I got the game a little while ago. First game that I've actually ever purchased that was produced by Bathesda, and not a bad one at that, but it's just quite large and I'm seeking some help because I'm accustom to finishing my games very quickly and this one is just seemingly endless. I have some questions and I figured I'd list them and just let the more seasoned players of this game take stabs at answering them.

*Why does my screen flash red and make an odd sound every time I fast travel from point A to point B?

*If I were to go looking for dragons, where might I find them?

*Are there any secrets to obtaining gold relatively quickly?

*I killed a group of orcs in Gloombound Mine because I sought, and obtained, ebony ore, but upon my return to Whiterun I was attacked by everyone and their mother and now hold a bounty of 12,000+ gold over my head and have killed a large amount of Whiteruns' populace. I don't unsheathe my weapons, and wait for a guard to talk to me, but instead just get attacked without any warning, and not only in Whiterun, but everywhere I go with the exception of Winterhold College. How do I get people to stop trying to kill me?

*Aside from the residence in Whiterun, are there any other purchasable properties that you can find throughout the game?

*How do you obtain Daedric/ebony arrows?

*What is the fastest way to level up your magic-related skills?

*Is there a way to kill giants without getting flung thousands of feet into the air?

*What is the best weapon you can actually obtain, and keep, in this game aside from smithable weapons with [Legendary] status?

*Can you join as many factions as you wish to join? If so, what are the factions you may join?

Thanks for reading and any correspondence that may be granted.

Why does my screen flash red and make an odd sound every time I fast travel from point A to point B?
I have no idea, I've never fasttraveled, but it does sound weird.

If I were to go looking for dragons, where might I find them?
After you start the main quest they will find you You'll be randomly attacked in the wilderness. You can also encounter dragons near the Word Walls on the surface - you'll usually be pointed to them during the MQ.

Are there any secrets to obtaining gold relatively quickly?
You can chop and sell wood, smith, enchant and sell daggers or jewellery, craft and sell potions, pickpocket people - depends on your playstyle. Most of your gold will be obtained by looting, though.

I killed a group of orcs in Gloombound Mine because I sought, and obtained, ebony ore, but upon my return to Whiterun I was attacked by everyone and their mother and now hold a bounty of 12,000+ gold over my head and have killed a large amount of Whiteruns' populace. I don't unsheathe my weapons, and wait for a guard to talk to me, but instead just get attacked without any warning, and not only in Whiterun, but everywhere I go with the exception of Winterhold College. How do I get people to stop trying to kill me?
The orc weren't hostile, were they? You probably attacked them first and it counted as murder. Alternatively, they perceived your mining of ebony as theft and attacked you. Either way, it was murder. If the bounty is too high, you won't be offered the chance to yield.
You need to leave the hold and wait three days. After this the guards should stop attacking you on sight and you'll be able to pay the fine or go to jail and serve your time.

Aside from the residence in Whiterun, are there any other purchasable properties that you can find throughout the game?
You can have a house in every major hold capital: Whiterun, Riften, Markarth, Windhelm and Solitude. You'll have to do a couple of quests for the Jarls before you're able to purchase them, though.

How do you obtain Daedric/ebony arrows?
When you're on a higher level you'll start randomly finding them, you'll also be able to buy them in shops.

What is the fastest way to level up your magic-related skills?
Cast spells in combat Illusion can be leveled up by spamming Muffle. You can also conjure a creature and kill it with Destruction spells. However, I believe it's best to level up naturally, without grinding.

Is there a way to kill giants without getting flung thousands of feet into the air?
Ahh... Archery, magic, and if going melee, high health and armor rating. Or a stealth kill, but it'll be a while before you get your Sneak high enough.

What is the best weapon you can actually obtain, and keep, in this game aside from smithable weapons with [Legendary] status?
I have no idea. Many weapons are scaled and their power depends on the level you obtain them on.

Can you join as many factions as you wish to join? If so, what are the factions you may join?
You can join as many factions as you want (with one exception). These would be: Companions, College of Winterhold, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Bards College. Stormcloaks and Imperial Legion are mutually exclusive and you'll be forced to choose only one.

This is not a game to rush through. It is best explored over time. The built in faction and side quests are there to get you out and exploring the world. If you rush through the quests, you will miss a lot of this game. I am talking hundreds of hours of content, not the 20 to 40 hours that most RPGs give you, less for shooters.

You also don't want to get in the habit of killing people who don't attack you. Peaceful NPCs are sources of quests, commerce, used in Quests etc. Sure, you can have a character that kills for whatever reason, but you will be dramatically reducing what you can do in the game. Don't worry, the game will give you plenty of enemies to kill, maim and dismember in many different ways. Some of which are quite fun and involve no weapons or magic.

Oh, turn off the Autosave features, all of them. Get in the habit of making manual save points, preferably before you enter a cell rather than just after you enter it. In the middle of a cell is OK, just not when you first enter. Have several slots that you cycle through so just in case you can go back a few game hours if needed. Sometimes, it is rare, but it svcks when it happens, the game will glitch a quest. However, all quests do work and most glitches do not come back, so reloading a save from before you got the quest and starting over will allow success. And, you may just want to approach something differently, like your spouse or your home or your choice to join a faction or whatever.

Well thanks. I appreciate those tips.
Alright, I won't rush it then. Also, just to clarify on this Gloombound Mine problem: I had been there before, offered the quest that the orc at the gate gives you upon discovering the place, didn't do it and went to go mine ebony and got told by every living thing in that came that I don't belong there, but was still able to mine ebony without getting attacked. Then I returned after about 10 game days to go mine more ebony and then they started to attack me. I'm starting to think it was because I never activated the quest I was given when I returned.