Tamriel Rebuilt:The Exiled Duke's Affair

The Duke wants a lover and the thief wants out. Quest Giver: Duke Phyrios Mattimus Location(s): Old Ebonheart Reward: Beru's Amulet (Beru's Route) OR 1,000 gold (Duke's Route). ID: TR_m3_OE_DukeAffair; TR_m3_OE_DA_common; TR_m3_OE_DA_keys; TR_m3_OE_DA_poor; TR_m3_OE_DA_rich; TR_m3_OE_DA_tower

Phyrios Mattimus, Duke of Deshaan

Quick Walkthrough

1. Rumors about Old Ebonheart make mention of the Duke of Deshaan's love for a prisoner.
2. Ask the Duke in Ebon Tower's High Chambers about the Duke's affair.
3. Speak to Beru Vesuri in the Legion Dungeons.
   • Offer to help her or decide not to interfere - she cannot be persuaded to love the Duke.
4. Bring Beru the Drain Personality poison.
5. Return in a day to see if she has been successful.
6. Spread rumors around the city about Beru, and return to her.
   • (Optional) Inform the Duke of Beru's plan.
7. Give Beru a Scroll of Almsivi Intervention or beat her unconscious.
   • If beating unconscious, wait a day.
8. Report to Raleth (if you did not inform the Duke), or the Duke (if you did), for a reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

Asking about latest rumors, particularly around the Ebon Tower, will reveal talk of the Duke of Deshaan having an affair. You can challenge him on this, and if he has a high disposition (75+) he will open up, and ask you to get involved. The Duke himself can be found in the high chambers of Ebon Tower's Palace.

If you offer to help, he will give you papers enabling entry to the prison. Here you can speak to the object of his affections, Beru Veseri, She is held in the castle dungeons, in the first cell on the right after entering. Regardless of her disposition towards you, she will flatly refuse to accept the Duke's advances. You can either drop the matter here, or offer to help her with her predicament. Offers of scrolls of Divine or Almsivi Intervention will be turned down (although she will bring up Almsivi later if you mention it). Instead, she requests you help by bringing her a Drain Personality potion. The Duke himself will not be overly upset at your failure to persuade her - he was not expecting a positive outcome.

Bring Beru the Drain Personality potion to proceed. Speak to any alchemist (e.g. Narusya at Narusya's Fine Potions in Old Ebonheart) to get this, although you will need a high disposition of 80+. It will cost 300 gold, unless you have Mercantile over 40, in which case you can successfully bargain the price down to 175. Once Beru has the potion, she will ask you to return in a day or speak to Raleth if she is not in her cell.

Unfortunately, she is - the potion plan having failed*. She'll ask you to spread rumors about her instead. You can only do this successfully if the people you are spreading rumors to have 75+ disposition towards you, or if your Speechcraft exceeds 30. Certain individuals (like Raleth) will simply disbelieve you. You'll also need to talk to a variety of people - a poor, a common and a rich person in Old Ebonheart itself, along with one individual in the Ebon Tower (excluding the dungeons themselves). Return to Beru once you have got four individuals to believe you.

(*You can report back to the Duke at this point that she is trying to run away, but he will refuse to believe it.)

If you offered Beru a Scroll of Almsivi Intervention on your first meeting, she will ask about it here. Giving it to her will allow her to teleport out and complete the quest, but not before rewarding you with Beru's Amulet. Given that this reward heftily fortifies personality and was worn by Beru, it probably goes some way to explain why the Duke had become so infatuated.

Without Almsivi Intervention, Beru's last and final request is that you beat her unconscious (in gameplay terms, drain her fatigue to 0). You can report on this plan to the Duke before completing it, and he will promise to reward you if what you say turns out to be true - this will net 1000 gold if you return to him after Beru makes her escape attempt - it will also make her escape fail utterly. Otherwise, he will be somewhat irritated, and summon you to account for yourself.

A few punches is all it takes to knock out Beru. Once down, wait a day, and report in to Raleth, a Dunmer walking the streets outside of the Empress Katariah, or the Duke if you warned him of Beru's plan.

Needless to say, if you take the Duke's money, Beru is not best pleased - and will be stuck in her gilded cage for an unknown time to come.

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.

The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DukeAffair)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
1	Finishes quest	I've heard rumors that Phyrios Mattimus, the Duke of Deshaan, is having an affair with a Dunmer commoner. She's a thief and is being held in the legion dungeons.
5		I've spoken to Phyrios Mattimus and offered to help him impress Beru Vesuri. I need to go to the legion headquarters where I will find the entrance to the dungeons. Once I'm inside I need to show the papers he gave me to the jailor.
8	Finishes quest	I've spoken to Beru Vesuri, who's being held in the legion dungeons, about the Duke's affair with her. She refused to even consider accepting Phyrios Mattimus' offers.
9	Finishes quest	I've spoken to Beru Vesuri, who's being held in the legion dungeons, about the Duke's affair with her. She explained to me that she would like to stop Phyrios Mattimus' advances toward her. I've decided not to interfere.
10		I've spoken to Beru Vesuri, who's being held in the legion dungeons, about the Duke's affair with her. She explained to me that she would like to stop Phyrios Mattimus' advances toward her. I have agreed to help and she asked me to find her a drain personality poison.
11		I have changed my mind and agreed to help Beru Vesuri. She asked me to find her a drain personality poison.
15		Beru Vesuri suggested I should ask an alchemist about a drain personality poison.
20		I have a drain personality poison. I should bring it to Beru Vesuri and see if her plan works.
30		I have given Beru Vesuri the poison. Now I should wait a day, and then return to see if she's still in her cell. If not, I should speak to Raleth.
40		A day has passed. I need to check on Beru Vesuri.
50		Beru Vesuri's plan failed. Now she wants me to talk to people in Old Ebonheart and spread rumors about her.
55		Beru Vesuri suggested that I am more likely to succeed if I spread rumors in different parts of the city.
60		I believe I've spoken to enough people. I need to return to Beru Vesuri and see if her plan worked.
69		The plan failed again. I offered to bring Beru Vesuri a scroll of Almsivi intervention.
70		The plan failed again. Now Beru Vesuri wants me to render her unconscious. I could use a spell or simply hit her with my bare hands until she faints.
75		I have told Phyrios Mattimus about Beru Vesuri's plan. He asked me to go along with it for now and return later when he can confirm that what I said is true.
80		Beru Vesuri is unconscious. Now I need to leave and wait long enough for someone to notice her.
85		Enough time has passed, surely Beru Vesuri managed to escape or fail to. I should speak to Phyrios Mattimus now.
88	Finishes quest	I have returned to Phyrios Mattimus and he rewarded me for my efforts.
90		Enough time has passed, surely Beru Vesuri managed to escape or fail to. I should speak to Raleth now.
100	Finishes quest	Beru Vesuri was too afraid to thank me personally or mention her destination. She left me a note with an enchanted amulet as a reward.
101	Finishes quest	Beru Vesuri agreed to use the Almsivi Intervention scroll and teleported away. She left me an enchanted amulet as a reward.
110		One of Phyrios Mattimus' guards approached me near the city gates. He told me the Duke wishes to speak with me and explained that I will likely be punished if I fail to comply.
120	Finishes quest	I've spoken to Phyrios Mattimus. He told me that he is aware of my involvement in Beru Vesuri's disappearance. He has decided not to punish me now, but if I ever get in his way again, there will be consequences.
200	Finishes quest	Beru Vesuri is dead.
201		One of Phyrios Mattimus' guards approached me near the gates. They told me the Duke wants to speak with me and explained that I will be punished if I fail to comply.
202	Finishes quest	I've spoken to Phyrios Mattimus. He told me that he is aware of my involvement in Beru Vesuri's death. He has decided not to punish me now, but if I ever get in his way again, there will be consequences.
210	Finishes quest	Phyrios Mattimus is dead.
300	Finishes quest	I have failed to speak with the Duke in reasonable time and was likely charged for my crimes.
The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DA_common)
1		I've convinced a person in the Ebon Tower that Beru Vesuri has done something horrible.
The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DA_keys)
1		Gaulus the Jailor gave me the keys to enter Beru Vesuri's cell. Her cell is the first one on the right.
The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DA_poor)
1		I've convinced a person from the poor parts of Old Ebonheart that Beru Vesuri has done something horrible.
The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DA_rich)
1		I've convinced a rich person in Old Ebonheart that Beru Vesuri has done something horrible.
The Exiled Duke's Affair (TR_m3_OE_DA_common)
1		I've convinced a person in the Ebon Tower that Beru Vesuri has done something horrible.