P02A:
Ivarstead / The Way of the Voice

Ivarstead / The Way of the Voice

It is now time to see these Greybeards and see what it is that they can teach us -- so activate that quest and make it your flagged quest and head for their home.  This is a very long journey and the wagon service does not go here, so make sure you stock up on any potions you think you will need, upgrade your armor and weapons, and then go careful as there are some battles you will want to avoid or run away from -- like with the giants!

Once you reach the long fallen tree that makes a bridge over the falls -- and defeat the archer in the center -- there is a path on the other side that takes you all the way up the mountain and cross another river -- the path continues on the other side, but mind the trolls, right?

-- Ivarstead --

Quest Givers
-- Klimmek: Miscellaneous Quest -- Bring the Supplies to High Hrothgar
-- Wilhelm the Innkeeper: Miscellaneous Quest -- Investigate Shroud Hearth Barrow
-- Wilhelm the Innkeeper: Miscellaneous Quest -- Kill the Dragon located at Northwind Summit

Welcome to Ivarstead

When you arrive at Ivarstead that will be something of a relief -- like I said, long journey...

Pause at the bridge and chat up Klimmek to see what he knows, and flag a quest from him to deliver the food up the 7000 steps.  Talk to Gwilin to hear what he knows. A little way up you run into Barknar -- see what he knows.  Karita is farther up the path -- she warns you about the wolves but you know that danger well by now!  What she does not tell you is that there is a troll ahead and he is wicked dangerous!

Taking Instruction from the Greybeards

Honestly your best bet is to sneak past if you can, otherwise you will likely find this a tough battle...  I used an Invisibility Potion myself, and that worked nicely.

As you approach the entrance you will notice the offering chest -- make sure you put the supplies Klimmek gave you into that chest, right?  Now head inside and speak to Angeir who asks you to shout...  Go ahead, shout!

You can now ask him what questions that you want to -- and then he explains how the shouts work, and you get taught another word -- Master Einorth then teaches you the more but first you must use your shout on the three phantom targets that the brothers summon for you.

Now follow Master Borri to the Courtyard for your next trial -- writing out the word for Whirlwind Sprint for you to learn and then testing you!  You can ask Arngeir more questions after he assigns you the quest "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller" which will take you farther to the northwest than you have ever been.

You will have unlocked the Achievement "The Way of the Voice" (20 GS) when you complete the trials.

Before you do ANYTHING else, there is an excellent opportunity here for you to level your Restoration Skill -- see those stairs going up from here past the fire pit?  That is the way to the top of the mountain -- which you already know you are not allowed to pass through yet.  There wind that is whipping past will hurt you, which believe it or not is what you want!

Basically here is how this works -- you can only level Restoration by healing actual damage -- meaning you have to be restoring either health or stamina.  Just step into the wind to get hurt (but not dead) and then step back and heal yourself.  Rinse and repeat to cap your Restoration Skill.  This can take time as you have to recharge your Magicka.  Getting your skill to around 50 allows you to unlock some good perks -- in particular fast travel to the point nearest Ustengrav that you can reach, you should fast travel back to Ivarstead and talk to Klimmek to complete his quest...