The Coldharbour Diaries.

It is unnaturally cold, even with magical resistances. Ancient, blackened ruins fill the desolate landscape. The ground is a barely-traversable black sludge. Even the air assaults the senses, changing rapidly from rancid death to sweet flowered perfume. The landscape itself is made up of craggy, floating islands of blackened rock.

-Beginning of day 1-

WOOSH Nel gazes around her as she is dropped into Coldharbour from her portal. She gazes around, looking first to the sky. The sky is set ablaze by a raging blue fire. Despite the prevailing fire in the sky, the air is frigid. Every breath brings on an exquisite pain. Her flesh feels as if icy needles are being driven through it endlessly; her feet are submerged in a think, blackened sludge that reeked of a most decrepit and rancid odor that seems to permeate her armor. Nel glanced hard at the sludge covered wasteland laid-out before her and trudges onwards.

Not even 10 steps in, a monolithic serpent like beast writhes out from the sickly sludge and hissed with a great scorn, a Harvester. The beast gazed at her with a penetrating gaze seems almost to paralyze her. This was no ordinary harvester . This daedra was very powerful, and Nel was intruding in her domain. Confronted with this horrific monstrosity, Nel has no choice but to slay the daedra if she is to have any chance of continuing her journey...

To be continued...

Nel reached to her back and slowly drew her great-sword with her right hand. She brought the blade into an offensive position and gripped it tightly with both her hands, prepared for battle. Nel and the harvester seemed to stare at each-other for hours, each sizing the other up and trying to gauge the others strength. Nel could feel the electricity in the air as her adrenaline began to pump through her body. She was much more excited than usual, Nel knew this would be a challenging opponent and would test her skill.

After what seemed to be an eternity, The beast lunged at her with a lightning speed that Nel was able to only narrowly match with the sludge bogging her every movement down. With a side step at the last second the lunge was evaded and Nel was able to discharge an explosive blast of holy fire at the vulnerable underbelly of the Harvester, causing it to screech out in pain with a horrific scream of pain. Before Nel could move another move the enraged harvester sweeps it's tail in a massive arc, catching Nel who is unable to move out of the way due tot he sludge and throws her several feet into a sharp, black rock outcropping the murky field of sludge. Thanks to Nel's enchanted ebony plate armor she is able to quickly recuperate herself from the blow she had just received. Analyzing her surroundings, Nel notices the increased amount of rocky outcroppings and lack of deep sludge in the area behind her. If she could backpedal the battle back to the field of rocks, she would get herself an advantage over the harvester...

To be continued...

As the fierce battle continued on, Nel struggles to continue dodging and blocking; leading the battle deep into the field of rocks slowly. After a while the two are surrounded completely by the rocks and it was time for Nel to go on the offensive. Nel brought her blade in front of her and pointed it to the Harvester.
The beast see's her change in attitude in a mocking manor and angrily lunges at her. Using the rocks, Nel jumps upwards and uses the beasts incoming head as leverage, jumping above the beast, Nel slides her hand across her blade while in the air, igniting it with a white fire laden with golden and light blue hues. Nel brings her blade down into the back of the neck of the beast, the cuts deep into the serpent as it screams out in pain, releasing a powerful shock wave of magic that rips the blade from Nel's grasp and send her flying back, leaving flaming blade in the back of the harvester.
Nel rubbed the back of her head as she stood back up, now unarmed but far from defenseless. The Harvester prepared to screech with its horrific voice, a spell that would surely bring Nel great harm if she was allowed to do it, opening its mouth widely. Nel formed an aedric spear out of light in her hand and threw it hard, the spear flying straight into the maw of the beast and exploding after piercing the throat of the monster and blowing its head apart. Nel took a deep breath and walked over, drawing her blade from the beast and placing it on her back, the fire going out. Nel looks onward as she cracks her neck and spits on the corpse of the harvester, continuing her pilgrimage.

-End of day 1-

To be continued...

-Beginning of day 2-

Nelliel lies asleep in a small, dank cave in the rock face. her armed wrapped around her blade, always ready at a moments notice. After a long uncomfortable rest, she arose and began her journey again, feeling fatigued from the unrestful sleep and sore all over her body, "By the light... This place is truly hell by the most dark of definitions. I begin to fear for my life. Not because i fear losing it to death, but for leaving my children and my love, Afer whom I've yet to marry."
Nelliel stops and looks up at the blazing sky, thinking to herself "No... I mustn't think such things... I WILL Make it home. I must..." Nelliel Continues trudging on through the rancid sludge, trying to keep conscious through the freezing air and offensive odors in the air. Hours pass and she reaches the top of a large hill. On the horizon she sees what appears to be a city in ruin, around it lied a dead meadow, strewn with towering tree's, adorned with twisting throned vines that crept up their sides and around the ground. Dead bushes and flora were swept through the meadow, only stopping at the large rocky outcroppings. Nelliel observed the scene for a long while before continuing on, heading for the city.

To be continued...

Nelliel approached the small settlement, seeming to be mainly constructed with rotted, makeshift planks and rusted nails. As she walked through the city, she noticed that all the inhabitants she came across had no life energy. they were neither dead nor alive, or even seeming in-between. They seemed only to exist at that space in time. Having no beginning or end. Taking the forms of man and mer alike. Wearing pale grey flesh with pupiless eyes. They walked around with a sluggish pace, seeming completely oblivious to everything around them. Every effort Nel made to be noticed fell on deaf ears and blind eyes, for not one acknowledged her existence.

"Gods... What are these things... I want to say they are living, sentient beings like i, but instead they seem mindless zombies. I'm unable to detect their life energies, which even the undead have. I have never seen anything like this. Who would create such an abomination...? I have gone so far to even trip on of them. They lied still a moment before crawling back to their feet and continued to aimlessly lumber about the town.
At least here, i can have a better shelter than some jagged cave. Perhaps even get some rest... Yet i do not feel that may be a good idea. Still i do not know what these things are or what they may be capable of. I need to keep my guard up..."

End of Day 2

To Be Continued...

-Beginning of Day 3-

Nelliel lay still against the wall of one of the many decrepit shacks, her arm wrapped around her blade. After many hours of rest, Nel was awoken by the distant sound of what sounded to be a constant rolling thunder. As it grew closer, the sounds of metal clanking and clinking could be heard. The Ghouls seemed to become very erratic and ran, trying to take cover and hide. Nel immediately knew was occurring and took cover herself.

By the light... There must be hundreds of them. I don't know that i could take them all should they find me, its probably best i stay down and stay quiet...

After the passing of what seemed to be an hour the marching regiment was long past, and it was clear to continue. She gazed around the town, the wandering ghoul like creatures were scarce, possibly having enough sense and fled from the coming Dremora. Nel looked to the beaten path created by the Dremora, deciding to follow it for as long as she could.

-Several hours later-

Nelliel stopped a moment for a rest, taking some food out from her pack and eating. While she sat, gazing up at the blazing sky, she thought of her family.

"Afer... I miss you so much. I hope your doing well with the kids. I promise I'll be home soon love, I gave my word I'd come back alive, and you know damn well when i say I'm going to do something, i get it done...
Nel smirked to herself, shaking her head as she finished her food and trudging onwards...

To be continued...

Nelliel followed the path for hours on end, hoping to come across some sort of shelter. The area around her was hostile. jagged rocks, cliffs leading off into the abyss, icy waters and thick sludge made up the area she traversed. As she made way, however, she came across what seemed to be a dead forest. The forest was very reminiscent of the Valenwood. Nelliel stopped and looked around her, she could feel the shadows shifting and creeping around her. Nel knew she was not welcome here, but there was little choice. She was close now and could not turn back. The only option was to push through.

"This forest... What a twisted hell it is. It is no doubt Molag'bal's version of Valenwood. Nel looked around at the massive trees all around her, twisting and winding high into the air with dark, thorned vines creeping along their sides and hanging from the dead branches.
"As i walk, i feel the shadows follow me. I know not what it is, but it is stalking me like a wolf does it's prey. I cannot pinpoint it's energies, they feel scattered...

SWISH Nel jerks her head back, feeling something rush past her. She drew her greatsword and looked all around her, ready for whatever it was. The presence of what was following her seems to be gone now, perhaps it had given up. Just as she was about to sheath her blade, she felt a tapping on her shoulder...

To be continued...

-Begin Day 4-

Nel jumps back, flicking her greatblade from her back and takes a defensive position. She looks cautiously to the one who touched her. A woman by the looks of it. Bosmer, like Nel. She wore bitch black armor with gray and blood red trims and a bow on her back.

"Please, I'm not your enemy, i don't wish any harm upon you! My name is Seraniel, I'm a Nightwalker. If you want any hope of making it through these woods, you will need my assistance."

Nel scowls in response to Seraniel "I don't need help, i can manage on my own. Now leave, before i lose my patience"

"Please, don't push me away, my people will kill you for trespassing here! I can help you make it through without any trouble. I don't expect you to trust me, but just follow me, i promise no harm will come to you Seraniel seems to desperate and genuine. It does not seem she is lying

Nel looks to her a long while, watching, analyzing. Finally she makes up her mind "Fine, I'll follow along for now. But don't think for a moment i will think twice about cutting you down if you try anything..."

Seraniel only smiled a bit and motioned for Nel to follow, turning to a more serious demeanor as they began making their way through the woods.


-To be continued...-