I decided to do a quest for the Bards and find King Olaf's lost verse. I fast traveled to the nearest location and fought a Blood Dragon. On several occasions it landed far enough away from me that I was no longer considered to be in combat. Eventually I killed it and got to the dungeon.

I fought my way through the undead and found a magically sealed door. I couldn't break it, so I continued on. I found the book. The ghost that had been “leading” me though the place was there. Apparently he had died in search of the book. I headed back. When I made it to the magic door, the ghost appeared and opened it.

Another final chamber, another WAVE-BASED ZOMBIE HORDE MODE. Things are getting too predictable. This culminated with Olaf himself rising from the dead to battle me. I killed him and learned the second word of Whirlwind Sprint.

When I returned the book I learned it had been too damaged to read. So the lead Bard did what any respectable scholar would: he made stuff up to fill in the blanks (with my help).

For my services to the community, the Jarl allowed me to buy a house, and I did, and made me Thane. The Manor is very spacious but I much prefer my Riften home. I attended a festival at the Bard College and was officially made a Bard. Neato.

I decided to continue the main quest, and set out to meet the Blades near Sky Haven Temple. I fast traveled and fought yet another dragon. These things are too common that it really ruins the epicness of fighting a dragon. I lured it to my comrades and we took it out.

To get to the Temple we had to fight our way through a Forsworn camp and then a Forsworn cave. We made it inside the Temple after a few puzzles. The wall revealed Alduin was defeated with a Shout, but didn't reveal which. I was tasked with asking the Greybeards for help.

I decided to go back to my Thieves quest, thanks to UK telling me that Winterhold is so small. On my way I stopped by Azura's Shrine. I had heard about her unbreakable Soul Gem and was eager to get my hands on it. I was told someone in Winterhold might know where it is.

I made it to Winterhold. First I found the guy for the Thieves quest. He recognized the language in the journal as Falmer but would need Calcemo's (Markarth's Jarl's wizard) help. Next I found an elf who knew about Azura's Star. I headed out to the Star's location and stopped by a nearby Standing Stone, the Lady Stone.

I went inside the sunken fortress and found NECROMANCERS GALORE. I fought my way through them and got the Star. I took it back to the elf; he said that a spirit was still inside and I would need to force it out. How do I do that?

Simple: I send my own spirit in and kick his out.

GHOST MODE ENGAGE

I defeated the mage inside, freeing him against his will. Sorry pal! With the Black Star in my possession, I returned to Markarth to seek Calcemo's help. He told me he won't help. Welp, time to steal his stuff.

I broke into his lab, slaughtering his guards. Sorry guys, but this really is for the greater good. In the final chamber I found out his work was engraved in a stone tablet stuck in the ground. I put on my thinking cap and grabbed some charcoal and paper to do a rub impression of it.

I returned to Thief guy and he was able to translate the journal. He talked about a lot of stuff that didn't mean anything to me, but apparently it's just what we needed to prove Mercer's treachery.

I returned to Riften, ready to take him down.