Online:The One That Got Away

Quick Walkthrough
# Collect the note from Zeira in the Thieves Den.
# Meet Zeira at Hew's Mane in Abah's Landing.
# Travel to the tavern in Marbruk (Greenshade), Shornhelm (Rivenspire), or Stormhold (Shadowfen).
# Speak to Chief Inspector Rhanbiq and obtain the key to his strongbox, located at the same location.
# Speak to Bellulor Chatterbeak in the local Outlaws Refuge.
# Travel to the wayshrine near Haven (Grahtwood), Aswala Stables (Alik'r Desert), or Tal'Deic Fortress (Deshaan).
# Use the nearby rowboat to travel to the manor house across the water.
# Speak with Volunidai.
# Find the entrance to the manor's cellar.
# Locate and confront your quarry.
# Return to Hew's Mane and inform Zeira of your actions.

Detailed Walkthrough
Soon after rescuing Zeira from the Iron Wheel, she will send you a note, requesting you meet her in Abah's Landing.
:''[PlayerName]: "I have new information on Nicolas that requires your attention and discretion. Meet me at Hew's Mane, just off the Promenade in Abah's Landing. —Zeira"
:I should meet Zeira at Hew's Mane.'''

The Desert Falcon
Go to Hew's Mane. Zeira will be waiting for you while drinking there. Talk to her and she tells you the Iron Wheel's ship which Nicolas was on got capsized in a storm and Nicolas among others would have been swept into the sea. As there is no body, both Zeira and Magnifica Falorah don't believe it, so she asks you to find out what really happened with Nicolas. Altrough she won't ask you to kill him should you find him alive, she makes clear she will gladly accept this case the (not in-game enforced) guild's no murder rule. She sends you to someone calling himself the "Desert Falcon", who's last known location would be a tavern depending on your alliance (Marbruk for Aldmeri Dominion, Shornhelm for Daggerfall Covenant, Stormhold for Ebonheart Pact). Go to the allocated place, and you will find Chief Inspector Rhanbiq, who will no longer be Chief Inspector. Turns out, he also doesn't believe Nicolas died in the storm. His dialogue will vary slightly depending on your choice during the first Thieves Guild quest Partners in Crime. If you stole the Giovessen Skull, you will need to persuade him to let you help. Once you've got his help, he'll give you the key to his strongbox and tells you where he suspects Nicolas to be. For further info, he sends you to find a snitch named Bellulor Chatterbeak. The exact location will depend on your alliance.

Tracking your quarry
Grab the contents from Rhanbiq's strongbox and go to the outlaws refuge in your current area to find the Chatterbeak. Chatterbeak will not talk to you at first, so you will either have to persuade & lie or intimidate him, or pay gold to cover his bar tab. Any of the methods will result in the same information. He will tell you he's now pretending to be a painter, and has gotten himself a High Elf widow lover which he called "My darling Volu", to who's home they were headed. He also tells you Nicolas plans to marry her as soon as they returned to said home. The exact location will depend on your alliance, sending you either to a manor near Tal'Deic Fortress (Ebonheart Pact), Sentinel (Daggerfall covenant), or Haven (Aldmeri Dominion). Leave the outlaws refuge and go to the allocated location. Here you'll find a rowboat, use this to go to the mansion. Inside the Mansion, you find a woman named Volunidai, Nicolas's "darling Volu". She seems to know Nicolas by a new alias, "Vantus", and will not allow you to speak to him then send you away. Instead of leaving, find a way into the mansion and find Nicolas, who you will hear shouting thinking you're Volunidai after entering.

Confront your quarry
Talk to Nicolas. He will tell you he expected you sooner or later, but hoped later than this. He claims he has truly retired and is a changed man. When blaming him for betraying the guild, he claims he hadn't and that Velsa's retirement is the cause, as she would've lead the others back to Abah's Landing but was absent due to said retirement. Although he doesn't want to blame Velsa, he keeps telling how good the plan would've been. At this point, you have a choice to make.

Telling his wife
Nicolas will be visibly upset as he really seems to love Volunidai, but won't stop you. Go outside and talk to Volunidai. She will be furious about the suggestion that Nicolas is a liar. Telling her of his past actions will make her doubt him, but she won't take your word for it. Show her a wanted poster of Nicolas, and she will be in shock. At this point, another choice will present itself. You can either tell Volunidai to report him to Rhanbiq, tell her to protect her money, or to make him pay. The latter two will cause him to leave to Elder Root, where he can be found fishing near the Outside Inn. Telling her to report him to Rhanbiq will cause him to disappear as he's sent to Taneth for trial.

Letting him be
Nicolas will thank you and go outside to speak to his wife.

Killing him
Nicolas will die and Volunidai grieves his death, never knowing her husband's true identity.

After you have decided what to do with Nicolas, return to the Hew's Mane in Abah's Landing and talk to Zeira. Tell her what became of Nicolas. No matter how you handled it, Zeira will accept your judgment and the quest will be completed.

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Quest Stages