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Dust of Restful Death

Author: 
Qwerty

When you get acquainted with Medora Direnni, she is not not much help. Soon afterwards, she calls you up in a way only a sorceress would. Everything goes dim, and a vision of woman's face appears.

Qwerty. Your efforts to free me have not been in vain. I have discovered a powder that will soothe the ghost of my beloved Lysandus. However, it is in the hands of Gortwog, Warlord of the Orcs, in his steel citidel of Orsinium. Go to him in Orsinium and see if there is anything that can be done to persuade him to give it to you. Bring the powder to me in Direnni Tower once you have it.

The vision clears. Sometimes you wish sorceresses would just send letters like other folks do.

By now you must know the way to Orsinium by heart. You drop by Gortwog, and the Orc Lord responds to your plea:

So Medora wants the Dust of Restful Death. Only because I respect the memory of King Lysandus will I do this. The Dust can be found in (dungeon) on her own island. Tell Medora that the price is her support of my claim to the heart. She'll know what it means.

If you're a keen reader of this section, you'll also know what it means. "Claim to the heart" - obviously, it's a forward reference to Mantella. However - check this out! the quest file contains a nice little snafu. The log entry that is generated after the conversation goes like this:

I have spoken with Gortwog. He claims that the Dust of Restful Death can be found in (dungeon) on the Isle of Balfiera. He also instructed me to tell Medora that she must support his claim to the heart of Tiber Septim, whatever that is.

First, Gortwog never said anything about "Heart of Tiber Septim". Second, as we learn later on, the heart of Tiber Septim has nothing to do with anything!

Quest snafus aside, let's get that Dust already. After a dungeon romp, you come across a pouch of dusty substance that is wrapped in what looks like a piece of old parchment. There are some vague lines on it... the little that can be reads, reads as follows:

Lady Med...

...favor. They intend to slay him. I am sending ........ers to stop them. You must support me. If the empire finds I have attacked royal advisors of Wayr......ven if they are assassins, my people will never win the same status and respect as the Khaji................ians. However, with your support I c............. a hero of the empire, and win respect for my people.

Gortwog
Warl...

OK, let's analyse a bit. Written by Gortwog. Royal advisors of Wayrest are assassins. Gortwog sent somebody - fighters? to stop them. He's afraid it'll make the relationship between Orcs and the Empire, tense as it is, even worse. Who exactly were "they" going to slay?

Medora Direnni sees to understand a little better what is it about. When she sees the letter, she explains:

This is indeed the Dust of Restful Death. As for that letter, it was from Gortwog to me, though I never got it. I heard from him later that his orc warriors were slain attempting to ambush the assassins. Gortwog and his orcs are not the villains most people seem them as.

Eadwyre and the court of Wayrest have never been particularly loyal to the empire. To assassinate a king is treason. I will have my revenge, but first I must find out why Eadwyre would risk this.

I will need a month to prepare the Dust. Come back to me at that time and I will give it to you, along with instructions for its use.

Assasinate the "king" - but which one? Eadwyre? Not likely. Camaron? But why the "my revenge" bit? There's only one king in the land that Medora Direnni would want to revenge for. And that's Lysandus.

Next: Lysandus' Revenge