Skyrim - The Bleakest of Barrows

The path leads on through the rocky mountains, weaving ever upward. I begin to wonder if I should have worn a warm coat – the snow is getting particularly thick. Rounding a bend, I catch my first glimpse of the Bleak Barrows, an endearingly-named construction guarded by more of the thieving crew. They seem quite shocked by my intrusion, regardless of my rights as a rambler. Iron arrows begin to ping off the surrounding rockscape, and a couple of the buggers run at me with swords aloft. They prove to be worthless adversaries, and I leave their corpses to freeze.


Running to the top of some stairs, I see a metal door leading to the interior of the barrows. Finally, some respite from this grim weather! I find myself in a cave-like area, greenery able to find a foothold. I also find some more bandits. Again, they fall at my feet. I explore further, follow a calling for help which I hear from down the passageways – it is the gang leader, and he has become ensnared within a massive spider’s web.

Of course, there is a giant spider there too. This filthy creature spits poison at me, so I do what any adventurer would do – hide and fire arrows at it. It doesn’t take long before the spider is dead and I stand over its bloody corpse, laughing.

The gang leader calls out for help again. I saunter over to him, slowly (to show that what happens next is up to me). Unfortunately he won’t tell me where the shiny chicken foot he’d stolen from the shop is until I cut him loose. Of course, as soon as I do, he declares that he’d never tell me anything, then runs off, deep into the crypt. I’d laugh once more if it wasn’t so pitiable. My magnificent physique allows me to catch up with him pretty quickly, and soon he is dead by my hand.

Naturally I begin to put two and two together… what could I win myself from this dark place if I apply this magic foot to parts of the barrow? Being a place for the dead to be buried, I am not too shocked by the sight of open coffins proudly displaying their occupants. I am more shocked by the fact that some of them get up and start attack me with old swords. Though my awareness of my origin are sparse, I do believe it normal for dead things to stay dead.

Liberal application of fire magic, sword play, and using their own boobytraps against them soon things their ranks, and I am able to make my way into a hidden chamber with plenty of booty and gold. Of course, I also find a guardian who is none-too-pleased with me going through his “stuff”, so I throw some fire his way too, leaving his burning body at the foot of a rather beautiful underground waterfall.
I climb a staircase cut into the rock next to the waterfall, and spotting light at the end of the tunnel, pull myself into the open world beyond. What greets me is a view the likes of which I have never before seen – lights, and such vivid colour, in the sky! Counting my blessing at such a narrow escape from the until-previously-dead, I begin to make my way back down the mountain to collect my reward…