Feathered Fiends [Quest]

Text of the Quest:

Feathered Fiends Kozanset, a small settlement in the deserts of Alikr, is having harpy troubles. Mercenaries seem to protect the town for pay. I can talk to some of the people around town to hear their opinions about the seriousness of the harpy problem.

Tasks

Talk to Townsfolk about the Harpy Situation

Gold Coast Scout: No end to these winged rats. Not that I'm complaining! Every feather's worth a fortune in gold to us now! You one of the magistrate's charges? I'm only shooting the ones in town, don't worry.
Hero: You're being paid to kill harpies?
Gold Coast Scout: Don't think about trying to cut in! Daneem's got an exclusive relationship with the magistrate. She gets wind of any shenanigans ....
Hero: Point taken. But why the need for harpy bounties?
Gold Coast Scout: Not my concern. I get paid for feathers regardless. Go talk to some of the townsfolk if you're that curious. The magistrate's the one who runs this town. Tell him I've got some more feathers coming his way!
Hero: I'll go talk to the townsfolk.

Kabrahla: You're a new face to me, unlike that flappy buzzard over the barn.
Hero: Did that harpy attack you?
Kabrahla: What? These birds aren't aggressive! I've had horses do more damage to me than any harpy. And I've had more trouble with these mercenaries than I've ever had with either steed or bird.
Hero: Are the mercenaries causing trouble too?
Kabrahla: I saw them steal four sacks of good grain from Zihlran, a Khajiit merchant. And in the magistrate's name, mind you!
Hero: What did Zihlran do?
Kabrahla: Him? Ran off, no doubt! Who knows what he does, or where he hides after he's run amuck in the market. He trades more than just grain, if you ask me. You won't be the only one looking for the furry-tailed wretch.

Zihlran: I've been found! Oh, but you are neither harpy nor Gold Coast fiend. What a relief!
Hero: Why are you hiding in a crate?
Zihlran: You would be too if you heard those ... beasts! The screeching, pecking, clawing beasts! This one had hoped the mercenaries would take care of our bird-woman problem. But, no! Now Zihlran has two problems!
Hero: Are the mercenaries not helping?
Zihlran: Oh, yes. They help themselves to my gold and my goods! And sometimes, they help against the harpies. So, I wait here. Sooner or later, one of Zihlran's problems will go away.

Foreman Malumah: Keep one eye to the skies, friend. The harpies like to swoop down and grab whatever's light enough to carry. I've lost two hats and a goat to the feathered villains.
Hero: Aren't the mercenaries taking care of them?
Foreman Malumah: Only after they've sucked you dry! I refused to pay their protection fee, and the next day my house was ransacked! I'll keep my own watch for harpies coming near from now on.
Hero: Do you know why the harpies are attacking?
Foreman Malumah: Sep's entertainment, I can only guess. It's not like one can ask a beast why it acts so. It is simply its nature.

Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: We're dealing with the harpies as fast as we can, I assure you. Now please, address any specific complaints to one of the guardsmen.
Hero: What was that all about?
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: Nothing. I have things under control. We've got a reliable group to protect the town until we're self-sufficient again. And please don't say anything to Daneem. She can get... upset when the end of her tenure is brought up.
Hero: Who's Daneem?
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: She's the leader of the Gold Coast mercenary troop. I hired them to make up for our shoddy defenses when the harpies attacked. They get the job done, and that's about as much as I'll say.
Hero: I'd be willing to help.
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: Daneem doesn't like competition, and I'm certainly not going to endanger our business arrangement. If I were you I would keep my stay here brief. Now if that's all, I'm sure you can see yourself out.

Leja at-Lehiel: Meet me at my house. It's at the edge of town, past the smithy. I'll tell you everything I know. See you soon, I hope.

Leja at-Lehiel: Be at ease. The mercenaries dare not enter my home uninvited. I watched you long before you spoke to my father, Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel. You spoke to people in town, and listened to their answers. Are you actually interested in helping?
Hero: Who are you?
Leja at-Lehiel: I'm the magistrate's daughter, raised here, though now I am a traveling merchant. I came back when I heard of the town's troubles. My father insisted he had it under control. Now I'm doubly sure I returned at the right time.
Hero: What's been happening in Kozanset? If I I
Leja at-Lehiel: The Gold Coast mercenaries, our supposed saviors from the harpies, are our problem. They extort and steal from the good people here. And what's more, they've done nothing but make our harpy issues worse.
Hero: How've the mercenaries made things worse?
Leja at-Lehiel: Since Daneem and her friends arrived, the harpies are angry with the town. They're usually nothing more than flying rats. The harpies can attack, yes, but only when provoked. And I know the mercenaries are the ones who've provoked them.
Hero: How can you stop the harpies?
Leja at-Lehiel: The mercenaries hid harpy eggs around Kozanset. Naturally, the harpies want the eggs back. That's the root of the town's harpy trouble. We must find and return their eggs so one problem's solved. But first, follow me upstairs.

Leja at-Lehiel: I rescued her from them. The mercenaries killed her mother, and the other chicks in her brood. This creature had done no wrong, yet they would kill her to be paid for her feathers! I couldn't stand by and let that happen. Could you?
Hero: Is that why you want to rescue the eggs?
Leja at-Lehiel: It's the right thing to do. For us and them. I'll be waiting in the town square for you, if you're willing. What do you say?
Hero: All right. I'll help you.
Leja at-Lehiel: Thank you. I can't do this on my own, and my father won't listen to me until I have proof. I don't think the eggs will be proof enough, but at least they will be safe.
Hero: How long have you been hiding a harpy on your balcony?
Leja at-Lehiel: She comes and goes as she pleases. This is a wild creature, after all. I do not even name her, for she isn't mine.
Hero: But won't she attack the town?
Leja at-Lehiel: Once their eggs are back in their aeries, the harpies won't attack Kozanset. And then we can deal with those mercenaries.
Hero: What will I do with the eggs?
Leja at-Lehiel: Bring me the eggs. I'll wait for you by the town's well. Even though it's in the open, many people exchange goods there, so it won't look suspicious.
Hero: I'll locate those stolen harpy eggs and bring them back.

Leja at-Lehiel: You're quite light on your feet. Let me see the eggs.
Hero: Here you go.
Leja at-Lehiel: Thank you for doing this. I'm sure not all of the eggs survived, but the least we can do is return them to the harpies. I don't have proof, but I know it was the mercenaries that did this. Who else could be so cruel?
Hero: Do you know where ...?
Leja at-Lehiel: Hold a moment. Someone's coming.

Leja at-Lehiel: We have to find out what they're doing.
Hero: Where should we start looking?
Leja at-Lehiel: The mercenaries go in and out of the warehouse next to my home. There's got to be a reason. Why don't you go there and find out what they're doing?
Hero: What am I looking for?
Leja at-Lehiel: One of them will let slip what their game is. Hide somewhere and listen to their chatter. I'll take these eggs back to my house for now. We can go to the aerie later to put them back.

Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: You! You are the responsible one! I told her not to trust those creatures, and now look what's happened!
Hero: What's happened?
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: My daughter was stolen away by the harpies! She and several other people from Kozanset. Their blood is on your hands! Daneem told me about your meddling!
Hero: Are the mercenaries looking for Leja?
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: Not yet. They say they must prepare for another raid by the harpies before they send anyone out on the sands. It's only right that you find my daughter, since you helped her get into this mess!
Hero: Where would the harpies have taken their victims?
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: Outside town, on the hillside where they keep their aeries. Feeding our people to their young, no doubt! And you! You instigated this attack!

Leja at-Lehiel: You're alive! I thought they might have taken you too ....
Hero: Are you hurt?
Leja at-Lehiel: Some. The mercenaries decided I was worth more dead than alive. They threw me out with a few others, beaten and bound. That's when the jackals came. Thanks to the harpies, I didn't end up like the others.
Hero: The harpies helped you?
Leja at-Lehiel: Well, this one did, and she brought some of her friends. They chased away the jackals and brought me to shelter. We must stop the mercenaries before any more innocents die, whether harpies or villagers.
Hero: Then let's go back to Kozanset and confront them.
Leja at-Lehiel: We don't need any more bloodshed. If there's a way we can end this without fighting, we must. I have an idea. Find my father. Ask that harpy out there to get you to town. I'll be behind you.

Harpy: The harpy doesn't seem to be afraid or aggressive.
Hero: Leja at-Lehiel said you could take me back to town. Goodbye.
Harpy: The harpy seems to be waiting for you to say something else.
Hero: I'm ready to go if you'll take me!

Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: You're here! Did you find my daughter?
Hero: She's safe. The mercenaries were the ones who kidnapped her.
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: What? That's ridiculous! Why would they want to abduct the very people I'm paying them to protect?
Hero: You can ask Leja for yourself if you don't believe me.
Magistrate Andrin at-Lehiel: I will! Where is she? Is that her over there?

Leja at-Lehiel: The harpies are congregated around this building. Looks like the mercenaries took something every bit as valuable as the harpies' eggs.
Hero: What do you think it is?
Leja at-Lehiel: I've no idea, but we need to restore goodwill with our flying neighbors. Even my father is in there to negotiate the mercenaries' departure. They should be out soon. The villagers, I mean. They want to cast Daneem from the town themselves.
Hero: And once she's gone?
Leja at-Lehiel: She's a coward and a bully. Once her nature's revealed, my father won't let her back into Kozanset. We'll need to return whatever she took to the harpies on the balcony. Head inside and find it. I'll try to convince them we're all friends.

Leja at-Lehiel: Who knows how long those fiends kept the harpies agitated, just to take advantage of this town? If I hadn't returned when I did, and gotten your help, they'd continue to terrorize my people and these harpies.
Hero: What shall I do with the matriarch's body?
Leja at-Lehiel: Give her to me. I still need to return their eggs, so I'll take her as well. Looks like I'll be around for a while. Though we disagree on many things, my father will need help regaining the town's trust. And, I miss this place. Harpies and all.
Hero: Complete Quest.