The snow surrounded them like blankets, hugging the land and all it touched until there was nothing but a white mist. Verik, an Imperial legion sergeant, pulled up his hood in an attempt to cover his frosted ears. He searched for his men but all he could make out were dark silhouettes, like clouds in a sky of white they followed him. He wrapped his arms around him and continued his march. They were on a patrol in the land of Skyrim. The northern province in the empire he fought for, and the home of the Nordic people. Verik and his men are on a patrol searching for the Stormcloak rebels looking to defeat the Imperial army and end the Empires rule over the land.

Verik continued his march through the thick snow with his troops behind him. He noticed to his right that the legions corporal, Clagius, was walking beside him. Verik and Clagius were friends and Clagius was Verik's second-in-command of their legion of eight men. "How much longer are we going to march?" asked Clagius "just a bit more I think I see a clearing up ahead that we can camp at." Verik replied. The snow was less thick now and he could see his troops behind him now. They all looked tired from the patrol. They were all new recruits too so that worried Verik, he wondered what might happen if they were attacked out here, he wondered if the recruits could hold their own against the Stormcloaks.

Verik told his men to set up camp and start a fire. He went to sit down by Clagius who was recording their legion's daily progress in a journal, and studying the map that they got before being sent on their patrol. " How far are we from the Stormcloak's fort?" Verik questioned "about four miles, we should just find out what they are up to and then get back to the general to tell him our report." Clagius answered "we dont want to risk getting captured," "Corporal finish your report then and hit the bunk. we need to wake up early if we want to spy on the stormcloaks and be back at our fort by nightfall tomorrow," Verik told him "Yes sir." Clagius replied. Verik thought about his life back in the empire, he thought about his family and how they had been killed by a band of marauders. Verik joined the Imperial legion so that he could protect others from the same types of tragedies.

In the morning they packed up camp. Verik wondered about some of the rumors he heard about the rebel's fort. He had heard that there were catacombs underneath it and that they were infested with all kinds of horrible creatures like goblins, and other ghoulish fiends. Verik's men fell in line behind him and they continued to march on. The legion had been marching for most of the day and they finally came across a cliff overlooking the Stormcloak's fort. It was well hidden in the forest and covered with snow. They were lucky to find it. Verik's job was to survey Stormcloak movement outside the fort so he ordered his legion to make camp on the cliff. That night Verik was very vigilant because they were so close to the Stormcloak's fort. He kept thinking that he heard movement outside his tent but it could have just been the wind. Verik went to go investigate anyway he stepped out of his tent and was struck on the head, he blacked out.

Verik woke up unsteady and confused, he realized that he was in a cell, it was unpleasantly cold in the small room. Verik surveyed his surroundings and saw Clagius in the cell with him and four of his soldiers. A few more of his soldiers were in the cell across from him. "Where are we Clagius?" Verik asked "We are in the Stormcloak's fortress. They must have seen us on the cliff and snuck up there during the night." Clagius replied "Where are the rest of our men?" Verik questioned, he had only seen three of his eight men in the cell across from him. "They were taken by the rebels for questioning sir." Clagius replied, Verik had to figure out a way to escape but he was still recovering from the blow to his head so he decided to rest.

Verik was awoken by the clanking of armor and the voices of the rebel Stormcloaks outside his cell. The rebels went into his cell and drag him out for questioning. The guards had brought him to a room that was nicely lit by torches on the walls. Verik noticed blood stains on the table that sat in the middle of the room. He had a guess of what happened to one of his new recruits. A tall man walked in, he had grey hair and a trimmed beard, he was a Nord and Verik had no doubt that he was the commander of the rebels stationed at the fort. He gestured at Verik to sit down and he took a seat as well. " What is your name and rank Imperial?" yelled the rebel "Verik, and I am the sergeant of the legion that you captured." Verik hesitantly told him "I am Alfgar Bear-Arm," the old Nord replied. Verik often wondered why Nords bothered adding titles at the end of their names as a replacement for family names but it was just a difference in culture Verik thought. "What do you want with me and my men?" Verik asked "I am not going to tell you anything." the old Nord hit him, Verik realized that he was going to try to hurt him to get the answers that he wanted. Verik was still not going to tell him anything. "What were you doing on the ridge above our fort Imperial? Spit it out!" The Nord struck him again. Verik fell to the floor and did not say a thing throughout the rest of the interrogation.

Verik was laying in his cot resting after the interrogation he now had multiple bruises on his face and stomach. Clagius was in a cot across the cell leaning against the cell doors. Verik had heard about underground catacombs underneath the forts prison running through the sewer system from captured Stormcloak deserters but he thought the catacombs were a myth. Verik was leaning against the wall of his cell when he felt a loose stone in the wall, it seemes like it was more of a button. Verik pressed the stone and the wall on the far right of the cell opened and revealed a dark tunnel. He showed Clagius the tunnel and ordered him to wake up the soldiers. They had found an escape route.

Verik and his squad of soldiers ventured into the dark tunnel and the stone door closed behind them. They had no way to go back so the legion had nothing else to do but press on or be prisoners to the rebels. They continued to walk down winding hallways that echoed strange inhuman noises. after a couple minutes of walking Verik led his men to an open room it was strangely quiet and Verik did not hear any more of the inhuman noises. Clagius ordered two of the recruits to investigate the room, the legion was weaponless so they had to be careful. Verik was called over by one of his men, apparently the recruit had found something, Verik went to see what the recruit had found and saw that it was a crudely made mask of some sort. It did not look like it was made by a human or an elf, or any other civilized race of the Empire. Verik had not remembered what creatures had lurked down here before but the mask had jogged his memory, goblins!

As Verik turned to inform the rest of his legion about his discovery and arrow whizzed by his head and struck the recruit next to him sending him to the ground. The goblins must have heard them in the hallways and set up an ambush. Verik tried to find some cover but instead was confronted by a hulking creature, it was a goblin but it was twice the size of any goblin he had seen, it picked up the mask from the recruits corpse and put it on its own face it carried a crude staff in its hand. Verik shouted at his men to escape as he faced the monster. Verik saw Clagius lead his men to an opening on the far side of the room. Making sure that they escaped Verik picked up a broken and rusty hatchet that was on the ground in an attempt to defend himself from the monster that stood before him now. The creature had other goblins around him now watching as their leader picked up the human and threw him against a wall knocking him out.

Verik woke up in the dark room that the ambush had taken place in. He was surprised that the goblins did not kill him. The goblins were probably hunting the rest of his legion. He felt a bit of shame because he let his legion down twice and could not do anything to help them. First when they were captured by the rebels, which he did not discover any news about, and he also could not defend them against the goblin tribe down in these catacombs. If his legion was still alive than he could still help them, he just had to find them. Verik saw that the passage that his men took was caved in by piles of rock, he looked around for an alternate entrance deeper into the catacombs. Verik saw a crumbling wall to his right and wondered if he could smash through with the right amount of force. He walked towards the crumbling wall and was startled when a giant rat burst through it. It was as big as the footlocker that he had back at the barracks Verik thought. Verik backed away from the rat and crouched into a defensive stance. The rat leaped at him emitting a high pitched shriek at the same time, it dug its teeth into his arm, Verik grabbed the rat by its tail and struck it with a chunk of rock from the broken wall. Verik walked into the newly found opening to find a way out of these catacombs and hopefully reunite with his legion. Verik explored the room in hopes of finding a weapon of some sort he saw a huddled shape in the corner of the room and was sickened when he saw that it was a dead man, the corpse was clothed in a rusted set of iron armor and a sword lay on the floor next to it.

Verik was now suited up and ready to face any of the horrible things that lay waiting in the catacombs. He walked on to the other side of the cavernous room and went to venture through the dark network of tunnels. Verik found a wooden door and entered it he froze as he saw a goblin in the middle of the room by a fire. Verik thought about what his options were and he realized that he could sneak by the goblin. The goblin sat down and was eating what looked like a cooked rat while the creature was distracted Verik made his move. He crept along the cavern wall sticking to the shadows and making sure he did not make any sounds. Verik made it to a hallway on the far side of the cavern, he slipped inside it but Verik had encountered another goblin inside the hallway and this one had noticed him. Verik had to kill it before it alerted and other goblins that were lurking around Verik ran towards it and grabbed its neck, he drew his sword with his free hand and drove it into the creatures stomach.

Verik was walking alone through the dark hallway while being very vigilant and checking for any goblins. He found a door and hoped that it led to a way out. Verik opened the door and walked through it scanning the room for any signs of danger. He heard footsteps coming from the other side of the room and saw Clagius and two of the recruits they each had found weapons so they were at least capable of defending themselves. "Sergeant Verik is that you?" Clagius asked "Yes Clagius it is. I see that you managed to escape the goblins." Verik said "Yes sir we did manage but they are near us so we should try to leave this place while we can." Clagius supposed "very well Clagius lets move out." Verik ordered.

Verik led his legion through winding hallways trying to escape the pursuing goblins and trying to find a way out at the same time. The legion finally found a iron grate leading out of the catacombs but the goblins were right behind them "Clagius leave here now, get back to the legion fort and tell the General that I have failed the mission. I will hold these creatures off."Verik told him "Sir are you sure?" Clagius questioned "Yes Clagius," Verik told him "Get out now!" Verik demanded. Clagius was pushed through the opened grate by Verik. Clagius was followed by the recruits. Verik closed the grate behind them and turned to face the savage goblins and their colossal leader. Verik raised up his sword and was going to charge at the horde of ferocious goblins but just as he tried to run forward he was grabbed from behind by Clagius and dragged out of the tunnel. The iron grate had been closed behind them and barricaded by large rocks and some timber. "Sir you are going to make it back to the fort and receive any necessary consequences, I am not going to let you die unnecessarily when we can outrun those goblins right now," Verik just looked at him once and began walking through the snow.

It was nightfall but Verik and his legion had made it to the Imperial legion fort. Verik's legion was now only down to four men including himself and Clagius. "Wait here sir I will inform the general of our arrival and I can tell him the details of our mission if you are too tired," "That would be great Clagius, I am going to go rest in the barracks. Verik awoke to the sound of soldiers entering the barracks Verik saw that it was a few legion guards, Verik got up to greet them and they presented him with an arrest warrant " Sergeant Verik? We are imprisoning you for your failure of your mission," Verik was speechless for a couple seconds but he complied. Verik was led to a dark prison cell where he would await his trial.