Caught in the Hunt

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[edit] Overview

Prerequisites: None
Faction: None
Quest giver: Rumors, visit Ursanne Loche in Bravil
Reward: Biography of the Wolf Queen (book that increases Speechcraft skill); +1 Fame

[edit] Background Information

In Bravil, you'll hear that Aleron Loche is having problems. Talk to Aleron's wife (hinted at by rumors), Ursanne. She can be found at Aleron Loche's House or at the local Temple of Mara.

[edit] Walkthrough

Talk to Kurdan gro-Dragol at the Lonely Suitor Lodge. He wants you to go to Fort Grief, which is on an island in the center of Niben Bay, to retrieve an axe that belonged to his father. When you're ready, speak to him and take the boat to the island.

When you arrive on the island and enter the fort area, you are locked inside. Turns out that people pay the Orc money to hunt live men and mer in his facility, and he merely gets rid of the bodies afterwards. Your only choice is to kill all the hunters inside and find a way to escape. The facility is not very big, but does contain several traps. There are two hunters (Kurdan's Imperial Hunter, Kurdan's Nord Hunter) in the first area (each with a key you must recover), and one in the second (Kurdan's Orc Hunter). Their equipment scales to your level, as do the contents of treasure chests.

Once you gather both keys and head outside, you find that the Kurdan has killed Aleron. Fight the Orc to get the real key to exit the facility (the others on the hunters were fakes). He is wearing leveled heavy armor and carrying a leveled warhammer, and at higher levels may be carrying other enchanted items. There's also a Khajiit with a bow who will cover Kurdan. His equipment levels along with you.

Head back inside the dungeon, on your left will be a gate you can open with the real key. Hit the switch in there to open the gate outside. Leave the dungeon, go through the gate, and use the boat to head back.

If you go up the stairs before entering the dungeon, on the top floor will be a few ledges to jump across. At the end of the ledges is a locked chest. Inside are 2 Bottles of Shadowbanish Wine

Return to Ursanne and claim your reward: Biography of the Wolf Queen and +1 Fame.

Note: You cannot fast travel from the island while you are on it. You can fast travel to it, but not from. However, to do so, you can simply swim out a few feet into the water and fast travel from there.

Second note: Time doesn't move forward if you use the boat, so if you intend to run back and forth for the loot, you just have to use the boat so you'll have more time for the shops.

[edit] Journal Entries

After hearing some rumors in Bravil:

While in Bravil, I've heard that Ursanne Loche's husband, Aleron, is missing. If I wish to help, I should attempt to locate Ursanne and see if I can find out more information.

After speaking to Ursanne Loche:

I've met Ursanne Loche in Bravil. She's told me that her husband, Aleron Loche is missing and she needs my help to locate him. I should ask her more about Aleron to help determine if I'm interested in helping.

After speaking to Ursanne more:

Aleron owed a great deal of money to an Orc usurer named Kurdan gro-Dragol. He went there a day ago to beg for more time, and hasn't returned since. Kurdan gro-Dragol usually frequents The Lonely Suitor Lodge, which is close by. Perhaps I should pay him a visit.

After speaking to Kurdan gro-Dragol:

Kurdan gro-Dragol has told me that he knows the location of Aleron Loche, and if I want him to reveal it to me, I'll have to retrieve an axe that belonged to his father and was lost on Fort Grief Island some time ago. If I don't bring the axe back, he says that Aleron will die. When I'm ready, I need to speak to Kurdan who will provide a boat for me.

After telling Kurdan that you're ready:

Kurdan gro-Dragol told me that the boat is waiting for me at the dock next to the magic shop here in Bravil. I should get underway soon, as I wish to find out what's happened to Aleron.

After arriving at Fort Grief by boat:

I've arrived at Fort Grief. I should proceed inside the ruined keep and begin my search for the axe.

After finding Aleron at Fort Grief:

To my surprise, I've come across Aleron Loche inside the ruined keep of Fort Grief! He told me that the search for the axe is a ruse that Kurdan gro-Dragol uses to lure people into the ruins. Apparently, Aleron and I are now the prey in a bizarre hunting sport that Kurdan created. I should talk to Aleron and find out more.

After speaking to Aleron at Fort Grief:

If Aleron and I are to survive, I need to proceed down into the Hunter's Run and defeat the hunters being sent after us. According to the "rules", one of them will have the key to unlock the door Kurdan sealed behind us. Since Aleron is in no condition to fight, I'll have to seek these hunters out myself.

After killing all of Kurdan's hunters:

I've defeated all of the hunters. I should search the body of the Orc Hunter for the key to the keep door of Fort Grief.

After finding the main key off the last Orc hunter:

I've found the key to the door of the keep at Fort Grief. I should now return to Aleron and get us both off this island.\

After exiting the fort and watching Kurdan kill Aleron:

I've returned to find Kurdan himself standing over the corpse of Aleron, whom he'd murdered. I had no choice but to attack and slay him. I should search Kurdan's corpse for anything that may help me get out of these ruins.

After finding the real key off of Kurdan's body:

The key I discovered on the Orc Hunter was indeed a fake and the real key was on Kurdan's body. He'd never intended to let us leave whether we won his demented hunt or not. The real key should allow me to unlock the gateroom inside the Hunter's Run and then leave Fort Grief. I will then have to bring Ursanne the sad news.

After telling Ursanne the bad news:

I've told Ursanne about her husband's death. I said that he fought bravely and that his thoughts were with her before he died. She thanked me for my kind words and bestowed a book upon me that belonged to Aleron. I know that I did the best I could, but at least Aleron's death was avenged.

[edit] Known Bugs or Issues

There have been reports of issues in this quest on the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC versions.

To avoid any possible situations where the Quest doesn't complete upon you ending it, make sure that you speak with Aleron's wife after you speak to Kurdan gro-Dragol and before you go to Fort Grief.

Also, make sure that you use the boat to return to the island rather than quick travel or swimming.

PC Fix: If it's too late and you did not speak with Aleron's wife before going to Fort Grief, then you may not receive a quest update when you find the key on Kurdan after killing him. (And when you talk to Aleron's wife, she will still expect you to help find Aleron--even though he's dead.)

You can force the key update on the PC by typing the following in the console: "setstage ms08 90". The quest will continue normally from here, and Ursanne will recognize that her husband is dead when you next see her.

Another issue that has been seen involves Kurdan gro-Dragol not attacking Aleron Loche, after the player exits the dungeon (after obtaining all the keys). The UI disappears, and Kurdan gro-Dragol is seen running back and forth (ostensibly, forever) on the main level, while Aleron Loche is on the second level of the area outside. Since neither NPC will use the stairs, this results in a stalemate, and the script is unable to proceed. According to Bethesda technical support:

1. Try reloading a save before exiting the dungeon again. Sometimes this resets Aleron's position, so he is in the correct position. Making a save before exiting and loading it and exiting several times sometimes corrects the issue.
2. If that doesn't work, try this: This will have to be done before entering the dungeon, so an older save will be needed. Train Aleron near to the dungeon entrance by attacking him. Yield to him and then enter the dungeon. Play through the dungeon and when you exit, the scene between Kurdan and Aleron should play out.

When looting Kurdan's body, you may not always receive the key. To avoid this glitch, make sure that the quest update has appeared after you killed Kurdan, as well as taking the key by itself rather than using the take all function.

It is possible (as with all NPCs) that Kurdan can get in a fight and be slain by the City guards. There is no known remedy to this, as you cannot pay of an NPC's fine.