- Not to be confused with The Father's Promise.
A Father's Promise is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Background[]
"Drublog Orcs attacked the village of Tanglehaven. Treethane Dailithil said the survivors barely managed to fend them off. After the massacre, the surviving Tanglehaven militia chased the Drublog into the forest—including Firwin, Treethane Dailithil's daughter."
Quick walkthrough[]
- Help the people of Tanglehaven
- Search for Tanglehaven militia
- Find the survivor
- Talk to Firwin
- Examine the spring
- Talk to Firwin
- Talk to Treethan Dailithil
- Talk to Firwin
- Kill Thulendor
- Talk to Firwin
- Complete the quest
Walkthrough[]
Upon speaking to Treethan Dailithil, she will appear distressed, informing the Vestige of the current unfortunate events within the community:
We've seen more than our fair share of sorrow. It's my job to comfort everyone who lost sons and daughters to this madness, even when my own daughter is gone as well. I trust you're not here to add to our troubles?
- What happened here? The Drublog have been raiding villages all over. We survived, but just barely. All I can offer my people is a place to mourn. But their children's bodies are still out there, being scavenged by Drublog...and worse.
- Is your village defenseless? Some of our militia was out training when the attack came. When they returned...I tried to stop them, but they left for the Drublog camp. For vengeance! But they've been gone too long, and my daughter Firwin left with them. I can't lose her, too.
- Stay here. I'll bring them back. My daughter doesn't deserve this fate!
- Have the Drublog attacked your village before? Not in recent memory. Tanglehaven's not a large village by any reckoning, and the Drublog know we've very little worth taking. They attacked without warning, and left as quickly as they came.
- Is your village defenseless? Some of our militia was out training when the attack came. When they returned...I tried to stop them, but they left for the Drublog camp. For vengeance! But they've been gone too long, and my daughter Firwin left with them. I can't lose her, too.
- What did they take? They burnt the village, but did they actually take anything? Just lives. Nothing but lives.
Afterwords, the Vestige will need to locate the militia, which can be found a short distance west of Tanglehaven. However, all that will remain of the militia will be a pile of charred bodies. Examining the bodies will reveal that there is a melted amulet within the pile. The Vestige will need to take this amulet as proof back to Treethan Dailithil. Once the amulet is taken, a voice will arise in the distance; it is Firwin, who can be found to the far left of the charred bodies beside a rockface. Upon being spoken to, she will respond with:
Stay back...I've been bitten. I won't have another fall for my mistakes.
- Bitten by what? I...can't say. I won't! Everything's gone wrong, but we did it to save Tanglehaven. That's all that mattered.
- Treethane Dailithil was very worried about you. If she knew what happened, she wouldn't call me her daughter anymore. We've...I've made a terrible mistake. The spring. It's all from there. I must get to it, but I'm afraid of what might happen if I get scared again...
- If you're injured, I can come with you. Injured? I should be so lucky. I don't know if I can face the consequences on my own. The village. My mother! If you would come with me, I'd be grateful.
Firwin will then lead the Vestige to the spring, which contains the Aspect of Hircine. Activating it will allow the Vestige to speak to the aspect:
Another comes for my blessing? Drink deep, and let the beast behind your eyes take hold. Ah, but is that fear I smell? The young Bosmer fears what the future holds. Her flesh is weak, but not for long.
- What have you done to Firwin? How ungrateful the little Elf is! She took the gift willingly, and now she wishes to turn away. Her flesh and blood are mine, but I am not without mercy. Perhaps she can save someone...her mother...from the same fate.
- What fate? What do you mean? The Elf child must take the heartblood from her sire. If her mother drinks of it, she may yet be saved. But there is no redemption for the child. She is mine.
The Vestige can then speak with Firwin, who appears to be fully disheartened:
So...it is the end. There's no saving myself after all. My mother will never forgive me, but I don't regret saving our village. Perhaps I can save her as well.
- What did the voice mean by "heartblood?" Blood from a heart. His heart. My sire. My father, the one who gave me this...gift. It's his heartblood I need. But my mother's in the village, safe. How could she be in danger?
- We should go find her. No! Please tell my mother I died. I don't want her to see the monster I've become. Maybe I can stop my father. Maybe...no, not again!
Immediately after speaking to her, she will transform into a Werewolf and run away. The Vestige will need to speak to Dialithil, who can be found along the bank of the river located a short distance south of the spring. She will appear to be holding her arm as though injured, and will say:
I shouldn't have left the village, but I had to know if my daughter's alive. Now I don't know if I'll live long enough to see her again.
- What happened? Are you injured? Firwin's father Thulendor came back, after all this time. But he wasn't the same. Something...changed him. He attacked me! I asked him where he'd taken Firwin, and he bit me.
- Will the bite change you? Yes, and I suppose that's answer enough. I wish I could pretend I don't know what'll happen, but it's obvious, isn't it? I'll change. Eventually become a minion to Hircine's will. My poor, poor Firwin!
- Firwin is alive, but there's something you should know.
- Will the bite change you? Yes, and I suppose that's answer enough. I wish I could pretend I don't know what'll happen, but it's obvious, isn't it? I'll change. Eventually become a minion to Hircine's will. My poor, poor Firwin!
Immediately after this, Dialithil will kneel down, and Firwin will appear, asking what has been done to her.
It's all gone so horribly wrong. I only wanted to protect the village! But now...Mother, I can help you. Please, hold on!
- Your father caused this? Yes. As the Drublog gathered their forces, he promised me a way to defend the village. When the fighting started outside Tanglehaven, I couldn't control myself. Hot blood covered everything. I tore into friend and foe alike. I couldn't stop!
- But the village itself was saved. It's why I couldn't go back. What if I'd lost control inside the village? All of this would mean nothing if I killed everyone. But I won't let my mother pay for my weakness. The heartblood must come from my father. Please, help me stop this.
- What do you need to do? I know where to find my father. He'll be waiting near the village. But if I fight him, I may well lose control again. I can't do this without help, and my mother's in no shape to face him. You're the only one I can trust right now. Will you help?
- Lead the way.
- But the village itself was saved. It's why I couldn't go back. What if I'd lost control inside the village? All of this would mean nothing if I killed everyone. But I won't let my mother pay for my weakness. The heartblood must come from my father. Please, help me stop this.
Firwin will then run across the river, with her mother trailing behind in an attempt to convince her to stop. She will then double over in exhaustion after a few seconds of chase. The Vestige must continue to follow Firwin to the spring, who will be faced with Thulendor in his beast form. She will then transform into a werewolf once again, thus beginning the battle. However, she will become human again within a few seconds during battle, kneeling down. Once Thulendor is defeated, Firwin will regain her strength and run towards the spring containing Hircine's Aspect, declaring that the blood gift has been paid back, and demanding Hircine to leave them. She will then run back to find her mother, only to realize that she has disappeared. Panicking, she calls out for her, but to no avail. Then, she will find her mother beside a boulder, unconscious and lying down. The Vestige will need to speak with her again, to which she will respond with:
Thank the moons, we're not too late. I hope she still has enough strength to drink.
- Are you sure this will work? No. The voice, it could have lied about everything. But if I don't try, we'll both be cursed. I guess it's a blessing my mother's in such a daze. I'd hate for her to know what was really happening right now.
- What will you do now? I...I don't know for sure. I'm not sure which would cause my mother less pain. I'll stay until she gets better. And...the others deserve to know what I've done. I won't run like a coward. I won't be like my father.
She will then reward the Vestige with the Greaves of the Wolf-Father and 298 , completing the quest.