Skyrim: Alison's Adventure

[I am Wake]

So after playing Fallout 4, I wanted to replay Skyrim. To not put a finer point to it: I really struggled setting up my modded game. Whilst the game worked and seemed to run fine, the save kept corrupting and I did not know why. I uninstalled a bunch of mods and one of them must have been causing it, leaving me with about half of the modlist I originally started with. Even then, there were some unexplained things when I began playing, such as these random spiders that followed me around that crashed me game when I killed them. Literal bugs that bugged out my game. Honestly!
Anyway, I used the Alternate Start mod so its not a normal carriage start.

Spoiler: The Bugs!

Alison is a Nord from Dawnstar.

She has lived her entire life here. Mining Quicksilver.

But one day, Dawnstar became a little rife with nightmares.
A Priest of Mara showed up and said that he could stop the nightmares, telling Alison that the Tower of Dawn contained the source of their problems. Desperate from tiredness- she ventured with him up the mountain.

When Alison came back down that mountain, the nightmares had stopped-- and everybody could sleep once more.
The Priest would continue living a solitary life within that tower, worshipping Mara, protecting the ruins within.

What Alison realised that day was that, perhaps, there was more to life than mining.
She had a talent and a Nordic desire for adventure.
Perhaps bounty hunting some bandits would be a good start to what could be an exciting life..

 

[Scroll120]

Please include Modlist ty!!!

 

[I am Wake]

Please include Modlist ty!!!

I don't know how to, sorry

I have 229 mods installed, but most of those are intergration patches, JK's series of interior changes, character overhauls and little things that all add up. Nothing groundsbreaking because I had to uninstall those mods to get this bloody game to work

 

[I am Wake]

Alison worships Talos.

Most true Nords do.
Not that its legal anymore. Sometimes, Alison thinks Ulfric might be right... that the banning of Talos worship by Elves was cause for rebellion. But Alison's namesake is not that of a Nords. Its Breton. Her father was a Breton, mother a Nord. Ulfric does not care for anybody that isn't a Nord, which Alison knows is absolutely wrong. Stormcloaks being racist bigots as they are... no better than the Thalmor they despise.

Now Alison loves other cultures.
A ship in Dawnstar that sailed in recently sells all manner of wonderous foods from all over Tamriel!

Adventure has, thus far, been very profitable. A day of killing bandits and retrieving some magic ring for the old alchemist has given Alison more septims to spend than she would ever make with a lifetime down in the mines.
That-- and in the Nightgate Inn, she met Callen, a funny Dark Elf with a rusty sword who is hunting Horker to make the best magical stew for her dearest friend.
Who is Alison to deny such a fun venture?

Though where to go next?
Dawnstar is small and has very few prospects for adventure that she hasn't already expended...

...Where better to go for work than the Capital of Solitude itself, maybe?

 

[I am Wake]

Solitude did not give a good first impression.

Still, there is plenty of work here. Lost helmet, bounties, mysterious noises from a cave, owed debts, shipping delays, impressions, the mad God inside the head of a ghost, bards wanting me to retrieve a lost edda... Though the most promising job offer was the museum yet to be opened.

Sadly, he told me to trek across the entirety of Skyrim from the Reach to the Rift. Very far. Maybe I will get back to him with those relics he asked for, but for now, some bounties and caverns to investigate.

These bandits do not play around.
Nor were those 'noises' in that cave normal.

One fellow sent me all the way down to Whiterun! Still, the Queen asked me to drop off the late King's horn at a Talos shrine near there anyway, so it was on the way. Though the guards seemed to mention dragons.

Dragons aren't real.
Are they?

Spoiler: also OOPS

 

[I am Wake]

There is never a lack of adventures to be had in Skyrim, Alison has found.
Seriously, I have been playing this for ten hours now and I have very little to actually tell beside the fact I've been doing quest after quest after quest.

After retrieving the artifacts he requested, the curator of the museum was so impressed, he wants Alison to continue collecting artifacts! Treasure hunter and adventurer! What a life!

Her very first donations were quite a lot!

The adventures go on, with Talos blessing the way.

In the mod 'Wintersun,' I've managed to gain 100% of Talos favor, giving me some nice bonuses to ... killing Elves. Shh.

 

[I am Wake]

Ulfric doesn't like me in his chair.

 

[I am Wake]

As it turns out... Dragons are real.

And better... Alison Marshal is the Dragonborn, probably the last one to exist in our era.

No pressure, right?

Being the only mortal in existence that can actually properly kill dragons by defeating their immortal soul is certainly something Alison never anticipated when leaving Dawnstar to go kill some bandits. She can't even shoot a bow and arrow, its quite awkward waiting for a dragon to land to try and stab and slash at it a few times...

..still, dragons are oddly not the oddest things Alison has seen on her adventures.

And many, many adventures she has been having! Each return to the Museum collects more and more!

Quite a sizable collection now.
Even some interesting items donated..

Still, a moment to reflect--

--Is this Talos will? To be the Dragonborn?
The Greybeards have summoned Alison, whom is she to reject the call?
Still, best get something better to wear for the climb, this adventurers coat isn't too impressive for her new status as a dragon-soul-absorbing Nord hero of the sagas...

 

[I am Wake]

Conflicted from this religious debate in her mind, Alison sought out wisdom far before going to the Greybeards.
Talos is the God of man, which evidently draws the Stormcloaks to rebel against the Empire.
Yet its their fanatical xenophobia and idiot leader that made Alison dislike them so! In all her travels, she only sees the Empire as a somewhat poorly managed legion of lawbringers in a troubled land! Thus, Alison chose her side...

...of course, being Dragonborn, its her duty, right?

In the end, Alison decided to don the armour of the museum itself that she has grown to love.

The debate of faith and new hobby of dragon hunting caused Alison to find friendship with the oddest of things.
A dragon atop a mountain with a Wood Elf friend taught Alison that, perhaps, Talos was not the God she should be following after all. He is the God of Man... but she is half Dovah!
Dragons have their own deity..

...all this religious talk gives Alison a headache.
At least being half-dragon and the new head of the museum gives relaxing benefits.

 

[I am Wake]

Dragon hunting is no easy thing.

Since Alison doesn't know how to use a bow, those overgrown lizards have to land before she can stab.
The Greybeard's were more welcoming than she thought they'd be.
They do not approve of the violent lifestyle of Alison's adventuring, but nevertheless acknowledge that the dragons are the ones attacking people-- and herald the 'end times.' Thus they taught her a few new tricks!

Between dragonslaying, Alison has been helping the newfound museum's adventurers guild with uncovering relics and excavating sites of interest. Windcallers Pass, a temple built by Jurgan Windcaller, has been the current project, where they found not only simply artifacts lost to time belonging to the first Greybeard, but also a fearsome beast!

Okay maybe not so fearsome.

The Museum is Alison's pride and joy.

Adventuring would truly be dull if all those relics she keeps finding had nowhere to go.
Being the Dragonborn is certainly a lifestyle filled with danger.

Even weird mail finds its way to our mailbox.

 

[I am Wake]

Adventuring in search of lost Dwemer artifacts and cities often brings Alison to the most frustratingly strange tales that nobody will believe is true.

It almost made her forget about the fact dragons have, indeed, returned and should probably be investigated.
The Greybeard's sent Alison to go get the horn of Jurgan Windcaller, the first Greybeard. Though at the time, that did not seem as important as, say, Alison's private antique wine collection.

It DID become important when this horrific fellow decided to try and kill her.

After the run in with 'Jerry' the vile lizard, Alison began to investigate the dragon threat, starting with meeting one of the last members of the Blades-- whom ... stole the horn of Jurgan Windcaller she went to go fetch.
Together, they found the source of all the dragons coming back.

Alduin.

Alduin, according to the second Blade she met-- and helped save-- is a world eater.
Prophecy foretold he would come at the 'end of time' to... eat the world. Literally.

According to a Nord called Alison from Dawnstar, that isn't good.
Thus, she helped these Blades track down another ancient ruin (she is very good at that) to find a lost monument written by long-lost ancients from another continent which says how to beat Alduin.

It turns out there is a 'Shout' that can kill Alduin. A Thu'um, as the Greybeards call it: the language of dragons.
Alison can shout. That is how she discovered she was Dragonborn in the first place.

Better yet; this wall of prophecies states that she, the Last Dragonborn, has to stop Alduin from eating the world.

No pressure, right?

They did not even carve the right gender..

Well nevermind that.
On the hunt for the Thu'um that can defeat Alduin.
In finding this shout, she met the leader of the Greybeards-- a dragon himself-- who explained that the shout was made by mortals thousands of years ago... a shout that not even he knows.
The only way she'll be able to know this shout to defeat Alduin is to see a vision of the past itself, which requires an Elder Scroll.

...Where in Talos is Alison going to find an Elder Scroll?!
Maybe the museum might know.

Speaking of which: the Museum is absolutely thriving from Alison's adventures trying to save the world!

 

[I am Wake]

The museum pointed Lana towards the Dwemer... because of course they did.
The Dwemer found ways to read Elder Scrolls without becoming blind. Thus, down into the depths of the Dwarven ruins Alison went once more... only this time, she found more than a ruin.

Blackreach held all manner of wonders.

And foes.

And ultimately: what she sought.

Taking the scroll back to the time wound atop the tallest mountain in all of Tamriel, she saw the vision of the past and learned the shout to take a dragon out of the sky... Dragonrend.
Just in time, too... Alduin arrived too late.

He was defeated... and escaped.
Paarthanax said he returned to Sovngard to feast upon the souls of dead Nords. To find him, to reach Sovngard, Alison must trap a dragon to find-- and reach him. Thankfully, there is a palace built just for that...

 

[I am Wake]

..It worked!

Well, it was the only way..

The prophecy has been fulfilled.
Alduin, the World Eater, has been defeated.

Alison feels relieved.. and free. She has saved the world. What other adventures await her?

 

[Scroll120]

I’m sorry I couldn’t resist.

 

[I am Wake]

Since defeating Alduin, Alison has been honing her skills throughout adventures.

Meeting dubious individuals.

She married a Priestess of Dibella!

And the Museum is bursting!

Things were doing very well for Alison..

..Until they turned up.

Miraak.

A note on one of these cultist claimed this 'True Dragonborn' lives on Solsteim, an island off the north of Skyrim and Morrowwind.
Well... Time for another adventure..!

 

[I am Wake]

..okay yes, I know Alison is supposed to be going to Solsteim to deal with that Mirrak fellow, but she had some things in Skyrim she wanted to finish off first!

 

[I am Wake]

Welcome to Morrowind.

Alison is quickly learning she is no longer in Dawnstar.

Even the dragons here are different, although they might have just migrated.

On the hunt for Miraak, who has taken most of the island hostage by mind control to rebuild his temples, Alison delved deep into dungeons unknown and uncovered books from another Realm, gateways to a place of all things.

This is where Miraak has been for thousands of years... Plotting for unknown reason, gaining power untold from the Daedric Prince of omniscience itself.

This Realm is an endless library with eldrich horrors behind every corner.

And yet this place, with all its time Miraak has spent here, shall be his undoing. The First Dragonborn against the Last Dragonborn, so he was willed it and decided Alison must die-- so shall Alison hunt him down and end his tyranny on the island, starting with stopping the mind control.

 

[I am Wake]

Alison reached the summit.. and Miraak has been defeated.

A bittersweet victory. There was no glory in it. Just Mora's ploys and devious schemes. With each blow, Alison becomes more and more weary of all things. She has seen much; done much. Alduin and Miraak have been defeated. What else can possibly remain?
The only solace is that the museum is overflowing.

( I love Neloth )

 

[I am Wake]

Following the defeat of Miraak, Alison would wander Solsteim and Skyrim.
She would seek purpose in endless caverns, tombs and dungeons.. stumbling upon returning ancient threats or uprising menaces, swiftly ending them each.

She would do this for what felt like years, occasionally returning back to the museum -- her home -- to deliver relics in the hundreds. Each time, the curator would give her yet another lead to another adventure to uncover lost cities...

...and lost peoples.

All is not without loss.
Along the way, Alison would lose many friends and companions, some dying honourable deaths in battle overwhelmed by bandits within tight corridors, whilst others would be ambushed by overpowering foes. As Alison gets stronger, as too do the enemies she faces, the challenges rising.

The only comfort Alison has... is that her faith preserves.
And that, within her faith... she is rewarded with a keen place to join them one day in Sovngard.

(( I've been playing Skyrim a lot-- and mostly its uneventful dungeon plundering which hasn't got a lot to screenshot. I don't consider the Dark Brotherhood or Thieves Guild canon to Alison's personal story, but I have been completing them too. I am very close to 100% achievements in Skyrim now too! I only have the Dawnguard achievements, crime achievements and Legendary dragon achievement left to do! ))

 

[I am Wake]

With reformed blood of divinity added to the museum collection, it was time to move on.

It was time to find out why there were so many vampire attacks.

And oh boy

Serana.

The Prophecy of the Sun, where vampires rule over the Realm, encouraged by her father- to which Serana wishes to help prevent. It has lead Alison down an entirely new adventure that she has barely had a chance to breathe.

To achieve this prophecy, the vampires seek 'Auriel's Bow.' A variant of Alison's own God, Akatosh, in the form of the Snow Elvish word 'Auri-El.' In service to her divine is one thing, to stop vampires from destroying the world is another. But ultimately, Alison is doing it for Serana.
Because romance. Alison fancies her and.. Serana absolutely fancies Alison.

(( There is no divorce mechanic in Skyrim so I had to install mod to divorce Alison's wife, who, to be honest with you, got annoying very quickly. She was so snarky and horrible! Not at all what she was like in the Dibella Temple! ))