Online:Eoki

Eoki
Home City	Sadrith Mora
Location	Firemoth Island
Race	Argonian	Gender	Male
Health	39,959 15,000 (At the start of "Objections and Obstacles"/During "The Heart of a Telvanni")
Reaction	Friendly

Eoki

Eoki is an Argonian slave who can be found on the western side of Sadrith Mora just east of the docks. He'll start you on a serial quest to rescue his love and help them find freedom.

New characters created in Morrowind met him in the starter quest Broken Bonds.

Related QuestsEdit

• Broken Bonds: Escape your slaver captors on the island of Firemoth. (disabled since Update 30)
• A Hireling of House Telvanni: Help Sun-in-Shadow earn her freedom.
• Rising to Retainer: Help Sun-in-Shadow become a Retainer.
• Objections and Obstacles: Help Sun-in-Shadow become an Oathman.
• The Magister Makes a Move: Help Sun-in-Shadow deal with the fallout of her actions against Ralasa.
• The Heart of a Telvanni: Help Sun-in-Shadow with her fracturing relationship with Eoki.

Quest-Related EventsEdit

Broken BondsEdit

"Go on, now. Naryu wants to talk to you."

Eoki will be encountered in this quest inside a cell on Firemoth Island:

"Captured by slavers, what a predicament! But at least we're still alive.
Go on, now. Naryu wants to talk to you."

After you have talked to Naryu, he'll say:

"Please, dry-skin, do what Naryu asks. She's our best hope for getting out of this terrible place."

Once you've collected Naryu's items:

"Did you get the things Naryu wanted? The slavers are returning and plans have changed. Naryu sent me to find you and get the gate key."

Tell me what happened.

"Naryu sent a signal to the House Guard in Seyda Neen and that's when the slaver horn started sounding. The slavers must have been hiding nearby and now they're on their way back. We have to hurry!"

Here's the gate key.

"You are a ray of sunshine on a cloudy morning!
I'll lead the prisoners through the gate and see what we can find to get off this island. You meet up with Naryu at the overlook and then rendezvous with us at the docks."

I'll find Naryu at the overlook.

A Hireling of House TelvanniEdit

You'll next find Eoki north of the Sadrith Mora Wayshrine.

If you're meeting Eoki for the first time:	If you have completed Broken Bonds:
"Mind your step. I would not want you to step on this random patch of grass. I jest, of course. The Telvanni force me to work, but I make sure it brings them no pleasure. I see you wear no shackles. Do you seek work? I know someone who needs help."	"Ah, it warms my scales to see you once more, my friend. I wish I could thank you for my freedom, but as you can see, it was short lived. I see you still wear no shackles. Will you aid me once more? I know someone who needs help."

Tell me more.

"In truth, you would be helping many Saxhleel. Myself included.
During my latest escape attempt, I met an amber beauty with eyes like summer rain. Her lukiul name is Sun-in-Shadow, but I call her my heart. She hatches a plan to set us free."

What do you need me to do?

"Seek her out in Tel Naga. If I know my heart, she will be sunning herself in the light of some book. Always reading, that one. Always learning.
If all goes to plan, she will read her books beside me in the boughs of a Hist. Soon, I hope."

All right. I'll go talk to Sun-in-Shadow.

"Walk with Sithis, my friend—and mind the Telvanni. They spin lies like an elder at the yarn-wheel."

How did you end up here?

"I ventured too far from the Hist and did not heed the bird-signs. Dark Elf slavers spine-hooked me near Thorn.
I escaped four times, but never for long. Eventually the Telvanni bought me—at a discount, I am told. I take pride in that, at least."

(if Argonian) Is this legal? Why do I see so many of my fellow Argonians in bondage?

"Mortal laws are slippery things—like greased eels. The Ebonheart Pact outlawed Saxhleel slavery to placate our people. Unfortunately, House Telvanni refused to join the Pact. So they are free to gather up our egg-kin by the bushel."

(if non-Argonian) Is this legal?

"Laws are slippery things. The Ebonheart Pact outlawed Argonian slavery, but House Telvanni refused to join the Pact.
In truth, I cannot imagine how they would live without slaves. The magisters are like overstuffed crocodiles—dangerous, but lazy."

Can I help you break free?

"I thank you for your offer, but I tire of breaking free only to be recaptured a day later. Sun-in-Shadow's plan will earn us a lasting freedom.
If you help her, you help me."

Who are the Telvanni, exactly?

"Mages, mostly. Members of the so-called Great House Telvanni—one of the four Great Houses of the Dark Elves.
They love using that word … great. Great at ruining lives, perhaps."

(if Argonian) So they all keep our people as slaves?

"Not just our people, Hist-child. Khajiit as well.
For a Telvanni, life is nothing but a cheap struggle for mastery and control. Mastery of their dry-skinned magicks, control of their mushroom towers, and dominion over people. People like us."

(if not Argonian) So they all keep Argonians as slaves?

"Yes. And Khajiit also.
You see, for a Telvanni, life is nothing but a cheap struggle for mastery and control. Mastery of their dry-skinned magicks, control of their mushroom towers, and dominion over people. People like us."

During the quest, he'll only say:

"Forgive me, friend. I cannot talk. Too many unfriendly eyes in Sadrith Mora today."

Rising to RetainerEdit

You can initiate the quest by speaking to either Eoki or Sun-in-Shadow. If you speak to Eoki first he'll say:

"Hist bless you, my friend. Sun-in-Shadow's tail quivers with joy and her heart leaps over the moons. I have never seen her so happy.
At last, she can roam free and read her books in peace. I erect the spine of gratitude."

Still gardening?

"Yes. I garden like a caterpillar … one leaf at a time. Even so, I accomplish more in one day than these Dark Elves do in a week. But my words wander.
I bring news from my heart. She wishes to see you in her new dwelling-place."

Is she working on the plan to free you?

"Indirectly. My Sun-in-Shadow leaves nothing to chance. She must climb to a higher branch on the Telvanni tree—one she calls "retainer." Once she claims this title, she will set me free.
So, I plant myself like a sapling and wait."

I'll pay her a visit when I can.

He'll then walk away and vanish till you speak to Sun-in-Shadow.

Eoki, disappointed

From here, the conversation is the same whether you started the quest with Eoki or Sun-in-Shadow. You'll find him working the fields on an isle southwest of town:

"(if Argonian) Greetings, egg-kin. We must speak quickly. The overseers grow suspicious when I speak to free-scale Argonians like you. It is almost like they do not trust me."

"(if non-Argonian) Greetings. We must speak quickly. The overseers grow nosy and suspicious."

Sun-in-Shadow said you may know a farmer near Vos who's willing to sell their land.

"I do. Otheri banished me to those farms for a time. I spent thirty days in the dry-box and heard many things.
A saltrice farmer named Barys Rendo grumbled like a sick crocodile. His wife called Vos a "backwater sty." He would sell. Why do you ask?"

Sun-in-Shadow gave me gold to purchase some land for her.

"She gave you gold? I thought …. My heart told me that she gathered coin to purchase my freedom.
She probably seeks to parlay this into an even greater sum. I trust her judgment, even if I do not fully understand it. Good luck, my friend."

You can start the conversation again, and he'll say:

"I wish I could do as much for Sun-in-Shadow as you have done."

When will Sun-in-Shadow be able to free you?

"I wish I could say soon. Unfortunately, the Telvanni Dark Elves observe many silly rules. Lower castes cannot own slaves. I do not know why.
Once she becomes an oathman, she will have the means to free me—then we will escape this place."

What will the two of you do once you're free?

"We Saxhleel struggle with the future, but I often gaze into the pond and dream.
My heart tastes Hist-sap for the first time. I teach her Jel and share root-secrets by candlelight. We paddle still rivers, hunt, and fish. These dreams keep me going."

Sun-in-Shadow seems pretty happy being a Telvanni Mage.

"Your croaks ring true, but she knows nothing of the larger world.
My heart hatched here in Vvardenfell, far from the Hist. Once she hears the cries of the hackwings, smells the peat, and feels the mud on her scales, she will forget about this place."

Objections and ObstaclesEdit

As Sun-in-Shadow runs into the Council House, Eoki try to reach her before she slips inside:

Eoki : "Always, she is busy and in a hurry."

"She is always busy these days. I worry she flirts with the flames of the sun and does not know to fear the fire."

What's wrong, Eoki?

"My heart and I have barely spoken. She strains her spines both day and night, poring through tomes and hatching her schemes. Her eyes are fixed on the next rank ... and the next after that. I fear for her. A soul without rest grows dim as twilight."

So she hasn't shared her next plan with you?

"No, she has not. All to the good, I guess. A finless fish weakens the shoal. But enough about me. You, my friend, are a mighty swimmer. Seek her out in her stone dwelling-place. If I know my heart, she will certainly have a task for you."

All right, I'll talk to her.

At this point, the quest will start.

If speaking with Eoki again:

"I wish I could do as much for Sun-in-Shadow as you have done."

If spoken to without having started the quest right after the other, where he relocated to the dock:

"Ah, I see you have been tramping through the mud. Feel free to stamp your feet. Despite my best efforts, I have come very close to completing a task.
In truth, I enjoy sweeping the dock. Counting the ripples in the water … it feels like home."

Any news?

"My heart and I have barely spoken. She strains her spines both day and night, poring through tomes and hatching her schemes. Her eyes are fixed on the next rank … and the next after that.
I fear for her. A soul without rest grows dim as twilight."

So she hasn't shared her next plan with you?

"No, she has not. All to the good, I guess. A finless fish weakens the shoal.
But enough about me. You, my friend, are a mighty swimmer. Seek her out in her stone dwelling-place. If I know my heart, she will certainly have a task for you."

I'll talk to her.

He'll slink away, stating:

Eoki : "I think I'll go pretend to work somewhere else."

Note: In my run I encountered a different version of dialogue:

The Magister Makes a MoveEdit

You can later find Eoki on the docks of Sadrith Mora, where he will be thinking.

"Greetings friend. Come to look out over the water? I hope it brings you solace.
The salt-breeze used to give me hope, but not today."

Are you all right, Eoki?

"All right? I still suffer the bite of the Dark Elves' lash. My egg-kin still eat nothing but kwama-gruel. We wait and wait, and … nothing.
I know my heart works hard to free us, but the sun dips low on the horizon. My people cannot wait forever."

You seemed confident that Sun-in-Shadow would free you before. What happened?

"I trust her. It's just …. When she proposed using the Telvanni's rules against them, it seemed like wisdom. But murder? Recapturing Khajiit who meant to escape? I fear she has lost perspective.
I must speak with her. Can you find her for me?"

I'll go to her house and tell her.

"Forgive me, friend. I cannot talk. Too many unfriendly eyes in Sadrith Mora."

After you agree to pass on the message, Eoki will tell you where she can meet him:

Eoki: "Hist bless you. Tell her to seek me out near Tel Naga."

The Heart of a TelvanniEdit

Upon entering Sun-in-Shadow's house, you'll witness Eoki and Sun-in-Shadow having an argument.

Eoki: "You return escaping Khajiit to that beast, Gothren, and now I hear about our egg-kin crushed in the Zalkin-Sul mine? I thought I understood you, but I do not."

Sun-in-Shadow: "Eoki, wait! I'm trying to be strong enough for the both of us …."

You can speak with him at the docks, where you will see him praying for once.

"I knew she would send you. Know that I do not blame you for your role in all this. We are, both of us, victims of Telvanni lies. This place deadens the soul—pure and impure alike.
Now let me guess. My heart sent you to counsel patience, yes?"

Yes. She's worried that you might do something rash.

"No Saxhleel reaches for a branch beyond their grasp, but all the waiting, all the compromises …. My patience rushes down river.
My companions and I must get a message to the Ropefish. Will you help?"

Who are the Ropefish?

"The Ropefish are people smugglers, led by an Orc named Khartag. I had hoped to work with him directly. Unfortunately, we must deal with one of his lieutenants—Bothamul.
You must deliver the message before our distraction can begin."

I can deliver a message, but what is this distraction you're talking about?

"We can discuss the distraction soon. First, we cast the lure and hook the fish.
Go to the Inn and look for an Orc named Atarga. Approach her, say "Vassamsi Mine," and give her this payment. Deal only with Atarga. Hist protect you."

I'll deliver the payment to Atarga. Before I go, though, have [sic] some questions

"Ask what you wish, but speak quickly. I feel the slavemaster's eyes on me."

Can you tell me about this Vassamsi Mine?

"It is a forgetting place, where the noblest slaves labor until they die.
That beast, Gothren, hires thugs and murderers to guard it. They whip, and kick, and curse without restraint. Without mercy. We aim to free those slaves."

Were you ever sent there?

"If I were, we would not have met. No one ever leaves Vassamsi. Even so, some of my friends are imprisoned there.
I thought if Sun-in-Shadow freed me quickly, I could snatch them up on the way out of Vvardenfell. Now I see that she does not care."

I know she cares about you.

"There was a time when that made a difference, but now it does not. My spines wilt at the idea of leaving her, but she does not understand me.
Slave-born Lukiul cannot hear the Hist. She does not know me. She does not even know herself."

Can we trust the Ropefish to do their job?

"They have a good reputation for getting the job done, as long as you have the gold to pay. Bothamul asks a high price, but we have few choices."

How can you afford to pay him?

"We pooled our resources. Many small fish can feed a whale, yes?
The Telvanni see us as beasts—almost too stupid to push a broom. We use that to our advantage. I never thought I would be a thief, but given the circumstance, I feel no remorse.

Who is this Atarga?

"The primary contact between the slaves of Sadrith Mora and the Ropefish.
She drinks like an eel, but we trust her. That is more than I can say for some of the other smugglers around here."

If you talk to him again before heading to the inn:

"Leaving Sun-in-Shadow drives a spine through my heart, but she thinks herself free already. I wish she could see that she bears heavier chains than I do."

Upon reaching Vassamsi Mine, he calls to you.

Eoki: "There you are. I knew you would not abandon us"

Speak with him.

"Your presence warms my scales, egg-friend.
Our companions in the mine know we are coming. We equipped ourselves as best we could. Now, we strike."

What's the plan?

"First, we must deal with the guards—especially the ones who linger near the entrance. If they raise the alarm, the slavemaster will descend on us like a hungry hackwing.
Rihnissi thinks we should knock them out. Azri suggests we show no mercy."

How does Rihnissi plan to knock them out?/What was Rihnissi's suggestion?

"Rihnissi acquired a crate of powder bombs. Toss one near a guard and they should fall unconscious. Killing less guards might lessen the magisters' fury, making it easier to escape, but who knows?
Free our friends and watch out for the guard captain."

That seems simple enough. I'll try that.

Azri wants to kill all the guards?/And Azri just wants to kill them?

"Azri spent many long weeks in the dry-box beneath Tel Aruhn. Some of his closest friends died here in Vassamsi. His spines bristle with thoughts of revenge. I do not blame him.
Slay the guards, free our people, and watch out for the guard captain."

I prefer this solution.

"Good. I will follow you and help steer slaves toward the exit. If all goes as planned, we will all leave together.
One last thing—we must be careful to avoid drawing the eye of Slavemaster Arenim, You will never face a more ruthless mage."

All right. I'm ready.

Sun-in-Shadow will then appear through a portal.

Eoki: "Sun-in-Shadow?"

Sun-in-Shadow: "Eoki. The way we left things was …. Please, don't go."

Eoki: "I must. You and I share a heart, but our souls chirr different songs. This cannot last."

Eoki: "But before you go, you must see how your Telvanni treat our kin. Please, come into the mine and see how they live. How they die"

Sun-in-Shadow: "Fine. I will do this for you, but then I must go."

If you catch Eoki before he enters the mine, you can ask him about Sun-in-Shadow:

"I will follow you soon, friend. I just need to make sure that Sun-in-Shadow remains safe."

Why are you bringing Sun-in-Shadow into Vassamsi?

"She must see what her beloved House does to us. She fixes her eyes on the pages of her tomes, but remains blind to the suffering of her people. I care about her too much to let her remain so lost."

Do you really think you can change her mind?

"I must believe it. My heart is brilliant, but her brilliance gleams like a diamond—cold and hard edged. There is warmth in her, I know this. The Telvanni smothered it, but it can be rekindled.
Perhaps seeing her kin will make the difference."

Inside the mines

Eoki: "Proceed with caution, egg-friend. The guard captain lurks nearby. I can feel it."

Sun-in-Shadow: "Eoki, what are you do—? Are those bodies?"

He leads Sun-in-Shadow through the mine.

Eoki: "Come, see how your Telvanni masters treat their slaves."

Sun-in-Shadow: "What? Eoki, this is madness! You'll get me killed!"

Eoki: "Rally, my friends! Make your escape!"

Sun-in-Shadow: "I want to leave! Now!"

Eoki: "Do not be afraid. I will make sure you reach the boat safely."

Sun-in-Shadow: "Boat? I'm not getting on any boat!"

Eoki: "Heart, you are coming with us. In time you will thank me."

Sun-in-Shadow: "How dare you!"

Sun-in-Shadow: "Help! I'm being kidnapped!"

Eoki: "I'm trying to save you!"

Convincing Sun-in-Shadow to Keep EokiEdit

If you convince Sun-in-Shadows to keep Eoki enslaved, she will tighten his bonds.

Eoki: "Sun-in-Shadow, what are you doing?"

You can speak to Eoki here.

"What has she done? She … she tightened the slavemaster's bindings!"

She wants to keep you here to work things out.

"What? She would keep me in chains to earn my affection?
She was right all along. She has a Dark Elf's heart—just as cruel and possessive as House Telvanni."

You did try to hold her against her will too.

"Yes, but that was different. I only wanted what was best for her. For both of us ….
Hist's tears, you are right. This place … do you see how it twists us? How it dries out our hearts and turns all to selfishness? Forgive me, friend. Forgive me."

Free EokiEdit

If you convince Sun-in-Shadows to allow Eoki to go free

Sun-in-Shadow: "Eoki, you can leave if you want. I won't stop you."

Eoki: "The House will betray you, Sun-in-Shadow. On that day, I hope you think of what we could have had."

Outside the mine

Eoki: "May your soul return to the Hist, my friend …."

Rihnissi "We can mourn later, Eoki. We have to go!"

Eoki: "Go. I will follow in a moment."

Speak with him.

"We escaped, but not without loss.
This place … it does nothing but break things. It nearly broke me."

Where will you go?

"Bothamul and his Ropefish will ferry us to the coast, then load us into a fishing boat. With luck, we will reach the mainland, then take the long road back to Black Marsh. To home. I thank you for all you've done, but I fear I will never be the same."

How so?

"The scars may fade. The pain in my limbs may melt away. My soul though … my soul feels like it is drowning.
I thought myself better than the Dark Elves. Purer. But in the end, I tried to take what I wanted by force, just like they do."

This place seems to take a toll on everyone.

"It does. Perhaps, with time, we may all learn to forgive ourselves.
Farewell, my friend. I hope we meet again some day."