Online:Talomar

Talomar is a High Elf keeper of the Royal Menagerie in Sil-Var-Woad.
 

Related Quests


Quest-Related Events
Initially, you can find him by approaching any of the entrances of the Menagerie, where he can be heard desperately calling his lost indrik.
:Talomar: "Lotus! Lotus! Where are you precious?"

If you talk to him, he'll say:
:''"You've picked a bad day for a stroll in the park. Something's got into the animals. They're running wild. Frenzied. Don't suppose you saw an indrik on your way here? A tame one. She's my charge and pride of the queen's menagerie. I need to find her."
:Animals? What is this place?
:"The Royal Menagerie. It holds exotic species from all over Tamriel. Now they're running loose, attacking the keepers, and each other. It's a slaughter. It's too dangerous for a gentle indrik like Lotus. Please, can you help me search for her?"
:You're certain she's not dangerous, like the others?
:"Lotus has only ever known kindness. Gentle as a lamb. I hand reared her from birth. She fled in the chaos, but she won't make it on her own. I have to find Lotus before she's hurt … or worse."
:I can help search for your indrik.

This starts the quest.
:"This is the only place she's ever known. She won't have wandered far. I hope."
::Any idea how all these animals escaped?
:::"I wasn't at the epicenter of it all. I was about to feed Lotus when I started hearing the animals is a frenzy—yowling and slamming against their pens. Once the mammoths broke free, the whole place came apart at the seams. Total pandemonium."
::What are we looking for exactly? I don't know much about indriks.
:::"Indriks vaguely resemble deer, but you'd never mistake the two. Their horns and antlers sparkle like crystal and their fronds and feathers are vibrant in any light. When Jephre spun their shape, he made a tapestry of all life."
:::Why are you so concerned about this one in particular?
:::"I raised her from a fawn. Watched her grow up. I can't imagine losing her this way … and the Queen would never forgive me. She and Lotus were inseparable until the duties of the crown called her away. I made a vow to care for Lotus in her stead."
:::Lotus was Queen Ayrenn's pet?
:::"A gift from the sovereign to his daughter when she was barely knee high. Before she became Queen, her highness spent many a day frolicking through the Royal Menagerie with Lotus. Hard to imagine now, I know …."
::Aren't there other keepers who could help us?
:::"I didn't see anyone else come this way, but I hope the others made it to safety. I'd rather not dwell on the alternative. If anyone's still in peril, we should lend out aid."''

Explore the menagerie and search for clues on Lotus's whereabouts. Talomar will try to help you.
:Talomar: "Indriks sometimes graze on these trees. Look around and let me know if you find anything."

Find a dead mammoth near a huge breach in one of the walls and take the Mammoth Tusk Shards from the body. Talomar will ask you what you've got.
:Talomar: "What did you find there?"

Talk to him.
:''"I don't see any sign of her here. Did you find anything?"
:That mammoth by the toppled wall. It looks like it bashed its own head in.
:"Stars! I've seen wild mammoths charge the enclosure walls, but they usually give up pretty quickly. I've never seen one driven to battering itself to death. Not by anger. Not even by panic."
:Could it have been diseased?
:"That would be an explanation, but it came on so suddenly. It seemed to afflict all the animals at once. Except Lotus, she was spooked, but not aggressive. I hope that's still the case …."
:We should keep looking.'''

He'll answer:
:Talomar: ''"Right. Let's head further inside."

Now you may search for further clues. 
:Talomar: "There, Lotus's enclosure. Maybe we can pick up her trail."''

You'll find some Tainted Feed in Lotus's enclosure. Talomar will come up to ask you.
:Talomar: "Find something?"

Talk to him.
:''"I don't see any new tracks. She didn't try returning to the enclosure. Find anything that might put us on her trail?"
:No sign of Lotus, but something seems strange about the feed in her pen.
:"Huh? Let me see that. Smells … off. Starting to turn color too. It shouldn't have gone bad so quickly."
:Could that be what's affecting the animals?
:"I've never seen an animal react so violently to spoiled food, and nothing this tainted would have passed our inspections. I think something was added, probably close to feeding time."
:By another keeper?
:"No! It couldn't be. We care for these animals like they were our kin. No one I know would harm one of these poor creatures, let alone do something like this."
:Lotus didn't eat this, right?
:"No, thank the gods. I'd just deposited it here when the trouble started. I don't think she'd graze on any now that it's become foul, but I'd rather not risk it. We should keep searching."
:I'm ready.

As you exit the conversation, you can hear someone calling for help. Talomar will react.
:Talomar: "Did you hear that? Someone's in trouble! This way!"''

Find Elise Mallon cornered by lions. If you talk to Talomar at this point, he'll admit:
:''"We have to do something, but I can't take on a pride of lions …."

Save Elise. Talomar will speak.
:Talomar: "Elise, what are you still doing here?"''

If you talk to him before talking to her, he'll tell you about her.
:''"Elise is a junior keeper. She's lucky we found her when we did. She's not ready to handle animals unsupervised, let alone something like this."

Elise will refuse to join up with you and runs away.
:Elise Mallon: "Good luck with your indrik hunt, Talomar. Try not to get killed."
:Talomar: "Elise, wait! We need to stay together!"
:Talomar: "Dammit. Let's hope we have better luck with Lotus."''

If you talk to Talomar before looking for Lotus near the reflecting pool, he'll say:
:''"So much for enlisting the help of other keepers. I just hope Elise's encounter with the lions will make her more cautious. Running off like that isn't a promising start. What was her hurry anyway?"
:Who was she?
:"Sorry, didn't seem the time for an introduction. Elise is one of the junior keepers. She really cares for the animals, but she's only got about ten years under her belt. She shouldn't be working alone. Must have gotten separated from her tutor."
::Is she always so brusque?
:::"She was probably still in shock. Elise has always been a sweet and diligent caretaker. Though she has been distant lately."
::She's still a junior keeper after ten years?
:::"Of course, with some talented exceptions the average apprenticeship period is fifty years. If we only dealt with local species, ten years might be within the realm of possibility, but not here."

Find Lotus. She immediately flees when she sees you.
:Talomar: "There she is! Lotus! After her!"
:Talomar: "Lotus! Easy, girl. I'm here …."''

Pursue Lotus, who will be caught by Conservator Vinelore and her rangers, Nonvarel and Sinren. If you talk to Talomar, he'll say:
:"The good news is, we found Lotus. The bad news is, the Conservator is in an even more foul mood than usual. Be polite, please."

Talk to the conservator, who will want you to get out of the menagerie.
:Conservator Vinelore: "Talomar, take your new friend here and get off my grounds. The rangers will take things from here."
:Talomar: "But Lotus? I … yes, Conservator."

Talk to Talomar again outside.
:Talomar: "Sorry about all of this."
:''"I just want you to know that even if the Conservator doesn't appreciate your efforts, I'm truly grateful for your help."
:Who was that anyway? Your boss?
:"Conservator Vinelore. She's the appointed curator of the Royal Menagerie. All the keepers and rangers serve at her pleasure. I wouldn't take it personally. She's not one for niceties under the best of circumstances."
:Why would she throw us out in the middle of a crisis?
:"If she really believes a keeper is responsible for sabotaging the menagerie, I can't say I blame her. I can hardly believe it, but it's the only explanation that makes any sense."
:Anyone you suspect?
:"Gods no. I've worked with everyone here for decades … I just hope Vinelore catches the monster. Thank you again for helping me keep Lotus from harm."
:My pleasure.

As you would part, Elise will call over to you.
:Elise Mallon: "Over here! We need to talk!"
:Talomar: "Elise? I thought you already left? What are you doing   around here?"''

Should you talk to Talomar before talking to Elise, he'll be dumbfounded.
:"What is she still doing here?"

Elise will admit to having poisoned the animals, but claims she only wanted a little distraction while she investigates the disappearance of several of the Menagerie's animals under the care of Vinelore. She will ask you to help convince Talomar with her investigation. Talk to Talomar.
:''"She poisoned all these animals—she almost poisoned Lotus! And for what? It's true that I've never seen an animal moved to the inner paddocks that's returned to outer enclosures, but she's suggesting what? That the Conservator is culling the herd?"
:Vinelore said she was taking Lotus to the inner paddocks. Who would you rather trust?
:"I mean, this is a crisis. Lotus is the prize of the menagerie. She wouldn't …. This is insane, you know that? What do you need from me?"
:Do you know a way into the Conservatory?
:"It's a bit morbid, but I would search the bodies by the staff quarters, near the main entrance. One of Vinelore's rangers might have had a key."
:All right, I will search there.

He turns to Elise.
:Talomar: "All right, Elise. I'll help you. But if we don't find anything unusual in the Conservatory, I'm turning you over to Vinelore myself."
:Elise Mallon: "Deal. If I'm crazy, go ahead and turn me in. But, you know there is something going on here, Talomar."
:Talomar:  "Let's just get this over with."''

Talking to Talomar, he'll say:
:''"So, we're really doing this …? For Lotus's sake, I hope Elise is wrong."

Find the keys on a Dead Ranger.
:Talomar: "Did you find the keys? I'm feeling exposed out here."

Enter the conservatory  and find some of the missing animals butchered, along with some research papers.
Speaking with him here:
:"Let's hurry. Whatever's going on here, I don't want Lotus to be a part of it."''

After you find the Conservator's indrik research, you notice Talomar has gone missing. Exit the Conservatory to the inner paddocks and witness the confrontation between Vinelore and Talomar, separated by a warded fence.
:'Conservator Vinelore: ''"Disobedience doesn't suit you, Talomar. Uncooperative animals don't last long here."
:Talomar: "What have you done with Lotus, you monster?"
:Conservator Vinelore: "I'd be more concerned for yourself right now."''

If you talk to Talomar, he'll say:
:''"It can't end here. There has to be something we can do to stop her."

In the meantime, Elise breaks the ward and the indriks flee. Vinelore follows them, but not before shooting Talomar with an arrow. Talk to the injured Talomar.
:"Damn Vinelore. I can't let her turn Lotus into some sort of monster. I have to find her."
:You're wounded. I'll find Lotus.
:"It should be me. I'm the closest to family she has next to the Queen. I feel so helpless. Promise me you'll bring back Lotus unharmed."
:What if they've already done something to her?
:"I … don't want to think about that. Finding Lotus comes first. If she's changed—you just have to get through to her."
:I'll try.
:"Thank you. For everything. Be careful."

Speaking with him again before confronting the Conservator:
:"You can save Lotus. I believe that with every fiber of my being. Bring her back safe."

Defeat Vinelore and her experiment, then meet Talomar, Elise and Lotus outside. Talomar will be overjoyed to see Lotus.
:Talomar: "Lotus! She's all right! Thank Jephre! Thank you!"

Talk to Talomar.
:"It's so good to see Lotus alive and well. I couldn't stop thinking of her scared and injured, or worse. If Vinelore had turned her into some kind of monster, I swear …! We should flee before Vinelore and her rangers come after us."
:Vinelore's dead. She tried to kill me with the help of one of her creations.
:"Gods—that's terrible …! I won't shed tears over Vinelore, she had to be stopped, but I'm so sorry you have her blood on your hands. I guess this is the end of the Royal Menagerie …."
:How so?
:"With the Conservator gone, there's no one in charge of trying to get this place back in order. It'll all come apart by the time the Proxy Queen allocates a replacement. If she allocates a replacement."
:You could do it.
:"Me? Run the menagerie? I'd love to see it put back the way I remember it, but will it ever be the same now that I know what was really happening here? I could just take Lotus and put all this behind us."
::You should stay. You can make sure the animals are really cared for here.
:::"Yes, I know myself well enough to know I would be miserable just abandoning this place. I've poured so much of my life into it. Maybe I can do some good here, change the way these animals are treated."
:::I can't think of anyone better.
::::"These animals deserve better than to be left to fend for themselves. I owe them that much. I'll do everything I can do for them. You have my word."
::It might be better to leave the animals in the wild, where they belong.
:::"You may be right. I've tried so hard to make these creatures comfortable, but comfortable and happy aren't necessarily the same. Even without that terrible research, the menagerie has always exploited the animals for our amusement."
:::This place has been a cage for you both. You're free to make a fresh start now.
::::"There's a whole world beyond these walls. I think Lotus and I are long overdue to see some of it. I hope we cross paths again along the way."
Either way, you complete the quest.

If he stays, talking to him after the quest, he says:
:"Don't suppose I could declare it a wildlife preserve and leave the animals to roam freely, could I? I'm going to have my work cut out for me, getting this place back in order."
:What's the first order of business, Acting Conservator?
::"I'll take Lotus and try to find other survivors who escaped the chaos. Convincing them to return won't be easy, but I'm certain I can get at least a few other keepers and rangers to follow my lead. After that, a whole lot of wrangling."
::You expect any trouble from Vinelore's people?
:::"She's gone and their operation is in shambles. I don't see why they'd stick around, but I'll be sure to burn their research at the first opportunity. Nothing like that will ever happen again under my watch."

If you encourage him to travel, he will say:
:"When they say the first step of the journey is the hardest, they weren't kidding. Phynaster, show mercy."
:Where do you think you'll travel first?
::"I'll need to get her away from the predators on the loose, but somewhere in Sil-Var-Woad first. She'd never been out of captivity, so I'd like to ease her into life in the outside world slowly. After that, I haven't decided."
::Do you plan to release her?
:::"If that's what she wants, but I'm not sure she even knows what it means to be wild. It would take a lot of rehabilitation for her to survive on her own."

The following topics are available regardless of your choice at the end of the quest:
:How are things with Elise?
::"She endangered every living thing here with the stunt she pulled. It'll be days before we know the final toll of stopping Vinelore. I know Elise did this for the right reasons, but I don't know that I can forgive her for all this bloodshed."
::She made a mistake, but she did save you and Lotus's lives on more than one occasion.
:::"That's what makes it hard. Everything worked out for me. It's not my grudge I'm holding onto. It's theirs, all those innocent lives. She's a good person, but I'm going to need time."
::Her recklessness had grave consequences. She shouldn't be let off easy.
:::"I'm not trying to punish her. It's not my place. I just can't stomach the cost of her actions. And if she can't either, maybe I will be able to forgive what she did."
:I was attacked by other indriks when I was searching for Lotus. Is that normal?
::"Wild indriks are aggressive toward things they perceive as threats. Even if Vinelore hadn't given them her vile serums, they couldn't have been happy about being penned up like cattle. There may be hope for them, if the legends are true."
::What do you mean?
:::"It's said that when indrik die, their souls don't leave Mundus. Instead Jephre plants them back into the land to sprout aain as reborn fawns. If it's true, you think they remember their old lives? I like to believe Lotus will remember me."
:::If that's true, they'd also remember what Vinelore did to them.
::::"Then I hope they can forgive us for her transgressions. I'll do my best to make it up to any others I meet."''