Online:Minerva Lauzon

Minerva Lauzon is a Breton and a former member of the Blackcaster Mages Guild. After her colleagues went mad with power, she led the residents of Elinhir to safety.
 

Related Quests


Quest-Related Events
When you enter the refugees' hideout in the Elinhir Sewerworks, you will overhear an argument between Minerva and several refugees:
:Rithanion the Stumbler: "You were one of them? Mages like you destroyed our city!"
:Heralda Faleille: ''"Minerva had no part in this. She's only tried to help us, Rithanion. Your fight isn't with her!"
:Minerva Lauzon: "No, she's right. I didn't help the Blackcasters, but I didn't stop them either. I must accept some of the blame."''

Speak to her and find out what's going on.
:''"I haven't seen you before. Who are you? How did you get in here? I warn you, if you intend to harm these people, you will have to answer to me."
:Calm down. I'm here to help.
:"You're here to help? That means Fights-With-Tail must have escaped. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. Listen. The city won't be safe until the Blackcaster mages and their leader, Arch-Mage Yamanu-ko, are defeated."
:Who are the Blackcaster mages?
:"They're an ancient order of mages, sworn to protect Elinhir. But they turned. They hunted and killed every other mage in the city, harvesting the magicka from them. Everyone else was just in the way."
:How do we defeat them?
:"Yamanu-ko is their leader. Defeating her should bring the others to their senses. But her tower is warded, protected by strange Nedic devices in each of her apprentices' towers. You need to destroy these devices to reach Yamanu-ko."
:I'll destroy the Nedic devices.

You can ask her more questions here.
:"The devices are guarded by Yamanu-ko's apprentices, Leta and Avys, in their towers. Once you've destroyed the devices and weakened the ward, I'll meet you at the base of Yamanu-ko's tower to finish breaking the spell."
:I have some questions for you.
:"The city lies in ruins and the Blackcaster mages run rampant over the corpses of the dead. Every moment that Yamanu-ko continues to draw breath is a moment wasted. But I understand. This situation is far from normal."
::Did you say something about the Blackcaster mages harvesting magicka from other mages?
::"That's a long story. The short of it is, we made a deal. A man approached us promising us knowledge of ancient Nedic magics. Our towers are Nedic in origin, but we knew little about them. So we accepted."
:::We? You were one of them?
:::"I was Yamanu-ko's third apprentice. I realized&mdash;too late&mdash;that the deal we made would be our undoing. The spell we were taught was pure savagery. And the cost was too high. I tried to get as many people out of the city as I could ...."
::::What was the cost?
::::"We told him the location of the Celestial Mage's Apex Stone. With that information, his master, the Celestial Serpent, was able to corrupt the Mage and turn her against Craglorn. I can never atone for what we did. I can only hope to stop Yamanu-ko."
::What else can you tell me about Yamanu-ko?
::"Yamanu-ko was my master. I learned everything I know about magic from her. Including the dangers of temptation and too much power. I should have stopped her when I saw what was happening. But I was afraid."
::I want to know more about the Blackcaster mages.
::"When the mage Felix Blackcaster first came to Elinhir, it was a struggling settlement. He promised protection and prosperity in exchange for establishing a magic school. It was an arrangement that served the city well for hundreds of years."
:::What kind of magic do the Blackcaster mages practice?
:::"It was ordinary by magical standards. In spite of what the Mages Guild might say, we were not renegades. I still don't fully understand what drove Yamanu-ko to this ... madness."

When you next encounter her, she will be in front of the gates to the Apex Tower Courtyard.
:"Arch-Mage Yamanu-ko is in this tower. We call it the Apex Tower. The arch-mages of Elinhir have occupied it for centuries. It was our duty to protect the city. Instead, we leave a legacy of destruction."
:Leta and Avys tried to stop me, but I brought down the wards.
:"Good. Then this barrier is Yamanu-ko's last defense. It should be weak enough for me to break now. I'm afraid it will still take a great deal of my strength, however, so you will have to face Yamanu-ko alone."
:I'm ready.
:"Be careful with the arch-mage. Yamanu-ko was powerful even before she learned the Serpent's wicked trick. She's only grown more powerful since, stealing magicka from her fellow mages and immersing herself in unspeakable rituals."

Minerva will then dispel the wards on the front door:
:Minerva Lauzon: "One second."
:Minerva Lauzon: "I think I can make a crack in the ward!"
:Minerva Lauzon: "That's ... it! The ward is no more. That took everything I had ...."

Speaking with her again, you have the option to ask her the questions you could hve asked previously:
:"I ... need to catch my breath. Good luck against Yamanu-ko ...."
:I have some questions for you.
:(Questions from the previous opportunity repeat)

After Yamanu-ko is dead, speak with Minerva in the tower to end the quest.
:"I'm relieved that the city is safe, but I can't say I'm glad that Yamanu-ko's gone. She taught me everything I know about magic. She always warned me about the temptations of power. For her to fall like this...."
:What will you do now?
:"I suspect it will be a long time before the people of Elinhir trust mages again - and with good reason. The city is in ruins and it's our fault. I'll seal off the mage towers and help rebuild the city. If they'll let me, that is."  

:Minerva Lauzon: "Wait, I'll open a portal so you can get out of the city."
:Minerva Lauzon: "That should send you to the refugees outside of the city. I'm going to help the rest of the civilians in Elinhir to escape. Thank you for your help."''