Beginning the Journey

The character is rolled. I've called her Ella, and have decided that she is half-Nord, half-Bosmer, even though theoretically those may be two different species and thus incompatible. But this is my character and I'll mix species if I want to.

I was discovered crossing Skyrim's closed borders from Cyrodiil, as any character might be, RP background: I was trying to enter Skyrim to pursue my journeyman level of herbalist training. More than an herbalist, however, I strive to be a naturalist-- to catalog all the plants and animals of Skyrim. I intend also to become skilled in magic, since I don't want to be weighed down with heavy weaponry as I collect specimens, though a bow is necessary for animal ingredients, and I will need to cultivate some close-range weaponry skills as well.

And now, of course, there are dragons!

On the 17th of Last Seed, Morndas, 4th Era, 201, after I was to be beheaded in the border town of Helgen, and subsequently saved by a great and fearsome dragon, I took off with one of the Stormcloak soldiers who had been a guard to Ulfric Stormcloak. Ulfric, the Jarl of Windhelm, was bound and gagged, and in the wagon bouncing along with me, off to our apparent doom. Of course, that wasn't to be so. He was with the Stormcloaks and me, but we were separated and I ended up with one of my Imperial captors, a man named Hadvar. We escaped Helgen together and went to Riverwood, where his uncle Alvor runs the smithy.

Before we escaped, we ran into Imperial torturers. Despite being an Imperial-supporter himself, Hadvar did not seem to mind me ruthlessly killing both the torturer and his assistant. I can't abide torture.

Regarding animals and plant life: the road from Helgen to Riverwood had numerous wolves, foxes, and prey animals. The plants were far more interesting to me. On this road, one finds red, blue, and purple mountain flower, mostly blue, turning to patches of red as you get closer to the river. There is also thistle, but very little else. There were numerous kept plants in the village, but these, of course, were domesticated. There was a Frostbite nest in the catacombs beneath Helgen, where I was able to harvest Frostbite Venom and Spider Eggs. There was also, interestingly enough, a bear in the catacombs, but I quickly dispatched of her so I could harvest her claws and pelt, as there was no evidence of cubs. On the other side of the river in Riverwood, there was some Mora Tapinella growing on tree stumps.

Hadvar stayed on in Riverwood, but I was too impatient and left immediately for Whiterun. I made it by dawn and received a brief lesson in smithing from the local blacksmith, as well as hearing several arguments. I head up the Jarl's keep, Dragonreach, soon, but I am tiring fast. I have promised many people to look into many things (missing swords, bandit camps, stolen items), but first I must inform the Jarl about the dragon. I desperately want to make my way to the northern climes, to see what grows in the snow wastes, but I must finish up here first.

There was quite a bit of purple mountain flower on the road to Whiterun, as well as clumps of tundra cotton. There is much lavender as well. From Helgen to Whiterun, there were sporadic patches of snowberries. There was also numerous clumps of deathbell and nightshade in Whiterun, which is concerning, as both are obvious poisons.

Hard at work advancing my skills, I made many potions.

Blue Mountain Flower and Rock Warbler eggs = restore health.
Dragon's Tongue and Snowberries = resist fire.
Tundra Cotton and Lavender = resist magic.
Red Mountain Flower and Mora Tapinella = restore magic.

Besides the eggs, these are all very common ingredients. and I believe that harvesting them will allow me to advance my alchemical skills rapidly. I look forward to my adventures as a journeyman herbalist and naturalist!