GETTING STARTED.
The quest begins as soon as you become Champion of Cyrodiil, or immediately if you are already the Champion. Once triggered, a NPC called VICENZA will set out from Verona Bay to find you. This may take her some time if you are on the move. She will look for you in any of the major cities, except Kvatch. She will only find you in exterior locations, so don’t wait in the pub.
Once she locates you she will begin a conversation and trigger the first quest.
MEET THE MERCHANT.
This is a brief introductory quest aimed at getting you off and running.
When she finds you, Vicenza will give you the Verona House brochure, and invite you to join her master, SALVA HARDING at Verona Bay, for a chat.
This will add a journal update and a quest marker. Make your way to the town.
Throughout this guide I have used the following descriptions to describe the chief locations in and around the town of Verona Bay.
VERONA BAY: Refers to both the township and the cove where it is located.
NORTHERN PLAZA: The enclosed area to the north of the town, featuring the enclosed square with the large statue. This is the hub of much of the social activity in the town. This is seen as the more affluent end of town, and it’s occupants are known locally as Northenders.
HIGH STREET: Verona House, Brandyworth’s and the Gatehouse form this area. This is the central area of the town, but is mainly used as a transit area for those moving between the North and Southern points.
WATERFRONT STREET: The stretch close to the bay stretching from the Unruly Wife to the Grand stairs. Seen by locals as the poorer end of town, locals call residents of this area, Southsiders.
If you ask around Verona Bay you might learn that Salva has lived in town for a good few years and that he is well liked. You might also pick up that a book called ‘The History of Verona House’ is available from Brandyworth’s. It comes in three volumes. There is also a book called a ‘Brief Guide to Verona Bay’. Valarii Brandyworth, the armorer will suggest that the house maybe cursed.
You will probably find Harding at home or around the Northern Plaza. Speak to Harding and he will offer to acquire Verona House for you. He will explain that the owners do not want cash, but they do want you to use a thing called an Imperial Credit Certificates. These are secured bonds that can be transferred abroad.
He will explain that he will provide the first of these certificates and that he will use his list of contacts to help you get the other four certificates you will need to get the house, but you will probably need to do a service for the contact to earn them.
He will then ask you to talk to him again when you want the first assignment.
AUGER’S NIECE
CHORROL BOUND
When you speak to Harding, he will give you the name of your first client.
He is called AUGER and is a businessman from Hammerfell. Apparently, his niece and ward, has run away from home and he has managed to track her to Chorrol where the trail has gone cold. You will need to head to Chorrol and help him find his niece.
When you get to Chorrol, run the rumour mill to find out that Auger is usually in the Oak and Crosier, and not at all liked. Meet him there and he will confirm this impression. He will insult everyone he can and generally give a bad impression, but he is your meal ticket.
He will explain that he comes from a small town in Hammerfell called Vanishing Falls and that his niece MIRABELLA has gone missing. Apparently she had fallen in love with a wandering thief and was due to meet him here in Chorrol. Auger has made sure the thief, VASQUEZ VALDERAMA, did not make the appointment, and suggests that Vasquez is being held captive. He wants you to turn on the charm and find his little girl.
He’ll tell you to bring word of Mirabella to him at a cottage just south of Chorrol. You will get a new journal entry as a result. He then heads off to the cottage with his Bodyguard in tow.
FIND THE GIRL
Asking around Chorrol about Mirabella will yield little of use. However, ask about Vanishing Falls and you will be told that a resident called AURELLIA grew up there. Ask about Aurellia and you will be told she keeps herself to herself, but you will also be directed toward the merchants and beggars as the source of more useful information.
It is here that you finally get a break. Each merchant gives you an important clue. You will need to run down a total of four of the five clues to get the stage update setting Aurellia as a target.
Renoit’s Books: You get told that she never took Aurellia for a reader but suddenly she’ among her best customers.
Smith: She suddenly came in a bought a silver sword.
The Oak and Crossier: She has been coming in every night since Auger arrived in town. She never speaks but does watch him at times. Bar man thinks, she is a bit sweet on him.
Northern Trade and Goods: She tried to sell an amulet but it turned out to be worthless. She was convinced it was very valuable.
Beggars: You will get a break down of Aurellia’s day.
Mornings shopping
Lunch at home,
Afternoons in chapel,
Evenings in the bar,
Night at home.
Once you have collected at least four clues, you will get a journal entry to investigate Aurellia.
Mirabella is in fact hiding out in the hidden basement of Aurellia’s shack
You have a number of approaches here.
The shack is located behind the castle. It is clear Aurellia scrapes a living as
small-
Alternatively you can pick Aurellia’s pocket (Sneak skill 70) to get her key.
Another approach is to chat with Aurellia and charm her.
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She will tell you where Mirabella is and beg you to help her. She will tell you not to trust Auger and that whatever reward he promised he cannot deliver on it as he is penniless. She will give you the key to her place.
You will find Mirabella downstairs in a basement, look behind the tapestry to the right of the front door. If you search, you will find a few Easter egg letters in there.
You can avoid any further chitchat, by going to see Auger as soon as you get the Journal prompt that you have located Mirabella. (There is a payoff in the ENDGAME as a result of your actions here)
However, if you have been paying attention, you should have some suspicions about Auger, so talk to Mirabella to get her side of things.
Talk to Mirabella and she will tell you her story. Auger is her uncle, but he is penniless and Mirabella is the heir to her mother’s fortune. Auger does not want her; he wants her money.
A few weeks ago, her mother came to her and gave her an amulet, which she said, was the most important jewel in Cyradiil. She begged Mirabella to flee with the amulet. Mirabella was unsure. However, the following day her mother was dead. She suspects Auger of poisoning her.
Mirabella went into hiding with her lover Vasquez, an adventurer just like you. Vasquez went on a head to ensure a safe haven here in Chorrol, one of the letters in the basement, will support this.
When Mirabella arrived Vasquez had disappeared, you can confirm that Auger has him prisoner. Mirabella will promise to give your ICC, if you can rescue her man.
She proposes a risky strategy. You will give her up to Auger, and when he takes her away, Aurellia will follow, to find out where they have gone. She wants you to lay low until Aurellia gets back and reveals her whereabouts. Mirabella will stay tight lipped about the location of the amulet.
THE PLAN
If you choose the plan route, you’ll get bumped to Aurellia to let her in on the plan.
Whether, you hear Mirabella out and go along with her plan or decide to turn her in from the start, you need to head south to find Auger’s Cottage and talk to the unpleasant little man.
What happens next depends on your approach. You can kill Auger; however his guards will take exception as will the law. If you kill Auger, you will be prompted to search the cottage by Mirabella who will be furious that you have killed the only man who knew where Vasquez was hiding
The easier approach is to turn Mirabella in, as planned. Once you turn Mirabella in, he will ask you to stay put until he can confirm your story. He will bar the door behind him, leaving you locked in the cottage. You get a prompt to search the cottage.
Search the place. You will need to find a letter to trigger the next phase. It easy to find it’s right by the door, where Auger in his haste dropped it.
The letter is a quest item and you will be prompted to go back for it if you leave it behind. The letter identifies that Auger is in fact raising funds for a group called the NIGHT BRETHREN.
It seems that they have need of the funds to carry out some grand design. Auger has also lost an amulet, which is regarded by the Night Brethren as vital.
The letter also names two key strongholds of the Night Brethren. The first is called Anin Sullia, the records depository, and the second is Mirandahal the headquarters.
Finally the letter talks about an accountant near Bravil. While the information in the letter means nothing to you now, in time all will become clear.
You can now loot the place if you like, because Auger is not coming back. You have been had.
Shortly after you find the letter, Aurellia will to appear to rescue you. This will
take about 1-
This is a good news/ bad news situation. Aurellia’s comments will depend on whether you where part of the plan or not, but the gist is the same. Auger’s guards have abducted Mirabella.
Note if you killed Auger, this will happen when you find the letter
If want that ICC reward, you will need to free Aurellia. If you head back to Salva he will confirm this strategy. Auger is clearly not about to pay you. The clue letter mentioned the Abandoned Prison. Aurelia has never heard of this. But, she will point you in the direction of the all knowing beggars.
Have a chat with the Chorrol beggars and they will tell you how they played there quite often in their mythical childhood and identify it on your map. They will also talk about Mirabella’s abduction, in case you missed the conversation with Aurellia.
(Note the Abandoned Prison is located near the DLC Fighter’s Fortress. I put it there long before the DLC release. It does not seem to conflict.)
THE ABANDONED PRISON
Head to the location and a solitary guard will face you, by the entrance. He will attack you, on your approach. Auger’s guys are no longer on your friends. This guard holds the key to the prison entrance, which is via a well inside one of the ruined towers.
Enter to get the next quest update.
Inside the abandoned prison, you will face a two level fort ruin style dungeon.
Augers bodyguard occupies the upper level until the final rooms. Sneak, or battle past these. They are all hostile, marked as evil and free to kil.
Suddenly things change. You’ll enter a large chamber with a bridge across it and two flights of stairs at the end, climb the stairs and enter the back corridor. Here you will be faced by a figure in a strange cloak. This will become all too familiar later on. He’ll attack. Kill him, and search his body for a cell key.
In one of the two cells on the back corridor you will find a naked and weak Vasquez. He will thank you and tell you he is too weak to fight, but begs you to find Mirabella. He has managed to keep the key to the second level hidden and gives it to you. Where he kept this is anyone’s guess. The other cell contains some decent loot.
He will point out that these vampires are the Night Brethren. They are clearly an organized bunch He will then head back to Chorrol, in a hurry after begging you to find Mirabella.
On the 2nd level you will find more Vampires in a series of caves decorated with a mysterious but about to become very familiar banner before it breaks out into a fort ruin again.
Here you will find Auger if alive, a Vampire called GENERAL JUS and Mirabella.
Kill both Auger and Jus and search their bodies.
Jus has the key to Mirabella’s cell.
Talk to her and then use the follow/wait topics to escort her safely back to Chorrol. She is not marked as essential, but it would be nice to keep her alive. Again the quest works either way but there is a pay off in the endgame.
CHORROL AGAIN
Once back in the shack she will promise an ICC once she gets back to Hammerfell. You’ll be prompted to go see Vasquez .He should be waiting in the cottage, and hopefully the fellow has put some clothes on. In fact you only really need to see Vasquez. He will give you a second quest item the amulet.
If Mirabella dies he will then say he is setting off for Hammerfell to talk to Mirabella’s kin. If she is alive he will say he must escort her home. He will promise to return and repay his debt to you, and
The only thing left is to return empty handed to Harding, and see what’s going on. Harding will be shocked by the turn of events. He will take both the amulet and letter from you and promise to try to get your payment.
He will then tell you he plans to investigate the next client personally and asks you to give him a few days If you follow him, he will set out of Skingard and visit Valmar Sextius.
He will then head back to Verona Bay.
Return when prompted and he will give you the next assignment.
BURDEN OF DEBT
SKINGRAD INVESTIGATION
The next client is Toutius Sextius’s son, VALMAR SEXTIUS. Harding will instruct you to go to the West Weald Inn. It appears Valmar does not want to meet openly. You are to get the instructions from the innkeeper. The innkeeper will give you a letter. You are to meet Valmar, just outside the East Gate, between ten and midnight. When he turns up he will explain the problem. If you try to contact in town he will blow you off.
He is in fact an agent for the Count of Skingrad. The town has been plagued by a number of disappearances. The press has got hold of the story, and the Count wants a discrete investigation.
Valmar will give you a copy of the paper and suggest you talk to the next of kin/friend of the missing people, starting with him. He will say he will leave a message at the West Weald if he needs to speak to you. Approach him at any other time and he will blank you. He will stop going to the meeting point until he has contacted you again
The five missing people are
BERRA GAUNT :-
ROBET :-
HAMNER :-
NERASTAREL :-
CAMERON GARLAND :-
At sometime during your clue hunt, Valmar will leave a message at the Inn for you to contact him. You must have spoken to him, the Hotel owner and at least two of the three remaining clues to trigger the quest update.
You should go to the usual meeting place at the usual time.
When you attend the meeting with Valmar, you will be told Cameron Garland has turned up alive but very afraid. Valmar will ask you to wait to meet Cameron, and then come and find him. The time for secrecy is at an end.
DICE DEN
Cameron appears a short time later. He explains the background plot.
A group called themselves the Rolling Dice Gang are running a gambling den in the Rolling Dice Inn. They are supported by a guard called Fante. The den is perfectly legal thanks to Fante’s influence.
However, the gang are allowing players to play for credit. Once in debt they charge exorbitant interest rates which they enforce with malice. They offer players the chance to clear debts by performing special services. Cameron chose to flee rather than pay his debts or try the special services. It appears that those who chose the special service option have gone missing.
The club is a private members group and you need to obtain a password from Fante before JUG POTTER will give you key to the dice room. Cameron will give you the introduction he received from Berra Gaunt. After he is done he flees, and will be found later in Verona Bay.
You will be prompted to talk to Valmar. You don’t actually have to. However, to make progress you will need to get in to debt. This means you will need to gamble on credit with less than 50 GP in your inventory. Valmar can save you some cash. He also explains the strategy to move forward. You can locate Valmar at one of his various haunts around town, or wandering the streets, if you want to talk to him later.
Valmar will confirm the Den is legal and that you have no authority to go in swords blazing. (In fact at the moment doing so breaks the quest). Valmar suggests you need to lose all your money, get in debt, and then see where the special services lead you.
He will offer to hold your gold for you. Use it or lose it. (He does not actually have the gold on his person if you try to pickpocket him) He will leave you with 50 septims to gamble with. He is the count’s man and is very trustworthy.
The Den is situated near the horsed statue by the West Gate. Fante will mark it on your map with the introduction and provide a password. Inside is JUG POTTER who demands the password.
You can go in swords blazing but you will incur the wrath of the law, and miss out on a whole lot of fun, and at the moment break the quest.
(I need to look carefully at the options here for direct action fans. It strikes me as silly to reward foolish aggression when the player has been cautioned by two NPC’s not to do so. However, I don’t like quest breakers.)
With a password the innkeeper will provide a key for the upper floor. This is the location of the gambling room. Talk to GRU who should be seated in the gambling room. and then when prompted play the game.
Its simple enough state your bet 10 septims, 25 or 50. Roll the dice shaped activator on the table. If you beat the boss you win. If you equal or go below you lose.
When you haven’t got enough money to match your bet, the boss will offer you credit. Take it. Lose again. If you win big, you can always run back to Valmar and offload your new found wealth. He will always remove all your gold except for 50 septims. If you have less than 50 septims he will not do it.
Lose using credit and you are now in the society’s debt. The boss will make it plain that the want 1000 septims per day to repay your loan or you will be plagued by aggressive debt collectors until you do. Alternatively, you could do them a service. To make further progress in the quest, without getting aggressive, select special service. After 24 hours a bouncer will come and attack you. This will go on everyday until you settle your debt, do the service or die.
To progress you need to select the special service option.
THE FIRST RULE OF FIGHT CLUB
When you select service, you are sent to the basement of the Tavern, the entry way is behind the bar in the corner. Here you will be invited to fight to pay off your debt. The fights will be unarmed combat, but will not be to the death. It’s a Cyradiil bare knuckle boxing type of thing. You will need to remove all your items, before you enter the ‘Arena’ part of the quest.
Refuse and you won’t be able to make progress.
(If you attack the female fight attendant, you will end the quest and might get stuck. I will look at this in time.)
You will be warned against killing your opponents, so tone down the use of magic.
The fight process is this.
1. Talk first to Ossuna the fight attendant about the next fight.(She will then have no active topics)
2. ‘activate’ the spectators and set up the fight by pulling the activator rope in your room. (this will not operate until you talk to Ossuna)
3. Then walk down the stairs into the fight hall. You will notice there is now an audience behind the cage, and a wooden frame now blocks the cell to your left. There is an activator on the wall of the ante room to the right. Push it. Pushing this releases the fighter.
4. It usually takes a little time for the fighter to become truly active, two to five seconds. So use this time to crash in and wail on him. Punch away until the fight is stopped.
5. Either you win and the opponent is teleported away or you lose and you are
6. Return and talk to Ossuna about winning.
7. Return and talk about the next opponent to reset the rope for the next bout.
You can face 5 opponents that each get increasingly hard to beat, but it is fun trying.
If you lose any of the fights you will ‘black out’ and be moved to a new section of the dungeon.
If you win the first four fights you will need to talk to the fight attendant. She will congratulate you and tell you to heal and then talk to her again.
Whatever happens in the fifth fight you will be transferred to the ‘loser’ cell.
The fights are rigged. Sorry if this is a disappointment.
Your debt has been cleared but now you are in big trouble.
ESCAPE AND RETRIEVE
You now have two problems. You are locked in a cell and you have no gear, even your quest items are missing.
The loser cell is occupied by JUST POTTER, the landlord’s brother. He will tell you that you are about to be fed to vampires.
He explains how the Rolling Dice gang muscled in on the family business. He is being
held hostage to ensure his brother and sister’s co-
If you struggle with lock picking, you will need to save and improve. He is too scared to try to escape himself, but if you can clear the way he will try to get out. Outside are two rooms, one has a guard and some loose weapons; the other contains some locked chests with loot and your belongings. Just will give you a heads up about the guards’ schedule, so you can time your escape for a moment when the guard is sleeping. However, since you can’t tell the time this is a bit useless. Remember you are naked and unarmed. A fight between you and the guard will be short and not likely to your advantage.
You will be prevented from leaving the level until you fetch your gear. This also adds an essential clue letter that confirms Just’s story and identifies Berra as a member of the Night Brethren. Yes the NB is back.
To escape the basement you need to find the secret passage that leads to the lower floors. Pull the lamp to the side of the door on the far wall of the junk room as you enter. This leads to a second basement level.
The second basement is a fort ruin. Here you will encounter more Night Brethren Vampires.
To escape you will need the private members key held by Berra. You need to relieve her of the key and get hold of the Sextius signet ring for a small cash reward.
The ruin is not linear and you can miss out a large portion of it. You will come across both Hamnar and Robet’s bodies. There is no need to kill Berra, but she is an evil character and will only turn up again if left. Get the key, and the signet ring and use the MG portal to escape back into the private members area of the fight club.
THE LITTLE LIAR.
Once out you need to talk to Valmar, he will come looking for you in any external place in Skingrad or you can track him town. Once you’ve finished the initial conversation, Valmar will go off to speak to the count, cautioning you to do nothing until he returns.
He suggests you wait for him in the West Weald Inn. He returns via a morph, into the West Weald. Talk to him and if you have not already done so, reclaim your cash and Signet reward.
He will also start a side quest called Fante and the Gang (see Miscellaneous Quests for details)
Finally, Valmar will now give you the first of the ICC’s you need to collect.
Except!.
He will also explain that it is worthless, and ceased being legal tender as soon as the Septims died out. He told Harding this but the man insisted on him playing you along. He gives you a sword as a proper reward.
Harding has been lying to you and its time to find out why?
Visit Harding and he will confess all. He will also tell you he is VanGarff’s nephew and that he owns Verona House. As an act of good faith he will pass you the deeds and make you the official owner of Verona House. The quest for the house is over. The quest to get in the front door has begun.
Verona House is indeed cursed. He believes the Immortal One is responsible He will tell you a brief version of VANGARFF and BERUNDAS story, adding that they where in fact hunting the Night Brethren.
The chancellor recommended you as a possible ally but Harding didn’t know if he could trust you.
THE BACK STORY
There is no need to fully engage in the back story to play through the quest line but it will enhance your enjoyment. The story is revealed in small chunks via books and conversations.
The Night Brethren are a band of organized Vampires led by a charismatic leader called Lord Garn Vulna, the immortal one. They are being pursued by a faction called the Night Hunter’s which you will join.
The original Night Hunters were led by Kirin VanGarff and his bride Berunda. They were the original owners of Verona House. Fifty years ago Berunda led a party south, in the hope of discovering the headquarters of the Nigh Brethren. However, the party was betrayed by one of there number, a high elf called Sanderion.
The party disappeared and Kirin spent five years searching vainly for his bride. When he returned to Verona House he found the doors locked by a powerful enchantment.
Kirin never gave up the search for his bride. He died five years ago. His heir and nephew, Salva Harding, spurred on by a mysterious prophecy restarted the Night Hunters and their quest to unearth the Night Brethrens plans.
He had no interest in the house once he discovered the curse and planned to return home. However, one night while staying in the hotel a note containing a cryptic message was shoved under his door.
End his Pain
End his reign
End my shame.
Verona can live again.
He became intrigued and sought help to interpret the prophecy. He made contact with the Sanderion’s son, an academic called Marimar, and together they reformed the Night Hunters.
He invites you to join the Night Hunters at the rank of Marshall. When you do he presents you with a key to his house. This means you no longer have to wait in the rain to visit him
Finally he will send you to another member of the team. An academic called MARIMAR. You are of to the lovely town of BRAVIL
THE RETREAT
THE TRAITOR’S SON.
Meet Marimar in the Silverhome on the Water inn. Marimar it transpires is Sanderion’s son. He’ll comment that it is from here that his father brought shame on the family. He will confess his family link with Sanderion. He will also return the clue letter and amulet Harding took off you at the end of Auger’s Niece. (The clue letter is no long considered a quest item and can be discarded. The amulet will for now be a quest item.)
You are given a standard option to talk about BACKGROUND. This is available throughout the questline
This gives long and short definitional material on the Night Brethren and Verona House. It offers no essential information and can be ignored, but if you really want to enjoy the full depth of the story you should take the time to get to know this back story a little.
He’ll then lay out the situation.
You know the name and rough location of a high ranking Night Brethren official called Athen Hewk, who is their accountant.
Marimar is full of questions. You need to find information to answer his questions. Marimar will ask you to answer five or six questions in total, in this order.
Find the significance of the amulet?
Find how and where to activate it?
Find the names of any other Night Brethren members
Find the way to get into the mine.
Find info about his father?
He initially asks a single question, but will then follow that up with a number of other questions. To save time collect the evidence needed to answer all of them as you go. To answer each you will need to find the related clue.
While there is a clear path to help you, you don’t need to follow it to be successful. You need to gather the clues.
GATHER THE CLUES.
You will need to retrieve the following information from the accountant house. The accountant lives in the wilds in a mock IC Villa.
The problem is tracking it down and gaining entry so you can gather the information you need.
The only test condition is can you answer the questions from sighting the clues.
How you get in and out is your concern.
But this is the directed pathway laid out in the journal updates. This gets you all you need without all that lock picking, pick pocketing, and sword waving nonsense.
SKOOMA!
Marimar will start you off in the search by mentioning a fellow Night Hunter in the Lonely Suitor Lodge. He is called HAROLD. He is a former steward from Leyawiin. Track him down and ask about the accountant and you will learn the accountant indulges in his only vice. Skooma.!!!.
He buys his supply from an Argonian dealer called HIDES-
Find the dealer and using Harold as a contact, buy some Skooma, to give you a disposition boost with the accountant. The dealer will confirm the accountant uses an inn called Faregyll to consume his fix. He will also hint that you should buy some Skooma to bribe the accountant with.
Before you set off you can save yourself some possible backtracking by picking up at least ten silver arrows.
IN THE INN
Head to the inn and begin asking about the accountant. If he is in the INN you will have him pointed out. Ask at the inn and they will say he comes in often, his guards are barred, and you will be directed towards ALDRIC THE HUNTER who lives nearby and knows most people in the area and their movements.
Aldric is a hunter and maybe within a fairly large circle around his little camp. If he is on the scent of a deer you will have little chance to disturb him. Wait until he slows down.
Aldric the Hunter will sell you the accountants schedule details for 10 silver arrows.
He confirms the Accountants general movements
Mon –Fri He visits Bravil early , then returns to Faregyll
Sat-
The only time he is ever alone is when he is in the Inn.
You have a number of options here
OPTIONS to get information about accountant’s movements.
1. Use the Hunter
2. Follow the accountant. If you visit Faregyll he will show up during the week.
OPTIONS to get into House.
1. Steal Key from accountant. Sneak 85+
2. Kill accountant and get key. Bodyguard +2 levels above player. Accountant = player
3. Talk to accountant in Inn.
It is up to you, but as Miramar will caution, the accountant has done nothing outwardly
illegal and killing him or his bodyguards is murder. Breaking-
If you try to talk to the accountant, a man called Athen Hewk, he will refuse to talk unless you are in the inn, and alone where he feels safe. He will ask for a fix of Skooma, until he likes you enough (Disposition 85+)
Here will reveal that he was once a successful civil servant working for the Elder Council. The Night Brethren blackmailed him over his addiction and forced him to leave the IC which he loved. He will give you keys and locate house and dead drop for you. He wants out, but knows they will kill him if he tries.
As long as the Immortal One lives he is in constant fear. Athen will provide you with the key and target for his house. Head there and start to poke around.
CLUED UP
The clues are all on open display, there is no need to search around for clues.
1: A letter on the small desk in the main front hall.
2: A letter on the desk in the upper room (This gives a quest update about the location
of the tomb and a map-
3: A blood vial on a desk in his bedroom (not strictly a clue but you will be prompted to get some)
4. A letter on the same desk
5. A letter in the attic office
6. A letter on a table in the basement secret room
Once you have located all the clues you will get a prompt to move onto the tomb.
Follow the map-
Once you have the answers to each question find Marimar.
SO MANY QUESTIONS
Marimar will run through his 6 questions in order.
Marimar will be pleased as the letters confirm that his father is still alive and being held prisoner. You will need to breach Anin Sullia and obtain Sanderion’s diary.
When you have completed the item retrieval he will bump you to the end of the quest and send you to find KAVALA to obtain the processed mort flesh needed for the activation ritual to get hold of an active Blood Key
If like me you simply grab stuff and don’t bother to read you’ll miss some useful, but again non essential immersion information that will be referred to later.
The key plot for the rest of the quest line is effectively laid out here. The initial problem is identifying the nature of Garn Vulna’s immortality. For this you need to locate Marimar’s father Sanderion. To do this you need to enter a place called Anin Sullia. To do that you will need to find a key and a location.
THE BLOOD ALTAR
SHOPPING IN CYRODIIL
Your first problem is to activate the amulet, Vasquez gave you, and turn it into a Blood Key. This will allow you access to all the Night Brethren facilities. To do this you need an ingredient called Processed Mort Flesh.
Go find KaVala. She lives far to the north and East of Bruma. KaVala is a powerful alchemist and is assisted by her apprentice Narissa. Talk to KaVala on the subject of Processed Mort Flesh and she will give you a shopping list of materials she needs to purify the mort flesh.
The last three are actually joke item, and do not need to be presented to move forward.
Go get them. Some are rare, some are common. Bring them back and she will tell you to talk to her when she is at her alchemy table.
Do so, she works her magic, and you are prompted to talk again. You get the processed mort flesh, and then it’s off to the mine.
THE DISRUPTED MINE
This is a big bad vampire lair populated by Night Brethren and Night Brethren Altar priests. The initial problem is finding a second key that lets you into the inner sanctum beyond. You were given both in the clue letters at the accountants and in conversation with KaVala the clue to look for the broken planks and push. In second of the ‘rooms’ you will find the locked door and a second unlocked door. Go through this and follow the mine round until you find the broken planks. They are well lit and pretty easy to spot. Push them and search the coffin beyond to find the key.
The second key allows you into the main section of the mine and the second level. There are no more traps or puzzles. Just a confusing, winding mine that often tracks back on itself.
In the large chamber at the end of the second level is the Blood Key altar.
Activate it and you will be presented with the Blood Key.
This is your entry to Anin Sullia.
If only you knew where the damned place was.
Return to KaVala and she will take the Blood Key to study. She then bumps you off to see Harding at Verona.
It’s time to locate Anin Sullia.
HIGH INFIDELITY
The quest can be broken up into a number of key stages, which demand certain actions to be performed to progress. However, those actions can often occur in any order, and there is a good deal of ‘bleed through’ from one key stage to another. The fact that for most of the quest there are parallel threads running further complexes the matter. So don’t expect constant updates and linear follow the green arrow adventuring
INTRODUCTION
When you first go see him, Harding will promote you to steward.
He will point out the third name on the recruit list you recovered from the accountant. This is ZAM HACKBLETT. Hackblett is identified in the letters as someone who has visited Anin Sullia. Harding assigns you the job of finding the location, while the rest of the team figure out how to keep you alive when you get there.
Harding will ship you off to Harold who is currently staying in a shack owned by the Night Brethren, so you can use it to level up etc. The shack is in the slum area of the IC waterfront. If you actually go directly to Harold he will set the quest in motion anyway, but prompt you to visit Harding to pick up your promotion.
Harold’s laid up with a bad leg and you will need to play Private Investigator. Not the glamorous solving murders at private parties type, but the seedy spying on unfaithful husband’s type.
He suggests that the Night Brethren seem to use humans with weaknesses they can exploit.
He will point to
Auger (greed)
Berra (debt)
Athen Hewk (drugs).
He will suggest that Zam Hackblett maybe has a weakness you can use to blackmail the secret location of Anin Sullia out of.
Zam Hackblett has an office on the waterfront building. He also lives here.
Harold will offer contextual advice but will not ‘do’ anything constructive to help.
He offers advice in 3 areas
Interview
Follow
Search
The investigation can be broken up into a number of key stages, which demand certain actions to be performed to progress. However, those actions can often occur in any order, and there is a good deal of ‘bleed through’ from one key stage to another.
The fact that for most of the quest there are parallel threads running further complexes the matter. Don’t expect a follow the green arrow to success type quest here.
The key stages are:
Uncovering the Affair: you need to find Zam in bed with Harriet
Finding the Postman: you need to overhear a conversation between Zam and a Khajiit messenger.
Get the evidence: You need further proof of the affair
Blackmail Zam: Get the location
Set up the Contessa: Alternatively send a message to the Contessa
Stop the Messenger: Race down the message before it gets delivered
Kill the Assassin: Keep Zam alive
Ending: Return to Harding successful
FINDING THE POSTMAN
Initially Harold will advice against searching, but if you ignore him you’ll uncover very little of any use in Hackblett’s office/home. You will come across a few titbits conforming Berra Gaunt was his partner and maybe more, a love letter from a ‘cuddly wuddly’.
Harding suggests two courses of action, Follow Zam and go talk to the merchants in the Market District.
In the Market district you will get the following background info dumps
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And the following significant clues
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Rundown the Jensine lead and you get bumped to Palonirya.
If you speak to either first you get the full story. Between them they will confirm Hackblett is engaged to a Contessa de Witt who lives in Eleswyr. The Contessa is wealth and as wee will find out a little bit scary.
Following Zam in the day gives you the following leads
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This is your second big break. Be around when they meet and listen into there conversation and you’ll get a JOURNAL UPDATE.
It confirms that Zam uses a messenger service to smuggle goods and letters across the closed borders. You will need to use this service to contact the Contessa.
UNCOVERING THE AFFAIR
Following Zam in the evening will either lead to his home or sunny Verona Bay.
Zam visit a lady called Harriet Leach.
Ask questions in Verona and you will get info from the entire town
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You will also pick up a few titbits from the new Harriet topic
All trails lead to Navarro the night watch guard in the plaza.
She will give you a little tale of woe and betrayal.
The long and short of it is that your next step is to catch Zam and Harriet in bed together. Harold will point this out.
You can do this either at the IC or Verona. The IC is a bit remote but depending on TG action could be crawling with guards.
The Plaza is busy and Navarro is on watch. But she is so keen to stop Zam, she will
offer to go for a walk to give you a clear run. Make sure Zam and Harriet are at
home and tucked up for the night. (after about 3-
UNCOVER THE HUSBAND CLUES/UNCOVER THE CONTESSA CLUES
To quote the old reggae classic, ‘Now that you’ve found love what are you going to do with it?’
The thing is only two people are likely to actually give a damn.
Augustus Leach up in Bruma,
and the Contessa in Eleswyr.
The only way to the Contessa is through Palonirya. She will not believe ill of Zam until you can prove it.
You need to find evidence.
You can gather evidence against Harriet in Zam’s bedroom. However, when you confront Zam or talk directly to Augustus, you will find the Augustus is married to Harriet in name only. The man doesn’t care. So it’s down to the Contessa.
Palonirya requires a letter from Zam to Harriet and a STAMP token to send it.
Search Harriet’s for the letter, and Zam’s basement for the STAMP token.
Now what.
Harold will now stop offering advice and instead provide a summary of you two options
BLACKMAIL IS AN UGLY WORD
Once you have the letter and the stamp you can confront Zam. He is clearly terrified of the Contessa, and will reluctantly spill the beans. He is actually quite relieved when he finds out that you only want to know about Anin Sullia. Zam does not fancy your chances of surviving in the place. Job done! Back to Harding
However, there is an alternative. What if you decide to find out what the Contessa would do.
SET UP THE CONTESSA
You need a STAMP and Zam’s letter to Harriet in your possession when you talk to Palonirya. She will then tell you she will send a message that evening, or after she finishes work the next day. Wait until you get the quest update, and then go tell Zam that a message has been sent. You need to do this to trigger the next phase.
When you talk to Zam he will be upset to say the least. He will offer to reveal the location if you can stop the message being delivered.
STOP THE MESSENGER
How do you do that? Easy locate and talk to the courier carrying the message. The catch, he has a head start, and is on a very fast horse. (and I might not give you a quest target). If you are on foot forget it. The courier sets off at a gallop heading south to a little portal shack just outside the western wall of Leyawiin.
When you catch the messenger, he will tell you that you need to get permission from Jo’laspa back at the Imperial City. Or you could just bribe him to give you the letter. If you elect the former High tail it back and talk to him. Once he grants permission, with a suitable disposition, you can than chase down the messenger again.
(If the messenger is fleeing he will not talk to you. You need to find the menace and kill it to free him. He then races off. It can be frustrating)
Catch him again talk and you get an update. He promises to lose the letter. Go back and get the location.
But if you fail to catch him
KILL THE ASSASSIN
Fail to catch him and message is sent and you have to trudge back to Zam with bad news.
All you can do now is wait for the reply. Check in with Palonirya and eventually
( 1-
Kill the Khajiit and Zam will reveal his secret. Allow Zam to die, and all bets are off. The quest fails and that’s that.
ENDING
Zam will tell you the entrance to Anin Sullia is hidden behind a façade. The false front is a temple called the Temple of the Eternal Sun. As Marimar will later point out the Night brethren are not without a sense of Humor.
Harold will send you back to Harding,
Harding will send you to Marimar
and Marimar will ultimately send you to KaVala.
There is no quest mechanic reason why you can’t go talk to KaVala straight away.
You will miss out on a few minor plot advances that will be revisited in time.
Harold will report his leg is better, but that he plans to hang around the Big City and take in the atmosphere until Harding sends for him, he’ll keep an eye on Zam, and will note any visitors he has.
Harding will promote you to Steward if he has not already done so. Miss out on this and he will effectively give you a double promotion next time you meet.
Marimar has some minor updates on Garn Vulna’s back story and a verbal account of the layout of Anin Sullia.
You will need to see KaVala to recover the Blood Key
ANIN SULLIA
The Temple of the Eternal Sun is very close to KaVala’s house. Because of this you will probably have passed it during you travels to gain the Blood key. The temple door is always open and inside it is an unremarkable single room tomb style ruin. At the end of the main chamber is again a seemingly unremarkable door.
This is the entrance to Anin Sullia proper. The door requires an active Blood Key, without this you will get a ‘Requires Special Key’ message. However, it is possible that on your return from the Blood altar you may come across this temple. If you try to use the door then you will get a message that reads, ‘this facility is in lock down’.
This ties in with the little back-
VAMPING IT UP!!!
Once you have the location of Anin Sullia, you will need to see KaVala first to recover the blood key. She will also give you a potted version of Marimar’s description of Anin Sullia.
Anin Sullia is the Night Brethrens second most important stronghold.
It houses many of their important records including Sanderion’s’ Journal, first mentioned in the accountant’s records. This is your target.
Anin Sullia is a three level dungeon teaming with high level vampires, and with password protected doors. Even at a very high level of sneak and security you will struggle to get through this. A full on assault is likely to meet with disappointment. A virtual army of vamps occupy this place.
KaVala has a solution. She can provide a ‘Vampire disguise’.
(If the PC is already a Vampire, she will offer an alternative ring disguise. Both, require you to sleep to activate them)
This is in fact one of Berunda’s potions. She used it to infiltrate many Night Brethren units. It gives the user a milder form of the disease that can be reversed.
However, if you don’t use the disguise cure within a week you can be permanently turned to a vampire. It is a one time only potion.
However you can upon taking the cure inside a week remove its symptoms entirely.
For it to work you must sleep. KaVala warns you that side effects maybe visions. She also says that the sleep should be uninterrupted.
PERCHANCE TO DREAM
When you sleep after using it, the spirit of Lord Garn Vulna will visit you. To be more precise you visit him in a sealed chamber, without weapons.
He will appear as a young human and will be quite persuasive. He will confirm he plans to overthrow the Ocato government and will explain his reasoning.
He will offer you 20000 g.p. per person to kill each member of the Night Hunters. He will further promise to put off his conquest plans until you are dead.
A new quest will be added to your list. The ‘Hunting the Hunters’ quest will end if you enter Anin Sullia without killing any of them
If you attack any of the night hunters, the BLOODLINES quest will break and they will become hostile to you. Kill all and you will indeed receive 100,000 g.p.
You will also become the target of a series of respawning Night Brethren assassins who will peruse you until you die. They will be 5+ levels above you and will attack whenever you enter their sphere of influence. There is no way I’m letting anyone kill my babies and survive. Without being menaced.
Vulna will warn you to avoid Anin Sullia. As far as he is concerned this is a deal breaker.
If you mention the vision to KaVala after you ‘wake’ she will point out that if Vulna promised to wait until your dead to carry out his plans, then don’t count on living too long.
In Anin Sullia, you will face 3 levels, The Arsenal, The Barracks, and The Command Levels
SURVIVING ANIN SULLIA
ARSENAL LEVEL
NO DISGUISE
The upper most level is a combination workshop and training complex. Beyond the entry tunnels, the main compound takes the form of a large figure of eight style circuit.
As soon as you enter you will find yourself up against a vigilant entry guard. Kill her and search her body. You will find a document highlighting the password system.
The door which leads to the Barracks level is password protected. It offers seven possible passwords. Select the correct one and the door opens. Select a wrong answer and you’ll get a big shock. Literally!!!
The password varies from week to week. The complex functions on a three week cycle. Red Week, Blue Week and yellow week. Each has there own code.
To make progress you will need to find the correct passwords for each week and determine the correct week.
Beyond the guard you will need to open two portcullises’ to get to the main complex. The activator for the first is right by the gate. The second is activated by a handle in an antechamber to the left of the gate.
The main corridor is wide but not that wide and is well guarded. There is another portcullis to the right, which is activated from the other side. At the end of the central corridor is yet another portcullis which is activated by a lever at the top of the second staircase.
Leading off the long corridor are two small rooms. One contains lots of supplies and a trap door; this leads to a locked room on the third floor and is an escape route at the end.
The other leads to a vampire with a rake. (see disguise for details)
Beyond the main corridor is a small room which contains oddly numerous bolts of cloth. This I call the cloth room. Beyond this is the main forge room. It features, loads of blacksmith vampires.
The next room is across a bridge which spans the main corridor. This has quite a few training Night Brethren, armed to the teeth.
Moving on through the corridors leads to yet another training room, before you come
to a room with a raised drawbridge. The activator is in the pit of the room below
the drawbridge. With the bridge lowered you can again re-
This room has a portcullis which leads back to the main corridor, and a winding stair well that leads to the lower level. This is the door that is password protected.
The clues to the password can be found on a number of the Vampires, but by no means all of them. You will need to find a clue identifying which week the complex is on, this is identified by a color code, red, blue, or yellow. You will also have to find the password associated with that week.
With this you can operate the password protected door.
IN DISGUISE.
When you enter the Temple you should get a quest update telling you that you have now angered Vulna and the deal is off. You have made your choice. Beyond the temple you enter the Arsenal Level of Anin Sullia.
The first Vampire you come across acts as a door warden. Don’t attack her. Don’t steal from her. In fact don’t attack, kill or steal from any of the brethren. It will blow your cover. Instead try having a chat. The Night Brethren are a decent bunch as long as you are disguised as one of them.
You are welcomed as a brother/sister and can move freely about. However, you are told that the Watch Officer is responsible for issuing passwords and has been called to Mirandahal.
This means you’re stuck on the Arsenal level until he returns. You will also learn that the facilities uses three passwords on a rotation system based on BLUE, RED, and YELLOW weeks. If you make your way to the end of this level you will find a password secured door with seven possible answers. If you choose the wrong option you are in for a nasty shock. Literally!!!
This level of the complex is a weapons store, a large forge and training camp.
Beyond the guard you will need to open two portcullises’ to get to the main complex. The activator for the first is right by the gate. The second is activated by a handle in an antechamber to the left of the gate.
Olaf is about to become your new best friend
The main corridor is wide but not that wide and is well guarded. There is another portcullis to the right, which is activated from the other side. At the end of the central corridor is yet another portcullis which is activated by a lever at the top of the second staircase.
Leading off the long corridor are two small rooms. One contains lots of supplies and a trap door; this leads to a locked room on the third floor and is an escape route at the end.
The other leads to a vampire with a rake.
You are free to move around the complex and talk to whoever you like, while you wait for the watch officer. And you’ll soon learn that it could be a very long wait. No one expects to see the Watch Officer again.
It seems he may have been a little lax with his passwords. You will also hear about OLAF THE FORGETFUL who is being punished for forgetting the password too many times.
You’ll find him raking up rat droppings for his sins. It turns out he is the Watch Officers brother. Olaf is not too bright.
He has to write the passwords down, but he was always leaving them lying around. When one of the Brides inspected the facility, she was appalled to find password lying around and instituted a lock down. She has summoned Olaf’s brother, Horin to explain himself.
Meanwhile Olaf has done it again. He wrote the three passwords down and has hid them in little pots. Now he can’t remember where he put them. He asks you to go find them for him.
The pots are located
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When you have all three, you are prompted to return to Olaf to find which one is currently valid. Olaf will direct you to a ‘new’ pot which contains a letter from his brother. He will then ask you to go look at the color of the cloth in the final ‘Archers’ room. When you look (give it a few seconds for the script to kick in) you will again be prompted to either go on to the next level or bring the news to Olaf. (In fact you can leave this for now and return, as you will need to speak top Olaf again, maybe)
BARRACKS LEVEL
NO DISGUISE
This level is more of the same. The complex is split into a number of barracks which again lead off a central corridor.
Again the problem is yet another password protected door at the end of the level.
The key info is all contained in a single document, but this is held only by officers. Four officers exist on this level. Get the code and move to the Command level.
DISGUISE
Again you are free to talk to the friendly but thankfully forgetful members of the Night Brethren.
On this level thing are a little tighter. No one will speak to you about passwords as you are not an officer.
Any of the four officers will point out that you are most certainly not an officer because you do not have an officer ring. If ever an NB Officer leaves Anin Sullia, they have to leave these precious items of rank behind.
That means somewhere in the facility Officer Horin’s ring must be hidden, but where is it?
Why not ask his Brother, seeing as you are getting on swimmingly. (You might have to complete the whole RED BLUE YELLOW password cycle first)
Olaf tells you rather cryptically that to find his brothers ring he’d need to play hide and seek! Eh!
Go back down to the Barracks and ask about hide and seek, which is apparently a favorite among the undead hunters, to learn that poor Olaf is in fact the world’s worst hider. He always hides in the same place. Go look there (behind the packing cases to the left at the end of the main corridor) to discover a jewel case with the ring , Horin’s last will and a few goodies.
Equip the ring and the officers will talk to you as an equal. They will point you in the direction of General Ossa. Ossa will greet you as her new Watch Officer; she clearly doesn’t expect to see Horin again. She’s a little wary of you and asks you to prove yourself. She wants blood. Fresh Blood!!!
You have two choices. Easy and Nasty, or Harder and Good.
The quickest simplest and nastiest technique is to go to the larder next door and feed from the docile sleeping humans. Do so and you will fill the empty bottle with fresh blood and make Ossa happy.
To avoid this Vampire action, you get a little prompt to seek out any allies you have in the complex. So, for the last time go see Olaf. The next meaningful contact will probably see you kill him. Talk to Olaf and he will point out he’s a bit squeamish when it comes to drinking blood from live targets, and uses a contact called Kerris to get fresh supplies.
Kerris is located in the ‘mages’ barracks and will sell you a bottle for 50 g.p. This will make Ossa happy.
When Ossa is happy she gives you the passwords to get to the command level, and gives you a sneering message for the Quarter Master who she has exiled to below.
COMMAND LEVEL
NO DISGUISE
The final level has no passwords to worry about, but there is the fact that you will need to fight through room after room of nasty high level vampires.
Beyond the first room is a large room. You will find yourself on the upper level overlooking a drawbridge. The journal you seek is in the far corner and you will need to lower the bridge to get to it.
No, problem, the activator is to the left on this ledge.
Work your way round, passing through another very large room before crossing the bridge and dispatching the Quarter Master. You’ll find the key in her inventory.
Inside you will find all sorts of goodies as well as the Journal. Try to take your
time. One important but no essential clue relates to Vasquez and his family. There
is a decent sword and a quite a few ‘back-
COMMAND LEVEL
DISGUISE
One last level. Again chat away and get directed toward the Quarter master. You will also pick up a clue that the QM has a secret way out of the complex.
Finally it’s time to talk to the QM. But take care here.
You will after the initial introduction get just three meaningful answers from the QM. This includes repeat answers.
She will talk about
Anin Sullia,
Boredom,
The Journal,
The Night Hunters.
The key topic is the Boredom topic, because she will reveal that a key is located in the waters below. Go get it before you ask the fourth question or get Medieval with the Quarter Master.
The QM will answer the first two questions (any order) and will provide the general information for the third but will clearly indicate that she has seen your face before. Then on the fourth the penny will drop.
She will initiate combat immediately.
Make things easy for yourself. Collect the secret passage key. And raise the drawbridge. Then ask the fourth question or kill the QM. Either way, get the key from her body and raid the secure lock up.
It not only contains the Journal (in one of the chests) but is an absolute treasure trove.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS.
When you recover the journal, no matter what else has occurred, the disguise will be blown, and an ominous alarm bell will begin to ring.
From now on you are on the run. Use the secret passage to by pass the whole Barracks level and emerge half way along the main corridor of the Arsenal Level. You will probably need to get past no more than three or four guards unless you dawdle.
Once outside head to KaVala and freedom.
KaVala will bump you off to Harding, and Harding will bump you off to Marimar. Again you can cut out the middlemen and go straight to Marimar.
Once you reach Marimar he will tell you he needs a few days to translate the book. You’ll get a journal update when he’s done.
Don’t forget to take the disguise off by using the potion, and sleeping.
It’s good to get your old face back.
THE GILDED CAGE
Go to Verona Bay and find Marimar. He gives you a report and confirms his father is alive, held in a portal city as a prisoner. He’ll bump you on to Harding. Harding will point out that Ossuna, Narissa, and Vasquez are all now Night Hunters and after a quick promotion, he suggests you take one of them with you as a companion/meat shield.
COMPANION SELECTION.
You do not need to pick any of them. They say your ‘Avatar’ is a reflection of your inner self. I which my inner self is a sneaky, shoot you in the back kind of putz. I usually prefer to keep companions away as they tend to rush in and leave me exposed.
However, given the sternness of this test, low to middle ranking character may need a bit of help.
You’ll find the three night hunters, waiting in the hotel. You can talk to each about their strengths and weaknesses
Who you select will have pay offs in the end game, and will depend on the strengths weaknesses and strategies you want to employ.
VASQUEZ
Vasquez is a fighter and is the highest level of the companions available, but if you did your job right in Anin Sullia, you will know his family are in danger.
You could choose not to mention this. (The result is his family is slain and you have to live with the guilt, not to mention a hike in the cost of hiring Vasquez at the end.)
If you mention that his family is in danger to Vasquez, he will ask to be released from his oath. Again you can refuse. If you do his family are butchered and he will consider his debt paid. (You will need to pay a hefty fee to hire him at the end.)
If you release him he will flee back toward Chorrol and Hammerfell. He will now consider he owes you two debts of honor and will work for free come the end game.
Of course if you missed the clue at Anin Sullia, none of this moral quandary will arise, but the outcome in the end game is the same.
Vasquez, if selected is as strong as an ox, and ruthless with a sword. He is best left to attack the enemies while you mop up around. Try to keep him healthy for the final two sections of the portal city where he really steps up to the plate.
Like all three he is essential, but he will become less effective once his health becomes low.
Vasquez offers no healing or support packages.
NARISSA
She is a powerful destructive mage and can take on even the fiercest of enemies when full fit. But can’t really fight close up, and once her health suffers or her magicka is expended she becomes a passenger.
However, her real benefit is the ability to cast a very powerful heal spell. She’s a walking altar, and if used frugally is a huge help in dangerous places.
She would probably work best in the company of a melee style fighter.
Narissa does come at a cost. KaVala is determined to protect her young apprentice and will charge you a fee to hire both her and Narissa in the end game. Take Narissa and expect that fee to double.
OSSUNA
As a former Imperial Scout, she is decent at archery, sword play, and stealth. However,
she is not an expert in any. She is a compromise character, and is a useful all-
She has a weak heal spell that can be accessed, but it usually drains her magicka to the point where she can perform little magic afterwards.
She has an additional option of sneaking, and will follow you in sneak mode.
Choosing her now, means she will feel you owe her one and her hiring fee will double at the end of the quest.
Each of the Companions can be ordered to Follow, Wait, Lead or return to Verona. The female companions will also heal. Vasquez does not do healing. Ossuna has the extra option of sneaking.
THE FOLLY
Sanderion did indeed betray VanGarff and Berunda. He was promised eternal life by Lord Vulna, but Vulna has a habit of twisting his promises. Sanderion is alive, and will remain so for eternity, as long as he remains in a portal world rented and guarded by Oblivion Daedra where he is currently a prisoner. His journal gives the location of the portal. It is in a cave near Kvatch. You need the blood key to get in
You will face first a small cave system, guarded by a few Night Brethren followed by a journey through a portal to Sanderion’s FOLLY
This is a mock city filled with various types Daedra. The city is split into four districts.
All of the houses in the portal city are false, with the exception of three buildings in the lower Harbor Town district.
The idea behind the city is that it is built on top of an oblivion plane. It is a shell or veneer, used to entice Sanderion into his act of betrayal. Now fifty years later the enchantment of its creation is breaking down and oblivion is slowly reclaim the city.
In the first, called The Folly, you will face plenty of low level bad guys. If you have a companion, it is best to get them to hold back here preserving there health for bigger fights ahead. At the end of the first street, the area opens out into a large square. Beyond, is a further street leading to a gate.
HARBOR TOWN
In the second section called Harbor Town, you will need to locate the only ‘open’ houses in the game.
This section is divided into two areas by a wall and a portcullis. You need to find the activator to do this. It is high on the dividing wall, and is accessed via overhead walkways. To reach these you will need to work your way to the end of the wooden central street and look for a building on your right that is not boarded up. Inside you’ll find a ladder on the second floor that links to the top storey. Outside this ramshackle building is the walkway. You can rest up in these buildings , and if not menaced, even sleep.
This section is controlled by higher level Daedra.
Beyond the portcullis, is an area which I call Upper Harbor Town. This area should normally be free of enemies. It has a healing altar near the goddess statue.
I like this area so much I just couldn’t face corrupting it with bad guys
THE ROUND
The Third district is called the Round, and has again two areas.
The first is a U shaped street, crawling with very high ranking bad guys. This is the time to unleash your companion and use the meat shield properties to the full. You really need to purge this area. When you return you’ll be bringing Sanderion, who is not very useful in a fight.
In many areas I’ve leveled the Night Brethren to the Players ability. However, in some key areas, I believe enemies should be tough. This is case in point. For those who avoid sleep to stay artificially at low levels, you might find yourself encountering high level Dremora and Daedra you have never seen before. I make no apologies for this. You have a companion available who will out rank any of these bad guys and then some.
Beyond is the Round itself. This is a huge circular area, with water, towers and all manner of bad guys. Work you way round this until you reach the other side. Here you’ll find a gate to the final district.
CASTLE APPROACH
The final District is called Castle Approach.
This is a large lake with a thin narrow bridge and a few more bad guys.
The either one of last two have a key to the castle prison itself.
PRISON CASTLE
Sanderion is held in a tower inside the castle. The problem is making your way past the Vampire guards. Many of the possible access points are blocked by barricades. You can make you way to the tower via the barracks or through a secret passage in the dungeon.
Once you find Sanderion, he’ll point out that he can’t die in his folly, but when he is badly injured he is teleported back to the castle dungeons.
If you’ve cleared the way in advance this should be no problem.
Work you way back to the portal and teleport back to Tamriel.
You will find Sanderion a changed man. The years have fallen heavy on him. Worse, he can now die. So get him back to Verona via the safest route.
Marimar is overjoyed by his father’s safe return. You learn from Sanderion that Vulna has created a device called Heartstone, and has used this to artificially prolong his life. Only when he is reunited with the stone can he die.
He is keeping the stone well out of reach.
In fact it is safely stored in Oblivion, or at least a small section that he has purchased from the deadric lords. The location of the entrance to this plain of Oblivion is a closely guarded secret known only to the Brides and the Generals.
Marimar asks you to go fetch KaVala, so the gang can all be together and work out a strategy.
Hop up North and chat with the Argonian. She sends you back, or you can wait around and follow her down. She’ll set off when she next EVP’s.
When you arrive, you’ll find Marimar by a grave. His father is dead. If you activate the grave you will get a nice message.
Marimar will bump you to Harding while he grieves.
THE LAST GENERAL
Harding reminds you that the location of the gate to Vulna’s Oblivion is known only to the Brides and his highest ranking generals. He then points out that while you have no leads on the brides, you do know of a missing general.
He is called Sulla and was mentioned both in the Retreat and Anin Sullia. He is currently on the run, having abandoned the Night Brethren. Harding has arranged with Chancellor Ocata for a small band of soldiers to go to the Retreat and if General Sulla is there protect him.
GENERAL SULLA
You are dispatched to lead the group. When you get to the retreat you will find a Captain Diamas and his men stationed outside. Diamas tells you the General is in the basement of the Retreat and is reluctant to reveal any information.
Go down and talk to Sulla. If the accountant, Athen Hewk and his bodyguards are alive they will also be there. Sulla is a marked man and has no intention of talking until the threat to his life is lifted.
THE GRAY PACK
The threat comes in the form of the Gray Pack.
This is an army of Vampire Killers. Go back and chat to Diamas and he will point that the superstitious Gray Pack only attack at midnight. He will then talk tactics with you.
Important as soon as you get the tactics journal update, the countdown to the Gray Pack attack has begun. They will attack at the very next midnight. The clock has begun to tick.
Diamas will point out four key strategic positions that you may wish guarded.
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Diamas leaves it to you as team leader to organize the defenses. You have, including Diamas four men at your command. You can talk to each man about his abilities, his preferred position, and order him to a post.
You can reassign orders at anytime. You can assign more than one man to a post and/or leave a post unguarded. Diamas is set as essential, and we will meet him again.
The others, an archer, a mage and a hammer man are not. They can die.
If you select the topic Everyone is in position, Diamas will give you a time sensitive reply, indicating when the Gray pack are likely to attack.
(NOTE if you use wait/sleep beyond midnight the attack skips and you will have wait another day)
At midnight, the attack begins.
The pack comes at you in four waves.
The first two waves have four members. These are a mixture of archers, mages and Melee fighters. Two in each wave are leveled against the PC, and two are fixed at levels 20 for the first wave and level 30 for the second wave.
The last two waves use six Gray Pack. Again half are leveled against the PC, while the others come in at levels 35 and 40. The Pack Leader is a level 45 character.
They will attack both you and the Guards but you are not their primary target. They are heading at speed for the house and Sulla. If Sulla dies! Quest over.
After each wave you will get a journal update, a brief pause and a chance to reassign orders. However, the Gray Pack will not wait for you to attack each wave is launched via a preset timer.
When the four waves are destroyed you will get another journal. You can now head down to get the information from the relieved General.
The General will reveal the location of Vulna’s Oblivion, but will not tell you the location of Mirandahal. He is saving this up as a bargaining chip to ensure his release and a safe escort to the borders.
RETURN TO OBLIVION
This quest runs in parallel with an optional side quest. I’ve placed all the details about both quests in that section.
To bypass the optional quest, you need to first head into the Convent caves. The problem comes in getting through the locked gate. If you know the location of the key, go get it. Alternatively you can pickpocket Kilvannen, or talk to her and get the key and then move on.
Use the gate, work through Oblivion, ignoring the Mother Superior, and recover the Heartstone. When you return, with or without the Reverend Mother you will find all the nuns dead, with the exception of Sister Olivia, who is a NB agent.
Head back to Verona. I hope you can sleep at night.
RETAKING THE VEIL (OPTIONAL)
This quest runs in parallel with Return to Oblivion. By completing this quest, you automatically complete the objectives for the Return to Oblivion Bloodlines: quest. I have assumed here that you are running both together. See above for the option to bypass this quest. It does complicate matters, but has a cool reward at the end which may be useful in the Lair of the Vampire Lord quest.
Once you have the location from Sulla you can head to the Convent or check in to get some background from Marimar.
It is safe to assume that this bit can be bypassed. It is purely for the completists. If you talk to Harding he will point out that no one is better set to do the job than the Champion of Cyrodiil.
To reach the Convent is an adventure in its self. Set high in the Varal Mountains it is set right on the ridge. It is hard to reach in a straight line and harder still on horse back. You will need to head far south and then make your way along the ridge as the mountains climb. You will be annoyed by several wilderness beasts and creatures. Once you get to the convent you should get a quest update.
The convent is based in a series of large caves, and has several functioning buildings.
The journal ponders the fate of the sisters and the first chamber is not encouraging. There is small cottage that has a Night Brethren on patrol outside and a very dead nun inside. As you progress through the next two chambers you will meet two more vampires, and your progress will be blocked by a locked gate. You should kill each of the vampires. Once the quest really kicks in, you will be required to kill all the Night Brethren in the sanctuary, and you might as well make a start.
Look behind the cottage in the third chamber. Here you find Sister Kilvannen, one of the Sisters of St Alessia. She will point out that the sisterhood hangs by a thread. Two are already dead. She begs you to help save the convent.
You can of course turn her down, in which case you’ll get no help with that locked gate. You can pick her pocket or locate the key in a small chest.
If you do turn her down you can return anytime up until you enter Oblivion and accept.
If you accept she will ask you to perform a number of tasks.
CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY
Kilvannen will ask you to carry out two duties.
Kill all of the Night Brethren in the complex and make sure the remaining six sisters make it to the Mother Superiors house safely.
She will also give you a map marker for the location of the key to the locked gate.
There are twelve NB’s in the convent, three you will have passed on the way to Kilvannen.
Three are hanging around in the huge central cave.
Three more are in smaller caves beyond.
The final three are in the Chapel cave and Mother Superior’s cave.
When you kill all the NB’s you’ll get an update.
When all the sisters are at the Mother Superior’s house and the NB’s are dead you’ll get a new journal entry to go back to Kilvannen.
IMPORTANT: You MUST return to Kilvannen before you go into Oblivion. This will enable her to evoke the protection spell on the MS’s house. There is one remaining Night Brethren agent, and you need to protect the sisters before you return.
RESCUE THE MOTHER
Here is where the two quests run truly parallel.
The Mother Superior has gone into the Oblivion plane to try to close the gate. She has not returned. You are asked to find her and escort her back.
Your about to Return to Oblivion.
The gate is inside the Chapel. Use it and you will find yourself in the all too familiar bleak red landscape. This version of the plane splits into 5 areas
ENTRY
The first problem you encounter is a locked gate. Next to it is a tower. The exterior is guarded by Dremora and daedra. At the top of the tower you’ll find the gate switch, and as a bonus a trapped Night Brethren in a cage. You can’t save him, but if you let him plunge to his death you’ll discover he is Horin, Olaf brother from the disguised version of Anin Sullia. He carries a rather bitter letter to his departed mother.
Beyond the gate, follow the path round until you come to a cave entrance
THE MOUTH
This is pretty standard oblivion fare. Nasty high level Daedra and Dremora, guard a linear tunnel system. Hack, slash and sneak through to the exit.
THE LAVA LAKE
This large lake is bridged by a guarded platform, with a locked gate. The activator is at the top of the sentry tower. Take care on the tower slope. It’s a one way ride if you fall into the lava below.
Beyond the gate a few more nasties stand guard.
THE HAND
If you decide to collect plants or raid the corpses of the fallen, make sure you do so before you carry on. A short distance into The Hand caves is a no return drop.
It is here that you will find the Mother Superior.
She will initiate conversation, but if not speak to her and tell her Kilvannen sent you.
You can of course refuse her. If you do she will set off on her own to try to make it back home. She will not make. She may be plucky and strong, but she is no match for any of the Daedra she will meet.
If you are on quest mode, you will need to make use of the follow – wait commands to nurse her through the caves. She is plucky but in keeping with a sheltered life, utterly useless in a fight. She is not essential. She is weak, and her death breaks the ‘Veil’ quest, but not the BLOODLINES quest.
Probably the best technique is to use a strategy of wait, purge, and follow. Get her to wait in a safe spot. Use the Hunter’s Band to help find all the enemies and kill them. Once a section is clear, go back and get her to follow. Do this bit by bit and nurse her home.
THE TOWER
After a brief sojourn outside you will hit the ‘Heartstone’ tower. Again there is nothing alarming about this except for the need to nurse along the MS and keep her alive. Despite its color scheme this is the usual Sigil Tower fare. So it’s up, up and away.
Aside: One of the odd ‘glitches’ of the game engine is that whenever an NPC is in a ‘follow – wait’ pattern and you either fast travel, or teleport via a sigil stone they follow, regardless of where they are. If you get the MS to follow and then tell her to wait immediately, you can take advantage of this glitch. You can then go alone, recover the Heartstone without her being in danger, and then when you teleport back to the cave, she will follow automatically. Whether, you want to call it a cheat or just smart game play is up to you.
(NOTE-
When you grab the Heartstone you will be returned to Chapel. What waits for you in the convent depends on what stage you were on the convent quest when you left.
If you ditched the convent quest or inadvertently entered OB before you chatted with Kilvannen, you’ll return to a blood bath. All the sisters will be dead, with exception of one very hostile Olivia, she is an NB Agent.
If you started the quest, completed phase one, and talked to Kilvannen so she could invoke the protective spell then you’ll get a new journal update to see Kilvannen.
At this point you can leave the ‘veil’ quest behind and go on with the BLOODLINE quest, and then return later. But it is a trek up to the convent, so
THE INVESTIGATION
Kilvannen will reveal that the Sisterhood has a traitor in its ranks. She wants you to find out who it is.
You have six suspects, and you told that the traitor will have three clear characteristics.
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You are urged to search the complex and to interrogate the nuns.
You can ask three questions
Left the Convent?
Like Vampires much?
Like the Convent?
As you collect new evidence you will receive journal updates galore to help guide you. Often a Journal update will mean one of the suspect’s responses to one of the questions has changed, and generally the Journal will point you in the right direction about whose has changed.
The key Physical evidence is in the form of books and letters. All are in plain sight. There are none in any of the chest, barrels or crates. Specifically they are:
A set of three letters written between Parsona and Agnetta, discussing the appointment of Kilvannen as the convents 2nd in command, which ultimately clear Parsona of having a grudge against the convent. These can be found in the House of Reflection. 2nd Floor.
A letter written by Ullrikah in which she confesses to being a thief and repents her former life of crime. This can be found in the upstairs bedroom/office of the Mother Superiors house.
A diary written by Sister Olivia in which she vents her spleen regarding the convent. This can be found on the left hand side of the mantelpiece in the work house
Letter written by Sister Dinala in which she mocks the other sisters and confesses to her life of crime.
A note written by Dinala’s mother asking her to see her ‘Vampire’ father.
There is also a note on one of the NB’s that reveals that the traitor has a family connection to the Brethren.
So who did it? When you are ready to reveal all you should talk to the MS and accuse the suspect.
Get it wrong and you will be asked to leave.
Put together the key evidence.
Olivia is the traitor.
She left the convent. (Seen by both Ullrikah and Dinala talking to a stranger in Bravil)
She has a brother in the NB and supports their cause.
She is jealous of Kilvannen’s new position and bitter at being rejected.
If you corrected identify Olivia, she is dispatched to Oblivion by the enraged Mother Superior. You are then bumped along to Kilvannen for you reward.
A very nice lesser power spell called the Blessing of St Alessia. Which will heal you, which is nice?
It’s off to see Harding and Mirandahal.
THE LAIR OF THE VAMPIRE LORD
Harding has been joined by Chancellor Ocato, head of the high council and nominally your boss. Harding is full of news. You will need to talk to him about all the subjects on his list
Harriet Leach has been revealed by Sulla as a Night Brethren agent.
Harriet has fled down and as a final act of spite has killed both Zam and her husband Augustus.
She is officially a fugitive and the Night Hunters have been dispatched to try to track her down.
You can check out their graves in the Verona bay cemetery.
Sulla is on his way to the border
Now the threat to his life has gone General Sulla has been very cooperative. He is now being escorted by Captain Diamas to the border. This is the Captains last act before he retires.
A member of the High Council has been revealed as a traitor
A high ranking member of the high council Firnad Allo has been revealed as a traitor. The council has fled home in panic, leaving Ocata to sort out the mess
Harding will promote you to the position of Grand Master of the Night Hunters. You are now leader of the order.
Harding, then finally passes the reigns over to Ocato.
Sulla has revealed a high ranking member of the Council is a traitor, and Ocata needs Vulna dead.
Ocata want you as Champion of Cyrodiil to carry out you sacred duty. Go to Mirandahal, find Vulna and end his reign. You have the heartstone and only you can kill him.
So you’re off to see the Vampire Lord. Begin by heading south into the Blackwood to find the Vampire HQ.
Mirandahal is huge Ayleid ruin. It sprawls over many levels. You will need to be
in peak fitness to survive here. While many of the NB’s are leveled against the PC,
a lot of the bosses and leaders are set at fixed levels 40-
MIRANDAHAL
When you enter the ruin, you will get a quest update which mentions the feeling you are being watched. Shortly after this you will hear Vulna’s voice. This is not the softly spoken Vulna of the vision prior to Anin Sullia. This is the menacing voice of an arrogant and cold hearted fiend.
Make your way forward. Beyond the entry stairs is a corridor. The passage to the left leads to a replica of the vision room. This will be your escape route at the end.
The main complex of this first level consists of four large chambers linked by corridors. It’s basically pretty linear. The main problems being a swinging trap corridor and a bridge area with falling blades.
The final chamber contains a single highlighted tomb. Here you will pick up yet another of Vulna’s taunts. He suggests you look/activate the tomb. It turns out to be for the champion. How touching indeed!
MIRANDAHAL SANCTUM
The second level is more of the same. Big rooms traps and puzzles. The first chamber is huge and filled with bad guys. To escape you need to locate a secret door opposite the entry point.
Beyond are bridges with moving cage traps and drop blades. These can be avoided by taking alternative routes, which bring you into contact with the numerous NB’s that haunt the corridors.
Again expect a taunt from the Vampire Lord, but is he beginning to sound a little panicked.
PALACE OF THE BRIDES
The next level is in fact a nexus point for a seven further levels. You thought you were near the end? When I said it was huge I meant HUGE!!!
The problem confirmed by Vulna’s fourth taunt and by trying the door opposite is that you will need to find five BRIDE KEYS, to get into Vulna’s lair.
The keys are guarded by the brides, and they will be found in their own palaces.
THE SUN ROOM
This is a small room, which is mentioned in a few clutter items in the quest line. It is an open air chamber designed to punish errant vampires. You’ll pick up a clue to the fate of Berunda’s party from the skeleton on the Altar. This will lead to some additional dialogue back in Verona.
This leaves five palaces, and five keys. So what order do you do them in? There is no particular order. You can do it any way you like. Each palace has their own blend of traps, puzzles and bad guys. This guides offers my preferred path for my own sneak up and slash character.
ABANDONED PALACE
This level has no bad guys at all. It is all puzzles and traps. When you enter the central chamber you get a journal update, indicating a cask bathed in strange light. You are told that the problem is getting to it. I call this my Tomb Raider level.
You will notice other exits in this chamber. Two lead to locked doors. So follow the way directly ahead. You come to another flooded room. However, notice the two submerged doorways. Use either and you find a dry corridor which in turn leads to a small balcony with a push switch. Activate it and return to central chamber.
You will now find one of the blocked doors open. The passage leads into a smallish room. Careful!!! The room is trapped. Work your way around the edge to find a pressure plate. Activate it. This opens the second block passage.
Move along the new passage until you come to a large room with a brazier in the centre. This room has balconies around three sides. Use the stairs to get up there. Here you will find a locked door which requires a key.
So where is the key? Look around the balcony and you’ll locate a push switch. Activate this and a secret chamber in the brazier room will be revealed. The key is in a cask in this room. Careful!!! This area is gas trapped. Get in and get out quickly.
The key allows you to progress. The next area of interest features a covered Varla stone and an activator to get it. The second from last chamber is a cobweb strewn bedroom. Inside the cask by the bed you will find a letter confirming Berunda as the fifth missing bride. It also confirms that there is a hidden backdoor escape route. This should trigger a new journal update.
The last room has another balcony system and the activator for the stairs in the central room is here. You’ll get a pop up message to confirm this.
Head back to the central area, grab the key from the new accessible cask, loot and head back to the Palace of the Brides level.
ANJELICA JOLLY’S PALACE
This palace is populated, but it is the only other palace where the key is not actually on the person of a bride.
In fact half this palace can be ignored. It contains bad guys and some more cells with food supplies.
Enter the palace and once you are into the main chamber head left up the stairs. In the next chamber are four Varla’s beneath protectors and a blocked door which lead in the direction of the key.
Beyond the Varla room is Anjelica’s bedroom. The activator for the door is on the far side, and Anjelica carries a message telling you the key is in the desk.
You don’t need to kill her, but she is a very bad person.
Retrace your footsteps after you activate the door, and enter the sizable final chamber.
The key is on a desk in the far corner. The problem is you cannot reach it without
raise the stairs. The activator is located a the end of the L-
Run up, grab the key from the desk and leave. Two down. Three to go.
INGRA LE FEY’S PALACE
The entry to this palace leads to a crossroads. The way left is blocked by a locked door. The way right leads to a small barracks with lots of loot. The way forwards leads to a trapped bridge across a very large pit room. The path to the key is blocked by first a secret door, with an activator next to it and then by a remote door activated by a push switch located in the middle section of the room, protected by a collapsing bridge.
Ingra is in her small private study. She has the key on her. Kill or pickpocket the key and head off.
BETHAN YARD’S PALACE
Those who have followed the clutter trail for the quest may have picked up a small internal squabble between Bethan yard and Pacha Sark over who lead the Brides.
Bethan’s palace is that bit bigger than the previous two.
The first problem is getting past the first gate. The activator is to the right of the main entrance. But, the door is timed. You need to run full pelt to make it. If you are in sneak mode you will not get there.
A few NB’s and a pack of dogs later you will enter an empty chamber. Careful!!! This room is trapped. Walk around the edge. Following the green arrow will lead to a dead end. Your map will confirm there is a room beyond, but the way is blocked. You need to head off to Bethan’s private bedroom and find an activator which will tell you can now enter the Bride’s Graveyard.
Vulna has been around for a while and has clocked up a good few brides. They are buried in this area. Here you will also encounter Bethan who in keeping with her status is a tough nut to crack. Relieve her of the burden of her key and move on.
PACHA SARK’S PALACE
In keeping with her station Pacha has a fairly large and well populated Palace. There are no tricks, but a few traps. You can avoid the sliding trap by using the balcony that rings the final room.
Unlike the other Brides Pacha is set to spot you and engage in contact. You will need to fight her. She is no soft option (Level45).
If she is the first bride you have killed, you will pick up another of Vulna’s taunts.
If this is the final key you will then get a new taunt to come and finish the battle.
THE LAIR
Finally, it is time to face Lord Garn Vulna. This is his true form, ancient and Vampiristic.
Vulna is as tough as they come. He’s level 50. He’s mean and nasty. He was in his human days a leading battlemage and has had 1000 years to practice his art. He has powerful attack, summon and protection spells. He is well armed and armored.
But he is beatable. He has to be if you want that house.
Hint: Use the furnishings to your advantage. The bookcases are positioned so you can pass behind them.
When Vulna is dead you’ll get a quest update to return to Harding and get the key to Verona.
You’re about to get your first look at your new house.
You’re not going to like what you see.
Behind the stone throne in ‘council’ area is a pressure plate which opens a secret room behind the throne.
Inside you’ll find a portal back to the ‘vision room’ on level one.
Head off to Verona.
THE LADY OF VERONA
Go find Harding and he is the bearer of bad news. He explains Vicenza had a vision of your success and Harding rushed up to house to try to fix it up for your return. He found the enchantment remained on all of the house save the private quarters. He went inside; however, he heard noises from the private bedroom and fled in a panic, stopping only to lock the door again. Whatever, was inside the house had been there for 50 years.
He gives you the master key. It doesn’t work on any door except the private apartment section.
Go in and head upstairs where you will find a Vampire female in the bedroom.
THE FIFTH BRIDE
She is Berunda, wife of VanGarff, and the missing 5th bride of the vampire lord, as she will explain.
She was captured and held prisoner. Vulna infected her and her party with vampirism. She had become the very thing she and her husband hated.
Vulna tempted her and showing weakness she became one of his brides. Eventually she realized her mistake and aided by one of her party fled.
Ashamed by her weakness She fled to Verona House and using her most powerful enchantments sealed the house. She watched from the window as VanGarff broken and alone left. Now thanks to you she can finally rest. She asks one final favor of you. She asks that you take her necklace and place it inside the coffin of her beloved VanGarff.
She is unsure where the grave is, but does know that it has been defiled by Night Brethren agents. She wants you to clean them out and to place the necklace in his coffin, do this and she will restore Verona to its former glory.
Then Berunda takes her own life.
VANGRAFF’S LAST RESTING PLACE
Talk to Harding he will point you to Anvil where VanGarff died. In Anvil you will be directed to the Fighter’s Guild, then the guild boss. He will then bump you over to VanGarff’s old associate and friend Surok.
You’ll find Surok in the Count’s Arms. Ask him and he will reveal that he buried him in the Ancient Fighter’s Guild tomb. Now long disused. He will then ask you if he can come along.
Surok is a useful extra pair of hands but will fall victim to any traps you lead him into.
It makes no difference if you say yes or no other than you get a meat shield to help you out in the final delve.
The Tomb of the Warriors and Heroes is up North and is a bit of a trek.
The tomb itself is a two level Ayleid ruin.
When you enter you’ll get a quest update and your target wheel will light up like Christmas tree. There are 25 targets to eliminate.
10 on the first level, 15 on level2. Kill them in any order or let Surok clean house.
TOMB OF THE WARRIORS
10 NB are spread throughout this tomb.
You can make it to level 2 at anytime. Due to AI meaning Absolute Idiot, beware the trap in the middle room. Surok will walk straight into it.
TOMB OF THE HEROES
13 NB’s plus Firnad Allo and Harriet Leach occupy this level.
Three NB’s plus Harriet can only be reached through blade traps. These will kill Surok, so use the wait option to save him.
When all 25 are dead you’ll get a quest update to find the tomb. If Surok is with you, you’ll get a target.
It’s in the huge chamber where Firnad and Commanders were hanging out.
To find it you need to release three secret panels. The first activator is close to the entry doorway.
To place the necklace in the tomb, activate the tomb.
If you activate before you’ve killed the NB’s you’ll get a message, to clean house some more.
When you finally activate the tomb, Berunda and VanGarff appear. They do a little farewell speech. VanGarff will give you a set of amour, and then they leave. They walk to one of the secret corridors and fade away.
Watch this end scene, chat to Surok, or go off and see Harding.
Get the New Key.
Return to find you can now open all the doors with your new key.
You now own Verona House.
You’ll get a new stage bump to see Harding about Staff.
Talk to Harding again will bring the quest line to an end.
You will need to hire the Hunters as your staff to get the most out of the house.
THE END
STAFFING THE HOUSE
You will be able to hire the following personnel. Each offers a different level of Service and each demand different terms and conditions. Many of the house functions require you to hire the relevant member of staff to activate and maintain them. When Harding completes the quest seven Hiring quests will start up
MARIMAR
Location: Your old mentor has now fully adopted his family name, and he is now called Marimar of Heartshaven. You’ll find him in and around Verona Bay. He has full active schedule that takes him to his father’s grave, the Chapel and the Rumare Hotel.
Terms: Marimar will work for free. He will report to the library at 8am and leave at 8pm. He takes a leisurely lunch in your dining room between 12 and 2. When off duty he takes time to pay his respects to his father, and winds down in the Rumare Hotel.
Services: Marimar offers three services.
Upgrades: Firstly he will sell the all important library upgrades which add loads of full books shelf to your library.
The upgrades include Cheap, Common, Expensive and Rare books from the Vanilla world. These do not include any skill books. In addition, You can buy two upgrades which add books imported from previous Elder Scrolls games (Thanks to DarkOne)
Finally in the Shivering Isle edition, once you have obtained the key to the island he will offer a further upgrade to include all SI books.
As you begin to acquire copies of the skill books, from time to time, Marimar will offer to sell individual copies of unique volume exclusive to Bloodlines. These include the titles;
The Champion and the Gates of Oblivion,
and The Champion and the Vampire King.
Skill Book Sorter: Secondly he will add copies of each skill book you acquire. He adds these to selected positions on the shelves of the Library.
Skill Book Advice: Finally he will upon request allow you to read his own unique Librarians Guide to Skill books which tells you the location of all the skill books in the game.
Dismissed: If you fire him, he will bear no grudge but will obviously stop offering his services. He can be rehired at the same conditions each time.
DIAMAS
Location: Diamas having struck up a friendship with Ossuna is staying with her in the Night Hunter’s waterfront shack. He makes the most of his days of leisure. He spends his mornings at the Arena, his afternoons in the All Saints Inn in the Temple District, and his evenings strolling with Ossuna in the Arboretum.
Terms: Diamas want a salary of 100 G.P. per month. Provided you have hired Harold, you will get a reminder two days before his salary is due. The wages will be automatically deducted from you funds. Diamas will live at Verona House.
Services: Diamas is your security guard. In truth this is a nominal title. He goes through security style AI’s include a sentry post outside your private rooms, and a patrol throughout the night outside the house. However, he is principally a ‘share’ companion. He has packages which allow the following behavior
Follow on foot
Follow on Horse (he has his own horse in your stables)
Wait
Return to Duty (return to Verona House)
Remember this spot. (He can remember a single location)
Return to marker. (He returns to the remembered spot)
Share Inventory (Standard Inventory share: NOTE!!! This uses the removeallitems method. This is pretty robust, but does have an issue. If you add any item to Diamas’s inventory which has a negative item count, this will create massive save game bloating and potential crashes to desk top. The solution is simple. Don’t add such items to NPC’s)
Dismissed: If dismissed or unpaid, Diamas returns to his original Behaviour patterns. He will return to work at the same terms
KAVALA AND NARISSA
Location: The two mages will have returned to their little northern retreat. As well as their lives in the house, they occasionally make trips to ANIN SULLIA, to carry out research.
Terms: They come as a combined package at a nominal fee of 200.g.p. However, if you used Narissa in the Gilded Cage quest KaVala will bump the price up to 300g.p. They will share work load and ensure between them that the are on duty for 20 hours in the day.
Services: KaVala and Narissa will offer the following services.
Alchemy Sorter: They will activate the Ingredients sorter in the Mages Suite.
Alchemy Guide: They will activate the Alchemy guide in the mages suite.
Potion Sorter: They will Activate the potion sorter in the Mage’s suite.
Enchantment Altar: they will activate the enchantment Altar
Spell-
KaVala’s Advice: In addition KaVala will when in the mages’ suite, offer contextual advice based on your ability about the ingredients need to carry out certain potions. She will add any of those ingredients to your inventory.
Narissa’s Companion mode: To use Narissa as a companion you will need to seek KaVala’s permission. She does this on a random 50% chance. Narissa has similar functionality to Diamas, but in addition offers a powerful heal spell.
Narissa’s Magical item Sort: Sorts most ‘magical’ items and places them in the relevant storage.
Dismissed: Failure to meet the pay demands or dismissal will see the above functionality fail and the pair will move back north. In addition, KaVala will consider this an insult and will increase her pay demands by 50 G.P. per time up to a maximum 500G.p. per month.
OSSUNA
Location: Ossuna is initially sharing the Night Hunter’s shack in the Imperial City waterfront with Diamas. She looks for work in the market district in the morning, meets Diamas at the All Saints Inn, and strolls with him in the evening.
Terms: Ossuna is another NPC who has a sliding scale. If you did not use her in the gilded quest she will happily work for just 100 G.P. per month. However, if you did, she will consider you ‘owe her one’ and charge 150 G.P.
Services: Ossuna offers the following services
Armor Sort: She will sort all vanilla and SI armor and place it in the relevant chest or storage in the Armory. She will not sort custom armor.
Weapons Sort: She will sort all Vanilla and SI weapons and place them in the relevant chest or storage in the Weapons Armory. She will no sort custom weapons.
Repair Service: She will repair armor and weapons for a fee.
Full Companion Share: She will upon request carry out a similar set of functions to Diamas. In addition she will offer a weak healing service.
Dismissed: Take dismissal as an insult and will up her fee to £200 from now on.
VASQUEZ
Location: Vasquez has moved into Northwood Cottage, Harriet leaches old house. If Mirabella is alive he will be living with her.
Terms: Vasquez has a sliding scale based on two factors. He would normally charge £200 per month but will offer two discounts. If you safely returned Mirabella, he will reduce this by 100 G.P. If you forewarned him about his family, he will also discount his fee by 100 G.P. This means potentially he can work for free. However, he will add £200 to his base cost if you knew about his family but refused to release him from his oath. So potentially he could cost up to 400 G.P. per month. He works from 8am till 8pm, but will ‘train’ Ossuna to operate the facility in his absence.
Services: Vasquez offers three basic services.
Training Room: He will activate the training room facility
Archery Room: He activates the archery facility
Sparring: he will spar with you.
Dismissed: Vasquez will charge his flat 200 G.P. to return.
VICENZA
Location: Vicenza continues to work for Harding. You’ll find her doing her usual Verona Bay routine
Terms: Vicenza, longs to work in the big house. She will work for free, but will charge for some of her services.
Services: Vicenza offers the following services
Unique Food: Homemade Apple Pie. Improves your personality (5 G.P.)
Homemade Chicken Soup. Natural Healer (5 G.P.)
Unique drink: Verona Bay Special Reserve (10 G.P.)
Wine Sorter: Sorts drinks into relevant container (free)
Clothes Sorter: Sorts clothes into relevant container (free)
Dismissed: Doesn’t take it personally and will return as a free NPC.
HAROLD
Location: Harold is living with Marimar. He has a routine that takes him around Verona Bay.
Terms: Harold will work for the standard 100 G.P. per month. He works 8am till 8pm, but is available to consult at all times.
Services: Harold offers these services.
Item Sorting: Will sort most items not covered by the books, ingredients clothes, weapons, armor magical items and potion sorters already mentioned.
Message Service: He will keep track of your progress inside factions and will remind you when payments are due for all staff.
Dungeon Delvers Kit: Once a month he will provide a free kit including; torches, lock picks, healing potions, cure disease, etc.
Rent Collection: As a hidden feature he ‘discovers’ a charter that allows you to collect rent from the Verona residents. This amounts to 500 G.P. per month. However, it will make you unpopular in the village. If you refuse the collection, your popularity will increase.
Dismissed: Harold is not one to bear grudges and will still cost 100 G.P to rehire.
The total cost of staff can vary from 0 G.P (if you include the rent discount) to as much as 1250 G.P per month if you repeatedly dismiss your staff.
You now have to work for a living. It’s a good job the average bandit has glass and deadric armor. You need to make a decent wedge.
SIDEQUESTS
If you thought the questing over when you finished BLOODLINES, then think again. In addition to the Main quest this mod offers a quite a collection of Side quests and spin off quests to keep you entertained.
FANTE AND THE GANG
This is a spin off quest. You will pick this up at the close of the BURDEN OF DEBT Bloodlines story. Valmar will point out that the gang are on the run and give you details of the bounty. He will explain that you need to go to the Imperial Commerce office in the Market District of the Imperial City to collect any reward due.
Valmar will also suggest you talk to Jug Potter and find out if he overheard anything.
Jug will point out the gang talked about three camps they had used in the past. He’ll mark all three on your map.
NORTHERN CAMP
Three of the gang have fled here. Kill each and pick up the first 300 G.P. reward and a decent loot haul.
CENTRAL CAMP
This camp is abandoned, but you will find a clutter letter hinting at the presence of a traitor in Verona Bay and suggesting Vicenza may have been buying Human Blood.
SOUTHERN CAMP
Fante and three others will be here. Kill them and collect the final 500 G.P. reward. (Note you can attack the camps in any order).
COLLECTING THE REWARD
Whenever, you are owed a reward, go to the Imperial Office in the market district. It should be a target when you’re owed money. The office is open from 8am to 8pm. Talk about bounty to collect your cash.
HUNTING THE HUNTERS
Please note this spin off quest is a BLOODLINES quest line breaker. If you go down this road you will not be able to enter Verona Bay.
The quest begins if following the Vulna vision in ANIN SULLIA; you then murder any one of the Night Hunters. You will get a quest update and a set of targets for the other members. You will no longer be in their faction. This will qualify as a murder and you can expect the consequences of that in full.
When you have slaughtered the rest of the faction, a shadowy agent will be given your reward.
However, KaVala was correct. If Vulna promised to hold back his plans as long as you are alive, don’t expect to live very long.
The payment concludes the quest, however, from then on a never ending stream of Uber-