25th of Last Seed
The priests at High Hrothgar want me to fetch some horn out an old crypt. I've made a couple of forays, but the draugr are everywhere. I'll keep killing them until I get them all. It's probably going to take a couple of more trips to clear them out. I keep hoping that I'll find something of value in the place. I'm not good at making potions, but I suppose this is another thing I'll have to learn. I spend 200 septims on potions and only come out with maybe 60 septims worth of sellable stuff. I also suspect that Lucan is being a bit generous when I come hauling what's mostly junk into his store to sell him. It doesn't take a financier to realize that this is not a money-making proposition. I have to do other work to support my new potion habit.
26th of Last Seed
I finally make it to the central burial chamber and there's a note. A gods-be-damned note telling me to meet someone at the inn in Riverwood. I don't know if I want to go or not. Too many games going on and I'm no one's pawn. If I'm going to bring down an Empire so that we can purge all the Thalmor influence out of it so it can attack the Thalmor without them knowing what's coming, I can't afford to be someone else's catspaw. I haven't even told Ralof what I'm planning, and I trust him as much as I trust anyone here. I'd sell my eye teeth to have Frode or Bragi here just to help me plan all this, but I'll have to muddle through this one on my own.
I heard from the priest of Arkay. Ma and Auntie Kelda are properly buried. My heart grieves for them but I'll save the weeping for when there's time for it. That's another debt that I owe Balgruuf for. He's been dancing on a line between Ulfric and Tullius. I can't tell which way he's leaning but if his brother Hrongar is any indication, I think he might pick Ulfric with a sliver of persuasion. I know that the two of them have some personal history, but I'm hoping Balgruuf will overlook it when the time comes or that Ulfric will bend just a bit and show some kindness. Mostly, Balgruuf wants what's best for Whiterun – kings and empires be damned. That's a sentiment I can understand.
If this succeeds, the loss of the empire will leave a power vacuum that Skyrim is going to have to fill. Hammerfell can't fill it, at least not by themselves. They're still at war with the Thalmor and that's draining all their resources. The Hist won't be interested in filling it and neither will the Mane. The mer aren't capable of filling it. The Dunmer Houses are sundered and squabbling while the Bosmer hide in their forests. Orcs aren't organized enough and I don't think they'd be interested in thinking beyond their individual strongholds.
If Ulfric becomes the next Emperor or whatever the new title will be, Skyrim will need to be placed in very capable hands and I think I'd like those to be Balgruuf's. Out of all the other Jarls, I think he's the most capable and least corrupt. Windhelm is Ulfric's. Unless Falkreath grew while I was gone, it's always been a backwater. Riften is sink-hole with what's above ground not being much better than the Ratway. Dawnstar has always been plagued by Daedra. Markarth might as well be Thalmor with the way that they treat people and sending them to Cidhna mine never to be seen again. Furthermore, its be-set by Forsworn and none of the Jarls have seemed to be either willing or able to do anything about it. You'd think that with all that silver that they'd be able to hire some mercenaries and at least reduce the frequency or just wipe out the hargraven nests so the Markarth Jarls have to be benefitting from it somehow. That'll bear looking into when there's more time. Solitude's the current capital. The real power in Solitude used to be Falk Firebeard. The Jarls there might have the title, but he's always been the one with the power. He's got leanings to the empire but unless he's changed much, he's pragmatic enough to see the empire for what it's become and not what it used to be. That leaves Morthal and Whiterun. Morthal's got a new Jarl since the last time I've been home too. I hear she's a strange one with visions, so it really comes down to Balgruuf.
29th of Last Seed
I've joined the Companions and I find myself becoming increasingly fond of Kodlak the Harbinger. Damn but if I wouldn't walk through fire for that old man. He reminds me of my Da. They sent me out to get back a fragment of some sacred axe and we walked right into a trap. Turns out that Farkas is a werewolf as are some of the other Companions. The Silver Hand, a bunch of werewolf hunters, set the trap. We carved a path through them and got the fragment, but I wish they'd be more careful. Knowing what I know now, this travelling scholar who pointed them to the fragment was clearly working for the Silver Hand and trying to lure them out so they could be killed. Might as well have sent a note stating their intentions. When we got back with the fragment, we had a nice party. I hope we didn't leave too much of a mess for Tilma.
I rescued Nazeem from some bandits that were holding him for ransom. I wish I'd know it was Nazeem when Vilkas sent me. I might have let the snobby twat sit a bit longer with those bandits. At least he's nicer to me when I see him at the market now. I still haven't managed to scrape up 5000 gold to buy a house yet. Farkas, Nadja, and Athis have all been drilling me on my skills with armor, shield and sword. They don't consider the training I got in Jomsbrodirs to be up to their standards. From what I've seen, they're right. I've got quite a bit to learn from them.
1st of Hearthfire
I've been dealing with bandits, wild animals and punching people for the Companions in my almost non-existent spare time between training with the Companions and chasing down words of power at the direction of the Greybeards. More than a few of these words involve killing a dragon which is good because I need the dragon souls to let me use them as shouts. I'm not much of a fan of this. I'm ending beings that will outlive me so that I can shout better for the few years I walk Nirn. That hardly seems equitable on the cosmic scale. I'd rather try to talk to them and see if we can't reach some kind of an agreement but so far, none of the dragons seem to be willing to talk. The old stories claim that they can speak but maybe that's wrong. They either try to roast me or freeze me, so I kill them and take their power.
2nd of Hearthfire
Well, this is an odd turn of events. I'm a werewolf now. Kodlak seems to think its necessary for me to take on the curse so I can cure all of us. You'd best be right, old man. I know that fighting with bandits is a lot easier. I'm much faster and stronger now but the transitions aren't easy for me so I don't shift. It seems to be warring with the dragon in me in ways that aren't very comfortable. It's almost like I should be transforming into a dovah, not a wolf when I shift. It's painful and I lose consciousness when I shift either way. I can't wait until I can cure everyone. Aela seems to be quite happy with it and so does Skor. Vilkas and Farkas seem to be having problems not transforming and might prefer to be free of the curse. Kodlak seems to think his time is coming soon and wants to go to Sovengard, not Hircine's Hunting Grounds.
5th of Hearthfire
Skor is gone. He went charging into a whole fort full of Silver Hand by himself. He was kind to me, helped me fit in here with the other Companions, and now we're standing here over his funeral pyre at the Skyforge. I'm deeply angry. Skor never hurt anyone. Not all weres attack people. There's no crime in running through the forest hunting elk and deer. The Silver Hand will pay dearly for this. I've collected the all the pelts that the Silver Hand was keeping. At least their families can identify them by the scent and have some closure.
Do people need to hunt rogue weres? Yes. I don't think anyone disagrees with that. Attacking people randomly is just unacceptable - period - were or not. These Silver Hand are a bit too quick to execute every were they can get their hands on. No justice, just murder. We'll see how they like it. I'll be hunting them. Aela wants to hunt them too. Between us, I think we can stop this reign of murder and terror.
8th of Hearthfire
Kodlak has discovered our secret war against the Silver Hand. He's asked me to stop hunting them and told me that I've taken more retribution than honor demanded. Maybe I have but I hadn't planned to stop killing them until I stop seeing Skor there with Kev the Skinner hacking away at him every time I close my eyes. Instead, Kodlak wants me to deal with the witches that cursed the Companions in the first place. He thinks they're a more fitting target for my wrath. I've agreed to it. If they don't retract the curse, they'll not be long for this world. I've stopped to forge new weapons and armor. I've taken the precaution of adding some enchantments that will make a battle against powerful witches more of a even match.
9th of Hearthfire
I've returned to Jorrvasker too late. It was a long trip out to the Glenmoril Coven. They had a hidely hole almost to Markarth. Witches! Bah! If Kodlak wasn't dead, I'd be tempted to throttle him. They're all hargravens. He might have warned me that I was going to have to deal with a whole nasty nest of them. Still its done but my heart is broken. For the second time in my life, I've lost a father. Vilkas and I are going after them. I think they were watching us and waited until I left. Not only have they murdered Kodlak, they've stolen all the fragments of Wuuthrad. It's hard to keep a clear head with all this rage and fury boiling in my blood.
10th of Hearthfire
That wasn't vengeance. I don't have a word for what that was. Vilkas was, wisely, behind me most of the time. I tore through their stronghold and left a bloody mess in my wake. What ever is left of the Silver Hand is spread all over the walls. We got the fragments back and made it back to Jorrvaskr in time for Kodlak's funeral. Eorlund managed to reforge Wuuthrad on Kodlak's pyre. I need to sleep for a bit since I haven't for a couple of days now but there's no time. Vilkas says it still might be possible to cure Kodlak. If there's a sliver of hope, I have to try.
11th of Hearthfire
We ran through the night to get to Ysgramor's tomb. Finally, something went our way and Wuuthrad reforged granted us passage. It was a hard battle to get to the inner chamber, but Kodlak was there. He says that many of the Harbingers that have the werewolf taint are there, hiding from Hircine. We'll have to do something about that. Kodlak says maybe from Sovengard. I don't know about that but unlike Kodlak, I'm not afraid to consult the mages. I think I'd rather see us do something sooner. All I can say for certain is that I got to see Kodlak, set him free, and say goodbye. That's about as much I could have hoped for. I'm now the new Harbinger of the Companions.
This puts an interesting twist into my "kill the Empire" scheme since the Companions are at least nomially a-political. That's a big part of the reason that they've been around for 5000 years. I can't let that much history end on my watch. As the Harbinger, I can't take part in the conflict on either side. All of this will have to happen indirectly. Just when I was starting to look forward to shouting those damnable Thalmor into submission.