A Loose Cannon

A Loose Cannon
Section	Istan Quests
Campaign	Nightfall (Elonian only)
Given by	Shaudok in Zehlon Reach (Istan)
Type	Secondary quest
Map(s)
(Click to enlarge)

Ignoring the warnings of his superior, help Shaudok 'convince' a local grain merchant to lower his prices.

Quest information

Requirements

• Elonian (Nightfall) character
• A Peaceful Solution not active or completed

Objectives

• Travel with Shaudok to the merchant's camp.
• Teach the merchant and his bodyguards the error of their ways.
• See Shaudok for your reward.

Reward

• 500 Experience
• 50 Gold

Walkthrough

After taking the quest from Kohanu you have to speak to Shaudok. He will now come along with you to wherever you are going. Upon arriving at the merchant Dashon a dialogue will take place after which you get attacked. The bodyguards Merkod and Nadara are both warriors. With a 4 man team (human or hero/henchman) they should be no problem to beat. You will not have to kill them only bring down their health to about 20% and then they will turn friendly. You can do that one at the time. A second dialogue will now take place and after that you can return to Kohanu for your reward.

NPCs

Foes

Humans

• 8 Merkod
• 7 Nadara
• 7 Dashon

Dialogue

Initial dialogue

When getting close to Kohanu and Shaudok:

Kohanu: "You're a loose cannon, Shaudok! I can't have you running around the island willy-nilly breaking kneecaps! It's just not respectable."

Shaudok: "I get results, Kohanu! It's not my fault that sometimes the only way to deal with a bad situation is to use a little force!"

Kohanu: "One more mistake and you're out, Shaudok. I'll have your spear and shield!"

Shaudok

"I don't care what Kohanu says. This island has problems that need to be solved, and if the Sunspears aren't going to do something, who will? There's this merchant named Dashon who is making a killing selling grain to underproducing farmers. See, there used to be a lot of merchants stockpiling grain. They'd sell it at an affordable rate during bad seasons and buy it back during good ones. Anyway, our friend Dashon put those folks out of business by practically giving away his grain. Now he's the only grain merchant in the area, and he can charge an arm and a leg! Some of the farmers can barely even afford to eat after they pay his prices. I say we go convince him to lower his demands . What do you say?"

 Accept: "That sounds terrible. Let's go teach him a lesson."

 Decline: "That's a little drastic for someone who's just being a good merchant, don't you think?"

 Ask: "Let's go pay Dashon a visit. Lead the way!"

Intermediate dialogue

Shaudok: "Alright, Dashon...enough is enough. Your price gouging ends now!"

Dashon: "You can't intimidate me! I'm a legitimate businessman charging honest prices. It's not my fault that the grain market is so inflated this season. It's not right that you'd take it out on me with violence. What kind of people are you?"

Shaudok: "There are people practically starving because they can't afford your prices. You'd make just as much profit selling more grain at less cost. All you're doing is starving people."

Dashon: "This is excessive use of force! Help! Help! I'm being oppressed! Merkod! Nadara! Help me!"

After defeating Merkod and Nadara:

Dashon: "All right, all right! You win. I'll make some price cuts. Thirty percent off!"

Shaudok: "Fifty. Or I'll..."

Dashon: "What?! That's outrage... All right, all right. Put your weapons away. Fifty percent it is."

Shaudok: "I'm glad we could come to an understanding, Dashon. Your bruises will heal in no time."

Reward dialogue

Shaudok

"Hey, wow! Nobody died! You did a good job there. A fine Sunspear, you are. Makes me happy to know I'm not the only one willing to do what needs to be done. The farmers around here should be able to get the grain they need… at least until Dashon raises his prices again."

Notes

• Mutually exclusive with A Peaceful Solution.

Anomaly.Shaudok is shown holding a sword and shield rather than the spear Kohanu refers to.

Anomaly.The pre-quest offer dialogue will always get initiated for non-Nightfall characters despite the fact that non-Nightfall characters will not be offered this quest.

Trivia

• Dashon's line "Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!" is a reference to Monty Python and the Holy Grail.