Well, first thing's first:
The motivation behind this quest is thrown up for you folks at Tamriel Rebuilt to decide. "Who dunnit" is a question that comes to mind. Well, after Lady Nerevar's suggestion that I look at the faction lore thread (heh, oops) I have completely reviewed and updated this quest idea to match more closely to the good things you gals and guys are doing here! Oh, and to TR's credit, their lore has actually ENHANCED this quest idea, so...Good thunking!
Possibility One: Treigo is still the major factor behind this scandal. He speaks for the people, and when he sees his kind suffering at the hands of Lord Pemeni, cousin of Clavilla, he demands justice for the ancestors of the Ra-Gada! With the absence of a Thieves Guild quarters in Hammerfell, he hires free-lance thieves as well as thief guild members, although the action is not sanctioned by the Thieves guild.
Now, we know that there is conflict between the Forebears and Crowns. But judging by the interviews from the TR Blog, the ranks are not perfectly united within the Forebear faction. This act---when it hits the news---of Countess Clavilla returning humiliated to her city, without her status symbol; of the poorer inhabitants of Rihad parading around town, partly drunk and holding her crown above their heads, cheering that the ancestors of the Ra Gada have risen again; the Crown faction sees the weakness of division seeping through the veins of the Forebears....and decides to take advantage of their division.
Possibility Two: Treigo is not the involved. Instead, the Crown faction is the initiator here. They want to see Clavilla humiliated, and so they hire free-lance thieves and thief-guild members to humiliate Clavilla and her disliked cousin.
Notes on the recruitment:
1. The Thieves guild always seemed to be based upon individuals rather than guild halls...so it would be very unlikely that there are no thieves guild members at all in Hammerfell. But, at the same time, the presence of guild members doesn't mean the guild operates there.
2. I do not think that the Dura Ungai are perfectly ideologically suited for this sort of quest, being more of mafia or gangsters--who would act more in self-interest, and be more brutal in political gestures. If Clavilla wronged them, they wouldn't steal her crown. They would abduct her child, and leave the child's hand with her middle finger sticking up on Clavilla's bedside table.
3. You will NOT need to be the member of any guild to accomplish this quest. Of course, you might want to be part of the Crown's faction for the later possibility.
Okay, back into the specifics:
You and three other thieves are recruited for a mission to infiltrate and steal the crown of Clavilla while she visits her cousin, Lord Pemeni, for his birthday. Lord Pemeni resides within an imposing fortress that lies on the northern end of the Corten Mountain range, sitting atop a bluff and guarding the major road that leads into the heart of Goldmoor. With it's lofty spot and imposing battlements, and the overall flatness and treeless terrain, guards of the fortress can see for miles in many directions without difficulty. No foe can sneak up on the fortress unnoticed...and even if they could, how could they scale the rocky cliffs, traverse the dry moat, and try to shove themselves up an excrement shoot, without being seen, heard, or arrowed? Its up to you and your companions, given a few days' preparation time, to find out!
Now, if this fortress is so impenetrable, you may ask, why try to rob it here, if the Countess' own castle would be so much easier? Well, two main reasons. First, and most importantly, this isn't simply a thievery. This is a "character assassination". A politically motivated humiliation. Countess Clavilla isn't well liked by many, but her cousin Lord Pemeni is absolutely hated for his gold-hoarding, luxurious imperial tastes, and his excessive cruelty to local nomads and villagers. Doing the job here is like killing two birds with one stone...and it may have the added benefit of dividing Clavilla and Pemeni...resulting possibly in Pemeni's dismissal. Secondly, an opportunity has arisen that hasn't arisen before. A mysterious sympathizer to the cause is located within Pemeni's fortress---his/her identity is unknown---has promised spies that they will provide a perfect window for which to steal the crown (or signent ring or whatever), which is normally always close to the Countess.
Next, why is the Countess even at her cousin's fortress? Well, Clavilla is a smart woman. She knows that her cousin cannot carry on in his reckless manner in light of developing events. The Lhotunic faction is weakening. The Legion is pulling out of trouble spots to consolidate their position in preparation for the collapse of the empire. The Blades are regrouping atop the Golden Hill, preparing for the coming storm (sorry, RST mod reference
). The Crown faction looks as though it means to seize power as soon as the Legion withdraws from Hammerfell. The winds are changing---and Clavilla knows it. Using the occasion of her cousin's birthday, Clavilla is attempting to impress upon her cousin the urgency of toning down his ways. "We can't rely on the unconditional support of the Empire anymore, you fool! What if there is some sort of rebellion? Where are your legions? All I see are a few well dressed thugs." Clavilla might say.So, who is to take part on this heist of epic proportions? Besides you? Well:
"Sliver Thumbs": A notorious free-lance thief who is out for riches. Not that he already isn't rich himself, but that's not the point now, is it? Known for his successful escapades elsewhere, Silver Thumbs was a 'must have' for this mission. However, Silver Thumb's upper class snootyness makes him not exactly involved ideologically in this quest. He might be the best thief in the group. Or, he might simply be a fraud. Who knows? The unity and success of your group rides on keeping---or disposing---of him.
Baadargo: A member of the Thieves guild, Baadargo is a Khajiit dedicated to the cause of humiliating Lord Pemeni. His allegiance is with the peasants of Tamriel, and he signed on once he heard of the barbaric treatment of the poor by Pemeni's henchmen. Noble in cause, Baadargo is as reckless as he is skilled. You'll have to reign in this "paladin" for the poor before he upsets the whole mission with his rash acts.
Elone: A female Redguard of lowly origins, Elone claims to be a master thief...but is she really? No one has ever heard of her, but she says that's simply a complement to her work. Still, her position on the team is suspicious. What are her real motives?
The Mysterious Informant: Who is he/she? Is he/she a sympathetic member of Pemeni's castle staff? Is he/she another master thief who hopes to have a go at Pemeni's riches as the party stumbles into a trap designed to distract the castle guards? Or, is the informant none other than Lord Pemeni himself???
Mechanics:
The point of this quest is multi-fold. First, it was sort of designed as a quest for the early release of Hammerfell (which, last I heard, was in need of quests to avoid an 'empty' release). Second, it was an attempt to fill the void of exciting and complex thief-oriented quests, which mostly consist of raiding people's personal dwellings. Third, it was designed not to 'walk' the player through. They should largely be left to figure that out for themselves. Fourth, it was an attempt to combine the political elements of Morrowind quests with the innovative elements of Oblivion quests, as well as take advantage of Oblivion's improved thievery system. Lastly, it was designed as a branching quest where your interactions with your NPC allies would be crucial to the outcome of the quest, which would have multiple possible outcomes.
Some things I would like to see are:
Khajjit guards who really have an advantage over other guards for sensing invisible/chameleon/darkness-shrouded characters.
Barrels or closets to hide in, tables to hide under.
Disguises to assume.
Thievery tools to use.
Windows to enter.
Informants to bribe/threaten.
Traps (magic-inspired alarms)
Gaps to cross. Walls to scale.
Of course, many of these things don't necessarily have to be implemented (some have been added by other mods), but that could often mean your partners won't have the same ability to do what you are doing, which would be a harsh quest breaker (i.e., you scale a wall with a rope arrow from TGA, and your companions are left stuck at the bottom).
Conclusion: Anyway, I'm really proud of what I have here. This quest could branch out in SO many ways. So much mystery is involved here. So many diverging motives. So many possible political consequences. Is this a bid for Pemeni to seize power? Is Silver Thumbs a fraud? What happens to you if you are captured by the guards?
I can also expect the quest to have 'mini-quests', where the player can accomplish extra things for material bonuses, or simply for a good laugh. For example, tying Lord Pemeni's shoelaces together, or raiding his large treasury.
Of course, this quest might be already TOO big, TOO time consuming, or TOO complex. But I'll leave it up for you guys to decide. Let me know what you think!
