The Taste of Death

Background
Rumors in Markarth say that the Hall of the Dead has been closed, preventing the people from visiting their dead. Brother Verulus, a Priest of Arkay, closed the hall because some of the bodies were defiled.

Hearing rumors
Rumors about the hall closing can be heard from Kleppr at the Silver-Blood Inn. He will say that after closing the hall, Verulus has become rather unpopular around town, mostly with the Nord citizens who fear they are being purposely kept from their honored dead.

Hall of the Dead
On the way to the hall, an argument between Thongvor Silver-Blood and Brother Verulus can be heard about the hall being closed. After the argument, both men will return to their normal routines and Verulus can be confronted. Verulus will deny entrance to the Hall of the Dead but can be bribed, persuaded or intimidated to explain the situation. He will explain that dead bodies in the hall have been found partially eaten, and will permit the Dragonborn to enter and investigate.

Inside, an unknown woman's voice will be heard talking to the Dragonborn, believing they have eaten flesh. Soon after, Eola will reveal herself. She reveals that she worships Namira, Lady of Decay, and is the one who has been eating the dead.

The Dragonborn can listen to what she has to say or confront and kill her. Listening to her and allowing her to leave will start the quest. Eola will become invisible, leave the Hall of the Dead and go to Reachcliff Cave, where she will wait for the Dragonborn. Alternatively, killing her will fail the quest immediately.

Either way, the Dragonborn can report back to Brother Verulus and tell him that the Hall of the Dead is safe; Verulus will give the Dragonborn an Amulet of Arkay as a reward.

Reachcliff Cave
If allowed to live, Eola will be waiting for the Dragonborn outside Reachcliff Cave, where she asks the Dragonborn to defeat the Draugr inside. She will follow the Dragonborn in combat if asked.

After the cave is cleared, Eola will thank the Dragonborn and propose a feast to celebrate the victory. She will ask the Dragonborn to lure Verulus into Reachcliff Cave to be eaten, as part of an initiation ritual. She will give 100 to cover expenses.

Once back in the Hall of the Dead, Verulus must be convinced to follow the Dragonborn to the cave through dialogue. Note that he cannot be asked to follow the Dragonborn if they already have a follower.

The Feast
When the Dragonborn returns with Verulus, there will be a feast laid out in the final chamber, with other cannibals - Sanyon, Lisbet, Banning and Hogni Red-Arm - seated around the large table. Eola talks to Verulus and convinces him to lay on the altar "to rest" before dinner starts.

Eola asks the Dragonborn to kill Verulus and feast on his flesh. After killing him and eating, the voice of Namira will sound, telling the Dragonborn she's pleased with them. She will grant them the Ring of Namira, which allows them to feed on dead human bodies, conferring +50 stamina and +50 health, and health regeneration that lasts for 5 minutes.

At any time before eating Verulus, it's possible to betray the members of The Coven of Namira during the feast. This will cause the quest to fail; however, if Verulus survives, he will give the Dragonborn a leveled amount of gold and head back to Markarth. The dead coven members can also be looted for gold, keys, and other items.

Alternate walkthrough: kill Eola
Instead of siding with Eola, the Dragonborn can simply kill her after speaking to her in the Hall of the Dead. A unique dialogue option will then appear with Verulus: instead of saying "The Hall of the Dead is safe", the Dragonborn will be able to say "The cannibal has been dealt with". Verulus will thank the Dragonborn, but request they spare him the grisly details. This is also the only way to betray Namira's Coven without them becoming hostile, though obviously the Ring of Namira cannot be obtained this way.

Trivia

 * Betraying the Cannibals will cause several important characters, including shopkeepers, to turn hostile. The reward given may not be worth the lost ring and merchants.
 * An alternative is to wipe out the coven after gaining the ring, allowing the player to keep it.
 * Killing Eola upon entering the cave the first time (to clear it) will not turn the shopkeepers hostile.
 * Killing Lisbet will result in Imedhnain taking over her shop, however Banning and Hogni will not have replacements. As Hogni is only a butcher, it's not a big loss, but Banning sells the war dog Vigilance. It's recommended to buy Vigilance before killing Banning.
 * After completing this quest by feeding on Verulus, Sigar may be encountered in the wilderness. He will greet the Dragonborn and ask them to feed on the corpse of an Altmer lying next to him.
 * This may also happen if Eola is killed instead of Verulus.
 * Feasting on Verulus in werewolf form will not update the quest.
 * Brother Verulus is a useful second follower, as he is a competent mage. Therefore, it may be beneficial to delay completing the quest.
 * Killing Verulus will count as a charge towards the Ebony Blade, as he is considered a follower.
 * Killing Brother Verulus whilst he rests for the feast is not counted as a murder.
 * The placeholder for Namira's voice is a Bosmer female called Voice of Namira, placed behind the wall. She can be found with the Alteration spell Detect Life or Console Commands.
 * Voice of Namira character model is also identical to the Dealer of Redwater Den, the later reused this exact character model.
 * Even if the player character is a beastfolk or mer, Eola will state that they're a cannibal for eating human flesh.

Bugs
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