While I havnt got an uber and amazing quest line all set up I do have an idea where the ashlanders ask the player to help them establish themselves in the grazelands - they are not outcasts - and they fear that they would be a prime target for the outcasts. So they ask the player to help establish trade links, supplies and eventually help them to expand upon the camp

( possibly open up a shalk mine?)

get rid of the pirate hat?

While I do like the sounds of this idea, wouldn't a third major ashlander camp in the area kind of piss of the Zainab and/or Ahemussa tribes and result in tribal wars over what little land isn't controlled by the Telvanni? There may be enough space for two larger tribes to live in the area, but three is definitely pushing it. Matters such as hunting grounds, campsites, land to herd the guar and shalk herds* and so on would probably result in either armed combat or the expulsion of the smaller of the three tribes too.

A part of this questline should probably be about sweet-talking the Zainab and/or Ahemussa. Maybe the Massahanud ashlanders ends up having to pay them a yearly tribute or something, Golden Horde style? You could also have a quest or two about gathering other lone ashlanders wandering the Grazelands and making them part of the tribe. Strength in numbers and all that.

Shalks are herded, and a kwama mine - or any type of mine - wouldn't really work with the nomadic lifestyle of the ashlanders** anyway.

Put on several pirate hats instead of just one.

That is what I had in mind. The camp isnt going to be a huge one, and I do have plans to get permission form the Zanib tribe with some sort of tribute.

I know this isnt reflected in game but I came to the conclusion that its simply because there isnt enough land now for the ashalnders to live their nomadic lifestyle. I see the Ashalnders a people who WERE Nomadic but with the Great houses and the Imperials having snapped up most of the land it isnt practical for them to live their rigerous lifestyle anymore. There is, on the UESP ( I think) information that stats that the ashlanders are struggling because of the limited acess to the lands they once had.

As with every society that under go's a great change they have to adapt. SO I think it sensible to at least presume the ashlanders are not as nomadic as they once where.There is evidence of shalk herds and as they can be herded it wouldnt be too much of an impact on nomadic lifsyle. They are bugs after all and a "shalk mine" as in a cave that houses shalks could give this camp a financial hand to pay of the tributes and for the camp to just live their lives.

I think this is a bloody awesome idea. I've always wanted to see the Ashlanders expanded, and I've always thought it would be cool if someone made a questline where you could become the head of an Ashlander camp. Now I'm not sure if you're gonna do that but any enlarged camp with some quests sounds good to me.

ok so I have some ideas for the "permissions":

- the camp asks the player to be their "representative" after saving the camp from outcast bandit attackers

- Now that they have no reason to fear attack they ask that player that they get the Zannib tribe to recgonise them as an offical camp.

- the Zannib tribe are willing to declare the camp offical and an ally but only if the camp can sustain a financial income. They dont want to be responsible for the camps day to day process and running and in order to gain respect and honour the camp needs to become self sustained..

- Task the player to clear a nearby cave of blighted shalk

- Task the player to obtain newborn shalk form a shalk trader

- Task the player to offer the Zannib a tribute of shalk armor to show they are self-sustaining ( When the player returns the camp has grown by 2 yurts)

- With the Zanib tribe as allies and atesting to their independence the player is now tasked to help establish a larger tribe. The player must travel to Erabenimsun Camp where the wise womans brother risks becoming an outcast and so offers him the chance to join their camp. ( once done a new yurt is added to the camp)

- With the camp now a fair size, recgonised by at least one major camp, sustaining an income from a shalk mine the camp now needs to establish trade links with the other two tribes. With Zannib already an ally and Erabenimsun relations on a low due to the annoance of taking in the wise womans brother the player is task to establish the links with the reamin camps. (This in turn allows a trader to set up in the camp)

- On establishing the links the camp is well on its way to becoming an independant tribe but theres one thing missing. Each of the 4 major camps have been around for years and established histroy and prestige. If Massahanud is to gain the status of major camp it must restore its honour. Yahaz Ashurnasaddas tasks the player to obtain his fathers spear - The spear of Ashurnas, it was stolen from his family after an outcast ashlander raided their home and killed his father.

- With the spear returned the camp has one last yurt to build. The players yurt. As a token of their appreication the player is given a permenant residence within their camp.

So waht do you think?

- the camp asks the player to be their "representative" after saving the camp from outcast bandit attackers

- Now that they have no reason to fear attack they ask that player that they get the Zannib tribe to recgonise them as an offical camp.

- the Zannib tribe are willing to declare the camp offical and an ally but only if the camp can sustain a financial income. They dont want to be responsible for the camps day to day process and running and in order to gain respect and honour the camp needs to become self sustained..

- Task the player to clear a nearby cave of blighted shalk

- Task the player to obtain newborn shalk form a shalk trader

- Task the player to offer the Zannib a tribute of shalk armor to show they are self-sustaining ( When the player returns the camp has grown by 2 yurts)

- With the Zanib tribe as allies and atesting to their independence the player is now tasked to help establish a larger tribe. The player must travel to Erabenimsun Camp where the wise womans brother risks becoming an outcast and so offers him the chance to join their camp. ( once done a new yurt is added to the camp)

- With the camp now a fair size, recgonised by at least one major camp, sustaining an income from a shalk mine the camp now needs to establish trade links with the other two tribes. With Zannib already an ally and Erabenimsun relations on a low due to the annoance of taking in the wise womans brother the player is task to establish the links with the reamin camps. (This in turn allows a trader to set up in the camp)

- On establishing the links the camp is well on its way to becoming an independant tribe but theres one thing missing. Each of the 4 major camps have been around for years and established histroy and prestige. If Massahanud is to gain the status of major camp it must restore its honour. Yahaz Ashurnasaddas tasks the player to obtain his fathers spear - The spear of Ashurnas, it was stolen from his family after an outcast ashlander raided their home and killed his father.

- With the spear returned the camp has one last yurt to build. The players yurt. As a token of their appreication the player is given a permenant residence within their camp.

So waht do you think?

I think the Zainab would probably laugh and take a bit of a haughty position at this point. Perhaps you should include a period of growth for the Massahanud camp prior to any contact with the Zainab, then have a Zainab "emissary" make demands to the Massahanud tribe. "Protection" money, as it were.

Having a quest to make the tribe self-sustained is good, but the..."character" of the Zainab makes it seem unlikely that they would approach a new "upstart" tribe like this in such a kind way. If the quest is offered on the initiative of the tribe in response to the Zainab demands instead, I think it would make more sense.

I still say a Kwama mine would make more sense, but shalks are fine too, I guess.

Wouldn't eggs or something make more sense?

Offering the armour as part of the tribute, along with some other products such as guar hides and whatnot would probably be a good idea at this point, yes.

"With the Zainab tribe no longer a threat" would probably be a better thing to say. The quest idea itself sounds good though.

We seriously need a new name for the "shalk mine". Egg mines are referred to as such because they "mine" eggs...This is just a cave used to breed/keep/raise shalks in.

Anyway, Urshilaku is a bit far away for it to be a good trading partner. Ahemussa and Vos would probably be good choices though. (Though the latter should probably involve a speechcraft/personality/mercantile based stat-roll for it to succeed...And it should be optional. If the player has the right stats, he/she would then be able to establish mercantile relations with Vos, a nearby farming/fishing settlement, and could probably be given some sort of extra reward if he/she was successful, since this would be pretty beneficial.)

Will we be allowed to use it, or will it be kept in the camp? If the former, will you get/make an unique mesh for it?

Neat. Will there also be some sort of monthly trade-based income?

Sounds good to me. Even if you decide not to include any of my suggestions, it seems like it would be fun to play through.

Making the Telvanni wizard the troublemaker sounds sensible, but you'd have to make some changes to how he reacts to the player, as he supposedly won't attack Telvanni players in the vanilla game. (Thus making that quest a bit of a problem for good-aligned Telvanni characters.)

You could do that, or you could take it one step further and make him and his human/elven allies non-hostile until after talking with the big boss himself. Give you a chance to try to convince him to leave the Ashlanders alone and such.

- Task the player to clear a nearby cave of blighted shalk

- Task the player to obtain newborn shalk form a shalk trader