Chapter 4: Welcome to Skyrim

I went up to Fort Pale Pass and asked Legate Varro if there was anything he could tell me about Skyrim’s civil war and how my dad was doing. He said he didn’t know much, just that things are getting worse. I was hoping he had more than that. I want to trust him, but adults are always hiding things from kids. I can protect myself. I asked him about a conversation I overheard a few days ago when investigating Harran’s disappearance. He said that they have been having trouble getting a prisoner to talk. I offered to help, and he said it’s a bit unorthodox but worth a shot. The Legate wrote a letter permitting me to enter the fort and interrogate the prisoner. He warned me that the prisoner has issues, but I think that was putting it mildly.

The guy was out of his mind. He called me an Imperial dog and wouldn’t respond to any of my questions. So much for learning about the war. I didn’t have the nerve to get too rough with him, so all I got was a name. They called themselves the Stormcloak Breakaways, a faction separate from the main Stormcloak army. The Jailor pulled me away to have a private conversation when one of the Breakaways tried to free the prisoner. They attacked the fort in full force, but we were able to stop them. After the attack, the Penitus Oculatus arrived to take the prisoner away. From what Legate Varro told me, their tactics are more inhumane. I told them the information that I was able to get out of the guy. When the soldiers brought him out, he begged me to save him, but I would not kill members of the Penitus Oculatus in cold blood.

I asked Legate Varro one more time if there was anything he can tell, no matter how small. He said that they don’t get much news from Skyrim with the border on lockdown. He did tell me that If I wanted answers, I should talk to General Tullius. That’s the name that was on the letter telling Dad to go to Skyrim. I asked Varro where he was, and he said Skyrim’s capital, Solitude. The Imperial Legion has a base of operations there. I had no choice but to go to Skyrim. Legate Varro walked me up to the gate and told the soldiers to let me through. He explained that I have business with the General. They opened the gates and allowed me to pass.

It was my first time in Skyrim, and the air felt colder there than in the Jeralls. Legate Varro gave me a map with all of the major cities marked. I’ll have to fill the rest out myself. According to the signs, the first place I’ll encounter is Helgen. It must be a town of some sort. I wonder how it’ll look. I rode Hashire to the gates of Helgen, but when I got close, something huge flew out of the town. “Is that a dragon?” I pondered. I opened the gates, and the dragon had destroyed everything. “That dragon did a number on this place,” I thought. I tried to search for survivors, but all I found was a scorched corpse. It disintegrated when I reached for it. In the ash, there was a journal; it probably belonged to whoever this person was.

The journal gave the owner’s account of what happened. They were on an expedition in Cyrodiil before returning to Skyrim when the Imperial Legion caught them camping near the border. They were arrested and transported to Helgen along with Ulfric Stormcloak. Right before the execution of this journal’s owner and Ulfric, the dragon attacked. Two soldiers put their differences aside and tried to help people escape. They went through a back entrance to Helgen Keep looking for survivors. They might be hurt or worse. I should check on them. But first, I need to have a look inside the Keep. I searched the inside of the Keep to make sure there were no survivors. I also found two healing potions, which will come in handy. I left the Keep and headed towards the back entrance like the journal mentioned.

The entrance turned out to be a cave. I wandered through the cave and found the two soldiers on the ground bleeding out. I went to help the Legion soldier, and he asked why I came back. I told him I was looking for survivors and gave him a healing potion. After I helped him up, he thanked me, but the cave started to collapse. We ran towards the exit. I hope the other guy made it out okay. The soldier told me his name was Hadvar and that we should split up. Being new to Skyrim, I needed a guide, so I decided to follow him. He was glad I stuck with him, and we made it to a little settlement called Riverwood. He introduced me to his uncle, Alvor. Alvor is Riverwood’s blacksmith. Hadvar told his uncle that I was a friend who saved his life and that we should talk. Alvor invited us inside his home, where Hadvar gave him the rundown of what had happened. He told us that we could make ourselves at home and offered me some supplies. He also asked me if I could go to Whiterun and tell the Jarl about the dragon. Before I left, I asked him a few questions about Skyrim the war.

He told me about how Ulfric murdered the High King making his late wife Elisif the new Jarl of Solitude. He also said that when Ulfric started agitating over the bane on Talos worship, the Empire had to crack down, taking people overnight. Alvor believes this was one of the causes of the war. I didn’t think the situation in Skyrim was this dire. I talked to Hadvar, and he thanked me again for saving him. He also suggested I join the Imperial Legion, despite my age. I told him that my dad is in the Legion. He asked my dad’s name, and I told him it’s Legate Artemus. He said he had never met a soldier by that name, which I thought was weird. The reason I came to Skyrim was to see if my dad was okay. I hadn’t heard from him in some time. Hadvar said that I should talk to General Tullius; he can tell me about my dad. More the reason to get to Solitude as fast as possible.

The only thing is. If dragons are threatening to destroy Skyrim, I can’t just stand by. I know I just got here, but I wanted to become a knight to protect people. What would Dad do? He would go to Whiterun and warn the Jarl. “The safety of the people come first!” he would say. I made my way to Whiterun, but a guard stopped me at the front gate when I got there. He said no one was allowed inside because of the dragons. I told him that I had news about what happened in Helgen. The guard said that I should see the Jarl in Dragonsreach and let me through. I could see Dragonsreach from the entrance. It looked pretty big from the outside, but not like Bruma Castle. I climbed the stairs to the door and went inside. The throne room was spacious, with long dining tables near the throne itself.

The Jarl’s housecarl stopped me and said I was interrupting counsel. I told her Alvor from Riverwood sent me to warn the Jarl. That’s when Jarl Balgruuf intervened. He asked if I had news from Helgen, and I told him what I read in that adventurer’s journal. The Imperial Legion was about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak when the dragon attacked. “I knew Ulfric would be involved,” he said. He ordered his housecarl to send guards to Riverwood immediately. Once the steward left, he thanked me and gave me Nord Chainmail armor as a reward. He said he wanted to introduce me to the court wizard, Farengar, who is researching dragons. The Jarl volunteered me to assist Farengar with his research. Farengar said he needed someone to delve into a dangerous dungeon and fetch something for him. “Okay! Where am I going, and what am I getting?” I asked. He said it was a Drgonstone that might have a map of dragon burial sites, and it’s inside Bleak Falls Burrow. Hadvar told me about that place on the way to Riverwood.

The jarl said If I complete this task, then Whiterun would be in my debt. I don’t need anyone to owe me, though. I want to help in any way that I can, but I can’t do it alone if I’m going up against dragons. I know, I’ll start a guild. I can recruit people who are willing to face the dragon threat and make the world a better place. I’ll call my new guild The Ember Knights. But where should I start? First, I’m going to need a guildhall. I’ll travel around Skyrim and see if I can find a suitable place.