Ethexae has an opinion meter, just like every other Elector. That opinion changes on quite a few different actions. As far as I can tell, if Zorana is repeatedly taking actions that are not in accordance with Ethexae's expectations about how a Myrkkan Empress should act, a successful quest won't result in recruitment. Without dropping spoilers, some actions are very much more influential than others.
The quest is, however, important to Ethexae's opinion - play badly enough, and even behaviour that supports Ethexae's expectations elsewhere will not save the situation.
More details under rot13:
Guvatf gung qrsvavgryl cyrnfr Rgurknr (gb n terngre be yrffre rkgrag):
Abg ivfvgvat Zlexxn V hagvy yngr va gur tnzr. Fur vf na vzcbegnag crefbantr, naq hayvxr n pregnva Gunexna ryrpgbe, qbrf abg npprcg ireony rkphfrf!
Ershfvat/erwrpgvat/abg qbvat evghnyf gung ner abg cneg bs gur fnpen'f sbezny oryvrs flfgrz. Pbafvqre jnvgvat hagvy Rgurknr'f nccebiny vf bognvarq orsber qbvat guvatf yvxr ivfvgvat gur Oyvaq Zbba be qbvat gur Ghea 31 pelfgny evghny.
Orvat bireyl avpr gb Xebibf. Rira gbyrengvat uvf zvfgnxrf ng gur erprcgvba (orsber lbh pna unir yrnearq nobhg uvf habegubqbk oryvrsf) znl ybjre Rgurknr'f bcvavba bs lbh, naq qbvat uvf dhrfg jvyy nyfb ybjre Rgurknr'f bcvavba. (Univat uvz nqivfr bcrayl ba fcvevghny znggref vf evtug bhg, sbe ernfbaf gung V ubcr ner boivbhf).
Ncneg sebz gung, ure bcvavbaf frrz gb ynetryl pbeeryngr jvgu gur Fgne Nqzveny'f bcvavbaf Nvz gb vzcerff gur Fgne Nqzveny naq lbh jvyy cebonoyl svaq Rgurknr jvyy or rnfvre gb xrrc vagrerfgrq.
Terrg gur Zlexxnaf svefg, vs fgvyy gelvat gb pbaivapr Rgurknr ol gur Whovyrr. V qb abg xabj vs fur fraqf nffnffvaf, ohg ure bcvavba jvyy gnax vs nalbar ryfr vf terrgrq svefg orpnhfr fur vf Zlexxna naq gur bgure enprf unir gurve bja snvgu genqvgvbaf.
V qb abg xabj vs Rgurknr xabjf Ibfuxbg jnf va gur Abina artbgvngvba pensg vs n frperg eraqrmibhf vf pbzcyrgrq. Fur qbrf xabj vs Mbenan zrffrf hc n orgenlny. (Fur cersref n fhpprffshy orgenlny gb na hafhpprffshy bar). Fur nyfb qbrfa'g yvxr orvat gbb avpr gb gur Abinaf, fb vs Mbenan unfa'g gur fxvyyf gb qb nalguvat rkprcg qb gur genqr be nibvq gur Arhgeny Mbar naq qb fbzrguvat ryfr, fur fubhyq qb gur ynggre.
Nf sbe gur dhrfg vgfrys:
Gur fvtavsvpnapr bs qrvgl grnz vf erirnyrq ol Fcvevghnyvgl purpx. V qba'g guvax Rgurknr punatrf ure bcvavba onfrq ba grnz fryrpgvba - obgu pubvprf ner inyvq.
Fur irel zhpu qbrf pner nobhg lbhe tbny sbe gur zngpu, fvapr gur jnl lbh cynl vf ersyrpgrq va gung tbny.
Fur jnagf gb xabj nobhg lbh jura znxvat gur whqtzrag. Tb sbe n ebyr jvgu ivfvovyvgl, nf ybat nf Mbenan unf gur fxvyyf gb znxr n fhpprff bs vg. Zbfg bcgvbaf nsgre ebyr fryrpgvba ner bccbeghavgvrf sbe vaqvivqhny ivfvovyvgl - gnxr nqinagntr bs nyy gur barf jurer Mbenan pna fhpprrq.
Svanyyl: lrf, vg vf cbffvoyr gb qvr va gur zngpu. Gurer vf ab cbvag vzcerffvat Rgurknr vs Mbenan vf gbb qrnq gb npprcg gur guebar.