Oblivion Mod:Stirk/The Abandoned Miner

Recover the bones of a dead miner so his soul may rest in peace. Quest Giver: Drunk Tom Albin in Stirk Location(s): Stirk Reward: Zeek's Amulet, Zeek's Lament and Zeek's Hope ID: Tr07q002

Zeek's ribcage rests among debris from the cave-in

Quick Walkthrough

1. Overhear a rumor that Winston, a miner, is depressed.
2. Talk to Winston about his problems, and agree to help.
3. Find the scattered remains of Zeek and give them to Father Ambrogio.
4. Return to Winston to let tell him what happened.
5. Return to Zeek for a reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

The Depressed Miner

Shortly after arriving on Stirk, you will hear a rumor that Winston, one of the miners working in the Polle Gold Mine, is feeling depressed. When asked about why, he will explain that he is suffering from guilt at what happened to one of his colleagues, an Argonian named Zeek.

A month ago, the miners were trying to get through a natural cave wall in the mine and finding it hard going. The miners decided that the 'Lizard' should do the work, but shortly afterwards there was a cave-in that buried him. Winston admits that although he and Zeek weren't friends, the Argonian trusted him and listened to him. He feels Zeek should have a proper burial but lacks the courage to find out what happened. Instead, he asks for your help.

It's All Mine

After accepting his offer, Winston hands over a key to the abandoned section of the mine and tells you that he thinks Zeek was in the right-hand passage. This turns out to be true.

Zeek is now a ghost, unable to rest because his remains have been scattered by rats that infest the lower mine. He tells you that there are just four pieces of his body left and that they must all be recovered and taken to Father Ambrogio for burial.

The Bones

Zeek's ribcage can be found nearby, on top of the rubble that killed him, but the other three pieces are trickier to find.

• His femur can be found in a ruined crate in the northernmost part of the eastern section of the mine.
• His pelvis is also in the eastern section, and lies on some straw in the southeastern corner.
• Lastly, his humerus is close to the pelvis, also on some straw in an alcove about as far south as you can go.

Zeek will be much happier when you return, and will ask you to take his remains to Father Ambrogio straight away.

Ashes to Ashes

The good Father will take Zeek's bones from you and promise that he will give him a good burial. Three days later, Zeek is buried. Father Ambrogio will tell you "I've buried that poor miner that you brought me. Such a terrible fate. May Arkay keep him now. You missed his burial, no one came. I guess the miners couldn't make it. You should pay your respects. The graveyard's on the hill north of the lighthouse."

One person who would like to hear the good news is Winston. He will thank you for your help and again express regret that he has nothing to offer you.

Requiescat in Pace

The other person who needs to know is Zeek himself. He can still be found in the mine, pacing restlessly. He too will thank you for your efforts, but will also give you his amulet, which although lethal to wear (it possesses a constant 5-point Fire Damage enchantment), adds a Frost Shield ability called Zeek's Hope, and a new spell called Zeek's Lament that does Burden, Frost Damage and Silence on touch.

Notes

• Do not start this quest if you want to take Therander Polle's path through the main Stirk quests.
• Father Ambrogio's dialogue about Zeek's burial can only be accessed by waiting three days and not talking to Winston before talking to the Father.

Bugs

• Several lines of dialogue and a quest update refer to a tombstone for Zeek being created in the island's graveyard. There is even scripting to set up the three day wait and a script for the tombstone, but no such stone is ever created. This seems to be caused by two minor scripting errors. In Tr07q002ZeekScript, an "==" operator is missing from the line Getstage Tr07q002 30, which prevents Zeek from being disabled. In Tr07q002s, a space is missing from the code that would set stage 35 of this quest, so the gravestone is never activated.

Journal Entries

The Abandoned Miner (Tr07q002)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
5		I've heard a rumor that Winston, a Miner at the Polle Gold Mine on Stirk, has been feeling depressed recently.
10		Winston told me that he had convinced a fellow miner named Zeek into doing some hard labor for the rest of the miners. However, when the cave wall collapsed, they left the shaft and never went back for him. He's curious as to what happened to him. It may be worth it to investigate.
15		I have agreed to investigate the collapsed section of the mine, and try to figure out what happened to Zeek. I should look in the right side of the mine first, because that is where Winston thinks Zeek was.
20		When I went into the collapsed section of the mine, Zeek's spirit appeared. He spoke to me, and asked that I find his scattered remains, and take them to Father Ambrogio so that he could get a proper burial.
21		When I went into the collapsed section of the mine, Zeek's spirit appeared. He was pleased to see that I had gathered up his remains, and asked that I take them to Father Ambrogio.
22		I have found all of Zeek's remains. I should return to him now.
25		Zeek was pleased to see that I had gathered up his bones, and asked that I take them to Father Ambrogio.
30		Father Ambrogio thanked me for bringing him Zeek's remains. He said that he would bury them in the cemetery. Winston would probably like to hear of this.
35
40	Finishes quest	Winston thanked me for recovering Zeek's bones, though he didn't have anything to offer me for my work.
100	Finishes quest	I visited Zeek's grave, and he appeared to me and thanked me for my troubles. He also gave me an amulet that had always been dear to him.

Notes

• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in random order.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• It is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage Tr07q002 stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages. See SetStage for more information.