Fifteenth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
I travelled up to High Hrothgar and spoke to the Greybeards. They seemed angry that I had been consorting with the blades, and initially refused to help me further, but soon realised it was not their decision as to whether or not they would help me find the shout that had been used to best Alduin, but rather the decision of their leader, a dragon named Parthurnax, who resides at the summit of the mountain, I had not expected him to be a dragon, though this makes sense. Dragons are, by definition, the best at shouting.
We spoke long into the night, and he told me that I could possibly learn the shout that was used to defeat Alduin from those who made it; by using an elder scroll to peer back into time, to the moment of Alduin's defeat.
Alas, Parthurnax had no idea where I could find an elder scroll. Perhaps one of the greybeards will know; if not, there must be a collection of mages in Skyrim somewhere, similar to the mages guild of old.
Sixteenth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
The greybeards also had no idea as to where I could find and Elder Scroll, though they did know that there's a mages' college in Winterhold, to the north. I think this is my best bet for finding one or, at least for learning where one might be. If they have an elder scroll in the college (which I doubt), I'm sure they'll refuse to relinquish it to me. Mages can be difficult like that.
Seventeenth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
I made it to Windhelm, home of the Stormcloaks and by extension, the childish rebellion they've spawned. I was tempted to pay a visit to Jarl Ulfric, though I doubt I would be received well, for one reason or another. I should make it to Winterhold tomorrow.
For a city which has spawned a rebellion sufficient enough to justify the empire declaring war, Windhelm is terrible. I couldn't find a single flagstone that wasn't broken into several pieces, and there appeared to be an entire district (a markedly poorer one, at that) that only housed dunmer. I'm sure this is not a coincidence; nords will hate anything that the man with the biggest hammer tells them to, and I'm sure Ulfric has a very big hammer.
Eighteenth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
According to the librarian at the Mage's College, the closest thing to an expert that Skyrim had on the elder scrolls (or indeed on anything, I find the notion of particularly rich scholarly heritage in this godsforsaken wasteland laughable) claimed to have found some dwemer artifact, and left for the ice fields which border the Sea of Ghosts north of Winterhold. With any luck I will find this Septimus or his research tomorrow. With that I will hope to find a scroll; if not, there will just have to be more investigation.
Nineteenth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
I found Septimus in the ice fields, and he told me that an elder scroll might yet exist in a dwemer ruin called Blackreach. I've not much experience with dwemer ruins, though I've heard they are at least are deadly as the Ayeleid ruins in Cyrodiil, a theory I look forward to testing. Those ruins were always strangely enjoyable.
The ruin lies to the south; I am heading there as I write this, and one can hear the glaciers crumbling under their own weight; I haven't seen a proper, paved path for days. The realisation that Skyrim itself is just as deadly as any of its inhabitants struck me when I encountered a mammoth encased in ice. Quite how that occurred, I cannot imagine, but it was a harrowing sight.
Twenty First Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
I found the elder scroll after blundering around Blackreach for almost a day. The title of Blackreach is accurate. Even my vampirisim enhanced eyes often struggled to make out crucial details in the pitch dark of the abandoned city. Nonetheless, I found it, and have been walking tirelessly to return to the throat of the world.
I feel as though I should talk about the ruin where the scroll had lain for so long, though in truth there's little to say about it. It was impressive, but the darkness made it damn near impossible to discern anything beyond rough shapes for the vast majority of the structures.
There was a portion of the ruin (if indeed it can fairly be called that, it was more of a cave that had been built within) that housed huge glowing mushroom and other curiosities.
Twenty Third Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
After reading the Elder Scroll atop the Throat of the World, I have learned the shout used by the ancient nords to defeat Alduin, though not, I would point out, permanently.
Alduin himself reappeared as I returned to the present, and though he was defeated by me and Parthurnax, he fled before we could deal the final blow. A pattern that I'm sure will repeat itself time and time again, now that he knows I'm powerful enough to fight him, and have the tools required to defeat him.
We've decided that the only way to discover to where he fled is to find a dragon that is in league with Alduin and force him to tell us. To that end we intend to use the Jarl's palace, Dragonsreach, in Whiterun to capture one. Apparently it was built for that purpose back before dragons disappeared, hence the name, I suppose.
Twenty Fourth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun was unwilling to help us while the civil war posed a threat to the city (as if it poses a threat to anyone or anything other than the people who take part in it). I must negotiate a peace between the Stormcloaks and the Empire before we may use Dragonsreach.
Such a truce will no doubt be difficult to negotiate; as both sides have made it abundantly clear that they are more interested in fighting that paying attention to what is happening beyond their quarrels. I must also persuade the Greybeards to hold the council.
I am not looking forward to this. It will be a travesty of both a negotiation and a travesty of communication.
Twenty Fifth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
We left Whiterun for Ivarstead. While in Riverwood I purchased a pair of cloaks for myself and Benor, crimson for myself, white for him, which should keep the cold out slightly better. We made camp in the ruins of Helgen.
Twenty Sixth Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
We made the trek to High Hrothgar, and persuaded the Greybeards to hold the peace council, now I must travel back down the mountain to persuade both Ulfric Stormcloak and General Tullius of the Imperial Legion to partake in this.
Twenty Seventh Heartfire, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
We reached Windhelm and persuaded Jarl Ulfric to take part in the council; however he will only do so if Tullius himself turns up. Judging by the amount of persuasion required to make him to agree to show up; I have no doubts as to the negotiations immense difficulty. He seems to be under the impression that he will be able to use this as an excuse to gain more land.
I've said it before, but it bears saying again. Nothing will be achieved at this council that will last the fortnight. Thankfully, however I will be able to wash my hands of the entire childish thing soon.
Sixth Frostfall, Two Hundredth and First Year of the Fourth Era
As I had expected, upon reaching Haafingar's border, I was arrested and imprisoned for a short spell due to my actions at the Thalmor Embassy, the sentence was much lower than I expected. Nonetheless, Tullius agreed to speak with me then agreed to meet at High Hrothgar for the council, he required far less persuasion than Ulfric. Something that is not surprising in the slightest. I'm sure Ulfric requires a diplomat to persuade him to put clothes on in the morning, moron as he is. Now I simply have to arrive myself. What a pity.
It strikes me that at least Tullius wants to deal with the dragons, but is unwilling to assist in any meaningful way, as doing so would allow the Stormcloaks to advance, an opinion I understand.