Thanks for the help. I’m not strong enough to fight bandits on my own.

No problem. I’m here to escort you back to the city.
Then the council hasn’t ditched me. It must have been Zannfar if anyone. Aldryn doesn’t have a particularly high opinion of me.

Funny, Zannfar said you were a capable fighter.
So at least one member of the council hasn’t forgotten me.
As for my skill as a warrior, Zannfar’s a liar, albeit a good one. I can hardly kill a skeever.

You look strong enough to me.
I don’t know what fight you were watching. There isn’t a bandit left, and I still might die from the exhaustion.
Thankfully, someone out there is looking out for me. I take it you didn’t come here by chance. The council. They must’ve sent you.

You lack a lot of things, by the looks of it. Strength is just the tip of the iceberg.
Point taken. I suppose I could’ve found another way to get back to Mzinchaleft, but the truth is I’m ill suited for this job.
I’m guessing the council sent you here to find me. At the very least, it looks like I chose a good place to wait.

How did you get lost?
Well, to be honest, I have a very poor sense of direction.
North, south, east, west…sure it’s all academic when you leave the city.
But you turn the wrong way for a second, and suddenly you don’t know left from right.

Why would Councilor Aldryn put you in charge of delivering supplies?
Zannfar wanted me close, so he told Aldryn I was a great soldier.
But the move backfired when Councilor fancy pants put me in charge of guarding caravans instead.
Of course, seeing as I’d have an easier time holding a cactus than a sword, I wasn’t much use when the bandits attacked.
Luckily, the snowstorm was so thick I was able to escape until you showed up.

Zannfar seems to hold you in high esteem.
And you as well, if he trusts an outsider to find me.
If you’re curious, I have a very specific skill set. But Zannfar doesn’t want me talking about it to the others.

What kind of skillset?
Let’s just say I’m very good with animals.

Follow me. I’ll take you back to Mzinchaleft.
Lead the way. Seriously, I would get lost again without you.

I’ve brought Azarel back.
Good work, outsider. And here I was thinking all that time breeding these monsters was gonna go to waste. 

How are they holding up?

You tell me fetcher. Come on. Your children are waiting.

enter chaurus farm

I think you’ll be pleased to see that I’ve left everything untouched.

Well, I don’t really care for the torture devices.

I told you, we may have use for them. So long as they aren’t in the way, just think of them as furniture.

Delightful.

Also, some of your eggs hatched while you were away. Naturally I had to kill them.
Your pet didn’t seem to mind though. That was surprising.

Of course. He recognizes us as his parents. I wouldn’t be surprised if someday he gets on his hind legs and calls you mother.

Just make sure he doesn’t forget how to kill. Or else I’ll have him sent over to the butcher.

Don’t worry, they’ll remember. I mean, it’s not like we won’t be giving them plenty of practice. No parent is that irresponsible.

(to chaurus) Hm…I’m not sure what Zannfar’s been feeding you, but you look healthy enough.

to player

So, do you want to try our friend out? It’s the least I can do considering you brought me home.

Sure, does he have a name?
I call him “Clicky.” His parents were named Clackers and Clickers.
If they keep dying, eventually I’m going to have to come up with something more original.  Maybe “Clicky Jr.”

That disgusting monster needs to be put down.
Not an animal lover, huh. Zannfar said the same, but he eventually came around. All it took was seeing one of them eat a Falmer alive.

Maybe some other time.
No problem. If Zannfar trusts you, then you’re free to come and go as you wish.

In any case, the chaurus respond to simple commands, just like any domesticated animal.
But trust me, if you get in a fight, you’ll be glad you took Clicky along instead of some dumb dog.

Are you sure breeding Chaurus is safe?
Well, the Falmer do it, and they don’t seem too smart. Why can’t we?

Because we’re stupid bags of meat.
Well, so are they. So it’s easier to convince them we’re family.

Good point. I don’t see a problem with it myself.
It’s too bad more citizens don’t think like you do. Fervasi’s the only one who’d approve, but only because she’d want to experiment on them.

Thank Azura she’s dead.

I think the problem isn’t whether we can, but whether we should.
Eh, chaurus are no more dangerous than mice, provided you give them the proper training.
And if one of them spits on you, it’s not the worst thing in the world. You just might go numb for a few days.

Intelligence and knowledge are not the same thing.
True, but if idiots can learn it, it should take smart people half the time.
Look, I’m not saying it’s easy. There’s a reason I keep most of them caged up.

Why does Zannfar want you to breed chaurus?
Well, for one, they lay a lot of goddamn eggs. So you can breed a lot of them for cheap.
Plus, everything about them is valuable.
They’re a great source of food, armor, and alchemy. Like cattle for tough guys.

How did you learn to breed animals?
I worked on a guar farm over in Morrowind. If you can teach an animal to carry your things, you’re pretty much a Spriggan already.
Getting a chaurus to follow you isn’t half as difficult.

Nevyn Scene

You know, I get complaints regarding just about everybody, except you. What’s your secret?

Beats me. But I do try my best to mind my own business.

Ha, that’s one thing I could never get away with. As an innkeeper, half the job is listening to other people’s business.

Well, it’s true you have to listen. But no one says you had to pay them any mind.

 

Hellos

Every morning I wake up and milk their fangs for venom. It’s really no different than owning a cow.

Chaurus are often discriminated against because they aren’t as attractive as other animals. A pity, really, as they make for great pets.

Sure, dogs are more loyal, but they’re soft and die easily. A dog is ten times as likely to make you sad than a chaurus.

Now cats, cats are the worst. Why would anyone want a cat over a chaurus? Ungrateful little sourpusses.

I think Clicky and the others can be trained to help herd other animals too, like sheep and goats. If they can just avoid the eating them.

The chaurus often spit on each other as a sign of affection. That’s because they’re resistant to their own poison.