Sickness in the Arboretum

Quick Walkthrough
# Get the quest from Lihandril Farfields.
# Travel to the Imperial City Arboretum and talk to Vienele.
# Talk to the guards in the Arboretum to get more information.
# Report back to Vienele.
# Enlist Alfhed's help plugging up the hole.
# Collect your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough
Report to Lihandril
After joining the Rangers Guild, you'll be told to report to Lihandril. She will inform you that there's a plague infecting the Imperial City Arboretum; you are to go there and help Vienele, a guildmate, find the source and stop it. Vienele lives in the Arboretum Hotel, which is in the north-west corner of the district. Her room is upstairs beyond the bar - the first door on the right.

Speaking with Vienele
It seems like this is serious - people are getting sick, though no one's died yet. Once you talk to Vienele, however, you find out it's not very serious at all - the only things getting sick are rabbits. The Emperor tasked the guild with taking care of his rabbits, however, and Vienele is determined to carry on despite his death. She tells you to ask the local guards and see if anyone knows anything.

Speaking with the Guards
As it turns out, one of the guards does know something. He doesn't much care about bunnies, but he suggests talking to the night watch. You'll have to wait until 11pm for the night shift to come on duty, but you're in luck - the first guard on the night shift knows something. He'll tell you that he recently received a report of a black rat prowling around, but he thought it was simply a cat. He adds that if there are rats, they'd be coming from some caves below the sewers, and that if you're looking to make some money, Seijfrid Quillus is offering a bounty for rats (see the Rat-Catcher quest). At this point, you should report back to Vienele.

She determines that the rats are likely infecting the rabbits - if you find the hole they're using to enter the Arboretum and plug it up, it will prevent them from coming out of the caves, and then she can cure the rabbits once and for all. She tells you that there is a damaged obelisk nearby which could plug the hole. If you haven't already searched for the hole by this point, you should do so. It's right beside the waterfall, on the south side of the pond. Go find the obelisk, which is just north of the east gate, and try to pick it up. Unless your Strength is 65 or better, you won't be able to lift it. Go back to Vienele and see what she recommends. (Note: If you are strong enough, you can skip the next stage and take the obelisk over to the hole yourself)

She happens to know of a big, strapping Nord named Alfhed who lives in the hotel; he was recently hit in the head during a bar brawl and is a little dim, but quite willing to help. Bring him along to the obelisk, then have him pick it up and follow you to the hole. Activate the hole, and he'll drop the obelisk in front of it, sealing it.
Once you've done that, report back to Vienele for a final time. She'll thank you and give you 100 gold as a reward.

Notes
This may be the first or second quest for the Rangers Guild. If you speak with Lihandril first after joining the Rangers Guild, then you will receive Sickness in the Arboretum as your first task, but if you speak with Moorswind first then you will receive Wood on the Waves as your first task. Whichever task you complete first will result in rank advancement in the guild, while the second task will not.

Journal Entries