I left the rest of the Circle at the tomb, since they wanted to fully explore it. I headed to the nearest hold to warm up - Winterhold, up atop the cliffs - home of the first kings of Skyrim. But the settlement is now a shadow of itself... much of the city had fallen into the sea when the cliffs it sat on gave way - a disaster called the Great Collapse. What remained is a struggling settlement fighting to retain it’s relevance. Many of those that lived in Winterhold had left. Those that remained blamed the arcane College of Winterhold, especially since the college complex was entirely intact after the Great Collapse. The Nords' innate distrust of magic did not help.
Jarl Korir reigns from a ramshackle longhouse where he strives to rebuild Winterhold while tolerating the existence of the College. The Jarl also admires Ulfric and had declared himself supporting the Stormcloak. He is quick to recognise my reputation, and keen to obtain my assistance.
The early Jarls of Winterhold ruled with an ancient helm on their head - that helm was said to be on board the ship The Pride of Tel Vos, thought to be lost at sea many generations ago - until now. Men spied a shipwreck caught in the ice floes that had drifted near Winterhold. The shape was distinct enough to match against the records - it must be The Pride of Tel Vos. If the legends indeed were true, the helm should still be in the wreck. Any adventurer will have to pass the treacherous ice floe and hostile natural wildlife between the shore to the wreck - hardly a challenge for the Harbinger, surely?
The helm turned out to be just a regular helm, steeped in history if not actual attributes. The Jarl was most impressed with its return however, and promised to make me Thane. No doubt having a Harbinger associate with the hold would go some way to rebuild the prestige of Winterhold.
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