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Quest Note
This is a long, wide-encompassing quest. The first part is covered here. The
second part is covered on a separate page.
Walkthrough
This quest will start up when you reach Ardo's house in Praios Square (#1) and learn that Ardo was murdered. The guard at the house will tell you that Captain Barla Borkensmith of the town guard is in charge of the investigation, and he'll ask you to direct all inquiries to her. You'll find Captain Borkensmith at the guard house to the south (#4).
Note: As you approach the guard house, you'll overhear the guards joking about Dranor. Apparently, they caught him as he was attempting to sneak into the city, and they took him to the dungeon. You won't see Dranor again until Chapter 3.
When you speak with Captain Borkensmith, she'll try to dismiss you, but you'll eventually convince her to let you help with the investigation. At that point Borkensmith will give you an
Investigation Permit - Ferdok, and you'll also receive 20 experience points.
You'll learn from Borkensmith that there have been three murders in Ferdok recently. In order to complete the quest, you'll need to investigate all three murders, plus interrogate a pair of suspects. The interrogations will lead to new companions for your party, and so you should tackle them first.
Find Forgrimm
You'll find Forgrimm in the Silver Pitcher tavern in Praios Square (#2). Forgrimm will be falling-down drunk, but if you ask the bartender for some help, then he'll give you a tankard of
Extra Strong Special Dark Ale, and when Forgrimm drinks it, he'll perk right up (but gain the hiccups).
If you exhaust all conversation options with Forgrimm, then you'll learn a few things about the case, including that Ardo was killed on a night when he had scheduled a meeting with Head Guardsman Tashman. When you add Forgrimm to your party, you'll gain 20 experience points and complete the task.
Find Gladys
Captain Borkensmith won't know much about Gladys, other than that she's been seen in Wagoner's Home. If you recruit Forgrimm first, then you'll learn from him that you might find Gladys in the Serene Sow tavern (#6). Otherwise you'll have to ask around the district (such as at Fishwife Strunkler at #7) to get the information.
Inside the Serene Sow, the regulars will send you on a wild goose chase. Innkeeper Soapstone will direct you to Fourfinger Salm, Salm will direct you to Cripple Reto, Reto will direct you to Goldtooth Yallik, and Yallik will claim not to know anything -- sort of. "Shouting too loud for Gladys can end badly. We don't want that, do we?"
After striking out in the Serene Sow, you'll just need to wander around Wagoner's Home for a bit. Shortly thereafter, Gladys will stop you and demand to know why you're looking for her. When she learns who you are, she'll decide to share what she knows about the case (which isn't much other than that she thinks the whole business is fishy), and she'll offer to join up with you. When you add Gladys to your party, you'll earn 20 experience points and complete the task.
Investigate Ardo's Murder
You'll find Ardo's murder scene on the dock in Ugdan Harbor (#11). As you approach it, you'll be stopped by Guardsman Brintel (#10), who will tell you that Head Guardsman Tashman left the scene to deal with a supply cart collision near the brewery (#15).
However, when you find Tashman (#14), he'll be in the middle of "an important official meeting" with the prostitute Pretty Polly, and he'll be far more interested in her than in Ardo's murder or the crashed carts. In the short conversation that follows, you probably won't learn anything that you didn't already know, but you will receive 30 experience points for making the effort.
Investigate the Dragon's (aka Sandor Kunger's) Murder
You'll find the Dragon's murder scene in Ugdan Harbor (#12), right behind the Fleet Footed Ferret (#13). When you get there, your companions will comment on the carnage, but Gladys will give you the best advice: "We should look around -- the attacker might have left something behind." If you then smash the nearby barrel, you'll find
A Talisman inside.
Next you should head into the Fleet Footed Ferret and ask the patrons there about the Dragon. They won't tell you anything, and they'll even be rude about it. However, when you attempt to leave, Bar Wench Aline will come up to you and help you out. She'll tell you some things about the Dragon, and she'll confirm that the talisman belonged to him.
Investigate Eric's (aka Old Eelko's) Murder
You'll find Eelko's murder scene in the middle of Wagoner's Home (#9). You'll recognize it from the pool of blood on the ground. When you get there, you'll see a cat named Mimi run away, and then Neighbor Lovinger will pop out of her house and start talking to you.
Lovinger will tell you that she heard the murder. "I heard a scream. It was so loud and full of agony that I still shudder to think of it." If you question Lovinger thoroughly, then you'll learn that Eelko sometimes wore a brooch that might have been valuable, and that he cared for the cat Mimi, and sometimes fed her fish.
To gain the trust of the cat, you'll need to buy it some
Leftover Salmon, which you can get from Fishwife Strunkler to the north (#7). Then when you return to the murder scene, Mimi will come up to you and accept the fish, and it will lead you to a spot behind the fish stall (#8) and reveal
Eelko's Brooch to you. When you pick up the brooch, you'll gain 50 experience points.
Turning in the Evidence
Each time you find a brooch and learn that it belonged to a victim, your quest log will update and tell you to report in to Captain Borkensmith (#4). Borkensmith won't ignore the evidence, but she won't really do anything with it, either, and your conversations with her won't go anywhere. But you will receive 50 experience points for each report.
However, the brooches will trigger some secret meetings. The first time that you bring in a brooch, City Watchman Reuban will inform you that someone would like to meet with you and divulge some information about the murders. He'll then give you a code phrase, and he'll tell you to meet the person on the front steps to the Temple of Praios (#3).
At the Temple of Praios, you'll find a few people standing around, but eventually you'll figure out that the informant is Archivist Loisane. She'll tell you that she suspects that the murderers have an accomplice in the town guard. "Haven't you noticed that you are the only person in all of Ferdok who is really trying to solve these crimes?" When you show the brooch to Loisane, she'll take it from you so that she can learn more about it, and she'll encourage you to continue investigating the murders. You'll also earn 20 experience points.
The second time that you bring in a brooch, Reuban will tell you to meet Loisane behind the Temple of Hesinde (#5). This time Loisane will have some concrete information for you. She'll tell you that the brooches are made out of a dragon scale, and that Eelko and the Dragon (but not Ardo) were descendents of dragon slayers. Furthermore, Loisane will tell you that there's a third descendent in the city -- Jessica Ignifer in Wagoner's Home -- and that you should protect her at all costs. You'll earn 20 experience points for this conversation.
Note: If you only return to Captain Borkensmith after finding both brooches, then the game will skip the first meeting with Archivist Loisane, and you'll miss out on some experience points.
When you arrive at the Serene Sow in Wagoner's Home (#6), you'll find Maid Lana and Neighbor Zwiddle standing out front. They'll tell you that a "red-clad gang" just dragged Jessica into the sewers (Exit A), and they'll ask you to rescue her. The sewer chase is covered in
Part 2 of this quest.
1 - Ardo's House
2 - Silver Pitcher
3 - Temple of Praios
4 - Guard House
5 - Temple of Hesinde
6 - Serene Sow
7 - Fishwife Strunkler
8 - Brooch Location
9 - Eelko's Murder Scene
10 - Guard Brintel
11 - Ardo's Murder Scene
12 - The Dragon's Murder Scene
13 - Fleet Footed Ferret
14 - Head Guardsman Tashman
15 - Crashed Carts
Exits:
- Entrance to the Ferdok Sewers.
