___         _             __              ___
| |_  _   |_ | _| _ ._  (_  _ ._ _ || _   | \  /
| | |(/_  |_ |(_|(/_|   __)(_ | (_)||_>  _|_ \/
___________________________________________________________________
___ _  _ _____   _____ ___ ___ _  _  ___   ___ ___ _    ___ ___
/ __| || |_ _\ \ / / __| _ \_ _| \| |/ __| |_ _/ __| |  | __/ __|
\__ \ __ || | \ V /| _||   /| || .` | (_ |  | |\__ \ |__| _|\__ \
|___/_||_|___| \_/ |___|_|_\___|_|\_|\___| |___|___/____|___|___/
+-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~+
| TES 4: Shivering Isles FAQ/Walkthrough |
+-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~+
|    Author: Xiamut (xiamut@gmail.com)   |
|    Version: 1.00                       |
|    Last Revision: 08/16/07             |
|    Platform: Xbox 360                  |
o----------------------------------------o
O============================================================================O
|                            - Table of Contents -                           |
O============================================================================O
- Introduction........................................................[*01]
- The Basics..........................................................[*02]
- About Shivering Isles...........................................[b01]
- Controls........................................................[b02]
- Main Quest..........................................................[*03]
- A Door in Niben Bay.............................................[w01]
- Through the Fringe of Madness...................................[w02]
- A Better Mousetrap..............................................[w03]
- Baiting the Trap................................................[w04]
- Understanding Madness...........................................[w05]
- Addiction.......................................................[w06]
- The Lady of Paranoia............................................[w07]
- The Cold Flame of Agnon.........................................[w08]
- Ritual of Accession.............................................[w09]
- Ritual of Mania.................................................[w10]
- Ritual of Dementia..............................................[w11]
- Retaking the Fringe.............................................[w12]
- Rebuilding the Gatekeeper.......................................[w13]
- The Helpless Army...............................................[w14]
- Symbols of Office...............................................[w15]
- The Roots of Madness............................................[w16]
- The End of Order................................................[w17]
- The Prince of Madness...........................................[w18]
- Side Quests.........................................................[*04]
- Bliss Quests....................................................[S01]
- Crucible Quests.................................................[S02]
- Settlement Quests...............................................[S03]
- Achievement List....................................................[*05]
- Revision History....................................................[*06]
- Thanks/Acknowledgments..............................................[*07]
- Contact Information.................................................[*08]
- Copyright Information...............................................[*09]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*** Click here and press [Ctrl]+[F] to call up the Find menu. Enter the   ***
*** corresponding code next to section that you want to view and press    ***
*** enter to jump to that section.                                        ***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------\=======================================================================
[*01] \                        - Introduction -
--------\=====================================================================
Oblivion is an open-ended first-person role playing game developed by Bethesda
Softworks and published by 2K Games. Shivering Isles is the first (hopefully
not last) expansion pack for The Elder Scrolls IV. This expansion pack allows
you to travel to the Daedric Lord Sheogorath's realm, the Shivering Isles.
There is a large new area to explore, a brand new quest line filled with
intrigue, new weapons, armor, creatures, side quests and more. This guide will
help you find your way in the realm of madness with a complete walkthrough for
the expansion pack's main quest line, as well as directions to help you
complete each and every side quest found in the game.
This FAQ/Walkthrough was written based on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for
the Xbox 360 console. Even though it was written for the 360, it can still be
used in conjunction with the PC or PS3 version of TES IV, since the only
real differences between the 360, PC and PS3 versions of the original game is
the control scheme. I suggest that you do not read too far ahead as this guide
does CONTAIN SPOILERS!
I have implemented a search system that I highly suggest you utilize. It is
very simple to use and it will make your time navigating this guide a whole
lot easier. To use it, simply press [Ctrl]+[F] to bring up the Find menu. Use
the table of contents and type in the corresponding code for the section that
you want to jump to. I hope you find the answers you are looking for... now on
to the FAQ!
------\=======================================================================
[*02] \                        - The Basics -
--------\=====================================================================
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
- About Shivering Isles                                                [b01]
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Shivering Isles is The Elder Scrolls IV's first expansion.
If you are playing Oblivion on the Xbox 360 console and have access to Xbox
Live, you can purchase and download Shivering Isles from the Xbox Live
Marketplace for 2,400 MP. Unfortunately, if you do not have access to Xbox
Live, you cannot download this expansion pack.
Luckily, Bethesda has announced an Oblivion Game of the Year edition, which
will have both the Shivering Isle expansion pack and the Knights of the Nine
downloadable content packed in. PS3 users should be getting the expansion
soon, too. Just sit tight and be patient.
If you are playing the PC version of Oblivion, you can find Shivering Isles
on store shelves.
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
- Controls                                                             [b02]
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
If you are here, I assume that you have a basic understanding of how The Elder
Scrolls IV works, so I am going to keep this short with a basic control list
for your reference. If, however, you are new to The Elder Scrolls IV, you
should start by reading  "The Basics" section of my Oblivion FAQ/Walkthrough
(or the instruction manual). You can find my Oblivion FAQ/Walkthrough here:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/file/927345/43850
O========================O===================================================O
|      - Button -        |                  - Function -                     |
O========================O===================================================O
| Left Bumper            | Grab objects(press and hold while cursor is over).|
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Right Bumper           | Cast selected spell.                              |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Right Trigger          | Attack with equipped weapon.                      |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Back                   | Open the wait menu.                               |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Start                  | Pause the game and open the start menu.           |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Left Thumbstick        | Move your character.                              |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Left Thumbstick Button | Toggle Sneak Mode on and off.                     |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| D-Pad                  | Activate set hotkeys.                             |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Right Thumbstick       | Look left, right, up, down.                       |
|------------------------+---------------------------------------------------|
| Right                  | Switch between first and third person view        |
| Thumbstick             | points. Hold down to enter Vanity Mode. Use the   |
| Button                 | left and right triggers to zoom in and out.       |
o------------------------o---------------------------------------------------o
------\=======================================================================
[*04] \                         - Main Quest -
--------\=====================================================================
==============================================================================
...A Door in Niben Bay.................................................[w01]..
==============================================================================
When you download Shivering Isles and load Oblivion for the first time, wait
or sleep for two days and you will receive a message explaining that an odd
doorway has appeared on a small island in the Niben Bay. The location is then
marked on your map, it is north of the "l" in "Bravil." Well, what are
you
waiting for? Fast travel to the location on your map closest to the new
location, then from there swim out to the island. Upon reaching the island,
you will encounter a guard named Gaius Prentus, as well as a strange Khajiit
named S'fara. Stand back, a Dark Elf by the name of Belmyne Dreleth. Straight
away, you can tell that there's something not quite right with this fellow.
Belmyne quickly attacks, help the guard take him out. You can speak with Gaius
to learn more of this "Strange Door."
Eventually, a disembodied voice will beckon you, inviting you to step through
the doorway and into the Isles. While you normally shouldn't be in the habit
of trusting disembodied voices, nevertheless take the plunge and step through
the "Door to the Fringe." The man behind the desk, Haskill, asks you to take a
seat. Do so, then speak with him from across the table. Haskill explains that
the Daedric Lord Sheogorath is looking for a mortal to become his champion.
He gives you a choice, turn back the way you came or enter the Realms of
Madness. Speak with him and choose the latter.
==============================================================================
...Through the Fringe of Madness.......................................[w02]..
==============================================================================
Before you can enter Shivering Isles, you must first pass through the Gates
of Madness. While this may not seem like a daunting task at first, you will
quickly discover upon your arrival that passing through the Gates of Madness
will be far from simple. Following the green arrow on your map (assuming you
have "Through the Fringe of Madness" set as your active quest), you will be
lead to the Gates. As you can see, there is quite a large obstacle that stands
before the Gates of Madness. The Gatekeeper. Stand back and watch as the giant
Gatekeeper obliterates the band of adventurers. It would not be very wise to
attempt killing this monster without any aid. Step away from the Gates of
Madness quickly, the focus of the Gatekeeper's rage will quickly change to you
once all of the adventurers are dead. By obtaining a couple of items, you can
actually kill the Gatekeeper quite easily.
Locate "The Wastrel's Purse" in the Fringe and step inside. Once inside, look
for a woman named Relmyna Verenim, who should be in one of the rooms up the
stairs. By speaking to her, you will learn that she is the creator of the
Gatekeeper that stands in your path. Other than that, she offers very little
else. From the door leading into her room, turn left. On the table, there is
a "Letter to Sheogorath." Only while she is not looking (while crouching, be
sure that the sneak icon is faded and not solid), read the letter. The letter
explains that Relmyna visits the Gatekeeper each night at around midnight. So,
wait a safe distance away from the Gatekeeper and wait for Relmyna around
midnight. Eventually, Relmyna will appear. Wait until Relmyna has left the
Gatekeeper, then go and retrieve the "Tear-filled handkerchief" that she left
on the ground. By doing this, you will receive three "Tears of Relmyna," a
poison that can be applied  to a melee weapon or arrow. It is very effective
against the Gatekeeper.
Now, you must locate and speak to a man by the name of Jayred Ice-Veins. You
can learn of him by speaking to a Redguard named Shelden, you should be able
to find him wandering the streets of Passwall. By speaking with Shelden about
the Gatekeeper, an arrow pointing to Jayred will appear on your compass.
Follow this area to the Nord and ask him about the "Gatekeeper." He agrees to
help you kill the Gatekeeper, if you can use a lockpick to allow him to gain
access to the "Gardens of Flesh and Bone." There, apparently the body of a
dead Gatekeeper can be found. Jayred believes that, if he fashions arrows out
of the bones of this dead Gatekeeper, they will greatly harm the current
Gatekeeper. Before you agree to do anything, be sure that you have the "Tears
of Relmyna," When ready, speak with Jayred and select "Lead on." Unlock
the
gate and help Jayred kill all of the skeletons inside. Once he has the bones,
he explains that they will be ready in a few hours.
Once a few hours have passed, locate and speak to Jayred, ask him about the
"Bone Arrows." He'll hand some of the arrows over to you. Be sure that you
have a bow with you, if not, you can simply apply the tears to a melee weapon,
this may be enough to take the Gatekeeper out, when coupled with the bone
arrows that Jayred is using. Tell Jayred to follow you. When you reach the
Gates of Madness, equip your bow and the Bone Arrows if not already, then
apply Relmyna's Tears to one of the arrows. With both Jayred and yourself
shooting at the Gatekeeper, he should fall quickly. Search the Gatekeepers
corpse and retrieve the "Key to Dementia" and the "Key to Mania."
Haskill will appear, he explains that the two doors lead to Dementia and
Mania. The one on the left leads to Mania, the one on the right leads to
Dementia. If you go through the door leading to Mania, you will receive a
greater power called "Blessing of Mania." Through the door to Dementia, you
will receive a greater power called "Blessing of Dementia." The Mania power
casts Frenzy, the Dementia power casts Demoralize. Neither of the powers are
particularly useful. Step through whichever door you wish.
Once you have passed through the Gates of Madness, you will have to endure a
long trek to "New Sheoth Palace," which is on the other side of the island. To
get to New Sheoth Palace, you will have to enter either the city of Bliss or
the city of Crucible. Once inside one of these cities, follow the red active
quest arrow to the door leading into the "Palace Grounds" area. Enter
"Sheogorath's Palace," locate and speak to the Daedric Lord himself. He
explains your task to you. In the process, he'll hand over the "Charity of
Madness" amulet. Charity of Madness adds Fire, Frost and Shock resistance
effects when worn.
==============================================================================
...A Better Mousetrap..................................................[w03]..
==============================================================================
Shegorath has given you the "Manual of Xedilian" and a device called an
"Attenuator of Judgement." You're told to head to the dungeon of Xedilian and
help return it to proper working order. You can either speak to Sheogorath's
servant Haskill for more information, or you can read the Manual of Xedilian
that you have been given. You learn that, if you wish to restore Xedilian to
its prior state, you must activate the "Resonator of Judgement." To do this,
you must first retrieve three "Focus Crystals" and place each of them in a
"Judgement Nexus." Xedilian has been marked on your map. It is a fair distance
from your current location, but if you fast travel back to the Gates of
Madness, it is a relatively short trek from there. Xedilian itself is
inhabited by Grummites, make sure that you are well prepared before you venture
inside.
Once inside of Xedilian, hit the push button to the right of the gate to open
raise it. Follow the green arrow on your compass (assuming that you have "A
Better Mousetrap" set as your active quest). You will come to another gate,
which can be raised by pushing the push button on the wall to the right of the
gate. The green arrow points to one of the Judgement Nexus. In the immediate
vicinity of this nexus, there should be a Grummite that is holding a "Crystal
Staff." Kill this Grummite and retrieve the staff from its body. One of the
Focus Crystals that you are looking for is attached to the Crystal Staff. Your
character will automatically detach the Focus Crystal from atop the staff.
With the first Focus Crystal, activate the Judgement Nexus. Now, the active
quest arrow points to the next Judgement Nexus. The arrow will eventually lead
to an area with push bottom on the base of a statue, press the button to fall
down to the area with the Nexus. The Grummite Shaman is in the area with the
Nexus, find and kill the Shaman. Take the Crystal Staff and place the Focus
Crystal in the Judgement Nexus. The active quest arrow will now point you to
a door that leads into an area called "Xedilian, Halls of Judgement." Follow
the arrow to the final Judgment Nexus, the Shaman is more than likely right in
the cage that contains the Nexus. Obtain the Focus Crystal and activate the
final Judgement Nexus. A new path will open once you activate the final Nexus.
Finally, the arrow now points to the Resonator of Judgement.
==============================================================================
...Baiting the Trap....................................................[w04]..
==============================================================================
Once the Resonator has been attuned, a gate opens up to the right, a
teleportation pad leading back to the Xedilian area is now accessible. Step on
the pad and instead of being transported back to the entrance, you will be
teleported to an entirely different area of Xedilian. A Dark Elf named Kiliban
Nyrandil will initiate a conversation with you. He explains the purpose of
Xedilian. The dungeon acts as a trap of sorts, to catch naïve adventurers who
are looking for fame and glory within the Shivering Isles. You were teleported
to this location because a band of adventurers have entered Xedilian, giving
you the chance to have some fun with them. Speak to Kiliban or consult the
Manual of Xedilian to learn more about using the dungeon's mechanisms.
As the Manual explains, there are three different rooms the "Chamber of
Conversion," "Chamber of Avarice" and the "Chamber of Anathema."
In each of
the control platforms, there are two buttons: A green button and an orange
button. You can only press one of the buttons for each room. Each button
activates a room's test, either manic or demented. The green button (or the
one to your left) is the demented, which kills the "Xedilianites," the orange
button (or the one to your right) is manic, which drives them mad. It does not
matter which button you press, you will receive the same treasure either way
at the end of this quest. You can read the Manual if you wish to know what
a button will do in the different rooms, then decide which one you would like
to witness.
Once all of the Xedilianites have been dealt with, step on the last teleport
pad to be teleported to the reception chamber. Collect your earnings from the
"Recovery Chest," you are also given the Dawnfang/Duskfang sword.
"Grommok's
Journal" describes this unique sword. Basically, it changes to "Duskfang"
at
dawn and "Dawnfang" at dawn. Killing with this weapon will make it more
powerful. It is like two different swords, though you cannot be in possession
of both of them at the same time. Exit this room by going through the passage
to the right of the chest. You are attacked by three Knights of the Order in
this area. Be sure to take the "Heart of Order" from each downed Knight. After
the battle, speak to Nyrandil to learn more about the Knights of Order that
you encountered.
==============================================================================
...Understanding Madness...............................................[w05]..
==============================================================================
Travel back to Sheogorath's Palace and speak with Sheogorath. You are given
the "Summon Haskill" lesser power. Summon Haskill once, speak with Sheogorath
and then summon Haskill again. With that over and done with, speak with
Sheogorath to learn about Jyggalag and the Knights of Order. Sheogorath orders
you to speak with both the Duchess of Dementia, Syl, and the Duke of Mania,
Thadon. There are two doors to the left and right of Sheogorath's throne.
While facing the throne, the door to the right leads to the "House of
Dementia," while the door on the left leads to the "House of Mania." At
this
point, two new quests are added, the quest "Addiction" and the "The Lady
of
Paranoia" quest. They can be completed in whichever order you please.
Once you have completed both "Addiction" and "The Lady of Paranoia,"
return to
Sheogorath for further briefing.
==============================================================================
...Addiction...........................................................[w06]..
==============================================================================
The Dutch of Mania, Thadon, can be found in the "House of Mania," most likely
in the "Halcyon Conservatory" area. Be sure to have "Addiction" set as
your
active quest, so you can easily locate Thadon, wherever he is. Within Thadon's
incoherent babble, you learn of an item called the "Chalice of Reversal." He
does not know where this chalice is, so you will have to find someone in the
palace who does know. Wide-Eye, an Argonian, can help you. She should be in
the House of Mania, or in the Halcyon Conservatory. Ask her about the Chalice,
she mentions a location called "Dunroot Burrow." Inquire about this further,
if her disposition towards you is high enough, you learn that one can only
enter Dunroot Burrow if they have taken a substance called "Felldew." This
substance can be acquired from a specific variation of a creature called an
Elytra.
Dunroot Burrow has been marked on your map, as you can see it is quite a long
distance from your current location. It can be quite difficult to reach this
location if you try to take an indirect root. There is a road that will take
you directly to Dunroot Burrow, the north road leaving Bliss. Travel this road
until you reach "Camp Hopeful," take the dirt road here straight to Dunroot
Burrow. Right outside, look for the Elytra containing the Felldew. You can
tell when an Elytra is holding Felldew if their body is faintly glowing. Kill
the Elytra Hatchling and retrieve the Felldew from its body. The "Barrier
Membrane" at the entrance to Dunroot Burrow cannot be opened unless you have
consumed some Felldew. Locate the Felldew in the Ingredients section of you
inventory and eat it. The membrane opens, proceed inside.
You're going to want to move through the Burrow rather fast. The Felldew
effect does not last forever, it wears off fairly quickly, putting you into a
state of "Felldew Withdrawal," crippling you to an extent. Sure, the effects
may not seem too bad at first, but they will get worse if you let the
withdrawal continue. There should be plenty of Elytra that hold Felldew, and
if you take care not to loiter, you'll be able to make it through without a
hitch. The active quest arrow is pointing towards a door leading to the
"Dunroot Burrow, Kelp Fen" area. The initial area of Dunroot Burrow contains
several different levels, when you are unable to progress look around for a
wood ramp leading up to the next level. The Kelp Fen area is comprised of many
tunnels, use the local area map here to make sure that you are not traveling
in circles.
The arrow will lead you to the "Dunroot Burrow, Drone Tunnels" area. This area
is simple to navigate, follow the arrow on your compass to the "Dunroot Burrow
Bramble Halls" area. Following the compass here will not help, the direct path
to the next area is blocked, so you will have to travel all the way around.
Use the local area map if you are having trouble finding your way. The area
that contains the Chalice is "Dunroot Burrow, Sanctum of Decadence." Travel up
the stairs. There are several Felldew Addicts in this area who will attack,
they are not armored at all, nor do they use weapons. The Chalice of Reversal
is on a pedestal in the middle of the upper area of the tower. Grab it. There
is no need to travel back through all of the areas of Dunroot Burrow, luckily
some stairs in this area lead up to a door, leading back directly to the
Sheogorath's Realm.
Back outside, you will encounter an "Obelisk of Order," which is a spawning
point for the Knights of Order. To destroy an Obelisk, place three "Heart of
Order" inside of it. Doing so will cause it to overload, closing it in the
process. Once an Obelisk of Order has been closed, you will usually be able to
retrieve a few items from it. Be sure to collect each and every Heart of Order
that the Knights you encountered were holding. Rest assured, you have not seen
your last Obelisk. With the Chalice of Reversal in hand, return to Thadon at
the House of Mania and hand it over to him.
==============================================================================
...The Lady of Paranoia................................................[w07]..
==============================================================================
The Duchess of Dementia, Syl, can be found in the "House of Dementia," located
in Sheogorath's Palace. If she is not in the main room, use the wait feature
to pass the time until she is there. Speak with you, it becomes immediately
evident that she is incredibly paranoid. She believes that people are spying
on her and conspiring against her. She tells you to seek Herdir, who can be
found in the torture chamber in the House of Dementia. With "The Lady of
Paranoia" quest set as your active quest, the quest arrow will point to
Herdir. Speak to him and tell him that you are the "Grand Inquisitor." He
explains that you must question the people of Crucible about the "Conspiracy."
You can probably imagine the type of "questioning" that will be taking place
with Herdir by your side.
Well, since you'll be questioning people, why not start with those closest to
Syl? Start by speaking with the Redguard Kathleen, who can usually be found
sitting next to Sill's throne. If he is not there, wait for a few hours.
Torture him twice, he will point you towards Anya Herrick. Anya can more than
likely be found wandering around the Palace Grounds area. Wherever she is, the
green quest arrow is pointing to her. Torture her, she will point you to a
Khajiit by the name of Ma'zaddha. Exit the Palace Ground through the door that
leads to Crucible. Locate Ma'zaddha and torture him, unfortunately he refuses
to tell you anything.
There are a few people that will be able to give you information on Ma'zaddha.
One is a Khajiit named Bhisha, you can find him either wandering the streets
of Crucible, or sleeping in a bedroll behind the "Things Found." Alternatively
Cutter of "Cutter's Weapons" will give you the same information. You learn
that Ma'zaddha meets a Dark Seducer named Nelrene late at night in Crucible.
You must eavesdrop on their conversation to learn more. Speak with Herdir and
send him back to the palace at this point. Both Ma'zaddha's and Nelrene's
locations are visible on your map, basically wait outside on the streets of
Crucible until the two arrows are both in Crucible. This should happen at
around midnight.
Once both arrows are green and begin converge, quickly travel to the area just
outside of "Brithaur's House." You must remain out of sight or they will not
have the conversation and you will have to try another night. A good place to
hide is underneath the wooden walkway (the one that leads up to the area that
is outside of Ma'zaddha's house), behind the boxes. After the conversation
between the two, once you receive the "Quest Updated" popup, confront
Ma'zaddha and ask him about the "Conspiracy." Spare his life, in turn he
promises to provide you with information. He tells you to meet him at his home
in Crucible tomorrow at midnight. Do so, you will have to pick the house's
lock, though. Inside, you discover that Ma'zaddha has been slain.
Take the keys from Ma'zaddha, head up the stair and enter the upper area of
Ma'zaddha's house. Open the cupboard in this room and retrieve "Nelrene's
Ceremonial Shortsword" and "Ma'zaddha's Crinkled Note." With the two items
in
hand, travel to Sheogorath's Palace, enter the House of Dementia and confront
Nelrene. Show her the proof that you have acquired, she explains that Muurine
is the actual person behind this whole conspiracy. The quest arrow is now
pointing to Muurine. She is likely wandering the streets of Crucible or in her
home, locate her and confront speak to her about the conspiracy. She admits to
the entire thing straight out. Now to tell Syl of the treachery you have
discovered. Syl tells you to meet her in the torture chamber, where Muurine
will be swiftly dealt with. You are given the bow "Ruin's Edge" for your work.
==============================================================================
...The Cold Flame of Agnon.............................................[w08]..
==============================================================================
You must, yet again, travel off to a far off location. This time, you are
headed for "Cylarne," where you are to kindle the "Flame of Agnon" and
return
to New Sheoth with its holy fire. While it may be a long trek, you can easily
reach Cylarne by simply fast traveling to the Gates of Madness, then walking
along the northern road there. If you happen to encounter an Obelisk of Order
along the way, be sure to close it up. As Shegorath mentioned, the Golden
Saint and the Dark Seducers of Cylarne often fight each other. Upon your
arrival, you'll notice a distinct camp for each of the two groups. The Dark
Seducers (also known as "Mazken") hold the Altar of Despair, to the left. The
Golden Saints (also known as the "Aureals"), hold the Altar of Rapture, on the
right.
Speak to either Vika or Chuna and tell them that you are there to light the
Flame of Agnon. You will be given a key, permitting entrance into either of
the groups' encampments. As you can see, you are faced with a small decision
at this point. You are told that, in order to kindle the Flame of Agnon, one
of the groups must take the others' ruin. So, you can either assist the
Aureals or the Mazken. It really doesn't matter which group you choose to
help, it will not have an impact either way. I would suggest simply choosing
the side that you are more partial towards (meaning "Mania" or
"Dementia.")
Either way, even if you wish to help the Aureals, start by locating the
Mazken commander, Grakedrig Ulfri. She is inside the initial area of Cylarne,
on the Mazken side.
Work your way through her dialogue tree until the "Battle Plans" option
becomes available. Even if you wish to assist the Mazken, select "Let me talk
to the Saints first" option. Head back outside and over to the Aureal side.
The Aureal commander, Aurmazi Kaneh, is outside in the open with the other
Aureals. First, speak with Aurmazl Kaneh, the Aureal commander. Then, speak
to Mirel and inquire about "The Underdeep." With this information, return to
Ulfri. Speak with Ulfri and select "I'll lead the Saints into an ambush." Head
back to the Saints' camp and speak with Kaneh. If you wish to help the Saints,
select the "I'll help you. Let's go" dialogue option. If you wish to help the
Seducers, select the "Yes, but use the Underdeep" option.
If you chose to help the Mazken, follow the Aureals into the Underdeep. They
will discover that you have set them up and then turn on you. It would not be
wise to fight them all at once, you'll have to run through the tunnels and
pick them off one by one, as they will continue to pursue you with intense
ferocity. You have to kill all of them. If you chose to help the Aureals, just
follow them around and help while they clear the ruins. After the battle, find
and speak to the commander that you assisted. Follow them to the ceremony and
watch as the Flame of Agnon is relit.
Return to the Cylarne courtyard. Step on the flame to set yourself ablaze.
Travel back to New Sheoth and locate "Sacellum Arden-Sul". Here, you are faced
with another choice. You can either light the great torch on the Mania side,
or on the Dementia side. If you choose to go with Mania (speak to the man in
the red robe), you will be rewarded with the "Raiment of Arden-Sul" which
fortifies Willpower and Intelligence, it also adds a Shield and resist
Paralysis effect. If you choose to go with Dementia (speak with the man in the
teal robe), you will be given the "Raiment of Intrigue" which fortifies your
Sneak and Security skills, and also your Speed and Luck stats.
==============================================================================
...Ritual of Accession.................................................[w09]..
==============================================================================
Sheogorath will appear on the pews in Sacellum Arden-Sul after you light the
Great Torch. Speak with him, he explains that you are to become a sovereign of
either Mania or Dementia. To learn more about each ritual, speak with Aretus,
High Priest of Dementia and Dervenin, High Priest of Mania. By speaking to
both of them, you will learn both Mania's and Dementia's Ritual of Accession.
On the Mania side, you must get Thadon to commit suicide by taking three doses
of a substance known as Greenmote. With Thadon dead, you must bring his blood
to the Altar of Arden Sul at Sacellum. For Dementia, you must kill Syl, cut
out her heart and bring it to the Altar of Arden Sul at Sacellum. Both
especially gruesome tasks.
It would be highly beneficial to create an alternate save game before going to
Sheogorath with your decision. On the Xbox 360 version there are two different
achievements, "Duke Dementia, Shivering Isles" and "Duke Mania, Shivering
Isles." Both achievements require you to become the Duke/Duchess of either
Mania or Dementia. Creating an alternate save game will enable you to unlock
both of theses achievements without having to play through Shivering Isles
twice by simply reloading the save game and selecting the other ritual at a
later time. If you are playing the PC or PS3 version of Oblivion, there is no
real reason to do this, unless you want to experience both rituals without
having to create another character.
Oh, I should also probably mention, the side that you choose to become the
Duke/Duchess of, you will receive the other side's guards' armor. So, if you
choose to complete the Dementia ritual, thus becoming the Duke/Duchess of
Dementia, you will eventually receive the Golden Saint armor set. Whereas, if
you choose to complete the Mania ritual you will later receive the Dark
Seducer armor set. Many people did not get the armor set that they wanted
during their first playthrough of Shivering Isles, so you may choose to make
your decision based on this knowledge.
==============================================================================
...Ritual of Mania.....................................................[w10]..
==============================================================================
Speak to Sheogorath in Sacellum Arden-Sul once you have made you choice.
Your first task is to acquire some Greenmote. Wide-Eye the Argonian can help
you, she can be found wandering around the House of Mania. Go to the House of
Mania at around 9am, you'll see why later. Ask her about "Thadon." By speaking
to her, you learn that all of the Greenmote is stored in the "Greenmote Silo."
She refuses to disclose the location of this silo. So, it looks like you will
have to do a bit of snooping. Wide-Eye mentioned that she does a "special
errand" (hmm... wonder what that could be...) every day at noon. Be sure that
you have "Ritual of Mania" set as your active quest. The active quest arrow
points to Wide-Eye, you'll have no trouble keeping track of her this way.
Assuming that it is currently before 12pm, using the wait feature in the House
of Mania, pass enough hours to change the time to the 11am range. Proceed to
the Halcyon Conservatory area. Wide-Eye should be there already, most likely
seated next to Thadon. At 12pm, Wide-Eye will get up and leave the Halcyon
area. Follow her, she will lead you to the Palace Grounds area. Once you have
reached the spot, you will witness Wide-Eye activating the secret entrance to
the Greenmote Silo. After Wide-Eye has entered the Greenmote Silo, head in
yourself. It would be a good idea to create an extra save file at this point,
in case something goes wrong. However, if you have Autosaves activated, you
can simply reload the Autosave that was created when you entered the silo.
There are Golden Saints within the silo, you must not be seen! Turn left at
the first split, this way you should be able to avoid the troop of Saints
entirely and still meet up with Wide-Eye once the paths intercept. Keep to the
shadows, if you are forced to follow Wide-Eye over an especially lighted area,
let her get a bit ahead of you before you continue the pursuit. When you reach
the hill overlooking the entrance to the silo, allow Wide-Eye to enter. You
must have to enter the silo yourself and grab some Greenmote while Wide-Eye is
not looking. This may prove difficult. When you first enter, peek around the
corner and see if Wide-Eye is standing there (hopefully facing away from you).
If she is (she was to the right for me, facing away), move around to the
opposite side of the Greenmote stash. Grab some Greenmote and then carefully
leave the silo.
It appears that you are pretty much home free at this point. If you are caught
by a Golden Saint on your way out, they will most likely not do anything to
you, besides informing you that the area is off-limits. Now that you have the
two Greenmote (you were given two), you must take the Greenmote and place them
in Thadon's evening meal and wine. You have to get the Greenmote in his food
before he has his dinner. If you miss your opportunity, you will have to wait
and try again tomorrow. Thadon's dinner is prepared in the "Duke's Quarters,"
which can be entered from the Halcyon Conservatory in the House of Mania. Of
course, entering these quarters is trespassing, you must unlock the door
without being witnessed. While crouching, wait until the sneak icon is faded
and not solid, then pick the lock.
Now, if your character is not big on stealth, you may have a hard time with
this particular task. First of all, take off any heavy armor that you may be
wearing. Use any items that you may have that will improve your sneak skill
level (such as the "Raiment of Intrigue"). A Chameleon or Invisibility spell
or scroll will also be helpful. It will also be quite dark inside, and you
will be unable to use a torch. If you are able to, make yourself a Ring of
Nighteye, or get your hands on some Nighteye potions. Of course, by doing so
you will have to wait to plant the Greenmote another day, but if you are
unable to progress due to low sneaking ability, at least you have options.
The location of the wine and food is marked on the map. As soon as you enter,
proceed forward and then turn left. At the end of this room is the entrance to
the kitchen. Hide in the alcove behind the wine barrel to your right just
before the entrance to the kitchen. There are two Golden Saints that walk up
and down this area, wait until one of them has passed by the wine barrel that
you are hiding behind, then quickly but quietly make your way to the kitchen.
At this point, another Golden Saint will be coming up the hall. If you are
quick enough, you should be able to make it into the kitchen without being
spotted by her.
Once inside the kitchen, place the Greenmote in Thadon's meal and the wine (on
the second shelf of the cabinet to the left of the table with the food). If
you are having too much trouble sneaking past the Golden Saints, if you do not
have any stolen items on you, you could always make a run for it, slip the
Greenmote into the food and wine, then pay the gold fine for trespassing.
Perhaps just simply leave any stolen goods you may have on the ground outside
of the Duke's Quarters. Your choice.
After planting the Greenmote in Thadon's evening meal, enter the House of
Mania. Dinner begins at 8pm, use the wait feature to pass the time to just
before then. Take a seat and watch the show. After Thadon has collapsed,
search his corpse to receive a vial of "Thadon's Blood." Search again and you
can take the "Diadem of Euphoria" hat that he was wearing. With Thadon's
blood, return to Sacellum Arden-Su. Approach and activate the "Altar of Arden-
Sul." Speak with Sheogorath afterwards. After the small scene, speak to
Sheogorath again to receive the "Ring of Lordship," a ring that adds the
Resist Disease, Shield effects and fortifies the Personality attribute.
==============================================================================
...Ritual of Dementia..................................................[w11]..
==============================================================================
Speak to Sheogorath in Sacellum Arden-Sul when you have made you choice. Your
task is to kill Syl, the current ruler of Crucible. This will not be a walk in
the park. Enter the House of Dementia and locate Syl's servant, Kithlan. He
should be in the House of Dementia during most times. Ask him about Syl, then
select "Replaced" from the list of dialogue options. He will not tell you
anything unless his disposition towards you is at least 70. Either persuade or
bribe Kithlan to raise his disposition to at least 70. When you have done
that, select "Replaced" from the list of dialogue options. Kithlan hands over
the "House of Dementia Key," allowing you to gain access to all areas of the
House of Dementia.
The next person you should seek is Anya Herrick. She is most likely wandering
around the Palace Grounds. The active quest arrow is pointing to her now, so
you can easily locate her. As with Kithlan, Anya's disposition must be at
least 70 before she will tell you anything. With Anya's disposition high
enough, she will agree to help you by creating a distraction in Syl's wing of
the palace, drawing the Elite Dark Seducers out of the wing. Follow Anya into
the "Private Gardens" area, then unlock the door leading to the "Duchess'
Quarters." Inside, you will discover the supposed body of Syl, laying
motionless on the bed. By closer examination, that is not Syl, the Ritual is
not over. Kithlan tells you that Syl must have used her escape tunnel to flee
from the palace.
Return to the Private Gardens and turn left. Activate the Bust of Sheogorath
to reveal the secret entrance to Syl's escape tunnel. Xirethard is a very
large arrow, luckily the active quest arrow points to Syl's location. Hug the
walls in the initial area to avoid the spell shooting statues. Refer to the
local area map to help you reach the point, the compass is mostly unreliable
here with all of the twisting hallways. There are Dark Seducers sparsely
placed throughout the halls, so remain vigilant. Eventually, you will reach a
metal door leading to the "Xirethard, Depths" area. Proceed through this door.
When you come to the large, circular room, as soon as you enter turn left and
look on the right side of the second statue along the wall. Press the push
button there to open a new path. Follow this path, at its end you will find
Syl. She is surrounded by a couple of Dark Seducer Royal Guards, once they
sees you, you may want to duck out of there so won't be forced to face them
all at once. When Syl has fallen, search her body and take "Syl's Heart." Be
sure to take the Nerveshatter warhammer that she was using as well.
With the heart in your possession, return to Sacellum Arden-Sul and activate
the "Altar of Arden-Sul." Speak to Sheogorath once you have done so. After the
short scene, speak with Sheogorath again and you will be given the "Ring of
Lordship." This ring adds the Resist Poison, Chameleon effects and it
fortifies the Endurance attribute.
==============================================================================
...Retaking The Fringe.................................................[w12]..
==============================================================================
The Fringe is under attack by the Order, you must travel there and help defend
it. As you may recall, The Fringe is the very first area that you entered when
you stepped through the strange doorway in the Niben Bay. You may also recall
that it is a good distance away from New Sheoth, fast travel to the Gates of
Madness and go from there. Upon entering The Fringe, it quickly becomes
evident that the Order has indeed taken The Fringe, and there are a lot of
them. Follow the green active quest arrow to the warrior in command. Work your
way through the dialogue tree, eventually you will be given a choice. Either
allow the captain to direct the troops herself, or, as the Duke/Duchess of
Mania/Dementia, you can command the troops. Really, it would be best to simply
allow the captain to issue the orders, you're just wasting time otherwise.
If you do wish to issue orders though, select "How do I issue orders?" from
the list of dialogue options to learn more.
When you are ready, let the captain know to begin the fight. You'll be facing
three waves of Knights of Order. It may be difficult, but try not to hurt your
allies. With all of the Knights of Order in Passwall dead, speak with the
captain. Apparently, the source of the Knights' power is a spire, you must
find a way to shut it down. You learn of the ruins of Xeddefen that run under
Passwall. Since it would be an increasingly difficult task to directly assault
Xeddefen, the remaining troops will act as a decoy while you slip in. The
active quest arrow now points to Xeddefen's entrance. You will meet some
resistance in the form of Order along the way, but don't let the shifting
Obelisks intimidate you, press on.
Inside Xeddefen, you'll encounter plenty of Knights. You have to be especially
careful here, all of the Knights in Xeddefen are grouped together with other
knights. While walking the halls of Xeddefen, you should be able to hear the
Knights of Order drawing their swords once your presence is known. When that