Oblivion:Kud-Ei

Kud-Ei, an Argonian spellsword, is a Wizard of the Mages Guild and head of the Bravil Guild Hall, a duty she upholds with pride. She is reputed to be willing to do anything for her guildmembers and during the Recommendation quest she will task you with retrieving Ardaline's Mage's Staff from her secret admirer, even if it means breaking regular guild procedures.  She is also a very good friend of Henantier and will seek your help to tear him from his dreams. 

Her daily schedule is a very relaxed one: after a quick, two-hour breakfast at 7am, she will seek to augment her knowledge by reading one of the many books found in the first floor library. She continues right until dinnertime, only stopping at 2pm for a two-hour lunch. At 8pm she will once more sit down at the table on the ground floor and consume her dinner with her fellow guild members. After wandering around the guild for an hour, at 11pm she will head to sleep in her bed in her sumptuous third-floor bedroom. She will break off this routine when you accept to help Henantier out of his dreamworld.  She will then escort you to Henantier's house, relieved that you agreed to help her, and then remain throughout the whole quest looking over her beloved friend in his sleep. 

She wears upper-class attire consisting of a green brocade doublet, a green silk garment and a pair of green velvet shoes. She also possesses a sizable amount of gold and a leveled shortsword. In combat she also relies on a leveled set of Alteration, Destruction, Illusion, Restoration and Summon spells.

thumb|right|Kud-Ei runs a tight ship in Bravil
When you ask about joining the Mages Guild she will check out your criminal record and reply with another question: "Well, no bounty on your head, and you look able enough. Very well; are you sure you want to join the guild?" If you answer "yes" she will make you an Associate of the Guild and explain what you have to do to reach the Arcane University: ''"Then I declare you to now be an Associate of the Mages Guild. Welcome to the ranks. You'll need to acquire recommendations from all the local guild hall leaders to advance further in the guild. If they're smart, they'll take the opportunity to have you perform a small service for them. One good turn deserves another, after all. We have a responsibility to look after one another, don't we? I dare say we do, no matter what the costs." In regular conversation she will reveal a few of her philosophies about running the Guild; "I take my duties as chapter head very seriously... unlike SOME guild mages. It infuriates me how casual some guild heads are about common civility." And she will reflect a bit on the different guild chapters; "Each local guild hall has its own way of doing things. That means each hall has its own set of problems." Finally, when you ask her about the University, she will provide a bit of insight; "The council of mages meets there in the Imperial City. That's where the real power of the guild lies. If you do what you need to, you'll get there one day. Just don't forget to help those who have aided you on your way."

Her methods and leadership of the guildhall have earned her quite a bit of respect, not only in Bravil, but in all of Cyrodiil: "Kud-Ei runs a tight ship in  . She may not always play by the rules, but I wouldn't want her on my bad side." In Bravil, the townsfolk will say: "Kud-Ei is very protective of her sisters in the Mages Guild. And she's quite skilled in creating illusions.", "I've heard she's quite a talented mage, with an extensive knowledge of illusory spells.", "Mages Guild members have said that Kud-Ei is an excellent teacher, as well as a very loyal guildmember.", "I believe Kud-Ei is in charge of the Mages Guild here in Bravil. She seems very well liked by other members.", "I understand that Kud-Ei takes good care of her sisters in the Mages Guild." and "I've heard she will do anything for other guildmembers. And that she's an excellent trainer." Others will simply say: "Have you ever spoken with Kud-Ei in the Mages Guild?", "Did you know that Kud-Ei also teaches at the Mages Guild here in Bravil?" 

Kud-Ei does not provide any advanced Illusion training, although the townsfolk of Bravil states the opposite. She will, however, direct you to Martina Floria for the Illusion Master Training. Once your Illusion skill reaches 70, speak with her and choose the training option, which will trigger the quest and the following dialogue: "Martina Floria at the Arcane University has truly mastered Illusion spells. You should speak to her about training further."

Bravil Recommendation
thumb|right|Ardaline and her secret admirer
When you have joined the Guild, you may hear rumors around town that "Kud-Ei seems upset about something lately. I'd stay away from the Mages Guild if I were you." and when you ask for a Recommendation, Kud-Ei will grab the chance and use you to get one of her girls out of trouble: "I'm afraid I haven't had time to prepare anything conventional. I'm very preoccupied with this situation concerning Ardaline. Perhaps you can help with that, however. I can't directly get involved, for fear of embarrassing the poor girl. I'll need you to have a little chat with Varon Vamori, and you can learn something about the power of Illusion in the process." When you ask her to elaborate on Ardaline she will say: "Don't say anything to her. I don't want to embarrass her further. Once this is all taken care of, I'll speak to her privately." When asked about Varon Vamori she will say: "I don't understand it. Some ridiculous male thing, I suppose. He's been bothering Ardaline every day for a while now. He even stole her Mages' Staff! Perhaps he thinks it's amusing; I don't know. But it needs to stop. It's making her miserable." When asked about the staff she will finally reveal the challenge you are about to face: "It's more symbolic than practical, but each carries great significance to its owner. You're going to get Ardaline's staff back. Take this charm scroll. With it, you should find Varon more receptive to questioning. Don't come back without that staff." Before sending you off she will give you yet another opinion on Varon: "You have what you need to help him talk. I admit, it's not standard guild procedure, but I'd do anything for one of my girls."'' If you ask her about the Mages' staff again she will ensure you: ''"Varon Vamori should give it to you once you've persuaded him, if you understand me." About the recommendation she will repeat: "If you want it, you'll need to persuade Varon Vamori, using whatever means necessary, to return that staff."

After having talked to Varon, you will have to report back to Kud-Ei with the news: "He sold it, eh? Well, this just keeps getting worse. Very well. I presume he gave you some indication of where the staff is now located? Take these, and go resolve the situation. And, of course, please keep this just between us." After this, asking her about the staff will only net you: "No staff yet? Well, keep at it. Those charm scrolls should do most of the work for you, if you put them to good use." After you have retrieved the staff from Soris Arenim she will be very pleased and, as a reward, hand you the recommendation and teach you a Captivate spell: "Ah, wonderful! I shall be most pleased to return this to its rightful owner. Thank you. You needn't tell me the details of what was involved in getting it; it's perhaps better that I know nothing about it. Your actions for the guild more than merit a recommendation. I shall send it to the University promptly. And, to thank you more personally, I shall teach you this spell. You may find it useful in certain circumstances." At this point, admiring Bravil citizens may comment: "Kud-Ei will do anything to help her girls out. She recently got Ardaline out of a bind, and I hear it wasn't completely within guild rules." If you speak to Kud-Ei once you have collected all recommendations she will say: "Time for you to see where the real power of the guild lies. Raminus Polus will want to speak with you, head to the Arcane University."

Through A Nightmare, Darkly
Before you have released Henantier from his dreamworld, things look a bit darker, and the citizens will tell you: "You hear any word about Kud-Ei's friend? She's offering a generous reward, so hopefully someone will show up and lend a hand." and "I saw Kud-Ei moping around outside the Mages Guild yesterday. In fact, I could swear she was crying. I hope she finds her missing friend." When asked directly about Kud-Ei they will say: "Kud-Ei is a member of Bravil's Mages Guild. She put the word out that a good friend of hers went missing. She's offered a reward, but as far as I know, nobody's taken her up on the offer. Not sure who's missing either, she's keeping quiet about it. I suppose if you're interested, you could head over there and ask Kud-Ei yourself."

thumb|left|Kud-Ei watches over her friend
The citizens are indeed correct. Kud-Ei has another problem, and she will get right to the point: "I don't suppose you could help me locate my friend Henantier could you?" If you have talked to the citizens beforehand, asking her about Kud-Ei will make her comment: "Yes, I'm the one looking for my friend. His name is Henantier. If you find him, I'll be glad to offer you a sizeable reward." If you decide to leave the conversation, a sad Kud-Ei will plea: "Please, I'm in desperate need of help, and I think you're the only one that I can turn to!" If you instead ask her about Henantier, she will explain the situation: "I miss him so. We were study-mates at the Arcane University and we've come to grow fond of each other over the years. He's always getting himself into jams with the careless ways he performs his experiments, and well, I'm afraid he's done it again. I'm going to level with you, as you seem like you wish to help. Henantier isn't missing. On the contrary, I know exactly where he is. The problem is he's trapped and there's no way I can free him." At this point you can skip further elaboration, or ask her about her deception: "Well, Henantier's been warned that if he strays outside the Guild rules one more time, he may be up for summary dismissal. The rules say that he isn't to practice dangerous experiments at his home. It must be done in the guild under the watchful eye of an associate. Henantier's never been one for rules, and so he's continued to perform his latest experiments in secret. If word gets out, he'll be dismissed." When you claim you just want your reward she will respond: "Great. Whatever suits you and gets me Henantier back suits me just fine. When you're ready to go and see him, let me know. But please, do hurry."

The next time you talk to her, she will ask: "Are you ready to follow me to Henantier?" If you decline, she will say: "Very well, but do return quickly, I fear he's in more trouble than you realize." At this point you can ask her about Henantier again, which will make her ensure you: "We aren't going far, so no need to prepare for a long journey. In fact, he's still in town. More I can't say aloud without risk of others hearing." When you finally accept, she will happily respond: "Fantastic! Let's be off then."'' She will then leave the guildhall, towards Henantier's house. If you speak with her during the short trip, she will say: ''"It's just this way, not much farther."'' After unlocking the front door, she will lead you upstairs to Henantier's bedroom, where the rebellious warlock will lie in his bed, twisting and turning. Kud-Ei will then say: ''"Well, as you can see, Henantier's right here and he's trapped in his Dreamworld." When asked about the supposed Dreamworld, she will tell you about his strange experiments: "I told him that trying to travel into one's own dreams is risky. But as usual, he didn't listen to me. Always has to do things his way. Henantier constructed a magical device he called the Dreamworld Amulet. With this device, one can enter his own mind and experience dreams."'' When you tell her that 'anybody can dream' she will provide a long explanation: ''"True, but this is different. When you enter your dreams with the amulet, you're in full command of a dream-like replica of yourself. All your thoughts, your skills and your talents travel there with you. Think of it as exploring a new land, but a land within your own mind. Henantier created the amulet to see if he could use his dreams as a training ground to help better himself. I don't know all of the details, but the amulet is a conduit to get to that training ground. It's been three days, and he's been stuck in his dreams. I've watched him all that time, and he hasn't been up at all. The only way to save him is to put on the Dreamworld Amulet and go to sleep. Only then can you hopefully find out what's happened in there."'' When asked about why she hasn't attempted to save her friend herself, she will explain: ''"I fear that anyone he knows won't be able to help him in there. Since I'm in his memories, he may dismiss me as a figment of his dreams. The only chance is for a total stranger to enter his dreams. When you're ready to do this, I'll give you the amulet. Only I know the secret way it can be removed from his neck." At this point, you can ask her about the Dreamworld once again: "You'll have to be very careful in there. If Henantier intended it as a training ground, there's no telling what you may encounter." On Henantier, the ever-concerned Kud-Ei will say: "My poor Henantier. I shudder to think what's happened to him in there." When exiting conversation she will offer a bit of advice: "Don't take this sojourn lightly. The recesses of the mind can be the darkest place of all." Finally, she will ask you: "Are you prepared to enter the Dreamworld?"'' If you say 'yes' she will hand you the Dreamworld Amulet and provide further instructions: ''"Please, use the extra bed here. If you sleep too far from Henantier, it may not work. I'll watch over you both to make sure you're safe. Oh my! I almost forgot! Henantier once told me that if he's killed in his dreams, anyone that's in there with him will die as well. So, do be careful." After the conversation she will say: "Now is a time for sleep. How I wish I could go with you!" She will then go and look at her friend. If you approach her, she will say: "It's so difficult to be here and watch him not knowing how much he may be suffering."''

thumb|right|Henantier and Kud-Ei together again
While you are dealing with Henantier's tests in the Dreamworld, Kud-Ei will wait patiently near the bed. When you return, and provided you manage to talk to her before Henantier seeks you out to thank you, she will say: "I see you slept well. Welcome home." When asked about the Dreamworld, she will respond: ''"I wish to never speak of the Dreamworld again. Henantier's free of its grip, and I can't bear a reminder he was ever a prisoner in that dark place." On Henantier, she will tanks you wholeheartedly: "Thank you for returning Henantier to me. I don't know what I would have done without him."'' Finally, you can ask her about 'Kud-Ei', which will make her say: ''"I'll always remember what you've done for us. From the bottom of my heart I thank you." When finishing conversation, she will point you to Henantier: "Please, you must speak with Henantier. He has the reward I offered." After you have talked to Henantier and finished the quest, Kud-Ei will turn around and go back to her guildhall. If approached she will say: "Now that Henantier has returned, things are as they should be." and finish with: "I do hope our paths cross again." After all this, the townsfolk will notice a seemingly happier Kud-Ei: "Kud-Ei seems to be in good spirits again after Henantier's return. I heard she enlisted a stranger's help in the search. Good show I say!"

Related Quests



Notes
Kud-Ei only becomes non-essential if you complete the Bravil Recommendation quest before completing Through A Nightmare, Darkly and if you finish the latter quest successfully (i.e., Henantier does not die and you receive the reward).
Kud-Ei has a greeting which cannot be heard normally due to her Mages Guild dialogue always taking precedence, she would have also mentioned how she is a trainer, something she normally is not in the final game: "Kud-Ei. I'm in charge here, and an Advanced Trainer in Illusion to boot, so I don't have a lot of time to stand around and chat."
Two unused lines of dialogue suggest a slightly different plot for the Nightmare quest, as well as a slightly more aggressive Kud-Ei: 
:"Henantier isn't a prisoner in any physical sense. He's a prisoner of his own mind. He's trapped in his Dreamworld." 
:"You must learn to broaden your thoughts and hold your tongue! Allow me to explain before jumping to conclusions! Henantier isn't a prisoner in any physical sense. He's a prisoner of his own mind. He's trapped in his Dreamworld."