Aw, Andy.... I'm sorry for Ake having to kill the giants. I don't ever kill them myself - unless it's on a toon I want Heljarchen for.... and I only have one of those right now. I won't like it when I get that far with her.... (and yeah, that wasn't long really....)

Verinne:

Back into Ustengrav.... I left Black staked in a different patch of edibles, with water close enough. Fortunately, he wasn't - so far.... - the quintessential idiot horse: he managed to keep himself unentangled.... more like a mule, though I wasn't ABOUT to even think that anywhere close to him!

Seriously, I really REALLY hate these damn barrows. They smell like.... grave dirt and ancient bone-dust. Which would be fine if the DAMNED bones didn't just happen to be mobile.... I had to poke myself sharply to remind me that I was here on my own, having decided that I should just DO this and get it over with. After that.... well, those dried up old men could go fly kites for all I cared.

So first I had to kill the other necromancers inside. Not a big deal - they were.... inept.... I guess you could say. And after that, there was a whole damn barrow's worth of draugr and walking bonepiles. None of them gave me much trouble. There was a word wall down in the bottom. I ignored the call in my mind and my blood - I do NOT WANT THAT. There was something niggling in the back of my mind as I turned away from it without getting close enough for it to svck me in - something that was.... angry and disappointed? Or worse. I wasn't going to find out. Let it nitter in its own dark, and leave mine alone.

The puzzle-door system was simplistic - obviously the Greybeards had taught me the Whirlwind Shout just for this one thing. And past that, there was really nothing left. Including the horn I'd been sent after. Instead there was a note from someone purporting to be "A Friend". Someone who had got through the barrow without killing much, who had managed to get past the puzzle.... did that someone also know that shout? Interesting. This person wanted me to go to the inn in Riverwood to meet up - and I was NOT minded to do that. I wended my way out of Ustengrav, spent the night in the same sketch-camp as the night before, then saddled Black after the usual and headed into Morthal.

I was too early to talk to Idgrod, who'd had a bad night Aslfur said. I told him I'd cleared out Ustengrav, and needed to head back to talk to the Greybeards, but to expect me before much longer - and then we would talk business. He smiled warmly. "It's good that you will come here, make a home and a life. We have so little of the young, the lively - our children, yes.... but no one your age. And that's a puzzle. What if you wish to marry?"

Once again I goggled at him. Finally composing myself, I laughed a bit. "Cousin, the LAST thing I want any time soon is a husband. One of these days, I'll tell you and Idgrod why...." I gave him a little hug, which seemed to surprise him more than anything, and headed out the door. Mounting Black, I muttered again malevolently about no carriage; sighing, I set off for Solitude this time - somewhere guaranteed to have a carriage....

Serethil, I always wondered that myself...just how did Delphine get in and out of there? LOL'd that Veri is going to keep her waiting. And is Aslfur thinking about marrying Veri off? That was funny, nice update!

Well, not only was Veri surprised at what Asl said, so was I! I LOVE it when I'm writing and something like that happens, because I just sit here and goggle/giggle at it myself! I don't know what he's up to .... I'll bet I find out eventually though!

Serethil.. it always boggled my mind how Delphine could sneak all the way through, not killing anything til the last room... Then again, with that Alchemy lab at the Inn... she may have used an Invisibility potion... the puzzle is another matter. LOL at the relative trying to marry Veri off...

Monkeyemoness...... I play very few games...This and Dragon age Inquistion the only one that allows more than a dog as companion... except on specific quests.

Veri continued:

Well, I rode away from High Hrothgar laughing. Perhaps the first really free laughing I'd done in FAR too long. Those old men, those Greybeards - they were.... unsure what to think when I said "Well, you know, someone was there before me and took the horn. Whoever that someone is left me this note. So, sorry, I don't have the horn - and I'm not interested in dealing with whoever this is who does have it.

"If you want it, YOU go get it. I thank you for the teaching - but I have not the smallest interest in any further schooling in absorbing dragon souls just to aggrandize my own ability to use these Shouts. I don't want them, I'm not going to pursue them or use the ones I have; I left a word wall alone in Ustengrav and I'm happy about that. If dragons cross my path and are threatening me or others, I will do what I have to. But otherwise.... we are done here." I waited for them to say something. They looked at each other. None of them said a word. Worked for me. I bowed briefly, and walked out to mount Black and get the HELL off that mountain.

Back in Ivarstead, I took a room and again bemoaned the lack of a carriage. I had a good hot dinner - some sort of lovely thick stew, full of meat, potatoes, carrots and cabbage, and redolent of good herbs. I had to add salt and pepper.... but otherwise it was an excellent meal with the warm soft bread that came alongside, not to mention the mead. And Lynly singing up a storm - at least she could carry a tune! Of course, I would have "issues" tomorrow after the cabbage - but there would be none to deal with it other than Black. He probably deserved it anyway.

Serethil..... I LoL'd cause I can just see the Greybeard's faces... well hmmm the aftermath of eating cabbage... lmao

Heh. Only worse is beans.... Hmmmm. No beans in Skyrim. How odd!

Serethil, oh my....they probably looked like they just svcked a lemon! And Black DOES deserve umm, cabbage retorts. LOL

I have to tell you guys.... THIS is the character I've always wanted to play: the Dragonborn who basically just tells them all to f-off.... I'm SO not into dev setups where you have to do go and be a whole directed toon in a strait-jacket story plan.

So.... svcks to be a dev when it's MY story this time round.... well, Veri's story anyway.

Well I have told Durak to F'off more than once... have yet to do that to the Greybeards... but their will come a day.. hmm look for a mod that you can "shoot the bird".. cause... that would work. You are not the Dragonborn, is one of my favorite mods... I love seeing the dragons fly around and tbh with "Run for your lives" and" Deadly dragons" ( their is a toggle for vendors to be "essential" )... I can have my cake and ice it too. Kill'um, get the loot and no "dragon soul" absorbing animation. win win....ok the dragon lost.

I do know what you mean though... I have a character that I have been planning out since I first got the game on 360, but knew it wouldn't be a great story.. so I have waited and when the time is right... I'll start the character and her story.

There's a point in every game for me (leaving MMOs out, because - well, it's a WHOLE different mechanic....) - where I run up against the wall of "developer machinations". At that point.... well, katy bar the door.

I guess cause I started playing on 360, I am used to working around and with what the Dev's made to come up with the stories I want. But I know what ya mean.