Right of Theft [Quest]

Text of the Quest:

The Shade of Prince Naemon and the Veiled Heritance have somehow raised the infamous warriors of the Blackroot Clan from the dead. I was told that Indaenir may have a plan for returning the Blackroot Clan warriors to their rest. I should speak with Indaenir.

Nara: Well aren't you the bold one? Running around this part of the forest, you've got to be either fearless or just plain foolhardy. Haven't you seen the undead? I'm a Vinedusk Ranger and I'm not even sure I'm safe here.
Hero: Is Indaenir here?
Nara: Ah yes. You're the one he mentioned. He'll be glad you're here. The Veiled Heritance were one thing, but the undead are too much. They're Blackroot Clan. They were a cruel lot even when they were living, and now, they're even worse.
Hero: Is there a plan for dealing with them?
Nara: Don't ask me. We're at a standstill as far as I'm concerned. I'm not even sure what's at stake—until I know more, we're hunkering down here. Indaenir's been running around though. He's probably got a plan, but you two are on your own for now.
Hero: All right. Do you know where he is now?

Indaenir: Did she tell you? One of the greatest mysteries of Valenwood has finally been solved! Decades of conflicting rumors have been put to rest. We finally know what happened to the Blackroot Clan! They died ... right here in Vullain!
Hero: And now they've been raised?
Indaenir: Yes. Once again, the work of Naemon's Shade and the Veiled Heritance. And yes, I do realize we need to return them to rest... but I'm hoping we can uncover more about what happened here while we do. Are you ready to get to work, my friend?
Hero: Yes. Where do we start?
Indaenir: The Blackroot Clan warriors are even more bloodthirsty in death than they were in life, but there are also other spirits here—glimmers from the past—crying out for help. I think they're trying to show us something. We need to watch them.
Hero: All right, let's go watch them.

Indaenir: What a sacrifice! To think the villagers actually poisoned themselves in order to poison the Blackroot Clan ... it may be morbid, but it's also brilliant. Of course, that really doesn't help us return the Blackroot warriors to their graves, does it?
Hero: Not really. What should we do now?
Indaenir: From what I gathered, one of Naemon's servants has stolen General Malgoth's bow and compels the Blackroot Clan to fight by the Right of Theft. What we need to do is steal the general's bow back, and then we can release him from his vows.
Hero: How do we find the bow?
Indaenir: We must rely on the scenes of the past. After being poisoned, General Malgoth went to the Nereid temple. It's likely he died within. I suggest you go in and search for the general's remains. I'll continue searching for clues out here in the forest.
Hero: All right. I'll search the Nereid Temple.
Indaenir: Be wary in there. Nereids wield dangerous magic and can never be trusted. It's no surprise they helped the villagers in their suicidal plot. In fact, the Nereids probably consider General Malgoth's bow a prize. They will defend his remains.
Hero: Why would the villagers turn to the Nereids?
Indaenir: Desperation turns enemies into allies. The villagers knew General Malgoth and the Blackroot Clan were going to attack, and they knew they couldn't win. Likely, they asked the Nereids for help, and the Nereids convinced them this was the best course.
Hero: So you had heard of General Malgoth?
Indaenir: Of course. Malgoth sought to unite all the Bosmer under his leadership. He led the Blackroot Clan to conquer much of Valenwood during the Bosmer tribal wars. Then one day, they just disappeared. No one knew what happened ... until now.
Hero: What were the Bosmer tribal wars?
Indaenir: The Bosmer have always been free peoples, bound only to the Green. Rarely have the tribes united under singular leadership, although for a period many, like Malgoth, tried. Most of the so-called "wars" were not fought at all, but won by trickery.
Hero: But General Malgoth was an exception?
Indaenir: Yes, General Malgoth had traveled far and wide. He had seen the greatness that comes to those who conquer through military might. That you'd not heard of him is a tribute to the sacrifice of the Vullain Bosmer.
Hero: The Right of Theft can even compel the dead?
Indaenir: For General Malgoth, that's apparently the case. For all his ambition, he was still a staunch traditionalist. It's actually quite impressive that his sense of honor remains intact even so many years after his death.
Hero: How do you steal something from a dead person?
Indaenir: i'd say this is a perverted case. The value that Malgoth placed on his bow alone may be enough for him to want it back. Or, he may be using the Right of Theft as a more honorable justification for his new servitude. There was fear in his voice.
Hero: So Malgoth also observed the Meat Mandate?
Indaenir: As barbaric as it seems, many clans still lived by the old traditions during the Bosmer tribal wars. Mind you, they didn't consume the bodies of the dead because they enjoyed the taste. It was a matter of tradition.
Hero: And the Vullain villagers took advantage of that?
Indaenir: Apparently so. Though the tactics they embraced sound more like a Nereid plot than something the villagers themselves might have come up with on their own.
Hero: Why would the villagers turn to the Nereids?
Indaenir: Desperation turns enemies into allies. The villagers knew General Malgoth and the Blackroot Clan were going to attack, and they knew they couldn't win. Likely, they asked the Nereids for help, and the Nereids convinced them this was the best course.
Hero: Why did the Nereids even get involved?
Indaenir: Because it's in their nature. Death amuses them, and all the more when they can manipulate people into bringing about their own demise. As disasteful as it may be, the Nereids are part of the natural order. I just try to stay away from them.

Indaenir: We're back in the Shadow Wood. I had hoped not to visit here again. But if this is where he is holding the general's bow, then it's just as well. We need to find the Shade to get the bow back.
Hero: Where is the Shade?
Indaenir: I don't know. We'll have to search until we find it though. In the meantime, however, do you recall the glimmers of the past we saw earlier? It seems those spirits are trapped here in the Shadow Wood. We should release them.
Hero: How can we release them?
Indaenir: It's the shadow rifts that bind them here. From this side, you need only to touch the rifts to close them. That will release the spirits from their torment and weaken Naemon's grip on this place. If you'll focus on that, I'll search for the Shade.
Hero: All right. I'll go close the shadow rifts.

Elphirion: May Y'ffre smile on you! You closed the rifts that bound us here! You must stop that Shade though ... it seeks to do terrible things to Valenwood. Though I have passed on many years gone now, I still consider Valenwood my home.
Hero: Don't worry. I will stop the Shade.
Elphirion: Thank you, and thank you again for releasing us from his grasp. To be pulled back from the rest of death and bound like this, forced to serve such darkness ... it was sheer torture. Though we are dead, the people of Vullain are in your debt.
Hero: [Persuade] Surely there's some way you can help defeat the Shade.
Elphirion: Yes. I suppose there is. I can give you a shield that will protect you from harm while you remain in the Shadow Wood. Take it, and my blessing. May Y'ffre watch over you in this realm and back in the realm of the living.
Hero: Thank you.

Indaenir: That was a harrowing experience all around. I'm glad it's over. I hope we have succeeded in weakening Naemon's grasp on Valenwood as a whole. Only one thing remains ... we must deal with the spirit of General Malgoth.
Hero: Should I return the bow?
Indaenir: Yes, and since you have succeeded in stealing it, it falls on you to invoke the Right of Theft with the general. Whatever you ask of him, he will be compelled to do.
Hero: What should I ask for?
Indaenir: The compassionate choice would be to release the general and his army, to allow them to return to their rest. But if you prefer, you might ask them instead to turn against Naemon and aid our forces in the fight for Valenwood. The choice is yours.
Hero: All right. I'll talk to the general.

General Malgoth: So it's true then? You have retrieved my bow from the Shade?
Hero: I have, and I invoke the Right of Theft.
General Malgoth: My father told me, "You will find your bow in an animal's bone. Before it's even carved, you will see it." Mammoth's tusk—extraordinarily difficult to make a good bow out of—but it was just like he said. I saw it and I knew. What do you want?
Hero: I want your army to march on Naemon in the name of the Dominion.
General Malgoth: My army is loyal even deep within death, deep within the Ooze. They would march against the sun if I commanded it. They will march against Naemon.
Hero: Good. Then I'll count on your support.

Indaenir: So you commanded the general to turn around and fight on our behalf instead? I feel sorry for the spirits of his soldiers that they remain bound here, but at least you were able to free the villagers from the Shadow Wood.
Hero: What should we do now?
Indaenir: We've done all we can here, but it's clear that Naemon still seeks to harm Valenwood, so our work is not finished. I suggest we spread out and search for signs of darkness. When Auri-EI wills it, I am certain the Green will bring us together again.
Hero: Complete Quest.