Plague of Insomnia. [New quest!]

[Melancholeric]

Something strange is happening in a small village of Southern Morrowind* - though all of its inhabitants have a desire to sleep they cannot even close their eyes for a second. The whole settlement suffers from this collective insomnia for several weeks already, but no one knows what's going on. (Yet some think it's all about an old Vermyna's temple near the town) Temple sends for investigation a whole squad of Ordinators... and you.**

Details:
1. After your arrival townsfolk will advise you to have a talk with a local praepostor or a commander of the Ordinators' squad based in the Tribunal temple. Both will react quite anxiously but accept player's help and give some different quests - praepostor wants to find out who's stealing food from the storages, and Ordinator needs help in tracking down his scout team sent to investigate the neighbourhood.
2. As you'll find out, thieves are coming from outside of the town. Their tracks (pieces of scuttle which probably fell from the backpack) will lead you to a fireplace with four dead Ordinators and a broken Vermina's idol near it. Also when you follow a scuttle trail you can discover a lorebook about the Vermina cult and so-called Dreameaters. Unfortunately, book is very old, and you can't learn much from it, but it says that Dreameaters are the reason of the "Insomnia Plague". You need to show that book to the praepostor and inform the Ordinators that their comrades are dead.
3. If you accept commander's quest, then by the time you'll get to the fireplace (you will be told where this squad can be found) one of the Ordinators will still be alive, though heavily wounded. Player can heal him with a spell\elixir or listen to his story first. (But if you don't help the Ordinator, he'll die by telling you the whole story) His squad encountered a strange man with a bag full of provision near Vermina's temple. Ordinators tied him up and started the interrogation but the idol in his backpack sudddenly activated driving two of the Ordinators mad and forcing them to attack their own comrades. The strange person escaped leaving the idol behind. You'll have to report to the commander about his men's death (and accept his gratitude for the rescued Ordinator expressed in several high-quality healing elixirs)
4. Both praepostor and the Ordinator's chief are willing to investigate an old Vermina's temple near the town. Join the soldiers and the locals in a sudden raid to the ruins... Only to discover a large group of Dissident Priests hiding from the Temple's wraith. Their leader tries to convince everyone that Insomnia's Plague is not connected to them, idol was accidentally discovered north of the village and that the Ordinators killed each other\the priests were trying to find out what exactly are Dreameaters. (Praepostor's quest\Ordinator's quest accordingly) Ordinators want to take care of the dissidents but the praepostor says they are harmless. Their fate depends on a player - he can convince Ordinators that they have no time or help wiping the priests out. No matter what did you choose, at the end of all an idol will become active, a secret passage to the underground level will be opened, and some daedric spawn will get through. (If the priests were spared, they'd run away saving their lives) Ordinators want to go down and investigate, but the locals are too scared and wish to go home. Player can choose whether he follows the Ordinators or comes back to the village.
6. On the underground levels player and the Ordinators will meet lots of daedra, from scamps to daedrots. In the main hall there is a beast who looks like a huge ancient harpy - that's Dreameater. Once you killed it, head back to the village... and see the slaughter - there was another Dreameater who left the temple and killed all the townsfolk. Once he's done Ordinator's commander will thank you, grant you some pieces of the Indoril armor set and a ring of Almsivi Intervention.
7. If you decided to return to village, you'll be able to kill the attacking Dreameater and his minions. However, once you return to Vermina's temple you will find out that all the Ordinators are dead and the Dreameater's still alive (though heavily wounded) After finishing both monsters off the praepostor will give you 3000-4000 of gold.

*In my headcanon this village's name is Makondo - a reference to G.G.Marques. In fact, the quest itself is a single huge reference to G.G.Marques.
**This quest can be taken from the closest priest of Temple in the area. Player can also hear rumors about a town who suffers from the insomnia.

[Melancholeric]

I'm not sure where this quest will take place. It might be Solis island in the east of the Mournhold district or Dragon Head Point north from Necrom - both islands have enough place for a small village and a Vermina's temple. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to create new locations in the Construction Set and write scripts but I'll gladly learn it if necessary.

[Dormichigan64]

Did you get this idea from Skyrim? Also, keep in mind that the insomnia would be caused by the close proximity of not the temple, but the staff of corruption. If it is involved, it would be a cool way to get it, though it would be dangerously similar to the Skyrim quest. I like where it's going, though.

[gro-Dhal]

This is nicely thought out but I have two problems with it:

- Vaernima has no presence in Morrowind. She's not one of the Anticipations or one of the Four Corners so she has no traditional role in Dunmer or Chimer mythology.

- Most significantly, the whole of Morrowind is already suffering from insomnia. The in-game explanation for the lack of radiant AI (traders being open all night etc) is that nobody is able to sleep. This is because Dagoth Ur is calling out to his dreamers.

[Gnomey]

I personally feel that Sheogorath could be substituted for Vaernima and bouts of (violent) madness could be substituted for insomnia without otherwise changing the quest in any way. This would make the quest fit the setting of Morrowind better and remove the requirement of new assets for a single quest. However, admittedly not being familiar with the works of G. G. Marques, I can't judge how those changes would affect the quest as a reference to his works.

[Melancholeric]

Did you get this idea from Skyrim? Also, keep in mind that the insomnia would be caused by the close proximity of not the temple, but the staff of corruption. If it is involved, it would be a cool way to get it, though it would be dangerously similar to the Skyrim quest. I like where it's going, though.

This is nicely thought out but I have two problems with it:

- Vaernima has no presence in Morrowind. She's not one of the Anticipations or one of the Four Corners so she has no traditional role in Dunmer or Chimer mythology.

- Most significantly, the whole of Morrowind is already suffering from insomnia. The in-game explanation for the lack of radiant AI (traders being open all night etc) is that nobody is able to sleep. This is because Dagoth Ur is calling out to his dreamers.

I personally feel that Sheogorath could be substituted for Vaernima and bouts of (violent) madness could be substituted for insomnia without otherwise changing the quest in any way. This would make the quest fit the setting of Morrowind better and remove the requirement of new assets for a single quest. However, admittedly not being familiar with the works of G. G. Marques, I can't judge how those changes would affect the quest as a reference to his works.

Hm-m. Thanks for your opinion, now I have a better idea inspired by your messages.

What if the reason of Insomnia's Plague IS the Sixth House, not Vermina or Sheogorath? The idol player has to find lied near the food storage, in the middle of the city, so it could be an ash statue used by the Dagoth Ur's followers, and the temple might have once belonged to House Dagot or occupied by his adepts years later. Dreameaters can be replaced by the Ascended Sleepers, and the lower daedras guarding them - by the corprus-infected beasts.