Traveling through The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim

"Baron Locke, it is a relief to have such an outstanding young man like you in Whiterun. I grant you this weapon as a symbol of your status. Proventus will inform the city guards of your new title. I don't want you to be treated as an ordinary citizen by them anymore, right?"

Balgruuf smiled and motioned for Irileth to present a short axe. From the faint blue light on the axe, it can be seen that this is an enchanted weapon, but I did not reach out to take it. This whole process was so smooth, obviously it was well prepared, but I was already a knight of Falkreath, how could I accept the title of another lord?

Although in the game, the protagonist, Dragonborn, can be the baron of nine territories and buy houses and lands in various places in Skyrim, I don't think I have the power to do so in a different world. After all, Dragonborn, with its unique status and unparalleled strength, can choose to be aloof from the politics of Skyrim, but I have to rely on cooperation with Danger, and to some extent, I am dependent on Danger's power. Only after obtaining Danger's support can I realize my ambitions and implement my plans in Falkreath.

Especially since I have seen the complicated situation in Whiterun, the nobles have their own agenda, and as the lord, Balgruuf obviously cannot make decisions arbitrarily. I don't think that a baron title and an enchanted hatchet can open up the situation for me here. My foundation is obviously still in Falkreath, where I have the Bloody Throne as my fiefdom, the quarry and the Tiger Traders' Store as my property, brothers like Lund and Eddie, and Rigel and my unborn child. To put it another way, if I hadn't achieved everything in Falkreath, Balgruuf wouldn't have been so happy to make me a baron.

Besides, Danger and I have already passed the adjustment period. Although we have occasional disputes, we have generally cooperated happily. If I accept Balgruuf's title, I will face the awkward situation of being a servant of two masters, which will inevitably arouse the suspicion of the old fox, which is exactly what I have been trying to avoid. But in front of so many people, if I refuse directly, I am afraid the scene will not look good. Balgruuf saw my hesitation, smiled heartily, and came over to pat my shoulder.

"Kid, I know what you are struggling with, but no matter what, you are from Solitude. A man from Solitude cannot be looked down upon wherever he goes. I gave you this identity to recognize your contribution to Solitude and Falkreath. Since we have become allies, I think Lord Sidgeir and Lord Danger will not misunderstand my meaning. If you insist on refusing, it will make the two lords seem to lack sincerity and magnanimity."

It seems that if I refuse, it will not only be ungrateful, but will also affect the cooperation between the two sides? Balgruuf took the Axe of Whiterun from Irileth and handed it to me personally. At this point, I had no choice but to accept it respectfully, as if I accepted the appointment as the Baron of Whiterun. Everyone present came forward to congratulate me. Lydia stood beside me and introduced the identities of the people who came to congratulate me, and I returned the greetings one by one.

Balgruuf then announced that a dinner would be held at Dragonsreach Palace to celebrate my knighthood, and all the nobles present were invited.

"I had hoped that your mother could be present at such an occasion to share your glory, but I heard that you have already sent someone to take her to Falkreath. It's a pity. But since you are a baron, you should have your own family crest and can buy real estate in the city. Proventus will arrange people to help you with these matters, so don't worry. Since you are a Loristed, I will grant you this town as your territory."

I thanked him respectfully, secretly criticizing Balgruuf for being stingy. The town of Loristed has now been occupied by Lord Igmund, and the Territory of Whiterun has no power to take it back. Isn't it the same as not giving this territory away if we give it to him?

It was still early, and the nobles had dispersed. I led Lydia to my residence to pack my luggage. Proventus arranged a guest room for me in Dragon's Reach Palace and also arranged a herald to assist me in designing the family crest. This shrill-voiced wood elf talked to me about the importance of noble crests, how they displayed the family's status and dignity, recorded the family's history and honor, and of course were a symbol of the noble's own identity. He was very proud of his work, claiming that he was familiar with the family crests of not only the nobles of Whiterun, but also the main nobles of other territories.

As for the coat of arms for a newly promoted noble like me, he suggested starting with past achievements or the specialties of the fiefdom. For example, since the town of Loristed is rich in wheat, a bunch of wheat ears can be used as the coat of arms. If it is too troublesome, a geometric pattern can be used, but the design must take into account the beauty of the composition, etc. Of course, the axe given to me by Balgruuf can also be used as the coat of arms, which undoubtedly shows that I value the appreciation of the lord and am willing to serve him at all times to repay his kindness.

I actually calculated my "achievements" in my mind, and then came to a very sad conclusion - nothing good to say about them. So far, I have never commanded a battle alone, and my personal record is also very bleak. I was scared to the point of peeing my pants by a werewolf, was caught by a Forsworn and almost lost my life, failed to catch a rabbit and was almost taken away by a wolf, was stunned by Helgi's enhanced lightning spell, and killed a very powerful ghoul in Howling Bastion, but that was when I stole the fruits of Riya's victory under the guidance of Barbas. If there is anything outstanding about me, it is only my cooking skills. The dumplings I make have thin skins and large fillings, and I am much faster than Eddie. But I can't just draw a dumpling on the coat of arms, right?

After much thought, I thought that since Rocker had sold horses in his early years, it would be better to use horses as the emblem. As for the shape, it can be directly copied from Ferrari, since this company does not have patents in the other world anyway. The horse with its front hooves raised in the middle of the shield not only symbolizes my fearless spirit of pioneering and enterprising despite difficulties and obstacles, but also reflects my excellent character of self-improvement, unremitting struggle, vigilance, loyalty and reliability. It also carries the beautiful meaning of a good horse meeting a good horse scout and a prosperous career.

The herald officer was shocked by the sketch I drew casually, and he praised me generously. In his opinion, my design was beautiful and elegant, simple but not simplistic, especially the horse as the emblem, which was a stroke of genius. The symbol of the Whiterun Territory is the horse, and my choice was obviously to emphasize that I am a Whiterun person in life and a Whiterun ghost in death, and my loyalty is undivided, and the sun and the moon can witness it. Lydia obviously did not expect that her baron was also an artist, and she looked at me with a little more respect. She said that after the emblem was finalized, she would engrave it on her shield and breastplate to show her identity.

In the remaining time, Lydia took me to several tailor shops. A baron is already a high-ranking noble, so I need to buy a few sets of clothes that match my status. I can't wear coarse clothes to attend banquets and other events. Since most of the cash I brought was used by Stein to buy on my behalf, Lydia paid for the purchase of ready-made clothes and other custom-made clothes, as well as the fees required to register the emblem. Lydia generously said that from today on, she would be my sword and shield, and she would go through fire and water for me, not to mention that it was just a small amount of money, which was not worth mentioning.

Lydia in the game is indeed loyal. Even if the Dragonborn and Balgruuf fight, she will stand on the Dragonborn's side without hesitation. However, I can't trust her completely now. After all, she is a knight of Whiterun appointed by Balgruuf. Strictly speaking, she and I are not in the same camp, and I am not a legendary hero who can absorb dragon souls. But this does not prevent me from communicating with her in a friendly manner. According to Lydia, her family has been in the army in Whiterun for generations. Her father died young and her brother was too young, so she inherited the title of knight and served the lord. She has been in the army for five years. She is only 19 years old, but she is already a skilled veteran.

Lydia is very familiar with the nobles of Whiterun. I learned from her that Lord Balgruuf had been married twice. His first wife was the sister of Lord Skade of Morningstar City, and they raised a son and a daughter. The couple lived in harmony and treated each other as equals, but unfortunately, the wife died of dystocia before she was 40 years old. The current lord's wife is the sister of Lord Collier of Winterhold. She is more than 20 years younger than Lord Balgruuf. She is only in her early 30s and has given birth to a son.

Balgruuf's wife did not appear in the game, and I just realized that this old guy married the lords of the Stormcloak camp twice. He has been sitting on the fence in the civil war, which may have something to do with his wife's pillow talk.

As for his three children, Lydia said that Balgruuf favored his 15-year-old eldest son, Flotar, and invited him to attend many important occasions, obviously intending to train him as his successor. The 13-year-old daughter Dagni looked very similar to her mother, so she was regarded as the apple of the lord's eye and was doted on. As for the eight-year-old youngest son, Nerkiel, he was a bit withdrawn and not very popular with the lord.

The lord's brother, Holungnar, is 45 years old this year and is the baron of Riverwood. His 18-year-old daughter married Igmund, the lord of Markarth City, last year. Lydia thinks he is a restless person who always hopes to lead troops to support Tullius in suppressing the rebellion, but in fact he wants to expand his influence in the army. However, he is at a disadvantage in the competition for the lord's succession because he has no son. It is said that he has an illegitimate child with his maid, but I don't know if it is true or not.

In addition to the lord's family, the most powerful families in Whiterun are the Graymane and War Mad families. The influence of these two families can even extend to other territories, and they are top-tier wealthy families in the entire Skyrim. As for the Avensi family, the general manager of Proventus, the Madden Lum family, who is responsible for horse supply, and the Greymore family, they can be regarded as second-rate families in the territory. They all have the title of baron, are rich and powerful, and have some connections and vassals, which can directly influence the lord's decision.

There were one or two barons in other families, but their strength was much weaker. These small families either depended on the rich or clung to each other. For example, Lydia's own family was very close to the Avinsi family, and she was close friends with the butler's daughter Adrian.

The most elite troops in Whiterun are Balgruuf's Dragonsreach Guard, led by the squire Irileth. This dark elf is a master of both magic and martial arts, and is the lord's trusted general. The court mage Farengar has served the lord for decades, and Lydia is not clear about his origins. These two people, together with the butler Proventus, serve as Balgruuf's core staff to maintain the lord's status.

The banquet held at Dragonsreach Palace was lively but boring. The nobles gathered together to brag about business. Balgruuf introduced several of his children to me. They were very polite in such occasions, and did not have the arrogance they showed in the game at all.

During the banquet, the herald handed the final draft to me for review, and then he exaggerated the design concept to Balgruuf and the nobles present. The lord smiled and nodded at me, seeming quite satisfied, and the others also flattered me, and both the host and the guests were very happy.

It will take about four or five days to add the emblems to my custom-made clothes and Lydia's equipment. Erlund of the Graymane family also said that he could improve my spear. He had modified weapons for Eric and had more experience. I didn't expect to be delayed in Whiterun for so long, so I had to write a letter about what happened here and have Balgruuf's messenger bring it to Danger. I was very sure that Balgruuf would know the contents of the letter before Danger, so I just described it in a straightforward manner and asked the old fox to do a good job of security for the upcoming meeting. I believe he can understand my difficulties.

I have received many invitations these days, and I have to take Lydia to banquets almost every afternoon. I don't like to make friends with these nobles, because I can see the contempt they deliberately hide in their eyes. In the eyes of these noble families, I am just a mud-legged man who got lucky, and I am not even a nouveau riche, because the news that Lydia paid for all my expenses has spread in Whiterun. The reason why they are willing to condescend to me is probably because of my status in Falkreath. Most people want to test my opinion in order to find a way to make money. Although the nobles are ashamed to talk about money in public, no one will easily miss the opportunity to make a fortune in private.

While Lydia was picking up clothes at the tailor shop, I secretly contacted Avustern of the Graymane family. He was the eldest son of Erlund. He joined the Stormcloaks with his younger brother Thorad. After Thorad disappeared, he sneaked back to Whiterun to investigate clues. Vignar was furious about his private desertion. Avustern became a deserter of the Stormcloaks, but he could not show up in Whiterun openly. Moreover, his disappearance with Thorad would affect the development of other members of the Graymane family in the Stormcloaks. What's more annoying is that this behavior is not only unhelpful in investigating Thorad's whereabouts, but also forces the family to shrink back in order to protect him.

Avustern's mission was an exile, and Vignar strictly ordered him not to enter Whiterun again. I suggested that he live in the Bloodthrone to avoid the diplomats sent by Dragonsreach. His mission was to find iron ore supplies and potential customers for the Skyforge in Falkreath, and to find valuable allies and investment opportunities for the Graymane family. Vignar said he disdained the wealth of the Warber family, but in fact he was very jealous, but the security environment in Whiterun continued to deteriorate, so he couldn't find a breakthrough.

On the evening of the 14th day of the month of Chaoyang, Adrian informed Lydia to go to the War Maiden Blacksmith Shop the next morning to pick up her shield and armor. The blacksmith shop was near the gate of Whiterun City. When we got there, we saw Eric and others entering the city. Eric and Skoyue were seriously injured. They were struggling to carry a stretcher. The person on it was covered in blood. Ella limped beside them, looking very embarrassed.

What happened? Eric said six people were dispatched from the comrades group, so how come only four came back?