Daggerfall:The Ransom

Quick Walkthrough
# Talk to a Merchant or an Innkeeper.
# Travel to the town specified by your employer.
# Head to the building where your contact is waiting.
# Pay the ransom, or:
# (Optional) Travel to the victim's dungeon and find him/her within.
# Bring the victim back to your employer within the time limit and collect your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough
The Missing Lover
Speak to a merchant or innkeeper, who says:
:''"My poor darling (victim's name) has been kidnapped by the Thieves Guild. Could you help me?"
or
:"The Thieves Guild has taken my dearest (victim's name) away from me and now they're demanding a ransom. I need someone to bring my lover back to me, any way they can. Please, will you help me?"

Accept
The merchant or innkeeper goes on:

:"I can't pay you very much, (player's first name). I used most of my gold to buy this gem for the ransom, but you can have the remainder of my savings, (very little random gold) gold pieces, when my dearest (victim's name) is back with me. The kidnappers want the (gemstone) to be delivered to (tavern's name) in (town) and I am to take no longer than (time limit) days. At (tavern's name), I am to look for a (negotiator's description), whose name's (negotiator's name). Nothing matters but (victim's name)'s safety, but if you ensure that without paying the ransom, I'll be very grateful. Like I said, it's all I have. Good luck and may (random god) Bless You."
or
:"Thank (random god). Here's the (gemstone) the kidnappers want for ransom. If you can find a way to rescue (victim's name) without paying the ransom, I would be very grateful. After buying that gem, my savings is almost entirely gone. You can, of course, have (very little random gold) gold, once (victim's name) has returned -- that will make my life savings gone entirely, but it'll be worth it. If the ransom must be paid, be sure to take no more than (time limit) days to do it. The kidnappers have an agent in (tavern's name) over in (town), a (negotiator's description) named (negotiator's name). Once (time limit) days have passed, (he/she) will send word to (his/her) friends wherever they're keeping (victim's name) and they'll kill (him/her). Please don't let that happen. Good luck, friend."

Decline
The merchant or innkeeper answers:

:"You have a cold heart, (player's first name). I guess I will have to face these kidnappers on my own."
or
:"Then I'll find someone else, (player's name)."''

Ransom or Rescue
thumb|right|The negotiator speaks for the Thieves Guild
Head to the specified town and building. Go inside and speak to the Thieves Guild's negotiator. If your reputation with the Thieves Guild is less than 10, you will receive a prompt asking if you want to hand over the gem. However, if your reputation with the Guild is greater than 10, the negotiator recognizes you and says:

:''"You're (player's first name), aintcha? The Thieves Guild's fond of you, kid. Oh, (oath), I see. You're working for (employer's name) to make sure (he/she) pays us with no funny stuff, right?"

Make your choice.

Pay the ransom
If you have a low reputation with the Thieves Guild, the negotiator says:

:"Ah, good. Let (employer's name) know that (his/her) (victim's name) will be safe in (town) very shortly. Farewell."

If you are on good terms with the Guild, you hear:

:"No wonder the Guild likes you. I'll make sure they hear about this too, (player's first name). Now, go on back to (employer's name) and tell (him/her) that (victim's name) will be there shortly. Nice doing business with you."''

True to its word, the Thieves Guild sets the victim free. Additionally, if your reputation with the Thieves Guild exceeds 10, you even get to keep the gem because they like you so much. Head back to your employer to learn that all is well and collect your meager reward.

Don't pay the ransom
thumb|right|Cross the Guild and they'll send a thug after you
thumb|right|The hijacked victim
 
If you refuse to hand over the gemstone, the negotiator angrily says:

:''(Victim's  name) will pay for your stupidity! (Oath), (he/she)'ll be dead before (time limit) days have passed! (Thug's name)! Rip this (player's race) apart!"
or
:"(Thug's name)! Kill this very stupid (player's race) while I do the same to (victim's name)."''

The negotiator vanishes, and a Thieves Guild thug, a rogue, enters the building to attack you. Kill the thug and loot the corpse to find a note, which gives you the victim's location:

:''(Thug's name),
:     The Guild could use your muscle on a
:fairly routine kidnapping. The name of the
:victim is (victim's name)
:and after you've taken (him/her) from (his/her) home in
:(employer's building) in (employer's town),
:go to (dungeon).
:     Directions to (dungeon)
:follow. I hope this isn't too difficult a
:plan for you.
::::(Negotiator's name)

The remainder of this path is a dungeon crawl; head to the dungeon and find the victim within, who says when found:

:"(Employer's name) sent you? (Oath), thank (god's name)! Quick, let's get out here!"''

Escort the victim back to your employer. If you have the gemstone in your possession when you return, you will gain additional reputation with your employer's faction, but lose reputation with the Thieves Guild. However, you do not get to keep the gem after completing the quest; you will only get the meager reward and the reputation bonuses.

Reward
If you paid the ransom, your employer says:

:''"Yes, (victim's name) was delivered just before you arrived, (player's first name). Thank you for facing that dreadful (negotiator's name) for me. Here is the (very little random gold) gold pieces I promised you."

If you rescue the victim from the dungeon and return with the gem, your employer takes the gem back and says:

:"(Victim's name)! Oh, thank (god's name) you're alive. And, good (player's first name), you didn't even use the ransom (gemstone). I cannot thank you enough. Here is the (very little random gold) gold I promised, but it is hardly enough. You have my deepest gratitude, my friend."

If you rescue the victim from the dungeon and return without the gem, your employer says:

:"(Victim's name)! Thank (god's name) you're all right! Thank you, my friend. I wish you didn't have to pay the ransom, (player's first name), but it's most important that my dear (victim's name) is back. Here is the (very little random gold) gold pieces I promised."

After any of these, your employer gives you your modest reward, saying:

:"Take it. It's yours my friend."

If the time limit expires before you can pay the ransom or rescue the victim, a message appears:

:By now, (victim's name) is surely dead.

If the time limit expires after you rescue the victim, but fail to return to your employer in time:

:(Victim's name) tells you (he/she) can find (his/her) way to (his/her) lover (employer's name) from here, thanks you, and sprints away.''

In either case, if the time limit expires you fail the quest and lose reputation with your employer's faction. However, you get to keep the ransom gem as it will not disappear from your inventory. Additionally, regardless of how you handled the Thieves Guild you will not lose any reputation with them for an expired time limit.

Reputation Gain/Loss
 

In addition you will lose reputation as seen below. 



Additional Reputation
If you free the victim and come back with the gem, you will gain/lose additional reputation according to the table below:



If you free the victim but come back without the gem, you will gain additional reputation according to the table below:



Enemies
Random dungeon monsters
One Rogue, if you refuse to give the gem to the Thieves Guild's contact

Notes
It was probably intended that you would get to keep the gem if you didn't give it as payment. However, this does not happen if you successfully complete the quest, probably due to an oversight.
If you don't even visit the Thieves Guild's contact or have refused to pay the ransom, the gem will remain in your inventory and won't vanish once the quest is over, unlike most quest items.
If you refuse to pay the ransom, and have rescued the victim from the dungeon, you can avoid losing reputation with the Thieves guild by dropping or selling the gem before reporting back to your employer. However you will only get the additional +8 reputation with your employer and not the +15 reputation.
If you have dropped the gem it will disappear from it's treasure pile once the quest is over.
You must have the gem in your inventory when paying the ransom in order to bring up the quest dialogue. If not, the negotiator will simply say hello and be open to questions like any random NPC.

Additional Dialogue
After you have accepted this quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
''"(Employer's name) can scarcely afford to pay (victim's name)'s ransom."
"(Victim's name)'s kidnapping has scared everyone in (employer's town)."
If you fail the quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
"The thieves who kidnapped (victim's name) will probably never come to justice."
If you successfully complete the quest, NPCs may say when asked for any news:
"(Victim's name) was rescued from the thieves by a wonderful (player's race) mercenary."
If you successfully complete the quest, the quest giver may later greet you with:
"You rescued (victim's name), (player's first name). Of course, I'll help you any way I can."
If you failed the quest, the quest giver will greet you with:
"Listen, I don't want to talk to you or anyone else right now. Why don't you get stuffed?"''

Quest Log