Bloodmoon:The Mead Hall Massacre

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Visit this mead hall and find out what happened to its patrons. Quest Giver: Svenja Snow-Song in Thirsk Location(s): Thirsk, Lair of the Udyrfrykte, Hrothmund's Barrow Prerequisite Quest: The Skaal Test of Strength Next Quest: Mead Hall Business Reward: Clanbringer, Mead Hall Business Disposition: +50 (Svenja Snow-Song) ID: BM_MeadHall, BM_Meadhall_a Difficulty: Medium

The Mead Hall of Thirsk

Quick Walkthrough

1. During or after the Skaal test of Strength, enter the mead hall of Thirsk, which should be destroyed.
2. Talk to a survivor, Svenja Snow-Song, in Thirsk.
3. (Optional) Loot anything you might want from the bodies, including the unique Paws of the Wolf-Runner.
4. Find the beast's lair at the southeast corner of the Lake Fjalding.
5. Slay Udyrfrykte and take the heart as proof.
6. Give the heart to Svenja and hear about Hrothmund the Red, first chieftain of Thirsk.
7. Travel to Hrothmund's Barrow and enter using the code word Ondjage.
8. Activate the axe of Hrothmund in the barrow to receive his blessing.
9. Return to Svenja for the sword Clanbringer, and to be hailed as the new chief of Thirsk mead hall.
10. Bask in your glory, as described by Bereditte Jastal in Thirsk, a History.

Detailed Walkthrough

The Mead Hall is under Attack

During your travels, you may have heard of, or passed by the mead hall of Thirsk, just east of Lake Fjalding. During the Skaal test of Strength, if you enter for a quick drink, you'll find most of its patrons are dead. Speak with one survivor, Svenja Snow-Song, to find out that they were attacked by a terrible monster called Udyrfrykte, taking with it a severed leg of a patron. This mythical beast of some sort is rumored to make its home near Lake Fjalding.

Svenja pleads with you to take up the task of tracking and killing the monster. Be sure to loot anything you want (including the unique Paws of the Wolf-Runner, a rarely-obtainable Wolf Armor left pauldron from Skjoldr Wolf-Runner, and a rarely-obtainable Bear left gauntlet from Ulfrun), as the corpses permanently disappear once the hall is repaired.

The Udyrfrykte

The Lair of the Monster

The beast's lair is nearby, west of Thirsk, at the southeast corner of the frozen lake. The lair is small and you'll find the creature at the end of it. The Udyrfrykte looks strange and rather frightening, almost like a big gorilla in a mask... ...almost. Its weapon is a Severed Nord Leg. It isn't as tough as some creatures you find during the main quest, but still more powerful that anything you'll find in the wilderness, so use caution as necessary. Be sure to loot the creature's heart as proof that you killed it (you can leave the severed Nord leg behind, unless you really want it). Be sure to check around the cave for a few trinkets, nothing special.

Return as the Hero of Thirsk

Return with the Heart of the Udyrfrykte to Svenja in Thirsk. You'll now find her outside the boarded up mead hall, closed since the Udyrfrykte killed nearly everyone. When you talk to her she'll take the heart automatically but there's one more task she wants you to perform. She asks you to find the barrow of Hrothmund the Red, first chieftain of Thirsk, and lay your hands upon his axe which lies therein. She mentions that while you're away she will start repairs on the hall. If you ask her for a little secret at this point, she will tell you that the name of the wolf that killed Hrothmund is "Ondjage". This is the password you will need to enter the barrow.

But wait, there is more

Hrothmund's Axe

Hrothmund's Barrow can be difficult to find if you don't 'get' the clue about it being in the eye of the wolf. You're looking for a group of large rocks that are shaped like a wolf, with the entrance in its eye. A complete description is given in The Patchwork Airship quest as the Barrow is involved there as well; you may also have acquired the barrow's password during that quest. Activate the axe in the barrow to receive a journal entry and a blessing.

Mead Hall Chief

When you return to Thirsk, the mead hall has been repaired and you are welcomed as the new chieftain. You can relax in your new quarters upstairs which includes a gift from Svenja, the magical Nordic long blade Clanbringer.

This is not the end of your business at Thirsk, one final glory remains. Speak to Bereditte Jastal upstairs to receive a new copy of Thirsk, a History, which now includes your exploits in becoming chieftain.

Notes

• The quest becomes available while in the Skaal test of Strength, because that's when a fire pillar will appear on the lake, unsealing the Lair of the Udyrfrykte.
• Refusing to help Svenja will cause her disposition to drop to 25. The quest won't end though and you can still talk to her again and accept.
• The Udyrfrykte may be a reference to the beast Grendel in the epic Beowulf, which attacked the mead hall of Heorot, just like the Udyrfrykte attacks the mead hall in Thirsk. Further, the severed arm in Beowulf became the Severed Nord Leg here. Also, "Hrothmund" is a character in Beowulf, one of the sons of King Hrothgar.
• If you cast Mark while inside Thirsk, then Recall into it after you have defeated the Udyrfrykye, there will be three workers inside who do nothing other than tell you to get out, as Thirsk is closed. Even worse, there is a serious bug if you recall into the Hall again after it is fixed, which may permanently make Thirsk inaccessible; see bugs section below.
• Be careful not to accidentally eat the heart, which counts as an alchemy ingredient, as this will prevent you from ever finishing the quest.
• Hrothmund's blessing is random and can be Sanctuary (5 points) or Frost Shield (5 points) or both.

Bugs

• If you recall into the hall after activating the axe, you may activate a bug that permanently disables the front door of the hall from the outside. The building will appear "empty" from the outside. This means that in order to enter the hall again, you can only use recall, and must not mark anywhere else. This leads to interesting consequences: for example, the mead hall business quests are no longer completable, since Svenja will say that the jobs have not been finished, even after many weeks. However, the Cursed Captain quest can be completed as normal (Thormoor appears just fine if you recall into the hall), provided you don't reset the Mark. ^?

Quest Stages

The following Journal ID and Index codes can be used with the Journal console command to manually update the quest to a certain point.

The Mead Hall Massacre (BM_MeadHall)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		The mead hall of Thirsk has been attacked by a monster called the Udyrfrykte. The creature struck without warning and killed everyone he could. Svenja Snow-Song was finally able to drive the beast away with her arrows, but she fears the Udyrfrykte will return.
20		Svenja Snow-Song implored me to slay the Udyrfrykte, but I refused. She's convinced the beast will eventually return to Thirsk and finish what he started.
30		Svenja Snow-Song asked me to slay the Udyrfrykte, and I agreed. I can probably find the beast in his lair. The entrance is on the eastern shore of Lake Fjalding, just to the west of Thirsk. If I can slay the Udyrfrykte, I should claim some kind of trophy from the body. If I bring this trophy back to Svenja Snow-Song, I may be named chieftain of Thirsk.
40		I have slain the Udyrfrykte. I should claim a part of the beast as a battle trophy and bring it to Svenja Snow-Song at Thirsk.
50		I gave the Heart of the Udyrfrykte to Svenja Snow-Song. She says there is one more task I must complete before being named chieftain of Thirsk.
60		I must journey west to the Moesring Mountains and find the hidden barrow of Hrothmund, the first chieftain of the mead hall. Once there, I must lay my hands on Hrothmund's great axe and utter my intention to rule over Thirsk and its people. If Hrothmund's spirit approves, he will grant his blessing. While I'm away, Svenja will see to the repairs of the mead hall.
70		I laid my hands on Hrothmund's great axe and uttered my intention to serve as Thirsk's chieftain. Hrothmund's spirit answered by granting his blessing. I should now return to the mead hall and talk to Svenja Snow-Song so that I may be named chieftain.
100	Finishes quest	Svenja Snow-Song has namd [sic] me chieftain of Thirsk. The position is permanent, and I must serve it until I die. Svenja has offered to serve as my advisor and second-in-command, and will take care of all mead hall matters in my absence.
110	Finishes quest	I killed Svenja-Snow Song. Without her support, I will never be chieftain of Thirsk. And, seeing as Svenja was overseeing the repairs of the mead hall, Thirsk will never reopen.
120	Finishes quest	I laid my hands on Hrothmund's great axe and uttered my intention to serve as Thirsk's chieftain. Hrothmund did not grant his blessing. I shall never be the chieftain of the mead hall.

Bereditte Jastal's Gift (BM_MeadHall_a)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		Bereditte Jastal has given me a gift, a revised edition of his history of Thirsk that chronicles my battle with the Udyrfrykte, and adds my name to the list of chieftains.