As promised, here are some ideas I had for Dragonstar miscellaneous quests:
Ruma and Julio
A tragic love story in divided city. Ruma is a Nord orphan from a noble family of Skyrim, raised among the courtiers of Jana's court, and Julio's father is a influential clothier in Dragonstar West. Both custiodans are obviously against this relationship, and that's where the player comes into play. It would be possible to learn about the lovers asking about the latest rumours around the town, or just directly from themselves. They are saying they just want to be together and try to find their happines someplace else, but they need money for that. The player can either promise to try to convince their custodians to give them their blessings and needed funds (in the sum of 3 thousand drakes?) or just provide the money himself. Both ways would result in finishing the quest.
Convincing Jona: jarla would be fine with her courtier departing her as long as the player got already done some quests done in service to either her, the king or Skyrim. If that hasn't happened yet, she'd send PC to her huscarl, who will task player with clearing a nearby cave from bandits.
Convincing Julio's father: he's a good father, albeit a strict one. He doesn't care that much about Ruma's origin and he wants his boy to be happy, but more importantly, being typical head of Redguard family, he cares for well-being of his household first. He is concerned - and not without a reason - his fellow merchant-captains wouldn't be very enthusiastic about such mésalliance in their ranks and his business will suffer in result. Player would have to convince all of them (that is, every non-Reachman service NPC in West Dragonstar) to accept this relationship in order for father to bestow his blessing upon these amorous turtledoves.
After this quest is finished, the lovers would disappear from the city. Sometimes later, a rumour will be heard on the streets they opened up a small shop in Wayrest and are living a happy life together. These rumours not only reached a player, but a traveling priest/living saint of Dibella as well that appeared in a city. For their selfless action in service of love, she'll cast a blessing on PC, resulting in gaining a new pernament ability (a Speechcraft boost?).
There should be some paraphrased quotes from Shakespeare's drama used for dialogues in this quest, of course, as an easter egg.
Warrior's will
A rumour can be heard on the streets of West Dragonstar: Yorvonna, a wide-respected fechtmeister, Crown patriot, and member of now-disbanded Dragonstar Fighter's Guild, recently passed away from old age, leaving his wife in mourning. Player is told it would be an honourable thing to do to stop by his house and pay poor widow some respects, even if PC is new to the city and never met Yorvonna. If he/she decides to do it, the widow will thank for condolences, politely noticing though player's face is new to her and asking where does player know her late husband from. Hearing that PC is in fact a random adventurer, uninvolved in any affairs in the city, she'll offer him/her a mission. As it turns out, her husband left his last will. He left some personal souvenirs he'd like to have given to his comrades from old times, members of former Dragonstar chapter of Fighters Guild. The problem is, with guild disbanded for over three decades now, all these people are most likely long-gone from Dragonstar. That's why the lady is in need of a freelancing adventurer to find them, and fulfill the wish of her dead love. She'd like player to swear on the wrath of Tall Papa (PC will be able to ask who Tall Papa is first, thus gaining some insight into Yoku religion) he/she will do everything possible to find these people, or at least their descendants or families, as the case might be. If player accepted this quest, he/she'll be given a key to a chest with Yorvonna's last will written down, as well as the items he wanted to have distribiuted to his old friends (some small memorabilia, personal items of little monetary value). Some proposals about these friends:
- life wasn't easy on one of them. Some years after the plunder of the city, he ended as a beggar on the streets of Dragonstar. He still can be found somewhere along the ruins.
- another one is now working as a palace guard for one of Karthwasten aristocrats
- another one settled down somewhere in Aldkarth/Midkarth. He/she's been dead for few years now, but the family still lives on that farm
- someone else can be a criminal, pretty lame one actually, currently "residing" in Markarth's dungeon. Player can leave the item with his wife, a forbearing strong woman, always tolerating her husband's excursions, that lives in a house in docks.
- one of them might have joined Sogat Dur Gada, never coming to the terms with the Reach partition by Nords, and is to be encountered in one of their bases...
- ...and another one, torn as well after the fall of the city, sought his/her peace in seclusion. He or she can be found living simple life in a hut/tent, somewhere in the wilderness, or living with savage Orcs/Reachmen.
The first step to find these people would be asking on the streets, but no one will know anything precise. Player is rather expected to hear things like "I heard he moved somewhere north, to Solitude or Markarth maybe. If I were you, I'd try there first." and so on. After all of this is done, the widow will reward player with an enchanted blade of her late husband.
Catching fliers
An owner of Shadowkey Tavern, prosperous well reputated inn in East Dragonstar recently hired some folks to make some advertising leaflets. The problem is, few spelling and grammar errors crept in during printing process, and now the inn is likely to become a laughinstock! Inn's landlord contacted printer and demanded to cease distributing these faulty fliers, but the first batch (10-20 leaflets) has been distributed already. Player is supposed to go 'egg-hunting' in the city and find all of these leaflets, for a monetary reward, as well as a free room to sleep in the inn.
No bread from no flour
The simplest of fetch quest, a chore for low level PCs really. A baker in West Dragonstar ran out of flour, and tasks player to catch some from a miller across the street, as he's too busy to go there himself. A reward for this epic endeavour: 50 Septims and a friendship of a baker.
Steady in the shadows
Even though it's been over 3 decades now since an open military conflict in the city, there's still an internal tension perceptible in the air, a hidden boiling noticeable under the surface. Jona's been throwing herself forth and back these years, trying to prevent her large conquered dominion from submiting to chaos, but lots of this chaos was spared to West Dragonstar - most of the revolutionary groups (with the exception of the most hardcore ones; "the prince is weak and only we are the true Crowns, he's as evil as Nords") collectively known as "Sogat dur Gada" are in league with the authorities of West Dragonstar in fact. While the lands of East Dragonstar county slowly fell into disrepair, West Dragonstar forces were becoming stronger [I tried to portray that in DS claim, with East Dragonstar looking slightly more run-down; except for military outposts and merchants, there are few to none points of interest there as well], lustfully snarling in the shadows, preparing to attack Skyrim to reclaim what's theirs.
For the time being, they are still too weak to risk an open conflict, especially since it's the Emperor's authority that backs up the truce, but the prince (just like any ruler belonging to cultural circle of Iliac Bay) has his spies everywhere. He's aware not only about
the problems the Reach hold is facing, but more importanly about the unrests in Imperial City. The time's almost up, and the Crowns will be ready.
To that end, a player that's proven their loyalty to the Crowns [completing roerich's undead quests for merchant-captains, maybe?], will be told by Crown guards that Por-Lis - a personal protector of the court and prince's right arm (an arm wearing war gauntlet, apparently) - wants to talk with him/her. The Argonian will ask PC to infiltrate Castle Dragonstar, and once inside:
- find a key unlocking secret passages to the Castle. Jarla's huscarl supposedly has it hidden somewhere in his (well-guarded) room.
- find all these three secret passages and make sure they are passable (raising any grates blocking the entrance, unlocking doors, killing monsters... and so on).
The mission is as secret as it can be, of course, so discrecy is required. It will be hinted between the words that this mission doesn't exist formally, and PC has no connections to the princely court - if he/she fails, the Crowns will be able to deny everything, so PC shouldn't even think about framing Redguards. For his/her efforts, PC will be rewarded with few thousands of drakes.