I'm replaying Enderal, a total conversion for Skyrim. I found it well-made, with a gripping story, great characters, and excellent music. I got a whole bunch of mods for my next playthrough, and one adds in a journal one can write in to record thoughts, events, etc. I'll be keeping this journal up as I play, and I figured it would be fun to share it here.
Heartfire, 17th, 4E 8234
Got an early start today; figured I might as well waste as little time as possible. I got my armor back from Halda – it looks as good as new, which is nice. She does great work, considering the damage this stuff takes.
Anyways, I got all my supplies and took the Myrad. I can actually see it dawning from the back of the beast. It’s an impressive sight. Once I land at the Duneville tower it’s only a short hike to Silvergrove. Or at least, it should be, assuming Dal’Geyss gave me a proper location. It’s way east, but I’m already somewhat familiar with the area after going there with Jespar. It shouldn’t be too much trouble.
Well, that was bloody stupid of me. I found a pass and ended up getting caught in a rockslide while walking through. Stone clocked me on the head and gave me a nasty headache, I think. I don’t exactly remember. It’s all really fuzzy. But anyways, the pass is blocked off.
Fortunately, I was going in the right direction. A bit further down, there was a pretty sturdy-looking gate. The guard was friendly enough and told me he was about to shut it for the day to keep the Bonerippers out. He let me in and said it’s best for me to not go outside until nightfall when the gate opens again. Fair enough.
Silvergrove itself is nearby. It’s got an interesting story. Apparently, it wasn’t particularly well-off until a traveler dumped a boy there. That boy found a silver vein while playing in the grove, and since then, the place has been having things pretty nice.
And of course, the boy is Ryneus. One of the villagers took him in. He had these really bad tumors all over half of his body, but the interesting thing is that a bit after he was taken in, the kid started to get better. That’s strange, to say the least. And it definitely sounds like the work of the Black Stone.
My thoughts are all a mess right now. I’ve got a splitting headache from that damned rockslide, but I don’t think I’m in much danger here. This place feels like it’s pretty safe, secluded from the rest of the world. I like it. Let’s see what the village is like.
Okay, something is definitely fucked up here. I’m not exactly sure what it is, but there’s something that’s not right. This place is nice… really nice. It’s peaceful and friendly and pretty much perfect – too perfect, almost. This is a small little hamlet in the eastern deserts of Enderal. It doesn’t seem likely. But that I can somewhat accept.
No, what’s throwing me off is Ryneus. Not just the kid, but his father. When I found his house and knocked, as soon as the door opened I was face-to-face with the spitting image of my father. I swear, I almost drew Blutgang out of fright. He looks exactly like him. It’s fucking unnerving as all hell, and I don’t understand it.
But he’s definitely different – nothing at all like father, which is not something I’m complaining about, honestly. Regardless, it’s strange, and something feels… wrong. It’s in the back of my mind. Something is going to happen at some point. Honestly, I’m fine with that. The Black Stones like to play games. If this one wants to fuck with me, it can go ahead and try.
Ryneus himself isn’t that bad. He’s a smart little kid. His room’s filled with loads of books, some of which aren’t short reads. When I first spoke to him, his dog took off with one of his toys and I had to chase the bloody thing down. It was kind of fun, honestly.
After that little episode, I talked with the kid for a bit. The guard was right about his illness fading; he looks fantastic, about as healthy as a kid can get. I asked him about the Black Stone, and he made a deal with me: if I grant him three wishes, he’ll tell me where it is.
Now, I’m not a huge fan of playing games, but I’m also not about to start threatening a little kid. I’ll play along. Let’s just hope these wishes of his aren’t too far-fetched. I don’t have a lot of time here.
Link to Enderal. It's important to note that the writing above is based almost entirely on the story created by an extraordinarily talented group of modders. Credit is due to them, not to me. I would also be remiss to not credit Arcones for the idea of using a parchment-looking background to add some flavor.
