Tribunal:Muckraking Journalist

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1 Quick Walkthrough
2 Detailed Walkthrough
3 Quest Stages

Learn the identity of the anonymous writer of The Common Tongue.^edit

Quest Giver: Tienius Delitian at the Royal Palace
Location(s): Royal Palace, Godsreach, Great Bazaar
Prerequisite Quest: Evidence of Conspiracy
Next Quest: Queen Barenziah
Reward: King's Oath sword and 3000 gold or 5000 gold
ID: TR09_Journalist (also: TR09_Gee-Pop, TR09_Granny, TR09_Varis)
Difficulty: Low

The latest news, hot off the presses

[edit] Quick Walkthrough

Speak with Tienius Delitian in the Royal Palace Throne Room and agree to help him find the anonymous writer of The Common Tongue.
Speak with people to be directed to a bookshop or pawnshop.
Talk with Ten-Tongues Weerhat in the Great Bazaar Pawnshop to learn of Trels Varis in the Craftsmans Hall of Godsreach (high disposition needed).
Find the locked door in the Craftsmen's Hall, which leads to a secret area with Trels Varis.
Convince Trels to stop printing the Common Tongue.
Return to Tienius.

[edit] Detailed Walkthrough

[edit] Tienius Delitian

Speak again with Tienius Delitian in the Throne Room and agree to help him stop the anonymous writer of The Common Tongue. Tienius doesn't particularly care how you stop this author, which is a not so subtle hint that he would prefer you to kill whoever is involved.

[edit] Rumors

Speak to most anyone about the anonymous writings and, if their disposition is high enough, they'll tell you to speak with someone involved in writing (like a bookstore) or possible a pawnshop. Head on over to the Great Bazaar, which conveniently has both such stores. Talk to Sanaso Sarothran in the bookshop to find out she will merely offer the same advice and has nothing new. Next check out Ten-Tongues Weerhat in the pawnshop across the way. With enough persuasion, he'll tell you that Trels Varis is the author and that he first heard about him in the Craftsmen's Hall in Godsreach, which is where you should head next.

[edit] Craftsmen's Hall

Speak to people in the Craftsmen's Hall in Godsreach about the anonymous writer, Trels Varis, and you'll hit a dead wall. Don't believe them for a second though, as they are far too adamant about things to be above suspicion. Investigate the area and find a locked door (70) named "Keep Out!" on the bottom level, which leads to a secret office. Confront Trels inside and ask him to stop printing the lies about King Helseth. You have several options to try and make him stop:

Bribe him: Give him 3,000 gold. Tienius will cover your expenses and give you the King's Oath sword. (Note: if you try to do this and you don't have 3,000 gold, he will attack you, and you'll be forced to kill him, forfeiting the reward of the sword.)
Blackmail him: If you've met his parents, Granny Varis and Gee-Pop Varis, the caretaker and gardener at the Mournhold Temple, you can threaten to kill them, and he will agree to stop. Tienius will reward your efforts with 5,000 gold and King's Oath.
Flaunt your Reputation: If your Reputation is over 40, you can get him to let you go, by promising to keep his secret. You will not get the sword this way, but you will still receive the 5,000 gold reward.
Entertain him: Tell him you seek the Eye of Argonia. He'll appreciate the originality, and let you go. This will get you the same reward as flaunting.
Give an Honest Lie: Tell him you were just coming to rob the place. He won't approve, but at least he'll let you go. This also gives the same reward as the previous two.
Kill him: Tell him anything else, and he and his henchmen will attack you. Once they're dead, you can again receive the same 5,000 gold reward, but no sword.

[edit] Return to Tienius

Return to Tienius who seems to know exactly what happened somehow. If you donated the 3,000 gold to the Orphan's Fund you'll get it back in addition to King's Oath. It is an excellent blade, though a bit heavy. If you did kill the journalist, you'll get 5,000 gold, but not King's Oath. Tienius tells you to speak with Queen Barenziah for a last official matter.

[edit] Quest Stages

These Codes can be used along with the Journal Console Command and Quest ID given above the chart(s) to update the quest to a certain point.

TR09_Journalist
Index	Journal Entry
1	Tienius Delitian has asked me to find the anonymous writer of 'The Common Tongue' and persuade him to stop printing such lies about King Helseth. Delitian thinks I may have better luck if I approach less-reputable citizens -- persons who place profit above honor. Apparently Delitian doesn't care HOW I take care of it, as long as it is taken care of in private. When I'm sure this anonymous writer will never print lies about King Helseth again, I'm to report back to Delitian.
10	Someone suggested, if I am looking for an anonymous writer, that I should talk to someone who deals in writing -- books and scrolls, for example. Perhaps a person with a shady reputation -- like a pawnbroker.
20	'Ten-Tongues' Weerhat says the guy who writes 'The Common Tongue' is named Trels Varis. He says he does not know Trels Varis personally, but he says the first place he heard about Trels Varis was in the Craftsmen's Hall.
30	I'm told there's no one named Trels Varis in the Craftsmen's Hall. But the way it's being said, I am almost certain that Trels Varis is here somewhere, but that no one is going to admit it.
40	I found Trels Varis. But now he is going to kill me to preserve the secret of his hidden office.
50	I found Trels Varis. He wishes to keep his hidden office a secret, and threatened to kill me, but instead he decided to let me go. Since the location of his office is no longer a secret, he plans to relocate immediately. He warned me not to touch anything or interfere with him or his colleagues, or he will kill me.
60	Trels Varis gave me his word that he would not discuss King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'. In return, I gave him 3000 gold to contribute to the Widows and Orphans Fund. Now that the secret of the hidden office is spoiled, Trels Varis plans to relocate immediately. I should report to Tienius Delitian.
70	After I threatened his aged parents, Trels Varis gave me his word that he would not discuss King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'. Now that the secret of the hidden office is spoiled, Trels Varis plans to relocate immediately. I should report to Tienius Delitian.
80	I have killed Trels Varis. That will certainly stop him from printing lies about King Helseth. I should report to Tienius Delitian.
90	I have killed Trels Varis.
95	'Ten-Tongues' Weerhat says the guy who writes 'The Common Tongue' is named Trels Varis. And I have killed Trels Varis. That should certainly stop him from printing lies about King Helseth. I should report to Tienius Delitian.
100	I reported to Tienius Delitian that Trels Varis had given me his word that he would not discuss King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'. He gave me 3000 gold to cover my expenses, and an additional 5000 gold as a reward.
110	I reported to Tienius Delitian that Trels Varis had given me his word that he would not discuss King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'. Tienius Delitian was very pleased with my service. He gave me 3000 gold to cover my expenses and a 'King's Oath' blade -- exactly like those used by the Royal Guard. Only those sworn to the king's service and tested by great trials may use them. They bear deadly curses that kill thieves and traitors.
120	I reported to Tienius Delitian that Trels Varis had given me his word that he would not discuss King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'. Tienius Delitian was very pleased with my service. He gave me 5000 gold and a 'King's Oath' blade -- exactly like those used by the Royal Guard. Only those sworn to the king's service and tested by great trials may use them. They bear deadly curses that kill thieves and traitors.
130	I reported to Tienius Delitian that Trels Varis was dead, and that he could no longer print lies about King Helseth. Tienius Delitian was pleased with my service, and gave me 5000 gold as a reward.

*other*
Quest ID	Index	Journal Entry
TR09_Gee-Pop	10	Gee-Pop Varis says his son, Trels Varis, is a scholar in a private Temple school in Kragenmoor, out west near Cyrodiil.
TR09_Gee-Pop	20	Granny Varis says she has no idea where Trels Varis is right now, but Gee-Pop Varis says his son, Trels Varis, is a scholar in a private Temple school in Kragenmoor. It doesn't make sense that the father knows but the mother doesn't. I mentioned this peculiarity to Gee-Pop Varis, and he said Granny is getting old and forgetful. But I suspect they are not telling me the truth.
TR09_Granny	10	Granny Varis says she has a son named Trels Varis, but she hasn't seen him recently and has no idea where he is right now.
TR09_Granny	20	Gee-Pop Varis says his son, Trels Varis, is a scholar in a private Temple school in Kragenmoor, but Granny Varis says she has no idea where Trels Varis is right now. It doesn't make sense that the father knows but the mother doesn't. I mentioned this peculiarity to Granny Varis, and she said Gee-Pop would forget his head if it weren't jammed tight on his neck. But I suspect they are not telling me the truth.
TR09_Varis	30	I suspect Granny and Gee-Pop Varis are not telling me the truth about their son, Trels Varis. But it gives me an idea. If I threaten to hurt Granny and Gee-Pop, it may persuade Trels Varis to stop printing lies about King Helseth in 'The Common Tongue'.