Online:Merriment and Mystery

Quick Walkthrough
# Talk to Berj Stoneheart.
# Obtain the meat for your chosen cook.
# Talk to Ralduf Wolf-Kin.
# Find the storehouse key and obtain some mead.
# Talk to Berj in the Mead Hall.
# Ask the bard to play a song.
# Talk to Arvild Gray-Sky.
# Search for the bard.
# Talk to Vestrek Raven-Eye.
# Investigate the cave.
# Talk to Vestrek.

Detailed Walkthrough
 

You can obtain this quest from either Frirvid or Berj. Either way, you'll be directed to Berj to start the quest.

Berj tells you that the workers in Cragwallow are about to start celebrating, and he invites you to join. He still needs a bit of help with preparations though, so he asks you to check on the food.
:''"The cooks, Kalogar and Heggvir, are arguing over what to serve for the party. They're up near the main hall. Kalogar favors steaks. Heggvir wants to make goat stew. They want me to choose, but I hate to pick favorites. You decide."
:Is the goat stew tasty?
:"Goat stew is delicious, full of meat, potatoes, and not too many vegetables. Heggvir is a pretty good cook. She'll probably need your help getting some of the ingredients for her stew, though."
:Do you like steak?
:"Of course I like steak. I'm Nord, aren't I? That's all Kalogar really knows how to cook. Bear steaks, usually. He'll probably need your help getting the meat."''

The cooks, Kalogar Cookpot and Heggvir Sun-Hair are on the other side of town. You can talk to both of them and decide whether you'd favor serving Kalogar's bear steaks or Heggvir's goat stew. Whichever you choose will need you to bring the meat.
If you choose to help Kalogar, he gives you   and tells you to bait a rock to the northwest. Activate the rock and Old Ironclaw will spawn. Kill him to collect the  .
If you choose to help Heggvir, she will give you   and ask you to lead a goat to her. There are a few goats to the northeast. Activate the goat and it will follow you, and you can bring it back.
Whichever cook you help, you will be asked to also collect some mead for Berj from the storehouse. The cook directs you to Ralduf Wolf-Kin.

Ralduf is waiting outside of the storehouse at the north end of town. He tells you that you can't get in, since he doesn't have the key — a wolf ate it, and he refuses to kill them. Unfortunately for him (and the wolves), the only way for you to get the key is to kill wolves until you find it. There are wolves north of town. Once you have the  , enter the storehouse and collect the  .

Berj has moved to the mead hall, and it's now accessible. Return to him and give him the mead to get the party started. He asks you to find the bard who came to town just before you to get some music. Go up the stairs and find Valding the Bard. He arrogantly says he's trying to build the suspense, but then agrees to play. He'll eventually pull out his lute and start playing. Within a couple notes, you will black out.

You come to a bit later in the rear of the mead hall, with dead bodies all around. Arvild Gray-Sky runs up to you and demands answers.
:I must have blacked out.
:"You and anyone else who survived whatever happened here. I need to report to Jarl. How did you end up in Cragwallow?"
:The workers invited me to join their celebration.
:''"My gut tells me you aren't responsible. No injuries, but you seem to be recovering your wits well enough. Help me investigate what happened. Talk to some of the survivors. Let's see if we can piece together recent events."
:I'll talk to some of the survivors.

There are three survivors downstairs in the mead hall (Jemaar Red-Boot, Saborm Windcatcher, and Borahild Winter-Run) and three outside (Horming the Loud, Bryring the Humble, and the cook Heggvir Sun-Hair). Talk to any three of them to try to piece together the story. Once you have the information, return to Arvild to discuss your findings.
:"Everyone seems confused. Did you find out anything at all?"
:People remember having fun, then listening to the bard. Then they were attacked.
:"In a haze of memories, that bard and his music stand out like the sun on a clear winter's day. But where is he? I don't see a bard among the living or the dead."
:We need to find that bard.
:"I agree. Search the area and see if you can find him. People remember music and the bard is missing. A coincidence? Maybe, but I don't like the sound of it. I'll stay here to help the wounded and keep watch over the camp."
:I'll find the bard.'''

Follow the trail up the mountain to the northeast. As you proceed, you'll find a few objects along the way that will show you're going in the right direction:
Primitive Blade:  
Primitive Arrows:  
Battered Tankard: '' ''
At the top of the trail, you'll meet Vestrek Raven-Eye. He tells you that Rieklings dragged the bard up here and into the cave. He can't fight them, but you can, so go after the bard.

In the cave, you'll meet members of the Ice-Biter Tribe. Make your way through them to the room at the north end of the cave, where the lute is propped against a sarcophagus giving off a mysterious glow.
thumb|right|Valding's enchanted lute
Valding is trapped behind a locked gate to the north. He finally spills the beans and tells you what happened.
:''"Well. About that. I'm not actually a bard. I found the lute. It's enchanted. I play a few notes and my audience falls asleep. They wake up later, a little confused, a little groggy, and missing some gold or an item or two. Perfectly safe."
:People died because of your lute!
:"I had no idea it would attract rieklings. They placed it on that altar-thing over there. Their chief seems to like to look at it. He keeps coming in. Makes me nervous how he stares at me."
:The lute should be destroyed.
:"But it's… well, I suppose you're right. Go ahead and destroy it. Then we can get out of here. You're going to have to get the key from the riekling chieftain to let me out of this cage. You are going to let me out, aren't you?"''

Activate the lute to destroy it. Doing so will spawn the Ice-Biter Chieftain, so kill him and take the   from his corpse. Return to Valding to decide his fate.
If you choose to leave him in the cave, return to Vestrek outside to complete the quest.
If you choose to save Valding, he'll follow you out. Speak to him outside to complete the quest.

Notes
Along the path to Cragwallow Cave, you'll pass by Lothgar Steady-Hand who will give the quest A Dying Wish. You can pick up the requested items while in the cave, making it easy to do both at the same time.
 

Quest Stages