Online:Maelle Favraud

Maelle Favraud is a Breton who can be found living in Farmer's Nook.
 

Related Quests


Quest-Related Events
After you have questioned Bradon Davaux and Jahhouz, Maelle Favraud will approach you:
:Maelle Favraud: "Wait a moment, stranger! I need to speak with you."

Talk to Maelle, you will learn that her daughter, Annyce Favraud has disappeared. While Maelle suspects that Annyce ran away again, she is still worried:
:''"So, you're the one's been asking questions about the people who've gone missing, then come back wrong?"
:That's right. Do you know something?
:"I don't like involving strangers in our affairs, but my daughter's gone. Not the first time—or even the fourth—that Annyce has run off, but … well, you've heard what befell the others. I'm worried she's in real danger."
:When did you last see Annyce?
:"A few days ago. I'd punished her for neglecting her chores, again. She must have snuck out in the night. I couldn't find hide nor hair of her in the morning. She hasn't been home since. She's a stubborn one, but normally she'd have come back by now."
:You're afraid she's vanished like the others?
:"I just want to know she's all right. I hate asking a stranger to do this, but no one else has the spine to leave the Nook right now and I can't go traipsing after that rapscallion like I used to. Will you find Annyce and bring her back to me?"
:Where should I start my search for Annyce?
:"Our house is just over there, on the west side of town. There may be something among Annyce's things that points to where she ran off to, but my nerves are too frayed to see it. I'm at my wits end."

After she gives directions to her house, you can ask about Annyce:
:What can you tell me about Annyce?
:"She doesn't want to live here in Farmer's Nook, I can tell you that. That girl's been trying to get out of here since she was old enough to walk. She's still convinced she's going to travel to Abah's Landing and join some pirate crew."
:Annyce wants to be a pirate?
:"It's not like I raised her to embrace a life of piracy! It's those books her father got her when she was young. Filled her head with ridiculous tales of far off lands, adventures, and riches. I sailed in my younger days. It's not so glamorous."
:What do you mean?
:"Sailing is days of rope burns and sun burns. It's being tossed about your cabin while a storm rolls your ship. It's bad food, stale water, and wondering if you'll ever make it home. That's not the life she's dreaming, though she won't listen."''

After you have searched her home and found the Burnt Bill, Notched Butcher's Knife and Annyce's Crude Fort Plans Maelle will call to you from near the door:
:Maelle Favraud: "Well? Any luck, stranger?"

Show Maelle what you found:
:''"We don't have much, I know. Annyce never fails to remind me. Have you found anything that might lead to my daughter?"
:I found some fragments of a burned note in the fireplace. Was that yours?
:"That's just some old handbill Annyce had been hanging onto. Months old. Some vessel seeking fresh-faced deck hands that's long since pulled up anchor. I pitched it into the hearth after our last argument. Probably why she left, but not where."
:Your butcher knife has taken some real abuse.
:"When Annyce was little, we couldn't keep her away from it. She'd grab it when we weren't looking and batter the walls and stairs, pretending it was her pirate sword. Drove my husband crazy. I've made due for so long I never bothered to replace it."
:What about this map? I found it under her bed.
:"What's that doing out? Annyce's plan for a fort. My husband built it for her when she was about six. Must be a moldering wreck by now. Unless …. If she hasn't run off to join that Elf circus, she might be there. It was east of here, in the hills."
:I'll check it out.

Speaking to her again before leaving the house:
:"How could I have not seen this from the start? Perhaps I've been too dismissive of Annyce's dreams. All these years and she's still been clinging to those damn pirate stories. Bring her back, stranger. It's time I hear what she truly has to say."''

Alchemy will be waiting for you outside, and decides to accompany you on your search for the play fort. Once you have found it to the east, you can investigate and Alchemy will make some conclusions. Annyce met someone she trusted there and followed them down into the swamp. Following the footprints, you will find some Ayleid ruins and evidence that Annyce took part in a ritual there. While Alchemy stays to examine things, she asks you to return to Farmer's Nook. When you arrive in the village, you will witness Annyce having also come back, brushing off questions and entering the Happy Crow, the local inn. Following her in, you will find Maelle watching her daughter from a distance. 

When you talk with Annyce, she will be very evasive and mention that the others left to "follow their dreams". Alchemy will then enter and ask to speak with you privately, after asking about your opinion of Annyce she explains that the ruin was a shrine dedicated to Hermaeus Mora, and suggests investigating another nearby ruin. Before you leave, you can talk with Maelle about Annyce, you have the option of telling her about your suspicions or not:
:''"She's back. She's safe. It feels like I've pulled my heart from a vice. Sorry I troubled you with another of Annyce's tantrums."
:Everything seems normal then? Nothing unusual?
:"No, nothing. She looks right as rain and I'd recognize that attitude anywhere. I know what you're driving at. You're saying I should be worried? Well, out with it."
: 
::"Ritual? Feh, what nonsense has gotten into the girl's head now? Annyce doesn't know the first thing about magic, she's just got an overactive imagination and too much free time. Well, thank you for telling me. I'll mention it when I ground her."
: 
::"Didn't mean to bite your head off. You've got good reason to worry. She's certainly the picture of Annyce, but I'll talk to her and make certain nothing strange has come of her."

If you speak to her again after telling her you want to make sure Annyce is all right, she says:
:"Well, whatever the case. You needn't worry about Annyce for now. Thank you for caring and good luck with getting to the bottom of all this nonsense."''

: 
Finding your way inside Rellesel Retreat, you find the missing villagers fast asleep on stone slabs. You can't wake them from their dreams, but Alchemy wants to get a better idea of the situation and has you enter Annyce's dream to speak with her. Inside the dream, you will need to convince Annyce to wake up. Upon Alchemy breaking the spell, all of them are upset to have been woken up. You can then ask Annyce about the deal she made with "Cres", she thought by trading places everyone would be happy. Maelle answers to the negative as she walks down the stairs:
:Maelle Favraud: "She would not."
:Annyce Favraud: "Mother?"
: 
:Annyce Favraud: ''"I'm sorry."
:Maelle Favraud: "If you wanted to be rid of me so bad, you could have sent a fake who did her chores."

Before confronting Cres, you have the option of talking with Maelle about the imposter:
:"Thank you for finding my girl. I'd never imagine she'd have gone to such lengths to get away from here. I should have listened sooner."
:What are you doing out here?
:"I followed you. I was glad to see Annyce back in town, but I knew deep down that wasn't my girl and watching her act the part made the worry in my gut so much worse. I had to see for myself."
:Where did you leave the imposter?
:"Back at the Happy Crow. I told Bradon he could put whatever she liked on my tab if it kept her occupied. If you wish to find the freeloader, that's where she'll be."
:Thanks for the tip.

Speaking with Maelle again:
:"You'd better get back to the Happy Crow and deal with that freeloader. We'll be fine now. Now that we're back together."''

When you arrive at the Happy Crow, you will find that Cres has already run away. Alchemy will have a hunch that they have gone back to the Ayleid ruin to the east. Sure enough, you will find the imposter and after Cres tries to convince you that they are Annyce, Alchemy will step in and break the illusion. It turns out that Cres is a watchling of Hermaeus Mora who wanted to experience life, and so made deals to trade places but kept getting things wrong. You can decide what to do with the Daedra before completing the quest.

Dialogue
After you have completed the quest and returned to Farmer's Nook you can find Maelle and Annyce outside their home. She speaks with affection about her daughter and their future plans:
:''"Pain in my arse as she is, I wouldn't trade her for the world. You have my gratitude for finding her. I'll make sure she doesn't run off again. It just won't be by grounding her."
:Oh? What do you mean?
:"What happened is my fault as much as it was hers. I've always been too harsh with her, too afraid to let her go off on her own. I remember how that made me feel when I was her age, now. Not good. It's time I was more supportive."
:So you're all right with her going off to become a pirate?
:"Ha! I wouldn't go that far, but if the girl wishes to know the sea I may as well be the one to show her the ropes. But don't think I'll indulge her whining when she gets a taste of real salt. If she doesn't give up, maybe she'll make a fine pirate."''

Notes
She is only present after starting the quest.