Online:Ardanir

Ardanir
Home City	Markarth
Race	Reachman	Gender	Male
Reaction	Friendly
Other Information
Faction(s)	Wayward Guardians

Ardanir

Ardanir is a Reachman daily quest giver that becomes available after completion of A Feast of Souls. He is a member of the Wayward Guardians.

Related Quests

•  Alone in the Dark: Help Reachfolk exiles escape the Falmer.
•  Defenders of the Reach: Wipe out remnants of the Gray Host.
•  Remnants of the Deep Folk: Recover Dwarven scrap to arm the Wayward Guardians.
•  The Language of the Night: Salvage the ancient language of the Nighthollow Clan.
•  The Light of Arkthzand: Salvage gemstones from Dwarven constructs.
•  The Lost Shrine: Cleanse a shrine at Lost Valley Redoubt.
•  To Burn Away Evil: Recover silver to use against the Gray Host.

Quest-Related Events

He will greet you with one of the following:

"Arana spoke highly of you. Where others flee, you run headlong toward the dangers that threaten the Reach. The Wayward Guardians could use that sort of bravery, if you would aid us."

"The Reach needs protectors now more than ever. That's why the Wayward Guardians are here. Would you care to aid us?"

"Our enemies learn to fear us, but in truth the Wayward Guardians are spread thin. Like too little jam trying to cover too much bread.
Will you lend your aid, harrier?"

"The Gray Host has learned the Reach will not fall easily. But there is still so much to do.
Have you come to help the Wayward Guardians, harrier?"

What do you need help with?

What can I do to help?

What can I help you with?

You can ask about his group:

Tell me about the Wayward Guardians.

"We're still the same rebels we were before the defense of Markarth. Wayward Guardians is a name the people have given us.
You know, Arana found me after a skirmish with Nords. I was victorious, but suffered a festering wound that had grown foul."

This was before you were part of Arana's band?

"Yes. I was dying. I prepared to end my suffering when Arana touched my hand. She said my name was kingly. That my story was not meant to end that day. After that, the rest is a blur, all fire and chanting and poultices.
Arana had healed me."

So now you serve Arana?

"Arana asks nothing of me. She put a sword in my hand and gave me a choice. I could leave freely, or I could fight alongside her to defend the Reach.
I serve my homeland and all free folk of the Reach."

If you accept his quest he will say one of the following:

"The people talk about you. About the harrier that hunts vampires like rabbits. Whatever your reasons, I'm glad you're on our side.
Now, go and take care of that threat we discussed."

"Be careful out there. We need you."

"Our lands have never been safe. Not truly. But that doesn't mean we can't give the people hope.
Go, and may the ancestors watch over you!"

"Our enemies surround us, waiting in the dark. Remind them that the Reach still has its defenders."

When you return from completing the quest objective:

"The harrier returns. With good tidings, I hope?"

"I see you survived to fight another day. That is good. How did you fare in your task?"

"I worried you might not return this time. I was a fool to doubt you. You were victorious, were you not?"

"The Wayward Guardians grow stronger with each passing day. We have you to thank for that.
What of your latest journey?"

After completing his daily quest, he will asked you to wait until he has another for you:

"The witches say our ancestors look down on us from the sky above. One day we will greet them and share stories of the battles we fought. Let's give them a good tale, shall we?
But later, when a task presents itself, yes?"

"I don't sleep much. Not anymore. But it's a price I'm willing to pay if it means a child of the Reach dreams of better days to come.
Come back later and I'll have a task for you."

"I heard a vateshran's tale that said our ancestors lived in the Reach when the world was young. It's in our very blood to defend it.
Return later if you seek to aid us."

"If we do our jobs, the common folk of the Reach never need to know about the threats that(sic) still lurk in the dark. That's our burden to bear.
Return later and I'll have a threat for you to deal with."

Alone in the Dark

When you approach him, he will say:

"Even exiles deserve a better fate than that."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"A scout reported strange blind creatures in the depths of the Arkthzand Caverns. They hold Reach exiles captive at one of their camps.
There are stories about these cursed monsters. I would not wish a fate like that on anyone. Not even an exile."

You want to help the exiles?

"Even those without a clan deserve to die under the open sky. Whatever these people did to deserve exile, they are still Reachfolk.
I need someone to descend into Blackreach and find them. The scout said the camp was near an underground river."

I can search for the captive exiles in the Arkthzand Caverns.

Ask for more:

Tell me more about these blind creatures.

"The scout described them as pale, blind Goblins, but there are no Goblin tribes in these lands. They must be something else.
There was one other curious thing. The way he described the camp. Their dwellings were not made of hide, or bone, or wood."

What were the dwellings made of?

"Fear may have clouded his senses, but the scout swore they were made out of insects. Large chitinous shells, broken limbs, even heads.
I can only assume these creatures hunt and harvest the caverns below as we hunt these hills and valleys."

And you said the camp was along an underground river?

"Yes. It shouldn't be hard to find. It means much to us that you would brave such danger to save some of our own.
Just be careful. I wish to see these exiles returned home, but not at the cost of your own life."

After:

I rescued two of the captives, but the third didn't make it. He was wearing this.

"Thank you for dealing with this. And for bringing this to me. I will bury it on the banks of the Karth. Hopefully, his spirit will know peace.
As for the survivors, we will give them a place among us and teach them to better defend themselves."

Defenders of the Reach

When you approach him, he will say:

"Vile monsters lurk beneath our very feet. They must be slain!"

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"I need a skilled hunter. Not since the dark days of the Worm King have the vaults below Markarth been unsealed. We know the Gray Host made the lower halls their lair long before they attacked.
Now we need to make sure those halls are cleared."

You want me to clear out the halls beneath Markarth?

"The Wayward Guardians have pledged to defend Markarth and the Reach. We cannot let our people be attacked from below again.
Drive the Gray Host out of Nchuand-Zel. Bring me their sigils as proof of their demise. This is what I ask you to do."

I'll slay Gray Host forces in Nchuand-Zel and return with their sigils.

You can ask for more information on the subject:

Can you tell me anything about Nchuand-Zel?

"The Dwarves who built Markarth called the place Nchuand-Zel, the Radiant City. It extends deeper than the surface stones suggest. If we are to truly keep our people safe, we must cleanse it of the monsters that still skulk about the lower halls."

Why do you need me to bring back the Gray Host sigils?

"The Wayward Guardians trust you, harrier. Of that, have no doubt.
But the people of Markarth need to see those sigils hanging from the ramparts. They need to know that they have nothing more to fear. That we are here to defend them."

Returning to him after completing the objective:

I drove back the Gray Host within Nchuand-Zel. Here are their sigils as proof.

"Impressive. If we can keep this up, the Gray Host will learn to fear us in time. Eventually, the few that remain will scatter into the dark like roaches fleeing the light.
Take this. You earned it, harrier."

Remnants of the Deep Folk

When you approach him, he will say:

"The Wayward Guardians grow in number. And so does our need to arm them."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"Most clans believe the halls of the Deep Folk are cursed. Maybe they are, but they knew how to work metal. In order to defend the Reach, we need armor and weapons.
We can make use of what the Dwarves left behind, even if it makes us uncomfortable."

You want me to search for Dwarven Metal?

"Even scrap will do. We weave it into our armor for better protection.
Travel to the ruins of Bthardamz and bring back any metal you find. It will make a difference, I promise you."

I'll look for Dwarven scrap in the ruins of Bthardamz.

You can ask for more:

Do Reachfolk commonly use Dwarven Metal?

"The Hunt-Father teaches us to utilize the bounty he provides. We hunt game not only to feed ourselves, but we use every part of it to clothe and arm ourselves as well.
In this way, we honor our ancestors by living as they did."

But Dwarven metal isn't the bounty from a hunt. What makes the Wayward Guardians different?

"Necessity. There is nothing natural about the threats that plague our lands, and if we must sully ourselves with unnatural Dwarfcraft to defend the Reach, Hircine will understand.
After all, he wants us to be hunters, not prey."

After:

I gathered the Dwarven scrap.

"Even the smallest piece of Dwarven metal has a chance of deflecting a killing blow. This will surely save more than one of our fighters. Thank you.
And that's for you. We want to keep you safe, too, so use it to repair your gear."

The Language of the Night

When you approach him, he will say:

"The witches have spoken. Something stirs in the deep."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"They say you have no fear of the darkness beneath our feet. As strange as I find that, it means you can go where my warriors dare not venture. Our witches seek to understand the magic of the Nighthollow vampires. I need someone to take up this quest."

What do I need to do?

"While Reachfolk generally have no need of books or scrolls, some of our people can read and write. Including some of our witches. They need the scrolls that deal with Nighthollow magic and the tome to help translate the language.
Will you aid us?"

I'll look for these scrolls and tome in Nighthollow Keep.

You can ask for more:

What can you tell me about Nighthollow Keep?

"I know little of the dark below. The witches claim the Nighthollow were once a great and noble house, perhaps as old as the curse of vampirism itself.
Now they are but wretched things, as withered and fallen as their shadowed keep."

Tell me about these scrolls and the tome you want me to find.

"Though Blackreach contains unspeakable horrors, the knowledge hidden in the keep could help save lives. The witches say there are scrolls written in an ancient language. And a tome that can help translate it.
Find what you can and bring it to me."

After:

I gathered these scrolls and this tome from Nighthollow Keep.

"Our witches will make good use of these, harrier. They will employ this knowledge to better defend the Reach against our many enemies.
Take this. May it protect you on the road ahead."

The Light of Arkthzand

When you approach him, he will say:

"The Wayward Guardians have need of you, harrier."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"The Wayward Guardians grow in number. And so does our need to arm them."

"The Dwarven guardians that roam the grounds of Arkthzand in Blackreach contain gemstones. Our shamans claim these gems possess powerful enchantments that we can use against our enemies.
Unfortunately, our warriors are no match for these machines."

You want me to acquire some of these gemstones for you?

"Unless you think this task is beyond you, I have no one else to entrust it to. Descend into Blackreach and dismantle the Dwarven constructs that guard the Library of Arkthzand.
Gather the gemstones from the wreckage and bring them to me."

I'll recover gemstones from the Dwarven guardians of the Library of Arkthzand.

You can ask for more:

What else can you tell me about these gemstones?

"Only that our shamans have need of them. Their work is beyond my understanding, but I trust them to help arm and protect the Wayward Guardians.
Every gemstone you retrieve will give us a better chance against the Gray Host."

What do you know about the Library of Arkthzand?

"I know little of the Deep Folk. Their ways are as strange to me as their runes.
The place has been whispered about by our shamans and lore keepers since before you discovered it, but it was nothing more than a legend. Until now."

After:

Here are the gemstones you requested.

"Just holding these gems makes me feel uneasy. Like there's something deep inside them that wishes to be free. But then, I am no shaman.
Thank you. We appreciate the risks you undertake on our behalf. I hope this small token shows our appreciation."

The Lost Shrine

When you approach him, he will say:

"A sacred shrine still stands in the Lost Valley. It must not be forgotten."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"Long before invaders claimed ownership of our sacred sites, the place known as the Lost Valley Redoubt was precious to our ancestors.
An ancient shrine still stands there, no doubt tainted by the presence of the Gray Host."

What do you need me to do?

"Take this vial, filled with pure water from the Karth, to the Shrine of Lorkh at the top of the valley. Let the soil drink its fill and cleanse the shrine.
When we reclaim the land, the great spirits will remember. Will you do this for us, harrier?"

I'll cleanse the Shrine of Lorkh at the Lost Valley Redoubt.

You can ask for more:

What can you tell me about the Shrine of Lorkh?

"Reachfolk never utter the name of Lorkh in prayer, for his part in our story ended long ago. Some call him the Lord of Mortals and claim that his sacrifice is the reason we live at all.
And while we live, Hircine guides us."

Then why bother to cleanse Lorkh's shrine?

"How to explain to one unfamiliar with our beliefs?
Hircine gives us purpose. Teaches us to hunt, to fight, to survive. But it was Lorkh who taught us why we should. That no matter the struggle, we should not go quietly into death."

Everyone dies eventually.

"We do not fear death, but we understand the value of a fleeting life. What wonders might we see? What wisdom might we gain? What mark will we leave upon this world?
The shrine represents a will to live in spite of the certainty of death."

After:

I cleansed the Shrine of Lorkh, just as you requested.

"Thank you, harrier. Lorkh taught us to fight back against the darkness in our hearts. It's worth reminding him that we still hear him, even in these troubled times.
Here, take this. After all, he never said we had to face the darkness alone."

To Burn Away Evil

When you approach him, he will say:

"Silver. Perhaps the one true protection against vampires and werewolves. We need more of it."

You can then interact with him, which he will then say:

"Silver-coated weapons and armor are essential for mortals seeking to hunt vampires and werewolves. We need more of the precious metal to defend our land against the Gray Host and similar threats."

You want me to gather silver?

"Not just any silver. The enchanted ore from the Dwarven depths of Bthar-Zel is particularly potent against the forces of the Gray Host.
We could use more of it, if you are willing to brave the dangers of that lost city."

I'll get silver for you from Bthar-Zel.

You can ask:

Will silver really help against the Gray Host?

"For someone with your skills, silver may make little difference. But the average Reach warrior stands no chance against such monsters without it.
Fire also serves as a potent weapon, but such magic is rare. With silver, we can burn away the evil."

After:

Here's the silver ore you asked for.

"Perfect, harrier! This will give us the edge we need against the Gray Host.
Take this with my thanks. Once again, you prove yourself to be a true friend to the Reach."

Notes

• He is voiced by Robbie Daymond.