Caves of Qud

Caves of Qud

Faction Expansion: Tortoises
 This topic has been pinned, so it's probably important
Balthichou  [developer] 4 May @ 3:59am
Quest Walkthrough (spoilers)
In case you are confused and do not know where to go, here is a detailed walkthrough of quest line added for the mod.

Step 1: Six Day Stilt Encounter
To start the quest line, you should head to the Six Day Stilt. In the canvas tent where you usually find Lulihart and the clay oven, there will be a sitting Issachari named Cracks-the-Saltback Shell.

If you speak to her and ask for work, she will eventually task you with finding the Saltback Graveyard, giving you the three-step quest Combing the Salt Dunes:
  1. Optional: Find a Walking Dune;
  2. Locate the Saltback Graveyard;
  3. Report Back to Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell.

Now it's time to head out of the Six Day Stilt and go look for the Graveyard. In case you were wondering, killing Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell will lock you out of completing the quest, save for wish commands.

Note that if for some reason you have already visited the Saltback Graveyard, you can immediately report to her as the intermediary steps will be complete.

Step 2: Locating the Saltback Graveyard
The Saltback Graveyard is located on a single screen of a salt dunes parasang. It is not always located in the center screen of said parasang. There are three main ways to locate the Saltback Graveyard, all of them involving wandering the desert until you find a walking dune, an elder saltback on their final journey to their resting place (said Saltback Graveyard).

From then on, you have the following options:

The first and longest way is to simply follow the walking dunes to the Saltback Graveyard, facing the danger of the salt dunes on the way.

The second way requires you to be loved (≥600 reputation) by tortoises. Simply talking with a walking dune will let you ask their destination, at which point they will mark it on your journal.

The third way requires you to have the Menacing Stare skill from the Persuasion skill tree. Talking with a walking dune will display an option to scare them into giving away their destination, marking it on your journal.

Step 3: Visiting the Saltback Graveyard
When you arrive at the Saltback Graveyard, you will get a new two-step quest The Scute Child:
  1. Optional: Consult with Warden Qoruda;
  2. Decide the Fate of the Saltback Graveyard.

From then on, you can either leave immediately and report to Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell, or learn more about this place from Warden Qoruda.

If you talk with Qoruda, he will inform you of the place's secrecy. The dialogue offers several opportunities for the Warden to attack you, leading to a difficult battle. The conversation usually offers opportunities to back down and avoid a fight. Killing Qoruda will lock you out of any reward he may have awarded at the end of the quest.

Step 4: Back to the Six Day Stilt
Whether you talked with Qoruda or not, you should be heading back to the Six Day Stilt. Talking with Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell will display a new dialogue option where you can decide the fate of the Saltback Graveyard.

Revealing the Location to Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell
If you choose to reveal the location of the Saltback Graveyard, you will be awarded your choice of a saltback culverin or a saltback magnum by the Issachari. Your reputation with the Issachari tribe will improve by 400 while your reputation with tortoises will decrease by 200.

This will complete both Combing the Salt Dunes and The Scute Child, ending the quest line.

Pretend the Graveyard is a Myth
If your Ego is at least 20, you can lie to Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell and pretend the Saltback Graveyard does not exist. Your reputation with tortoises will improve by 200 while your reputation with the Issachari tribe will decrease by 100.

This will complete Combing the Salt Dunes and start the quest Return to Warden Qoruda.

Place the Graveyard under your Protection
If you choose to place the Saltback Graveyard under your protection, Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell will dismiss you. Your reputation with tortoises will improve by 400 while your reputation with the Issachari tribe will decrease by 200.

This will complete Combing the Salt Dunes and start the quest Return to Warden Qoruda.

Additionally, the next time you travel through the salt dunes, you will likely be ambushed by an Issachari hunting party led by either Skins-the-Dawnglider or Quarters-the-Salt-Kraken (or, if you are especially unlucky, both). These hunters wield a saltback culverin or a saltback magnum, making them dangerous foes.

Step 5 (Optional): Final Graveyard Visit
If you decided to lie to Cracks-the-Saltback-Shell or place the Graveyard under your protection, you are tasked with reporting back to Warden Qoruda. When you do so, he will reward you with an honorary shell.

This will complete both The Scute Child and Return to Warden Qoruda, ending the quest line.