Daggerfall:The Loose Pet Imp

Quick Walkthrough
# Talk to the Guildmagister at a Mages Guild hall.
# Head to the dungeon the Guildmagister mentioned.
# Find the imp within and kill it.
# Report back to the Guildmagister within the time limit.

Detailed Walkthrough
Monster on the Loose
Speak to the Guildmagister, who will say:

:''"You may call me (Guildmagister's name). Normally I can only give work to guild members. However, one of my students has a minor problem that would be embarrassing if it were to get out. I can't pay you, but if you would be willing to chase down an escaped experiment, at small risk to yourself, I would be grateful enough to speak kindly of you to other guild members."

Accept
The Guildmagister goes on:

:"Good. My student keeps a pet imp. These magical creatures are not very dangerous, but it could be potentially embarrassing for him. Our scrying has determined that the imp has fled to (dungeon name). Kill the thing and report back to me within (time limit) days."

Decline
The Guildmagister answers:

:"So, why did you ask me for work? Sometimes I really cannot understand you common adventurers."''

Finding the Imp
Remember that you need at least a steel weapon to harm imps, though acquiring such a weapon shouldn't be a problem. Imps are also vulnerable to Destruction magic and hand-to-hand attacks.

Head to the dungeon the Guildmagister mentioned and enter it. You may encounter more than one imp at low levels, where they show up more often as random dungeon inhabitants; the target imp will likely be the only one of its kind in the entire dungeon at higher levels. However, there are also some special dungeon modules were you will always encounter an imp in a cage. These dungeon modules are a variation of the throne room, such as the one found in Privateer's Hold. At the bottom of the grand staircase, there is a room which always contains an imp in a cage. This caged imp is never your quest object.

Once you have found the target creature and hit it once, a notification appears in which the imp says:

:"I would rather die than go back to the Mages Guild laboratory."

However, if you kill the imp with one strike (which is very easy to do at higher levels with an advanced weapon or a powerful spell) you won't get this notification. So, if you want to be on the safe side, use only a weapon which does a minimum of damage when you encounter an imp during this quest. Once the imp is dead, report back to the Guildmagister and receive the thanks of the Mages Guild.

Reward
When you return after killing the imp, the Guildmagister will thank you by saying:

:''"What a relief. I owe you a small debt (player's name). You have improved your favor with the Mages Guild."

Reputation Gain/Loss
 

Enemies
Random dungeon monster
Quest Target: One Imp


Additional Dialogue
After you have accepted this quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
"I hear something escaped from the Mages Guild lab the other night."
"(Oath), I saw a small shape skulking in the shadows last night."
If you fail the quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
"Well, there's a minor scandal involving the Mages Guild's lab security."
"The Mages Guild lost another experiment apparently."
If you successfully complete the quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
"I hear they torture imps in the Mages Guild laboratories!"
"Those imps have a mean streak. (Random name)'s house was overrun with mice, just for chasing after it with a broom."
"I heard an imp familiar escaped from the Mages Guild. They say that a wizard that loses his familiar is vulnerable to his enemies' spells."
If you successfully complete the quest, the quest giver may later greet you with:
"How are you, (player's first name)? No more troubles with imps, I hope, eh?"
If you failed the quest, the quest giver will greet you with:
"I sent you off after that imp, if you recall. I don't see any reason why I should waste my breath with you again."''

Quest Log