Master of Lekis Blade [Quest]

Text of the Quest:

Master of Lekis Blade Ive arrived at Lekis Blade, a school of swordsmanship in the sands of Alikr. One of the disciples said I needed to talk to Disciple Tafa at-Makela in order to begin the rites of Lekis Blade.

Tasks

Talk to Disciple Tafa at-Makela

Leki's Disciple: This used to be a place of repose, of learning. Now ... I don't know. If my heart weighs this heavily, it is probably best if I leave this place.
Hero: What do you mean?
Leki's Disciple: We are a respected school of swordsmanship. Our blademasters are matchless, our students disciplined and sharp. I've been ordered to find more recruits for our school. Once, we were very selective on who would be allowed in. But now ....
Hero: Wouldn't you want lots of recruits?
Leki's Disciple: A thousand apologies. My tongue doesn't know its proper place. Yes, our knowledge can be shared by all who desire proper training. Perhaps you would take the rites of Leki's Blade? Please speak to my esteemed teacher, Disciple Tafa at-Makela. She's within.
Hero: I'll do so.

Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Your potential is obvious. I can see you've handled challenges before. Welcome to our school, recruit. Are you here to prove yourself, as have so many others before you?
Hero: How would I prove myself?
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Students prove themselves through the art of battle. Any fool can win a duel, but a master knows who will challenge her, and where it will occur. You must think as the masters did. Learn not just how they fought, but when, and why.
Hero: Why would your students need experience?
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: It is a delicate matter. I am unsure how to say this, but something is amiss. I need someone who can recognize signs of danger to help me. The training is important, but so are the lives of our students, and they are somehow threatened.
Hero: I will help you.
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Many have said it before you. But you cannot hold a sword at this school until you learn the most important lesson: the one of history. Speak to Smith Nabeenam and answer his riddles. He works at the forge. When he is satisfied, we shall talk again.

Smith Nabeenam: Greetings to you, student. What knowledge do you seek? A strategy to slay your opponents? The strength to protect your allies? The power to split a kingdom in two? These things you may do, and have done already. But these are not the arts I teach.
Hero: What can you teach me?
Smith Nabeenam: Listen! This is a tale of Master Fadalia, blademaster of Leki's Blade. While on walkabout, Master Fadalia encountered a wagon. The wagon's owner was an uninjured woman, facing an unmasked man. He held a battered axe; she, a pristine blade.
Hero: What did Master Fadalia do?
Smith Nabeenam: The woman said the man was a bandit who had already attacked her once. She begged Master Fadalia to intervene. Master Fadalia walked away, yet the woman lived to tell her tale. Why did she live?
Hero: Both the man and the woman were bandits.
Smith Nabeenam: You see as Master Fadalia did. The woman claimed she fought the bandit, yet she had no wounds. Had she parried his axe, her pristine blade would be notched. Had Master Fadalia faced the "bandit," the woman would have stabbed her in the back.
Hero: I'm ready for your next story.
Smith Nabeenam: Then hear the story of Master Ahram Sesnit. Long ago, a foreign mage came to challenge us. He claimed his power a match for our blades. One by one, he dueled our students. This master of alteration could turn steel to mist at will. Every student lost.
Hero: Did anyone defeat him?
Smith Nabeenam: Master Ahram was an initiate, yet he faced the mage and won. So handily, in fact, that his opponent made apologies and left, forever shamed. Of all the students who faced the mage, Master Ahram was far from the best warrior. How did Master Ahram win the duel?
Hero: Master Ahram used a bow.
Smith Nabeenam: A valid strategy, one that has certainly felled even the most powerful mage. Yet what would it have proven? The mage made no claim he could defeat any bow. He said only that his power was a match for the sword. Look deeper.
Hero: Master Ahram used a wooden training sword.
Smith Nabeenam: You see as Master Ahram did. The foreign mage claimed his power a match for our blades. Indeed, any steel that threatened him turned to mist as fast as one could blink, but a training sword is wood, and wood is nothing like steel.
Hero: I'm ready for your next story.
Smith Nabeenam: I tell you now the story of Master Ahram Sesnit's end. Long ago, Master Ahram was the blademaster here. In his last days, he called his favorite student to him. If she could give him what he wanted most, she would become the next blademaster of Leki's Blade.
Hero: What did Master Ahram want?
Smith Nabeenam: That is what you must discover. Master Ahram's legend is known by all, even the serving folk. Direct your questions to them—Halam, Unar, and Iman. Once you know what they know, return to me and give your answer.

Unar: The stables are not as busy as they once were. Still, I will care for all beasts that seek shelter within.
Hero: Do you know of Master Ahram?
Unar: Anyone who knows of our school has heard of him. He was the master who brought the teachings to so many, tireless in his quest for perfecting the blade.
Hero: What became of him?
Unar: In truth, no one knows! Many tales were told about his last battle with a group of bandits. Some say he survived, and went on to roam the sands beyond Leki's Blade. I can't imagine that myself.

Halam: It is good to see persons of renown traveling to Leki's Blade to train with our masters. I wish you well, traveler.
Hero: What do you know about Master Ahram?
Halam: Like many here, I came to Leki's Blade to become a great warrior. Despite my training, I lacked talent with a blade. I returned to my family, ashamed. And then, I remembered one of Master Ahram's lessons.
Hero: What lesson was that?
Halam: "We do not choose when we rest. To give up the hard road is to bring suffering to the next traveler." Basically, never give up. Ten years I've trained since that day. I'm no master, but if my family needs me, I can defend them.

Iman: Have you come to ... no, you're not the provisioner from Sentinel. I've had to send farther and farther away for simple things such as salt and grain!
Hero: I came to ask about Master Ahram.
Iman: Forgive me. These students mock my temper. You'd think I'm the old master's reincarnation, the way they bellyache! In any case, I know only the stories, such as the one about the enchanted knives.
Hero: What is that story about?
Iman: He forbade Redguard trainees to dabble in magic. When a traveling merchant brought enchanted knives, Master Ahram upturned the cart and chased the poor man into a sand dune! He wouldn't even use the metal! He threw the knives out after the merchant!

Smith Nabeenam: If you want to discover what Master Ahram's favorite student gave him, you must speak with the servants of Leki's Blade.
Hero: I'm ready to answer your riddle.
Smith Nabeenam: Excellent! Then tell me, what did Master Ahram Sesnit want at the end of his life? What did his student give him?
Hero: gave him an enchanted blade he could wield without pain.
Smith Nabeenam: If such a thing existed, Master Ahram would never have used it. No true Redguard warrior in his day would stoop to magic, no matter how dire his cause. No Redguard would be so weak. Look deeper.
Hero: She asked him to get her blade back from the bandits, giving him a last battle.
Smith Nabeenam: You see as the young student did, so long ago. By that time, Master Ahram was old and weak. No Redguard wishes to die in bed, but it's shameful to take one's own life to avoid hardship. Master Ahram left, not to die, but to face one last battle.

Disciple Raifa af-Haba: Here, the best blades of our generation train and hone their skills. You've seen many things, but do you think you can count yourself among them?
Hero: I'm willing to learn.
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: Then we'll see the make of your steel in battle. My students have trained for seasons, but you have the experience of true battle. If you can defeat them all, then I will count you as an equal to them. If not, then I have no time for you.
Hero: Disciple Tafa at-Makela mentioned my prior experience as well.
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: Ah! She's sharp as a knife's edge, even when she seems otherwise occupied. I see the way you walk, and it tells me you know how to handle yourself against others.
Hero: Have you noticed anything different about the school?
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: Like Tafa, I have not seen anything with my own eyes. We are both unsettled, but the source is veiled. Perhaps it's the wind. Perhaps it's something more. Well, student, are you ready for this test? Only after this will Master Fadalia teach you.
Hero: I'll face them all. I'm ready to begin.

Master Fadalia: You have more experience than our other students. I would not have accepted you as one, but I trust the judgment of the disciples. And, of course, you've done well thus far.
Hero: I'm ready to prove myself.
Master Fadalia: Then drink from the cup behind you. It holds a potent concoction to put you into a deep slumber. If you are worthy, Leki will reveal a vision to you. Retrieve Raifa's sword, Tafa's shield, and Nabeenam's hammer from this vision, if you can.
Hero: Sounds simple enough. What do I do with them?
Master Fadalia: When you awaken, take the armaments to the steps of the Blade, the tower crowning our school. Place each item at its altar and show your respect for the lessons you've learned. I will meet you atop the tower.
Hero: How can I bring things back from a dream?
Master Fadalia: These items are symbols. If you can obtain them in the dream, they will be in your mind upon your awakening, carried in your thoughts. You've learned history, and battled our pupils. This task requires your mind.

Master Fadalia: My secret is revealed. I provided our old master with his life source, the blood of our students, but no more! Though it means my death, I'm glad you've witnessed this. Before you kill me, I must beg one favor of you. Destroy Master Ahram Sesnit.
Hero: Master Ahram? I thought he died long ago.
Master Fadalia: He did. And now he's returned, as a foul undead creature. A vampire. I could not raise my blade against one so revered. But no such respect compels him. I couldn't defend the students. Couldn't even defend myself.
Hero: Are you hurt, then?
Master Fadalia: The wounds have long since healed. I've already fallen to his curse. It is how he compelled me to call for more and more students. Here, he feeds on our strongest. I'd hoped to stop him, with your aid. I was too weak.
Hero: Where is he now?
Master Fadalia: He sleeps beneath our monument to him, in the graveyard. Go after him before he has a chance to escape. The other disciples ... tell them what I've done. Whatever atonement they ask before I die, I will gladly do it.

Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Did you speak to Master Fadalia?
Hero: Yes, but not about what you think. She asked me to tell you she's a vampire.
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: What? You mustn't jest of such things! What did she say, truly? But your manner shows no deceit. How ... how did this happen?
Hero: It was Master Ahram Sesnit. She's asked me to kill him.
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Now I know you lie, for he's been dead for almost a century! Yet, the legends never did speak of his death .... Sep take you! I won't hear another word! Begone, and I will wait for Master Fadalia to tell me the truth of it!

Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: So, you are the one the others spoke of so highly. Master Fadalia has brought shame upon Leki's Blade. I would hear your thoughts before adding my own.
Hero: Who are you?
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: Master Fadalia summoned me. For matters of honor, many turn to an arbitrator for counsel. And, when the situation necessitates, I am willing and able to execute justice.
Hero: Why do you want my thoughts? I'm not from here.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: That is precisely why. Both Raifa and Tafa are too entwined to offer clear counsel, and I, on the other hand, have only just arrived. You have touched everyone present. As I said before, I would hear your opinion before I render judgment.
Hero: I don't think Master Fadalia should die simply for being a vampire.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: That is what Disciple Raifa af-Haba said as well. But I ask you: if Master Fadalia lives, will she become as the old master was? How can Leki suffer an abomination to exist, even if it is for the good of the school? Think on this before answering.
Hero: I should talk to the others before making a decision.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: It is a wise action to look before taking a step. Speak to Disciple Raifa af-Haba and Disciple Tafa at-Makela. What is decided here ... only one of them will be pleased.

Disciple Tafa at-Makela: And so it comes to an end, with all of us gathered together at the last. The student. The disciples. The master. And an arbiter!
Hero: What should Master Fadalia's fate be?
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: Since your revelation, I've been in torment. Master Fadalia always put the school first. When provisions run low, she goes without. When new weapons arrive, she tests them herself, lest the students be hurt by imperfect blades.
Hero: You believe she should live?
Disciple Tafa at-Makela: No! No, one such as she must die. For her lies, for her traitorous actions. She behaved without honor through these past months, hiding this shame from everyone. Clemency is not for one such as her. And yet... I will miss her guidance.

Disciple Raifa af-Haba: To think it has come to this! Never in my years of study has such a case been brought forth! Never!
Hero: What should Master Fadalia's fate be?
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: The undead have no place in Alik'r. And yet, Master Fadalia has guided us prudently. Courageously. Do we throw away the basket with one broken reed? Or do we repair it?
Hero: You think she should be spared?
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: Now we know her true nature, we can be prepared for anything. The masters teach us to recognize danger. She is dangerous, yes, but not such that we should cast her aside. We can help her, and she can still help us.

Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: Have you made your decision?
Hero: Why do you want my thoughts? I'm not from here. Goodbye.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: That is precisely why. Both Raifa and Tafa are too entwined to offer clear counsel, and I, on the other hand, have only just arrived. You have touched everyone present. As I said before, I would hear your opinion before I render judgment.
Hero: I don't think Master Fadalia should die simply for being a vampire.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: That is what Disciple Raifa af-Haba said as well. But I ask you: if Master Fadalia lives, will she become as the old master was? How can Leki suffer an abomination to exist, even if it is for the good of the school? Think on this before answering.
Hero: If it were up to me, I would spare her life.
Arbiter Salida al-Natedan: In truth, it is what I thought as well. Master Fadalia has served the school faithfully. It was not her desire to fall to a vampire. But, it would not suit the school for her to remain. Come, and I shall render judgment.

Disciple Raifa af-Haba: I still can't quite believe what's happened. I'm not sure how I will explain it to the younger students. No matter. Leki's Blade needs a strong leader. This duty falls to me.
Hero: Will you be taking over the school, then?
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: There's no one else. I'll certainly not be a replacement for the master, but I will try my best. I must, for the sake of the school.
Hero: What will happen to Leki's Blade?
Disciple Raifa af-Haba: It will go on, as it always has. Let it not be said that we shirk our responsibility when need arises. I will make Master Fa ... that is, the former masters, proud.
Hero: Complete Quest.