Morrowind

Online:Broken Bonds

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Escape your slaver captors on the island of Firemoth.
Zone: Vvardenfell
Objective: Seyda Neen — Investigate slaver activity in the port city of Seyda Neen.
Quest Giver: None
Location(s): Firemoth Island
Prerequisites: See notes regarding availability
Next Quest: Divine Conundrum
Reward: Waterlogged Strong Box
1 Skill Point
Soul Magic Skill Line
Average Leveled Gold
XP Gain: Standard Experience
ID: 5804
Escape captivity!
This quest is currently disabled (as of Update 30)
It has been replaced with a new tutorial, The Gates of Adamant.
Vvardenfell promises new experiences and new adventures. I can't wait to see what the land of the Dark Elves has in store for me.


Quick Walkthrough[edit]

  1. Read the letter.
  2. Listen to Fonten Jodain.
  3. Talk to Naryu Virian.
  4. Train with Naryu.
  5. Obtain the gate key and slaver gear.
  6. Talk to Eoki.
  7. Talk to Naryu.
  8. Obtain fire salts and kindlepitch.
  9. Board the slaver ship.
  10. Deploy the fire bomb.
  11. Deal with Captain Svadstar and escape the ship.
  12. Talk to Sergeant Delms.
  13. Talk to Governor Salvi.

Detailed Walkthrough[edit]

If you own the Summerset chapter, you will instead be given an alternative tutorial. If you do not own either Summerset or Morrowind, then you will be given the original tutorial, which you can decide to play through or skip, depending on if you have already completed it on another character. Otherwise, this will be the first quest of the game.

Passenger[edit]

The ship bound for Vvardenfell

You begin your adventure, as a passenger, on a ship headed for Vvardenfell. Read the Good Travels! letter, which was sent to you before the ship set sail. After reading the letter, a fellow passenger, named Fonten Jodain, will stumble towards you in a drunken manner. He will greet you, shortly before a commotion breaks out above deck.

Fonten Jodain: "What a fabulous voyage we've shared, my friend! To Vvardenfell and new opportunities!"
Fonten Jodain: "Still reading that letter? A lover's note, hmm?" (Fonten will take a seat directly opposite you)
Fonten Jodain: "No need to confirm or deny it. We all have our secrets."
Fonten Jodain: "I wonder what Vvardenfell has in store for us!"
Sailor: "Jagged rocks ahead! Brace yourselves!"
Shipwrecked!
Fonten Jodain: "Well, that doesn't sound good." (Fonten will try to shield himself)

After Fonten finishes speaking, water bursts through the hull of the ship as it collides with the rocks, and the water is last seen submerging the lower deck before you pass out.

Captive[edit]

After being shipwrecked, you will find yourself in the Slave Barracks on Firemoth Island. Also, you will be wearing a torn set of slave attire, including a Slave Shirt, Slave Pants, and a pair of Slave Sandals. Bound in cuffs, you regain consciousness and arise from your slumber. Upon noticing your movement, Eoki, a fellow captive, will alert Naryu Virian of your awakening.

Eoki: "This one's still alive, Naryu!"
Naryu Virian: "I can see that. Walk this way and let's make sure everything works after that dreadful shipwreck."

Exit the cage you awoke in, and walk over to Naryu in the adjacent room, who will be acting in her usual brassy manner. Speak to her.

"Look what the sea coughed up! Welcome to Vvardenfell, land of Dark Elves, lava flows, and slaves of all descriptions.
Speaking of slaves, let me get those manacles off you."
How are you going to remove these bindings? (Naryu will remove the cuffs that bind your wrists)
Awakening
"Oh, you'll find I'm full of surprises!
I have just the thing. Hold still … there!"
What is this place?
"You've been captured by slavers. Haven't you been paying attention? Maybe you hit your head when your ship crashed into the rocks and dumped you onto the Bitter Coast.
The slavers lured your ship in and took their pick of the survivors."
Are you working with the slavers?
"Slavers? Me? No, my allegiance leans in an entirely different direction.
Let's just say I'm here to help you escape this place. Then you can get back to what you were doing before the slavers so rudely sank your vessel."
So how do we get out of here?
"Not so fast, hero. I need to make sure you can handle yourself in a fight. Not everyone recovers from a near-death experience that quickly."
All right, let's test my fighting skills.
"Let's go over some of the basics of combat."
I'm ready.
I'm fine. I can fight with the best of them.
"Oh, you can, can you? Then let's see how you handle this."

Sparring with Naryu Virian[edit]

Regardless of which dialogue option you choose, Naryu will initiate combat with you.

Naryu Virian: "Hit me. I want to see what you've got."

A bluish rune, with Daedric symbols, will then appear around your line of vision. The tutorial will prompt you to unsheathe (ready your fists), and to light attack, whilst Naryu occasionally hits you with some light attacks of her own. Once the prompt has been followed correctly, another will appear telling you to block, after Naryu starts to launch an attack.

Eoki: "Quick, defend yourself!"

Once you go into a blocking stance, Naryu will go for the attack, and become knocked off balance by your block. A new prompt will then appear, telling you to charge a heavy attack.

Eoki: "Nice! Now follow it up!"

Releasing the heavy attack upon Naryu will knock her down. She soon gets back up, and begins to charge a special attack, where a new prompt will appear telling you to interrupt it.

Naryu Virian: "Try to block this one!"

Once interrupted, she will again be knocked off balance. This exposes her to a heavy attack exploitation, as prompted to do yet again by the tutorial.

Eoki: "Finish her off!"

After throwing a final blow, Naryu will be knocked down once more, and signal you to stop. Also, the bluish rune surrounding your line of vision will now fade out. Speak to Naryu again.

"Impressive! You're just what I need to pull my plan together.
Most of the slavers are currently out on a raid. That means it's the perfect opportunity for us to make our escape."
What do you need me to do? (Naryu will hand over a Lockpick)
"Oh, not too much, really. I need you to find a set of slaver clothes so you don't look like one of the prisoners. Plus, we need the gate key or we'll never make it to the docks.
Here. Take my spare lockpick in case you need it."
Your sparring partner
What are you going to do while I get the gear and the key?
"I've got a few more things to check on before we can make our escape. You do your part, and I promise you, I'll do mine."
Any idea who these slavers are?
"An idea? Of course. I just need proof to satisfy my superiors. But don't worry. I'm sure I'll have things well in hand by the time we meet back up."
I'll go find some gear and the gate key.
I'd like to fight you again, just for the practice.
"If you insist. I do so enjoy getting physical with a good-looking specimen such as yourself."
We've got a lockpick. Why do we need a gate key?
"Some locks resist even the best efforts of a skilled thief. They're crafted using superior components and complex mechanisms. Like the lock on the gate. If I had all the time in the world, maybe I could crack it. But we don't have that luxury."
We've got a lockpick. Why do we need the gate key? (Only available once in the dialogue tree, the next option available about the gate key is slightly different)
"Some locks resist even the best efforts of a skilled thief. They're crafted using superior components and complex mechanisms. Like the lock on the gate. If I had all the time in the world, maybe I could crack it. But we don't have that luxury."
Any idea who these slavers are?
"An idea? Of course. I just need proof to satisfy my superiors. But don't worry. I'm sure I'll have things well in hand by the time we meet back up."
I'll go find some gear and the gate key.
What are you going to do while I get the gear and the key?
(Loops back to the first dialogue option about the gear and key)
"I've got a few more things to check on before we can make our escape. You do your part, and I promise you, I'll do mine."

Talking to her again will give you the choice to continue sparring with Naryu. Note that unlike most optional steps, it will not be listed as completed, regardless of how many times you decide to spar with Naryu.

"Let's meet back here after you acquire the clothes and the key. Then we'll free the rest of the prisoners and make our escape."
I'd like to fight you again, just for the practice.
"If you insist. I do so enjoy getting physical with a good-looking specimen such as yourself."

If you do decide to spar some more with Naryu, then the above sequence will repeat itself, until you either obtain the gate key; or obtain the slaver gear.

Fetching the Gate Key[edit]

The sleeping guar

Once you have finished talking to Naryu, leave the barracks and proceed down the hill, until you come across a collection of Slaver Huts. Enter the hut that is northeast of the barracks. The bluish rune will then appear yet again, halting you still. It will prompt you to go into sneak, as to avoid potential enemies, in this case it is the guar that is asleep to the left of where you entered the hut. Once sneak has been entered, the runes will fade, and you will be free to continue on. But, even though the sneak is prompted by the tutorial, it is not necessary to sneak towards the chest, as the guar will not wake. Make your way down the staircase, but beware of the bear trap at the bottom, it is recommended to disarm the trap to avoid accidentally getting caught in it. Pick the lock on the chest, fortunately the trivial lock difficulty makes it easier than usual to unlock. If, for whatever reason, you lose the lockpick from your inventory, then spares can be found in backpacks around the island. Conveniently, one of the backpacks is on a table, next to the chest. Once the chest has been unlocked, you will find that it contains an Heirloom Necklace, and the Gate Key. Now that you have the key, you must obtain a set of slaver clothes.

Retrieving the Slaver Gear[edit]

The sleeping guard

With the key now in your inventory, exit the hut, and head west to the furthest hut from your current position. On the other side of the room to where you enter is a mumbling slaver guard, who is heavily drunk. Search him for the Dishonored Slaver's Jerkin, and take the slaver's greatsword, which has been strewn across the floor alongside him, to acquire the Dishonored Slaver's Greatsword. Once you equip the greatsword and clothing, a slaver cutthroat will run up from the lower level of the hut, over to the unconscious guard.

Slaver Cutthroat: "Drores? Why didn't you wake me? Have you been drinking the aged flin again?"
Slaver Cutthroat: "Treacherous slave! I'll have your head!" (Only available if detected by the slaver)

The slaver will initiate combat with you, but once he is dealt with, you are ready to return to Naryu with the items you have collected. Alternatively, if you found the gear before finding the key, then you will be directed towards obtaining the key, as outlined in the previous step. Also, finding the gear before the key, and losing that gear by the time you retrieve the key will result in having to obtain the gear again, before you can seek out Naryu, as the quest stage is presented to you a second time. Note that this also means that you will have to fight the cutthroat once more. If you manage to lose the gear again by the time you are given the quest stage to rendezvous with the prisoners, then you can still return to the drunken slaver, who has a new jerkin and greatsword each time you lose your own.

Rendezvous[edit]

Exit the hut you are currently in, and you will find a group of prisoners, surrounding a well between all three of the huts. The group includes: Hreifryd, Thadanja, Noam Derre, Kirrsi, Talosha, and Chee-Jah. These prisoners were previously imprisoned within the barracks. Also, amongst them is Eoki, who will try to grab your attention.

Fellow escapees
Eoki: "Over here!"

Speaking to Eoki will result in him updating you on the change of plan.

"Did you get the things Naryu wanted? The slavers are returning and plans have changed. Naryu sent me to find you and get the gate key."
Tell me what happened.
"Naryu sent a signal to the House Guard in Seyda Neen and that's when the slaver horn started sounding. The slavers must have been hiding nearby and now they're on their way back. We have to hurry!"
Here's the gate key.
"You are a ray of sunshine on a cloudy morning!
I'll lead the prisoners through the gate and see what we can find to get off this island. You meet up with Naryu at the overlook and then rendezvous with us at the docks."
I'll find Naryu at the overlook.

The gate key will then be handed over to Eoki, who will run to unlock the gate to the docks, with the other prisoners following closely behind. Head up the side of the hill, and you will find an overlook, with Naryu perched behind some brush. Talk to her, and she will reveal to you her background.

"I couldn't have done much better myself, hero. Good work down there! There's one more thing to do, if you're up to it.
Time is short, but I have something to tell you. You've earned that much at least."
What do you want to tell me?
"I'm an assassin, a Morag Tong agent here to complete a job. The writ I carry gives me the legal authority to end my target's life, no questions asked.
I'm here to kill Captain Svadstar, leader of this band of slavers. He's as bad as they come."
Why are you telling me this?
"Because I need your help. I can kill the captain and ten of his thugs without breaking a sweat. But the slavers' ship? It's faster and stronger than anything the locals can throw at it. If we don't scuttle the ship, they'll be right back to business."
Why should I help an assassin?
"Not big on gratitude, I see.
Look, I signaled Seyda Neen, but they won't get here in time to stop the slavers. With your help, we can end the slavers, save their prisoners, and sink their ship. Otherwise, the prisoners are as good as dead."
So what do you need me to do?
"Gather some fire salts and kindlepitch from the docks. With them, you can make a fire bomb. Not only will setting their ship on fire destroy it, it will flush Svadstar from his hiding hole so I can end him.
We'll meet after you gather the supplies."
I'll get the fire salts and kindlepitch and meet you at the docks.

Naryu will then run to the gate, and enter through to the docks.

Creating the Fire Bomb[edit]

Follow Naryu through to the Firemoth Island docks, and you will notice her sneaking down the path in front of you, until she disappears in a puff of smoke. Do not fret though, you will see her again once you have created the explosive. Continue down the path towards the beach, and cross the bridge in front of you, there will be a small island with a shed containing a fire salt barrel. Search the barrel to find some Fire Salts, then go along the second bridge heading north, but note that you may have to fight slaver cutthroats, archers, and thugs along the way. On the other side of the bridge is a jetty, as part of a larger island. Make your way north to the end of the jetty to find a kindlepitch crate, within a boathouse. Search the kindlepitch crate to find the Kindlepitch that you need. Upon acquiring the components, the Fire Bomb will be made from the combination of the fire salts and kindlepitch. Backtrack out of the boathouse, and head west along the dock. On your way to Naryu, you can find the Captain's Note attached to a pillar of the boathouse, which gives insight into the Morag Tong assassination writ ordering for the death of Captain Svadstar. Once you have made your way to the end of the docks, approach Naryu (who is now dressed in her own slaver clothing), and she will signal you over.

Naryu Virian: "Over here! Get on board and let's go."
or Naryu Virian: "Over here! Put your slaver's garb back on and get aboard." (Only available if you do not have the slaver jerkin equipped)

If you lost your slaver clothing, there is a dead slaver guard next to Naryu. Search his body for another slaver jerkin, and equip it, as this will make future fights much easier for you. Before you leave, you may want to free the recaptured slaves, who will all thank you individually, if they are rescued. They can be located around the island docks, apart from Chee-Jah and Eoki, who will be missing. When you are ready to leave the island, use the rowboat that Naryu is beside to travel to the slaver ship.

Saboteur[edit]

After using the rowboat, you will find yourself on the bow of the slaver ship, with Naryu at your side. Ballistae from a Seyda Neen ship will be firing upon the slaver ship, grabbing the attention of the slavers. Head into the ship with Naryu.

Naryu Virian: "The ship's under attack! Pretend you're part of the crew and maybe the slavers won't notice."

As you make your way onto the main deck, a slaver thug will signal you to halt.

Slaver Thug: "Don't come out! They're bombarding the ship! Wait, who …?"
Escape the burning ship!

The thug is then killed by the bombardment, and Naryu will run forward.

Naryu Virian: "Go below decks and use the fire bomb. I'll search for the Captain. Now move!"

Naryu will then head into the ship's cabin, just as First Mate Ulveni appears from below deck. Once she notices you, she will initiate combat with you.

First Mate Ulveni: "Skeeving fetcher! I'll kill you!"

Kill her, then head below deck. Proceed to the opposite end of the ship, where there is a room that is blocked by fallen debris. Use the fire bomb, and it will roll across the floor, before igniting the entire room. Captain Svadstar will then appear below deck.

Captain Svadstar: "Intruder in the hold! Someone put out that fire while I deal with this flea!"

As you head towards him, Naryu will appear from the shadows, taking the captain by surprise. She will kill him with a few strikes of her blade, and let out a quiet chuckle.

Naryu Virian: "Nice! We make a great team. Now, let's get off this burning ship!"

Run back upstairs, and you will see half the deck burst into flames, with a screaming slaver thug being burned alive before he jumps overboard. Follow Naryu, who will dive into the water. Once you also jump into the water, the ship will erupt into flames, narrowly escaping being caught up in it yourself.

Slave or Slaver?[edit]

You awake within the cabin of The Windstorm, currently docked in Seyda Neen. As you get out of bed, Sergeant Delms makes his way to the door, and demands answers.

Sergeant Delms: "Good, you've returned to your senses. Let's talk."

Speak to the sergeant, as you cannot leave the ship until you talk to him.

"As Governor of this region, I have questions that need to be answered."
"So, care to tell me what you were doing on that slaver ship?"
They captured me and I was trying to escape. What is this place?
"This is the port town of Seyda Neen, on the island of Vvardenfell. We fished you out of the burning wreckage of a slaver ship near Firemoth.
If you're not a slaver, why were you dressed as one?"
We were in disguise, trying to make our escape from the ship.
"We? Hmm.
I'll let Governor Salvi sort this out. She wants to see you. Best not to keep her waiting."
I'll go and talk to Governor Salvi.

The sergeant will begin to escort you to the governor for further questioning.

Sergeant Delms: "Come with me." (The sergeant will unlock the door)

Exit the ship cabin, and follow the sergeant along the dock to the Census and Excise Office. When you enter the office, an interaction will take place between Syndelius Ergalla, the office clerk, and the sergeant.

Syndelius Ergalla: "Another rescue, Sergeant? Let me just record the name in my ledger."
Sergeant Delms: "Not this one. Governor Salvi doesn't want an official record."
Syndelius Ergalla: "Really? Very well. The Governor's in her office."

The sergeant will then lead you into the office of the governor, and wait by the door once you have entered. Speak to the governor, who has been writing at her desk, waiting for your arrival.

"As Governor of this region, I have questions that need to be answered. We found you among the wreckage of the slaver ship, and we found a strongbox with your name on it in another wreck.
I'll give you the strongbox if you tell me the truth."
I helped a Morag Tong agent. She had a writ to assassinate the slaver captain.
Naryu helps to pardon you
"Did she? And where is this writ? I don't see any writ. And without a writ, all I have is a murder.
Take your strongbox, but we'll hold onto you until I have proof of your claim. I have no patience for tale-tellers or slavers."

The quest can then be completed, where you will be rewarded an average amount of leveled gold, a skill point, and the Waterlogged Strong Box. Do not concern yourself with the threat of arrest, as Naryu will burst into the office upon completing the quest, where she will provide the governor with evidence of the assassination writ.

Naryu Virian: "A moment, Governor. Here's my honorable writ of execution for the slaver captain." (Naryu will hand the writ over to the governor)
Governor Salvi: "Hmm. These papers appear to be in order." (The governor will read the writ)
Naryu Virian: "We're done here, hero. But don't worry, I'm sure we'll see each other again." (Naryu will turn to you, salute you, and then exit the office)
Governor Salvi: "I suppose you can go now. And we'll leave your name out of the official record. Just don't make me regret this." (The governor will put the writ into her pocket)

Now that you have been excused from any possible punishments, you are free to explore Vvardenfell, and make a start to your adventures in Tamriel.

Notes[edit]

  • This quest is not available to players who only have access to Morrowind content through ESO Plus – you must own the Morrowind chapter or Morrowind DLC directly.
  • This quest can only be completed by new Morrowind characters who choose to play the tutorial after character creation. Existing characters, created before the release of Morrowind, new Morrowind characters which skip the tutorial, and new characters created while owning another Chapter will have the opportunity to complete Breaking Through the Fog instead.
    • You may see that some of the other slaves have been recaptured when getting the fire salts and kindlepitch from the docks. Freeing them is part of the quest objectives for Breaking Through the Fog (mentioned above), and will do nothing for this quest.
  • As the rest of the game world cannot be accessed until this quest is completed, it is listed as a "Main Quest" and cannot be abandoned. However, it is unrelated to the rest of the game's Main Quest storyline.
  • The clothing you wear at the start of the quest (which differs depending on the race and gender of your character) will override any appearance collectibles that may also be equipped.
  • Interestingly enough, you are wearing the slave clothes on-board the starting ship, despite not yet being captured by the slavers. They are, however, hidden by the aforementioned clothing that your character will be wearing too.
  • Reading Good Travels!, which can be found in your starting inventory, does not actually progress the quest from the initial stage, despite the letter in front of you being exactly the same text. Although, oddly it does award a single experience point when read.

Bugs[edit]

  • When sparring with Naryu Virian, the prompt to block appears and Eoki will shout Quick, defend yourself!, but the subtitles to his line are not in synchronization, with Eoki saying his line already after the subtitles have been and gone.
  • When sparring with Naryu Virian, she will say "Try to block this one!" when charging her special attack. However, the subtitles associated with her line read "Try to stop this!" instead.
  • When being questioned by Sergeant Delms, he will ask why you were dressed as a slaver. Clearly he is referring to the slaver jerkin here. However, whilst it is recommended to wear the slaver clothing on multiple occasions throughout the tutorial, it is not mandatory. So, it is possible that he asks you this question when you were not wearing any slaver clothing at all.

Quest Stages[edit]

Broken Bonds
Finishes Quest Journal Entry
I should read the letter I received just before I boarded the ship.
Objective: Read the Letter
Another passenger aboard the ship decided to strike up a conversation. It's only polite to listen to what he has to say.
Objective: Listen to the Passenger
The ship ran into some rocks as we approached land and I lost consciousness. Now I'm awake and in some kind of cell with my hands bound. There's a Dark Elf here and she wants to talk to me.
Objective: Talk to Naryu Virian
Naryu explained I was captured by slavers. She hinted at an escape plan but wants to test my combat skills first.
Objective: Fight Naryu Virian
Now that I showed her that I can fight, Naryu wants to tell me her escape plan. I should talk to her again.
Objective: Talk to Naryu Virian
Naryu gave me two tasks. She wants me to obtain slaver gear for protection and the key to the gate that leads to the docks. I should look around and try to find these items.
Complete one: Obtain the Gate Key or Obtain Slaver Gear
Optional Step: Spar with Naryu
(This quest stage will only appear if you choose to obtain the gate key, prior to obtaining the slaver gear)
I found the gate key. Now I need to acquire a set of slaver clothes.
Objective: Obtain Slaver Gear
I acquired some gear from the slavers. I should equip the gear in case I run into any trouble.
Objective: Equip the Slaver's Greatsword
Objective: Equip the Slaver Gear
(This quest stage will only appear if you choose to obtain the slaver gear, prior to obtaining the gate key)
I acquired gear from the slavers. Now I need to find the key that opens the gate to the docks.
Objective: Obtain the Gate Key
I collected the items that Naryu wanted. Now I should return to the slave barracks and see if we're ready to make our escape.
Objective: Rendezvous with the Prisoners
As I was returning to Naryu, I ran into Eoki, who was on the ship with me before it crashed. He's with some other prisoners. I should talk to him.
Objective: Talk to Eoki
The slavers saw Naryu's signal and are on their way. I gave Eoki the gate key and he took the other prisoners to the docks. Now Naryu is waiting for me on the overlook. I should go talk to her.
Objective: Talk to Naryu Virian
Naryu's a Morag Tong assassin with a contract to kill the slaver leader, Captain Svadstar. She wants me to gather fire salts and kindlepitch to set fire and destroy the ship while she makes her kill.
Objective: Gather Fire Salts
Objective: Gather Kindlepitch
I combined the fire salts and kindlepitch to create a fire bomb. Now I should meet Naryu and get aboard the slaver ship.
Objective: Board the Slaver Ship
Naryu and I are aboard the slaver ship, which appears to be under attack from a Seyda Neen vessel. I should find a spot below decks to set the fire bomb while Naryu deals with the slaver captain.
Objective: Use the Fire Bomb
Captain Svadstar found me when I planted the fire bomb. I should confront him and keep him busy until Naryu arrives.
Objective: Confront Captain Svadstar
Naryu assassinated Captain Svadstar. Now we need to escape before the burning ship sinks.
Objective: Escape the Slaver Ship
The ship from Seyda Neen rescued us after we escaped the slaver ship. There's a guard here. I should talk to him.
Objective: Talk to Sergeant Delms
Finishes quest☑ The Seyda Neen guard thinks I might be a slaver. I should talk to Governor Salvi and explain what happened.
Objective: Talk to Governor Salvi
Notes
* Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the game and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
  • Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
  • Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.