Skyrim:Morven Stroud

This article is about the NPC added by Dawnguard. For the NPC in Markarth, see Morven.

Morven Stroud (RefID: xx0071F0)
Added by	Dawnguard
Location	Soul Cairn
Race	Breton	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	xx0071F0	BaseID	xx0071F1
Other Information
Health	50	Magicka	50
Stamina	50
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Voice Type	MaleCondescending
Faction(s)	SoulCairnSpecialFaction

Morven Stroud

Morven Stroud is a Breton trader from High Rock whose soul was trapped before his death. He unknowingly brought fake ingredients to a coven of necromancers, who killed him, therefore trapping his soul in the Soul Cairn. He can be found to the east of the gap in the large wall which runs through the center of the Soul Cairn, standing in front of a building. The ruins of his cart lie behind him.

When asked about what little he has left, he offers to trade you a piece of leveled gear for 25 soul husks.

Dialogue

Speaking to him for the first time:

"Well, look what we have here... someone with flesh on their bones."

What's the matter with you?

"Let's just say I sold something to a guy who turned out to work for a whole coven of necromancers. How in the name of Zenithar was I to know the ingredients were phony? Do I look like someone that would double-cross a necromancer?"

So that's how you got here.

"You got it. Horse, wagon and all. Plopped here without so much as a word. I used to be one of the best traders in High Rock, you know. People would track me down just to see what I had for sale."

Got anything left?

"Very funny. And what exactly are you going to pay me with? Take a look around. Gold doesn't exactly win you any friends around here."

There must be something you want.

"I'll tell you what. I appreciate what you're trying to do, so I'll play along. The only thing I see around here in abundance are soul husks. You know, those ugly fungus-looking things growing out of the ground. Bring me say... twenty-five of them, and you can rummage through what was left on my cart."

Fair enough. What do you have?

"Odds and ends I've gathered over the years. Well, used to gather before all of this nonsense happened to me. Tell me what you're looking for and maybe we can make a deal... if you have the husks."

His subsequent greetings:

"Brought some soul husks or are you wasting my time?"

"What do you want now?"

Trade

For 25 Soul Husks, Morven will trade an item to you. He will give a unique response according to your choice of item:

Got anything left to sell?

"Sure, got plenty. What am I gonna' do with it?"

"Well, I've been so busy, I dunno. What are you, kidding me?"

"Of course I do. What do you want?"

"I might be just a soul now, but I'm still not going to give my stuff away. Bring me at least twenty-five husks and then we'll talk."

Item	Response
Sword	"A wondrous blade... ahhh, never mind. Just take the darn thing."
Battleaxe	"I can't believe I'm trading this for some dried up plants. Oh well, a sale's a sale."
Light Armor	"Well, I hate to see it go, but what am I gonna do with it here anyway?"
Heavy Armor	"This won't stop your soul from getting ripped out, but at least you'll look good when your corpse hits the ground."
Spell Tome	"Sure. Here you go. Can't understand a word of it, maybe it will do you some good."

Detailed Description

Morven's items use the same lists as the very highest tier of randomized rewards in dungeons. This means that the items range from iron weapons and the most basic of spells, to daedric weapons and expert-level spells. This also means that you may receive an iron weapon even at level 100.

The swords and battleaxes are always enchanted use equal leveled lists, and within those lists the level of the enchantment increases typically twice and every two levels up elven, and twice and every three levels thereafter. Starting with Iron weapons, Steel becomes available at level 4, Orcish at level 7, Dwarven at level 13, elven at level 20, glass at level 28, ebony at level 37, and daedric at level 47. The very best enchantments on daedric become available at level 53 (e.g. a paralyzing sword "of Stunning" at level 47, a sword "of Immobilizing" at level 50, and a sword "of Petrifying" at level 53).

The armor utilizes a different approach but with essentially the same outcome as the weapons. Both heavy and light have five types of armor available, boots, cuirass, gauntlets, helmet, and shield. The level of enchantment increases typically every two levels up to glass/ebony, and three thereafter. Light armor starts with hide, leather is added at level 7, elven at level 13, scaled at level 20, glass at level 37, and dragonscale at level 47; light armor shields simply skip the leather and scaled stages. Heavy armor starts with iron, steel is added at level 7, dwarven at level 13, steel plate at level 19, Orcish at level 26, ebony at level 33, dragonplate at level 41, and daedric at level 49. Light armor's best enchantments are all available at level 53, but heavy armor only tops out at level 55.

The spell tomes utilize a much simpler system. Novice spells are always available, apprentice levels spells are available at level 11, adept spells at level 23, and expert spells at level 35. However, none of the spells added by Dawnguard or other DLC are included in the lists.

Notes

• If you are having trouble finding Soul Husks, there is a farmer east of the main castle gate who appears to be growing them. There are 14 growing there.
• Given that the system used is the same as for dungeons, dragonscale and dragonplate armor suffers from the same disadvantage that makes it twenty times less likely to appear than any other type of armor. Combined with the fact that it will always be enchanted means this is not the best way to farm those pieces.
• Unlike other ghosts and souls, he is not immune to paralysis.