Online:Faric Gemain

Faric Gemain is a Breton who can be found near the wayshrine in Gideon. He's come to Gideon to solve a cold case and clear his grandmother's name.
 

Related Quests


Dialogue
You'll find Faric by the wayshrine sighing "Ugh. Again?".

:''"Ugh. Look, I've got just as much right to stand here as anyone else. If those scantily-clad Dibellites want me to leave, you tell them to come out here and say it to my face!"
:Dibellites? What are you talking about?
:"You're not one of their sanctified bullies? That's a relief. Call me Faric. I came to Gideon to clear my family's name, but the loose-robed fanatics in the Dibellaseum want to run me off. It started with dirty looks. Now, I'm getting threats."
:Why exactly are the Dibella worshipers trying to get rid of you?
:"They think my Granna Cerise murdered their high priest decades ago. It's not true, and I mean to set the record straight. Might take a little snooping around, but the evidence is here. I know it! Want to lend a hand? Don't have much, but I can pay."
:Sure, I'll help with your investigation.

You can ask him a few questions after starting the quest.
:"Thanks for the help. Not easy for Gemains to make friends around here. The Dibellites use that manse in the center of town as their Dibellaseum—sort of a consecrated love-nest. If there's proof of Granna's innocence in Gideon, we'll find it there."
:Tell me more about this murder.
::"Like I said, the victim was one of the Dibellites high priests—a woman named Rolaine. This was sixty years ago, mind, but my grandfather tells me the locals worshiped the ground she walked on. Thought she was a prophet, or something near to it."
::And the people blamed your grandmother for her death?
::"Aye. My Granna Cerise was Rolaine's flower-bearer. Followed her everywhere she went. When a heap of treasure went missing and Rolaine vanished, Granna was the prime suspect. No one could prove it, of course, since they never found her."
::Your grandmother disappeared?
::"Like woodsmoke in a wind storm. And without breathing a word to my Grandpa Lierre. Way Grandpa tells it, neither of them would so much as visit the loo without telling the other where they were headed. But the locals wouldn't listen."
::What happened to your grandfather?
::"These damned zealots rallied half the city. Gathered up torches and shovels and ran him and my father out of town with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Even outside of Gideon, the rumors followed him. We haven't had a moment's peace since."
:You said you're not from around here. Where did you travel from?
::"Bravil. Took an awful long time, what with the Three-Banners War and all. But I made it, and I'm not leaving till I settle this once and for all."
::Is it that important? Why come all this way to solve a sixty year-old crime?"
::"Might have happened yesterday for all these people care. Nobody holds a grudge like an Imperial. If your name is Gemain, you're lower than dirt in their eyes. I just had a son a couple years back and he's already catching it on the chin! He's two!"
::So, you think clearing Cerise's name will earn you an apology?
::"An apology? Ha! I'm not that naive. I'm a carpenter by trade. I'll settle for people not hiding my tools and splitting my saw horses six times a month. It's about respect. To Oblivion with the rest!"
:Do you have any evidence your grandmother was innocent?
::"I … well, not exactly. For now, I can say I have good reason to think there's more to the story. I'll know more once we look around their makeshift Temple of Dibella, and I'll feel much better about doing that having you with me."

Inside the Dibellaseum:
:Faric Gemain:  "So, this is the Dibellaseum. Just what I expected …."

:"Ugh. Look at this place. These Dibellites fancy themselves free spirited bards blown by the wind, but they've got enough gold to make Zenithar blush. Bah. Doesn't matter. This is where we'll find our answers."
:What do you imagine we'll find here after all these years?
:"I don't know yet. I just know we have to look. Take this. It's a rare bit of magic called a memory stone. Granna Cerise gave it to Grandpa Lierre the night before she supposedly murdered Priestess Rolaine and fled. Maybe it'll show us something."



::So, you believe that if this memory stone holds memories made here, it will activate?
::"Aye, that's the hope. I know we face long odds on this. Magic stones and lost memories sound like storybook nonsense. But it's really all I've got to go on. How about we start our search on the ground floo?"
:Can you give me the details of the crime again?
::"Like I said, the victim was one of the Dibellites high priests—a woman named Rolaine. This was sixty years ago, mind, but my grandfather tells me the locals worshiped the ground she walked on. Thought she was a prophet, or something near to it."
::[Conversation is the same from earlier]
:Could you explain how a memory stone works again?
::"As I understand it, memory stones soak up memories so you can revisit them later—like watching a play. But you have to be in the place where the memory occurred or it doesn't work. The mage I met told me this one's worth a small fortune."
::How did your grandmother acquire something that valuable?
::"Good question. Granna Cerise didn't come from money. Grandpa Lierre told me Priestess Rolaine owned whole troves of baubles like this, though. Maybe it was hers. Of course that begs the question: why did Granna Cerise have Rolaine's stone? Curious."

If you talk to him before going downstairs:
:"I figure we should start at the bottom of this place and work our way up. With any luck, we'll see that stone light up soon enough. Come on. Let's explore the ground floor."

In one of the rooms on the ground floor:
:Faric Gemain:  "Look! The stone flashed! Did you see it? Try to use it!"

If you talk to him before using the stone:
:"I saw that stone flash like a torchbug. There must be a memory tucked away in here somewhere! Try to conjure it up, all right?"

After using the stone, a woman will appear:
:Faric Gemain:  "Something's happening. Is that—? It's a memory!"
:Faric Gemain:  "Who is that?"
:Faric Gemain:  "Mara's mercy!"

:"By the Eight, what was that? A murder? Someone recorded a murder in that stone? Why would anyone do that? Wait …. Could this be related to the disappearances Grandpa Lierre told me about?"
:Disappearances?
:"Aye. Way Grandpa Lierre tells it, in the weeks before Rolaine vanished, a handful of novitiates went missing. None of them were popular enough to raise an outcry. People said they must have just left—trying to get out from under Rolaine's shadow."
:You said your grandmother was Rolaine's assistant. Did she know these novitiates?
:"Granna Cerise helped all the novitiates—cleaning linens, tending to flowers, arranging sheet music. She knew everyone. These people probably would have pinned the disappearances on her too, but the story took a dark turn after Rolaine's murder."
:Dark turn? What do you mean?
:"The Dibellites decided it must have been a conspiracy! The missing novitiates were all in on the plot. Now we see the truth of it. Can't be sure, but whoever murdered these novitiates might have murdered Rolaine, too! We should keep investigating."
:All right. Let's see if the stone resonates anywhere else in the Dibellaseum.

If you talk to him again:
:"I thought the stone would bring us some answers, but it's only raising more questions! Who did we just see murdered in this study? Who murdered them? Is it the same person who murdered Priestess Rolaine? Let's search the upstairs rooms next."

In one of the upstairs rooms:
:Faric Gemain:  "Another flash! Try the stone now."

If you talk to him before using the stone:
:"Go on. Use the stone again! Let's see what memory it reveals."

After using the stone, a familiar scene will play out:
:Faric Gemain:  "Not another one …."
:Faric Gemain:  "Eight preserve me. It's so real."

If you talk to him again before exploring the top floor:
:"There's no doubt. Someone murdered the novitiates here and stored the memories in this stone. That's why Granna Cerise gave the stone to Grandpa. She knew something. She was hunting the murderer! I guess we should search the top floor. Gods help us."
:Faric, how do you know your grandmother isn't the murderer?
:"She had an alibi. Grandpa Lierre said they were on holiday during the first two disappearances. They visited the Topal Bay every Midyear. Plenty of witnesses. It wasn't her. I'm sure of it."

On the top floor, before you activate the memory stone, he will say:
:"Another memory. I don't know how many more of these I can take. Just go on and use the stone. I'm ready."

On the top floor after using the memory stone again:
:Faric Gemain:  "It's our killer again! What's he doing?"
:Faric Gemain:  "Gods! What is that? Magic?"
:Faric Gemain:  "Did you see those gestures? Can you repeat them?"

If you talk to him again:
:"You saw that ghostly killer flapping their hands about, right? Do you think you can repeat those gestures? I didn't quite follow, but it looked like magic to me."

After mimicking the gestures:
:Faric Gemain:  "Mara's mercy!"

If you talk to him before going through the door:
:"Where in Oblivion's name did that door come from? Was it here this whole time? Sixty years, and no one notices a scary portal to gods-know-where is tucked away in a corner? Should we—? Yes, we should go through. Um, you first, though, all right?"

After entering the Phantom Door:
:Faric Gemain:  "Skeletons! Are those the murdered novitiates? I think I might …. Ugh! Come on, Faric, keep it together."

If you talk to him before investigating the room:
:"These skeletons must belong to the missing novitiates. Gods, this is horrible."

After checking both clues:
:Faric Gemain:  "Find anything?"

:"What have you got there? A letter? Here, let me have a look at it. Oh, and can I have my stone back? I think I've had my fill of grisly memories for now."
:Sure. It looks like a ledger.

He will then read the document.
:Faric Gemain:  "Clara, Arielle, Edgard …. Yes, these were the novitiates. This should bring their families some closure, at least."

Talk to him again:
:"It wasn't enough that the murderer killed the novitiates, she had to steal their souls, too? How would someone even do that?"
:The person who wrote the ledger mentioned black soul gems.
:"Huh. I've heard of soul gems before, but not black soul gems. I thought mages just used them on rabbits and Goblins and such. These black ones can suck up the souls of men and mer? Eight preserve us. The ledger said the killer traded them, right?"
:Yes. Or they intended to. To a group of mages called the Ideal Masters.
:"Never heard of them. But then again, honest carpenters like me don't do much business with soul-stealing wizards. It's all academic anyway. There's no way of knowing if the trade even took place. Unless that map you found contains a clue?"
:It points to a location in the swamps. Far east of Gideon.'''

After you mention this, he'll respond, giving you the opportunity to ask a few questions in lieu of the recent break in the case.
:''"Hmm. I never told you how Priestess Rolaine died, did I? She left to visit Leyawiin in her carriage, along with her flower-bearer, Cerise … my grandmother. They never arrived. Maybe this map shows where they went! Let's see where it leads, eh?"
:If no one ever recovered Priestess Rolaine's body, how was your grandmother convicted of her murder?
::"Grandpa said there'd been talk about how Granna Cerise and the other junior priestesses of Dibella were greedy. When news came that Priestess Rolaine had been murdered, none questioned they'd killed her. Instead, they burned Grandpa Lierre's home."
::They had no one to blame for the murder and needed a scapegoat.
::"I don't see how it could be anything else. Sadly, I imagine the angry people who burned down our home and chased Grandpa Lierre away are dead now, so they're beyond justice. Yet we can still clear my grandmother's name. We must, for Grandpa Lierre!"
::Who are these Ideal Masters?
::"You're asking me? I figured you'd know! Whoever they are, I guess they like souls? The ledger said that the killer was bringing black soul gems to trade for a reward of some sort. Maybe they're part of the Waking Flame cult the killer mentioned?"

:The ledger mentioned the Waking Flame. Have you ever encountered them before?
::"Can't say as I have. I'm playing investigator, sure, but I normally do my best to avoid situations like this. People like you who do this for a living? No offense, but I'll never understand it. Have you had a run-in with this Waking Flame before?"


::Maybe they're the ones that stirred up the threats against you. To keep you off the scent.
::"By the Eight, I hope not! I can't imagine how horrifying it would be to die, but not die. To be trapped forever in one of those black soul gems. Just thinking about it makes me feel like I want to vomit. I'm so glad I have you to protect me."

If you talk to him again:
:"I can't stop thinking about these black soul gems. Can you imagine being snared in one? Being sold to some evil necromancers? Awful. This killer's victims have waited sixty years for justice. Let's find this carriage and shine a light on the truth!"
:I have a few questions.
:"I doubt I know any more than you do, but sure. What's on your mind?
:The ledger mentioned the Waking Flame. Have you ever encountered them before?
::"Can't say as I have. I'm playing investigator, sure, but I normally do my best to avoid situations like this. People like you who do this for a living? No offense, but I'll never understand it. Have you had a run-in with this Waking Flame before?"



:If no one ever recovered Rolaine's body, how did they know she was murdered?
::"Like the ledger said, the murderer spent weeks lying about the novitiates being jealous, ferreting away gold from the treasury to make it look like they stole something, etcetera. When Granna Cerise vanished, they did what people always do. Assume."
::Her name isn't on this list. It doesn't exonerate her.
::"I know, I know. We'll find the proof we need with this map, I'm sure of it. If you're still suspicious, I don't blame you. But I just … I just have a feeling. I can't explain it. We've almost cracked this. Just a little farther to go."

After finding the carriage:
:Faric Gemain:  "Look! There in the water! Could that be it? See what you can find!"

If you talk to him before looking:
:"Look there! The carriage. I heard the water out here's been drying up for years. It would have been deeper a decade ago. Black Marsh is like that. It must have been hidden beneath the surface! Let's have a look around."

After searching the two items in the carriage:
:"I'm afraid to ask, but I've got to. What did you find?"
:I found this ring on the skeleton's finger. Do you recognize it?
:"Let me see. Yes! I've seen that seal too many times. See the flowers encircling the face? It's a symbol of Dibella. This is a high priestess' signet ring. It can't be a coincidence. That skeleton is Priestess Rolaine. We found her!"
:I also found black soul gems in the chest. Three of them.
:"So, Priestess Rolaine was transporting those? Why? Did Granna Cerise know about it? They left town together and vanished together. My grandmother's skeleton isn't here, so …. By the Eight, could Priestess Rolaine be the killer?"
:If she's the killer, why is she dead and why is your grandmother missing?
:"Do you think …? No, it couldn't have been Granna. She wasn't in Gideon when the novitiates were killed! The Priestess had access to the treasury, had the ear of the people … it all makes sense, except how she died. We just— Wait. Look there!"
:What?

A ghost will appear in the distance.
:Faric Gemain:  "You should go say hello, right? I, uh … I'm right behind you."

If you talk to him before approaching the ghost:
:"That's a ghost. A real ghost! Like, of a dead person! How are you so calm about this? I guess we should see what it wants, right? You first."

After following the ghost and examining her remains:
:Faric Gemain:  "That's Granna Cerise, isn't it? She's been here in this cave all this time."

Talk to him.
:"Sorry for keeping you waiting. I'm sure uncovering murderous cults and meeting your grandmother's ghost is run-of-the-mill fodder for you. But for me, this is a bit much to take. I guess there was something to those dreams after all …."
:Dreams? What dreams?
:"I know, I should have told you from the start. But I didn't want to scare you off—thinking I was crazy or something. It started a month or so ago. A ghostly young woman rouses me from my bed every night and stares at me. Like she wants something."
:And you think it's your grandmother?
:"I know it is! She just stared us both in the face and guided us to her remains, right? But what now? She put an end to Rolaine's plot, but no one will believe me. The Gemains will keep getting stepped on. They'll say I faked the whole thing."
:Maybe I could deliver the news—to someone other than the Dibellites.
:"That … might actually work. Keshu the Black Fin and her Argonians couldn't give two croaks about Dibella and her flock. Keshu's war mage, Fire-From-Nowhere, knows local history. He might just listen. Granna Cerise gave us the proof. Let's use it!"
:All right. Let's go speak with Fire-From-Nowhere, then.

If you talk to him again before leaving:
:"If you don't mind, I'd like to have a moment alone with Granna Cerise. I don't know if she can understand me, but I figure I should pay my respects. I'll catch up with you on the way back to Gideon."

You can talk to him again when he starts following you again near Gideon:
:"I hope Granna Cerise can find some rest now. Let's head back to Gideon and clear her name. Keshu's mage and researcher is named Fire-From-Nowhere. Hopefully, he'll listen. Rolaine was a murderous necromancer, and now all Blackwood will know!"

After talking to Fire-From-Nowhere:
:"Thank the Eight for Fire-From-Nowhere—and for you! I never could have accomplished this without your help. I can't believe it's over. These zealots will finally know the truth!"
:What will you do now?
:"I guess I'll stay in Gideon until we put this matter to rest for good. I want to see these people's faces when they come to terms with what really happened! Then? It's back to Bravil and my woodshop! Sooner the better! Thanks, hero. For everything."

After completing the quest:
:"If I didn't trust Keshu and her Argonians to protect me, I'd flee right now. I'm sure there are plenty of people in Gideon who will want me dead for what I know. But, I'm staying. Granna Cerise was a hero, and I won't let her down."
:How are you feeling, now that you know the truth?
:"Relieved? Honestly, I started all this to get the people of Cyrodiil off my family's back—and to get a full night's sleep. Not exactly selfish, but not a righteous crusade either, you know? But now that I know what Granna went though …."
:It's more personal?
:"Aye. And sadder. But we sorted it, right? Spirits at rest, remains recovered, souls returned—I hope? This is as happy an ending as we could hope for, given the circumstances. Just makes me damn glad I'm a carpenter and not a full-time adventurer!"''