| Houtern | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Vakka-Bok Xanmeer, The Nexus | ||
| Race | Ayleid | Gender | Male |
| Health | 15,000 | ||
| Reaction | Friendly | ||
| Other Information | |||
| Condition | Projection | ||
Houtern was an Ayleid who served Lord Myndhal during his ventures into Murkmire for the power of the Remnant of Argon and the Hist. Echoes of him and Myndhal conversing can be witnessed within the Ayleid chambers connected to Eld Angavar, though it cannot be spoken to.
Related QuestsEdit
The Remnant of Argon: Pass through an Ayleid realm of portals to locate the lost Remnant.
Quest-Related EventsEdit
As you move through the Ayleid ruins, old conversations will play out before you.
When you first enter the Nexus, you can see him and Myndhal looking out over the walkway. He tries to convince Myndhal of the academical value of Eld Angavar.
- Myndhal: "After all this time, this is all we could manage … a lifeless vault of gateways, availing us nothing!"
- Houtern: "My lord, we have carved a golden path to the very frontiers of magical praxis. This nexus is austere, yes, but—."
- Myndhal: "You mean to convince me to abandon my search, don't you? The power of the Hist—the power of the Remnant—dwarfs your golden path! I will claim the tree's power, no matter the cost."
In front of an active gateway, Myndhal will be annoyed that the Argonians' souls have somehow slipped his grasp.
- Myndhal: "Souls do not just vanish, Houtern! Find them, or I will find someone else who can."
- Houtern: "My lord, the Hist's magicks are unlike any we've encountered before. The souls are pulled to a focus of some kind. Without finding the source …."
- Myndhal: "The Remnant … it always comes back to the Remnant. Continue your research. I have much to consider."
On another walkway, Myndhal considers they haven't been using the right kind of crystal for their gates to reach the Hist.
- Houtern: "My lord? You wished to show me something?"
- Myndhal: "Cast your eyes across this vast expanse. Tell me, what do you see?"
- Houtern: "Gates, my lord. A realm of doors and passages."
- Myndhal: "Yes. A sea of azure gates—none of which lead to the Hist. Perhaps we use the wrong kind of passage. Find one of these beasts' sun-crystals. We have work to do."
In the magically cold chamber, the pair consider the corpse of an Argonian. Houtern notes that their bodies are unusual.
- Myndhal: "If the cold doesn't do it, try something else. They're lizards. They can't possibly just adapt to everything."
- Houtern: "That's the thing. I don't think they are just lizards. I don't know what they are. Their physiology is …I don't know how they are even alive."
- Myndhal: "Keep trying. There must be some way to break them."
- Myndhal: "They'll tell me their secrets one way or another."
The final conversation you will witness is them walking down a Nexus walkway and Houtern mentioning they have found the right sort of crystal.
- Houtern: "We found a suitable stone, my lord. The arcane properties are unlike any I've seen before."
- Myndhal: "Yes. We should have been researching them from the beginning. The light of Magnus given form. Remarkable."
- Houtern: "Integrating this new stone into our existing gates … The process will take time."
- Myndhal: "Time no longer matters to me, Houtern. I've made preparations. Even if it takes an eternity, I will discover the Remnant's secrets."