3rd of Sun's Height
We went through the portal and found ourselves batting Falmer and all their pets - spiders and charus in all their forms. This place is riddled with traps. Jenassa has been out in front and we're moving slowly so that she can disarm them all. Gods above! This place looks like Black Reach and that's unsettling. The same mushrooms and things grow here but the animals are different here. The saber cats are spotted here and so are the deer. It's strange but I've been collecting the pelts. They're thick and fine so they'll make good cloaks. They'll definitely be different and will make it easier to pick us out of a crowd at the markets.
This seems like another run through Black Reach and that's a bit unsettling. I hate it when history seems to repeat itself but there's no helping it. We have to beat the vampires to the bow. I think we're ahead of them since none the traps are tripped and the Knight Paladin hasn't seen them. That means we have to keep going with as much speed we can muster. We've made it to the second way shrine and dipped up another useless ewer of water.
We're back above ground now, but this place is just abandoned and decrepit, full of ruins. I know that Kaidan says that the tombs and catacombs are depressing but this place is worse, at least to me. Gelebor, the last of his kind, still standing guard until he too becomes yet another ghost waiting for pilgrims who will never come. This new way shrine has another of these ghosts chained to a dead Chantry by oaths that bind them past death. Gelebor warned us that we'd run into them. This might be the one of the saddest things I think I've ever seen. A new shrine with another dead, meaningless ritual with a stupid ewer of water we have lug around and try not to spill during a fight.
4th of Sun's Height
The next shrine was across a frozen lake with a word wall. We hiked across the ice when it erupted as two dragons emerged from under the ice. Lovely, that's a new trick I haven't seen them use before. We all scattered and ran for solid ground while I drew the dragons to me. I got the first one with Dragon Rend and tore into it with Dragonbane so we dispatched it pretty quickly. We had to squabble with the second one for a while before I could shout again. I shouted with Dragonrend again and it went back underwater, damn the luck. I'm not diving into a frozen lake after it in my armor. I'm also not stripping my armor to dive in after it. We waiting for it surface and this time I used Bend Will. That was the most unhappy dragon I've ever ridden but I did manage to clear out some trolls, a frost giant, and some falmer that were lurking around.
We spoke for a moment when he put me down. His name was Voslaarum. Naaslaarum was the other one I'd ended and Voslaarum was rather upset about it. I reminded him that I'd ended Alduin and suggested that he leave me be but he wanted to fight so we fought. Since I'm writing this, I think you know how that ended. Those two great beasts are no more. It's a shame, really. I'd rather have sat and talked to them instead of fighting them. Dragons remember much that men have forgotten. I'd like to know at least some of what they know.
We've come to another way shrine with another now meaningless ghost still waiting on pilgrims to visit his dead Chantry. It's still one of the most pitiful things I've encountered. We filled the ewer, completing this irrelevant ritual. Gods help us if we spill this damn thing in a fight. If I have to tell the Merry Band we have to start over, I'll never hear the end of it. We're stopping here at this way shrine for the night.
5th of Sun's Height
The Falmer and their pets are everywhere here. We started off hiking along a frozen river before the path turned upward. The way is steep and slick so fighting has been tricky. It's steep drop off and its been a delicate balance to engage with those attacking us while not letting them push us off over an edge. I was surprised that they didn't cut the rope bridge and drop us. It's been slog to get through them all, but we managed it. The path has been in a steady climb upward and we ended up above ground for a bit.
We cut our way through a Falmer village. The hateful things can't seem to stop themselves from attacking, even when its obvious that they're going to lose. I'll give them this much, they don't run away, even when I wish they would. The dwermer did this to them. Maybe we find some record of whatever it was that the Dwermer did and find a way to undo it. That seems like the only kindness they might be interested in from us.
There are more ruins here and yet another pathetic shade waiting by the way shrine. We've managed not to spill the ewer despite all the fighting. We found the chantry and dumped out the water. Kaidan was wondering if any liquid would work and I asked what he was thinking. He grinned and mentioned that he needed to find somewhere to relieve himself. That certainly would have been easier than managing this ewer full of water while fighting with Falmer, trolls, frost giants, dragons, chaurus, and the like. However, I seriously doubt that the magic would permit it.
This place is full of frozen Falmer and their pets. We started collecting some of the items from them. This seems to cause them to defrost almost instantly and attack us. It's still only a few at a time, but I'd rather thaw them out on my schedule than on the plan of whatever has been holding them. We ended up collecting quite a bit of usable and sellable items. We moved on from there down a glacial hallway into the sanctum proper. There's Gelebor's brother sitting on a throne with some very disturbing eyes. He's not pleased to see us at all. We defeated his lackeys so he tried to pull the ceiling down on us and summoned more of his Falmer lackeys.
We defeated those. We hunt dragons, fool. You'd need an army of Falmer to slow us down much. He summoned a frost atronach. Pfft! I rather face that than face Urag when he's angry. In fit of pique, Vyrthur destroyed the chantry building and ran out. I think I know what's wrong, but it's curable. We chased after him and Serana beat me to him. She started demanding the bow and this whole thing - the prophecy, all of it, is Vythur's doing. Someone turned him into a vampire and he wants revenge on his god for abandoning him. Before I can explain that he can be cured, he attacked us.
We managed to end him. It's a good thing I carry plenty of potions. His magic was such that magic to heal wasn't working well. The frost enchantments I put on everyone's armor did well to turn aside his cold attacks. The frost breathing dragons are pretty powerful so I wasn't surprised to see that it worked on the frost attacks from Vyrthur. Once we defeated Vyrthur, Gelebor stepped out of the way shrine.
I explained what we'd learned about Vyrthur and his creation of the entire prophecy because his god abandoned him once someone turned him. Vyrthur had been using the Falmer as thralls. I told Gelebor that it was a shame he forced us to kill him because a cure is possible. I feel badly for mentioning that because Gelebor looked so sad suddenly. Gelebor asked me if I was certain about a cure so I had to explain about my own cure. The short answer is that I'm quite certain of it. I told him that if he wanted to resurrect his brother and attempt the cure that I'd help him. Gelebor refused and said that Vyrthur has passed on to Auri-El's judgement.
Gelebor gave us the bow and helped us to create a lot of sun-touched arrows since I happened to have a big stash of elven arrows in my pack. Now we return to Fort Dawnguard. Kaidan didn't hesitate to remind me that we're criss-crossing Skyrim again.
8th of Sun's Height
We're back at Fort Dawnguard for some rest and sleep, which none of us have really had since we left Dawnguard the last time. Isran wants to go attack them right now, but we're all dead on our feet. He's not happy but since we'll have to cross Skyrim again to get to Harkon, he sees the sense in giving us a day to rest. I've told him to meet us at Nortwatch Keep and where to find the room we barricaded ourselves at the top of it last time we were there. He's taking everyone else and moving out. Transporting Gunmar's pet bears and trolls is going to take some time. We'll be stopping in Windhelm to leave the Moth Priest with Ulfric. I trust Ulfric to care for him until I can hand him off to the Imperial Legion in Bruma.
10th of Sun's Height
We got to Windhelm and went to see Ulfric. I've asked him to keep the Moth Priest safe until I can come back and take him to Bruma. He's blind from trying to read the scrolls too quickly that we needed to put an end to this prophecy. Ulfric's not happy but he's agreed to it. Now, in addition to the all the daedric trinkets I've acquired I've got a god-touched artifact. Ulfric hates the idea of me going to face Harkon but I don't know that Isran's crew can defeat them without us and more specifically, without me.
11th of Sun's Height
We reached Northwatch Keep and met up with Isran's group. We're dead tired again and in need of rest. It's also late in the day, so between everyone telling Isran he's an idiot, we're not attacking until tomorrow. They found the fort empty this time. It seems that the elves are learning. I've claimed it for Ulfric and sent a courier asking him to garrison it.
12th of Sun's Height
Isran delivered a rousing speech. I had no idea he was capable of it, but he was. We're off to the jetty and Isran's arranged for some boats to carry us all across. Once we got there, we started across the bridge and all the gargoyles on the bridge attacked us. Then some of the vampires came out to join the fight. On a hunch, I fired one of the sun hallowed arrows into the sun and this dispatched the vampires. I won't say that hated to see them turn to ash and blow away in the wind. Fortunately, Kaidan realized what I was about and grabbed Ysgramor's shield and protected Serana from the worst of the blaze of sun light.
From there, we headed inside. The magic users stayed up on the balcony so the Merry Band and I started hunting them, while Isran's group with the armored bears and trolls took on the rest. Without their mages to support them, Isran's group seemed to be managing the rest at least for now. One by one, we managed to dispatch Vingalmo, Feran, and Giran. Serana wants to go hunting Ronthil. We found him hiding in a room full of coffins and managed to end him too. That's when we returned to the fight in the banquet hall. I gave Kaidan Auri-El's bow and the arrows before I unslung Wuuthrad and jumped over the balcony to land on one of the vampires. He's the better archer and he put it to good use.
Between shouting at them and Wuuthrad, it didn't take long to end the fight and Kaidan was able to keep them off me with the bow. All of Isran's people are still alive, so I count that as a good thing. Not everyone has the nerve to go against a vampire much less a whole nest of them. We'll need men and women like this when we go to Cyrodiil and Summerset. I'd rather not lose any of them if I can help it. I asked Serana if she wanted to sit this next part out since we'd be hunting her father. She said she did not and that she knew what we'd come here to do. I told her that may well be true but it's not necessary to force her to participate in patricide. She just shook her head and told me to lead on.
We found Harkon in the chapel. He's got a blood fountain there that he can use to replenish himself. I used a shout to make him move away from it and told Kaidan to hold his ground there with Auri-El's bow. If he can't replenish, we can end him faster. The Merry Band and I set about dealing with all the undead minions and thralls while Isran and the others chased Harkon around the Temple. Kaidan was getting off shots every time he thought he could and driving Harkon away from the fountain. With the lackeys and the thralls gone, we joined the fight against Harkon. It was just in the nick of time since he'd pinned one of Isran's people against the wall and was attempting to feed when Wuuthrad nearly sliced him in half.
He shifted and reformed, cursing at me, telling me that I'm still prey. Prey that's doing a bit of hunting of my own, no? He tried to attack Kaidan but Jenassa came stepping out of the shadows long enough to read the scroll of sunlight. I called down a thunderstorm with a shout and the lightening kept striking Harkon every time he tried to reform himself. Harkon's eyes were wild, "That's why you refused my gift. You're the Dragonborn." Hrmph, took you long enough to figure that bit out. I rattled off another scroll of sunlight and we all converged on Harkon. I think it was actually one of the trolls that got him, but honestly it would be difficult to say for sure.
Serana went and took a big pull from the blood fountain to heal her injuries. It seems that her father had no qualms about attacking her, either. I suggested that she stay here and if she needs help getting her mother out of that horrible place, I told her that I'd come back and we'd go in together. Isran's sticking around to clean up any of the lingering pets that Harkon and his lackeys may have left behind. The Merry Band and I are off to Dragon's Bridge to the Four Shields for a long hot bath, a warm bed, and few days of quiet time.