Magpie Gamer

JOURNAL ENTRY 9 Inside the city of Solitude I'm greeted by a crowd of people gathered to watch the execution of Roggvir - a former guard. According to the crowd, Roggvir opened the city gate for Ulfric Stormcloak after he killed High King Torygg, allowing him to escape. Roggvir expresses no regret for his actions and the townspeople cheer as his head hits the floor. Not many seem to have a kind word for the man. His childhood friend, Sorex Vinius, claims Roggvir was a cruel man that loved pulling-pranks, such as leaving beehives in beds. Guard Captain Aldis says he was an honorable man but that the execution was justified and necessary. A shady argonian named Jaree-Ra is quick to pull Raan aside. He is offering the "new face" in town some not-so-legal work. Lots of boats dock at Solitude - boats carrying people, war supplies, and paychecks. He wants Raan to put the light out at the lighthouse and in return Raan will receive a cut of the spoils from the shipwreck. ...

JOURNAL ENTRY 8 For his services to the hold, Raan is granted the title of Thane and given the right to purchase a plot of land in Morthal. Morthal may not be the prettiest hold, but its quiet, isolated and dangerous. A good fit for D'raan. I buy the land and get to work building an entry way and main hall. There are three wings that can be added onto the home, each with three different room options. East Wing additions are an armory, kitchen, or library. North Wing additions are a trophy room, storage Room, or alchemy laboratory. West Wing additions are a bedroom, greenhouse, enchanter's tower. In keeping with D'raan's skill-set I choose to build an armory, an enchanter's tower, and a trophy room. The house is now finished but unfurnished and I'm broke. The bustling city of Solitude is within a day's walk from Morthal and sure to have work for a mercenary. A blizzard kicks up and then dies down just as quickly as it started. Two frostbite spiders s...

A necromancer build is hard to pull off in vanilla Skyrim but doable. It can be an interesting change of playstyle as it relies on your thralls to do the work for you. The most difficult part of the build is staying true a 'necromancer' and not deviating too far into 'summoner' territory. Race Any race will work, but Altmer and Bretons start out with a boost to their conjuration skills. Altmer also get +50 Magicka and the "Highborn" (Regenerate 25% magicka per second for 60 seconds) race perk, while Bretons get 25% Magic Resistance and the "Dragonskin" (Absorb 50% of magicka from spells for 60 seconds) race perk.   Skill Trees Restoration: Restoration will be needed to heal oneself, regenerate magicka and stamina. -Regeneration(20): Healing spells cure 50% more. -Recovery (30): Magicka regenerates 25% faster (50% for second rank). -Respite (40): Healing spells also restore stamina. -Necromage (level 70): This increases the maximum level of ...

JOURNAL ENTRY 7   I am not going to rush off after this Ysolda just yet. There is a mystery in this town I want solved. I overhear Jouane (Rorik's friend) telling one of the twin girls in town: "What we do, the things I teach you. The others wouldn't understand." Suspicious. I also can't help but notice how most of the town is male - 9 people, only 3 of which are woman: Reldith and the twin girls, Sissel and Britte. I do some snooping and find a soul gem beside a book on deadra in Rorik/Jouane's home, hidden behind their home bar. I also find a common soul gem in Reldith's house but no one elses. She's a farmer, not an enchanter. What use would she have for such a thing? Could Rorik and Jouane be trading fertile woman for fertile land in some dark demonic bargain? I try speaking with Jouane about the town's crops but he insists there is no secret to their success, just good fortune. I shadow him for a bit; he strolls around town, checking on the f...

JOURNAL ENTRY 6   The man obsessed with the abandoned house continues to harass Markarth's citizenry and its gotten so bad that Raan agrees to inspect the lodgings with him in the hope that it'll get him off the street. For a place that was supposedly vacant, it turns out to be well lived in, complete with food and furnishings. There is also a shrine dedicated to the Deadric lord Molag Bal hidden within. Fitting, as the man we're assisting turns out to be a Vigilant of Stendarr, an order dedicated to combating vampires, werewolves, and Daedric influence. He isn't very good at his job though, succumbing to the daedra's demands with a little persuasion. Our kitty gets on Bal's good side, however, by gifting him the home's former occupant - a priest of Boethiah that had desecrated the shrine. In return, Bal lets us go.   As terrifying as the run-in with the "Lord of Domination" was, it gets Raan thinking about how nice it would be to have a place to c...

JOURNAL ENTRY 5   The College of Winterhold is Skyrim's only school for mages. It sits precariously atop a cliff; the bridge connecting the school to the town having crumbled away with half of the buildings in a recent catastrophe. D'raan stops in for a peek, not that he has any talent in the arcane arts. Luckily you do not need to possess any to walk in the front door, and while poking around the premises, several students remark on how pallor Raan is looking. Apparently all those fights with vampires has left its mark, because Raan has been infected with Sanguinare Vampiris. If not cured within 3 days our kitty will become a full fledged blood-sucking creature of the night. Becoming a vampire would be problematic for this build because vampires need regular blood feedings and are weakened during the day. It is not the easiest affliction to rid oneself of either, requiring black soul gems, human sacrifice, and dark rituals. Rifling through the potion bottles in the guild hall ...

JOURNAL ENTRY 4   Inside Windhelm's walls, I pass by two racist Nords hassling a Dunmer woman on my to the Candlehearth Hall. Inside the tavern I hear about some orphan kid trying to summon assassins and a string of murders committed recently by someone they're calling "The Butcher" . What a cheery place!   The tavern's server, Susanna recommends I ditch Candlehearth Hall for the New Gnisis Cornerclub in the slums. I decide to take her advice and on my way out the door I bump into the racist Nord from earlier. He picks a fight with Do'raan, but unlike the Dunmer lady, this kitty doesn't shy away from a brawl. Checklist: Mikael (Whiterun)   Uthgerd the Unbroken (Whiterun)   Rolff Stone-Fist (Windhelm) Cosnach (Markarth) Chief Burguk (Dushnikh Yal Stronghold) Chief Larak (Mor Khazgur Stronghold) Chief Mauhulakh (Narzulbur Stronghold) Chief Yamarz (Largashbur Stronghold) Benor (Morthal) Borkul the Beast (Markarth) Dryston (Markarth) Hofgrir Horse-Crusher (Ri...