Hey, I was wrong.  Very wrong.  I remember now.  This Skooma ring was supposed to just be a few bandits, with some gamblers and randos.  But Cragslane Cavern also had an equal amount of Mistwatch members.  Oh yeah, it's me, Destana.  

 

So I killed the guard at the door with arrows.  Not much trouble.  I snuck into the cavern proper, standing on a wooden ramp with cover and plugged a woman with two arrows, killing her.  I looked down and saw probably a dozen guys drawing their weapons.  For reference, this was before I mastered stealth.  I was good, but not that good.  And as they came up the ramp, I could tell there were more than I imagined.  Probably twenty.  I took a couple swings at the guy in front and RAN.  Outside I strafed around things, using my crossbow to not get surrounded.  This battle ultimately ended up back in the cave, where I thought I might lose them.  To my surprise, not all the bandits had followed me outside and I was now pinned between two groups.  I threw up my hands and surrendered.  As I had already killed four of their number, they were out for blood.  They had their way with me.  When they were done, I collapsed in a heap.  I knew there would be a second group (maybe a third?) So I stood and dealt death to two more of them and slipped back into my brotherhood clothes.  I ran outside again.  We went through the same song and dance, the others wanting a piece and me running and strafing.  Unluckily for me, the last two got the drop on me after I'd killed nearly all the others, and they got their turn with me.  But, bandits don't tend to be very smart.  I wondered later if they intended on sticking me in a cage and using me later.  But I did the same to them.  Throats were slit when they got off.  The Dark Brotherhood training wasn't a waste of time after all.

 

I reconsidered my general 'doing things alone' that day.  As even a random bandit hold can decimate me, I guess.  Thankfully, I avoided death again.  That's the day I got the Tally Marks on my stomach.  I decided that in the future I would look into bringing companions to dungeons.

 

I washed off and continued north.  My body'd taken punishment, but I was used to it at this point.  I reached Snow Veil Sanctum and Mercer was waiting for me.  This was a start for companions, and I ventured in with him.  The first few rooms were weak draugr.  The pathways had stronger ones, including one that shouted foreign words and sent Mercer flying.  (I couldn't help but laugh at him as I finished the thing off).  But... Fus ro dah?  What does that mean?  What language is that?  We trekked further in and between the two of us we felled scores of draugr and ghosts.  I found another rune wall... word wall?  Our word of the day:  Zun.  Same thing happened with the weird light.  Not sure what it all means.  Mercer was playing catchup at the time but I doubt he would've seen it even if he was closeby.  Eventually we reached a puzzle door, which Mercer was able to disarm.  Then I stepped through the doorway and got shot and paralyzed.

 

So it turns out Mercer killed the last guildmaster.  Karliah escaped, and then Mercer stabbed me.  So I guess, not all companions are worthwhile.  I woke up, grasping for my body to check for wounds.  Karliah had saved me from dying and it seemed I was okay.  Any wounds had been healed while I slept.  I pulled out a red bottle and drank it.  A pregnancy test.  It was sweet.  Everything was okay.  I would need to reconsider who I would trust from now on.

 

"So what's the deal here?  Trying to take down Mercer?" I asked as I got up.

"I paralyzed you to save your life.  It was meant for him, but I never got a clear shot at him.  I think he brought you on purpose as a human shield."

"How can I help expose him?" I growled.  I was out for blood now.

"I have Mercer's journal.  It's in Snow Elf though, you'll have to get it translated."

"I wonder where somebody who knows that could be," I mused.

"The College of Winterhold.  Enthir," Karliah responded.

"Excellent.  I'm a student there.  I was on my way back after this anyway," I said.  Speaking of which, I looked up at the sky, "Crap.  It's almost dawn.  I need to go."

I took the journal and called my horse, "I'll talk to Enthir."

I set down my things in the college and rode to Saarthal.  You may ask why I went to such lengths to make it here on time.  I would say it's because I've never been a part of any structured organization in my life and it was nice to have goals.  Mercer thought I was dead, so he wouldn't be looking for me.

 

When I got to Saarthal the class was waiting for me in the snowstorm.  It's always storming here.  We went inside.  I sighed.  Hopefully this would be a quiet class without any sort of weirdness or combat.  Of course, when is that ever a thing?

"How was your weekend?" J'zargo asked as we walked.

"Oh, you know.  The usual stuff.  Raided like three tombs.  Became a Thane of Riften.  Joined the Dark Brotherhood."

"Wait, wha.."

"Shh!" Onmund said, "Tolfdir is talking!  Class started."

 

Tolfdir handed out jobs to people.  I was told to help one of the researchers.  Weak draugr immediately attacked and we made short work of them.  I picked up artifacts and was trapped in a room when I took an amulet off the wall, and the wall opened up when I casted Frostbite at it (I've learned a few more basic spells).  Curious, Tolfdir and I ventured further in.  An image appeared to me of someone from the Psijic Order.  Tolfdir couldn't see.  It said that a chain of events had been set in motion and I would need to deal with it.

Gods, I am such a weirdness magnet.  I described it to Tolfdir, who told me who the Psijics are.  Or were, since they hadn't been seen in a hundred years.

 

We decided to venture forward a bit and explore the tomb.  While we did, Tolfdir helped me train in Alteration and taught me a couple more useful basic spells.  Alteration really is the most convenient school what with spells like Slowfall, Solve, Lock and Unlock.  Two draugrs leapt out of nearby tombs as we walked and I blasted with Frost while Tolfdir did Flames.  After a few seconds I thought, 'To hell with it' and stabbed the remaining one with my dagger.  I'd need a lot more practice to equal my fighting skills with magic.

 

Next room, four draugr popped out.  Tolfdir made a show of buffing himself, but they were weak and all four were dead by my bow before Tolfdir even engaged.  

"My word, you're pretty good with that thing," he commented, "Sure you're a mage?"

"Novice mage, master thief.  I have many talents," I said, continuing forward.

"I'd like to stay here and have a closer look at this area.  You go on ahead," he said, "You seem to be capable of taking care of yourself."

I pursed my lips.  Alright.  Here we go again.  I hadn't even slept and I had done three dungeon crawls in the last 24 hours.  Though the bandit/skooma cave could be described as a "dungeon crawls on top of you."

 

I went through the next couple rooms, stealth killing draugr with my sword and bow.  You know, I think this is near when I was crossing a threshhold in which my stealth skills were so good people would start to lose sight of me if they didn't keep their eyes on me constantly.  It certainly worked on weak draugr.  More weak draugr, meet headshot.  I'll tell you something I did learn that helped, though.  I summoned a familiar to distract and divide as I picked them off.  I found a puzzle room, which was just playing matching, then another weird door puzzle.  Two lightning runes were obviously on the floor in front of me.  I sighed.  Though I'd trained in the art of not setting off pressure plates, I really needed to learn dispel magic.  I activated one - healed myself, activated another - healed myself.  Then the nord puzzle.  Easy.  Were these considered hard back in those days?

 

I stepped forward and two draugr were around the corner.

"High time I caught up with you!" Tolfdir shouted as he came up behind me as I snuck at them.  Fortunately, he set off the pressure plate that peppered them with darts.  I gave them an arrow each to put them down for good.  Last room, a giant glowing orb and an angry, invincible draugr.  Tolfdir thought fast and shot lightning at the orb, disabling the shield around the draugr.  I took him down with sword and shield.  After the fight, the power of the ruin washed over the both of us.  I felt the draw, and so did he.  So the old man and I took our clothes off, and he showed me some tricks using telekinesis and holding me up while he slid me onto him.  This old man still has a few tricks.  Afterward, he asked me to go tell the Archmage about the orb.

 

Alright.  I found another word wall.  Liz.  I really need to figure out what these things are.  A treasure chest with gold and a nice Scale Helm.  I ran back to the college.  First, to talk to Enthir, then to the Archmage.  

 

Well, Enthir was at the tavern.  He sent me to Calcelmo in Markarth.  The Archmage is going to go look at the orb and asked that I do research.  I do like books, but I figured there are more pressing things to do.  It seems like classes are not in session for the time being until they deal with this orb thing.

Instead of going straight to my destination I took care of a few side jobs:

1. Headed to the west to Dawnstar and kill Beitild.  I talked to her and told her I could relieve her stress.  Led her behind the inn and gave her a little bit of heaven, then killed her.

2. Headed to the south past Windhelm to Anga's Mill to kill Ennodius.  At this point, it was just after midnight.  I happened upon him sleeping so I just stabbed him.  Easier.  I think being gangraped again may have led to me wanting to stab a few people with extreme prejudice, with less remorse than before.  And if other people want these guys dead, all the better.

3. Headed more south to Iverstead to kill the beggar Narfi.  I merely used stealth and killed him (it was early morning now).  I wouldn't have used a sex kill for this - he looks pretty dirty. 

Return to DB Sanctuary and get more contracts.

I walked down the stairs to find everybody congregated in the Sanctuary around a box.  And a strange jester.  She's very cute.  I turned in contracts and picked up my first big job from Astrid, in Markarth!  If there's one thing I like, it's quest efficiency.  Don't bother me to go to a place until I have at least two things to do there.  

 

As I exit the Brotherhood Sanctuary, I consider my plans.  It's almost time that I contributed to the civil war for real.  I have a plan in mind to keep me safe in battle: to gather an army of followers.

 

But first, on to Markarth to talk to Calcelmo about the Falmer language and implicate Mercer and talk to a Dark Brotherhood contract.

 

 

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