Skyrim is finally here, and the ten hours I've put into it feel only like an appetiser of what's to come later in the game. My story, as does everybody else's, begins with my character waking up on a horse-drawn cart with three others. Ralof, a high ranking Stormcloak lieutenant, Ulffric Stormcloak, the leader of the Stormcloak rebellion and a Horse Thief, caught by the Imperials in a time of political tension and suspicion. We were approaching Helgen, and our deaths. Ralof beckons me over and tells me the state of Skyrim, why I'm here and why none of should be here. Ralof then scolds the Horse Thief when he says 'What's up with him?' to Ulfric, who was gagged at the time. The cart was unloaded and or names called out by Imperials. The Horse Thief cried 'I shouldn't be here!' and ran off, he was quickly slain by an Imperial arrow. I was called, but they didn't know my name (cue the character creation time). I browsed over the race selection for a few minutes. 'A Nord? Two handed isn't really my thing. An Argonian? They kind of sucked in Morrowind and Oblivion. A Dunmer? The magic in this game seems cool and they're pretty nifty with a sword and bow'. I fiddled around with the face for a while until I made him look battle hardened yet cunning. I wasn't on the list, the man reading the list suggested I be put in a prison, but his hard-ass captain said she wanted all the prisoners executed. A roar came from the distance, the Imperials were confused but carried on. Ulfric was taken by the Imperials towards the executioner after another criminal had seen justice. He resisted and began trying to speak. Another roar sounded, and then I was taken and my neck put on the chopping block. Suddenly a large shadow crashed onto the tower behind the executioner. Alduin roared and began to attack the Imperials. Ralof called me over and said to follow. My hands were tied, Alduin was attacking Helgen and Stormcloak soldiers were attacking the Imperials. I followed Ralof until an Imperial, named Hadvar, confronted him. After a short argument, I had a choice. Follow Hadvar, or follow Ralof. I followed Hadvar into Helgen keep, where my bounds were cut and I began to play properly. We escaped through Helgen Keep and a cavern connected to it. Once we were out Alduin flew overhead, back to his den after a victorious battle. Hadvar suggest that we split up and that I should go meet his uncle, Alvor, in Riverwood. Alvor was Riverwood's smithy.

I immediately turned right and incinerated some wolves, my destruction magic skill went up and I collected their fur. I made my way back onto the path I was supposed to follow, and found three ritual stones. The Thief, The Mage and The Warrior. I wanted to be a mage, so I picked The Mage. I looked over the edge of a cliff and saw a small camp and an NPC. I exploited my way down to the Redguard hunter and saw she had a bow. Her bow was better than mine, and so I sneak attacked her and finished her off with flames. After looting the body, I 'carried' the body into the river and let the current carry it away. I was also taken by the current and quickly found Riverwood. I quickly linked up with Alvor and he let me take all of his stuff for free (except for a helmet and shield). I had a fairly bad mace, but it did the job. I went to the whetstone and 'upgraded' it, making it a fine mace. I also upgraded my armour, chopped some wood (and then dropped it since I had no use for it) and cooked some food. There was a man named Sven who liked a woman named Camilla, the thing is so did an Elf named Faendal. Sven asked me to give Camilla a letter and say it was from Faendal. I went to Faendal and gave him the letter. Faendal gave me a letter, told me to give it Camilla and say it was from Sven. I did so and earned myself a rather useful companion. Camilla was the sister of the man who owned the general store in Riverwood. There had been a burglary, some bandits had taken a golden dragonclaw and were camped in Bleak Falls Barrow. I said I'd get it back and I went to the ancient Nordic Cairn (burial hall) to retrieve the claw. I did so with valor, my mace crushed the skulls of all my enemies. I eventually found the claw and a large 'puzzle-door' blocked me. I was stuck for a good half an hour. And then I looked at the claw in my inventory and zoomed in on it. The claw had the combination! I got through the door, killed some Draughr (correct?), got the shout 'unrelenting force' and a mysterious quest item called 'Dragonstone'. I turned in and earned a lot of gold.

I then grew bored of peaceful life (i.e. clearing out Embershard mine, kicking animal ass, taking names etc.) and followed the river. I followed it for a long while until I reached Whiterun, the capital of Whiterun Hold. I received a lot of side quests (not important at the moment, but I will mention them) and went to the local tavern. I spoke to a patron. She was fed up of a bard trying to ask her out. She said he said he wanted to conquer her, which reminded me of The Pearl in DA:O 'Vaquish me like the darkspawn, and lay roads in the south' (still makes me smirk). After a minute or two, I beat up the Bard and got paid for my work. I spoke to the Inn keeper, and asked her about any work. Some guards had left a bounty note and gave it to me. They were supposed to clear out a den of bandits, but I took it upon myself to clear them out. It earned a crap-load of gold and an audience with the Jarl of Whiterun. He commended me and word got out about Helgen, he thought it'd be best if I spoke to the court wizard about killing a dragon since I was the most experienced in... avoiding them. I spoke to the wizard and he said he needed something from Bleak Falls Barrow. Rather slickly, I said 'You mean this Dragon stone?' and he paid me and spoke to the Jarl. When I approached the Jarl, a guard interrupted me and said he saw a dragon near the western (I think) watchtower. I was told to go their with a small contingent of guards and sort it out. I left Whiterun and went towards the tower. The map made it look like a very long walk, but it took just under a minute. The place was in ruin and chunks of grass were burning, the small party of guards approached the tower and found a single guard, who said 'It's coming back for another pass!'. The dragon showed itself, its breath burnt the city guards, but they continued to attack the dragon. I just ran around firing arrows and throwing spells at it, until I finally hacked it with my mace. Eventually, the dragon died, but its last breath was 'Dovahkiin! No...'. I continued to absorb its soul and unlocked unrelenting force. The guards saw this, one of them approached me saying 'You're the dragonborn!'. When I returned to Whiterun a thunderous call came from no where. Dovahkiin. I returned to the Jarl and spoke to him about it, and then he explained the sound. It was the Greybeards summoning me. He said i should go visit them since it was an honour.

Instead of progressing with the story, I went and joined The (Fighter's Guild) Companions. After speaking to their Harbinger (leader, but The Companions don't believe in the concept of leadership or orders) I had to fight Vilkas. I hit him once with my mace and blasted him with some flames. 'We don't use magic! Try again.' I tried again and almost killed him, he said to stop and that I was worthy of joining. I then had to run some errands (getting a shield and sharpening a sword) and the I was in. I went back to Eorlund Grey-Mane, in the very impressive Skyforge, and collecting a 'Skyforge Steel'. A special sword for Companion members. I instantly went to the whetstone and upgraded it and used the work bench and forge to make some better steel armour, and then upgrade it further. I was ready for my next task. I was to receive a fragment of Wuthered, an ancient and powerful weapon made to kill all the elves in Skyrim. The Companions had spent years collecting the pieces and still were not done. I was sent to Dustman's Cairn, with Farkas, to retrieve the fragment. A few minutes later, I was stuck in a trap and The Silver Hand surrounded Farkas. He then crouched down and turned into a werewolf, killing his attackers. He ran off and I was free from the trap. He came back as his Nord self and explained that all the members of The Circle (a group of the highest ranking Companions) were made into werewolves. We continued through the Cairn, killing Draughr after Draughr we reached a final room. A number of coffins began to break open and about ten Draughr and Skeletons all spawned. Me and Farkas quickly annihilated them, a final Draughr spawned, a warlord. Farkas tanked him while I stabbed it in the back, I eventually finished it with a cinematic-slo'-mo'-backstab-kill. I received the fragment from a chest and got a shout, fire breath. I returned to Whiterun and was led behind the Jorrvaskr, where I become an official member, also Farkas gave me eternal loyalty.

My travels soon took me to a high mountain. Azura's shrine was said to be here and I intended on finding it. I got close to the Shrine, but before I could I stumbled upon the bone strewn den of a Dragon. The Dragon soon appeared. The fight was exhilerating, the beast was so much more powerful than me yet I stood a chance. I fired arrows at it and powerful spells, and eventually, it crashed into the ground and began to crawl after me, determined to fight to the bitter end. I ran up to it and finished it off with my sword. My character jumped on its head and stabbed it several times before the dragon died, a Dragon Age-esque finisher. It had a word wall in its den, and I received the thu'um Kyne's peace. I made it to the shrine and spoke to a solitary priestess, she said Azura had made me her champion and I was to locate a powerful artifact, the Dawn Star. But I had to get to Winterhold. I decided the best way to get there was to go through Windhelm. I fast traveled to Forsaken Cave, as I had not yet discovered Windhelm. The second I got there, a dragon flew overhead and began to attack. I was amazed, I had been craving another fight since I finished off the last dragon. Its breath was frost this time, and this one seemed much stronger. I began to kite it towards Windhelm. Faendal, my companion, hurt the dragon enough for it to crash to the ground. I began to hack at the dragon with my sword and finished it off. Using its soul I unlocked Kyne's peace and continued to Windhelm...And that's when I realised I had spent 10 hours in the game. I hadn't yet made it to Windhelm, but I had already killed three dragons. Who knows what will happen next. If I even made it to Windhelm...

Until next time, and remember, keep those Sweet rolls safe.