Quest design ideas

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roerich
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Quest design ideas

Post by roerich »

Brainstorm thread for quest ideas.
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Post by roerich »

Horses off the road

On the roadside, on the route towards Dragonstar, you stumble upon a few tents and two carts full with wares. If you talk to three of the four people there, they'll tell you to talk to the fourth one (Force goodbye). When you talk to the fourth one, you discover he's a merchant travelling from Markarth to Jehenna. They camped by the road one night, and during the night a band of Reachmen stole their horses and rode off. He asks the player to retrieve the horses, and tells you that they rode south. He hasn't dared to go after them, as they are too few men (two merchants and two mercenaries), and he wouldn't want his goods unguarded. He will pay you genereously for the ordeal, and says that one of his caravan guards, a large male Colovian warrior, will join you in the hunt. You travel south and find the Reachmen camp (two huts and one shelter at most) and the three horses. You slay the five Reachmen and escort the horses back. If any horses die during the battle or the trek home, your reward is lowered. If the Colovian dies, it won't change anything - he'll only remark that he should pay more for caravan guards in the future.

Reward:
All horses survive = He pays you 1600 gold and four pieces of silver ore.
Two horses survive = He pays you 1200 gold and two pieces of silver ore.
One horse survive = The merchant will be furious, as he will have to load all of the wares on one cart. He pays you 800 gold.


Caravan:
Male Breton merchant
Male Breton Merchant (apprentice)
Male Colovian warrior
Female Nord warrior

Reachmen horse-thieves:
Female Reachman archer
Male Reachman barbarian
Male Reachman scout
Male Reachman warrior
Female Reachman barbarian
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Post by Yeti »

The amount of gold rewarded is too high for a miscellaneous quest, but otherwise the quest plan sounds great.

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Post by roerich »

Atmoran Legitimacy

Inspired by this part from the 1st PGE:
The northern and western Holds -- Winterhold, Eastmarch, the Rift, and the Pale, known collectively as the Old Holds -- remain more isolated, by geography and choice, and the Nords there still hold true to the old ways. Outsiders are a rarity, usually a once-yearly visit from an itinerant peddler. The young men go out for weeks into the high peaks in the dead of winter, hunting the ice wraiths that give them claim to full status as citizens (a laudable practice that could serve as a model for the more "civilized" regions of the Empire).

This quest should be saved for when we get further north, but could still involve some Reach NPCs.

An elderly Nord asks for your help. He has moved to the Markarth from one of the Old Holds, because of his involvement in the War of Bend'r Mahk. After the war, he found a tent-wife in Markarth and settled there. She gave him a son, but the old Nord is weary and haunted by his forefathers customs. He is worried, that his son will become soft and grow up as a lesser Nord than his Old Hold counterparts, and for this he asks the player to take his son and "help" him kill an ice wraith (somewhere west of Haafingar perhaps?). Basically an escort mission, but with more adventure flavour than just "get this NPC here safely". The son should have some interesting dialogue, and learn a lot from the journey.

The quest is to bring the son safely to a certain place where a scripted ice wraith appears. It could be the location of the elderly Nord's ancestors barrow (this would have to wait until we've progressed further east), but somewhere else could do as well. The father will pay expenses for you to take a boat up the Karth, end up in Haafingar, where you'll seek out a smith the elderly Nord knows from the war. The smith will outfit the young Nord, and you will go out to the wilderness to seek out an ice wraith.

Depending on dialogue choices, you can:

1. Insist that the son should kill the ice wraith himself (this could get the son killed)
2. Agree to help him kill the ice wrath (the father will never know)
3. Agree to let the son stay in a tavern in Haafingar while you hunt an ice wraith, bringing home its teeth for proof.

You then return, and can decide to tell the father what happened:

1. Tell on the son, if the son tried to get you to do it (admit that you helped him cheat). This will get no reward, and the father will be very angry with you both.
2. (If the son died) tell of his death. The old Nord will be in mourning, but will give you a minor gold reward.
3. Proudly tell him that his son is now considered a citizen by Atmoran standards. The old Nord will have a very good reward (large sum of gold, a weapon artifact).
3b. You can tell him this even if you cheated and killed the ice wraith for him. The amoral RP choice.
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Post by roerich »

Karthwasten Quest Idea: Aggressive Competition (Luxray)

I hope it's not too forward of me to be thinking of quest ideas for Karthwasten, given that we haven't got any other quests implemented yet, and that the Karthwasten NPCs aren't yet written. But I had this idea and think it has potential, even if it needs refinement. Let me know what you think of it. Also, this post is quite long. Continue at your peril 8-)

***

The Plot:
- There are three smiths in Karthwasten. The Nord and Imperial blacksmith work on opposite sides of the main road (#40 and #65, nice narrative for a division between them), plus there is a poorer Orc blacksmith in the Redguard Quarter (#79).

- Concerning the Imperial and Nord smiths: One of the smiths (call him Smith A) was recently out-bid on a tender to the other smith (Smith B). The City Barracks / Armory / Stables wants to have [some swords, horse tackle, crate bindings, Industrial Grade Iron Nails (Class 7), whatever] manufactured in bulk. Smiths A and B are long-standing rivals who often compete; A is sick of it. He wants you to do something about it so that he gets the contract instead.

[option 1] Death

[1a] Kill Smith B. This is not the recommended path and has a severe penalty, as well as the Smith A disavowing you for it [they were rivals, but not to the point of killing the other for it]. Result: Smith A severely dislikes you and thinks you heavy-handed, but won't utterly hate you or report you, since he thinks he would be implicated in it. Entries added to [latest rumors] that is quest-relevant. If you get caught by the guards then appropriate consequence & post-quest dialog. (this last part relevant throughout where appropriate. I hate it when quests don’t have follow-up)

[1b] Kill them both. Definitely not good, at this point quest is over, guards start asking questions; outcome depends on where you are in the quest. Smith C (the Orc in the poor quarter, see later) could have extra dialog saying he's had an influx of business if you do this!

[1c] Kill Smith A - if you do this without talking to anyone else about this quest, the quest ends, if you do this halfway through the quest, there are reactions appropriate to whatever stage of the quest you are in.

[option 2] Questing

You go to Smith B's shop and investigate, where you learn that he has been hard at work smithing the requested items (which are handily located in a *sealed* crate in his house, or just outside, somewhere it is tricky to access, but still possible to do so). Depending on how complex the script work gets it might be better to make this crate an activator with message boxes for relevant choices.

[2a] You can replace the consignment with lower-quality rejects from Smith A. This is the path Smith A recommends since he gives you the replacements to place in his rival's crate. Result: Smith B loses contract since the Barracks/Stable/Armory feel he can't provide good quality goods. Smith A gets contract, Smith B suspects you were involved but may or may not have proof depending if you got caught replacing stuff. Smith A likes you more and gives you a reward. You have to do something with the stolen goods to avoid the guards finding you with it (dump it in the river, maybe.) or to avoid Smith B finding it again and shipping it off as he was going
to in the first place.

[2b] You can steal the consignment (this will probably be heavy, so is difficult to do?). Result: Smith B is charged for a late delivery of [stuff], since he has to smith it all again, and suspects you slightly but has no evidence. Smith A likes you a bit more for getting one over on his rival but is annoyed you didn't follow his advice [see 2a] so that he would get the contract.

[2bi] You can go up to Smith B and offer to sell the stolen goods back to him. He scoffs and threatens to call the guards unless you pass a Speechcraft check or something. If you pass, he has an idea for getting back at Smith A. You are to place the "stolen" goods in Smith A's business and Smith B will tell the guards that he suspects Smith A of being involved. Accept or reject his proposal. Accept Result: Smith A is found with the stolen goods and and fined / carted off to answer some questions. Smith A hates you (obviously), Smith B very happy, gives you better prices or something [could do that by creating functionally identical weapon or armour duplicates with a lower base cost that are added to his inventory. Or maybe he just has some better stock to sell to you.] Reject Result: Smith B calls the guards on you. Smith A annoyed you mucked it up, especially since you didn't follow his idea.

[2c] You can tell Smith B that Smith A is trying to double-cross him on the contract. Smith B suggests informing the Barracks / Armory / Stables of this fact so that they will be hesitant to trade with him again. But you can't really do much without proof, so unless you show the reject ironware from Smith A, not much else happens; if you do, then Smith A gets a slap on the wrist (minor fine / punishment) and is unhappy with you. Result: Smith B likes you a bit, Smith A dislikes you a bit, Barracks / Armory / Stables master likes you a bit more.

[2ci] You can tell Smith B that Smith A is trying to double-cross him on the contract, he suggests the course of action as in [2c], but you go plant the lower-quality stuff in his shipment anyway and inform the Barracks/Armory/Stables that Smith B looks to be making sub-par stuff. Barracks/Armory/Stables laugh saying they've never had issues before. Result: Smith B finds out you double-crossed him and asks you for his stuff back, or calls the guards. B dislikes you, A dislikes you (you mucked it up!).

[option 3] The Guards

[3a] You go tell the guards about what's happening with Smiths A and B. They laugh it off saying their rivalry is well-known and they're always trying to get at each other, but advise you not to get involved. Nothing really comes of this, and it doesn't stop you from choosing any of the other options. If you're at a stage in the quest where you have done something for either side,
and you actually mention it and offer proof, the guards have appropriate reactions (including giving you fines and reclaiming the stolen / defect items, and saying they'll take action against the relevant smith!)

[option 4] The Fourth Option

[4a] The fourth, less obvious option, is to ask around and learn of the third smith (the Orc in the Red Quarter). Smith C (as we shall call him) is well aware of the rivalry between Smiths A and B and thinks that if something were to happen, it would be a great chance for him to step up to the level of the more skilled smiths and their commissions. He asks you what the commission was and suggests that you plant the reject ironware in Smith B's shop, whilst he works on a good-quality
replacement. If you don't have the reject stuff yet Smith C gives you some of his. Smith B will ship off the defect goods and Smith C will be on-hand to offer his work when the Barracks / Armory / Stable receive the sub-par stuff. Result: Smith B loses contract to Smith C, Smith A hates you, Smith B dislikes you (doesn't know you're involved but might suspect), Smith C is very happy and gives you a discount (he's in the poor quarter, so he probably can't give you much in the way of a real reward.)

***

I think there's a lot of opportunities for crossing- and double-crossing the rival smiths with some creative solutions. Let me know what you think (it might not be at all good, this is my first ever quest idea :3)
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Post by roerich »

Falling in the back of other people (Worsas) http://daryam.com/skyrim/forums/viewtop ... f=95&t=330" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-One of the bear clan guys (Borhul?) will ask you to talk with him in privy. If you agree he will tell you about his plans to kill a certain other Nord in the village so you two can share that persons costly possession (a special claymore and gold) afterwards.

The plan is as follows: You will go to that nord and ask him for a meeting with the bear clan - nord at the northern village-gate to go hunting together. When that nord agrees, you will go with „the victim“ to that village gate to meet the bear clan guy. Then you will jointly walk up the road for a while. When you have taken some distance from the village, you two will turn upon the guy, kill him and rob him, hahaha.

-Everything happens as described in the plan. Only the end differs: When you have taken distance from the village, the two nords will laugh and tell you about their true plan of killing you instead. After that revelation they will both attack you (to get themselves killed and robbed, of course).
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Post by berry »

The justice will flower

There's a city or a village somewhere in the Reach with uncommonly high number of the widow kiss flowers, growing in seemingly normal spots in addition, not by the city's graveyard/barrow. The locals face it down as a local curiosty - it's been so for so many years that everyone has grown to ignore it.* However, it raised the concerns of a travelling Arkay priest. The savant man will serve the player's curiosity, teaching him or her about the metaphysical nature of this flower - the widow kisses are said to be a blessing from Arkay, a tribute for those of the righteous, that passed away without proper honours from other mortals, often alone and abandoned.** Guided by the holy man, the player begins to nose around, eventually to get on the track of a brutal murder from many years ago. A distinctive passerby (a beautiful girl from the artists' troupe? rich clerk, hated among the common folks? REALLY annoying Bosmer? Either way - someone characterstic, whose sudden disappearance is vaguely remembered even X years after) was killed in the perfect crime and the killer has lived among his or her brethren ever since. The player will have to investigate and somehow find out who's the murderer here - and finally bring him/her to the justice then.

As for the reward... There could be a grave/an urn appearing on the local burial site, bearing the remains of the vilely killed and forsaken for years. It would be enough of a reward for me and I guess for most of you people here too, but we can perhaps make it cast a blessing on the player on activation, like the companions' stones do in Bloodmoon's quest. I can see that blessing being more powerfull though, as we generally aim for the higher level of difficulty/rewards than vanilla. It should be tied to the crime or a victim in some way (e.g. immunity to poisons if he or she died poisoned etc)

* Locals should have proper unique entries for "widow kiss" topic, like "Huh? Yeah, there are many of them here. Quite pretty, aren't they? You know what, it's actually quite weird - I have travelled around Skyrim a lot, and I've never seen any of them outside of this town"
** I'm not saying this has to be our official lore for this plant, it's just what this holy man learned to believe. In fact, if you ask me, we should try to go with ambiguousness in the lore we bake wherever we can - that's the way Morrowind works, unlike Oblivion and, to lesser extent, Skyrim. I believe the hagravens would have rather different beliefs with that flower - if any at all - and all of them and none of them at all can be true in some way. That's the beauty of TES III

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Post by roerich »

Misc quest: An ambush in Vorngad Forest

1. In a remote area of Vorngad Forest, a lone merchant is standing behind some trees. When you talk to him, he tells you how he was travelling to Dragonstar, to sell his wares, when his trade caravan was ambushed by a band of Reachmen marauders. He managed to flee, but his caravan guard as well as a fellow merchant was slain on a nearby road. He himself became wounded from a poisoned Reachmen arrow, and he's too weak to continue. He tells the player how he heard that there lives a healer somewhere in the forest, and asks you to find her and bring him some antidote potion. He gives you some gold to pay for it. You find Hoota's cabin and get the antidote.

2. When you return to the merchant, he drinks the potion. He's still scared of the bandits, so he asks you to escort him to Karthgad. When you arrive in Karthgad, he first rewards you with a gold sum for your help thus far.

3. He then asks you to do him a big favor, and hunt down the Reachmen bandits, to get revenge and to retrieve a certain valuable item that he didn't manage to bring when he escaped. He notes the location on your map, where the ambush took place (or gives you directions based on landmarks). You will need to do some scouting to find their camp, but there could be a well hidden trail of wares (cloth bolts, gold pieces etc.) that the Reachmen have dropped. After you finish the bandits, you return to Karthgad for another reward. If you brought some other wares from the ambush (like "Merchant's Cloth Bolt", "Merchant's Silver Bowl" etc.) you will get an even bigger reward.

He then tells you that these roads are too unsafe for him, and he's thinking about hiring a fisherman to take him to Markarth instead, taking the far longer route north around the Druadachs to get to Dragonstar. He'll dissappear from Karthgad after a few days, and will eventually end up in Dragonstar's bazaar.
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Post by spineinside »

EDITED :

So basically i put some important changes to the quest story as you suggested:

1. The Altmer (cruel merchant woman) is another Nord woman, who deadly wants no rivals in her business;
2. Thanks to Sssk for pointing out an Young Adult a (proper Nord female face texture), so there was a child but grew up, whenever the player has been given the note about a child in the realm of Morrowind he automatically should think about young adult .
3. No signs of a rape
4.The title has to be changed, it gives a lot of confusion, I propose



At Any Cost... (in a bigger city with a prison)

Whenever you ask people in the street there is a rumor that one of the merchants has been accused of a crime for killing her own daughter and kept imprisoned until a lawsuit. The prison is a Nord woman, a noted clothier from a weaver craft that usually sells in a local bazaar. People feel indigence and are dishonored toward her but will suggest to ask in a bazaar for more information.

All of bazaar merchants appear to be pleased that she has met the justice for such ugly commitment except of a neighbour seller, another Nord Woman selling (lets say... fishes?). She has been a friend of imprisoned woman for a long time and she will ask you to listen to a true story of a daughter's fate.

It occurs that the daughter has been killed some days ago by a bandit. She was a very good and loving child but she claimed that her mother has been coerced by a Bad Nord Woman who runs her own business in a city’s well-known clothier shop. The fish seller tells that the killed child knew too much about a blackmail and thanks to this became very inconvenient for the Bad Woman business. While nobody really believed in things what a young lady was saying, the mother stayed calm and dependent to the power of a stronger rival who would destroy her commerce at a stroke. The fish seller conclusion is that a daughter has been assassinated by a hired thug. Things happened too quick so she doesn’t even know who might be this guy.

When you go to ask a Bad Clothier, she of course would feel offended and shocked by the “true” story and will explain you that when people will start to believe in bullshit she will lose her clients!

She asks you politely to tell who is gossiping like this:
1. Tell about a fisher seller.
- You will be rewarded with some beautiful clothes and The fish seller will be assassinated the next day. (she may dissappear and someone would tell that she has been killed while sleeping)

2. Tell her nothing.
- Bad Woman will become upset and in a fury will ask you to leave

When you choose to cover a fish seller’s testimony a Nord woman will be happy and pleased that you would like her to help with the investigation. She will give you a letter with words of hope for the investigation and you shall go with it to the imprisoned mother. You are warned to be discreet and you will need to bribe a guard so you can visit and give her a letter hand to hand.
The mother will lament about her beloved child and situation, and will acknowledge the truth. She will mention about an suspected adventurer who appeared in a city several days before a tragedy and was very pushy with his attitude. She explains he wanted to have a quick marriage (she’s a widow) and also liked the daughter … like very much, he wanted to impress them by a bravery and a huge number of a bandit kills. He was suspected to pay a some kind of favor to a rich Bad Nord Clothier by getting into the family and destroy the business . We get to know that he was staying in a city’s inn for that time, there we would find more information.
In an Inn we speak to a Barkeeper and we hear that when everybody learned about the infanticide, the adventurer expressed the grudge and confessed he need to move out from a city. Barkeeper also mentions how often the adventurer talked about bandits and the amount of heads cut off. He claims he is probably plundering the local caves in a surrounding hunting bandits for now.

We go search for an adventurer, He spawns before the certain thug caves close to the city (he does not appear there or in cave before the quest starts). He has a typical bandit AI. Kill him and loot him – there is a quick note, an evidence of conspiracy between him and an Bad Nord Clothier. The emotion of a writing seems very cruel: A Bad Nordic Clothier wanted badly the kid to vanish, because she was the only one not afraid of a tyranny . There were also directions how to fake the evidences so whole the fault points on a mother.

3. You go to the prisoner guard and show the evidence, you have been sent to a Jarl - Mother is cleared and comes back to the city. The Bad Clothier goes to a prison and her shop is closed.

- You are rewarded by Jarl with an enchanted item and gold, an enchanted ring/ amulet of Mother’s hands by a Mother and sincere thanks from the fish seller.

4. You go to the Bad Nord Clothier and show her the writing, she will start to explain herself she will try to please you and ask to give her this note back.

Yes:

- You are rewarded with gold and several very expensive / unique enchanting clothing

Yes for geniuses (if you have a high personality/disposition):

- You are rewarded with gold and several very expensive / unique enchanting clothing
- She pays you each week to keep your mouth shut

No:

- She will lament that she’s doomed and will regret she made a business here, she will warn you that she will do everything to kill you ! She goes to a prison and 3 thugs will spawn behind you several days later*

*They may spawn several times and after a few weeks there will be a note in your journal that you feel no violation around and you may check her fate (It occurs that she has been executed so she pays thugs no longer).
Last edited by spineinside on Fri Feb 19, 2016 6:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by worsas »

spineinside wrote:Infanticide ...
I see two issues with your quest proposal:

1. An Altmer trader directly coercing a Nord trader in a Nord-controlled city. I assume that with the racist tendencies going on the nord could anytime get herself help against the elf. An Altmer opposedly would try to be as little conspicious as possible. She would proceed in a way that nothing she does could be traced back to her. A Blackmail would be written anonymously, I assume.
2. Rape and child murder sounds like something you could do in Game of Thrones, but within the TES-universe it seems a bit extreme.

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Post by spineinside »

Thanks for pointing out crucial issues.

I think I unfortunately mixed eras a bit, influential Altmer seems totally abstract if there is no Thalmor influence around for now. The rape thing, it is extreme indeed, but I think a case of infanticide is very probable for this realm, at least to fake it. I will try to rewrite this shortly.

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Post by roerich »

No children. Of course there's family relations, but children just aren't a thing in our game world. Just like toilets, sex (to a degree) etc. We need to think of the game as a representation of the "real" fictional Skyrim, not necessarily a 1:1 "realistic" Skyrim. That means with the limitations that follows, and were present and set in vanilla.

That being said, I like the idea. I'm sure it could easily be adapted with some changes.
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Post by Sssk »

She could be a young adult, as represented by an adult model.

Edit: Oh, wait, she's dead. She could still have been an adult or young adult.

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Post by spineinside »

Sorry guys for a long absence, there is an update above , check it please if it's more suitable to adapt to a game.

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Post by griff »

spineinside wrote:Sorry guys for a long absence, there is an update above , check it please if it's more suitable to adapt to a game.
welcome back dude

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Post by spineinside »

Drunken Lighthouse Keeper

(a foggy city with a lighthouse)

After hearing rumors from somebody (might be a Jarl or Guard Captain) we learn that there is a problem with a man working in a Lighthouse. He has been very aggressive lately due to an alcohol overdosing. While the man is hard to talk with and drunk all the time, this may lead to many unwanted delivery and ship arrival complications.

You are asked to check the lighthouse at a time when he is supposed to work (night time) and find out some evident supplies inside the building (drinks). After taking a quest you will notice that the fire in a lighthouse is not burning. You come in, he is drunk and after you mention about the light... he keeps talking bunch of nonsense. Anyway you have collect every evidence for a quest giver. When you finish and want to walk away the Drunken Guy stops you with a dialog window suggesting you are a burglar and he is happy to kill you (bare hands).

You can knock him down or kill:

1. Kll:
The quest giver is mad with you and quickly sends a new lighthouse worker (or a guard) to put a fire. You have no reward.

2. Knock him down:
The quest giver is happy that you brought him evidences, tells that soon he will send someone to take care of the Drunken Guy and replace him with another worker next day. You will be given 300 coins.

When you go out from the quest giver's place you will see a huge merchant ship (activator) infringed the port. The lighthouse was still not working and the disaster happened. The broken ship gained a huge hole (or some other kind of defect). You will talk to a mad captain of this ship and you will be impolitely "forced" to help him solve this situation.
You are sent back to the quest giver, and then you learn there is a necessity to put the Drunken Guy to a jail because he has no money (at all) for repairing the ship.

3. Pay 4000 coins:
This will save an unfortunate guy from going to jail. Light reappears. The ship disappears after 2 days. You will find sober Guy wandering around a settlement and he will thank you for a good heart. He promises whenever you will visit a specific Inn you will be given a free drink anytime you ask by a barkeeper. In the lighthouse there is another worker or a guard.

4. Say nothing:
Light reappears, the Drunken Guy imprisoned. The ship disappears after 2 days. In the lighthouse there is another worker or a guard.

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Post by roerich »

Clearing the Crypt

The outline of a Redguard flavor quest in Dragonstar. Suitable for an Agent/Scout type character.

Backstory:

When the Crowns lost control of the Druadach Highlands, they also lost the Ywei-Tha Crypt, where Crown nobles have been laid to rest for many years prior to the Nord incursion. The crypt itself is located near Taurus Hall.

The Ash'abah tribe is an ancient Redguard tribe, that has made it their personal plight to eradicate undead all over Hammerfell. Fighting undead is considered a great taboo by Redguard society and religion, and anyone fighting the undead is shunned by Redguard society. Not only do the Ash'abah break this taboo, they also employ magic in cleansing these locations - practising magic is frowned upon. Despite this, the Redguard society generally accept the tribe as being a necessary evil. But tribesmembers themselves are shunned and mostly forbidden entrance to settlements. By the late 3rd Era only a very small number of Ash'abahri exist.

Further reading:
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Redguard#Religion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Ash%27abah" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Quest:

1. If you have a reputation higher than 6 (or perhaps have done a prerequisite quest), asking around the city will let you know that Tai'mwah, a Merchant Captain ranking semi-high in the local Crown hierarchy, is looking for you.

He will tell you the story about the Ywei-Tha Crypt, and how scouts reports that undead have started roaming the crypt. While not happy to admit so, he has sent word to the Ash'abah for help in this matter. Many months passed, but now a group of four Ash'abah have set up camp near the western gate, barred from entering the city.

He has appealed both to the Imperial authorities and Jarla Jona of the Nordic Dragonstar to allow the Ash'abah entrance into Skyrim, but to no help. The Imperials are afraid that allowing Redguard soldiers into Skyrim will increase the hostility in the city, and Jarla Jona naturally has an burning grudge against her neighbours.

He is not happy to ask a foreigner for help, but he is desperate to have the crypt cleansed and his ancestors regain their honored rest. He laments the situtation, and asks you for guidance in the matter.

A. Offer to help out yourself. Pledge to kill all the undead in the crypt.
B. Ask him if one could smuggle the Ash'abar into Skyrim.
C. Tell him that he should seek out the Imperial Cult or the Mages' Guild in such matters.


Answer A and C will result in a disposition drop.

A. If you answer A, he will be furious at your suggestion that you, a foreigner, should lay hands upon the honored dead and that you would shame him even more than the cursed Ash'abar. He will also mention how you would not know how to cleanse the crypt with proper respect according to Yokudan customs.

C. Answering C he will likewise scoff at you, like you have no idea how offensive that proposal is. It will also result in a disposition drop.

B. The right answer is B. He will answer, that yes, one might theoretically do that. Of course he would have nothing to do with it officially, but if someone was to find a secret route into Skyrim and lead the Ash'abar to the crypt, that someone might find good fortune in the future. Perhaps that someone should ask around the natives.

2. Discover an alternative route into the Druadach Highlands, this should be the hidden valley just south of Dragonstar. There are several ways to achieve this:

A. Ask around the Reachman population of Dragonstar. There should be a few individuals who can help the player out, in exhange for a bribe or high disposition.
B. Find the hidden valley yourself.

3. When you've found the hidden valley, you should approach the Ash'abah and talk to their leader. He will agree to meet at 10 o'clock the following evening. You're then going to escort the tribesmen through the valley and to the crypt. When you enter the crypt, the Ash'abah leader will ForceGreet you and then say thank you and then wait outside for three hours. When you return inside, the crypt has been cleansed. The Ash'abah will bid you farewell, and tell you that they themselves will find their way home. Perhaps give you a free level increase in restoration.

4. Return to Tai'mwah to claim your reward.


(to be continued)
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Yeti
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Post by Yeti »

This probably needs to be fleshed out more, but I'll share it now as a reminder.

Karthwasten

Terrified farmers from the countryside around Karthwasten have been talking of skeletons wandering the countryside. The guards don't think much of these reports, and frankly have better things to do than investigate claims made a bunch of easily spooked peasants.

But the Dark Elf necromancer, Rilor Draan, is growing irritated by the rumors. If the pesky locals start investigating, they might find out about his research, and blame him for the roaming undead. He'll ask the player to find out who is creating these skeletons, and put a stop to their carelessness.

Talking to local farmers will point the player towards a waterfall that serves as the source of the Karth River, where the skeletons have been seen loitering. Upon closer look, the player will find a cave entrance behind the falling water.

After exploring the maze of caverns, the player will stumble upon the home of Ciirarril Direnni, an outcast from Clan Direnni who has set up a workshop in an old crypt hidden deep in caves. Confronting her, the player will learn that she is a sorcerer who dabbles in necromancer, more out of boredom than anything else. Whenever one of her skeleton servants begins breaking apart, she allows it to wander off into the caverns, thinking they might at least scare off unwelcome guests.

The player can somehow convince her to keep a better eye on her creations, or kill her (not an easy task).

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roerich
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Post by roerich »

Great idea but I would use another location dor this. This cave is supposed to be the hideout of Azra Nightwielder from Shadowkey.
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Yeti
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Post by Yeti »

Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know, roerich. I'll fix that that.

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roerich
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Post by roerich »

Image

He should use the top middle TR Breton head and possibly an unique purple robe.

Image

Should have some interesting dialogue and possibly be a master trainer in Mysticism or Conjuration. Could have some unique "shadow magic" spells for sale.
"I don't know if you are kidding but I 100% support a Big Mouth Billy Bass in PC"
- Taniquetil

Yeti
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Post by Yeti »

He sort of looks more like a Redguard, doesn't he? Hard to tell either way, I guess. His name sounds more Redguard than Breton to me, at least, and there's this old TR book that treats him as one. I like the idea of a famous Redguard mage, since there aren't that many of them. Is this okay?

For now, I'll use a placeholder robe and face for him, though I imagine he deserves unique ones eventually.
Spoiler
Image
How's this for some initial dialogue. We can wait to add more for another release.

Greeting

Hmmm. Interesting. I don't get many visitors, as you can imagine. Was it by chance that you got lost in the shadows of these caverns? Or could it be that you were looking for Azra Nightwielder?

Azra Nightwielder

Oh, I know him fairly well. He and I are one and the same. I suppose you've come to learn of Shadow Magic from me? Perhaps you're after one of my famous staves? Or did you really stumble into my charming home by pure chance?

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roerich
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Post by roerich »

Don't care much about the race, but he should look similar to the Shadowkey version. Text is good for now.
"I don't know if you are kidding but I 100% support a Big Mouth Billy Bass in PC"
- Taniquetil

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