Hours 51 - 54: Stoneseeker II

That's right, this one covers 4 hours. I start by tackling some of the more challenging stones, visiting Ansilvund, then Pinewatch. The former is a decent slog through a Nordic ruin.

The final chamber of Ansilvund. If I go in here something bad will happen, won't it?

Draugr and Necromancers alike all fall to the blades of my Dremora Lords. Pinewatch is even more enjoyable; it's an unassuming thatched house, with a secret button in the basement which opens a hidden passage into a sprawling cave-system filled with Bandits.

On my travels across the countryside I come across a group of Vigilants of Stendarr:

I resolve to slay them, but every time I try, the game crashes. In the end I have to re-load and give them a wide berth, and then the game works fine. Curse those wretched Vigilants!

I also finally purchase Breezehome in Whiterun, for convenience. I can just use it to dump heavy gear and whatnot before transferring it to my main home in Raven Rock.

I've discovered a spell called Transmute, which allows me to turn iron ore into silver and gold. I know it's a fantasy world with magic and dragons, but this is a bit ridiculous, as it would make gold absolutely worthless, which it isn't because gold necklaces and whatnot fetch a higher price than others. Mages being able to do this would absolutely destroy the economy of Tamriel. Oh well whatever, I just try not to think about it.

Rounding out the first two hours, I retrieve the stone from Hob's Fall Cave in the north. I then grab some easy stones from the Dainty Sload and the Black Briar place I stumbled across a while back (I hadn't noticed the stone before).

A few more dungeons and caves follow, with some lengthy and enjoyable treks across wild parts of Skyrim I hadn't visited. Exiting one, I'm greeted by glorious golden and orange light illuminating the landscape:

My favourite place I visited was Sunderstone Gorge. It was populated by 'Pyromancers' and other fire-obsessed mages, and at one point an incredible battle played out between two of them looking down from a vantage point and my horde of Dremora Lords. I could only watch in wonder as enormous explosions and roiling sheets of flame erupted in the distance, punctuated by the occasional distant shimmer of lightning as Dremora succumbed to the fiery onslaught. Occasionally the frighteningly-powerful rolling sheets of fire would engulf me and I'd have to trust in Spellshield to save me from instant immolation, before scrambling to replenish the Dremora. More and more I summoned, watching them sprint forward into the blazing infernos of magical power, until my minions gradually gained the upper hand and were able to get within striking distance of the mages. Overall I think that battle was my favourite thing that's happened so far in the game.

I also pick up a stray dog on the road near Rorikstead:

I allow it to accompany me through a few dungeons, before parting ways with it back in Whiterun on one of my perennial loot-selling visits.

By the end of the 4 hours, I've collected a total of 20 of the 24 stones. I've got one more dungeon to visit, I think, then I can pick one up in Solitude. The final two will require some missions to be done. I think I can get it done before another 2 hours are out.