Plot:DBDraft
Adonthell v0.4
Plot
Andrew Michael Phillips
Kai Sterker
21.03.2005
Adonthell v0.4 Plot
This document is part of the Adonthell Designer’s documentation
http://adonthell.linuxgames.com
(C) 2005 Kai Sterker & The Adonthell Team
[email protected]
1 Synopsis
Main character of Adonthell v0.4 – Dun Barethsol – is Marcella, daughter of a Green Sister that was killed during the Erinsford riots. Her dream to learn more about the secrets of Alchemy seem to come true when she recieves an anonymous letter promising to teach her what her foster father, Padrig, would never dare.
Author of the letter is Lord Albrecht of Wyvernesse, who witnessed the bloodshed of the riot and is in search for ways to prevent such event since then. In his research of Alchemy he bacame more and more corrupted and has lost track of the once noble goal. To enlarge his power, he seeks to gain control over a baby dragon hatched from an old and rare dragon egg, stolen from the monastary of the Yetin monks.
The ritual that would allow Albrecht complete control over the dragon requires the blood of a witch, but those have become rare since the riots and well guarded by the forest keepers and their own Green Knights and Rods of Chaos. A girl like Marcella, without knowledge of her own power and in search for more than her life has to offer seems an easy prey for him: easily lured into the wilderness with false promises and easily disposed of, with little personal risk.
Albrechts simple plan starts to fall apart when his messenger, sent to meet Marcella at Waste’s Edge, is killed by the very bandits, under Alek Endhelms lead, that are indented to divert the forestkeepers attention from his own doings at the old elvish ruins of Dun Barethsol.
Stranded in Waste’s Edge, with uncertain past and future, Marcella must find her destiny, be it good or evil, and prevent Albrecht from bringing an untimely end to her life and doom over the people of Wyvernesse.
2 Intro
Below, the opening sequence of Dun Barethsol is described.
2.1 The screenplay
First scene: an alchemist’s lab
In the background there are various apparatus and weird stuff, like boiling or steaming liquids, stuffed animals, etc. . . . . In the front is a table with an elderly man sitting and writing, and a rather large egg in its nest of old rugs.
Typeover: My Dear Marcella, . . .
Camera changes to look over Albrecht’s shoulder on the letter he’s writing, the egg still visible in the distance. Clicking or scratching noises are heard in the background, as the baby dragon tries to break from the egg.
Typeover: In his letters, your Master . . .
Zoom onto egg, the source of the noises. Noises grow louder, first cracks appear in the egg shell.
Typeover: Gardening and herbal medicine . . .
More cracks.
Typeover: . . . that to teach you would be to endanger you, so he -
Albrecht: By Ezephals furnace!
The egg breaks apart, but just before the creature inside gets into view, Albrecht rises from his chair and moves between egg and camera. Fade to black.
Second scene: Marcella’s room
Fade in to a tiny, dark chamber, lit by a single candle. There’s little more than a bed and an empty cupboard, half hidden in the shadows. A figure sits on the bed, reading in the candlelight.
Typeover: One week later.
Zoom on Marcella, who’s holding a partially scorched parchment in her hand. Next to her on the bed: a backpack, staff and surcoat.
Typeover: I can teach you, if you wish to learn . . .
Marcella blows out candle. Fade to black.
Marcella: Goodbye, Master Padrig.
Playable part of the game begins with Marcella standing in front of Redwyne Inn, similar as beginning of Waste’s Edge. The door is open, though.
2.2 The letter to Marcella
This is the complete text of the letter written to Marcella. It will be an item in her inventory at the beginning of the game.
My dear Marcella,
In his letters, your Master, Padrig, has told me of your interest in the Deeper Arts. I share that interest and I understand your eagerness to begin learning. I was once a novice like yourself. For me, the desire for knowledge was like a newfound love. But your Master, then as now, is slow to teach. Padrig fears to teach too much too quickly.
Gardening and herbal medicine hardly seemed like fitting substitutes for true Alchemy, so I left his tutelage. I understand your Master’s fears. Alchemists and Artists are not well trusted by common folk. There are even groups of Men who would eagerly and seriously threaten your safety if they learned of what you are trying to learn. Your good Master knows of these groups. He knows that to teach you would be to endanger you, so he does not teach the Deeper Arts.
I can teach you, if you wish to learn. I can also ensure your safety. If you wish to learn the Arts, come toWaste’s Edge. The groups I’ve mentioned fear many things, including Dwarvish axes. My messenger will meet you at the Redwyne Inn there, two days after the new moon.
If you wonder why you must go into the wilderness to meet with my messenger, I can answer only that secrecy is the friend of any Alchemist. Discretion is a way of life, as your Master has no doubt taught you. Tell no one of your plans, if you intend to come. I am eager to hearfrom you. My messenger will be waiting.
-A friend in the Arts
P.S.
Truly, truly the Elvish folk say,
”’Magick flows from the earth.”
Leave both wall and city behind.
Take to the wilderland, there magick find.
3 Characters
The characters of Dun Barethsol are introduced here.
3.1 Leading Part
These characters are essential to the game.
Marcella Marcella Kurwen is a fifteen year old orphaned Human. She has no idea who her parents were or what happened to them, only that they probably aren’t alive anymore. She grew up with Padrig and Merigan Kurwen, raised as their daughter. Indeed, when asked about her father and mother, she usually replies that Padrig and Merigan are her parents. Marcella knows that there is a great deal being hidden about the recent past. She knows that whoever her parents were, Padrig and Merigan know but will not tell her. She knows that horrible and unspoken things happened in Erinsford. She knows that the people would like to forget, so they don’t say what happened. She also knows that she can’t explain how she knows some of these things. Feelings sometimes come of their own accord. Knowledge comes at times which cannot be explained as coming from any of the five senses which she had been trained to use.
From these phantom scraps of insight and her parent’s rearing, Marcella formed her goals. She is determined, somehow, someday, to know the truth of her birth. She is an intelligent young woman, trained to be observant. Padrig and Merigan taught her not only basic herb lore, but the high skill of reading. She is not an accomplish reader, or by any means a student of lore, but she can read well in the Human language of the southern parts of the world. She also knows a smattering of the Half-Elven tongue and can sing parts of their myth of the world’s making.
Albrecht of Wyvernesse Wyvernesse is both the name of Albrecht’s family and his manor house. Many generations ago, a village called Wvyernesse existed around the manor. It has since faded back into the forest, but the name persists. The family of Wyvernesse progressed from being the lords of the wilderness to being the ruling family of Erinsford. The family has a reputation for justice, fair dealing, and defending the population. [. . . ] Unfortunately, Erinsford bears out the law of entropy, as does all else.
The trouble began during the first years of Albrecht’s lordship. The Magehunters, frightened and incensed by the deaths of their own people, spread that fear tthroughout the town. Albrecht, the intelligent, benevolent, but passive son of an equally intelligent, benevolent, and passive father, did not know how to respond to the troubles. As a result, he did not react until the blood of magicker, Magehunter, and townsfolk had been spilled.
Guilt-ridden, Albrecht took personal responsibility for the riots within his walls and began to seek out the power to stop something like that from happening. [. . . ] He began to court the learned, but most of them had already vanished. He was forced to be discreet, since fear still ruled Erinsford. Not even the Lord Mayor could be seen openly seeking arcane knowledge, even if it was only for the sake of understanding the learned and preventing other such rioting. His search for arcane knowledge was pure in its motives at first. [. . . ] As a close student of Padrig Kurwen, he heard, and took personally, many of the rumors that were spread regarding Padrig and his beloved. He had known before that the people of Erinsford had turned on the learned, more or less from ignorance and fear, but the degree and nature of the turning remained beyond his knowledge until he began to associate with the learned. He became angry with himself, with Erinsford, and with the kindly learned. He had realized that his public acceptance of responsibility had been more appropriate than he had realized at the time at which he took it. Fear and anger soured his investigation of the arcana. He was determined that such tragedies as the Magicker Riots should not happen again. He was even more determined that his own personal weakness should be put aside. [. . . ]
Albrecht’s desire to rule was kept in check only by his understanding that he must rule cunningly. In generations past, the people of Erinsford had known their Lord Mayors to rule by consent, if not by plebiscite. He knew that they would have to choose his tyranny for themselves, so he set out to make it happen. Always presenting a face of civility and concern, he began to allow the slow, marginal corruption of his ruling apparatus. Murders increased. Some of them were never solved. The people accepted more laws and more city guards. Many of the laws did them good, but some simply limited their freedoms. [. . . ]
Quite by accident, Albrecht’s brigands waylaid a dragon hunter, badly injuring him before Monks and Rangers come to his rescue. Both sides of the skirmish come away bloodied. The Rangers melt back into the woods, while the Monks took the wounded hunter back to their monastery for treatment. The brigands reported their find.
At this news, Albrecht realized that his time had come. He gave his hirelings free rein, beginning with the destruction of those who had found the dragon hunter. He wrote his letter to Marcella and sent Alek’s band out to find the monastery. A month after the failed ambush of the hunter, Padrig was murdered in a ‘botched burglary.’
3.2 Minor Part
These characters are not vital for the game, but they may offer side quests, goods or interesting information about the game world.
Orloth Redwyne Orloth Redwyne is the Master of the Redwyne Inn. Orloth bought it from his brother Lenhart using the dowry paid to him by Lucia’s father. He is the master of the Inn and the person to ask about a room. Orloth is an honest and amiable fellow, but his apparent aversion to conflict might make him seem weak to some. He prefers to rent out his rooms rather than borrow trouble, but he also takes responsibility for what goes on under his roof. His knowledge of his guests is general, but certain guests and events stick in his mind. Alek Endhelm is one such. The ranger Andare is another such, since Andare’s sporadic visits tend to distract Oliver, attract Solmanus, Rymon, and other rangers to the Inn, and mean more sales of ale and food to dinner and overnight guests.
Lucia Redwyne
Lucia Redwyne is kind and hard-working, but not to be crossed, as a certain servant of Imoen Silverhair could no doubt testify. She appears to have the strongest personality in her family, since she brooks no flattery and will insist on the amendation of wrongs against her or those she cares about. There is only one way to regain her favor after crossing her, and that is to make right whatever wrongs one has done. She does not like Waste’s Edge and would rather be in Cirdanth. She will inform even total strangers of her preference for the city and “civilization”.
Oliver Redwyne
Oliver is the only son of Orloth and Lucia. He is fourteen. It is his job to mind the stables, but he also shows guests to their rooms. He is an imaginative lad, sometimes though to be overly imaginative. His “over-active imagination” has gained some credibility of late, however. His information about the guests is very general and sometimes wildly inaccurate. However, his mistakes of fact should not be confused for stupidity. He still knows what is going on and may hear what no one else can hear, especially if there are no Elvish or Half-Elvish folk staying at the Inn.
Jelom Rasgar
Jelom Rasgar is gruff. He is a former sergeant of the guard in Erinsford. He came to Waste’s Edge for the pay, which is very good, especially since rarely does anything need doing. His typical week involves little more than standing guard, acting important, and handling small incidents with the dock-hands.
Jelom, though a former sergeant, still professes to serve Lord Albrecht. His knowledge of his Lord is detailed, but somewhat inaccurate. He knows nothing of Albrecht’s dark schemes, instead respecting and admiring a version of Albrecht of Wyvernesse which no longer exists. Explanations of Albrecht’s schemes would be wasted on Jelom and might even result in the end of his limited co-operation.
Talan Wendth
Talan Wendth is also a servant of Albrecht of Wyvernesse and just as much in the dark about his Lord as is Jelom. Whereas Jelom might remain in Albrecht’s service out of duty or loyalty even if he knew about Albrecht’s plans, Talan would leave the Lord’s service at the first chance. Talan is an honest fellow, except when it comes to his singing.
3.3 Others
The player will not meet these characters, but they are relevant to the background or are mentioned in dialogues with other NPCs.
Bregon the Swift
Bregon is the guard the player hears about, but never sees. He always seems to be in Erinsford when the player is in Waste’s Edge and Waste’s Edge should the player ever journey to Erinsford. Bregon, like every other native of Erinsford, had a surname. He dropped it when he tried to become a ranger. He did not pass into the Order, but he continues to use the skills gained as a novice. He is now known as Bregon the Swift, or simply Bregon Swift. He moves quickly when afoot and moves even more quickly on horseback.
Padrig Kurwen
Merigan Kurwen
4 Locations
Here you’ll find a brief description of the various places that play a role in Adonthell 0.4 - “Dun Barethsol”.
Dun Barethsol
Underground village
Waste’s Edge
Bandit Camp
Yetin Monastery
Mountain village
Abbot’s Hut
Uzdun’kal
Hunting Castle
Witch’s house
Map 1: v0.4 game world
4.1 Abbot’s Hut
This is the hideout of Abbot Tham the Learned who escaped the attack on the Yetin Monastery. The hut is nothing more than an old shepherd’s shelter. It is visible for travellers on the road to Uzdun’kal, but not directly reachable that way. A small path from the monastery leads to the hut, but it has not been used much lately and is hardly visible anymore.
4.2 Bandit Camp
A number of Alek Endhelm’s thugs camp out at the edge of the Swamp. The camp lies a bit off from the main entrance to the swamp and consists of a few crude shacks. The one in the centre of the camp is somewhat more solid and is meant to be used as a prison.
4.3 Dun Barethsol
These are the remains of an ancient elvish tower north of the Swamp. Most of the large compound lies in ruin, but the first few floors of a small side tower are still upright. The Hunting castle whole place reeks of magic, and everything seems to be more alive than elsewhere. Albrecht of Wyvernesse has established his alchemy lab in the tower. He has also imprisoned the Dragon there, which is not quite under his control yet. Apart from Albrecht, only one or two of his most trusted kinsmen stay at Dun Barethsol.
4.4 Hunting castle
In a little valley east of the Elenstroem lies the hunting castle of Albrecht of Wyvernesse. It’s surrounded by a nice garden, and although it is quite small, it speaks of it’s owners wealth. The compound is surrounded by a wall. A larger gate in the front leads to the main entrance, while a small door at the back leads directly to the kitchen tract. The castle itself isn’t build to withstand any attack, but rather to give a pleasant sight. There are a few guards and servants around, and a mysterious guest of Albrecht, who turns out to be Alek Endhelm.
4.5 Mountain village
High up in the mountains lies a little settlement, too small to have a name that outsiders would know. It is home to lumberjacks and shepherds and has little attractions for passing travellers. As it is located some way from the road to Uzdun’kal, there aren’t many visitors anyway. One exception is the Lady Rhayne Frostbloom, an half-elven artist currently staying there.
4.6 Swamp
The area north of Waste’s Edge and west of the Oreth-Arinyae is pathless moorland. The ground is treacherous and full of little pools of rotting water. Even in summertime, thick fog hangs over the moor and unwary travellers are often swallowed by quicksand. Little grows there, and that which grows is often crippled and covered by moss and lichen. The swamp is also home to Grendal, an old evil poisoning the source of magic near Dun Barethsol and those that tap it.
4.7 Underground village
A small Dwarven settlement and mine, little more than an outpost of Uzdun’kal. It is home to miners and workers. The only artisan is the gem cutter Helmerk Axehaft, who is also the village chief. Compared to the amazing, labyrinthic halls and passages that form Uzdun’kal, the underground village is little more than a few dark chambers next to the main shaft.
4.8 Uzdun’kal
Of all dwarven settlements in the south (save the legendary Amon-Azak), Uzdun’kal is by far the greatest and most impressive. To outsiders, the whole underground complex appears to be a random arrangement of homes, workshops, plazas and meeting halls. Many stairs connect the different levels, galleries surround the huge caverns and bridges cross many a bottomless chasm. Water is present everywhere, flowing through numerous channels to drive strange machinery.
4.9 Waste’s Edge
Waste’s Edge is nothing more than a small trading outpost, but apart from Uzdun’kal it is the largest settlement in the area. It is composed of the docks and storage houses at the Elenstroem. There is a little shop front along the “main street”: the Turvale’s smithy, the shop of Solmanus the healer and finally the second hand book and oddity shop of Cirades Rymon. A little bit into the forest lies the Redwyne Inn and even further north the small village cemetery. To the east lies the farm of Aladan venRhys.
4.10 Witch’s house
Deep in the forest, south-east of the Elenstroem lives Ella of the Green. Her house is old past any living memory and seems to be alive at times. The surrounding woods are even older, darker and more eerie than any other forest in the area. There is no obvious path to and from Ella’s house, as she seldom leaves it. Neither does she have many visitors. A hidden trail starts not far from her house and leads northwards to the valley where Albrecht’s Hunting Castle is located.
4.11 Yetin monastery
Even more remote than the Mountain Village lies the monastery of the Order of the Keepers. It sits in a small, green highland valley in the western side of the mountains. Cherry trees are growing there, and a small brook has its origin near the monastery. The monastery itself is composed of a few small stone buildings surrounding the central yard. They all show signs of destruction from the bandit’s attack. Doors and windows are hanging from their frames, the yard is littered with broken furniture and some of the roofs have been set to fire. A small group of bandits were left behind by Alek, to guard the few surviving monks.
5 Main Plot
This section covers all quests associated with the main plot.
Level 1 Marcella arrives at Waste’s Edge
Level 2 Marcella arrives at Albrecht’s Castle
Level 3 Marcella arrivesat Swamp
Level 4 Marcella arrives at Dun Barethsol
5.1 Help Yetin Monks
The Yetin Monastery has been raided by Alek’s brigands, in order to retrieve the Dragon egg for Albrecht of Wyvernesse. Only Abbot Tham the Learned has managed to escape. He has been severely wounded though, and is unable to bring help for his fellow monks, who are captives of the bandits. This quest can lead Marcella on the path of her late mother more than any other of the remaining alternatives. She may meet Ella of the Green, and in general will bring help to people instead of harm. The quest can be completed without killing. Intro
5.1.1 Meet abbot
When following the Elenstroem northwards to Uzdun’kal, one may spot the Abbot’s hiding place on a plateau across the river. The most obvious path to the hut originates at the Mountain village, often used by shepherds and their flock. Lately, none of them have been to the plateau, as wolves haunt the area. Therefore, the abbot’s presence has gone unnoticed so far. When Marcella arrives at the hut, she will find Tham wounded and near death. He tells her of the assault on the monastery, and of the brigand’s captain. He can describe the man, but put no name to him. He seeks the help of Marcella to free his fellow brothers and sisters, who are captives of the brigands that hold the monastery.
5.1.2 Locate monastery
When queried about bandits in the area, several people around
Waste’s Edge provide rumours that the nearby monastery has been attacked. As the monks are very secretive, little is known about them and their affairs, but there have been fires at night, and some people that were travelling through the forest below the monastery reported hearing sounds as of battle. The path to the monastery is well hidden, but the villagers can give the general direction. As an alternative for those that spoke to Abbot Tham the Learned, there is a small path that leads from his hut to the monastery.
5.1.3 Drug brigands
With herbs and knowledge Marcella might obtain from Risartus Solmanus or Ella of the Green she may poison the brigand’s water supply or food. Depending on the mixture, they will be handicapped in battle or completely stunned. In latter case there will be no need to fight them.
5.1.4 Free monks
On freeing the surviving monks, Marcella learns of the (dragon’s) egg that was taken from the monastery. (How did the monks come across the egg?) The eldest of the monks will speak to Marcella and tell her that the Abbot has vanished. If Marcella already met Tham the Learned, the monk will be relieved and ask Marcella to Help Dwarves of Uzdun’kal 13 report to him. Otherwise, he will ask her to find him. One of the younger monks has seen him fleeing. In the direction the monk sends her, Marcella will eventually find the small trail that leads to the valley where the Abbot is hiding. Tham the Learned will ask Marcella to find the captain of the brigands and the egg. Unless Tham has been healed already, or Marcella has the medicine from Ella with her, his death will end the conversation. Otherwise he might be able to give further clues as to the egg’s nature.
5.1.5 Fight brigands
Unless they are completely stunned, Marcella will have to kill the brigands at the Yetin Monastery in order to free the imprisoned monks.
5.2 Help Dwarves of Uzdun’kal
Once the embarrassment about Fingolson’s foolish deed has dwindled somewhat, the dwarven sense of justice is getting the upper hand. Hasn’t Alek Endhelm stolen what rightfully belongs to the Dwarves? Lord Thorig Axehaft now faces the problem of bringing the thief to justice without drawing more attention to the unlucky incident. He decides on hiring an outsider to capture Alek with the necessary discretion. This quest is the middle course between good and evil. Marcella will need some cunning and tricking to succeed against her competitors for the job. Killing is required too, but little harm is done to good people. It should be noted however that the Dwarves act rather selfishly.
5.2.1 Read posters
Around Waste’s Edge, posters inform that the Lord of Uzdun’kal seeks for adventurers to accomplish an unspecified task. Interested people should meet Ynar Hammerhand for further details at the Redwyne Inn.
== 5.2.2 Convince Guards == If Marcella does not care to talk to Ynar Hammerhand, or cannot convince him to let her participate, she may try to talk her way past the Dwarves that guard the entrance to the deeper levels of Uzdun’kal. This will be more difficult than convincing Ynar, but it gives Marcella a second chance if she upset him.
5.2.3 Convince Ynar
If Marcella has read the dwarvish posters, she may talk to Ynar Hammerhand about that topic. Otherwise it will take some persuasion before Ynar reveals his affairs. In any case, he does not think that Marcella would fulfil the Dwarves’ requirements. Only with much effort, she will be able to convince him. She needs to be careful not to upset him, though. Once Ynar deems her suitable, he will hand out a letter that will get her past the guards of Uzdun’kal without trouble.
5.2.4 Succeed at audition
Several Rangers and other folk have followed the call of the Dwarves. Before one of them will finally be assigned the quest, they’ll have to undergo a number of tests, so that the best of them may be determined. With a bit of luck, and possibly some tricking, Marcella can win that test. (The exact procedure of the test needs to be thought of yet.) If she fails, she may still try to capture Alek for the Dwarves, but she won’t get any further help from them. Lord Thorig Axehaft will tell her of the business with Bjarn Fingolson, Alek Endhelm and the Catseyes, although Marcella might have heard some vague rumours inWaste’s Edge already. The Dwarves aren’t after the Catseyes, which were of low quality anyway, but they want to get hold of Endhelm, to put him to trial and to just punishment. Unfortunately, Lord Axehaft does not know about Alek’s whereabouts, but he advises Marcella to ask around at Waste’s Edge.
5.3 Help Men of Knife
When asking around for work, some villagers might direct Marcella to Elgar Basil, the dockmaster. He has no ordinary work for her, but will offer “something different”. He won’t tell her more, unless she accepts the offer. Of course Marcella may chose to not follow his orders, or keep the loot for herself. But in that case, she won’t be able to proceed any further. If she does proceed, it will lead her onto the evil path. She will steal and murder. This will make it easier for her to team up with Alek and/or Albrecht later on, but on the downside, she will receive less help from Ella and others.
3.1 Steal Ynar’s Dagger
Elgar Basil is interested in the exquisite dagger of Ynar Hammerhand. It is a powerful weapon of dwarven manufacture, possibly enhanced with mighty runes. The dwarf is usually keeping it in a locked chest in his room. With some skill in lock-picking, Marcella will be able to open it. When searching Ynar’s room, Marcella may find one of the letters that allow the bearer to take part at the audition held by Thorig Axehaft. This will give Marcella the opportunity to leave the evil path and help the dwarves instead. She may even follow both ways for some time. Will Ynar attack Marcella, if she speaks to him while carrying his dagger? == 3.2 Steal Magicka == The Men of Knife are in search for some magic items that will help them. The dockmaster believes that Risartus Solmanus might have these items in his shop. He is wrong however, so Marcella won’t find what she is looking for when sneaking in there. Therefore, Elgar will tell her of a witch that is rumoured to live in the forest to the southeast. She should have the desired potions and ingredients. Upon arrival at Ella’s cottage, the witch will sense Marcella’s intention and confront her. She’ll reveal some details about her origins and urge her to return to the right path. If Marcella refuses to do this, Ella will ask her to leave and not come back. In that case, Marcella will have to grab the magic items and run for it, before Ella’s golem drives her out of the cottage. If Marcella agrees to change her life, Ella will leave the room to fetch an amulet that belonged to Marcella’s mother. If Marcella takes the opportunity to steal the magicka, Ella will again confront her and tell her that she hasn’t passed the test. Then the golem will go after her. Once Marcella accepts the amulet, she should no longer be able to steal the magic items. But then Ella should give some further hints. She could send Marcella to help the shepherds (and thus discover Abbot Tham the Learned), or send her directly to the Yetin Monastery, to free the monks.
3.3 Silence Ranger
After returning the magicka to Elgar, he will tell Marcella of a
Ranger that seems to know too much about his business with the Men of Knife. The Ranger’s camp is located in the forest between Waste’s Edge and the mountains. Marcella needs to go there and kill him.
5.4 Locate Alek Endhelm
Both Abbot Tham the Learned and Thorig Axehaft ask Marcella to hunt the mercenary, although for different reasons. As none of them has an idea of Alek’s whereabouts, it is up to Marcella to locate him. Presently, he is staying at Albrecht’s Hunting castle. If Marcella does not go there unintentionally, one of the following paths will take her there eventually.
5.4.1 Deliver pralines
When Marcella returns to Waste’s Edge, she might spot a boat at the docks that has newly arrived. Aboard (or at the docks) waits a merchant who will approach her if she gets near. He will ask her to deliver a package of finest pralines to Albrecht’s hunting castle. He has tried himself before, but was waylaid by robbers twice so far. He suspects that they know him, but hopes that Marcella may pass unharmed. If Marcella accepts the job, the guards will allow her to enter the castle without much hassle. They’ll ask her to bring the pralines to Albrecht’s guest, who turns out to be Alek Endhelm.
5.4.2 Ask Ella
Being a witch, Ella of the Green may have her own means to figure out Alek’s location. When Marcella asks her, she is willing to help, but not without something in return. (What will that be?) Once Marcella completed Ella’s errand, the witch will reveal that Alek is staying at Albrecht’s Hunting castle. Ella might make the remark that Albrecht seems to have something bad going on. She will also show Marcella a hidden way into the valley where the castle lies. That way, she can approach the castle from the backside and can sneak in without the guards (and Alek’s thugs) noticing. Once inside, finding Alek shouldn’t be too difficult.
5.4.3 Hunt bandits
Fighting some bandits outside the main bandit camp and questioning the survivors will reveal Alek’s whereabouts to Marcella. Reaching him will probably require more fighting though, as the entrance to the castle is guarded and Marcella will not be allowed to enter without reason. Alternative solutions might be possible though, like persuading the guard or following plot line 4.1 above.
6 Side Quests
These quests are not required to follow the main story line, but might provide useful information, training or items.
6.1 Drive off wolves
Carrying out this quest will lead Marcella near the Abbot’s Hut. In the Mountain village, the shepherds will tell Marcella of wolves that haunt the valley where they usually keep their sheep. The valley is located north of the village. The wolves reside within a small cave, a bit further into the mountains. Andare the Ranger might know how to get rid of the wolves without killing (all of) them. Otherwise Marcella will have to fight. The shepherds won’t offer much in return for Marcella’s help. If she refuses to take what little money they have, she’ll recieve some rare herbs instead.
6.2 Heal abbot
This quest is no longer available if the Abbot dies. This will happen when Marcella visits after rescuing the monks. When offering help to Abbot Tham the Learned, he might tell Marcella not to worry about his person. Only a Sister of the Green would be able to cure him now. Some other folk, like Andare the Ranger might direct Marcella towards Ella. She’ll brew some medicine to deliver to Tham. He will not recover on the instance, but he won’t die either. As a reward, Marcella will recieve a summons from Tham that asks friends of the Yetin Monks to aid her. Lady Rhayne Frostbloom would be one of them, for example.
6.3 Convict praline thief
If Marcella agrees to deliver the pralines to the Hunting castle, she will be attacked on the way. A ranger will come to her aid, and after driving the robbers off, he will ask Marcella about her business. If she tells him the merchant’s story, his suspicion will fall on Elgar Basil, the dockmaster. He’ll tell her that Elgar is a shady type, somehow associated with the Men of Knife. Then he leaves her alone. When Marcella returns toWaste’s Edge, she may get the guards to search the dockmaster’s office. There they’ll find some pralines of earlier shipments and a few other things that have gone missing around Waste’s Edge. Once the crime is solved, the merchant will be very grateful. As a reward, he asks Marcella to keep all payment when finally delivering the pralines.