56. Irkngthand.

213 Hours 31 Minutes, 87627 Gold, Level 45, 10304 Barters, 27 Bunnies.

I head for Whiterun to put a lot of gear in storage and do the usual faffing about before making my way towards Irkngthand. It is pretty close to Shearpoint where there’s a Dragon and a Dragon priest so I head there first and do what needs to be done. The Dragon is pretty easy but the Dragon priest is a but of a challenge, more so than the last two who were disappointing.

After Shearpoint is done I go looking for Irkngthand and get lost up the mountain. On the map it looks like it’s right beside Shearpoint but when you get up there you find it’s anything but. I end up just walking and walking until I find myself away up at Raldbthar which is high in the mountains while Irkngthand is on the Northern Slope. I get there in the end and finish a few bandits outside pretty easily. I already know I am going to be getting major loot here so I find a suitable spot and begin making a dump which I will be able to return to at my leisure.

Once inside the ruins there are more bandits already dead and even before you meet up with Karliah and Brynoff the tough work starts. Dwarven Spheres and they’re deadly. I have to do a lot of dodging and laying fire runes and casting fireball until I realise that I’ll have more success using arrows. Further in I meet my thieving buddies and we begin going down through the realms of the Falmer. Lots and lots of loot I will be going outside again no doubt before I get all the way through here.

Irkngthand is massive and my companions are not much help really!