MAIN QUEST LINE:
Dining With a King
The player must travel to Dune and convince Ri'saad, the Thalmor-loving King of Anequina, to turn against them and swear allegiance to the Mane. The player makes claim to be the Mane's Ri-zeri, to which the King scoffs and beckons his personal guard, Do'zaddar, a hulking armoured Cathay-raht. Ri'saad states that he should have Do'zaddar crush the intruder's head for mentioning that poisoned name in his halls. If the player can defeat his most revered warrior-guard, the King shall hear the player's case.
The player then faces Do'zaddar in the proving grounds outside the city walls, a jungle arena. The player can defeat Do'zaddar in numerous ways:
1) In open combat. This is a stiff test, as Do'zaddar is a respected warrior, and should only be considered when the player has leveled-up sufficiently.
2) Making use of the trees and natural cover to defeat him by stealth.
3) By furtively spiking his meat beforehand with a laxative (Having visited Ri'saad's court first hand, Dra'zanji knows Do'zaddar to do battle only on a full stomach).
In defeat, Do'zaddar is stripped of his title of Do and exiled from the court of Ri'saad. Heartbroken, he offers to become a companion of the Ri-zeri in a bid to prove his mettle.
Ri'saad compliments either the player's skill or cunning, and agrees to listen. The player explains the situation regarding the Mane and the blessed royal bloodlines, but King Ri'saad is sceptical. How is he to know this is not the deranged fever dream of some sugar junkie the player met? The player can choose to:
1) Disclose the Empire's plan in full. This impresses the King, as it shows bravery and a singular nature to reveal the Empire's plan to one who is presently allied to the Thalmor. However, Tasellis Lucius will be furious with this choice.
2) Disclose in full the Mane's plan to climb Khenarthi's breath. This initially angers the King, as it implies his Thalmor saviours erroneously or maliciously brought the two moons back in a way that prevents the Mane's return, but he acknowledges that only a Clan Mother would know the intricacies of the Khajiit's sacred customs, and if a Clan Mother trusted an outsider with such knowledge, then the player should be given a fair opportunity. This choice will disappoint Dra'zanji, who does not trust the King to not reveal this sacred knowledge to the Thalmor.
3) Point to previous examples of the Ri-Zeri's success. This requires the player to have performed other "Climbing Khenarthi's Breath" quests. Ri'saad however will not be swayed by the words of street urchins and criminals who claim to be royalty. He calls the player a charlatan, and it is up to the player to prove him wrong. Your disposition with the King is dramatically lowered.
4) If the Empire have amassed significant territory around the city of Dune (refer Territory), the player can remind the King of this fact. While he is not impressed by the player's thinly-veiled threat, he admits his love of his people and concedes that a violent coup of his city should be avoided. This choice will please or displease certain companions. Tasellis Lucius for example, would be pleased with this show of diplomatic prowess.
5) Use contextual persuasion options. This requires the player to have unlocked relevant feats (refer FEATS) and utilise them to persuade the King. Ri'saad is a proud Khajiit, who admires strength and cunning in combat, and so relevant feats will sway him. The Warlord feat, unlocked after the player has slayed a thousand NPCs, will impress him. Bear in mind, you only have one chance to persuade NPCs, and such boasts will not impress certain followers.
Ri'saad agrees to imbibe the Sugar with the player and consult with the Mane.
Above: Concept art for Do'zaddar (Originally taken from the Ajani Goldmane character, Magic: the Gathering).