Bloodmoon:In Search of the Falmer

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Find some proof for the existence of Snow Elves for a High Elf in the Raven Rock bar. Quest Giver: Athellor at the bar in Raven Rock Location(s): Jolgeirr Barrow Reward: 1000 Gold, Spear of the Snow Prince, 3 Cyrodiilic Brandy Disposition: +90 (Athellor) ID: BM_Falmer Difficulty: Low

Athellor wants to find Snow Elves...

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Athellor at the Bar in Raven Rock.
2. Travel to Jolgeirr Barrow, southwest of the Altar of Thrond.
3. Return the book Fall of the Snow Prince to Athellor.

Detailed Walkthrough

The Scholar

Talk to the Altmer Athellor at the Bar in Raven Rock to start (you must have finished the Raven Rock quest to start). He will talk to you about a lost race of Elves over a little alcohol. These Elves are known as Falmer or Snow Elves and he will eventually ask to hire you to help him. Accept and you'll get 200 gold up front:

"Well hello there, %PCName. You don't look like one of the natives, and I don't recall seeing you on the last ship from Vvardenfell. Perhaps you're a mercenary? I'm here to do some research, myself. Please, join me for a drink." (You receive a Cyrodiilic Brandy)

some research

"Yes, research on the Falmer. Some call them Snow Elves, though I find that designation a gross oversimplification. You see, according to Nord legend, the Falmer are an elusive race of Elves who dwell in cold, remote regions. They're usually blamed for any number of disasters -- blizzards, missing children, you name it. The locals think those vile Riekling ice creatures are the Falmer of legend, an insulting and absurd notion if ever there was one. Here, please, have another drink...." (Disposition up by 10) (You receive another Cyrodiilic Brandy)

absurd notion

"The Rieklings? The Snow Elves of legend? Preposterous. You see, I believe the Falmer REALLY existed, centuries ago. They were Elves, just like the Altmer, Dunmer or Bosmer. Then...they just faded away. They bred with the other Elven races, and ceased to exist as an identifiable culture. It's very likely that the Falmer are an important part of Elven ancestry.  %PCName, your glass is almost emptttyyyyy...." (Disposition up by 10) (You receive another Cyrodiilic Brandy)

Elven ancestry

"I have long believed that I, Athellor, have the blood of the Falmer flowing through my veins! I'm on a journey of self-discovery, %PCName. I wish to know who I am, and where I came from. I'm hoping that if I find some evidence of the Falmer's existence, I will better understand myself, and my past. But alas, I'm a noble, not an adventurer. That's why I've come to this establishment. I'm hoping to hire an explorer to do some of the more...physical work. Another drink?" (Disposition up by 10) (You receive another Cyrodiilic Brandy)

hire an explorer

"Listen, %PCName.... You seem an able sort. And you did listen politely to my ramblings! Would you be interested in helping me with my research? I need someone to do a bit of exploring and investigating. I'll pay you, of course, with some gold up front. Are you interested?"

Sounds intriguing, Athellor. What would you have me do?

"I need you to investigate Solstheim's ancient sites. Burial barrows, standing stones, that sort of thing. Who knows what information they hold? Here's 200 gold for traveling expenses, equipment, or whatever else you may need. If you find any solid evidence of the Falmer's existence, bring it back to me here."

Now for the hard part... where to find this evidence?

The Mysterious Snow Elves

Snow Prince's remains

You can find proof in the Jolgeirr Barrow, southwest of the Altar of Thrond which is roughly in the center of the Island. Among several items there you will find the Spear of the Snow Prince, an almost complete set of Ancient Steel Armor and a book, the Fall of the Snow Prince.

The Proof

Take everything, including the book, which is the proof that Athellor wants. The book Fall of the Snow Prince is an account by Lokheim of a glorious battle between Nord and Elf at the foot of the Moesring Mountains, the Snow Prince's death and his unusual burial in this very cave.

After reading the book, you'll get a journal entry, then return it to Athellor and receive 800 gold in reward:

"%PCName, you've returned. Have you found any evidence of the Falmer here on Solstheim?"

Yes, I found an ancient set of armor and a spear, in the Jolgeirr Barrow. There was a book, as well -- 'The Fall of the Snow Prince.' The description of the title character is rather interesting.:

""Fall of the Snow Prince," you say? Fascinating. Let me see it. Hmmm...yes...yes...amazing! By my Falmer ancestors, you've done it, %PCName! The account in this tome is remarkable! Rieklings indeed! I don't see how this Snow Prince could have been anything BUT a Falmer, do you? Splendid, splendid. You're a credit to explorers everywhere, %PCName. Here's the gold, as promised, and thank you!"

Fortunately, you can keep all the items you found, except for the book which Athellor takes.

Notes

• If you search underneath Lake Fjalding near Thirsk, you will find a corpse with an Old, Wet Note. Reading it will reveal that thieves tried to steal the Snow Prince's armor and weapon from his burial cavern. The deceased's guards managed to drive them off, but the thieves got away with the helmet. The note will lead you to their hideout, the ice cave Frykte.
• After you give the book to Athellor, he says he plans on shortly leaving for Skyrim. If you are an avid book collector, you may wish to take Fall of the Snow Prince back from him. To do this, however, you must either pickpocket it, or kill him and take it from his corpse.
• If you refuse Athellor's quest, his disposition towards you drops by twenty points.

Bugs

• If you find the barrow and book before receiving the quest (which is likely, given the obscurity of the quest and NPC, the size of Solstheim, and the amount of ground you cover there, looking in barrows in particular), you may never get quest stage 60, and Anthellor may not recognize that you are carrying the book he is looking for. This is fixed by setting quest stage 60 manually, and (if necessary) stage 100 as well. If you have to (or choose to) do the latter, you will not actually get the gold reward, but you'll keep the book.

Quest Stages

The following Journal ID and Index codes can be used with the Journal console command to manually update the quest to a certain point.

In Search of the Falmer (BM_Falmer)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		I met one of Raven Rock colony's new arrivals, an Altmer noble named Athellor. It seems Athellor came to Solstheim to investigate the Falmer, or Snow Elves. The local belief is that the Rieklings are actually the Falmer of legend, but Athellor finds that suggestion absurd.
20		Athellor is convinced the Falmer were actual Elves, much like himself. He believes they intermingled with the other Elven races and ceased to exist as an identifiable culture. Athellor must really be itching to share his story with someone -- the more I listen, the more drinks he buys me....
30		Athellor told me he's on a journey of self-discovery, and believes he has some Falmer blood in his veins. He's hoping to hire an adventurer to help with some of the more physically demanding work. I think I know where this conversation is going....
40		As I expected, Athellor asked me to help him. He wanted me to find some evidence of the Falmer's existence on Solstheim, but I turned him down.
50		I've agreed to help Athellor in his quest to find some evidence of the Falmer's existence here on Solstheim. He suggests I investigate the island's ancient burial barrows and standing stones. He's given me 200 gold for equipment and traveling expenses.
60		I made an interesting find in the Jolgeirr Barrow - an ancient tome titled "Fall of the Snow Prince." It chronicles the death of a skilled warrior in the Battle of the Moesring. Of particular interest is the description of the Snow Prince. He was no Nord, and definitely no Riekling. I'd better get the book to Athellor and see what he can make of it.
100	Finishes quest	I presented Athellor with the book "Fall of the Snow Prince," and he's convinced it gives an account of an actual Falmer warrior. Athellor is satisfied I've investigated the matter fully, and has given me 800 gold for my troubles.