A Village Awakened [Quest]

Text of the Quest:

A Village Awakened senses that a powerful Daedra has wrested control of the animals away. As long as it remains, Merormo will no doubt resist freeing the villagers. I need to find the cave Merormo told me about.

Tasks

Find the Cave

Merormo: There's a powerful Daedra nearby. I know it now. You have to kill it.
Hero: Do you have any idea where it is?
Merormo: A moment. I can feel something. There's a cave, north of here. Whatever this monster is, dispatch it. And we can return the Grove to peace.
Hero: I'll meet you back in town as soon as I'm done.

Anenwen: Stay back! This cave is filled with Daedra.
Hero: I know. Who are you again?
Anenwen: Merormo leaves me here to die. And he doesn't even mention me? Stars take him! I'll kill that traitor twice.
Hero: Traitor? What are you talking about?
Anenwen: This debacle is all Merormo's fault! These beasts, controlled by Daedra? All his idea. He was trying to create animal soldiers. Fanged shocktroops with the ability to reason.
Hero: It hasn't gone very well.
Anenwen: No! It hasn't! Look, whatever's actually controlling these things, I think it's at the bottom of the cave. I'm. Very woozy. Blood loss. I'll stay here, try to stay conscious.
Hero: And I'll take care of the puppetmaster. Be right back.

Anenwen: I heard ... I heard the battle. Impressive. I assume you won?
Hero: The beast is dead. Can you walk?
Anenwen: Stars, yes. Let's get that bastard. Merormo needs to pay for what he's done here.

Merormo: Listen, you can't tell the canonreeve. She'll kill me. I'm not—I'm not joking. She'll have me put to a blade.
Hero: Explain yourself. Why do all of this?
Merormo: My nephew. Yandir. Went off to join the fighting and—damn it! I just wanted to stop spending our blood. My sister will never be the same!
Hero: How can Daedra ever save lives?
Merormo: It's not just the Daedra. It's the monoliths. I've studied them for years. Worked out how the magics pacify the beasts. But that's all the magic does. It turns beasts into mewling pets. Not combat troops!
Hero: So the Daedra were to control the animals through the monoliths?
Merormo: Yes! The Flame Atronachs are essentially just raw Daedric energy given form. I summoned some, hulled them down, and poured them into the monoliths. That creature in the cave was not in the plan.
Hero: Thank you for being honest.

Canonreeve Pinanande: What? What just happened?
Hero: The animals of the grove grew violent. To protect the village, Merormo turned everyone to stone.
Canonreeve Pinanande: He did what? Why would he do that?
Hero: [Merormo Lives] He was just trying to keep everyone safe.
Canonreeve Pinanande: Hhmph. Mages. Fine, fine. Thank you for speaking with me.

Merormo: Thank you. I heard what you said and—thank you.
Hero: I meant it. You were trying to save lives, right?
Merormo: I never meant for anyone to get hurt. And the lesson here is clear—Daedra are never the answer. I'll never attempt this kind of ritual again. You probably hear this kind of thing all the time. But again, thank you, traveler.
Hero: Complete Quest.