Harsh Lesson [Quest]

Text of the Quest:

I've arrived at a place called The College of Aldmeri Propriety. One of the students claims this Thalmor training ground is a place of hardship and abuse. Shes asked me to investigate. Baham told me to begin my investigation by talking to Tanion, the headmaster of the College. I imagine I could also ask Baham some follow-up questions as well.

Tasks

Talk to Tanion

Baham: Nothing's worth this nonsense. Stuff the Thalmor! And the Dominion! And—
Hero: Hang on. What are you talking about?
Baham: Consider yourself most welcome at the College of Aldmeri Propriety. The Thalmor founded the place to teach us "lesser members" of the Dominion what we need to join the Guard.
Hero: I work for Queen Ayrenn. If there's a problem here—
Baham: Oh, fancy. Look, don't believe me? Go talk to Tanion, the headmaster. Ask that smug son of a bitch what this place is really like. Maybe someone with the Queen's ear can get a real look at this hole.
Hero: I'll look into this.
Baham: Anyone willing to hear us out is blessed by the Green in my book.
Hero: Can I ask you a few questions about the college?
Baham: Ask away.
Hero: Why does this place only train Wood Elves and Khajiit?
Baham: The High Elves insisted. They felt, ahem, that "without the proper training, our new allies would be unable to represent the Thalmor agenda."
Hero: What was it about the agenda that you couldn't represent?
Baham: The instructors spout nonsense about civilized behavior whenever we ask that kind of thing. Meanwhile, they try to break us out of our racial customs and culture. It's like being short or having a tail is an affront to the Dominion.
Hero: Can you talk more about what goes on here?
Baham: I'll tell you a little story. Friend of mine, Brinthir? A few weeks ago it was his birthday. Back in Grahtwood he and his parents used to do this little ceremony honoring the Green. Simple thing, just a few words.
Hero: Go on.
Baham: Tanion found him praying. Shouted at him, and threw him in the cave. Something about making him "an example to his mongrel race." These are the people teaching us here, damn it!
Hero: The cave?
Baham: Saltspray Cave. Pretty little hole in the ground behind the college. They use it as a corrective measure when we step out of line.
Hero: What are the Thalmor, again?
Baham: The Thalmor's the ruling party in the Dominion. It's made up of High Elf canonreeves, Wood Elf treethanes, and a handful of Khajiiti chieftains. Take a wild guess what's the strongest flavor in that particular stewpot?
Hero: If there are Wood Elf and Khajiit in the Thalmor, then why—
Baham: Do I look like a Treethane? Maybe they don't know what goes on here, I don* t know.

Tanion: Sorry, but we're not hiring any more instructors at the moment.
Hero: I work for the Queen. I'm here to conduct an inspection.
Tanion: Oh, truly? Consider yourself most welcome then. Apologies for my brusque greeting. It's been a trying few days.
Hero: I've heard reports of mistreatment here at the college.
Tanion: Nonsense. Are we strict? Yes. Do we make our students work hard? Yes. Combat, tactics, etiquette—to join the Thalmor, there's a great deal to learn.
Hero: How do you justify abuse?
Tanion: This is not a cafe in Skywatch. This is war! The Pact, the Covenant. They look upon Auridon as a succulent fruit, ripe for harvest. We must prepare our students for the trials they'll face in the field.
Hero: I'd prefer to see for myself.
Tanion: Fine. We have nothing to hide here. Visit the classrooms, spar with our instructors. You'll see our lessons are tough, but fair.
Hero: I'll do that.

Borchon: This is so humiliating.
Hero: What was that all about?
Borchon: Shh. Keep your voice down. It's part of our indoctrination. We have to denounce the Green Pact every day, commit ourselves to the Dominion.
Hero: Indoctrination?
Borchon: The instructors keep saying "there is nothing but the Dominion." We're supposed to give up our "old lives" and become one under the Thalmor. Now leave me be. You'll get me in trouble.
Hero: Very well.

llara: llara can't go to the cave! Not again!
Hero: Cave? What cave?
llara: Saltspray Cave. It's just north of campus, towards the beach. They throw us in to correct our behavior.
Hero: Why?
llara: Cruelty for the sake of cruelty, this one thinks. We don't get enough food. They mock us, beat us. We're supposed to be training for the Thalmor, but they treat us like slaves.
Hero: Thank you for speaking with me.

Sparring Proctor: I didn't know Tanion was bringing in any fresh meat today.
Hero: Actually, Tanion ordered me to spar with you.

Tanion: So. Did you finish your tour of our little school?
Hero: I did.
Tanion: What did you think?
Hero: I can't believe you treat these people like that.
Tanion: You just don't understand. These people are raw, untrained, undisciplined. We must take extraordinary steps.
Hero: Fine. Is there anything else I should see?
Tanion: Nothing comes to mind. Just the student dorms, and I'd prefer you let the trainees study in peace. Thank you for your interest in the college. I'm afraid I must be going now.

Baham: You've heard Tanion's lies, fancy agent. You've seen what they teach us. Now you need to see what happens after we leave those torture pits.
Hero: What do you mean?
Baham: i've just come from buying bandages and ointments from the Baandari. Those Khajiit are the only friends we have around here.
Hero: Why are you buying bandages?
Baham: You didn't see the beatings? The mistreatment? You think they smack us around like that, then hand us a bandage? They're not real careful about lunch and dinner, either.
Hero: How can I help?
Baham: I want you to see these people like they truly are. Nurad, another student, took the supplies back to his dorm. Go talk to him. Get the supplies, then bring them to Brinthir and Thalorel. They got it bad today.
Hero: Where will you be?
Baham: Need to go talk to Kara. She had it bad today, too. Her scars don't show on the outside, though. Get going.

Nurad: No! Nurad is ... This one does not know where these supplies came from. Do not hurt Nurad!
Hero: I'm not with the College. Baham sent me.
Nurad: This one. This one does not believe you. You are a spy for Tanion, yes?
Hero: No, I'm not. Have you ever seen my face before?
Nurad: No. No, you are right. Nurad knows all the instructors. Have you come for food, or medicine?
Hero: Baham told me to pass out bandages and ointment.
Nurad: The supplies from the Baandari. Yes. Thalorel and Brinthir are in the other dorms, recovering. Today was a bad one. For all of us.
Hero: I'll pass these out. Thank you, Nurad.

Baham: Bastards! Tall, pale, knife-eared bastards!
Hero: What happened?
Baham: I told you, I went to talk to Kara? I stepped away for five minutes and Tanion's trained dog Malangwe jumped her. She's taking lllie to the cave! She can't survive another night in Saltspray, not in the state she's in.
Hero: What do you want to do?
Baham: I II muster the students! We'll storm the caves! All we need are blades. Zaban, the Baandari that gave me the bandages. He'll trade with us.
Hero: Don't you already have weapons?
Baham: No. The instructors take back our training blades after class. Will you go talk to him? I'll grab some of the others and meet you at the Baandari camp.
Hero: I'll meet you there.

Baham: Zaban. What happened here, damn it?
Hero: It looks like the traders were ambushed. I found this note on Zaban's body.
Baham: The whole time ... I thought he turned our pain into money. He was trying to help us.
Hero: This was everyone you could muster?
Baham: This is it. Look ... I... we're afraid of the cave. Saltspray. Too many memories. Go look for Kara. She needs to get pulled out of there. We'll grab weapons from the camp here. Then go deal with our teachers.
Hero: Don't worry. I'll get llara out of the cave.

llara: She just wants to get out of here.
Hero: It's all right. Tanion is dead.
llara: They were going to kill llara. Just for being what she is. How ... how can I be anything other than Khajiit?
Hero: It's over now. Let's get out of here.
llara: Yes, yes. Thank you. This one is sure Baham is worried.

Baham: I don't have words. Thank you so much for finding llara. What news of Tanion?
Hero: Tanion is dead.
Baham: Then ... it's done. We've taken the school. We'll restart. We'll study to actually join the Thalmor. To put Bosmer and Khajiit in positions of power. Thank you, my friend. The alliance is stronger for your courage.
Hero: Complete Quest.