Surprises Surprises!

Welcome! Welcome to another addition of

I expected the game to be the exact same as the last time I began it, with the same encounters and experiences, the same choices. I did forget a couple of things, which is good. I was hoping I'd forget a lot so that I could experience them anew and things wouldn't be so repetitive. But I was pleasantly surprised, shocked maybe even, to find that not only were there things I didn't remember, but the game took me down a whole new choice I didn't even know was there! So I had bran new experiences that I have never had before!

The game started as normal as ever with the carriage ride down to the little village of Helgen.

 This time I perked up and listened closely to the conversations. Perhaps it's the lighting because I'm using the ENB present that I wasn't using last time and I seem to remember feeling groggy last game start.. but this time I felt attentive and energetic. I was shocked to find out the man sitting right in front of me was Rolaf himself according to the conversation. I had never listened before! The second prisoner that SO annoyed me last time with his incessant talking was Lokir, a stormcloak soldier of high rank. Due to fighting on the stormcloaks side and getting to know them rather well during my last game I had a soft spot in my heart for them so I immediately felt emotionally attached. I decided then that rather than pick the side of the imperials like I planned to do, I would shoot for a truce.

With the surprise of who I was sharing the cart with still fresh in my mind we entered the city and Helgen rolled into view in front of us. As I looked around seeing the tall houses and people standing on their front porches.. children so happy questioning their parents about what's going on.. I was sad to think "Soon.. You all will be dead. These houses will be destroyed". (the game doesn't allow the death of children, so they wouldn't be dead.)

The cart ride was a little more interesting than last time too, because this time I was using the ENB preset which makes the lighting and color vastly different. I am also using a weather mod which makes the weather more dynamic and have more choices of how to be. Instead of a very foggy, gloomy morning awakening into sunshine, I had it the other way around I guess, except for the gloomy part! I listened to Rolaf talk about his life and felt sad again when he made the comments that connected him to this town so much.

Next the game gave me a chance to make my character. The cart stopped and we were instructed to exit, where hence the screen flipped to me and pegged me as a male imperial... No! I am not a man.

I'm trying out a new half Khajiit half human appearance (Unfortunately that doesn't have ears) and gave myself a dark complexion as well as a little bit more weight than I had with my first character. The weight should make me look less feeble and frail.

I don't remember what happened next, but i'm pretty sure I experienced it last time too. A prisoner became too scared to hold it in any longer and took off running in an attempt to escape.

He was shot down with an arrow.

As happened last time I was taken to the block after the first guy got his head chopped off, and mine layed down. In the distance behind my executioner I saw the dragon. That's it, it's time!

 When the dragon attacked all hel broke loose (again) and everyone began running as the ground shook, dragon roars deafened the air and buildings began crumbling down around us. Last time I was told to follow an imperial guard and did so without hesitation! This time I heard the same call to me to follow, but was surprised to notice something I must have missed in the excitement last time... the call came from two people! Not only did the imperial guard yell for me to follow him and he'd protect me, but the same call came from Rolaf not far away! I had never noticed him before! Course... I didn't know who he was before. Because of my attachment to the stormcloaks I streaked off after Rolaf!

Like last time he lead me through a maze of crumbling houses and buildings, up towers and such with the dragon after everyone the whole time. One point I noticed a ways up a stone tower that there was a window I wanted to look out of at the whole wreckage of the town, just to see what was happening out there from this new vantage point.. when Just as I turned my camera to have a quick look out a dragons head appeared right in my way with a monstrous roar! The building shook causing the picture I snapped to be off kilter.

Another thing I didn't remember was when we got through the tower and exited we were near the main gate where lots of people were fighting the dragon. We streaked past them.

We were hurrying toward the entrance of the keep. I paused and looked back at the dragon, almost hypnotized in awe and had to be yelled at to hurry up and get in the keep.

Once inside we took a few seconds for a breather and Rolaf told me he was glad I chose to go with him. I am too!

More things happened that I don't remember and I don't know if it's because I just don't remember them, or if it's new because Rolaf was leading me a new way. We came upon a torture chamber that surprised Rolaf! I remember there being a room with cages like this last time, but I don't remember seeing it from this point of view... are we entering the same room from a different way or is this a different room?  We also did more fighting this time around. Last time I was just lead through these places all the way to the end but this time we had to fight our way past imperials! This is much more exciting!

We came upon a spider infested cave. I don't remember this either... is this also new?

Eventually we came past the part where we snuck past the bear in the cave and made our way out into the wide open world. Along the way I had stolen some imperial armor and put it on for protection. It's quite ugly, but at least it'll keep me alive.

Last game, when I arrived in Riverwood the imperial I had been following dropped me off at the smith and left me with no idea where to go or what to do and feeling a little bit overwhelmed. This time I was taken well care of and lead to a friend of Rolaf's.

She was surprised to see me and lead us to the back of her mill.

 Apparently Rolaf is popular here.

We were allowed to rest and tell our story about what happened.

Then Gerdur allowed us to stay at her house! Amazing! Not only was I not left like some stray dog nobody wanted anymore.. but I was actually given a place to sleep for the night!

Gerdur and her husband Hod also let me take whatever I wanted from them or their house! I took some elven armor.

The next morning I set out bright and early and sold my old, imperial equipment. I also had a random encounter with a woman walking past.. heh, she thinks I'd be interested in her husband.