Hovart's Folly (Quest)

Hovart's Folly (Quest)
Destroy Lord Hovart and his undead minions.
Quest Icon
Campaign	Utraean Peninsula
Location	Elddim
Quest Giver	Zabar Treseck
Faction	10th Legion
Reward	Lord Hovart's Blood Armor 500
Type	Side Quest

Main article: Quests (Dungeon Siege)

Hovart's Folly is a side quest on the Utraean Peninsula, the multiplayer world in Dungeon Siege.

Description

Beset by a local undead scourge, Elddim's garrison issues a lengthy, multi-part mission to storm Hovart's Folly and take down Lord Hovart. One of the quest's segments, the retrieval of Hovart's "Gavel of Convening," should be done in conjunction with "Elddim Townstone."

To initiate Hovart's Folly, speak to Elddim's blacksmith Zabar Treseck for a referral to the guard captain. Each step will be written as so in the journal:

• Talk to the Guard Captain at the eastern road near the H.U.B. platform.
• Find the Gavel of Convening in the Ancient Crypt to the east.
• Take the Gavel of Convening into the underground stronghold known as Hovart's Folly.
• Destroy Lord Hovart and his undead minions.
• Give the Gavel of Convening to the Guard Captain of Crystwind and inform him that Lord Hovart is dead.

To make this mission more resistant to the vagaries of multiplayer mode, its phases are item-driven. Guard Relran's Journal, obtained from the guard captain, must be in the player's inventory in order to seize the Gavel of Convening. The Gavel is, in turn, required to trigger the appearance of Lord Hovart.

The recommended path of conquest is to carry the journal out east from Elddim, through Iliarth Valley, Iliarth Divide, and the Ancient Crypt, exactly as per Elddim Townstone. Then, carry the Gavel onward through the Hovart Marsh and the Hovart's Folly stronghold. The boss and the dungeon exit happen to be very close to Elddim on its southern side. The bounty can be claimed from the Guard Captain of Elddim or Crystwind. Claiming the bounty destroys the Gavel.

Maps

Iliarth Valley

Iliarth Divide

Ancient Crypt

Hovart Marsh

Hovart's Folly

Dialogue

Quest-Related

Zabar Treseck

• "'Ello there youngling! Wot can ole Zabar do fer ye today? I don' recognize yer face, ye must be new in town. If yer lookin' fer work, the Guard Cap'n is lookin' fer an adventurous sort ta deal with ole Lord Hovart. Ye kin find 'im around the corner thar to the east, near the old 'UB platform."
• "If yer lookin' fer adventure, ye really should talk to the Cap'n. The Legion's always got itty bitty tasks fer anyone who's got the stomach for such shenanigans. If it's equipment yer wantin, I'm sure I kin git ye set up good in no time!"

Guard Captain of Elddim

• "You look like the adventurous sort. If you're looking for a job, go get yourself suited up over at Zabar's. I'd be willing to talk to you after you purchase some decent equipment."
• "Zabar sent you, did he? I'm sure you've heard of Hovart's Folly, yes? No? Well, old Lord Hovart was once the master of these parts. He taxed everything that moved, down to our very gravestones, all to build an underground fortress for his bride-to-be. After the fortress was built, strange things started occurring. At first it was just a missing farmer or oxen every now and then, but then the disappearances became more frequent."
• "We tried to protect the outlying farms, but we weren't prepared for an entire undead army. Seems Hovart's grand palace had become nothing more than a haunted, spider-infested mausoleum. I have in my possession a journal written by one of Lord Hovart's guardsmen, Relran. Guard Relran mentions an Artifact located in the Ancient Crypt to the east. He claims the Artifact is a Gavel of Convening that Hovart's vizier had created. Lord Hovart should be drawn to anyone who possesses the Gavel. You must find the Gavel of Convening, confront Lord Hovart, and destroy him."
• "That's all I know. Relran's journal is the best source we have. I pray that it is accurate. May Azunai's shield protect you on your quest. The entire town will be praying for your success."
• "You have earned the gratitude and respect of the town of Elddim. You will be recorded in the history of the town as the savior to our people."

Guard Captain of Crystwind

• "Ye gods, YOU have finished Lord Hovart at long last? By the stars, you have! We are indebted to you, friend. Hovart's conspirators have taken a heavy toll on this town; we are a mere shadow of our former glory. Thanks to you, we might even be able to let some of the villagers from outlying farms return home! If you'll give me that filthy Gavel, I'll make sure it's destroyed."
• "Ugh, you can almost feel the decay in this thing. And it's said our own Conjuror Orkin crafted the thing. He won't be up to any more trouble with Utraean Priest Sarden keeping an eye on him. Well, here's a little something for your troubles. By the way, if you are courageous enough to do battle with that ghoul Hovart, perhaps you'd be willing to take a crack at helping us regain control of the Crystwind Mines, eh?"
• (no Gavel) "YOU say you killed old Lord Hovart? Ha! Do you really expect me to believe some little farm rat could do what an entire legion of men cannot? Pshaw! Now maybe, if you had, say the Gavel of Convening to show me, I'd believe your story. I needed a good chuckle. Aye, that's a good one all right. Heh heh heh."

Background

Shana Tullen, bookwriter and Hovart fangirl

Shana Tullen

• "This tapestry is a superb example of late Lescanzan textile work. Lord Hovart bought it in 962... such a fascinating man. Well, you look fairly well-equipped for this environment; I can't say the same for myself. I've found a few things in my excavations that I'd be willing to trade; I'll need money to publish my findings."
• "Did you know that Lord Hovart was a great admirer of Emperor Veransk III? I just recently found a collection of books on the Emperor's life; the Librarians in Hiroth Castle should be very interested."
• "When my book is published, I'll send you a copy. 'The Life and Times of Lord Hovart, the Greatest Man the Kingdom has Ever Known.' Do you like the title?"

Horty Olof

• "Them spiders to the north of here will leave you alone if you leave them alone, I've found. No reason why respectable people like you and me can't do a little business, just because old Lord Hovart won't stay dead like decent folk."

Berenthi Rukhil

• "Maybe I should join the Legion. I wouldn't mind winning my very own undead blade next time one of Lord Hovart's skeletal minions is spotted in the woods. If you venture east along the road, you'll probably get one too. Most of the new recruits have one already!"

Celine Mearie

• "I used to live on a farm in between the Ancient Crypt and Hovart's Folly. Wonderful pasture lands there... So quiet and peaceful. That is, until the undead started coming at us from both sides. I barely escaped with my life, but my cousins were taken by the hordes! I don't think I'll ever see them again... alive."

Jornus Heald

• "I used to tend a farmstead to the east along the road to the Ancient Crypts, but the fiends beloning to that old ghoul Hovart kept tapping on the windows while I slept and ate the brains of all my livestock! Now I tend to miller Brienne's corn, or at least I did until my scythe disappeared."

Utraean Priestess Kelti

• "The Elddim Sunrise Stone was last in the possession of my great grandmother, who served as the Legion Protectorate of the Crypts to the east. When old Lord Hovart betrayed us, she hid the stone somewhere in the tombs. He held her prisoner until she was old and gray, but she never revealed the secret. She died just hours after her release, and only had time enough to tell my mother that the stone was safely hidden."

Guard

• "This town is in trouble, but I don't think anyone is taking it seriously. What with Krug setting up camp just outside town, and Lord Hovart's undead slaves terrifying the countryside, you'd think everyone would want to join the Legion and aid Elddim's defense!"

Items

The Gavel in the crypts.

The Gavel of convening seen in the inventory.

Lord Hovart's Blood Armour.