Online:Alinon the Alchemist

Alinon the Alchemist
Home Settlement	Camlorn Crosswych Orsinium
Location	Camlorn Inn Frostbreak Fortress, Scarp Keep
Race	Breton	Gender	Male
Health	39,959
Reaction	Friendly
Other Information
Follower	The Hidden Harvest

Alinon the Alchemist

Alinon the Alchemist is a Breton alchemist found in the city of Camlorn. He is currently working on a cure for Lycanthropy. He can also be encountered in Wrothgar, trying to help the Orc army with the siege of Frostbreak Fortress.

Related Quests

•  Hidden in Flames: Cure the Camlorn citizenry of lycanthropy.
• The Hidden Harvest: Destroy the source of the briarheart warriors.

Quest-Related Events

Hidden in Flames

When Alinon is first approached in the church with the collected reagents, he will at first have little time for you:

"Are you injured? No? Then stop bothering me."

I have the ingredients for your werewolf cure.

"Now don't ask me to guarantee that this antidote will work. Faolchu's spawn are unusually resilient."

But can you make a cure?

"In a church? Certainly not. But I could do it at the inn. That's Darien's plan. To get us to the inn.
Then we'll see about crafting an antidote for this terrible affliction."

If you talk with him afterwards, he will repeat his need for a workspace before he can get to work:

"If you really want to help, get us to that inn."

After Alinon has made it to the inn with the rest of the survivors:

"Darien talks nothing but wine and women, but behind the bluster he's a better tactician than his father.
Though that's not saying much."

Is the cure ready?

"What do you think I've been doing here? Making soup?
Here it is. Go beat up on some werewolves until they're weakened, then douse them with this. If the cure works, they'll revert to human form. Then send them back here."

However, if you wait to speak to Alinon for the first time until you help Darien get the Camlorn Citizens to the inn, he'll instead say:

"Don't pester me. I'm working on a cure. Go bother someone else for a while."

I have the ingredients for your werewolf cure.

"I can't guarantee the efficacy of the antidote I would make. Faolchu's get are of a very different breed than the average werewolf."

But can you make the antidote?

"Luckily with the blood you've gathered and the ingredients around the inn, we should be able to put something together.
Let's see … yes … here we are. Smells of rot. Should be just right then."

What do I do with this?

"Unless you can coax a werewolf to drink this, the best you can hope for is to weaken one by fighting it and then splash this concoction on its wounds. That may be enough.
Send anyone who transforms back here."

Speaking to him again:

"The cure won't work unless the werewolves are weakened first.
Remember. Weaken them, then use the antidote. Send anyone who's cured back here."

Once you have successfully tested his cure on some of the infected citizens you can tell him the news:

"The cure—did it work?"

Yes, the cure worked perfectly.

"The real pity is I can't make more does until we're out of here.
Still, you were able to rescue a few of our citizens. Thanks."

Afterwards, he will talk a little bit about Darien if spoken with:

"I've known Darien a long time. Don't judge what he'll do by the way he talks. He's a better man than he pretends to be."

Alinon cannot be found in Camlorn after the quest.

The Hidden Harvest

Alinon can also be encountered in Wrothgar, where he works with the forces trying to bring down Frostbreak Fortress and the Winterborn. He can be found hiding after his group was overwhelmed:

Alinon the Alchemist: "All right … on the count of three. I'll just run and not look back. Wait … who's … who's there?"

King Kurog: "So this is where the little alchemist has been hiding."

He will recognize you if you worked together in Glenumbra:

"Well, I'll be damned. I remember you! You helped Darien and me, back in Camlorn. You get around a lot, don't you?
Have you come all this way to help me? Maybe we still have a chance to salvage this mission yet!"

Otherwise:

"I'm going to assume that since you are neither trying to rip out my heart nor consume my flesh that you're from the king's camp?
I wish you had arrived earlier, before the other soldiers were killed."

Or if you have King Kurog by your side:

"I recognize that Orc standing beside you. That's King Kurog!
I'm honored that you and the king came to find me. I just wish you had gotten there sooner, before the rest of my squad was lost."

What happened to your squad?

"Well, we were supposed to wait until the nests were destroyed before heading inside to find the source of the briarhearts. But the Winterborn, they found us. Overwhelmed the soldiers.
I ran. I'm not proud of it, but I'm alive. That's what matters."

What's your mission exactly? / So how do we complete your mission?

"Someone has to destroy the source of the briarhearts and I've dealt with the Reach before. They're a rather unhealthy obsession of mine. I know their beliefs, the way they attune with nature.
Those briarhearts? They're as natural as you and I."

How can those monsters be natural?

"I have an inkling, but I need to get inside to confirm it. I need to see how they're applying their magic. That will lead me right to the source of the briar hearts.
But you'll need to keep me alive. A lot of people are counting on me to succeed."

Are we ready then?

"There's nothing else we can do out here. Let's get inside."

<If you've met in Camlorn>You're a long way from home, Alinon.

"I go where the need takes me. The Orcs needed an expert on the Reach, so here I am.
After Camlorn, I spent some time with the Wyrd sisters. They taught me more about the Wyrd and the Reach than I ever thought possible. It was a fascinating time!"

Afterwards, you can ask him some questions about the mission:

How did you get selected for this mission?

"I was the only alchemist available! I wish I wasn't, but here I am. Besides, they needed someone who had some experience with the Reach.
Of course, I never expected to end up in the middle of a siege."

Tell me more about the briar hearts.

If you have met before

If you haven't

"I first encountered the phenomenon back in Glenumbra. Oh, the ones back there were a little different, but Reach magic is Reach magic." But what are the briar hearts? "From what I've been able to observe, when a Winterborn warrior falls, the briar hearts are used to somehow bring them back from the dead. I think the hagravens have something to do with the process. Not unlike the Bloodthorn zombies, remember?" And you can put an end to the process? "I believe the briar hearts are grown. If that's the case, I can destroy them. I'll know for certain once we get inside and I can examine the process. I want to make sure I mix the elixir correctly. Wouldn't want to inadvertently make them stronger."

"I've encountered Reach magic before. I'm almost certain that these briar hearts are grown in some fashion—not unlike apples or grapes or juniper berries." But what are the briar hearts? "From what I've been able to observe, when a Winterborn warrior falls, the briar hearts are used to somehow bring them back from the dead. I'm pretty sure the hagravens are involved in the process." And you can put an end to the process? "If I'm right and the briar hearts are grown, then I can destroy them. I'll know for certain once we get inside and look around. I want to make sure I mix the elixir correctly. Wouldn't want to inadvertently make them stronger, you understand."

While inside the fortress, you and Eveli will help Alinon look for the source of the briarhearts:

Alinon the Alchemist: "Come, come, follow me. If my suspicions are correct, we shouldn't have any trouble finding what I'm looking for."

Eveli Sharp-Arrow: "We're all going to die down here, aren't we?"

Alinon the Alchemist: "Keep your eyes open. We're looking for a plant or a root. Something that doesn't appear quite natural."

<Alinon walks further into the ruin>

Alinon the Alchemist: "Something odd, out of place. Something like … this!"

It will be a small tree growing out of a corpse, you can ask Alinon about it:

"Now there's something you don't see every day. A tree growing out of a corpse. I'd say this is what we were looking for.
This sapling is but a root, however, a small part of the greater whole."

So the hearts grow on these tiny trees?

"Reach magic corrupts nature. It uses its innate properties to forge terrible powers.
The briar hearts require a larger plant to nurture them and make them grow. But this vile sapling is certainly connected. I can feel energy flowing through it."

So what does that mean, exactly?

"We need to destroy some of these saplings. Cut off their power to weaken the central tree.
Once weakened, I can apply an alchemical solution to the central tree, wherever it grows, and hopefully destroy it, roots and all."

Why don't we just find and destroy this central tree?

"Reach magic invades nature the way a plague violates an infirm body.
It changes its host, taking hold and letting its corruption grow stronger. It creates defenses, barriers that can't be easily overcome. It needs to be weakened before we lay siege."

So what do you want me to do?

"Find the saplings and burn as many as you can. That will weaken the corruption and make the defenses more fragile. Meanwhile, I'll concoct a potion using clippings from these little ones.
Leave the Elf here, if you would. I could use the protection."

Eveli will stay behind and keep you safe.

Afterwards you can ask him about his experiences with Reach magic:

"Leave the sapling I found alone. I'll use it to prepare and test my elixir while you burn as many of the others as you can.
By the time you return, I'll have developed a poison powerful enough to eat through the central tree's weakened defenses."

You've dealt with this kind of Reach magic before?

"No, not exactly. In some ways it's the same, but in many others it's completely different.
The last time I dealt with Reach magic, they were utilizing vines as big as you or I. This is an entirely new type of twisted magic—even for them."

How confident are you that this will work?

If you have met before	If you haven't
"I helped you and Darien cure lycanthropy in a burning town full of cultists and werewolves. If I can mix a potion in those kinds of conditions, I think I can handle anything."	"I'm completely confident of my abilities. That's just my nature. At its core, Reach magic is all the same. They just employ different vessels for their perversions. Once you know how to kill one vile and twisted plant, you can kill them all."

While you were burning saplings, Alinon will have been captured. You can find him locked up in a cage over some flames:

Alinon the Alchemist: "Unhand me, you hag! I am not bird food!"

Alinon the Alchemist: "It's about time you got here! Do something before I roast up here!"

When you talk with him, he won't have much patience for your questioning while he is being slow-roasted:

"Don't just stand there and watch me roast! Do something!"

What are you doing up there?

"What am I doing …? I'm being roasted alive! What does it look like I'm doing?
What's worse, they have my alchemy bag. The elixir was nearly complete when I … stumbled into that Winterborn patrol."

Let me see if I can figure out how to lower the cage.

"No, no. We're running out of time and you have a more important task to complete. You have to destroy the central tree. Otherwise, the briarheart warriors will eventually overrun the Orcs.
I'll … I'll find a way out of here. Somehow."

What do you want me to do?

"Find the hagraven that snatched my alchemy bag and grab the elixir. I couldn't wait for Eveli so I found the moss on my own. Of course, that's when I ran into the Winterborn.
Anyway, get the elixir and destroy that tree! Finish this. For me."

Afterwards, Eveli will arrive to help him down:

Eveli Sharp-Arrow: "Hey, Alinon! I need you to stay very, very still so I can get you down!"

Eveli Sharp-Arrow: "We should get him out of there before he cooks, right?"

Alinon the Alchemist: "With a bow and arrow? The cage will drop into the fire—with me inside!"

Eveli Sharp-Arrow: "Just make sure you tuck and roll!"

Despite this dubious plan, she will be successful.

When you find the main tree, Alinon will shout out advice while you fight off the Winterborn coming to stop its' destruction:

Alinon the Alchemist: "You found the elixir? Pour it on the tree! The Winterborn are on their way!"

Alinon the Alchemist: "Defend the tree until the elixir does its work. Just don't let the Winterborn get close enough to heal it."

Alinon the Alchemist: "Don't let the menders extinguish the fire!"

Alinon the Alchemist: "The briarheart tenders! Don't let them use their healing magic!"

Alinon the Alchemist: "Keep those healers away from the tree!"

Once the tree is destroyed:

Alinon the Alchemist: "Well done, my friend! Well done indeed! Now let's get out of here!"

Outside, Alinon will play down the whole ordeal:

Alinon the Alchemist: "I just need to catch my breath. I'll be fine."

Eveli Sharp-Arrow: "They tried to roast you! That's not how we define fine where I come from!"

Alinon the Alchemist: "Compared to some of my adventures, this was practically a day at the fair!"

"The Wood Elf got me out of that cage with a damn fine strike. Damn fine!
And you, you handled the briarheart tree perfectly. Well done!"

Did the elixir work? Is the source of the briar hearts destroyed?

"Indubitably! I watched the roots burn with my own eyes! The siege commander needs to hear about this so he can press the advantage and put an end to the Winterborn threat!
As for me, I'm going to relax. Somewhere in Orsinium with a very large drink."

After you finish the conversation he'll say:

Alinon the Alchemist: "You have your report, soldier. Return to the siege commander and let's finish off these Winterborn bastards!"

Speak to him again and he'll say:

"Well, thanks for all the help. I have to admit, I couldn't have destroyed the source of the briar hearts without you.
If you're ever in Orsinium, look for me at the King's Cornerclub. I'll even buy you a drink!"

Despite his offer, he never makes it to the cornerclub.

Dialogue

Crosswych

When first arriving in Crosswych, Alinion can be found in the local inn while on lycanthrope business.

"You arrived at an auspicious time in Crosswych. I came here to examine the citizens for signs of lycanthropy and found the town overrun by bandits."

What are you doing here?

"Now that we have a cure to Faolchu's strain of lycanthropy, General Mandin and I decided to search Glenumbra for remnants of the curse.
We're going to root it out!"

How's that working out?

"Slowly and dangerously. I hope Mandin is having more success that I am.
The Red Rooks have certainly been an annoyance. The more of them you put in the ground the better."

After freeing Crosswych from the bandits, he will thank you:

"I heard you ran the Red Rooks out of town. That should make my work much easier. Thank you."

Scarp Keep

During Long Live the King, he'll greet you with one of the following:

"Werewolves, harpies—what's next? Probably an enraged pack of lamias with banekin riding atop their backs!
You know, that actually might be fun. I'll send word to you when they finally get here."

"Now this is more like it.
No harpies. No giant catapults slamming into walls. Just a few peaceful drinks with good friends. This is how it should have been from the moment I got here."

What are you going to do now?

"I had hoped to run into my old friend Darien here. This is just the sort of situation he loved to find himself in.
I know something happened in Coldharbour, but I can't believe he's dead. He's out there, somewhere. I can feel it in my bones."

Do you know where you might go next?

"I have a couple of ideas. Not ready to share them yet, but I won't stop until I find him in some brothel in Abah's Landing or at a tavern in Murkmire."

Eventually, you can find him in Scarp Keep, where he will be much more relaxed.

"Now this is more like it.
No harpies. No giant catapults slamming into walls. Just a few peaceful drinks with good friends. This is how it should have been from the moment I got here."

Notes

• Alinon will appear in Scarp Keep after the funeral of King Kurog
• Alinon mentions Abah's Landing and Murkmire, two future DLCs unknown at the time of Orsinium's release.