Laid to Rest

Answers in the Ash

The Hold City of Morthal has more than swamp critter encroachment to worry about; there’s rumor around these parts about one of the homes in the city burning to the ground. Suspicions are rife. Nobody is trustworthy, and two villagers are arguing with the city steward Aslfur as you arrive. You can converse with the townsfolk, but a more elaborate version of the rumor can be gained when you visit the Moorside Inn and speak to the barkeep Jonna. Ask her about the story behind the burned down house. She refers to it as Hroggar’s house. It burned recently; the dying screams of his wife and child woke half the town. Now people fear the place, thinking it is cursed. Hroggar claims it started as a hearth fire. Some folks started a rumor that Hroggar was to blame, especially since he took up with a new woman named Alva the day after the fire. Jonna thinks the Jarl might even pay someone to get to the bottom of this.

It’s only a few steps across to Highmoon Hall, and a few more to reach Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone (or Jarl Sorli if the Civil War has forced her from power), who is usually seated on her throne next to Aslfur, her husband and steward. Address the Jarl regarding the ruined house. She knows that Hroggar blames his wife for spilling bear fat in the fire, but most believe his lust for Alva resulted in the arson. Now with the rumors of the cursed dwelling, no one will touch the ashes. Except for you.

The burned house is adjacent to the Moorside Inn. Head up the wooden steps and investigate the odd little glow in the corner. It turns out to be the spirit of the child who died in the fire, a girl named Helgi. The little mite is frightened and confused, but continue to ask her your preferred questions and she recalls the fire. She wants to know if you’ll play with her. Agree, and she wants to play a game of hide-and-seek, but not until after dark. That’s the time “the other one” comes out. She disappears before telling you anything else, although she seems afraid of this other entity.

Once darkness falls, after 8:00 p.m., journey to the western side of Morthal, to the small grave among the rocks with the coffin poking out. You won’t have a quest target to it, but if you mention your conversation with Helgi to the Jarl, she can tell you where to look, which activates a quest target. Standing nearby is a woman. Laelette the Vampire comes at you with a vicious draining attack. Defeat her at once. Before she attacks you, she screams that Helgi is some kind of “reward.” Slay her, and then inspect the child’s coffin. Helgi’s tiny voice tells you that Laelette was also playing this game, but she’s glad you found her first. Helgi goes back to sleep in her ghostly world, leaving you to find Laelette’s husband, Thonnir.

A Morthal Enemy

Thonnir is an anxious-looking man who usually comes running to grieve over the dead body of his wife, Laelette, who vanished months ago. He had assumed his wife had joined the war effort. If you question Thonnir about his involvement in all of this, he tells you that Laelette and Alva (Hroggar’s new lady) were good friends. Perhaps Alva is part of the arson?

Alva’s house is one of the sturdy buildings of Nordic construction in Morthal. During the day, you may see Hroggar exiting the structure. You can tell him about Helgi’s ghost or that Alva was the last person to see Laelette alive. Hroggar shows an amazing lack of compassion for his dead daughter and isn’t too concerned about Laelette’s fate, either. It seems the only way to gain more information is to search the dwelling. You can:

• (Lockpick) Try the lock on the door to Alva’s House (Adept) and pick it.
• (Pickpocket) Or remove the key to Alva’s House from Hroggar, ideally without being seen and fined by the Morthal Guards.

Once inside the residence, head down the stairs. During the day, you usually see Alva sleeping in the coffin. At night Hroggar might be sleeping in the bed upstairs. If she’s awake, she viciously attacks you, revealing her vampiric nature to you. Bring her down if necessary, but don’t leave the house without checking out her coffin. Alva’s Journal is here and proves that Morthal is under attack from vampires under the command of a Vampire Lord named Movarth. But this isn’t an assault using steel or spells; this is a subtle infiltration of the guards and residents, and Alva is one of the key succubi in this!

• Alva’s House Key
• Alva’s Journal

Return to Highmoon Hall and approach the Jarl. Inform her that Alva is the murderer who set the fire. When you tell her Alva is a vampire, the Jarl understandably wants proof. After showing her Alva’s Journal, the Jarl is both perturbed and in your debt, rewarding you with gold. Not wishing Morthal to become Movarth’s feeding grounds once again after a hundred years of peace and quiet, Jarl asks whether you can clear out Movarth’s lair and remove his presence for good this time. The townsfolk are assembling outside to help with this threat. This mob (which includes Thonnir) is yelling to slay the vampire and all his ilk. As soon as you move away from them, they head for Movarth’s Lair.

• Leveled gold pieces

Massacring Movarth’s Minions

Head north over the bridge and out of Morthal, with your weapon-wielding townsfolk following you. As you approach the lair, the residents’ bravado begins to wane, and they falter, leaving only you and Thonnir to deal with the vampires. No matter; a more subtle approach (or coming in with a Follower or Thonnir, whom you can stop at the entrance if you wish to explore alone) is preferable anyway. Enter the cave and descend the curved earthen pathway down to an initial confrontation with Frostbite Spiders. Head through the small tunnel to the south, working your way into a long cavern with a Vampire’s Thrall guarding a side tunnel. Slay the thrall before he assaults you. Then enter the side tunnel to the left (north), which leads to a foul-smelling chamber of corpses. A thrall is busily going over a dead villager’s pockets. Dispatch this foe close to the mass grave. Take whatever stolen possessions you need, then exit to the north.

This passage leads around to either a ground tunnel or a wooden platform useful for long-range arrow or magical attacks or a place to retreat to. The main chamber is ahead of you, where two vampires, thralls, and Movarth Piquine reside. To stay alive, attack one at a time, coaxing foes into narrower tunnels instead of becoming surrounded. The vampires and Movarth are formidable opponents, so use your judgment and favored fighting implements to get the job done.

Quest Conclusion

With the vampiric threat over, feel free to explore the north chamber to grab Movarth’s Boots (which add to your Sneak), and search the storage room with the Alchemy Lab and the connecting cavern. There’s another thrall to optionally take down before the lair’s chambers join, allowing you to head back up through the earthen entrance chamber, where a small ghostly figure thanks you for making her mother feel better. Back in Morthal, convene with the Jarl one final time, and tell her that the Master Vampire is dead. You are paid handsomely for your troubles and are congratulated by the Jarl and the townsfolk...who also take a rather large amount of credit for themselves.

• Movarth’s Boots
• Leveled gold pieces

Postquest Activities

Veteran explorers may be interested to know that Movarth Piquine was previously seen as a character from the book Immortal Blood that appeared during adventures in Oblivion. In this book, he is a man betrayed by a vampire.