Morrowind: Caius not acknowledging quest

[Adeimantos]

I'm having a problem with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and hope someone
can help me resolve it. Basically, Caius Cosades won't acknowledge the
completion of the Ashlander Informant quest in which I have to meet Hassour
Zainsubani and return with his notes. When I return to Caius to speak to
him about "orders", instead of rewarding me and my journal being updated, he
responds by saying, "As I said, go to the Urshilaku camp [...]". Not only
has he NOT previously spoken to me about the Urshilaku camp quest but, no
matter what I say to him, my journal does not get updated with entries
related to this quest. I think the reason this problem exists is because a
bug in the game allowed me to ask someone about "Urshilaku camp" before I
actually received the quest from Caius. My quest log reveals that I do
indeed already have the Meet Sul-Matuul quest even before I speak to Caius.
Unfortunately, all of my saved games are affected. The only solution, as I
can see it, is to fix this problem with the console command. If anyone
knows how to resolve the quest bug, I would greatly appreciate the help.

-Adeimantos

P.S. There is a similar bug with the Travel to Vivec quest. The solution to
it can be found at http://www.uesp.net/morrow/quest/mq_caius3.shtml and
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Vivec_Informants for those interested.

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

1st Congrats on the time it must have taken you to spell all those names
proper..:)

Did you get the info from Hassour Zainsubani by giving him a present of a
book of poetry ??
According to a walkthrough I use;

"Caius thanks you for your report, but tells you to keep it. He's going to
promote you, and tell you whats going on. You're going to
be sent to the Urshilaku camp that Hassour mentioned.... and get promoted,
too.
-------------- Meet
Sul-Matuul -----------------------------------------------
Faction Reputation Gain: none

You were pulled out of prison and sent to see Caius, right? Because the
Emperor thought that you had the appearance of meeting the conditions of the
Nerevarine prophecies. (So all the mumbo-jumbo people have been talking
about
a mythical Nerevarine... have all been true...) He (Caius) gives you a
decoded copy of
the package you were originally sent to deliver to him, to read in your own
time.

You had the 'appearance' of fulfilling the prophecy, but no-one actually
said
you WERE the Nerevarine. Caius originally thought he was just creating a
persuasive impostor, but now he's not so sure... So he's sending you to the
heads of the Nerevarine cult, at Urshilaku, by the names of Sul-Matuul and
Nibani Maesa. They'll put you to the test, and judge whether you fit the
prophecies.

He'll give you the decoded package, plus 200 drakes for expenses, telling
you to pick up essential supplies at Fort Moonmoth."
Perhaps you need to "ask for promotion".
Mouse
@@@@

[Adeimantos]

I never needed to give Zainsubani a book of poetry because my disposition
with him was high enough that he considered my questions regarding a present
to be a gift in themselves. In any case, I received his notes and they're
still in my inventory. As for asking Caius for a promotion, I'm unable to.
None of the topics I have give me one. I'm unsure of the console command
that will give me one. I tried AddTopic "advancement" but it didn't give me
any new topics.

-Adeimantos

Post by Trimble Bracegirdle
1st Congrats on the time it must have taken you to spell all those names
proper..:)
Did you get the info from Hassour Zainsubani by giving him a present of a
book of poetry ??
According to a walkthrough I use;
"Caius thanks you for your report, but tells you to keep it. He's going to
promote you, and tell you whats going on. You're going to
be sent to the Urshilaku camp that Hassour mentioned.... and get promoted,
too.
-------------- Meet
Sul-Matuul -----------------------------------------------
Faction Reputation Gain: none
You were pulled out of prison and sent to see Caius, right? Because the
Emperor thought that you had the appearance of meeting the conditions of the
Nerevarine prophecies. (So all the mumbo-jumbo people have been talking
about
a mythical Nerevarine... have all been true...) He (Caius) gives you a
decoded copy of
the package you were originally sent to deliver to him, to read in your own
time.
You had the 'appearance' of fulfilling the prophecy, but no-one actually
said
you WERE the Nerevarine. Caius originally thought he was just creating a
persuasive impostor, but now he's not so sure... So he's sending you to the
heads of the Nerevarine cult, at Urshilaku, by the names of Sul-Matuul and
Nibani Maesa. They'll put you to the test, and judge whether you fit the
prophecies.
He'll give you the decoded package, plus 200 drakes for expenses, telling
you to pick up essential supplies at Fort Moonmoth."
Perhaps you need to "ask for promotion".
Mouse
@@@@

[DeAnn]

You don't ask Caius for promotion; he just promotes you. If the game
thinks you have gone on to the next piece of the quest, you might be
able to work around the bug by just going to the Ushiku-whatever camp
and asking to see Sul Matuul.

[Adeimantos]

That's certainly a possibility but I think that it's not possible to
progress in the game without the necessary journal entries and, because of
this bug, I am missing quite a few of them.

-Adeimantos

Post by DeAnn
You don't ask Caius for promotion; he just promotes you. If the game
thinks you have gone on to the next piece of the quest, you might be
able to work around the bug by just going to the Ushiku-whatever camp
and asking to see Sul Matuul.

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

"....by just going to the Ushiku-whatever camp and asking to see Sul
Matuul..."

Its a long trek if it turns out not to work..
Sounds like the 'Bug' is the game expecting you to have given Hassour
Zainsubani
the poetry book...go back to your save-game for that bit & get & give the
Poetry book..
Walk Thru sais;
"...in Ald'ruhn, head to the Ald Skar Inn, There, you'll find
Hassour in the small room below the bar. Ask him about gift-giving customs,
and he'll tell you that a thoughtful gift is the best type, doesn't have to
be
expensive, but well thought out. Oh? For example, he would very much like a
book of poetry, which would be a thoughtful gift because one would have to
know he likes poetry. Bingo.

Downstairs in the main section of the inn, start checking out the small
rooms
for rent. In one, you'll find a red book named the Five Far Stars, of poetry
writted by Ashlanders. Hmmm... take it to Hassour and again ask him about a
thoughtful gift. Ah, you have shown much courtesy, Ashlander, so now he will
show courtesy by answering your questions.

Ask him about the Ashlanders, and there will be too much to tell, but he'll
give you some notes about them"

Mouse
@@@@

[Adeimantos]

I don't think the bug is related to not having given him a poetry book
because after I asked him about a "thoughtful gift" my journal was updated
with the following text: "Hassour Zainsubani said he would take my earnest
thought and effort as a token in place of a gift. Because I behaved
courteously, he is willing to help me, and tell me what wish to know about
the Ashlanders and the Nerevarine cult". In any case, in every save gave
that I have, I already have previously spoken to him and received the notes.
So there's no way I can go back and get the notes with another method.

-Adeimantos

Post by Trimble Bracegirdle
"....by just going to the Ushiku-whatever camp and asking to see Sul
Matuul..."
Its a long trek if it turns out not to work..
Sounds like the 'Bug' is the game expecting you to have given Hassour
Zainsubani
the poetry book...go back to your save-game for that bit & get & give the
Poetry book..
Walk Thru sais;
"...in Ald'ruhn, head to the Ald Skar Inn, There, you'll find
Hassour in the small room below the bar. Ask him about gift-giving customs,
and he'll tell you that a thoughtful gift is the best type, doesn't have
to be
expensive, but well thought out. Oh? For example, he would very much like a
book of poetry, which would be a thoughtful gift because one would have to
know he likes poetry. Bingo.
Downstairs in the main section of the inn, start checking out the small
rooms
for rent. In one, you'll find a red book named the Five Far Stars, of poetry
writted by Ashlanders. Hmmm... take it to Hassour and again ask him about a
thoughtful gift. Ah, you have shown much courtesy, Ashlander, so now he will
show courtesy by answering your questions.
Ask him about the Ashlanders, and there will be too much to tell, but he'll
give you some notes about them"
Mouse
@@@@

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

Oh I think I see !...you spoke to Hassour and got the info. before you were
'properly' given the quest ..
Once (just for the fun of it) I tried carrying out some quests ..like
collecting something 1st..and then going to the
'Proper' Quest giver afterwards to see how the game would respond...
Sometime's it accepted the Quest as done ..sometimes not...where one does
this in a part of
a multi-part complex quest it breaks ...when its a simple 'go get whatever
and I'll give you gold"
one can get the thing in advance .
I think you may have to start again from very early .don't think it can be
sorted with console commands..
OR you could kill Caius OR do in that lot up at the Sul-Matuul camp
(miserable pack of money hungry moaners)
And totally break the main quest ...there is at least one other way to
complete the main game..
Mouse
@@@@

[Adeimantos]

Post by Trimble Bracegirdle
Oh I think I see !...you spoke to Hassour and got the info. before you
were 'properly' given the quest ..

No, Caius had already given me the quest. The problem is that before I
returned to Caius to complete that quest, I spoke to someone who gave me a
journal entry for the next quest. So, when I finally got back to Caius, he
wouldn't acknowledge the quest that I'd come to complete.

-Adeimantos

[Adeimantos]

I think I may have figured out a way to fix my game. Since the problem is
almost certainly the result of having a journal entry that I should not yet
have, if I'm able to delete it, the problem should be resolved. I need to
delete journal entry A2_1_MeetSulMatuul 2. I know, to add it, you open up
the console and type Journal "A2_1_MeetSulMatuul" 2 but how do you delete a
journal entry?

-Adeimantos

Note: Journal entry A2_1_MeetSulMatuul 2 reads "Nuleno Tedas gave me
directions to Urshilaku camp. The camp is due north from Maar Gan, but high
ridges lie in the way. Follow Foyada Bani-Dad, a deep ravine just north of
Maar Gan, northwest to the sea. A shipwreck at the seamouth of the ravine is
a landmark. Swim east around the headland. Pass east through the ruins of
Assurnabitashpi Shrine. Urshilaku Camp lies east of the ruins, inland in a
low hollow".

Post by Adeimantos
I'm having a problem with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and hope
someone can help me resolve it. Basically, Caius Cosades won't
acknowledge the completion of the Ashlander Informant quest in which I
have to meet Hassour Zainsubani and return with his notes. When I return
to Caius to speak to him about "orders", instead of rewarding me and my
journal being updated, he responds by saying, "As I said, go to the
Urshilaku camp [...]". Not only has he NOT previously spoken to me about
the Urshilaku camp quest but, no matter what I say to him, my journal does
not get updated with entries related to this quest. I think the reason
this problem exists is because a bug in the game allowed me to ask someone
about "Urshilaku camp" before I actually received the quest from Caius.
My quest log reveals that I do indeed already have the Meet Sul-Matuul
quest even before I speak to Caius. Unfortunately, all of my saved games
are affected. The only solution, as I can see it, is to fix this problem
with the console command. If anyone knows how to resolve the quest bug, I
would greatly appreciate the help.
-Adeimantos
P.S. There is a similar bug with the Travel to Vivec quest. The solution
to it can be found at http://www.uesp.net/morrow/quest/mq_caius3.shtml and
http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Vivec_Informants for those interested.

[Adeimantos]

I finally solved the problem. And I was right about needing to delete the
journal entry. The console command I used was SetJournalIndex. It
basically sets the journal to whatever index you want. Since I needed to
set the quest completely back, I put it to zero: SetJournalIndex
"A2_1_MeetSulMatuul" 0. After that, Caius acknowledged the quest I'd done
for him.

-Adeimantos

Post by Adeimantos
I think I may have figured out a way to fix my game. Since the problem is
almost certainly the result of having a journal entry that I should not yet
have, if I'm able to delete it, the problem should be resolved. I need to
delete journal entry A2_1_MeetSulMatuul 2. I know, to add it, you open up
the console and type Journal "A2_1_MeetSulMatuul" 2 but how do you delete a
journal entry?
-Adeimantos
Note: Journal entry A2_1_MeetSulMatuul 2 reads "Nuleno Tedas gave me
directions to Urshilaku camp. The camp is due north from Maar Gan, but
high ridges lie in the way. Follow Foyada Bani-Dad, a deep ravine just
north of Maar Gan, northwest to the sea. A shipwreck at the seamouth of
the ravine is a landmark. Swim east around the headland. Pass east through
the ruins of Assurnabitashpi Shrine. Urshilaku Camp lies east of the
ruins, inland in a low hollow".

Post by Adeimantos
I'm having a problem with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and hope
someone can help me resolve it. Basically, Caius Cosades won't
acknowledge the completion of the Ashlander Informant quest in which I
have to meet Hassour Zainsubani and return with his notes. When I return
to Caius to speak to him about "orders", instead of rewarding me and my
journal being updated, he responds by saying, "As I said, go to the
Urshilaku camp [...]". Not only has he NOT previously spoken to me about
the Urshilaku camp quest but, no matter what I say to him, my journal
does not get updated with entries related to this quest. I think the
reason this problem exists is because a bug in the game allowed me to ask
someone about "Urshilaku camp" before I actually received the quest from
Caius. My quest log reveals that I do indeed already have the Meet
Sul-Matuul quest even before I speak to Caius. Unfortunately, all of my
saved games are affected. The only solution, as I can see it, is to fix
this problem with the console command. If anyone knows how to resolve
the quest bug, I would greatly appreciate the help.
-Adeimantos
P.S. There is a similar bug with the Travel to Vivec quest. The solution
to it can be found at http://www.uesp.net/morrow/quest/mq_caius3.shtml
and http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Vivec_Informants for those
interested.

[Trimble Bracegirdle]

I'm offering my apologies 'cause I.ve been sitting here thinking "that poor
sod Adeimantos ..
never going to sort that problem that way."
And you have ..and taught me some thing I didn't know Re: the Console
commands..
Still... think you shouild still consider killing that old Poof Caius to
break the 'Proper' main Quest
and taking the "Dark side" through...
you like to drink Blood ..yes? maybe ?
Mouse
@@@