Prologue – Welcome to Skyrim

I should probably start by explaining why I am in Skyrim. After much discussion and debating, the Elven Rebellion concluded to establish a base in Skyrim. I was given the task to set it up, after all it was my idea. Before I left, I gathered as much intel on the current state of the Nordic country. things were worse than we thought. I received word about an upstart Jarl fighting against the Thalmor. Apparently after the Great War and the signing of the White-Gold Concordant, he led an attack on an area called the Reach. This Jarl managed to capture and hold the city, Markarth, until the Imperial Legion allowed the worship of the Nordic God, Talos, once again. This incident was the root cause for the Thalmor to make their presence known in Skyrim and brought about the Imperial Laws that allow the Thalmor to "rip people from their homes" for the worship of Talos. I do not know much else about their motives outside of the religious part and I won't most likely know until I reach Skyrim. These Nordic rebels, The Stormcloaks, may be potential allies; if they aren't all elf-hating idiots.

I had my spy, K'sirr, collect this information for me while his merchant band traveled close to Cyrodiil/Skyrim border. The town of Bruma often has travelers from Skyrim's southernmost towns and cities. He also mentioned something about a Khajiit ban in some of Skyrim's cities, which seems troubling. I have been traveling between Skyrim and Hammerfell for several months now, trying to gather more information about Skyrim's Jarls. Some of the holds have different local laws along with the Imperial Laws as well as different methods of keeping track of crimes, which seems frustratingly complicated. Also, with the civil war going all the Jarls lean one way or another. Although, I have heard there is only one Jarl who is currently neutral in this war. He could be a potential friend and ally. In my many trips to and from Skyrim I had not actually come across any Stormcloaks which seemed strange. How could they be fighting a civil war on all fronts if they weren't all over Skyrim? Or were their numbers smaller than what I initially thought?

I heard a rumor that Stormcloak forces were gathering south of a town called Helgen. I know little about this town, other than it's a good spot for traders to pass through coming from Cyrodiil. I decided to head to the town to see if the rumor was a ruse or not. So, I dressed in simple but warm traders' clothes and headed through the forest of Falkreath to Helgen. I was on the East side of Lake Ilinalta when I left for Helgen and the sun was still high in the sky. As I approached Helgen the sun was starting to set, and the gates were beginning to close. I decided to camp in the woods nearby and watch the town. I could see silhouettes of guards on the battlements from my spot in the woods. Night patrols by local law enforcement were common but that wasn't what worried me. It was the number of guards. Night patrols are smaller and more spread out, but these weren't. Either they were preparing for something big or something bad had happened in the town. I went to sleep that night with more questions than I had at the beginning of the day.

I was awoken early, before dawn, by the sounds of a fight nearby. Naturally, I went to investigate it. I trekked some ways south and there it was. A small band of Stormcloaks surrounded by Imperial Soldiers. It looked like the Nord rebels ran into an ambush. Before I had time to flee the scene, something hit me in the back of the head, rendering me unconscious. The next time I awoke, I was in a horse-drawn carriage with three other people.