The Way to a Big Oaf’s Heart

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The Way to a Big Oaf’s Heart
Quest Giver Callen
Locations Nightgate Inn, Wreck of the Brinehammer, Understone Keep, Sleeping Giant Inn
Prerequisites None
Related Quests None
Enemy Level PC x 1.5 Class EncClassHorker
Quest ID Horkerquest Editor ID XX12E107
NPCs Callen, Clario, Gorr, Tusky
Reward Callen as a Follower

The Way to a Big Oaf’s Heart reunites Callen with her old friend and companion, Gorr. According to Callen, the friendship was broken the day she accidentally spilled his prized horker stew during a particularly wild swing of her flagon. In order to repair the relationship, Callen is in search of a legendary horker said to have wrecked a number of ships on the northern coast.

Here for Horkers
After finding her at Nightgate Inn, Callen tells the player she has come to Eastmarch to search for horkers, but hasn’t found one suitable enough for Gorr. She mentions rumors of a horker so large it sank a ship, and asks the PC if he/she will help her slay it. Callen will proceed to follow the player until they reach the Brinehammer.

Notes:
– Callen has a copy of the book “Horker Attacks” in her inventory.
– Her custom rusty iron sword does 6 damage as opposed to 7 with normal iron swords.
– Attempts to reunite Callen and Gorr without finishing the quest will result in additional dialogue where the two refuse to speak to each other.

Wreck of the Brinehammer
Once Callen enters the area in front of the Brinehammer, the quest will update and Callen will forcegreet the player. She will briefly discuss strategy before exiting the conversation, at which point a scene will trigger where she sniffs out the horker. Rushing toward the shore, she spots the legendary horker, Tusky, on a nearby island before engaging it in combat.

Notes:
– Tusky has the keyword ActorTypeDragon attached to it in order for the game’s boss music to play. While a separate keyword will prevent followers from the mod from calling it a dragon, the same will not be true for other followers with combat dialogue. Future updates may clone the vanilla music and make a separate track in order to avoid this issue and still leave the vanilla templates untouched.
– Tusky is 2.5 times the size of a normal horker.
– It is implied that Tusky wrecked the Brinehammer, as no official explanation has been provided in the game.

Finding a Chef
Despite receiving a cut of the legendary horker meat, Callen insists the stew needs to be cooked by a master chef, but more importantly, someone crazy enough to think horkers are food. Callen informs the player of a chef in Markarth who has experience cooking with magic. The two travel to the Understone Keep to find Clario Moorsley and request he make the dish. After initially turning the two down, the player convinces the chef by showing him the horker meat and its unparalleled marbling and texture.

However, the magnificence of the meat results in a new problem. Clario wishes to make a culinary masterpiece, and to do so he needs an assortment of items. The full list is as follows:

– Lavender
– Tomato
– Fire Salts
– Carrot
– Resist Frost
– Repel Undead or Repel Lesser Undead Scroll (Bane of the Undead also works as of v3.05)

Notes:
– Due to the game’s inability to recognize player-made frost potions, Clario will only accept potions that are found in the world or purchased at a store. As a result, speaking to Callen will result in her giving the PC a suitable potion.
– The Repel Undead scroll is an expert level scroll and the most difficult item to retrieve, essentially making it the only item that is likely not to be in the player’s inventory. In later versions, Repel Lesser Undead and Bane of the Undead will also progress the quest.
– Callen originally followed the player for the duration of the quest, but due to the difficulty finding the scroll, the player now has the option of leaving her at Understone Keep.

Majique le Horker
Retrieving the items will enable Clario’s dialogue and start a scene between him and Callen. However, Callen eventually admits that the stew smells delicious, and she joins the player once more as they set out to deliver the stew to Gorr.

Notes:
– The French name for the stew is borrowed from The Gourmet’s use of French in his “Potage le Magnifique.” However, the usage in Clario’s case is a bit backwards, as the translation is literally “Magic the Horker.”
– If another person is using the cooking pot, it may result in a delay in the scene being played.
– Original drafts gave the player the option of eating the stew and failing the quest.

The Oaf and the Elf
Taking Callen to Gorr will result in a brief confrontation, followed by Callen pointing the Redguard toward the player and the stew. After remarking on its deliciousness, Gorr will forgive Callen and finish the meal. Callen will thank the player and offer the PC her services whenever he/she needs her.

Notes:
– Depending on your previous interaction with Gorr, his location may vary.
– Callen will have a few additional lines of random dialogue upon completion of the quest.

The Way to a Big Oaf’s Heart (Horkerquest)
Stage Information
0 The player finds Callen at Nightgate Inn hunting for horkers.
5 The PC agrees to help Callen slay a legendary horker on the northern coast.
10 The pair arrive at the Wreck of the Brinehammer and discuss strategy.
15 Callen smells the legendary horker, Tusky, west of the shipwreck. It attacks Callen and the PC shortly thereafter.
20 The player slays Tusky and retrieves the meat, and must now speak to Callen.
25 Callen suggests bringing the meat to a special chef in Markarth to cook the stew.
30 The chef Clario Moorsley refuses to help the pair, until some coaxing from Callen and a view of the special horker meat.
35 Clario Moorsley agrees to cook the meat provided the player retrieves the necessary ingredients
45 After returning the ingredients to Clario, he cooks the stew.
50 Callen rejoins the player and the two set out to find Gorr.
55 Callen confronts Gorr and tells him she’s brought him a present.
100 Their friendship repaired, Callen leaves Gorr to the task of eating. She thanks the player and offers the PC her blade, with her relationship rank now set to 3.

Notes: Stages 17 and 60 are set during scenes or when entering a trigger at the appropriate stage.