Parts of this quest can be completed before the prerequisite quest or out of order. You can talk to Avik and then the Yokudans without the Dwarven gear. Additionally, you can fix and use the telescope first if you already have the gear.
Avik, the Snake Charmer
East of the Silversmith's in the town's market, you may encounter a snake charmer playing music for his snake. You cannot enter conversation normally; Cyrus will just comment that he looks preoccupied. To talk to him, select gold as your current item and tip him 1 gold. He thanks you and says his name is Avik. Ask him either about music or about Stros M'Kai and the murders he mentions. This unlocks the topic "Yokudan Lad" in which he informs you of the recent murder of Hayle by the city guards. Hayle was a Yokudan boy who lived with his family north of town. You can optionally continue the dialogue and discover that Iszara was with Hayle the day he died.
The Yokudans
Travel to the Yokudan camp north of town and talk with the boy. He is reluctant to share any information and prevents you from talking to his mother. To make him open up, mention Hayle. This is the only topic you actually have to ask, but you should also figure out what his mother, Saban, is doing.
He explains that the necromancer N'Gasta has set a soul snare over the island to capture the souls of those who die and do not receive the proper rituals. For the Yokudans, this is the song of passage to show their spirits the way to the "other side", meaning the Far Shores. Saban is a powerful witch and would be able to pass Hayle's soul through the snare if he were not born under the sign of the Serpent, whose path cannot be predicted. All she can do for now is chant to keep his soul from getting caught. The two starstones placed on the sand map nearby must be moved to align with the head and tail of the Serpent. Coyle asks for your help; your choice to agree or not does not affect whether you can continue the quest.
Coyle keeps you from picking up the starstones until you know what you're doing. You might want to study the sand map for a minute to see how it is organized. There are several patterns to discover and Coyle's rhymes about the constellations may clarify these. In particular, there are twelve marks for the twelve constellations: three squares for the guardians and nine for their charges. There is one guardian and three charges in each ring; these are all watched by the guardian of that ring.
Fixing the Telescope
Before doing anything else, it would be a good idea to consult the book Ffoulkes Firmament at J'ffer's Books. You can examine it from the bookshelves rather than buy it. The text explains that the Warrior is the current season and he will look left, right, or forward at the charge of his that the Serpent is threatening.
To determine the position of the Serpent's head and tail, you need to use the telescope at the Observatory on the road to Saintsport. You should talk to Erasmo, who will tell you the telescope is broken and he needs a Dwarven gear to fix it. Assuming you have explored the Dwarven Ruins, you now have one and he says to install the gear on the far side of the gear room.
The gear room is down below and can be accessed by stepping on the button next to the large rectangular floor panel on the opposite side of the orrery. Take the elevator down and head north down the stairs to Erasmo's room. Turn the wheel here to disable the hot steam that burned Erasmo's legs. You can now head south from the elevator. Follow the narrow walkway going straight ahead. Avoid the moving platform, climb up and around the central pillar, and jump to the platform below on the other side, being careful not to touch the glowing red pipes. Drop beneath this to reach the slot where you can insert the gear. A convenient elevator back upstairs is found to the south through the door.
Using the Telescope
With the telescope fixed, you can go ahead and use it. Notice the star chart on the ceiling: it is almost identical to the sand map at the Yokudan camp, but the squares and circles are now blue and yellow runes. These correspond with the panels lining the walls around the orrery. The Warrior is the fourth panel from the right, with the blue rune shaped like a backward L. Step on the rune button to move the telescope over to it. Use the telescope's lift to get to the top and turn the wheel twice to pitch the telescope at its highest setting. As the star chart shows, there are three rings and the Warrior is in the outermost one, corresponding to the telescope's highest setting. Look through the telescope and you'll see that the Warrior is looking forward! This means the charge directly across from him on the star chart is being threatened, namely the Lord.
The Lord's panel is fourth from the left and his rune is similar to the Warrior's but yellow and rotated a bit counterclockwise. Move the telescope over and look through the telescope again. There is no need to change the telescope's pitch as the Lord is in the same ring. You'll see that the Lord and Serpent's head are in the same view. Its tail can be seen if you pitch the telescope at the medium level. You only have to see one of the two for Cyrus to have the required knowledge to pick up the starstones.
Place the Starstones
The diagram to the right indicates with red dots where the Serpent's head and tail are located. You should return to the Yokudan camp and place the starstones in these positions. The diagram is oriented so up is north. When you are done, Coyle congratulates you and Saban speaks to you for the first time, saying, "Tro dura-hi, Sura." Indeed, she only speaks the traditional Yoku language and Coyle has to translate for her. "Sura" means Cyrus.
