As soon as the dragon mucks up your execution, the first quest of Skyrim begins apace. With your hands still bound, you are powerless against enemies, nevermind the dragon. Quickly run into the building in front of you and make your way up the stairs. The dragon blows a hole right through the wall, giving you a clear view of the adjacent house to which you can jump. Meet Hadvar outside and follow him until you reach the Keep and a branching point: You can choose to run with Hadvar (Imperial) or Ralof (Stormcloak).
Now depending on who you go with, things will pan out a little differently. With Hadvar, you have members of Stormcloak to wrangle with; conversely, you'll be attacked by the better equipped Imperial soldiers if you side with Ralof. Ultimately, though, you'll need to acquire the Helgen Keep Key one way or another and make your way through this area all the same.
In the first room, you'll have your hands freed so you can walk around and learn to loot bodies (and chests if you're with Hadvar). Procure your first pieces of equipment and weapons and equip them. Actions like sprinting, swinging your weapon, or basically anything that requires physical exertion will zap your stamina gauge. Keep an eye on it at all times to make sure it isn't fully exhausted in the middle of combat.
Follow your cohort of choice to a room that can be plundered for a variety of objects, including really helpful consumables like Potion of Minor Magicka, Potion of Minor Healing, or Potion of Minor Stamina. There are also things like Salt Pile, Tankards, etc. that you can pick up, but keep in mind that each item (including weapons and armor) adds an encumbrance value. In other words, pick up items you need and discard stuff you don't.
The torture chamber introduces you to the wonderful art of lockpicking. You can learn more about it in its appropriate Lockpicking section. Successfully picking the center cell's lock rewards you with some Gold coins, a Potion of Minor Magicka, and a book. If you're keen on needling more locks in the future, you'll want to search the rest of the room for more lockpicks.
Continuing on, you'll encounter more humanoids to kill, but as you delve deeper into the dark, damp caves you'll fight Frostbite Spiders, which drop Frost Venom, be able to loot egg sacs for their Spider Eggs and Skeever Tails. The latter is relinquished from the sacs hanging from the ceiling. Your companion will express hesitation in facing off against the slumbering bear ahead, but she isn't tough at all and yields Bear Claws and a Bear Pelt.
From this point, the exit is just a skip away, as you head into the overworld map of Skyrim and finish this beginning quest.
Before The Storm:
No matter who you emerge from Helgen with your next destination lies in Riverwood, a town not far from here. Both companions have some relatives there that you can speak to and generously receive supplies from. En route to town, you can speak with your companion and learn more about the dragon and the background of his corresponding faction, at which point he attempts to -- albeit not forcibly -- recruit you to join the faction's collective cause. You can choose sides later; for now, continue to Riverwood.
Tip: Skyrim is a vast, vast place that you can easily get lost in. Your interactive world map is a your life support in times of finding your destination.
Guardian Stones stand just off the path as you head towards Riverwood -- they're hard to miss. You can inspect them and choose only one (rogue, warrior, or mage for the moment) to receive a certain percentage boost in your learning speed. Obviously, go with what your race specializes in. For example, a Breton would benefit most from the Mage Stone, which blesses the person with accelerated learning of magic skills.
In Riverwood, seek out the person you are supposed to by following the person marker on the compass. Either party is incredibly hospitable and will provide you with a number of supplies free of charge. Take what you need (or take them all) and continue to probe the person of interest for any morsels of information. Eventually, the next task comes up: Talk to the Jarl in Whiterun, a sort of central location in all of Skyrim.
Riverwood is worth exploring for a few sidequests. Specifically, you can pick up The Golden Claw and miscellaneous tasks that include saving or sabotaging a burgeoning romance in the little town. The latter can be picked up by speaking with Sven, a bard that frequents the Sleeping Giant Inn. There's an alchemy lab in the Sleeping Giant Inn that you are free to use as well.
Tip: Red text means that you are about to do something unlawful and that could lead to unwanted repercussions.
In the Riverwood Trader, Lucan is more than willing to offload one of his burdens upon you, tasking you with retrieving The Golden Claw. Of course, he rapidly assures that you will receive form of remuneration for your efforts.
When you're ready to set off for Whiterun, leave Riverwood and follow the quest marker. Outside the periphery of Whiterun are a number of farms, stables, and a meadery that balk at outsiders. You can see the high stone walls surrounding Whiterun; when you reach the entrance, a guard stops you and tells you access into the city is limited to official business right now. Normally, you choose between persuasion, bribery, or intimidation, but in this case you can simply inform the guard that Riverwood seeks aid. He lets you pass without a hitch.
Tip: In Whiterun, you'll find a Shrine of Talos that, when activated, will cure you of all diseases. You'll find many other Daedric Shrines all over.
Find the Dragonsreach, one of the higher buildings in the northeast most corner of town. There are boundless steps leading to it. Any news of the dragon you may bring will win the Jarl's rapt attention. The quest ends as soon as the Jarl decides to dispatch help to Riverwood.
Bleak Falls Barrow
- Talk to Farengar
- Retrieve the Dragonstone
- Deliver the Dragonstone to Farengar
If you partook in The Golden Claw earlier, you will have already visited this area and also procured the item that Farengar requests. Speak with Farengar and, if you already have the Dragonstone in your possession, you'll have the dialogue option to show him. If not, you will need to proceed to the Bleak Falls Temple (preferably with The Golden Claw quest ready in your log as well) and wade deep into its cavernous depths to find the Dragonstone.
You reach a room with a lever and a gate. When you initially try to pull the lever, you'll initially be met by a shower of arrows -- obviously an unintended result. This mini-puzzle requires you to flip the three pillars on the left side to match the correct sequence of the pillars displayed above the gate. The pillar in the middle has fallen to the ground next to the lever. The correct sequence is: snake, snake, swordfish. Pull the lever once you've set this pattern to open the gate.
The double-crossing scum will try to run away, screwing you out of the claw. Take him down and loot his body for the Golden Claw. You begin to head into the crypt, from which draugrs emerge and attack. These are stronger foe than the bandits you've been seeing, so avoid dealing with too many at once.
Time the swinging axes and sprint through the corridor as soon as they retract. In these tighter spaces, you'll encounter more draugrs, but notice that the slick, iridescent liquid on the ground -- it's flammable. Lure the draugrs over it and light it afire either with fire magic or knock one of the flame lanterns onto the oil. One more Draugr pops out from the coffin; slay it and loot the chest for Gold and a Scroll of Hysteria. Pull the chain nearby to access another part of the temple. This area is prime farming ground for Glowing Mushrooms, which can be harvested from the walls as you come to them.
The linear path leads outside to a small waterfall, the base of which features a chest and corpses to loot. The path eventually takes you to a restless draugr, a slightly sturdier variant that might require more effort to slay. The door ahead leads to Bleak Falls Sanctum. More draugrs, but there's also more oil to help you out.
Move towards the engravings on the Word Wall to learn Unrelenting Force, at which point a Draugr Overlord appears. Use the uneven terrain to your advantage; the Overlord has a hard time of keeping up with you if you alternate between a high point and low point, using a bow or long-range magic to deal damage. Loot the Dragonstone from its dead body and take the stairs up to be led back outside to Skyrim.
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