 The main story begins with the imprisoned player being led to an Imperial execution in the town of Helgen , alongside a thief , several Stormcloak soldiers and their leader , Ulfric Stormcloak , who murdered the High King of Skyrim with his voice . Alduin , a large black dragon , unexpectedly interrupts the procession , attacking and destroying the town before the player can be executed . The player escapes and journeys to the nearby town of Riverwood , whose residents are now fearful that the dragon could strike their town as well at any moment . Riverwood also serves as a tutorial village in that the player can forge items , trade goods , practice alchemy , and receive miscellaneous quests . The player is asked to make their way to the city of Whiterun , to request aid from the city 's Jarl against the dragon threat . Jarl Balgruuf the Greater accepts . He also directs the player to his court wizard , who asks the player to retrieve the Dragonstone , an ancient artifact that shows the location of ancient dragon burial sites . No dragons will be generated until the player returns to Whiterun , with the exception of Helgen , during the beginning of the storyline . 
