Oblivion:Umbacano

Umbacano is a wealthy High Elf mage living in the Imperial City's Talos Plaza District. He has an extensive household of servants, including his steward Jollring and four guards. He spends most of his time reading upstairs at the manor; in order to gain access to the room, you will need to talk with Jollring first, who will then escort you upstairs.

Umbacano wears a set of upper class clothing: a black & burgundy outfit with a pair of gold trimmed shoes. He carries a spare red velvet garment, his key, the key to his manor, and a large amount of gold.

He can use a few major destruction spells, a major chameleon spell, one major restore health spell, one minor restore fatigue spell, a shield and a shock shield spell, and a fortify intelligence spell.

Umbacano is an avid collector of Ayleid artifacts, and will offer a reward in exchange for Ayleid Statues as a part of The Collector quest. He greatly admires the Ayleids and is something of an apologist for them, notably holding a pro-Ayleid opinion of the fall of White Gold Tower, calling the human victory a "brutal sack". It is later revealed that he desires to wield the power of the Ayleids and restore their fallen empire.

Upon entering his private quarters for the first time, he will say, "What can I do for you?" After beginning The Collector, this greeting will change to "Ah, the treasure hunter. Please, have a seat." Speaking to him before beginning the quest chain will have him introduce himself: "Yes. My name is Umbacano." You will also be able to ask him about the Imperial City, to which he replies, ''"It is well known in the City that I collect Ayleid antiquities. It's true, but I desire only very specific items." After beginning the quest chain, he will greet you with: "Ah, yes. My treasure-hunting friend. What can I do for you?"

Related Quests




Quest-Related Events
The Collector
If you have triggered the quest by selling an Ayleid Statue to a merchant, Umbacano will explain the reason for his summons: "Thank you for coming. You may recognize that statue over there on the table. The very one that you recently sold -- for less than its true worth. As you may know, I am somewhat of an enthusiast for Ayleid antiquities. In my own modest way, I have amassed a rather considerable collection. I have recently become interested in obtaining the complete set of these ancient statues. I believe that ten still exist. No mere shopkeeper knows their true worth. If you bring them to me when you find them, I will pay you double for each one."
thumb|right|One of the Ten Ancestors
If you instead come to him with the first statue directly, he will say, "Yes? You have something of interest to me?"'' If you say that you're sorry to bother him, he will angrily reply, "Then why do you waste my time? Jollring! Show him/her the door, if you please!" If you show it to him, he will say, ''"Ah! One of the Ten Ancestors! Hold it up to the light ... yes! Exquisite! You did the right thing by bringing this to me. I am interested in obtaining the complete set of these statues. If you bring them to me when you find them, I will pay you double for each one. I would be happy to take this statue off your hands right now. I assume that's why you came to see me?" If you refuse to sell, he will say, "As you wish. That is a better price than you will get from anyone else. I expect you will reconsider eventually." If you agree, he will say, "Wonderful! Remember, I will be happy to give you the same price for any others that you find. And I'll double your payment if you manage to recover the complete set of ten. I look forward to a long and mutually profitable relationship."

Speaking to him about Ayleid Statues will prompt a short history lesson: "I am looking for the complete set of ten for my collection. They were once part of the Temple of the Ancestors in the ancient Ayleid capital. Through my research, I have learned that they were removed from the temple before its sack by Men. I believe they were hidden in various Ayleid settlements across Cyrodiil, although I do not know the exact location of any of them." followed by "Are you ready to part with your statue now?" if you have the first statue, or "Why, have you already found another statue for me?" if you have come with a second one. On every subsequent visit, he will ask, "Yes? Have you found another statue for me?" If you say no, he will say, "Well then, you have work to do. I will continue to search the archives for any clues to the statues' locations."'' (if you haven't yet found a second statue) or ''"Well then, you have work to do. You'd best be on your way." Asking about the Temple of the Ancestors, he will say, "You know it as White Gold Tower -- the center of the ancient Ayleid capital of Nibenay. It was brutally sacked thousands of years ago by humans led by Alessia. The Imperial City is built over the ruins of that ancient city."

As you continue to find statues, his replies will vary. After the second one, he will say, "Ah, a second Ancestor. Excellent. I had wondered whether the first was just luck, but I see now that you have some skill at this work. By good fortune, my research has uncovered some new information that may help you in your search for the remaining statues." Asking him what he has learned will lead to several Ayleid ruins being marked on your map: "I have found the names of a number of Ayleid cities where the statues may have been taken for safekeeping during the siege of White Gold Tower. The only modern sites that still bear their ancient names are Moranda, Mackamentain, Wenyandawik, Ninendava, and Fanacas. There is no guarantee that my sources are correct, of course, but these should at least provide a starting point for your search." After the third statue, he will offer you a second quest (detailed below): "Beautiful. Exquisite. You have proven yourself to be quite resourceful. I have another task which should interest someone of your particular talents." For the next four statues, he will simply say, "Well done! Here is your payment as promised."

Upon the seventh statue sale, he will congratulate you: "I am impressed. Only three more statues to complete the set. Keep up the good work, my friend." With the eight, he will say, "I had never thought to see eight of the Ancestors together again in my lifetime. Well done!" After the ninth delivery, his mounting excitement will be clear: "You are doing very well in your treasure hunt, my friend. Only one more statue remains to be discovered! You are very close to earning the reward for completing the set of ten. I urge you to redouble your efforts!" After giving him the tenth and final statue, he will say, "You have exceeded my fondest hopes, my friend. The Ten Ancestors are reunited at last! This is truly an historic day! As I promised when we first met, here is your reward for completing the set. Take it with my sincere thanks. It is well-deserved."

Nothing You Can Possess
After selling a third statue to Umbacano, he will offer you another task: "You have proven yourself more than a simple grave robber. I believe you can handle a more complicated assignment. Are you interested?" If you say no, he will reply, "Very well. Perhaps I misjudged you after all." If you agree, he will say, "Excellent. Here, take a look at this sketch. The ancient texts refer to this site only as "The High Fane." Do you know it?"'' If you've visited Malada before, you can suggest it, to which he replies, "Malada? Really? I confess, I had never made the connection. But, yes... it makes sense... In any event, this should make your job easier than I had feared." If not, he will say, ''"I'm not surprised. I have not been able to find any modern reference to it. Still, the architectural detail is distinctive enough, it may still be recognizable." Either way, he will continue: "The High Fane dates from the Late Ayleid Period, following the fall of White Gold Tower, a very troubled time for that ancient people. A time I find most fascinating. The drawing on the bottom of the page I gave you depicts a carved panel from the central chamber of the High Fane. I believe this carving will shed new light on Ayleid history, if I am able to examine it closely. I would like you to retrieve it for me. You will need this as well. It is the key to the inner chamber of the High Fane. I part with it reluctantly, so guard it well. It is what began my search for the High Fane, many years ago."
thumb|right|The High Fane
Asking about the High Fane, he will reply, "Your first task is to locate the ruins of the High Fane. I believe it must now be known by a different name." or, if you discovered it before, "Shouldn't you be off to Malada to retrieve the carving I want?" After meeting fellow treasure hunter Claude Maric, you can return to Umbacano and ask about him: "I believe a little friendly competition always sharpens the wits. Even more reason for you to get back to hunting for my carving."'' Once you've learned that the High Fane is at Malada, asking him about it again will have him say, "Yes, you learned that it is the ruin now known as Malada. Were you able to recover the carving yet?"

If you haven't yet taken the carving from the ruins, he will say, ''"Then I don't understand why you are still here in the Imperial City. You should return to Malada and retrieve the carving!" If you return with it, he will say, "Wonderful! You are indeed a treasure hunter of exceptional talents! Here is your reward as promised! Normally I would give you a chance to celebrate your success, but I do have another task for you, if you are interested. A rather urgent one." If Maric has taken the carving from you but not yet sold it, he will say, "I'm sorry to hear that. Especially since Maric has not delivered the carving either. Let me be clear: whoever delivers the carving will receive the reward. All I care about is the carving." If Maric has already handed it over, Umbacano will instead say, "My interest was in recovering the carving from Malada, and Maric has already delivered it to me. Our arrangement was clear. I would pay you for delivering me the carving. Since Maric delivered the carving, he earned the reward. I thank you for your efforts, but I am sure you understand that I cannot pay you for a task that you did not complete. However, I do have another task, a rather urgent one in fact, if you would like to redeem yourself."

If you recovered the carving and ask him about the High Fane, he will say, "The carving you recovered from Malada will be invaluable in my research on the Late Ayleid Period." If Maric was the one to sell the carving, he will say, "I'm sorry you were not able to fulfill your part of our agreement, but I consider the matter closed. Please do not speak of it again." If you ask about Maric after selling the carving yourself, he will say, "I hope you don't blame me for the unpleasantness with Maric. I have no control over the man. In any case, it all turned out well, didn't it?" If you ask about Maric after losing the carving, he will say, "My methods were vindicated. Apparently Maric was more capable than you. I'm sure you will try harder the next time."

Secrets of the Ayleids
After Nothing You Can Possess, Umbacano will offer you a third task: "This is not quite in your usual line of work, but I hope you can help me just the same. A rival collector has an item which I very much want to add to my collection. But she stubbornly refuses to consider any of my offers. She and I have had our differences over the years, I admit. Now she is taking this opportunity to get her revenge. I believe that you may be able to persuade her to part with the item, where I cannot due to her prejudice against me. Are you interested?" If you agree, he will say, "Very good. I hope you will succeed where I have so far failed." If you decline, he says, "Are you sure? I will pay very well. And the matter is urgent. If you decline, I will find someone else." If you allow him to talk you into it, he will say, "I hoped you would agree. I think you will be perfect for the task at hand." If you decline a second time, you will fail the quest: "Very well. I seem to have misjudged you."

Once you agree to the task, he will outline the situation and hand you 1,000 gold: "Her name is Herminia Cinna. She lives here in the Imperial City, in the Elven Gardens district. She fancies herself a student of the Ayleids, although she sadly lacks any aesthetic instinct  . Be that as it may. She has come into possession of an ancient relic known as the Crown of the Ayleids. Your job is to acquire it for me. Here is more than enough gold to buy it at any reasonable price. You may keep whatever you do not use as your fee." You can then ask him about the Crown of the Ayleids: "Reputedly the crown worn by the last king of the Ayleids. It deserves to be part of my collection." If you then ask him about the Last Ayleid King, he will say, "Very little is known of him, not even his name. He ruled the last Ayleid city in Cyrodiil during the First Era, three centuries after the Fall of White Gold Tower." While on the quest, approaching him will have him say, "So, have you managed to persuade Herminia Cinna to part with the Ayleid Crown?"

Once you return with a crown, he will ask, "Have you brought me the Crown of the Ayleids?" If you say no, he will dismiss you: "Then why do you interrupt me? You will not find the Crown here. Begone." If you give him the Crown of Nenalata, he will say, "Ah! Magnificent! This is my greatest prize yet!" If instead you bring him the Crown of Lindai, he will say, "Interesting... these markings are unexpected... the royal glyph is not as described by Sorcalin... But no matter! This is clearly authentic Ayleid workmanship. Later ages have never seen the like." He will continue: "To think that I hold the very crown that once graced the brow of the last Ayleid king... Even to gaze upon it would have been death to anyone of the lesser races in the old days... I thank you again for your efforts. I have one final task for you, if you are still willing to face danger on my behalf." If you refused to get the crown for him, speaking to him again will have him say, "I had to find someone else to bring me the Crown of the Ayleids, since you were unwilling to help me. Be that as it may. I now have a task that should be better to suited someone of your particular talents."
thumb|right|King of Nenalata
If you ask him about the final task, he will reply, "As I said, I believe I have something that will interest you. More in your usual line of work. And, of course, your reward will be generous. In order to bring my research on the last king of the Ayleids to its final stage, I need to go to the Throne Room of Nenalata. While I am not without means of defending myself, I believe you would be an invaluable companion on such an expedition. Your reward will be whatever plunder you wish to carry off from Nenalata. Since the Throne Room has been sealed since the time of the Ayleids, it should provide rich pickings." If you decline, he will say, "You disappoint me. I was counting on your help." However, you can return at any time and he will ask again: "Have you reconsidered? Will you help me reach the Throne Room of Nenalata?" Once you agree, he will say, "Very well. Three days, then. Don't be late." He will close the conversation with, "Remember, I will be expecting you at Nenalata in three days time."

If you approach Umbacano outside Nenalata, he will say, "Even in its ruined state, it is magnificent, isn't it? In the days of its power, Nenalata must have been glorious indeed." When you speak to him, he says, "Here you are at last. I know exactly where the Throne Room lies. Your job is simply to get me there safely." He will then become your follower. He will say "Lead the way." if you tell him to follow, or "Very well. Scout ahead and return when it is safe." if you tell him to wait. If you stop to talk with him in tow, he will say, "Yes? Is there a problem?"'' If you ask about Claude Maric's company, he will say, "I trust that you will be able to remain professional?"

Once you've reached the sealed entrance to the throne room, Umbacano will say, "This is it! Just as Sorcalin described it! Follow me! Av Auri-El ye Tamri-El dellevoy an Arpen Aran tarnabye!" He will then approach the throne, revealing his true motives: "Here it is... the throne of the last king of the Ayleids. And so it falls to me to begin the restoration of our ancient glory... Av Sunna Tam Riel arctavoy an Arpen Aran malaburo!" If you try to stop him by talking to him, he will say, "You are about to witness the glorious rebirth of Ayleid civilization. Stand aside!" If you gave him the Crown of Nenalata, he will be transformed into the King of Nenalata and will turn hostile, forcing you to fight him. Once transformed, he will possess the Staff of Nenalata. He will also summon a large number of undead, saying, "Arise, my people! The restoration of Tam Riel begins today!" If you instead gave him the Crown of Lindai, he will be killed upon sitting on the throne and will not be holding the staff, although the undead will still rise up.

Notes
The Umbacano Manor Key opens the manor's front door and the door to the dining room. Both Umbacano and Jollring carry a copy of this key. Umbacano's Key, carried only by Umbacano, unlocks the remaining doors in the house and the Ayleid Statue display case.
Umbacano was not always a wealthy collector of Ayleid antiquities. He also appears in Morrowind in an Imperial glass mine, along with Sorcalin, whom he mentions in dialogue during the quest Secrets of the Ayleids.
A missing line of dialogue was supposed to play when you handed over the Ayleid Crown of Nenalata if you had it prior to beginning the quest, something that is not possible in the final game: "Really? You astonish me! May I see it?"
The script for the Secrets of the Ayleids quest will turn Umbacano into a stage 4 vampire and give him a 100% weakness to normal weapons if you give him the crown of Nenalata.