...so I guess we're not likely to be sticking around and snarking at his invitations to join the Nord separatists once we're out of the caves?
We could be! Just taking it with the most massive salt grain Tamriel's ever seen and remaining at a safe distance.
Oh, next point of choice, by the way: Skyrim players will of course know that among other things, there's a bear sleeping in the cave up ahead. Do we sneak by it, or do we get ourselves a bear pelt for our own hypothetical Jarl Ulfric cosplay? Options available for murder are currently: iron axe, sword (x2), dagger (x2), hunting bow, flames, or sparks.
I think that makes a lot of sense in-story too, because sure the Thalmor and Valenwood are allies NOW, but who's to say they'll always stay that way? What if the Thalmor try to stamp out the Green Pact next?
I’ve been in the vicinity of bows before. I’ve read a lot of books where people use them, too. I knew facts in the vague general area of archery. And I had serious reason to hope The Gold Ribbon of Merit by Ampyrian Brum was true to life, because there were too many very large spiders in the next cave, lurking in the mist. Normally I’m quite fond of spiders. They eat moths that might try to get into my books, and most of the time they keep to themselves, as any good person or animal should aspire to. But these were unreasonably large spiders. It was no particular help at all that Beard possibly had some sort of phobia, because he froze up when he tried to hit one. Rushed out, stood there, and waited for me to fumble with the bow a bit more from the safety of the shadows. But I knew I’d refrained from stabbing him for a reason: If I had, then I would have been the one to alert the other spiders in the room, not him. Although… I’m not entirely sure those were spiders. Or were there at all. I’ve had quite the headache since the bludgeoning this morning, and those spiders were far more skilled at levitation than I thought spiders generally were. [I have no idea why this happened. Bug #6!] Yes. When faced with floating carnivorous arachnids the size of dogs, that is the thing that’s really unsettling. Beard, I think you've solved the mystery.
I forgot about the spiders. As my username makes clear, I'm not totally fond of having to shoot the cuties, but oh well. It's going to be a while before London can raise a zombie spider army or something. But you can bet that somewhere in their lost research notes there was a plan for that.
