Nikulas’ Future is a miscellaneous quest in the Dragonborn DLC, picked up in the Skaal Village on Solstheim. Edla is worried about her son Nikulas, who dreams of glory, monsters and treasure far from home, and she wants an experienced adventurer to talk some sense into him. Who better than the Dragonborn?
How to start
The quest becomes available after The Fate of the Skaal. Speak to Edla in the Skaal Village; she explains that Nikulas wants to leave and asks you to persuade him to stay.
Walkthrough
Find Nikulas
During the day Nikulas is usually outside, often sitting on a bench near the Greathall. Ask him about leaving. He is tired of a life of farming, fishing and deer hunting and wants to make a name for himself, and he assumes someone like you cannot understand how dull Skaal life is.
Convince him to stay
Any of the following answers does the trick:
- Offer to help him get started – he is surprised, but when you then hand him something and ask him to give his mother more time, he admits she still mourns his father and swears not to leave until she is ready.
- Tell him the world is dangerous and he is not ready – he decides to train with Wulf Wild-Blood and try again in three or four winters.
- Ask if he would abandon his mother when she needs him most – he concedes she has not been herself since his father died and that he has neglected his duties as a son and as a Skaal.
Report to Edla
Go back to Edla with the good news. She is overjoyed, calls you a true friend of the Skaal, and apologises that she has little to give someone who already has so much – then hands you a bundle of herbs that grow only on the island.
Rewards
- 5 Ashen Grass Pods
- 5 Scathecraw
- 5 Emperor Parasol Moss
Tips and notes
- All three persuasion options lead to the same result, so pick whichever fits your character.
- The source does not say what you hand Nikulas with the ‘Take this’ line, so treat it as a token gesture rather than a set gold amount.
- The herbs Edla gives you are Solstheim-only alchemy ingredients, which makes them handy for experimenting with new recipes.
- The quest’s journal includes a ‘quest failed’ stage, but the source does not describe what causes it.
