From the Ashes

A Pain in the Ash

Usually on your third or fourth trip into Tel Mithryn, you may see Neloth’s apprentice, Talvas Fathryon, approach you. He’s more than a little flustered, telling you that he conjured an Ash Guardian, and now it’s running amok. You can:

• Ignore him, which doesn’t go down well.
• Offer to destroy it for him.
• Ask how this occurred.
• Or tell him this is his mess to clean up.

Any of those responses is fine, as you’re able to complete this quest with or without Talvas’s approval. You can also report the matter to Neloth. He isn’t happy about his foolish pupil’s lack of conjuring skill but leaves the combat options up to you.

Search the settlement outside for signs of a ruckus, and then approach and defeat the whirling dust storm of rock and magic. The Ash Guardian fights with melee strikes, blasts of choking dust, and (more rarely) a powerful but short-range Fire Storm. Slay the boulder-beast while avoiding its more potent strikes.

Quest Conclusion

Return to Talvas, who is usually in Neloth’s tower, worrying about his master’s wrath. Tell him of your success, and he rewards you with the Ash Guardian spell, if you have the skill to cast it, or a staff if you don’t. He also realizes his summoning spell went awry because he cast it without a heart stone; to conjure an Ash Guardian and bind it to fight for you, a heart stone must be present or the creature runs amok.

• Staff of Conjure Ash Guardian OR
• Tome of Conjure Ash Guardian

Postquest Activities

Talvas Fathryon will now join you as a Follower. Talvas will also sell you a Tome of Conjure Ash Guardian, if he has one in stock.

• Follower: Talvas Fathryon