Raine
Entry 5
I do not know if Tullius was aware of my former service in the Legion. He never mentioned it, though I did not think it was meant as any kind of disrespect. I knew that he was very stressed, due to essentially dealing with the Civil War in Skyrim like no other in Solitude was. That, and having to deal with every person who came into Castle Dour, looking to join the Legion. Even so, there was some surprise that I was asking about joining. Given my uniform, the question did come up if I was abandoning my post, to which I said no. Technically the only orders I had, did not prohibit joining the Legion, nor much else.
I was then told to speak to the Legate, Rikke. Rather than the perhaps usual task, I was to do something more...proving. I was to clear out one of Skyrim's old forts, Hraagstad. I told her the fort would be able to be garrisoned by the Legion within a day. Even as she chided the bravado, I proved it. I returned to the Castle by noon the next day, the fort being free for the Legion to occupy. Though what I returned to was not just acceptance into the Legion. Rather, just after taking nearly the same oath I had some years ago, there was something else. This time, a task that was not solely for myself, but for a few members of the Legion that Rikke was going to command. I was given the rank of Auxiliary, and told about the operation.
The Jagged Crown. An ancient relic, once bore on the head of a High King of Skyrim, Borgas, I think she said? It was lost with the location of his tomb, and it seems that Ulfric's second, Galmar the Stone-fist had located it. Apparently it was within Korvanjund, a Nordic ruin in the southern part of the Pale. The mission was to retrieve this Crown, not letting the Stormcloaks take it to Windhelm.
It came as a surprise to be that, even with how stealthy I was being, and perhaps I am mistaken on that point, none of the others were following the example. Take out the Stormcloaks before they see you, so they can't alert others? Why would we ever want to do that? Just run in and kill them, making more noise to have the rest come running. That is the smart thing, right? NO. UGH.
Another one of these doors. I am not even going to ask why I found the claw nearly at the foot of the door. If only because the answer was there too – about two stormcloaks, who were apparently trying to get the door open. While I don't see why it is that difficult, the door is made to perhaps hurt those who get the wrong combination. The only difference to the last was that this one was made from Ebony. I guessed that there were more, made from different materials.
When we did find the Crown, it was on the head of a Draugr, perhaps King Borgas himself. The fight was not the best I've been in, but in the end, the Crown fell from his brow, and I was free to take it. Rikke nearly screamed at me to return it to Solitude. As if that wasn't already the idea.
I fled the ruin with the Crown, returning to Solitude as instructed. The success was only barely acknowledged, as it seemed that Tullius had something else for me. A message, that I was to take to Whiterun, and more specifically, to it's Jarl, Balgruff. I knew Whiterun was the only hold that had not picked a side in the Civil War, and even if some gossip said that the hold had more leanings toward the Empire, it's two major families were split, one supporting the Empire, and the other, the Stormcloaks. Tullius wanted Balgruff to not only make a choice, but to support the Empire – along with allowing the Garrison of Legion troops in Whiterun.
I took the long Carriage ride to Whiterun. When I arrived in the city, the first thing I saw was a man in Legion armor speaking with what I took for the city's blacksmith – he was asking her to make weapons for the Legion. She told him that making that many weapons was something that she could hardly do on her own, mentioning that the soldier should seek the help of a Eorlund Grey-mane. I knew the name – he was a rather famed Blacksmith in Skyrim, who worked a unique forge, the Sky Forge. Though this was absolutely refused with - “I would sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak.”
As I walked through the city, no one really commented on my armor or my status otherwise, but then I said little to anyone as well. The most I had were my thoughts, much of these being about the city itself. In one of the districts was the famous mead hall Jorrvaskr, home of the Companions. As well as a statue of Talos, which I felt no compulsion to admonish.
I entered Dragonsreach, palace of the Jarl in Whiterun. I was accosted by his Housecarl when I approached the back of the hall, and I said that I had a message for the Jarl – just as I had to the guards at the city gates. For a time though, this message would go unread – since there was a seemingly more pressing matter. Helgen, a fortified village in Falkreath had been attacked recently, and the rumors were, countless. But they all suggested one thing – it was attacked, by a Dragon. Some of these details I knew, since Tullius had been there, along with Hadvar, one of the Soldiers I had fought with in Korvanjund.
Asked by Balgruff to speak with his Court Wizard, who was researching Dragons, I was given the task to enter into another Nordic ruin, Bleak Falls Barrow, to retrieve a Dragonstone. It was supposedly a map of Dragon burial sites. I do not know why that would be useful, though perhaps that question would be answered later.
I do not know why I agreed. But I did, and now I stand outside this Barrow, and were it not for this armor, I would be freezing. Ah well. At least Meeko seems to be having some fun in the snow.
Inside I kept low, and heard a few bandits talking. They mentioned stealing something from a local shop, and “Arvel”, who apparently had went much further into the ruin. I did so myself, and eventually found the Dunmer bearing that name. Only, I found him bound in webs, with a large spider descending from the ceiling. I dealt with the Spider, and freed the man, asking about this, “Golden Claw” I had heard about. He said little about it, only that he knew how it all worked. “The Claw, the door in the Hall of Stories...”. Rather than saying more, he ran off, thinking that he was going to find some great treasure beyond that door. But he never reached it. As in the next few rooms I found his body, surrounded by a few awakened Dragur. I dealt with them, and continued on.
When I reached the door myself, I opened it and entered. I soon had a number of bats flying into my face, which after was a bit of a laugh. Just as I reached the large chamber ahead it happened again. But then I was taken by surprise. I saw another of those walls, like I had seen in Folgunthr. Only this one had a Sarcophagus very close to it, and a chest. When I approached the wall, again I somehow knew this word in a language I did not know. “Fus”.
Um...WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I HAVE TO FIGHT A DRAGON?
» Wed May 11, 2016 6:17 pm 
Once I got started on it, I realized you've still got some distance to go before you get to the point of my farthest endeavors on the MQ, so I'm still with you -and enjoying it- for a space. 
