Honor’s Calling

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Honor’s Calling
Quest Giver Courier
Locations Whiterun, Folgunthur Exterior, Falkreath, Morthal
Prerequisites Anum-La‘s Jorrvaskr Conversation
Related Quests The Sleeping Giant, Blood of Kings Questline, Black Robes
Enemy Level Bandits PC x 1, Boss PC x 2 Class CombatWarrior1H
Quest ID Anumlaquest Editor ID 021413D9
NPCs Anum-La, Bodan, Dalum-Ei, Sellswords, Jerulith, Florentus
Reward Honorbound

Honor’s Calling is the story of the rise and fall of a company of heroes and their separate paths to redemption. It introduces the player to two members of the Honorable Eight, both of whom have been mentioned numerous times in Anum-La’s stories about the company. The quest delves into the various relationships and personalities in the company, and how a single tragedy shaped their definition of honor.

The quest begins when the player visits Jorrvaskr and listens to Anum-La’s Companion story. The tale was originally put in the mod as part of her overall status as a super follower, with unique conversations for all the major questlines. However, the nature of the dialogue made it an ideal prerequisite, as it referred to the characters in the quest and her acceptance as a valuable member of the Honorable Eight.

Similarly, during the construction of this quest, some of Anum-La’s previous dialogue had to be altered as a result of the events in Honor’s Calling, although much of her opinions regarding the group remain unaffected by the experience.

Letter From a Friend
Upon hearing the story of the Dunmer refugees, a courier will spawn upon exiting Jorrvaskr and deliver a letter to the PC. The letter is decidedly cryptic, asking the player to come to Folgunthur with his Argonian companion. Reading the letter will enable another conversation with Anum-La, but speaking with her is not a prerequisite for advancing the quest. Upon returning to the camp outside Folgunthur, they discover the anonymous friend is none other than her old company mate, Bodan.

Death of the Honorable Eight
Bodan’s arrival is bittersweet as he informs Anum-La that many of her former company members have been killed. Moreover, the killer is thought to a single assassin, and highly skilled. He tells her their leader, Dalum-Ei, sent Bodan north to warn her and Elia of the danger, but the Breton was killed before he could arrive. Their only lead is a man named Gabania, who the company had thwarted on numerous occasions and may now be seeking revenge.

Notes:
– It’s possible that Griffith has already killed Gabania due to the events of Brother and Keeper. As such, a line has been added in versions after 2.38 where the player can question the validity of Bodan’s lead.

Gabania’s Man in Falkreath
Upon arriving in Falkreath, the PC finds the Thalmor Justiciar, Jerulith, locked in a duel with a seemingly innocuous traveler named Florentus. Despite having hired Jerulith for a contract, the Justiciar mistakes him for another angry Nord and kills him without a second thought. When queried by the player, she vaguely recalls the contract in question before handing the PC the now worthless document. The letter indicates Florentus has been asked to hire sellswords to kill the Honorable Eight. This eliminates Gabania as a suspect, as the hiring of mercenaries would be redundant if an assassin had been recruited.

Notes:
– Florentus is tied to the events in Hunter’s Quarry, trying to secure a deal with the hunters for Gabania. He is mentioned as Sevaris’ contact in the letter Lagdu confiscated.
– Jerulith is no longer essential at this point in the quest.

Meeting Dalum-Ei
After dispatching sellswords both in Falkreath and outside Folgunthur, Bodan reveals Dalum-Ei has arrived and is at the Moorside Inn in Morthal. Upon meeting the swordsman, the Dragonborn asks the player to speak privately outside the inn. Dalum-Ei informs the PC that Indrel, another surviving member of the company, suspects Bodan, but quickly dismisses the claim.

After the initial conversation, the player can probe Dalum-Ei to learn more about the company and its members. When the conversation ends, Bodan will interrupt the pair. Dalum-Ei will request he play the following song, Tears of the Hist, while the player returns to the inn to rest.

[audio http://3dnpc.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/tearsofthehist_instrumental.mp3]

Notes:
– Tears of the Hist is the song Anum-La mentions when initially describing her fellow company members and their various histories.
– The player technically does not have to purchase a room. Merely activating the bed will progress the quest.

The Assassin Revealed
Anum-La wakes the player and reveals that Bodan and Dalum-Ei have gone missing. Searching the room will reveal a note that points to Dalum-Ei as the killer. Anum-La hints to the Dragonborn that the pair has likely returned to the marsh to have their duel. By the time they arrive, the player finds Dalum-Ei standing over Bodan with the bard on the cusp of death.

– The rain falling is forcibly induced in the CK and continues until the quest is complete.
– Nearby spiders and chaurus have been temporarily disabled to allow the final scene to play without a hitch.
– Anum-La is teleported to the area in the instance she is more than 1024 units away from the player. This is to ensure she is there to watch the scene unfold as followers can potentially lag behind.

Epilogue
Although the story of Honor’s Calling is over, the player can listen to the song Tears of the Hist by talking to Fjona inside the Bee and Barb. She will reveal that Bodan taught her the song as he passed Riften on the way to Morthal. Having Anum-La in your party will induce a scene with Fjona, followed by a final conversation where she and the player discuss Bodan. Upon completion of this conversation, the fame of the song will spread to other bards throughout Skyrim, notably Skjarn and Asteria. Amalee can also learn the song after finishing her personal quest and hearing it from any of the above mentioned bards.

2013-03-30_00096

Bug Note: A number of audio files were missing from this scene in versions 2.38 and prior, and will halt the scene prematurely. F5/F9 will bypass the missing lines.
Notes:
– If Fjona and Anum-La meet prior to the events of Honor’s Calling, the scene will reflect their friendship. Conversely, completing this scene prior to doing the Sleeping Giant quest will alter their idle banter.

Indrel
The lack of involvement of the Bosmer Indrel is deliberate, as the character is being saved for TESVI or a possible spin-off. Another logistical problem with introducing Indrel is the nature of her character, as she spends the majority of her time sleeping in trees and atop bookshelves. Taking Anum-La to an inn after the quest will enable a brief conversation where she talks about Indrel’s various idiosyncrasies.

Honor’s Calling (Anumlaquest)
Stage Information
0 After joining the Companions by finishing Proving Honor, taking Anum-La to Jorrvaskr will enable a unique conversation.
5 The PC listens to Anum-La’s story, which triggers the courier to deliver an anonymous letter.
10 An anonymous letter asks the player to meet at a camp outside Folgunthur The letter can be mentioned to Anum-La but is not required to advance the quest.
20 The pair arrive at the camp outside Folgunthur to find Anum-La’s old company member Bodan waiting for them. Bodan informs Anum-La that an assassin is after their old group.
25 Anum-La and the PC follow their only lead to Falkreath, where they find a Thalmor in a duel with peddler.
27 Jerulith provides a letter that mentions sellswords being hired to hunt the Honorable Eight. This stage enables the mercs.
35 Upon completion of a short scene, the sellswords attack the player and Anum-La.
40 After killing the mercenaries, Anum-La and the PC return to Folgunthur.
50 The pair reach Bodan just in time to finish off the last of Gabania’s men. Bodan informs the two that Dalum-Ei has arrived at the Moorside Inn.
65 After speaking with Dalum-Ei in private, the PC rents a room and adjourns for the evening.
70 The player awakes to find both Bodan and Dalum-Ei missing. A note hints at their location.
80 Anum-La and the PC race back toward the marsh in hopes of stopping the Dalum-Ei. However, by the time they reach them, Bodan is on the brink of death.
95 Having had to watch one friend die, Anum-La is tasked with killing another.
100 The quest ends with one final scene, as Anum-La tells the story of how she met the Honorable Eight, and why she is so fond of the tree where her and the player first met.

Notes: Stages 15, 45, 55, 60, 64, 75, 85, and 99 are set during scenes or when entering a trigger at the appropriate stage.