First Mission

I can't believe it's been two years since Ma was killed. A lot has happened. Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm, adopted me. He has been taking good care of me and says I'm his pride and joy. My birthday was last week, and he had a sword and shield made especially for me. The blacksmith used some scarce materials. I bet it was expensive. People say he murdered High King Toryyg, but I know the truth. He challenged the king to fair combat and won. Then he started a war against the Empire. Since I'm 16 now, he wants me to join the fight, but I have to prove myself. Galmar has found the location of the Jagged Crown. He believes it was buried with King Borgas in Korvanjund. Father wants me to go with him to recover it. Jarl Ulfric always smiles when I call him that, but Galmar still thinks it's weird. I guess he never saw Jarl Ulfric as the fatherly type. I won't let him down. I will retrieve the crown without fail.

As I left the Palace of Kings and made my way towards the city gate, I was stopped by a courier. He gave me a report that stated a Thalmor patrol was sighted near an abandoned Imperial prison. This prison is just down the road from Windhelm. What are the Thalmor doing this close to our city? They aren't allowed to operate anywhere near Eastmarch. The Abandoned Prison is on the way to Korvanjund; if this report is accurate, I can't let the Thalmor remain in our territory. I left the city and started walking down the path that would lead me to Korvanjund and the prison. I encountered some wolves along the way, but they don't pose much of a threat to me. When I arrived at the prison, I couldn't believe my eyes. Wolves were standing in front of the door, but they were on fire. I walked closer, and there were two corpses next to them. They must have killed those poor fellas. I drew my sword and attacked, but I barely did any damage. Not only that, but they just sat there and stared at me. Do they want to follow me? I feel the hatred and malice seeping from them, fueling my rage. Maybe I should just leave them be.

I entered the prison, and it looked as though the place had seen some severe flooding. I went deeper in, and a Thalmor soldier attacked me out of nowhere. The report was accurate; the Thalmor have been operating out of this prison. I killed the elf and continued to where the cells were. I was surprised to see that one of them wasn't empty. I drew my sword and smashed the lock open. Then I ran up to the bound man. He was covered in cuts and bruises.

Man: When I get out of here, I'll kill you all!

Me: Easy, I'm here to help.

Man: Oh, you're not with the Thalmor, are you?

Me: HELL NO! I would never work with those damn elves. Let me get you down from there.

I unshackled the man's arms and helped him up. He thanked me and said his name is Kaidan. I told him my name is Brynjar Stormcloak. He thought that was Ironic as he knew another fellow named Brynjar. I asked Kaidan why the Thalmor captured him, and he said he didn't know. They took one look at his sword and thought he would be perfect for questioning. Speaking of which, Kaidan wants me to help him get his sword back. He says it belonged to his mother. I don't need a reason to kill more Thalmor. Kaidan led me to the damn elf that stole his weapon. The fool didn't see me coming, and I cut him down before he even had a chance to leave his chair. Kaidan took his sword off of the elf's corpse. We also took back his belongings. He thanked me for helping him, and I told him it was nothing. I have an essential mission to complete, so this is where Kaidan and I part ways. I was about to leave, but Kaidan stopped me. He said he doesn't like being in debt and wishes to accompany me. It's not like me to refuse aid in combat, so I agreed.

Kaidan: So what is this "important" mission you have to complete?

Me: My father has asked me to recover an important artifact from a Nordic ruin.

Kaidan: Your father?

Me: Oh, sorry. I mean the Jarl of Windhelm.

Kaidan: Your father is the Jarl of Windhelm!?

Me: He adopted me two years ago.

Kaidan: So you must be someone significant in the hold. Shouldn't you have a bodyguard?

Me: Father isn't like those other milk drinkers who call themselves Jarls. He knows I can take care of myself.

Kaidan: Does your father usually send children to run errands for him?

Me: Don't you know? In Skyrim, 16 is the legal age to become a soldier. Only weaklings stay at home picking their noses at my age.

Kaidan: Well, aren't you a tough one.

That's enough chit-chat for now. We leave the prison and head towards Korvanjund. When We meet up with Galmar, he asks who this stranger is. I gave him a full report of what happened at the Abandoned Prison. As long as he is willing to fight for Skyrim's freedom, he is more than welcome to join us; at least that's what Galmar thinks. He gives everyone a brief on the mission. Somehow the Imperials found out about the crown and beat us here—no doubt the work of an Imperial spy. No matter, they can't stop us. We fight our way through Imperial dogs and Draugr to find ourselves in the hall of stories. This is why I love exploring ruins, so much history. It reminds me of the adventures Ma and I had together. We saw so many places and made so many discoveries. Unfortunately, I'm not a scholar, so I can't read the carvings.

We walk down the hall when we arrive at a door with images on it. I spot a claw sculpture next to a corpse on the ground, pick it up, and examine it. These symbols match the ones on the door. If I adjust the marks on the door to match the claw, it should open from what I can tell. I test my theory, and it turns out that I am right. I stick the claw in the keyhole, and the door begins to slide down. Galmar is impressed that I could solve the puzzle, and we continue further into the ruin.

We finally reached King Borgas's tomb, and there he is, or at least his rotting corpse sitting on a throne. Ralof notices the Jagged Crown sitting on the Draugr's head. He reaches for it, and the undead corpse begins to sit up as the two coffins on both sides of it pop open. It was a trap! Everyone rushes toward us as Ralof, and I fight off the Draugr. We manage to dispatch all three of them at once. Galmar instructs me to pick up the crown and take it back to Jarl Ulfric and tell Father he owes him a drink. The Jarl will be pleased. As Kaidan and I head towards the exit, I notice something in the back. It's one of those legendary word walls said to be written in the dragon's tongue. One of the phrases on the wall is glowing, and I hear strange chanting coming from it. As I walk closer to the wall, it feels like the words are calling to me. My vision begins to fade a little as my head is filled with strange knowledge.

Kaidan: Hey, are you okay? You just stood there staring at that word wall.

Me: Huh, didn't you see the words glowing and hear those strange sounds.

Kaidan: Hmmmm, no. All I know about word walls is that they are an ancient way of communication. They hold much knowledge, but I never heard of them being magic.

Me: I wouldn't really call that magic. At least not in the usual sense. It felt like something else.

Kaidan: I'm not sure. Maybe the court wizard in Whiterun can tell us more.

Me: We have more important matters to tend to. Besides, I've seen things stranger than this.

Kaidan and I exit Korvanjund and head back to Windhelm.