Daggerfall:Blackmailing Prince Helseth

Prince Helseth wants you to deliver a special letter. Quest Giver: Prince Helseth at Castle Wayrest Location(s): Castle Wayrest and Random Residence in a Random Town in Wayrest Prerequisite Quest: Privateer's Hold Next Quest: Barenziah's Book Reward: A Magical item Reputation Gain: see Reputation Gain ID: S0000002 Required Level: 4

Ficheiro:BlackmailHelseth.jpg Helseth in Castle Wayrest

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Prince Helseth at Castle Wayrest once you reach level 4.
2. Come back after one day and take a letter from him.
3. Give it to a noble of your choice.
4. Return for your reward or scolding.

Detailed Walkthrough

Prince Helseth needs a letter delivered to Lord Castellian. The missive turns out to be a blackmail attempt. If you don't read the letter, you will receive a magic item as a reward from Helseth. If you read the letter from Helseth, your reputation with the nobles of Wayrest goes down and you will be attacked repeatedly by Lord Castellian's men because you know too much. But who cares? The letter is too much fun not to read. You can actually give any of the letters to King Eadwyre, who will be very disappointed of Helseth's plot. This will earn you some reputation with the king and Wayrest, but you can not complete the quest any longer.

You learn from Helseth that Wayrest sent advisors to Lysandus at the Battle of Cryngaine Field. Orcs ambushed the advisors, but some of them got through anyway. After this quest, you get a letter from Queen Barenziah offering you another mission. You should also get the notion that the nobles of Wayrest are a bunch of backstabbing good-for-nothings.

Reputation Gain

If you didn't read any of the two letters:

Faction/Person	Reputation Gain
Wayrest	+10
Eadwyre	+10
Helseth	+10
Associated Factions	+5

If you read Helseth's letter:

Faction/Person	Reputation Gain
Eadwyre	-5
Helseth	-5
Lord Castellian	-5

If you read Lord Castellian's letter:

Faction/Person	Reputation Gain
Wayrest	-15
Helseth	-15
Associated Factions	-8

If you read both letters:

Faction/Person	Reputation Gain
Wayrest	-25
Eadwyre	-18
Helseth	-20
Lord Castellian	-18
Other associated factions of Wayrest	-13

If you give Helseth's letter to King Eadwyre:

Faction/Person	Reputation Gain
Wayrest	+5
Eadwyre	+5
Associated Factions	+2

Enemies

• 2x One Battlemage every seven in-game minutes when speaking to Lord Castellian after you have read the letter you should deliver to him
• 6x One Knight every four in-game minutes when speaking to Lord Castellian after you have read the letter you should deliver to him

Notes

• Important: You must do this quest prior to Elysana's Robe, because Lord Castellian the victim of Helseth's plot, dies formally at the end of Elysana's quest. Hence Helseth wouldn't have a victim and therefore will not offer you his quest. In addition Queen Barenziah won't offer you her quest Barenziah's Book, because it depends on a successful outcome of Helseth's quest.
  Here are some more details how the receiving of Barenziah's quest works:
  Once you have completed the delivering to Helseth's approval and got your reward, his quest will not get terminated but will be still active in the background until you have the level and the required amount of reputation with Barenziah to start her quest. However if you complete the Robe-Quest to Elysana's approval, a message from Helseth pops up saying roughly you should have been faster in delivering his letter, even if you already have delivered the letter for him (presumable he shouts this message back from the dining-hall). Once you get this message a trigger is started to end Helseth's quest 3 to 7 days after you have gotten this message. You will be approached by a courier after this time has passed, who will give you a note from Helseth along with 100 gold. The note should have told you, because of your slowness the situation has changed and your services are no longer required. The gold is meant as a small recompense for your fruitless effort. If you can manage to get the reputation with Barenziah within this three to seven days, or Elysana's quest has just added the remaining reputation for Barenziah, her quest will start as usual. However if you don't mange to get the required amount of reputation before the three to seven days have passed, Helseth's quest, which runs in the background will get terminated and you can no longer get Barenziah's quest. This is a very confusing quest construction which can also lead to the scenario that you can meet two different Lord Castellans at a time, one for Helseths quest and one for Elysana's quest. You can do Elysana's quest parallel to Helseth's quest as long as you don't report back to Elysana once you have delivered the robe. Theoretically you could give the robe and Helseth's letter to any of the two Lord Castellans. For the game they are both one and the same entity, but this hasn't been tested.
  The safest way to get Barenziah's quest is not taking Elysana's quest before Barenziah has summoned you.
• Because of an oversight in the questfile neither the note nor the gold the courier gives you, remain in your inventory once he has left. Because of this players may never know what this was all about.
• The Daggerfall Chronicles refers to this quest as "Blackmail".
• The first letter reads:

My Dear Lord Castellian, Sorry about the necessity of delivering this letter by the roughest possible service, but it would be unthinkale to approach you at the castle on such a delicate matter. I have long admired your loyality to the crown and neutrality in internal affairs, Understan that I only want to save your dignity from a possibly embarrassing scenario. The problem rests in your sister, the Lady Pasipha, who though she resides abroad still communicates regularly with members of yourt. I understand and respect the depth of your sibling love and affection for one another, for, in response to a curious inquiry of mine, Lady Pasipha sent me several touching letters penned in your hand. "Have you ever espied with delight a red berry half-drowned in cream? So I dream of you, my dearest love, pouring my soul into you, sweet, for your touch, dear, my soul is quite forfeit." While your and I know the innocence of your fondness for the lady, the more prurient minds at crout, as you are aware, are inclined toward grotesque misinterpretation. Her husband, I understand, is famous for his jealous rages. I am of several minds on the matter, how to best avoid possivle negative reaction, and would appreciate your response at the soones possible opportunity. I will await you at Castle Wayrest. Helseth, Prince of Wayrest

Lord Castellian's response reads:

Prince Helseth, I appreciate your kindness, and I will meet with you very shortly at your convenience." [sic] Lord Castellian

Prev: Privateer's Hold

Up: Main Quest

Next: Barenziah's Book