Oblivion:Aleron Loche

Aleron Loche is a Breton commoner. While he is technically a resident of Bravil, you won't find him there, because he's been tricked by Kurdan gro-Dragol into being the bait in a deadly manhunt at Fort Grief.  You are sent by his wife Ursanne to rescue him on the Caught in the Hunt quest. He wears fishing waders and a pair of braided leather sandals. He carries a small amount of gold and the key to his house in Bravil. Aleron Loche can be found wandering inside the crumbling remains of the tower of Fort Grief, as long as stage 10 of the related quest has been reached.

After the boat trip to Fort Grief Island, you will encounter Aleron wandering around amidst all the skeletons near the tower. When approached, it is immediately clear that something is amiss as he groans loudly, "Oh, no." When asked, he will then inform you that Kurdan has fooled you: ''"It appears as though Kurdan has tricked another poor soul with his 'axe' story. You haven't guessed it yet? There never was any Axe of Dragol. It was just a ruse to lure you out here. I fell for the same trick. In my case, he told me if I retrieved the axe, he'd erase my debts. I was such an idiot to believe him. You're now the prey in Kurdan's insane hunt, just like I am. And here, we'll most likely die."'' He'll finish this plot twist by lamenting, "Clever ruse. I wonder how many have died falling for it?" Asking what he means by "Kurdan's insane hunt" will only make your situation seem more dire: ''"Kurdan doesn't make most of his money being a simple usurer. He also invented what he calls the Hunter's Run. People pay him a great deal of money to hunt and kill living human prey. No questions asked, and he takes care of the bodies. He uses the dungeons under Fort Grief as the hunting grounds. I was placed here because he knew someone would go looking for me. I'm sorry you got mixed up in all of this. I hope you can fight. It's our only chance of escaping alive." You can offer to forgo the fighting and instead help him escape with the boat you arrived in, but he will inform you that this is impossible: "Don't bother. The door to this place is now locked. The only way to get out is by   into the Hunter's Run and killing the Hunters. One of them will have the key to the door. That's Kurdan's rules. It's the only way we can win. I wish I could help more, but I can't fight. I've never held a weapon before in my life. Please... get us out of here!"'' Much like his wife, he'll even offer compensation, saying, ''"I'm not a rich man, but if we get out of here alive, I'll do what I can to reward you." He will finish the conversation with a warning, mumbling, "Kurdan is treacherous. Be wary, friend." You can also hear how much he misses his wife, "I only wish to return home and be with my wife, Ursanne." and how little he enjoys his current situation, "I don't trust Kurdan. Even if the hunters are beaten, make sure you watch your back."

The townsfolk of Bravil first talk about Aleron with hope, saying "Yeah, Ursanne's husband, Aleron is missing. Poor thing, I've seen her crying at the chapel. I hope someone can help her." and "I overheard someone say that Aleron Loche is missing. I don't know what happened to him. His wife, Ursanne, is beside herself with grief." but post-quest, take a very pragmatic view: "Well, despite everything, Aleron Loche turned up dead. That's what you get when you deal with gamblers and usurers." His wife is scarcely more sympathetic: "Then Aleron's death has been avenged. I told him that the gambling would lead to this, that foolish man. But he never listened."''

 
Related Quests


Notes
Although the house in Bravil is in his name, Aleron can never be found there.