52. Soljunds Sinkhole.

202 Hours 27 Minutes, 68421 Gold, Level 44, 9370 Barters, 26 Bunnies

I decide to come back and get the gear at Snow Veil Sanctum another time, having sold the first load in Windhelm I make my way to Whiterun. Along the way those two Mages are at it again not far from The Honningbrew brewery I wait until there’s only one left and finish him off.

I prepare by stocking up on potions and leaving as much space as possible in my inventory. I have never been so far West before so I take advantage and gather ingredients on the journey and kill another Dark Brotherhood assassin, that’s got to be 20 so far!

Near Rorikstead I get attacked by a crazy Khajiit with a sweet looking great sword and when I lay a Fire Rune for her one of the Vigilantes of Stendaar steps on it and explodes so after I have finished the other Vigilante and the Khajiit the guards are after me but hey, I am with the guild don’t ya know!

I stop at Rorikstead for the night and sell what I can but the Inn Keepers never have much gold so I get rid of anything heavy and of low value. I then head up into the hills in a Westerly direction and discover Soljunds Sinkhole. The Miners are standing outside saying that the place is full of Draugr and I can’t resist but have a go. This place is full of Moonstone Ore and of course Draugr. When you get in a bit you have to drop down into another area so you cannot go back just through! The draugr are easy enough even the Draugr scourge are not much a challenge but at the end in the last section there is by far the toughest opponent I have had so far, a Draugr Death Overlord. He’s in a room with an alter and one of the pedestals behind him is casting a Fireball. He killed me twice and I was nearly giving up by kept going, luckily my save happened just inside the first cavarn when I went to change apparel.

I get him with a combination of Fire Rune, Atronach and Ebony Arrows. There’s a brave bit of loot in here as well, so much that I have to go out and dump a load then come back for the rest. I am tempted to gather ingredients but decide to leave it until I am on the way back because there is a real abundance of Juniper and Hanging Moss in this area. On the way down the other side of the hills I see Karthspire and I decide to avoid it for now, it’s full of tough bandits. Onward to Markarth…