The Children Fair

**Quest ID** | Zoraquest

*The Children Fair* reunites Zora with her sister, Joselyn, as she attempts to rescue her from a prison of her own making. Much like Zora’s life prior to being scarred, the quest borrows many elements from classic fairy tales, as the hero is pitted against an evil witch in hopes of rescuing a damsel in distress. However, just as her life never went according to script, Zora is not only forced to work with the witch, but take on the role of the hero herself. All this to save her sister from a fantasy world, one they always wanted but could never have.

**Finding Joselyn**

Once the player has had 1 quest or location based conversation with Zora, they will have effectively established a friendship that will enable the quest dialogue. The conversation can be accessed provided the player is outside of Riverwood, as later scenes imply the pair missed running into Joselyn by a few days.

At the Sleeping Giant Inn, Orgnar tells Zora that Joselyn left with two men, conceivably on the run from authorities. He hands her a bounty note that mentions the Jarl’s men are also looking for a witch. Zora asks the PC to take her to Falkreath, worried that her sister may have attempted to cross the border to Cyrodiil.

Notes:

– The first of Lathgwen‘s Journals makes mention of Joselyn trying to cross the border on her own. Originally, the idea was she made it across to Cyrodiil, but the story was rewritten to imply fierce storms pushed her back to Bloodlet Throne, where she escaped into the crystal.

**The Witch and The Horse Thief**

Upon visiting the Falkreath barracks, Zora and the player will meet Lyrik, the horse thief who helped Joselyn and an unnamed friend try to cross the border. Lyrik will insist she made it to Cyrodiil safely, but it’s clear this is not the case when he is interrupted by the witch Marigoth.

Marigoth tells Zora that members of her coven had been waiting for her on the other side of the Jerall Mountains, and had forced her back to Skyrim. Joselyn ended up taking refuge in a nearby fort, where vampires have taken up residence. Marigoth reveals that despite this, Joselyn is likely to be alive, escaping into a magical crystal which she stole from the old crone.

Notes:

– Idle commentary will take place between Zora and Marigoth when traveling from Falkreath to Bloodlet Throne, as well as inside the fort, with each conditioned by location.

**Inside the Crystal**

After fighting past the horde of vampires, the player finds the crystal in a small stand near the boss’ treasure chest. Marigoth proceeds to send the pair inside with a spell, indicating she herself has no idea what the pair will find inside.

Teleporting inside the crystal will bring the player to Zora’s Field, a lush area full of tundra cotton. A child version of Joselyn approaches her sister, telling her she built the paradise for the two of them. However, while Joselyn wishes to forget what happened, Zora has grown from the experience, and thus maintains her adult form.

Nevertheless, Zora is unsure whether what’s best for her is best for Joselyn. The player has the option of  convincing her to let her stay or urging her to take Joselyn home. If the player shows indifference, Zora will come to the conclusion that she must return to Riverwood with her sister.

Notes:

– The mesh/texture of the crystal is taken from a standard black soul gem.

– Zora’s Field is first mentioned in her original conversation back in Brittleshin Pass, and her need to plant it being the primary reason she is often captured.

– The size of Zora’s Field is constrained due to the nature of the boss fight and logistical limitations. If the resources were available, the field in Joselyn’s mind would stretch for thousands of miles.

– Adult Joselyn can be seen on the conjurer’s table even as child Joselyn is prancing about.

– The track that plays when arriving inside the crystal is “We Built this World” by Giramor.

**The Final Battle**

Angered that Zora would leave her, Joselyn channels her rage into a fire. The fire transforms into 15 flame atronachs, each one leveled with the player. This can make the fight easier or far more challenging than facing vanilla atronachs depending on the level of the PC. The player can also take advantage of Zora’s invulnerability to fire by playing defense.

Notes:

– Zora is invulnerable throughout the final battle, first and foremost to show her personal growth, but also to ease the player’s burden.

– Joselyn’s Firestorm spell resulted in many players being killed immediately. Versions after 2.38 will reduce the magnitude of Joselyn’s custom spell to almost zero.

– The track that plays during the final fight and in the aftermath is “Peril” by Arisen1.

– In version 2.43.3, the number of atronachs has been reduced to 8.

**Aftermath**

If Zora chooses to rescue Joselyn, then the rear portcullis will open once the atronachs are defeated. Zora will rush to her sister’s side and Joselyn will muster the strength to send the three back to Bloodlet Throne. Leaving Joselyn in the crystal will result in her child self returning to say goodbye.

If Joselyn is left inside the crystal, the player will have no choice but to kill Marigoth in order to protect her. Zora will give the player the signal they agreed upon at the cemetery, and killing the witch will effectively end the quest. However, if Joselyn is rescued, the player is presented with two options: honoring the deal with the witch or killing her.

Regardless of the outcome, Zora will thank the player for their help. A reward of 200 gold can be coaxed from Zora if the player chooses to ask for it.

– As Zora can be married prior to The Children Fair, marriage specific dialogue is available during this quest.

– If Marigoth is spared, she will travel to the ironically named Dead Crone Rock and sandbox near an enchanting table.

– Joselyn will sandbox in Riverwood and Anise’s Cabin, with a handful of single-line commentary but no conversation strings.

– Zora’s Cotton will have the same effects as tundra cotton, but will be recognized by Yushari as unique and enable a brief conversation.

Notes: Stages 7, 15, 27, 45, 50 55, and 90 are set during scenes or when entering a trigger at the appropriate stage.