Gjukars Monument while Erik spoke of ancient warriors.
Back on the road, I wanted to pick lavender for him, or chase butterflies, or stand and watch stags bound between rocks. But we kept going, sensibly.
But then... Erik! Gods, Erik! A path to close to the road, and we'd already decided not to look for ore. No pickaxe, idiots.
I must keep thinking about the cave, because this will be my life, for as long as it includes Erik. That gods forsaken cave, not mangy bandits but a vampire doing unmentionable witchery to us.
But Erik slew it, and I managed to bash one of the skeletons apart with Da's cast-off sword. Of course damned fool Erik wanted to go deeper, at least I got my way there.

There is a temple to Blessed Kynareth in Whiterun, and I made Erik go in and we worshipped at her altar and received her blessing, so we are clean. She is more to me now, than just the wind passing over the wilds, I've ..... well, I'm going to do things better now, give her her due, as my folk in our home give Lady Mara her dues. I think I am Yours now. Da's words weren't only a joke, I think. My eyes are for the clouds, where You dwell. For as long as I follow this man, who now is as kin to me.

Today we shared the last of the rabbit for a late breakfast. I spent all of our coin on one Cure Disease, and then have spent the rest of the day at the smiths, Adrienne, busy as she is, spent time to improve my forging and showing me new tricks. I hope I can repay her. By the end of the day, I'd made hardened leather armour out of Erik's wolf skins, and filled my quiver with arrows. I was hoping he'd wear the leathers, but I think he's hopelessly in love with the old irons. So I'm wearing it.
He hasn't been happy pottering around the smithy. But that's the bargain we made. After selling my iron gear we still haven't enough for a second potion, so tomorrow is Erik's day. He's found "work" for us, a bandit camp with a bounty. It's way north of here, close to the foot hills. Blessed Kynareth, watch over my friend as we journey under your wide skies.

20th Last seed Whiterun
We worked well together. I brought down an outlaw with my arrows, my arrows killed her, she was dead before Erik charged in and finished off the rest. He is right, this is his life. He fights as if Shor himself had risen from the potatoe fields. The den was Halted Stream Mine, rich with iron seams and even a deposit of corundum. We now have a pickaxe. We spent the night there, gorging on fresh meat from a recently downed mammoth. Erik claimed a steel broadsword and a new bow.
We made tracks at first light, and there was enough left of the day to spend time with Adrienne and our packs full of ore. She showed me how to smelt the corundum to bind the iron into true steel. In return, I helped her with a small bit of her sword order and worked on Erik's new sword. And steel arrows for us.

Is Blessed Kyrareth drawing me to Her, is there something I should know, or do? I'd caught my foot on a rusty trap down the mine, and again I needed Her grace to cleanse me of illness.

I won't forget that woman bleeding her life away into the hard ground. Two arrows did that.

Level 2 Smithing Mastery 1/2 Steel smithing

I doubt if she caught vampirism, keeping away from the action, (the second time)  but realistically, Erik could have.

I like playing with Erik. Dogun can be sensible and realistic and Erik can be allowed to get more "gamey". Or is that realism for a Nord? I'm suprised how well he does as I assume he was Level 1 too? Maybe there's a reason why he refuses good quality Light armour.

No, I didn't know. I feel he swings to Kyne, but it is useful to know.  Yes, the armor, I assume he is missing out on something, but I can see at low levels heavy is the sensible way to go, especially if he is going to level up regardless of skill points.

At least he's in a warm place. Candlelight..what can go wrong with Candlelight.

22th Last Seed Whiterun

We got away before dawn yesterday for a day of hunting and clambering over the rocks below the city walls, where there's said to be a seam of corundum. My arrow found an elk near the river, and Erik finished it. A wolf too. And a crab. And two salmon. We left an offering of meat to the wild hunters we are kin to. The rocks yielded corundum, and a few hunks of quicksilver and gold. A good day blessed by our Kynareth.
23 last seed.
A day smithing with Adrienne, I can see Erik's feet itching. We talked to Priestess Danica as we were leaving Her temple, and she has given me a Task. Wait for the new months of the year, she said, when sap flows and roots grow and leaves spread themselves to receive Her blessing. Sap from a sacred vale in Eastmarch, where The Oldest  grows, Eldergleam, from whence a scion was taken to become our own poor Gildergreen. Priestess Danica hopes that the sacred sap may revive our tree.
First, she said, I must retrieve a knife called the Nettlebane from Hagraven's of Orphan Rock, on the side of the Mountain.
I said to Danica , priestess and healer of Blessed Kynerath "I will get the Nettlebane for you."

25th Last Seed Riverside
The woods, this valley feels like it is the most beautiful place in our land. We have spent a few days here exploring, fishing, mining. A day and a night spent at Embershard Mine, lair for bandits who have been preying on travellers passing through Riverwood. I never hold Erik back now, he fights for us all because year after year, he saw them plague us at Rorickstead. We spent a night and part of a day there after, while I practised my iron working. I made a cuirass using good steel for Erik, finally separated him from his old iron. I should threaten him with elf armour!
Tomorrow we journey towards Darkwater Crossing , Adrienne has said there is a big Corundum mine there. We will follow the White river down into Eastmarch.

Level 4 Smithing mastery 2/2

Towards Darkwater
27th Last Seed Hillgrunds family tomb
How full of adventure this trip has been so far! We have cleared two bandit lairs, and killed a witch, and that was before getting to this place. White River Watch and the Valtheim towers are both problems for Whiterun. It makes my blood boil that they can take ownership of a road, as if they were Thanes of their own holds. It is not the Jarls that keep our land safe, it is good men and women like Erik. 
It was late when we came to the Towers, but the night was clear and Secundus full, so we decided to walk through part of the night. That was fortunate, because the dark gave us cover to take down the sentries. Erik is still quicker with his bow, but I was proud of my shot that took down a watcher on the far side. We dined late, but well, and the bed was sheltered and comfortable.

Level 5 Archer Mastery 1/2 +25%damage.

Yesterday we reached the lower bridge. It is a place of pure peace here, where the river descends into the forest. Near the bridge, there was a track that Erik for some reason wanted to follow, it lead to a family tomb but it is unlike him to find adventure in disturbing our dead. However it was good he did. Guarding the tomb was a man Goldir, older than us, yet it seemed that Erik was the older of the two.
Poor Goldir, his Aunt had gone chasing a greyskin desecrating witch into their tomb, but Goldir, a mouse like me, was too scared to join her. This is what Erik was made for! We entered the tomb, gods the first time I have been in such a place and it was terrifying. The grim dead watch over their own, ready to chop intruders into bits. We found the filth, stood firm as the black elf sent wave after wave of undead at us, and we surpassed them, Erik swinging with his great steel sword, and Goldir valiantly attacking their flanks with his axe, while I tried to hit them with my arrows before they got close.
We are out of arrows now, and are relying on a quiverful we took from Valtheim, and these ancient arrows with their fragile fletching. I hope I can forge new arrowheads at this mine we are heading for, have got plenty of shafts.

We leave Goldir at this place high above the lower White. He will stay here, mourn his aunt and restore their tomb and hopefully find a new life in this bountiful hunting area. This must be how soldiers feel after a hard fought battle, I feel we will always be friends having shared something deep and frightening.

Level 6 Archer Mastery 2/2 +50%damage