Odell Niro's Adventure Journal

A day-by-day journal of Odell Niro's adventures in the wild land of Skyrim.

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Three, Part Three, Third Day in Skyrim

After leaving the Meadery, I saw a giant attacking some people in a field. I ran up behind it and shot it with fire, hoping to help, even though they seemed to have it under control. A woman came up to me after it died, and said that I should look into joining the Companions, a group of warriors whose base resided in Whiterun. I traveled back with them and they told me stories of it, and I think that, when I have a bit of free time, I shall. 

The Guards almost didn't let me in since the town was apparently closed to all, save for official business. I don't blame them, with the dragon about, but at the same time I don't know what good it would do. It's not like dragons are going to attempt to come into the city through the door. I told him that I was, in fact, there upon official business, and he let me inside. 

I made my way to Dragons Reach, the palace where the Jarl resides, and had a chat with him. He sent some guards to Whiterun, and then gifted me with some armor in thanks for my warning. He then asked a favor of me. I can only assume I look like the type to do favors, because this is the second one today. I agreed  though, so I suppose I am. He took me to his court wizard, who explained that there was a stone tablet hidden inside some ancient ruins, and if I could handle it, he would like for me to delve in and retrieve it. He explained to me that the tablet most likely contained a map of ancient dragon burial sites, and that this information could help him figure out why dragons are returning to Tamriel. Honestly, I don't think it would, but both he and the Jarl thought it would be very important, and if I did this, I would be rewarded. 

By the time I left Dragons Reach, it was dark, and so I headed to the inn, bought myself some dinner and a room, drank my delicious mead, and I am now going to sleep.

- Odell Niro

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Three, Part Two, Third Day in Skyrim

Once inside, I was greeted warmly, and was given a few things to help ease my way. He was very nice to me. He told me why this whole war had started in the first place. Apparently the Empire had made worshiping Talos a crime- it was the only way the Thalmor would agree to a peace treaty. I don't really know who the Thalmor are, or who Talos is, but they are what sparked the war, and so they must be important.

When I made to leave after a lovely lunch, Alvor asked a favor of me, one so easy that I saw no reason to refuse. I was to travel to Whiterun, which was not far away, and tell the Jarl there that Riverwood was unprotected against the dragons. It made me realize that since stepping foot into the town, there had been no guards. I swore to him that I would do him this, and set off soon afterwards, hoping to make it there before night fall.

On the road I encountered another wolf, and downed it only after it had bit into me with it's teeth. I used a spell to heal my arm, but it still hurt a bit even now. Skyrim must have a wolf problem, and I'm sure that I would be more worried if it were not for the threat of dragons. 

Just after seeing the wolf, I met with a group of Imperial Guards escorting a prisoner somewhere. They told me I was interfering with their task, even though I only walked beside them for a bit. I wondered where they might be going, but when the path forked they took a different route. 

I passed by the Honeybrew Meadery, and took a short detour inside to buy a bottle. It was pretty expensive as far as mead goes, but I was curious and had heard it was good. I put it in my pack to wait for before bed, and it was delicious. I heartily approve.

...

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Three, Part One, Third Day in Skyrim

Tirdos, 19th of Lost Seed, 4E 201

I woke up to breakfast, a mixture of my and my new bard friend's stores compiled together into a morning stew. We talked for a bit before parting ways, both of us leaving in opposite directions.

I made my way down the path, and after passing a sign, I realized I had gotten a bit turned around. I was heading towards Riverwood instead of Knifepoint ridge, but it wasn't much of a problem to me. I'm sure cleaning out the bandits could wait a bit longer. 

On my way I encountered a few more wolves, and I shot them through before they reached me. When I make my way into town, I will surely have a few nice pelts to sell for coin. 

Riverwood wasn't much farther, and I most likely could have made it there if I had hurried, but I don't have a lantern and do not always trust the night, so it was not a thing I had wanted to do so late.

Upon arriving, I encountered a man who, upon seeing me, immanently starting spouting off about some woman who was his and who did not belong to some other man. I really couldn't care less, but it was a bit startling that he assumed I would care. I asked me about supplies and was told that Alvor, the uncle of the man who helped me escape from Helgen, was the blacksmith. I had forgotten his occupation but made my way to his house all the same, having promised I would.

...

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Two, Part Four, Second Day in Skyrim

It was starting to get dark, when I heard the baying of wolves. Wild animals have never been a thing I enjoy encountering. Well, not the vicious ones. You can explain away human attacks; bandits, necromancers, guards, villagers, highwaymen- there's a reason with them. But animals just hunt to kill. I climbed atop a rock and shot at them with my bow, hoping they wouldn't see me and attack, but they did, all running up near the rock I was on and growling at me. It was strange, however, because they did nothing more than that, even as I picked them off one by one. I feel bad for it now, since they hadn't actually attacked me at all, but I've always been rather paranoid.

Not much further down the path, I noticed a man setting up camp. As I neared him, he greeted me and asked me to join him. He told me that he was a bard, but instead of living in a town and working the inn, he traveled the whole of Skyrim. The people's bard. He sang me some songs and I paid him in kind, pleased to hear music while on the road. We shared dinner together and when I questioned him about how he learned his songs, he told me of a Bard's collage. A bards college! I don't think I'll be able to make it there any time soon, but I think it would be a lovely thing to learn. 

- Odell Niro

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Two, Part Three, Second Day in Skyrim

Even though I didn't have much to my name, I could already tell that adventuring alone would not be pretty, and so I hoped that, by the time I found someone willing to accompany me for gold, I needed to make sure I had enough to afford them.

I continued onward, keeping my eye out for any mentions of towns that may not be on my map, since there were no adventures for hire in Falkreath. I came across an encampment that had an odd feeling to it, and since I didn't much want to mess around with it, I thought to keep to the path and get past it, but a skeleton burst forth from the brush to attack me. 

I was startled and sent flames at the bones until they crumbled to the ground with ash. It was only after my heart stopped beating so fast I actually looked at the thing, for I had thought it was just a bandit or outlaw. But no, unless my fire was powerful enough to melt flesh and muscle from the bone, but I know its not. And it wore odd clothing, or at least I figured the pieces of cloth on the ground had been it's clothing. I picked up the old sword it had struck me with, curious about how old it must have been, and left the site quickly.

I later came upon a horse standing on the side of the path. 'What is a horse doing out here', I had wondered. I stared at the beast for a bit, before moving along. Not too long afterwards, I heard the sound of hooves and though it might have followed after me, but there was a woman astride the horse now. I greeted her, and she me, before she spurned the horse a bit faster. I noticed some pelts attached to the back of the saddle that hadn't been there before, and figured her a hunter. Perhaps she ran from me because she thought I would tell a guard about her? I wouldn't have, of course. It matters not to me what laws you break, so long as they do not affect me negatively. I suppose, as a law abiding citizen, that is not a good trait to have, but I never called myself a saint.

...

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Two, Part Two, Second Day in Skyrim

They Jarl was a young man, apparently new to the position  having taken over for his ill uncle, who was rude to me when I met him in the street. The Jarl was a bit stringy with his information, saying he didn't trust me very much, which I do not blame him for. A stranger comes into your hold and offers do this great a favor, when they've never been here before and don't even look like an adventurer? But I gifted him with a bottle of mead, the same one the revilers had dismissed, and he became pleased with me.

He told me that the bandit camp was at Knifepoint Ridge, and that he and the bandits had an agreement, but that it had now gone sour. He wanted me to kill every last bandit there, and I told him I would. He was skeptical of me, however, since I am a slight thing with only a small repertoire of spells and skill. But adventurers have to start somewhere, right? He advised me that, since I was not very strong yet, it might be in my best interest to hire some muscle. He did not have any advice on where to find said muscle, however, so I set out on my own to accomplish this task. 

Before I even reached my destination, however, I realized how weak I really was. I came upon the Falkreath guard tower. Not knowing it was no longer inhabited by guards, I ventured inside, to find broken shelves and blood-splatter. It worried me a bit, and so I climbed the stairs to the tower to see if there were any survivors, only to find a woman and bloodied bones scattered about. She was a necromancer, and rose a body from the dead to attack me, and I only just managed to survive by thrusting a dagger into the woman's heart. The body turned to ash and the woman slumped to the ground. I retrieved my knife and rifled through her things, having no qualms with taking from those I deem unworthy. I stuffed her nice cloak into my pack, along with some books and coin, before leaving the tower behind. 

...

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry Two, Part One, Second Day in Skyrim

Morndos, 18th of Lost Seed, 4E 201

I woke feeling refreshed, and the fact that there were no chains, ropes, or dragons nearby made me think that it was going to be a good day, sad though that thought was. I wonder how long it will be until the absence of fire and screaming and dangers will mark a day as 'good' rather than 'normal.' But if this is to be my life now, I think I'd best get use to it. 

I left my rented bed and ordered some breakfast, asking the innkeeper if there were any jobs nearby. After handing me a note that came from the Jarl, the ruler of the hold, she told me a story about the great graveyard that the town was apparently known for. I made note of it to take a look later. 

The notice she gave me stated that there was a bandit camp up north that the Jarl wished to be rid of, and after finishing up my meal, I made my way over to his home to ask for any more information. 

...

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry One, Part Two, First Day in Skyrim

I pulled out my map and made my way south-west to a place called Falkreath, where I am currently residing. On my way, I lost the trail for a bit and encountered a house. I knocked on the door there, perhaps to ask for better directions, but no one answered. Oddly enough, a Stormcloak solider ran up to me when I went around back, and he pointed me in the right direction, before running off again. It was rather strange, where did he have to be in such a hurry? And why did he take the time to offer directions?

I continued on towards the town, and ask I was walking and picking some of the flowers- I mix potions, you see, and flowers are a common ingredient in many- an arrow landed nearby. I was being shot at! Bandits had apparently build a bridge with which to attack travelers. I crouched myself behind a rock and shot arrows at the woman standing on the bridge. When she died, her body fell off the bridge, and must have triggered a wire or something, because a few rocks and a pot fell down. If I had been under it, I probably would have gotten crushed, or at least battered. I dashed across the path and up some rocks towards the second woman, and I shot fire at her, which burned up any arrow she shot back at me. I found it odd that only two bandits were guarding this post, and a bit sad that, should they have killed me, they would not have gotten much. What a waste of lives.

I moved on again, hoping to reach the town by nightfall, when I came across a group of revilers. I do not know what they were celebrating, but one of the was practically naked, so they must have been pretty far gone. They invited my to join and try 'HonneyBrew Mead,' or something like that, but with the day I'd been having, I asked if they were willing to try some of the ale I already had on me. I couldn't be completely sure they were out to poison me and take my meager possessions  But apparently the mead I had was poison? Or terrible, or something, because they all walked off in a snit. I feel sorry for putting an end to their festivities, but they could have just said 'no' and then ignore me.  

I took the path down to town as night began to fall, and I went looking for a place to sell what I had carried with me from the attack at Helgen, an extra bow and a pair of boots that didn't fit, and to find a place to sleep for the night. I spoke with the town's guard, and then headed to the general store. When I opened the door, however, the man just sniffed at me haughtily and made mention that my kind was not welcome. I snorted back at him and left in a huff, and made my way to the inn, where I found his brother, the owner of the store, who was much friendlier. I suppose the store was closed, yet unlocked, and I would be able to do business tomorrow. I ate a bit of food and rented myself a room, and will now rest, and hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

- Odell Niro

[odell-the-imperial]

Journal Entry One, Part One, First Day in Skyrim

Sundos, 17th of Lost Seed, 4E 201

Last night, I was attempting to cross the border between Cyrodil and Skyrim, just a normal girl trying to get into this country, and out of my own. I just wanted to leave behind my past life, was that so wrong? To get away from it all? I just wanted to start over really, leave behind the debit of my brother and the false cheer from my mother, but instead I get caught up in a trap meant to hold down Stormcloaks, who, might I add, I am not a part of. But prisoner I became, until the weirdest thing happened.

The whole execution, which I've barely been able to wrap my mind around, even when my neck became the target for the axe, had been disrupted suddenly by the attack of a dragon. Oh, it seems like a tall tale now, dragons! but no, it really did happen. The huge, hunkering thing just landed on a building and started blowing fire everywhere, and the whole town started to crumble. 

I managed to free myself from my bonds by following an Imperial solider, who realized the error in my capture and helped me escape the town from the dragon. He said that he had family in a nearby town called Riverview, and I believe I shall head there eventually, but after the day I had, I needed to get away, and get back on the trail I was originally following.

...