Chapter Text
ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - There is nothing. Only warm, primordial blackness. You don't have to do anything anymore.
LIMBIC SYSTEM - But what's this? An awareness creeps up on you. A jumping, juddering sensation forces your head up and your eyes open.
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - You are moving. On a cart of some kind.
INTERFACING [Trivial: Success] - Your hands are bound. This is a *problem*. With your magic digits out of action, you're helpless!
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - There is a blond man with a braid in his hair sitting across from you. He tries to get your attention: "Hey you! You're finally awake."
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - He has piercing blue eyes. Oceanic.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush. Same as us, and that thief over there."
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - He gestures towards the meek-looking man next to him.
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - Imperial. Of the Empire. What Empire? *The* Empire. The great Empire of Men, centred at the Imperial City, in the Imperial Province of Cyrodiil. These guys used to rule the world.
AUTHORITY [Challenging: Failure] - Clearly they still do.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Damn you Stormcloaks! Skyrim was fine until you came along!"
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - His sudden anger is a thin disguise for terrible, terrible fear.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell." He turns to you. "You there. You and me -- we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Formidable: Failure] - Stormcloaks?
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - Cool name.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief."
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Brothers and sisters? Like he wouldn't trample over the lot of you for a chance to get out of here.
IMPERIAL SOLDIER - The cart driver speaks up: "Shut up back there!"
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Easy: Success] - Silence.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - You watch the snowflakes dance in the air.
SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - This land is cold. Bitterly cold.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "What's wrong with him, huh?"
ULFRIC STORMCLOAK - He gestures towards the man opposite. He has a gag over his mouth.
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - There's something different about him...
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Watch your tongue! You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the *true* High King."
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Likelihood is the Stormcloaks are named after the guy, rather than the other way around.
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Trivial: Success] - He doesn't *look* very kingly.
COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - But he's got it together. Eyes unyielding, not giving the gag the satisfaction of trying to talk through it.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm?" His expression hardens. "You're the leader of the rebellion."
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - But if they've captured him...
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "But if they've captured you… Oh gods!"
HALF LIGHT [Easy: Success] - OH SHIT.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Where are they taking us?"
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "I don't know where we're going." He pauses. "But Sovngarde awaits."
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "No, this can't be happening. This *isn't* happening!"
VOLITION [Trivial: Success] - The first step to getting out of this alive is not to panic, like he is.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?"
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Why do you care?"
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Because this is all we have.
RALOF (BLONDE BRAID GUY) - "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home."
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Legendary: Failure] - Where *is* home?
INLAND EMPIRE [Medium: Failure] - *What* is home?
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Rorikstead. I- I'm from Rorikstead."
GENERAL TULLIUS - A soldier on the wall calls out to a man on horseback up ahead.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - Over the groaning of the carts, you can make out his words: "General Tullius, sir, the headsman is waiting."
GENERAL TULLIUS - "Good. Let's get this over with."
AUTHORITY [Trivial: Success] - So this is the man in charge, the man of the hour.
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - Dealing out death like it's nothing.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - Doing what he thinks is *necessary*.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh -- Divines, *please* help me!"
GENERAL TULLIUS - The general is talking to a woman in black.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Challenging: Failure] - You can't hear what they're saying.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Look at him: General Tullius, the *Military Governor*. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn Elves... I bet they had something to do with this."
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - He's talking about the Altmer of the Summerset Isle, also known as High Elves. They broke off from the Empire over 150 years ago.
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - That's within an Elven lifetime.
ENDURANCE [Easy: Success] - Point is, he's probably right.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in..."
ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Trivial: Success] - Mead. *Girls*. He lets his mind wander off to better times.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Funny. When I was a boy, the Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe."
SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - A cold wind blows through the Imperial towers, and the walls cast a long shadow over the four of you. Summer has ended early. A caravan of prisoners in carts is snaking its way into a small town. You shudder involuntarily.
LUMBERJACK'S SON - A young child is watching you from the front of one of the houses. "Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?"
LUMBERJACK - "You need to go inside, little cub."
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Trivial: Success] - The man is trying very hard not to meet your eyes.
LUMBERJACK'S SON - "Why? I wanna watch the soldiers."
LUMBERJACK - "Inside the house. Now."
LUMBERJACK'S SON - "Yes, papa."
PAIN THRESHOLD [Easy: Success] - The father goes back inside too, but others are still watching all around. Waiting.
IMPERIAL SOLDIER - The horse pulling your cart rears up. "Woah!"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Get these prisoners out of the carts. Move it!"
DRAMA [Medium: Success] - The soldiers' gruff attitude is an act, sire. They're nervous, twitchy -- all of them. You can feel it.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "Why are we stopping?"
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Why do you think?
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Why do you think? End of the line."
HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - Your stomach drops.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the gods *waiting* for us." He gets up.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "No, wait! We're not rebels!"
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - That never works.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "Face your death with some courage, thief."
COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - Yes. You have to stay strong.
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - While beneath that you're *thinking*. Planning a way out of here.
VOLITION [Trivial: Success] - There's still hope.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "You've got to tell them, we weren't with you! This is a mistake!"
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - Come to think of it, why *are* you here? You don't remember being a rebel or a thief.
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - Actually, aside from a few pieces of historical trivia, you don't remember *anything*.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Step towards the block when we call your name. One at a time!"
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - The bulky man sighs. "Empire loves their damn *lists*."
RHETORIC [Easy: Success] - Everything's ideological with him.
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - And what's wrong with lists? Lists are *organized*.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm."
INTERFACING [Medium: Success] - He crosses the name off, like it's already done.
ULFRIC STORMCLOAK - The gagged man walks silently past the soldier.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "It has been an honour, Jarl Ulfric."
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - The loyalty this man commands is beyond his title.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Ralof of Riverwood."
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - Ralof of Riverwood follows his *true High King* to the middle of the town square.
REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - Hold on, what was that look between Ralof and the soldier? Do they know each other?
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Lokir of Rorikstead."
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "No! I'm not a rebel! You can't *do* this!"
COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - He's gonna--
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - Before anyone can react, the horse thief has run past the captain and the soldier with the list and is heading left, up the road.
SAVOIR FAIRE [Medium: Success] - He's off balance -- it's hard to run with your hands tied.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "HALT!"
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - "You're not gonna kill me!"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Archers!"
VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - You can see the arc of the first arrow almost before it's fired. The path starts at the curved edge of the bow and ends in the back of the fleeing man's leg.
LOKIR, THE HORSE THIEF - As the man is struck, his momentum takes him forward and then over. His head collides with the ground. Two more arrows follow, piercing his crumpled body. Lokir of Rorikstead bleeds out on the ground.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Anyone else feel like running?"
SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - In the northwest, a small farming village. The wind rolls down the valley and sweeps through the grassy plain. No one is waiting for him.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Wait." Suddenly he's looking at you. "You there, step forward."
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - It seems you're not on the list.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - The Imperial soldier looks you over. "Who are you?"
You realize he is waiting for your name.
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Challenging: Failure] - Raminus Amantius Septim.
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - No, that is not your name. You know what your name *feels* like. It will reveal itself, but it is not yet time.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "You from Daggerfall, Breton? Fleeing from some court intrigue?"
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Medium: Success] - The Bretons of High Rock are a noble people, and the province itself is as beautiful as it is rugged.
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - This is with the exception of the city of Daggerfall, where the water is almost as dirty as the law-enforcement.
ENCYCLOPEDIA - Needless to say, you are *not* from Daggerfall.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Captain, what should we do? He's not on the list."
REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - Let him go?
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Forget the list. He goes to the block."
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "By your orders, captain." He turns to you again. "I'm sorry, we'll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock."
RHETORIC [Trivial: Success] - Oh, how kind. What a *relief*.
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - He really *is* sorry.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "Follow the captain, prisoner."
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - You follow the captain down to the square.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Easy: Success] - Several interesting types of birds are making themselves known in the trees over the wall. Their calls fill out the morbid quiet.
GENERAL TULLIUS - The general stands in front of the gagged man and begins speaking: "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero, but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to *murder* his king and *usurp* his throne."
ULFRIC STORMCLOAK - For the first time, the man makes a sound under his gag.
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - What does that mean? Is he saying it wasn't murder?
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - What was that about the *Voice*?
GENERAL TULLIUS - "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos! And now the empire is going to *put you down*, and restore the peace!"
ENCYCLOPEDIA [Challenging: Success] - Your addled brain begins to remember hearing something about a civil war in the province of Skyrim. There was a disruption to shipments from Cyrodiil.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - And no more Nord mead!
GENERAL TULLIUS - Just then, a sound rings out from the mountain and echoes above the town.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Medium: Success] - It's like the sound of some great shift, in a glacier, or in the sky itself.
SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - There's a rumble in the air, like thunder, but you don't sense the buildup of lightning. Even so, you feel like--
A STORM IS COMING.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - "What was that?"
GENERAL TULLIUS - "It's nothing. Carry on."
LOGIC [Trivial: Success] - It didn't sound like *nothing*.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Yes, General Tullius!" The captain turns to a woman in robes next to her. "Give them their last rites."
EMPATHY [Easy: Success] - This ritual, this prayer for those they are about to execute, makes them feel a little better about it all. Those that didn't already feel pretty good about it, that is.
PRIESTESS - "As we commend your souls to Aetherius, blessings of the Eight Divines upon you, for you are the salt and earth of Nirn, our beloved‑‑"
RED-HAIRED PRISONER - "For the love of Talos, shut up, and let's get this over with!"
DRAMA [Easy: Success] - The prisoner's disregard for death does not entirely appear to be empty bravado, sire.
HALF LIGHT [Easy: Success] - He knows he's going to die anyway, so he's decided to *prove* something by it.
PRIESTESS - "As you wish."
RHETORIC [Medium: Success] - You get the feeling you're missing some religious context here. You should ask someone about it later, if you're still alive.
RED-HAIRED PRISONER - The prisoner steps up to the chopping block. "Come on, I haven't got all morning!"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - The captain gives a slight nod to the executioner and pushes the prisoner to his knees.
COMPOSURE [Medium: Success] - He gets his last words in:
RED-HAIRED PRISONER - "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?"
THE HEADSMAN - The executioner raises his axe, brings it down, and--
PAIN THRESHOLD [Formidable: Failure] - You look away.
RED-HAIRED PRISONER - The man's head is now no longer connected to his body. They have gone their separate ways.
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - Into the wild pale yonder...
BLONDE PRISONER - Another Stormcloak prisoner starts shouting. "You Imperial bastards!"
RHETORIC [Easy: Success] - The insult isn't even fueled by anger anymore, she just feels like someone has to *say* something.
INNKEEPER - "Justice!"
TOWNSWOMAN - "Death to the Stormcloaks!"
LOGIC [Easy: Success] - If there are actually Stormcloak sympathisers in this town, it seems they haven't come out to watch.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - "As fearless in death as he was in life."
ESPRIT DE CORPS [Trivial: Success] - They probably didn't even like each other personally. Somehow that makes it worse.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - The captain points to you. "Next, the Breton!"
HALF LIGHT [Trivial: Success] - WHAT? No no no, what about everyone else? Kill them first!
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Ulfric Stormcloak! They should execute *him* next, while they have the chance, not you!
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - You hear the same sound again, from above, like it's sweeping across the sky.
PERCEPTION (HEARING) [Easy: Success] - It doesn't sound quite the same as before. More... metallic?
REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - It's closer.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - He turns to the captain. "There it is again. Did you hear that?"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "I said *next prisoner*."
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - He looks back to you. "To the block, prisoner. Nice and easy."
ENDURANCE [Trivial: Success] - So, this is *it*.
VOLITION [Trivial: Success] - You are not dead. You are alive. Anything is possible.
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - Something *beautiful* is going to happen.
SHIVERS [Easy: Success] - Your hairs stand on end. A chill runs through your body. It won't be beautiful.
THE HEADSMAN - You find yourself walking towards the chopping block as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
SOLDIER WITH THE LIST - You briefly lock eyes with the soldier with the list.
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - There's nothing he could have done.
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - You feel the captain's hand pushing on your shoulder.
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Easy: Success] - She's not actually trying to force you down *physically*. She knows you will yield. It's more like a metaphor.
COMPOSURE [Easy: Success] - On the way down, you *try* not to look at the redhead's red head in the basket, staring up at you.
THE HEADSMAN - Finally you are on your knees with your neck on the block, positioned so that you're looking up at the hooded executioner standing over you.
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Easy: Success] - The black cowl of the state is silent.
SUGGESTION [Trivial: Success] - It's not like there's anything you could say.
THE HEADSMAN - The executioner begins to lift his axe up...
It's then that you notice something behind his left shoulder: a black shape in the sky.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Medium: Success] - It's flying. Moving fast.
REACTION SPEED [Easy: Success] - What--
GENERAL TULLIUS - "What in Oblivion is that!"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - "Sentries! What do you see?"
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Too late.
IMPERIAL SOLDIER - "It's in the clouds!"
Before he can finish his sentence, the shape is no longer in the clouds. It's right there, on the tower.
IMMENSE BLACK FORM - The creature on the tower has eyes, set deep in its cavernous, angular face. It's using them to stare at you -- *you* specifically, it feels like.
CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - The way its mouth curves, the look in its beady eyes -- could that be an *expression*?
VISUAL CALCULUS [Challenging: Failure] - ...WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?
BLONDE PRISONER - "DRAGON!"
IMPERIAL CAPTAIN - You hear the soldiers draw their swords.
HAND/EYE COORDINATION [Medium: Success] - It's hard to imagine engaging this thing in hand-to-hand combat.
IMMENSE BLACK FORM - The dragon, if that's what it is, opens its mouth.
A clap of thunder, and the sky *changes*, to a shade of burnt orange. Clouds gather from nothing.
HALF LIGHT [Easy: Success] - Like the fucking *end times*.
GENERAL TULLIUS - "Don't just stand there, KILL THAT THING!"
VISUAL CALCULUS [Easy: Success] - You're not dreaming -- flaming rocks are actually falling from the sky.
IMMENSE BLACK FORM - The creature opens its jaws again, another thunderclap rings out, and suddenly you're knocked to the ground.
LOGIC [Medium: Success] - Like it *breathes* power, *exhales* force.
REACTION SPEED [Medium: Success] - The executioner went down with you. So there's that.
PERCEPTION (SIGHT) [Trivial: Success] - All you can see now is the ground.
GENERAL TULLIUS - "Guards, get the townspeople to safety! Someone get the battlemages out here, now!"
IMMENSE BLACK FORM - You hear the monster take off from the top of the tower.
INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - Black wings in the cold...
PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Easy: Success] - Get up!
VOLITION [Medium: Failure] - But you're not getting up, are you?
ANCIENT REPTILIAN BRAIN - There is nothing. Nothing but darkness now, brother-man. Embrace it! It's a better way to go than the *chop*.
LIMBIC SYSTEM - But he can't let it go. No matter how hard he tries, he can't stop feeling the world around him. Feeling it *existing*.
SHIVERS [Trivial: Success] - The searing heat from the dragon's fiery rain cuts through the cold air. The ground is hard and rough against your face. You are in the world, and the world is waiting for you.
THE SNOW TOWER LIES SUNDERED, KINGLESS, BLEEDING.
RALOF (BLOND BRAID GUY) - You feel yourself being shaken. For the second time today, you open your eyes to see a blond man with a braid.
"Hey, Breton, get up! Come on, the gods won't give us another chance!"
New task: Escape the town