Chapter 3 – Bleak Falls Barrow
17th Last Seed 4E201
Outside Whiterun, Late Afternoon
With the threat of a dragon looming over the region, Jurgald undertook the short journey with haste, the adventuring having to wait until another day. The journey to Whiterun was uneventful for the most part. A couple of wolfs though they could take on the young Nord, but Jurgald dispatched of them with ease. A more interesting occurrence was the appearance of a giant, fighting against a band of people, all wearing similar armour. Jurgald elected to not involve himself in such matters, the weather was terrible and wet, leaving the ground all murky and damp, not an environment you want to traverse in heavy armour. Jurgald then travelled to the city gates, where he was stopped by a city guard.
"Halt!" demanded the city guard, quickly gaining Jurgald's attention. "City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only." Jurgald questioned in his mind how locking down the city would help against a dragon which can fly straight over, however he was smart enough not to question it. Jurgald of course, did have news of the attack, and while it was not "official business" surely they would have to let him in. "I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack" stated Jurgald. The guard, evidently not entirely happy with the situation based on his tone of voice, replied "fine, but we'll be keeping an eye on you."
Whiterun, Evening
By this time the sky was starting to darken, amplified by the dark skies which was the cause of the current downpour. With minimal light the guards had broken out their torches, it was just unfortunate that Jurgald didn't have one. With no way to illuminate the path before him, Jurgald had to rely on the street lamps in order to ensure he didn't fall over or walk into a wall. Immediately after entering the city Jurgald stumbled across a man in Imperial armour, talking to a woman in a blacksmiths apron.
"We'll pay whatever it takes. But we must have more swords for the Imperial soldiers" stated the man clad in Imperial armour. The female blacksmith responded "I just can't fill an order of that size on my own." The blacksmith itself was of fairly average size, however Jurgald could not see any other staff working on the outside, where the crafting took place, therefore it was unlikely that the blacksmith could produce a mass order. Of course it was evening, so they could have gone home for the day by this point. The blacksmith continued "why don't you swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"
The man scoffed at the idea "Ha! I'd sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak." Had the Imperial armour not been a big enough indicator, he clearly supported the Empire in the ongoing war. "Besides, Gray-Mane would never make steel for the Legion." This provided some insight to the city itself. Gray-Mane as a family likely supported the Stormcloak uprising, meaning the town was split in allegiance, therefore it would be smart on Jurgald's part to not take sides as best as possible. The female blacksmith would finish the conversation with "Have it your way. I'll take the job, but don't expect a miracle."
The blacksmith was known as Warmaiden's, and after collecting a range of items during his escape from Helgen, Jurgald checked to see if the store was still open, which it was, leading Jurgald to inside to offload the weapons and armour he was currently lugging around. Inside he would learn the operator of the store front was Ulfbearth War-Mane and the female blacksmith seen conversing early was Adrianne Avenicci, the wife of Ulfbearth.
Upon making a little bit of coin by selling his unwanted wares, Jurgald began running towards the palace in the drizzle, however stopped upon hearing a couple having an argument. The female (known as Saffir) was heard first. "I know your family's honour is at stake, but we can't afford it."
The male (known as Amren) responded with a somewhat defiant tone "It took me weeks to find that thieves' den. I can't stop now, and I can't do it on my own." Saffir snapped back "so you're willing to starve your wife and daughter to reclaim some rusty old sword?" Amren started to try and plead with his wife "I just need to hire one, maybe two good men, you won't starve." Saffir became more hostile, and issued her husband with an ultimatum "I'll put it plainly. You can claim your sword, or you can keep your wife. If you set foot outside that gate, I won't be here when you return." With that, the conversation ended abruptly as Saffir walked away.
Dragonsreach, Whiterun, Evening
Jurgald made a note of the conversation, as it was a potential job, but for now he had important news to deliver to the Jarl. Running past the preacher and up the stairs to the palace, Jurgald soon found himself inside the grand building. Jurgald climbed the stairs towards the dining area, where the Jarl was situated on his throne, however before he could bring the new a brown haired female dark elf approached Jurgald cautiously with weapon drawn. "What is the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors" stated the Elf, with a clear sense of agitation in her voice. "I have news from Helgen. About the dragon attack" was Jurgald's response. Jurgald was slightly nervous, as the woman didn't seem to have much patience, however he had no need to be worried. Upon hearing the reason for his arrival, the Elf loosened up slightly. "Well, that explains why the guards let you in. Come on in then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally." With that the Elf sheathed her weapon and allow Jurgald to approach the Jarl.
Jarl Balgruuf was slouched on his throne. A middle aged man with blonde hair and a beard. To the Jarl's right stood what Jurgald guessed to be an imperial dressed in formal blue clothes. Jurgald of course was still wearing his armour, due to not having anything else and the urgency of the current situation. As soon as Jurgald approached the Jarl, the Jarl spoke. "So; you were at Helgen? You saw the dragon with your own eyes?" inquired Jarl Balgruuf. Jurgald had thought about making a snarky comment about his near execution, however decided not to implicate himself. "The Imperials were about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak, then the dragon attacked" stated Jurgald. The Jarl's expression intensified slightly upon the mention of the rebellion leader. "I should've guessed that would be mixed up in this."
Upon hearing this information, Balgruuf turned to his Imperial steward. "What do you say now Proventus? Shall we continue to trust our walls? Against a dragon?" asked the Jarl, with stress becoming more paramount in his voice. Jarl Balgruuf was clearly taking the information seriously. Jurgald was slightly taken aback with how quickly the Jarl had believed that a dragon had caused the carnage at Helgen, however given how others had not simply dismissed his story on the way to the Jarl, Jurgald figured that there had been some rumours which he was merely confirming. Before Proventus could respond to the Jarl, the Dark Elf who had approached Jurgald when he entered the palace interjected with "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains…." However before she could finish speaking, an alarmed Proventus would butt in. "The Jarl of Falkreath would view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him!" Despite Proventus expressing his fears, Jarl Balgruuf would not hear any more talk from his steward. "Enough!" commanded Jarl Balgruuf. Proventus would try to press further with his objections, only to be immediately shot back down by the Jarl. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" proclaimed the Jarl. It was clear to see how he had the respect of the people of the hold, as he clearly wanted to protect them and was being proactive in his duties.
With a conclusion reach, the Jarl commanded the Elf to dispatch troops to Riverwood to help beef up the defence in the village. "If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties" said an obviously irritated Proventus. The Jarl just responded with "that would be best." With the mini debate over and with only Jurgald left before the Jarl, Balgruuf turned his attention to the young nord. "Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem" and with that the Jarl gave Jurgald a studded Imperial chest to Jurgald. This surprised Jurgald on a few levels. Firstly he wasn't expecting this much of a thanks for merely relying information, and secondly Jurgald was under the impression that Balgruuf was neutral in the war. Giving away imperial armour may indicate where the Jarl's loyalty laid. Before Jurgald could contemplate further, the Jarl spoke up once again. "There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular skills, perhaps." With that, Balgruuf stood up from his chair and continued "come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and…. rumours of dragons."
Balgruuf led Jurgald to the right side of the main section of the palace, where the court's magical supplies were located. In the room was a range of potions, soul gems and other magical items, as well as an enchanter and an alchemy table. Tending the area was a man dressed in blue magical robes. Due to the hood on his robes Jurgald could not get a good look at Farengar's face, other than that he had a weirdly shaped chin. Balgruuf then introduced Jurgald to Farengar, "Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project." Farengar then turned his attention to Jurgald, likely inspecting the man brought before him. "Go ahead and fill him with the details" finished the Jarl, leaving Jurgald and his court mage to discuss the matter between themselves as he monitored the conversation. "So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes I could use someone to fetch something for Me." said Farengar. Jurgald was already starting to get annoyed with the man, he wasn't Farengar's servant, why couldn't he just get a guard to go for this quest? If Jurgald was already having issues hiding his annoyance, what Farengar said next certainly did not help matters, "Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there." Great, not only was he stuck on a fetch quest, he may be risking his life for absolutely nothing. Jurgald wasn't prepared however, as he wanted to get into the Jarl's good books.
Jurgald was growing more and more frustrated by the minute and quickly stated "just tell me what you need me to do." Either Farengar mistook the annoyance for enthusiasm, or chose to ignore the sharp tone in Jurgald's voice as he replied "You are eager for adventure. Excellent. The sooner begin, the sooner done eh?" At this point Jurgald was practically grinding his teeth but Farengar continued "I, uh, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow – a "Dragonstone" said to contain a map of dragon burials sites." explained Farengar. "Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet – no doubt interred in the main chamber – and bring it to me. Simplicity itself". Simple indeed, well apart from the fact it may not even exist. "Anything you can tell me about Bleak Falls Barrow?" Inquired Jurgald. While he knew what ruin the mage was talking about due to what Hadvar had said during the escape from Helgen, Jurgald had no clue what actually laid within the grand ruin. "An old tomb, built by the ancient Nords, perhaps dating back to the Dragon War itself. Or perhaps you just want to know how to get there. It's near Riverwood, a miserable little village a few miles south of here. I'm sure someone will point you in the right direction when you get there" was the court mage's long winded response.
Jurgald had just about enough of this pompous prat, and decided to challenge him on the Dragonstone. "How do you know this stone tablet is in Bleak Falls Barrow?" asked Jurgald. Farengar's answer was evasive "Well. Must preserve some professional secrets mustn't we? I have my sources, reliable sources…" They were so reliable they couldn't actually confirm that the stone existed, but Jurgald held off from pushing further. Jarl Balgruuf, who had been standing to the side of Jurgald for the entire conversation, re-entered the conversation. "This is a priority now. Anything we can use to fight this dragon, or dragons. We need it, quickly, before it is too late" stated the Jarl. "Of course, Jarl Balgruuf. You seem to have found me an able assistant. I'm sure he will prove most useful" said Farengar. Jurgald was not fond of the idea of Farengar, but when the Jarl requests something of you, you must do it, especially when you are new to the region with nothing to your name like Jurgald was. Jarl Balgruuf then turned to the young Nord and said "Succeed at this, and you'll be rewarded. Whiterun will be in your debt." With that the three men went their separate ways, with Jurgald heading to the Bannered Mare, the local inn, in order to rent a bed for the night.
18th Last Seed 4E201
Sleeping Giant Inn, Riverwood, Early Morning
Jurgald arrived at Riverwood before dawn break, and having not eaten before bed the day before he decided to spend time at the Riverwood inn (The Sleeping Giant) and wait for dawn to break. Jurgald obtained some ale, a venison chop, some cooked potatoes and a sweet roll from the barkeeper, Orgnar. As it was so early Jurgald was the only patron in the inn at that moment so Jurgald was able to enjoy his food in relative peace.
Riverwood Trader, Morning
After spending a few hours at the Sleeping Giant Inn, Jurgald made his way to the Riverwood Trader, in order to pick up any supplies he could actually afford. However once he got inside the shop he found two people, a male & female Imperial. The female was Camilla Valerius while the male was her elder brother, Lucan Valerius. Jurgald had walked in during an argument between the siblings.
"Well one of us has to do something!" snapped Camilla. Jurgald had just walked in and had no idea what was going on but rather than leave, he stayed and listened to the argument. "I said no! No adventuring, no theatrics, no thief chasing!" ordered Lucan. Camilla, clearly enraged at having their property stolen (Jurgald didn't know what had been stolen, as the shopped was still clearly stocked with goods) angrily responded "Well what are you going to do about it then, huh? Let's hear it!" Lucan wanted the conversation to end and assertively responded with "we are done talking about this!" Lucan would then turn to Jurgald and say "Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that." It was an obvious attempt to get out the conversation. Camilla did indeed drop the conversation, but angrily stomped away to the other side of the shop with a furious expression which could probably kill a thousand men with ease. Huh, I don't think it's the dragon that the Riverwood folks should be worried about, Jurgald thought to himself, but nonetheless Jurgald approached Lucan at the store counter.
Jurgald cautiously inquired "so uhh…. Did something happen?" Lucan stumbled over his response initially, likely surprised that the topic was being brought straight back up, but answered Jurgald's question with "uh yeah, we did have a bit of a… a break-on. But we still have plenty to sell. Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold, in the shape of a dragon claw." Jurgald, sensing a decent reward for retrieving the stolen good offered to help them get it back. Lucan was taken by surprise at the offer of help, but was certainly happy to accept the offer as he replied "you could help? I've got some coin coming in from my last shipment. It's yours if you bring the claw back." Lucan then revealed that the claw had been taken to Bleak Falls Barrow, certainly convenient for Jurgald. Not only could he get the dragon stone for the Jarl's assistant, he could as earn some gold on the side in the process.
Lucan turned to his sister and smugly said "Yes. So now you don't have to go do you?" "Oh really Well I think your new helper here needs a guide" retorted Camilla. "Wh- no I…" Lucan had to concede defeat to his sister "Oh by the Eight fine. But only to the edge of town" Jurgald didn't intend setting off immediately, however Camilla, clearly wanting the claw back as soon as possible, got up from her chair and went outside.
Riverwood, Morning
As soon as Jurgald left the trader, he found Camilla waiting for him outside. "We have to go through town and across the bridge to get to Bleak Falls Barrow" explained Camilla, and the two started walking towards the bridge that Jurgald had crossed to get to Whiterun (and back). Jurgald soon found out that Camilla was a very talkative person, as she would talk to Jurgald for most of the short trip. "Those thieves must be mad, hiding out there. Those crypts are filled with nothing but traps, trolls and who knows what else!" explained Camilla. Jurgald made a mental note of this information, but judging by how she ended her sentence, it was likely her information was based more on assumptions than actual facts or experience. As the pair got closer to the edge of town, Camilla spoke up again. "I wonder why they only sole Lucan's claw. I mean, we have plenty of things in the shop that are worth just as much coin" said Camilla. While she pondered on why the claw had been targeted, Jurgald was content to remain silent on the issue. Despite receiving no response, Camilla would continue talking. "Lucan found the claw about a year after he opened the store. He never quite explained where he got it. He's quite the tricky one" explained Camilla. Jurgald continued to remain silent, not wishing to get involved in, what at least appeared to be, the mini feud between the siblings. Soon enough they arrived at the bridge leading away from the town. "This is the bridge out of town" said Camilla. She would then enlighten Jurgald on how to get to Bleak Falls Barrow by saying "the path up the mountain to the northwest leads to Bleak Falls Barrow"
Jurgald, having remained silent for the entire way finally spoke up. "Thank you for showing me the way" said Jurgald, giving Camilla a little courtesy smile. Jurgald continued "I'm going to gather some supplies and then I'll retrieve the claw." Camilla simply responded "In that case I guess I should head back to my brother. He'll throw a fit if I take too long. Such a child." Jurgald offered no response and went on his way. Jurgald explored the small village but ultimately there wasn't much around the area. There was a lumber mill where the owner offered money for chopping up wood, however Jurgald was in too much shock to really pay attention, as he watched in awe the owner lift a full tree log, solo, onto the cutter. While exploring the lumber mill Jurgald saw an elf with a bow and arrow strapped to his back. Ha here we go, Jurgald thought to himself, he looks like he could provide some assistance. Jurgald had been looking for assistance in his quest, as he while he could be fairly gun ho, he knew he would likely need assistance in a big ruin like Bleak Falls Barrow. With the elf the only person in Riverwood Jurgald had found that actually brandished a weapon, Jurgald approached him.
The elf turned around as Jurgald approached. "Did I see you talking to Sven?" asked the elf. Jurgald, confused as to why he was being asked this, stuttered out a no. "I must be mistaken then, never mind. But I would stay away from him if I were you" warned the elf. Jurgald, intrigued as to how this dislike had come about, asked the elf what was his problem with this Sven. "He's a bard, so he says. Occasionally he finds time to do his job here at the mill. Thinks his ballads and sonnets are going to convince Camilla Valerius to marry him. As if she would say yes" was his answer, with spite and a strong dislike for this Sven evident in both tone and choice of words. I know what's going on Jurgald thought to himself. Given the size of the settlement she's probably the only available female in the village, so all the bachelors are fighting amongst themselves over her. The elf was clearly in his middle ages, as wrinkles donned his forehead and his body looked like it had suffered from wear and tear, and Jurgald was surprised to see him going after a woman like Camilla, as she, at least in Jurgald's view, was way out of his league.
While Jurgald thought to himself, the infatuated elf continued his rant on his rival. "An intelligent, beautiful woman like her wouldn't fall for that nonsense….. I hope" said the now rather doubtful elf, with worry plastered across his face as he started to fear that Sven may actually succeed. "You hope? You don't sound very secure" said Jurgald, sensing an opportunity to assist the elf. He wanted to help partly because he figured he could use this to earn a favour with the elf, and use it to enlist him (if that didn't work he knew he could be easily manipulated by telling him that Camilla gave him the job). Jurgald also got the sense that Sven as one of those pretty boy bards who were full of themselves, and Jurgald had no time for those kind of bards. "I've been thinking… maybe Camilla needs a little help seeing Sven for what he is" said the Elf. "Could you give her this letter, and say it's from Sven?" asked the Elf. "I think I've matched that Nord's lack of cleverness perfectly" he continued. I'm pretty sure this makes you as much of a douche as he is Jurgald thought to himself, but didn't mentioning anything directly to the elf.
Riverwood Trader, Midday
Jurgald had a quick look around town to find this "Sven", however the aspiring bard was not in the inn and Jurgald couldn't find him elsewhere, so he went straight to Camilla. "I have a letter from you, from Sven" lied Jurgald while handing Camilla the letter. "Another poem, I bet. He does know how to make a girl blush" said Camilla. I guess he was right to be concerned Jurgald thought. Camilla was smiling and was happy to receive the letter, but her face soon turned to a scowl. "What's this? If that oaf thinks all I'm going to do is stay in that filthy house of his and clean, I'll", Camilla at this point stopped reading the letter and looked back at Jurgald. "You can tell Sven that he already has a mother, and I'm not speaking to him anymore" Camilla told Jurgald. Before Jurgald left however, Camilla did wish him luck in retrieving the claw.
Riverwood, Lumber Mill, Midday
Jurgald returned to the lumber mill and found the elf chopping wood. "Uhh.." Jurgald initially stumbled, as he didn't actually know this guy's name, "I don't believe I asked your name.." Jurgald finally said." The elf looked slightly confused but replied by saying his name was Faendal. "My name is Jurgald, and I don't think Camilla will be spending any more time with Sven" Jurgald said, delivering the "good" news to Faendal. "I appreciate your help. Please, take this. Some gold I've saved up from working at the mill" a pleased Faendal told Jurgald, and gave him twenty-five gold. "If you want to impress Camilla, I may be able to help you" Jurgald told Faendal. Faendal leaned in slightly, curious to what the young nord had in mind. "She tasked me of retrieving the Golden Claw that was stolen from the trader. The bandits are at Bleak Falls Barrow…" however before Jurgald could finish Faendal had already set off.
Bleak Falls Barrow, Early Afternoon
Jurgald soon caught up with the older elf, and together they made their wat to Bleak Falls Barrow. The mountain path to the ruin was fairly short, with the pair having to deal with some wolves, as well as a small bandit patrol by a lookout tower close to the ruin. Neither caused much problem however one of the downed bandits had iron armour and a steel sword, allowing Jurgald to upgrade his equipment, with Faendal getting Jurgald's old armour.
A long grand archway represented the entrance. It would have been possible to sneak up the stairs at the side of the archway to try and get a sneak attack under way, however Jurgald ran straight up the stairs and attacked the female bandit on his left. Jurgald came under archer fire which prompted Faendal to launch his own arrows towards the bandits further up the stairs and closer to the entrance. Only a few bandits were guarding the entrance and the pair soon dispatched them.
After entering the ruin, the small path before them was shaped like an s, with a camp fire at the end. It would've been hard to sneak in the small and cramped space, therefore the gun-ho Jurgald once again ran towards the fire, and quickly took care of the bandit tending the fire. Jurgald, however did not see the second bandit, hiding at the stairs at the end of the path that led deeper into the ruins. Jurgald took cover behind some rubble while Faendal moved up to engage with the enemy archer. Faendal took a view hits but was able to shrug them off, firing back at the enemy. With the bandit concentrating on Faendal, Jurgald emerged from his cover and ran straight at the enemy. The bandit noticed this sudden movement and quickly changed her aim to hit the advancing nord. Jurgald however was able to get his shield up and protect himself from the shot. Jurgald then took his sword and penetrated the bandits armour, sending his sword straight through her stomach. Jurgald then looted what was of value in the mini makeshift camp and delved deeper into the dank ruin.
Jurgald and Faendal travelled through the vine ridden ruins, removing any sticky spider webbing which got in their way. Soon enough they found an open square section of the dungeon, which contained another bandit. Jurgald couldn't see if he was alone as he couldn't see the entire room, therefore he signalled for Faendal to stay low, and they slowly approached the room. The way further into the ruin was blocked by the gate, however there was a lever in front of the gate. The bandit thought simply pulling the lever would open the gate, however the end result would be a bandit that would be impaled by several arrows. With the ruin itself killing the bandit, Jurgald approached the corpse for any clues, however aside from equipment and gold, the bandit had nothing. Jurgald then looked up above the gate.
"Look, up there" pointed out Jurgald. Faendal saw what Jurgald was pointing at. "You must have to match the symbols down here with the ones up here. Good eye" complimented Faendal. The first symbol was of a snake, however the second symbol had fallen from its position onto the ground. Fortunately the symbol, despite having crashed onto the ground at a prior moment, could still be seen, and it too was a snake. The third symbol, still in its original place, was a fish. On the lower floor, where Jurgald and Faendal were, there were three stones which could be turned, with a symbol on each of their three sides. Jurgald turned them to match with the symbols located above the gate and pulled the lever.
Sure enough the gate opened, sparing Jurgald from a hail of arrows. The next room would force the duo to travel down a curled staircase, which was cramped and tight, allowing no room for combat if they were attacked. Fortunately only skeevers combatted them in the enclosed space, and they were able to get back to wider ground. The eerie ruins continued deeper as the presence of spider webs became more and more common. Not before long Jurgald and Faendal came to a circular room, locked off by spider webbing. After a few swing Jurgald chopped down the spider webbing blockading their way, and made their way into the next room.
The room was almost circular, covered in spider webbing. Rubble littered the right side of the room. AT the far end Jurgald could see a man, possibly the bandit leader, trapped in spider webbing, confirming that spiders were still present in the area. Before Jurgald could move towards the trapped bandit, Jurgald saw the frightening shadow of a large spider. Jurgald looked up and behold, there was a large spider dropping down from a hole in the roof. This spider however, appeared to be a step slower than one would expect, leading Jurgald to conclude that the bandits, while having been defeated, had managed to inflict some damage on the hideous arachnid. Jurgald elected to run back behind the archway that he had just cut the webbing from, as the spider's size meant that it could not pursue. Faendal on the other hand stepped right into the makeshift arena, launching arrows at the monstrosity at point blank range, however soon found himself being overpowered by the spider. Jurgald, having been taking pot shots with his sword from the safety of the archway, ran around the spider and started slashing it from behind to try and stop the spider from chopping Faendal into buts. "Kill It, Kill It!" bellowed the trapped bandit, but Jurgald was too occupied with killing the spider to pay attention. The spider launched a last ditch attack on Faendal, sending the elf flying into the wall behind him, incapacitating him for the moment. Jurgald would ensure the spider could inflict no more damage, as he brought his sword crashing down for a final time, cutting through the spider and killing it where it stood.
Jurgald went over to Faendal to check on his companion, who was groggily getting back to his feet. "Are you OK?" asked a worried Jurgald. "I've been better, I'll be fine" responded a dazed Faendal. "You, over here!" called the bandit, obviously wanting to be cut down from his rather unique binds. Jurgald made his way over to the bandit, being rather annoyed at the interruption. "You did it! You killed it!" said the bandit, not quite believing he was no longer dinner for the creature. "Now cut me down before anything else shows up" the bandit ordered. Jurgald would not do what was requested immediately, believing this was a good opportunity to extract some information, more specifically about the whereabouts of the golden claw. "Where's the golden claw?" asked Jurgald. "Yes the claw. I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together!" exclaimed the bandit.
Not quite what I wanted Jurgald thought.
"Help me down, and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there" the bandit continued. Jurgald did not trust the bandit one bit, believing he will either run off or try and take them both out, especially since Faendal still needed some time to recover from his "bump". Jurgald asked for the claw first, but that was certainly a silly request, considering the bandit was enclosed in spider webbing. Both Jurgald and Faendal drew their weapons and Jurgald freed the bandit. The bandit laughed and said "You fool, why should I share the treasure with anyone?" before running into the crypt. Jurgald gave chase and finally caught up to him, pulling his shoulder to stop him and hold him in place, while Jurgald thrusted his sword straight through the bandit's body, killing him immediately.
The now ceased bandit had kept a journal, detailing his exploits, and how and why he obtained the golden claw. The journal didn't have much of significance, apart from "when you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands." Jurgald, not having studied the claw yet, didn't know what this meant, and decided to try and decipher it when they got to the locked door. The pair then advanced into the room, which contained several dead bodies and was evidently a crypt. They had seen a few urns on the way, but up until this point it had been mostly sticky spider webbing that had decorated the area. The spider webbing had disappeared at this points, indicating that the spiders never came this far down.
The room was fairly large and open, however there were support columns in the middle to support the roof. Jurgald and Faendal started to make their way past the skeletons located in the exposed tombs, dig into the side of the wall, however to their surprise many of them emerged from their resting places and started attacking the duo. This were known as Draugr. Jurgald made his way to the furthest enemy, donning some ancient looking armour, and started hacking at the skeleton, leaving Faendal to entertain the rest. Jurgald struck first, but was able to deflect the two handed sword the Draugr threw back at him, thankfully however it only left a minor cut, with the Draugr failing to make any significant contact against his enemy. Faendal had been forced to use his dagger, as the Draugr had caught up and surrounded him, however Jurgald was busy dealing with enemies himself to offer any assistance. Jurgald slashed the enemy on final time as he dropped to the ground. Another Draugr, this time brandishing a shield and sword, lunged at Jurgald from his right, Jurgald however showed quickly reflexes and bashed his shield into the oncoming opponent, stunning him in his tracks.
With Faendal in trouble, Jurgald ran to help his companion, rather than engage his opponent. Faendal was having to use a dagger against another draugr. Faendal stabbed the Draugr who had his back to Jurgald, stunning him and slowing Jurgald to deliver the killer blow. Jurgald sensed the draugr he had stunned temporarily launching an attack from behind, and turned around and used his shield to absorb the draugr's attack. The draugr initiated a quick second strike but with his shield still up, Jurgald was able to absorb that lunge too. The draugr elected to keep striking at the Nord, allowing Faendal to continuously his the animated skeleton with many quick stabs, while Jurgald kept his shield up, protecting himself from any major damage. With the Draugr weakened, it launched a final desperate strike at the nord, who speed back, leaving the draugr hitting nothing but air, which left an opening that Jurgald used to deliver the final strike, and killing the last Draugr in the area.
Jurgald beckoned to Faendal. "Here, use this iron sword, it'll do more damage than that little thing you are using" said Jurgald as he gave an iron sword to Faendal. "I can use both weapons by dual wielding" said Faendal. "Err… You sure about that?" asked a rather worried Jurgald. "Don't worry, I've practiced dual wielding multiple times" Faendal assured Jurgald, "I figured it would impress the beautiful Camilla" Faendal continued. Jurgald merely rolled his eyes and they continued. Next up was a tight and narrow corridor, with axes swing from side to side. Jurgald ordered Faendal to wait, and then stood right before the first axe was, in order to run past them in one go. Jurgald bided his time and at the right moment sprinted as fast as his leg would allow, and was able to avoid all three swinging axes and make it to the other. A wave of relief fell over Jurgald, thankful he wasn't hacked to pieces, and he pulled on a chain at his end, stopping the axes, allowing Faendal to cross the narrow trap corridor with no risk.
What followed was a windy collection of small circular rooms filled with more hollowed out graves. The bitter coldness of the crypt becoming more of a factor as they delved deeper into the ancient ruin. The scattered mini fire pits were a warm welcome, illuminating the way as well as providing some much needed, however small, warmth. There was one difference with these "coffins" however, in that some skeletons had been left vertically standing, rather than lying down, as one would expect. Naturally the first "standing skeleton" the duo come across was actually a draugr, however it would be a two on one fight in Jurgald's and Faendal's favour, and the pair easily dispatched the enemy. Jurgald then looked down the corridor and saw another skeleton standing in the wall. Jurgald, assuming this was another draugr, ran over the oil ridden corridor and lunged at the skeleton. As Jurgald expected, it was indeed a draugr, and it could not manoeuvre out in time to stop the lunging nord. Jurgald unleashed a fury of striker upon the foe, who quickly fell to the ground.
Jurgald had been too engrossed with his opponent, that he failed to notice the pair of draugr lurking from behind. The closest went to stab Jurgald from behind, but Faendal parried the blow and struck the enemy. The pair of draugr continued to focus on the nord, with the battle axe wielding draugr making contact with Jurgald's shield. This allowed the sword and shield wielding draugr to take advantage of Jurgald's broken guard, connecting his axe with Jurgald's shoulder. Luckily for Jurgald the blow only resulted in a minor wound, and he retaliated before the enemy could get their guard up, resulting in the shield bearing draugr to collapse into a pile of bones. With the situation now back in a two on one in Jurgald's favour, the second draugr did not last long.
The pair showed good chemistry, despite only having met earlier in the day, with not much communication required between them. The pair continued to delve even deeper into the ancient crypt, and found a surprising sight. A small waterfall and stream flowed from the room, down a small tunnel, however on the far side of the room there were coffins, and unsurprisingly draugr emerged from the previously enclosed coffins. They failed to put up much of a fight, and were dispatched with haste. They had no other choice but to follow the stream, much to Faendal's displeasure.
Despite only having to walk in a stream for mere moments, before the area widened out to include land beside the stream, Faendal still complained. "Now I have to travel with soaked boots" complained Faendal. "Remember who you are doing this for" replied Jurgald. "But we have the golden claw, can't we just go back?" inquired Faendal. Of course Jurgald still had to find this "dragonstone", hence why he had continued. Faendal, of course, did not know this and Jurgald did not wish to share this information, as he wanted the Jarl's gratitude, and for it not to be shared. "There must be some valuable treasure down here, think how impressed Camilla will be if you unlocked the crypt's secrets" responded Jurgald. This soon put a spring in Faendal's step, with Jurgald falling behind, struggling to catch up/
May want to avoid mentioning Camilla again, a now rather fatigued Jurgald thought to himself.
With little resistance Jurgald and Faendal soon made their way towards the main chamber. They reached the wooden doors which led to the locked door which required a dragon claw, however there was another draugr blocking the way. This bearded draugr however, seemed slightly different. He was far more agitated and restless than the others. Jurgald would soon find out he was faster and more powerful than the others as well, as the restless draugr would dodge Jurgald's initial assault, and connect with his great sword twice on the Nord, inflicting moderate wounds and stunning the young nord. Faendal would attack the draugr from behind but this would not stop the relentless attack on Jurgald, as the draugr hit a solid hit on Jurgald's shield, which would severely bruise Jurgald's shield bearing left hand. Jurgald attempted to run up some rubble and jump across back toward where he had come from in attempt to escape the cornered position he found himself him, however the draugr lunged at the nord before he could perform his manoeuvre, inflicting a painful wound across the back of Jurgald. Jurgald, now stunned against the rubble, was an easy target for the draugr. The draugr lifted his great sword up and brought it down to finish off the nord, however the nord was able to roll forward, past the draugr, and out of the way of what would've been the death blow. The draugr had put so much power in the swing, that when the sword made contact with the rubble, the draugr staggered allowing Jurgald to drink a health potion, resulting in Jurgald getting some of his energy and alertness back.
How do these things even work? Jurgald thought to himself.
The draugr, having recovered, lunged once again at Jurgald, who this time was ready and was able to effectively block the draugr's attack. Faendal, who had been swing wildly at the draugr the entire time, lunged his sword through the ribcage of the draugr, penetrating the chest plate and killing the draugr. "Jurgald, are you OK?" Faendal worryingly asked Jurgald, as he made his way to check on the nord. "I'm good" Jurgald responded, waving off Faendal's worries, however it was clear that Jurgald had been injured. He was limping on one leg and his armour at the back had been split, revealing a deep long gash down his left shoulder. Jurgald immediately headed into the inner sanctum, before Faendal could protest further.
Bleak Falls Barrow, Inner Sanctum, Late Afternoon
The fatigued pair made their way past the few remaining draugr, and soon found the locked door. The corridor was much wider and well-lit than the rest of the dungeon, revealing markings on the sides of the walls. Jurgald however, was not interested in them and made his way towards the door. Before he could get their however, the pain in his leg would prove to be too much, and he collapsed onto one knee. "Let me help you" Faendal told Jurgald and moved to support the nord before he could protest. Faendal put Jurgald down close to one of the fire for warmth. "I know some first aid from when I used to travel" Faendal mentioned, as he reached into his bag for medical supplied. "I didn't realise you were carrying medical supplies" said a rather surprised Jurgald, "I didn't have you pinned for a medic" Jurgald continued. "I didn't adventure for very long, but it doesn't take long to realise how important it is to be able to treat yourself" said Faendal, as he examined the injuries Jurgald had sustained. "It's a good job you came a long then" quipped Jurgald. It was certainly the truth, if it were not for Faendal, Jurgald would now be trapped deep inside the crypt with moderate injuries. While they were not life threatening, if he got caught alone in this state by several draugr, he likely wouldn't last long.
"I'll do what I can, but it looks like an ankle sprain. I'll clean your gash and we'll rest for a few hours" Faendal informed Jurgald.