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Prerequisite Quest:	Low Morale
Next Quest:	Ritual of the Gifts
Locations:	Fort Frostmoth, Gandrung Caverns
Minimum Level:	None
Recommended Level:	30
Required Items:
Suggested Items:	Cure Paralysis, Lock Pick/Spell (90), Resist Paralysis, Healing Potions, Heal Companion
Difficulty:	Medium

Quick Walkthrough

1. Speak to the Captain who will tell you to find out about weapon smuggling from the fort.
2. Speak to Saenus Lusius or Gaea Artoria and arrange to travel with one of them.
3. Find the Gandrung Caverns just NorthEast of the Fort along the Sea.
4. Kill all 5 NPCs in the Caverns (possibly tough fights).
5. Return to the Fort to find it attacked.
6. Find and speak to Saenus or Gaea (the soldier you didn't travel with) to learn that the Captain is missing.

Detailed Walkthrough

Captain Falx Carius

Speak to the Captain about Fort Business after exposing the priest Nuncius relating to the missing shipments of alcohol. The Captain says that he fears that weapons are being smuggled out of the Fort and being shipped and sold in Vvardenfell. With a low supply of weapons, the Fort's defense is lacking and morale is dropping further. The Captain asks that you cooperate with two of his soldiers on the matter, Saenus Lusius (in the General Quarters) and Gaea Artoria (in the General Quarters, Upper Level). Speak to them and choose one of them as your companion to investigate the matter.

The Investigation

Select one of the soldiers to be your companion (it shouldn't matter which one). Unfortunately, Gaea doesn't seem to know really anything relevant about the smuggling and merely suggests that someone should know something. Speaking to any guard you'll quickly be directed to Zeno Faustus in the Armory. Zeno will mention that he overheard two soldiers talking about the Gandrung Caverns and a weapon stash there.

Gandrung Caverns

Zeno tells you that the Caverns are a bit NorthEast of the Fort so head out that way. The cavern entrance can be difficult to spot as it is in some rocks at the North end of a harbour just to the NorthEast of the Fort (check your local map if you cannot seem to find it).

Once inside you'll encounter no immediate resistance (other than a few rats) but you'll soon find one Mus Roscius who will attack you on sight (be wary as he is tough even for high levels, at least on the highest difficulty level). Most opponents in the cave have a paralysis weapon so ranged attacks or lots of Cure Paralysis potions are a must. Also, use your companion to your advantage. It is best to try and surround each opponent so both of you can attack at the same time. With this strategy you can hit your enemies so often that they rarely get a chance to swing at you.

Note that you don't have to kill everyone if you take Saenus Lusius, you get the option to talk to the leader and work out an agreement for the smugglers to leave. Also, it is very important to get the companian back alive or the one you didn't take with you will attack you on sight.

Exploring the Cave

Continue to explore the entire cave, killing anyone that you encounter. Once you kill them all (5 total) you will receive a journal entry to return and speak to the Captain. You can also make a deal to let the leader of the smugglers go if you wish (he gives you a Nordic Axe of Paralysis). In the end it doesn't matter which method you choose. Don't forget to take all the loot lying around (nothing very exciting however). Also note the strange corpse at he North end of the cave by the name of Stalhrim. Attempting to activate it will result in a message about you not having the correct tools, so assumably this is tied into another quest.

Return to Captain Carius

As you return to Fort Frostmoth you unexpectanly find that the Fort has been attacked while you were gone! The gates are destroyed and much of the interior is ruined as well. Your companion should tell you to visit the Captain right away. You return to his chambers, however, to find them empty, and a quick search of the rest of the Fort fails to reveal any sign of the Captain. Instead, speak with Saenus Lusius (or Gaea Artoria if you choose Saenus) in the bottom of the General Quarters who will tell you that the Captain has gone missing! The attack was from a number of wolf creatures. Saenus/Gaea mentions that the Nord Village to the far North on Solstheim might have some information.

Bug: Both Lusius and Artoria are Dead

There is a possible bug in this quest where if the NPC you take into the caves with you dies ('accidently' of course) when you return to the other NPC they'll attack you. If both NPCs are dead, this way or any other way ('accidently' of course) then you cannot progress further in the quest as you need one of them to tell you to go to the Skaal Village to investigate the Captain's disappearance. In this case you can use the console command:

		Journal, BM_CariusGone, 10

which will allow to you begin to speak to the Skaal.

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