I left Sky Haven Temple a few hours later, having discussed the state of the Reach, Skyrim, and the Empire, as well as the foundational principles of the United States with the Forsworn Shaman, who's name was Alanna. I felt a bit more secure with my understanding of the Reachmen, and offered them a little advice, and in turn, she said she would send for my help if she needed me. As it was, I was ready to move on, at least for now.

There were a few fair issues I had stacking on my plate, but one of the least of them was that I was now revealed. A Dragonborn existed, and I was going to be facing them down in greater numbers now. Exciting, in one hand, as they were, for the most part, evil in their dealings with man, but worrying in that I wasn't sure if I had the strength necessary to kill them if they bothered to come more than one at a time... and they should. The games were modest, and didn't swarm you due to difficulty spikes or preference, but sending three or four dragons to kill the one threat they had was the most reasonable decision they could make.

Assuming they were reasonable, or that they didn't have too much pride to work together...

Okay, so there wasn't much worry of multiple dragons, but it still bore caution.

Above that in priority was four more things. The Civil War, the assassination of the Emperor, the Vampires, and Miraak.

Of those, the war and the emperor were more important, as there wasn't much rush for the vampires, who would need to track down not only Serana, but Septimus Signus as well, or Miraak, who needed to absorb enough dragon souls to overpower Hermaeus Mora to do anything relevant.

I was drawn from my thoughts by a pop up from the Game.

Quest Complete! 100 XP Rewarded.

You have Leveled up!

Stats:

Konahrik- Level 2

Stats

110 Health

150 Magicka

100 Stamina

1 Agility

1 Charisma

2 Endurance

21 Intelligence

11 Luck

1 Perception

2 Strength

1 Willpower

10 Wisdom

15 points available

I immediately put 10 into luck and 5 into Endurance. Luck was usually a bad investment in a decent chunk of games, but in a world ran by rpg mechanics, being able to physically manipulate my luck was truly overpowered.

The added endurance brought my Health to 130 instead of 110.

With my stats changed, the level up screen disappeared, and a new screen replaced it. This one seemed to offer perks, reminding me more of Fallout new vegas than anything else, but I wasn't going to complain.

The list was extensive, but after a while I found a perk that would seem particularly helpful.

Shouts raise your Charisma. Passed speech checks give experience for shouts.

Perfect for my current playstyle, though as the screen disappeared, I was left to wonder what I should do. Talking with Alanna had been more interesting than I gave it credit for, and ruminating on the cause led me to realize that I have been acting strangely.

I wasn't goal oriented by nature, not really, but I'd been behaving exactly that way. I was...

Uncomfortable. I didn't really miss home, as I was a forward thinker who tried not to have regrets, but I was worried about living in this world. I'd been clearing all this distance because I was trying to note any differences and try to project the future from what I understood about the games.

Now that I'd leveled up, which seems to be entirely quest oriented, I had actually looked at my stats and become used to my current abilities. I'd killed my first dragon, and eaten its' soul. I'd decided a goal, and I'd chatted up a pretty woman.

"I think I'll go to Whiterun." I decided, finally calm after nearly a week of fighting.

Whiterun was the destination, but the journey had to include a stop through Bleak Falls Barrow, as unfortunate as that was. The draugr were annoying to fight. Mostly in the many traps and tribulations, and the unwanted burden of picking through the pockets of a half-digested Dunmer corpse for the Golden Claw, but the combat, especially assisted by Slow Time, was easy. It was probably my favorite shout when I played, and it was equally as fun to use for real. Watching my surroundings trickle around me like molasses as I dodged arrows and attacks, only to retaliate with a vicious cut or spell... it was wonderful.

If I cared about being fair, I wouldn't follow up by using all-powerful reality manipulating words to burn the undead into heaps of ash as I sprinted through the dungeon, occasionally using walls and coffins as leverage to pass by uneven or draugr-clogged ground by going arial. This free floating movement, unrestricted by the force of gravity, it felt like I could fly...

2 End

2 Str

The gains were nice too.

The puzzle was solved without consulting the claw. A pattern I had noticed, a significant portion, maybe 40% or so, of these doors could be solved by activating every ring twice. Whoever locked them seemed to just activate each ring a single time and let hope keep the door locked, but what could you expect from Nords, especially ones who weren't trying to keep people out.

The main cave attached to the crypt was glorious to behold. Not as glorious as the coffin that I shoved a sword straight through, killing the Draugr before it could get out of it's resting place.