~~The Elder Scrolls IV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KNIGHTS OF THE NINE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OBLIVION~~ /\ \/ /\ || /\ \/\ || /\/ \ || / \ || / \ || / /\----------/\----------/\ \/----------\/----------\/ / || \ / || \ / || \ /\/ || \/\ \/ || \/ /\ \/ FAQ/Walkthrough (for PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3) V1.00 2006-02-17 Copyright 2006, 2007 Barry Scott "PapaGamer" Will After the release of Oblivion in March 2006, Bethesda Softworks released a series of eight official plug-ins (or mods) for the game. These mods are available, for a price, to both PC owners via http://obliviondownloads.com/ and Xbox 360 owners via Xbox Live Marketplace. The official plug-ins, in the order they were released, are: DLC1 Horse Armor Pack DLC2 Orrery DLC3 Wizard's Tower DLC7 The Thieves Den DLC9 Mehrunes' Razor DLC5 The Vile Lair DLC4 Spell Tomes DLC8 Knights of the Nine In November 2006, Bethesda released a retail boxed set containing all eight official plug-ins. The boxed set is also called Knights of the Nine (after the largest of the official mods), and is available only for PC owners. PC owners, therefore, have the ability to purchase the official plug-ins individually (at a total cost of $23.52 US) or buy the boxed set containing all eight plug-ins (at a cost of $19.99 suggested retail price). Xbox 360 owners can continue to purchase the plug-ins from the Marketplace (at a total cost for all eight of 1,930 Marketplace points). In addition to the mods, players must install the v1.1.511 patch for the core game. Several of the mods require this patch in order to run. The patch must be installed before the plug-ins. PC owners can download the patch at http://elderscrolls.com/downloads/updates_patches.htm Or, PC owners with the KoN boxed set, will find the patch on the CD with the official plug-ins. Xbox 360 owners can obtain the patch from Xbox Live Marketplace. The patch is, of course, free of charge. The following FAQ/Walkthrough is concerned only with the eight official mods collectively known as Knights of the Nine. It assumes basic familiarity with the core game. For a complete walkthrough of the entire game (including the official mods), see http://www.papagamer.com/faqs/oblivion.txt After installing any (or all) of the mods, be sure to use the Data Files option on the Oblivion launch menu and make sure all the mods are enabled (boxes checked). ~~The Elder Scrolls IV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTACT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OBLIVION~~ To contact me about the guide, send email to: barry@papagamer.com Please include "Knights FAQ" in your subject line so I don't auto-discard the message. Also, please read the FAQ carefully prior to asking for help on any part of the game. If you send me additional suggestions or hints for the game and I find them useful, you will be acknowledged in the Credits. If you found this guide useful and would like to contribute a small token for my efforts, you may send money through PayPal by using the Donate link found on my Web site: http://www.papagamer.com/ Thank you, and enjoy the guide! ~~The Elder Scrolls IV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OBLIVION~~ Horse Armor Pack DLC1................HA00 Orrery DLC2..........................OR00 Wizard's Tower DLC3..................WT00 The Thieves Den DLC7.................TD00 Mehrunes' Razor DLC9.................MR00 The Vile Lair DLC5...................VL00 Spell Tomes DLC4.....................ST00 Knights of the Nine DLC8.............KN00 Pilgrimage........................KN01 The Shrines of the Crusader.......KN02 Priory of the Nine................KN03 Nature's Fury.....................KN04 The Path of the Righteous.........KN05 Stendarr's Mercy..................KN06 Wisdom of the Ages................KN07 The Faithful Squire...............KN08 The Sword of the Crusader.........KN09 The Blessing of Talos.............KN10 Umaril the Unfeathered............KN11 Epilogue..........................KN12 Version History & Credits............VH00 Legal................................LG00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- HA00: Horse Armor DLC1: $1.99 (PC), 200 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This mod adds two types of barding (horse armor) to the game: Elven (gold color) and steel. Both types are available at Chestnut Handy Stables (outside the west gate to Imperial City) from Snak gra-Bura. This mod is active as soon as you load a game with the mod enabled. Comments: Even though it's only two bucks, it's not worth the download. Horses are an affectation, not a necessity, and the armor doesn't do a whole lot of good since you still can't fight from your horse. Does look pretty, but that's about it. For vanity players only. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- OR00: Orrery DLC2: $1.89 (PC), 150 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds a simple step-n-fetch quest, Repairing the Orrery, to the game. After finishing the quest, you have access to the Imperial Orrery, which will grant you a Greater Power depending on the phase of the moon. Comments: It's OK. The quest is very simplistic and the Powers granted by the Orrery are not hugely useful. (They all Fortify one attribute by 20 and Drain another by 20 for a total of 60 seconds.) Overall, not a huge addition, and probably not worth the money. WALKTHROUGH ------------- This quest is added as soon as you load a game after having installed the official mod Orrery DLC2. After installing the mod, the next time you load a game (or leave the tutorial sewers), you get a note from Bothiel, resident astronomer at Arcane University. It seems she is attempting to repair the Imperial Orrery, an astronomical device, but parts she was having delivered were stolen. Evidence points to Camp Ales as a possible base for the bandits who stole the parts. Camp Ales is due north of Kvatch. Travel there and kill the lone bandit inhabiting the place. From his body, get an undelivered message and the first Dwarven part. The message points you to four other camps: Dagny's Camp, Brotch Camp, Bodean Camp and Varus Camp. These camps are arranged in a rectangular pattern around Ales. Travel to each one and kill the bandit or bandits you find there. From one of the bodies in each camp, retrieve a Dwarven part for the Orrery. At the last camp you visit, you'll face the bandit leader and two minions, so prep for a major battle before entering the camp. After all five Dwarven parts are in your pockets, Fast Travel to Arcane University. If you have not completed the Mages Guild Recommendations quests, Bothiel will be waiting for you, during normal hours, in the Arch Mages Lobby. (The only place open to the general public.) If you are a member of the Mages Guild with access to Arcane University, you may find Bothiel elsewhere. Just use your objective marker to track her down. After delivering the parts, Wait until the next day and visit Bothiel again. She'll give you a key to the Orrery, which is accessible from a door in the Arch Mages Lobby. Go up to the Orrery and Activate it. Once activated, the Orrery will permanently grant you a greater power depending on the phase of the moon. Just Activate the Orrery any time you want to gain a power. These powers are just like racial powers: use them once per 24 hours; each has a duration of 60 seconds. To figure out which power you will get, look up the number of days that have passed since you started the game (available on the Accomplishments tab of your Stats menu). If the number of days passed is greater than 23, divide by 24 and look at the remainder (modulus). * Days 0, 1 & 2 - Masser's Might: Strength +20, Speed -20 * Days 3, 4 & 5 - Masser's Grace: Agility +20, Endurance -20 * Days 6, 7 & 8 - Secunda's Will: Willpower +20, Intelligence -20 * Days 9, 10 & 11 - Secunda's Opportunity: Luck +20, Personality -20 * Days 12, 13 & 14 - Masser's Alacrity: Speed +20, Strength -20 * Days 15, 16 & 17 - Secunda's Magnetism: Personality +20, Luck -20 * Days 18, 19 & 20 - Secunda's Brilliance: Intelligence +20, Willpower -20 * Days 21, 22 & 23 - Masser's Courage: Endurance +20, Agility -20 Example 1: 83 days have passed since you started the game. 83/24 = 3 remainder 11. The power granted on day 11 is Secunda's Opportunity. Example 2: 120 days have passed since you started the game. 120/24 = 5 remainder 0. The power granted on day 0 is Masser's Might. You can only have one power at a time. Each time you use the Orrery, whatever Orrery-granted power you currently have will be replaced by the new Orrery power. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WT00: Wizard's Tower DLC3: $1.89 (PC), 150 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds Frostcrag Spire to the game, and gives you a deed to the place. Frostcrag is a wizard's tower with a garden full of alchemical ingredients, including many from Oblivion, an enchanting altar, a spellmaking altar, the ability to summon an atronach (storm, fire or frost) servant and an alchemical table that boosts your Alchemy skill by 15 when you stand near it. In order to get the tower functioning, you have to buy the materials from a newly added merchant in Imperial City. This merchant also buys/sells alchemical ingredients and potions and recharges enchanted items. Comments: Definitely worth the money for the plant conservatory alone. Characters who want to enchant and craft spells without joining the Mages Guild will also find a lot to like. It's quite expensive (around 14,000 gold) to get the place up-and-running, but it is a nice house, so, in that respect, it's cheaper than buying and furnishing a house elsewhere. Also includes a ton of books and a vault guarded by imps. Plus, there's no fighting to get it. FROSTCRAG SPIRE ----------------- Price: Free Furnishings: (Aurelinwae, Mystic Emporium, Market District, Imperial City) * Alchemy Lab, 2455 * Magetallow candles, 2 boxes, each 3275 * Bedroom Area, 1637 * Library Area, 1637 * Vault Area (includes guardian imps), 1637 Total cost: 13,916 Desirability factor: 8/10 Extras: Altar of Enchanting, Altar of Spellmaking, alchemical table & garden, portals to all Mages Guilds You receive this tower, free-of-charge, when you purchase and install the Wizard's Tower (DLC3) official mod. Even though the tower is free, furnishing it is not. In addition to the furnishings, you must buy certain equipment to get everything functional. (Namely, magetallow candles at a total of about 6,500 gold to get the enchanting and spellmaking altars working.) The tower is remote and difficult to reach without using Fast Travel. When you do use FT, you are deposited quite a distance away and have to climb up to the tower, and then up three flights of stairs before you can enter. Also, the official description promises breathtaking views, but the weather is always lousy, so good luck getting a glimpse of Imperial City from the top of your tower. What pushes this up into the top four homes is the conservatory, containing a large variety of alchemical ingredients (including some normally only found in Oblivion), and the enchanting and spellmaking altars. With this tower, you don't need to join the Mages Guild to make your own spells, enchant equipment and experiment with Alchemy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- TD00: Thieves Den DLC7: $1.89 (PC), 150 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds Dunbarrow Cove; and, a little quest along with it. Dunbarrow Cove is a hidden cavern underneath Castle Anvil, and it contains the wreck of the infamous pirate ship, Black Flag. It also contains the animate skeletons of the Black Flag's crew. Full details of this mod are under the Home Ownership section of Miscellaneous Adventures. Comments: Basically, this is another house mod. After a simple quest and the expenditure of some money, you have another place to hang out. The hook this time is for players who like to go around randomly robbing people; but, don't want to join the Thieves Guild (why not?). You can set yourself up in this little cave and you actually have it better than if you were the Gray Fox--high quality fence, lots of Expert training in Stealth skills and access to Stealth-type spells (Fortify Stealth skills, Open Locks, Chameleon, etc.). Overall, Frostcrag Spire might be a better investment of your money, but, hey, it's only two bucks. DUNBARROW COVE ---------------- Price: Free Furnishings/Crew: (Dahlia Rackham, Clarabella) * Upgraded quarters (500 gold): slightly improves the appearance of the captain's--that is your--quarters. * A fence (1,000 gold): Khafiz and his pet warthog, Bacon, settle in to Dunbarrow. Khafiz is an Expert trainer in Mercantile and a fence with 1,500 gold (the same as Fathis Ules of the Thieves Guild). * A fletcher (1,000 gold): Melliwin moves in and hangs out along the back wall of the cavern. She is an Expert trainer in Marksman and sells some basic supplies and Stealth-related spells. * A security expert (1,000 gold): Tahm Blackwell sells a few supplies, some Stealth-related spells and provides Expert training in Security. He has a little campsite to your right as you enter the main cavern. * A spymaster (1,000 gold): Kovan Kren is a dark elf who likes to spend his time practicing with his sword over to your left as you enter the main cavern. He sells Stealth-related supplies and spells and provides Sneak training up to Expert level. * A supplier (1,000 gold): Jak Silver takes up residence in the Black Flag mid-deck. He has a number of interesting items for sale and also provides Expert-level Speechcraft training. * Miscellaneous pirates (no cost): Talk to one of these guys and send them out to plunder. They'll return in a week and give you a share of the booty. Total cost: 5,500 Desirability factor: 8/10 Extras: Fence, trainers, plunder! Once you buy the Thieves Den official mod, you'll get a message telling you to investigate Dunbarrow Cove. You'll find Dunbarrow by entering a smuggler's cave at water level on the south side of the island occupied by Castle Anvil. Go straight through the cave to enter the Cove. Inside is the wreckage of a pirate ship and the undead crew. There are six skeletons in the main cavern, plus the undead Cap'n Dugal in his cabin. Defeat them all; then, go see Dahlia Rackham on the Clarabella. The Clarabella is the eastern ship docked at Anvil. (If you ventured into the ship previously, it was occupied by un-named pirates and minimal loot.) Rackham sells the services of a crew, as well as improvements to the underground wreck. Once you've fully "furnished" the Cove, you have your own pirate gang to do your bidding. There are Expert-level trainers for Mercantile, Speechcraft, Marksman, Security and Sneak skills. There's a fence (1,500 gold limit) and several different types of merchants. You can also order your crew to go out an plunder. Return a week later and get your share of the loot, which is very large. A definite must-have for Stealthy characters, and not a bad hangout for other types of characters as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- MR00: Mehrunes' Razor DLC9: $2.99 (PC), 250 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds the "Unearthing Mehrunes' Razor" side quest to the game. This quest is activated as soon as you load a game or leave the starter sewers after installing the plug-in. Comments: This is the first official plug-in that is a real quest, as deep as any other side quest in the game. You get a large and interesting dungeon to explore, a plot to overthrow the empire and a cool new weapon that can one-hit kill any enemy in the game. You also get a mod that will tax your system to its limits. There are lots of pitched battles between numerous NPCs. You'll find yourself fighting four or five NPCs at a time. If your PC starts to lag noticeably when fighting two or three enemies, or has difficulty with lots of dynamic light sources (i.e. torches and campfires), you may want to think twice about buying this plug-in. You will have serious problems in some areas--all of them involving fights. Low framerates during a fight is a good way to end up dead. WALKTHROUGH ------------- After installing the plug-in, the next time you load a game or exit the tutorial sewers, you will get a message informing you of rumors of a fabled weapon, Mehrunes' Razor, that may be located beneath the ruined fort of Sundercliff Watch. Before setting off in search of Mehrunes' Razor, divest yourself of all non- essential equipment. You'll be underground for quite a while, and you don't want to leave loot behind because you're over-encumbered. (Investment in a Feather spell or potions or equipment is recommended.) You should also be high enough level to handle four or five enemies at once. There are some pitched battles ahead of you. Sundercliff Watch is in the far east of Cyrodiil. The nearest quest-related point is Peryite's Shrine (due west of the fort). Inside the front door is a large room with two guards, one standing still and one patrolling. Take them out, then approach the wooden door to the south. To the right of the door is an abandoned knapsack. Loot this for a diary that gives you the password to get through the door, "Chimer". Beyond the door are two more guards. To the south you'll come out on a raised platform with another guard patrolling below. Your path then turns east through a tunnel, which leads to the upper level of a circular room. There are three to four guards below you, one of which is a veteran (much tougher than the soldiers you've faced thus far). Once you've cleared the lower level, exit to the north to reach Sundercliff Village. This underground town has quite a few NPCs wandering about. Immediately to your left as you exit the tunnel you'll find four to five soldiers sitting around a campfire. Wait until a couple have gone off on patrol before attacking the ones that remain. If you get lucky, the patrol won't come running back to help. If you're unlucky... Well, hope you have some decent weaponry or spells or it's reload time. These soldiers are the main problem on the upper level of this large cavern. Stay on the upper levels, exploring the buildings. Most buildings have one or two occupants and a fair bit of treasure. In the northwest corner is the jail; inside, locked in a cell, is a Morag Tong (Morrowind assassin). Kill him for his full suit of Morag Tong armor (especially good for Stealth-based characters). From the top level of the cavern, exit to the east into Sundercliff Forge. At the T-intersection, go left (north) and follow the tunnel around until you see a large tunnel to your left (east). Follow this tunnel to the door to Sundercliff Mines. The Mines is basically one large room with two levels--you enter at the bottom. There are a lot of soldiers and laborers in the Mines, and it is almost impossible to avoid a 4-on-1 or 5-on-1 battle near the entrance. Fortunately, the laborers aren't that tough and do little damage (unless you're attempting this as a low-level character). Once you've cleared your way into the Mines, it gets easier. Find the tunnel entrance to the southeast and follow the path to the upper level of the main cavern--you can pick off the laborers and soldiers here one-by-one. Once you reach the upper level of the main cavern, you'll have to pick your way through two or three patrolling soldiers. Again, if you're careful and watch the patrol patterns, you can take them one at a time. To the northeast is the tunnel that leads back to Sundercliff Forge; this time, you're below where you came in from the Village. Follow the only path, fighting your way through four apprentices, to reach the Forgemaster. Watch out for his enchanted axe! Once he's dead, loot his tent, making sure you pick up the enchanted bezoar. Return to Sundercliff Village through the shortcut on the north side of the Forgemaster's cave. Clean out the lower portion of the Village. Find one of two exits to the west (the upper-level exit is better) to enter Sundercliff Commune. If you come in on the lower level of the Commune, you'll face a couple of veterans. On the top level are mostly laborers and a couple of soldiers. Along the bottom chasm of the Commune is the Veteran's Lodge, which contains two or three veterans and a boss-level chest. On the north top tier of the Commune is Drothan's cabin, mentioned in the diary you picked up earlier. Enter his cabin and find his journal on a small table. It mentions the Ayleid city where Mehrunes' Razor is hidden, and tells how Drothan has shielded the entrance. You need two enchanted bezoars to get through the shield. You got one from the Forgemaster. The other is right next door in the Commander's quarters. Now that you have the two enchanted bezoars in hand, go west through the lower chasm of the Commune. At the Ayleid door, Activate the pedestal to either side to place a bezoar and dispel the shield. Follow Drothan through the door to the Ayleid ruin. This first section is a long series of halls with no enemies and no traps. Just run through to the door into Varsa Baalim. Varsa Baalim is a large cavern with an Ayleid ruin inside. Advance carefully (and, preferably, in Sneak mode) to witness a battle below you. The combatants are some Drothmeri soldiers and vampires. Wait until the dust has settled to go down and take out the survivors. Along the south wall are two entrances to Cava Arpenia. This side area has two vampires and a little loot. Further exploration will reveal, to the west, some more vampires as well as a door to Cava Beldameld. Enter this small room, dispose of the vampire, and exit at the far side to return to Varsa Baalim, this time in the southwest corner in a previously inaccessible area. Leave Cava Beldameld in Sneak mode. As you re-enter Varsa Baalim, there's a battle in front of you. Let the soldiers and vampires settle their differences before mopping up. Go to your left (northwest) to reach the large, northern section of Varsa Baalim. There are more vampires down here, and, in the northern corner of the area, a door to Cava Marspanga. Enter here and go slowly down the stairs. At the bottom, three Drothmeri soldiers and three vampires are mixing it up. Once you've helped them all to the great beyond, re-enter Varsa Baalim. You're now on the extreme northern edge of the large cavern. Go right (west) to find a small encampment with a single vampire and some loot chests. Once you've satisfied your avarice, go back east past the door to Cava Marspanga. To your left you should see a collapsed walkway forming a ramp leading up. Climb up to find some more vampires, including the vampire patriarch. They should be weakened by a fight with soldiers that occurred while you were looting. Take them out and keep climbing and following the causeway until you see a giant welkynd stone marking the entrance to The Nefarivigum. Down the stairs you go, through the door, and down a lot more stairs. All the enemies on the stairwell are dead. At the bottom is Drothan himself, studying a statue. He's a powerful mage, so adjust your battle tactics accordingly. Leading with a Sneak attack is always helpful. After Drothan is dead, Activate the statue of Msirae Faythung. (If you're using Detect Life, you may notice the statue is glowing. But it's not really alive...yet.) The statue contains a beating heart. Remove the heart and then open your inventory and consume (use) the beating heart. The statue comes alive and you've got an angry dremora to defeat. There's not a lot of room to maneuver for ranged fighters, so you might want to revert to quick jabs with a one-handed weapon and then dance out of the way while he swings. Or you can just tank him if you have the appropriate armor and weapons. When Faythung is dead, a gate to the south opens and Mehrunes' Razor is yours. After you take the Razor, a secret passage leading to some Forgotten Tunnels opens. There's nothing in the Tunnels except a rock fall and some rats. At the end is a small pool; dive in to find a door that leads into Lake Canalus, west of Fort Sundercliff. Congratulations! You now have a lot of loot, including a dagger that is capable of one-hit killing any enemy in the game. (Only a small chance, though.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- VL00: The Vile Lair DLC5: $1.89 (PC), 150 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds a house for evil characters. Actually, to be more explicit, the vile lair is a vampire hangout. When you load up a game after installing the mod, you get a journal entry about a key and a note letting you know you have inherited a place known as Deepscorn Hollow. The place is marked on your map; it is south-southeast of Leyawiin, not far from Tidewater Cave (Nocturnal's Quest) and Bogwater Swamp ("The Renegade Shadowscale"). Travel there, find the submerged entrance and read the diary just inside the door. Then go buy your "furnishings" from Rowley Eardwulf at the Wawnet Inn. Return and revel in your wretched hive of villainy. Full details are under Home Ownership. Comments: Truly evil players may get a kick out of ordering someone to go kill in their name; and, the Altar of Sithis might be useful. Non-evil characters can use the Purgeblood Salts and Font of Renewal as an easy way to cure vampirism, and you don't have to buy any furnishings to do that. Still, this is a vampire's home and only vampires will get full use of it. DEEPSCORN HOLLOW ------------------ Price: Free Furnishings: (Rowley Eardwulf, Wawnet Inn) * Bedroom Area, 3060 * Cattle Cell, 3060 * Dark Minion, 3060 * Dining Area, 3060 * Garden, 3060 * Storage Area, 3060 * Study Are, 3060 * Ichor of Sithis, 5066 Total cost: 26,486 Desirability factor: 5/10 (10/10 for vampires) Extras: Altar of Sithis, murdering minion, free food (for vampires), Vampire bath Like Frostcrag Spire, you don't have to do anything to obtain this little country cottage other than purchase and install the official mod. When you reload your game after installation, a journal entry informs you of Deepscorn Hollow and marks it on your map. It is south-southeast of Leyawiin, not far from Tidewater Cave (Nocturnal's Quest) and Bogwater Swamp ("The Renegade Shadowscale"). Deepscorn Hollow is a little island just off the coast. There's a bridge over to it if you don't want to get your feet wet. Find the partially submerged towers on the south side of the island and swim down to a large, hollow log that protrudes from the base of one of the towers. Swim into the log to find the door to the lair; you have the key to open it (the key is added by the mod). Inside, just as you come up from the water, you'll find a diary. Click it to update your journal and read about the former owner of this place. Yes, you are now the proud owner of a vampire lair. If you are not a vampire, you may still find a use for this wretched hive of villainy--there's an easy cure for vampirism. Explore the ruins a bit--there are no monsters...well, other than, perhaps, you--until you find the trap door that leads outside. You can now use that trap door as well as the submerged door to get back into the lair. Now, if you don't really need a vampire lair, you can avoid purchasing any of the equipment from Rowley Eardwulf. If you ever need a cure for vampirism, return to Deepscorn Hollow, go to the Cloister area and find the pool on the south side of the Cloister. In one corner of the room is a Purgeblood Salts rock formation. Activate a formation to collect some Purgeblood Salts, enter the pool and Activate the Font of Renewal in the center. Tada! You're cured of vampirism. (That's a lot easier than the Vampire Cure quest, isn't it?) If you are a vampire, or just ornery enough to use the lair anyway, follow the suggestion of your new journal entry and travel to Wawnet Inn outside Imperial City. Find Rowley Eardwulf sitting on the stairs and purchase the necessary furnishings from him. They're expensive, so be sure to raid your bank account prior to visiting. In addition to the furnishings, you'll need a bottle of Ichor of Sithis in order to activate the Altar of Sithis in your new home. (Eardwulf is also a Journeyman Sneak skill trainer.) Return to Deepscorn Hollow to find that your furnishings have been put in place. Wandering around the lair is your new minion (if you purchased the minion). Unlike Dark Brotherhood murderers, this one won't go along with you as a companion; but, he will go out and kill in your name and return the loot to you in a Victim's Loot Chest in his room next to the garden. You'll also find a prison cell with a sleeping prisoner. The prisoner sleeps 24/7 and can't be wakened--a feeding trough for vampires. Finally, you'll find the Altar of Sithis. Activate it with the Ichor in your inventory and the altar is now working. Only those whose Infamy is higher than Fame can use the Altar. When you Activate it, you receive the following buffs: Fortify Sneak 10, Fortify Health 20, Fortify Agility 5. The buffs last for 1,000 seconds (or a little over 16-1/2 minutes). The altar will also cure disease, poison, damage attributes, health, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ST00: Spell Tomes DLC4: $0.99 (PC), 80 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds spell tomes to the game. Spell tomes are books that teach you a spell. Formerly, to learn spells you had to pay a spell merchant; though, a few were given as quest rewards. Now, if you find a spell tome, you can read it and add the spell it teaches to your spellbook. Tomes are only available as random, leveled treasure. Some of the spell tomes teach spells and spell effects not previously available in Oblivion. Comments: Meh. The best spells are still the ones you make yourself. However, if you're a pure (or close to pure) mage and want the new spell effects, then this might be a useful mod. Of course, you can't guarantee you'll find any of the new spells without cheating. A list of the new spells added is here: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Spell_Tomes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- KN00: Knights of the Nine DLC8: $9.99 (PC), 800 Marketplace points (Xbox 360) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Adds a large quest and new faction (guild) to the game. Comments: Pricey, but well worth the money, especially if you play paladin-type characters. WALKTHROUGH ------------- Install the Knights mod and make sure it's active. Unlike the other official mods, Knights of the Nine does not automatically start when you next load up your game. This mod is intended for good characters--especially paladin types (i.e. melee fighters with healing magic and a hatred for undead). When you finish the quest, you'll be the leader of a new guild: Knights of the Nine. The Crusader's Relics you collect are a suit of armor and both a blunt and blade weapon. The armor matches your level when you receive it; however, unlike other quest rewards, there's a method in the game to keep it up-to-date with your increasing power. The armor will either be light or heavy depending on which skill is higher. There's no difference in appearance between the light and heavy armor. RELICS OF THE CRUSADER ------------------------ Helm of the Crusader: - Fortify Restoration - Fortify Personality - Serene Beauty (Calm on touch) Cuirass of the Crusader: - Fortify Restoration - Resist Normal Weapons - Fortify Health Boots of the Crusader: - Fortify Restoration - Woodland Grace (normal woodland animals will not be hostile; e.g. lions and wolves and bears, oh my!) Gauntlets of the Crusader: - Fortify Restoration - Resist Disease - Merciful Touch (Restore Health on touch) Greaves of the Crusader: - Fortify Restoration - Fortify Destruction - Blessing of the Eight (Shield on touch) Shield of the Crusader: - Reflect Spell Mace of the Crusader: - Fire Damage - Turn Undead - Fortify Blunt Sword of the Crusader: - Fire Damage - Damage Magicka - Fortify Blade You'll be fighting lots of spirits during this quest, so you'll want silver, daedric or enchanted weapons or plenty of Destruction spells--at least, until you acquire the Mace of the Crusader about a third of the way into the story. In order to wear and use the Crusader's Relics, you must have an Infamy score of zero (0). If you gain one point of Infamy, you'll receive a warning. If your Infamy increases to two (2) or higher, you can't equip the Relics until you have once again walked the Pilgrim's Way (first quest for KoN). To kick off this quest, you must talk to a Prophet, who is declaiming across the street from the Temple of Dibella in Anvil. You may hear Rumors of an attack on the Temple from just about anyone in all Cyrodiil; however, you do not need to hear these Rumors before talking to the Prophet. [KN01] <~~~~~~ PILGRIMAGE ~~~~~~> Talk to the Prophet and follow the natural lines of conversation until he asks if you are a worthy champion to defeat Umaril the Unfeathered. Use any "No" answer and the Prophet will tell you that you must follow the Pilgrim's Way and visit a wayshrine of each of the Nine Divines. He gives you a map showing the locations of one wayshrine for each of the Nine. WAYSHRINES ------------ In Cyrodiil, there are at least three wayshrines for each of the Nine. These wayshrines are part of the base game and you may have already encountered some during your travels. Normally, when you pray at (Activate) a wayshrine, you receive a small buff for five minutes or so (assuming your Infamy is zero). You can perform this quest even if your Infamy is greater than zero; however, you won't receive the blessings as you pray. When you complete the Pilgrim's Way, your Infamy is reset to zero. Now, you do not specifically have to go to the wayshrines marked on the map the Prophet gives you. There are at least three wayshrines in Cyrodiil for each of the Nine. Unfortunately, wayshrines are never marked on your primary map--even with this mod installed; so, you have to find them on your own. Here is the quickest route (from Anvil) to a wayshrine for each of the Nine: * Go around to the east side of Anvil and head straight east, passing Fort Strand to the north, to find a Wayshrine of Akatosh. * Walk straight north until you cross the Kvatch-Anvil road, then turn north- northwest until you find a Wayshrine of Arkay in a small hollow among the hills. * Go back to the Kvatch-Anvil road and travel east until you reach Gottshaw Inn. A Wayshrine of Zenithar is on the hill behind the Inn (to the east). * Go around the south side of Kvatch and catch the road to Skingrad. Follow the road east toward Skingrad. You'll cross over a stone bridge; on the far side turn left (north) and you'll see a Wayshrine of Talos up the slope. * Go east-northeast a short distance to a Wayshrine of Mara. * From the Wayshrine of Mara, go due north into the Imperial Reserve to find a Wayshrine of Kynareth. The Wayshrine is located directly on top of the "E" in "IMPERIAL" on your map. * Go due east and you'll soon run in to a Wayshrine of Julianos. On your map, it sits directly on top of the "A" in "IMPERIAL". * Head due northeast, going through Weatherleah ("Legacy Lost") and Hackdirt ("Shadow Over Hackdirt") to find a Wayshrine of Dibella. * Fast Travel to the sewer entrance where you started the game (just outside Imperial City Prison). Go south along the shore until you see a wayshrine across the lake. Swim over and pray at the Wayshrine of Stendarr. *NOTE* You can encounter a couple of other knights walking the Way if the last shrine you visit is one marked on the map given you by the Prophet. While not important to the quest, if you want to meet these knights, go to a different Wayshrine of Stendarr as your last stop. Fast Travel to Bravil and head down the road toward Leyawiin. About halfway along that road is the Wayshrine to Stendarr marked on your map. As soon as you pray at the last wayshrine, you'll have a vision and speak to Pelinal Whitestrake. He marks the location of his lost shrine on your map. It just so happens to be in the middle of Lake Rumare, not far south of the Wayshrine of Stendarr. How convenient! You also receive the Greater Power, Pilgrim's Grace. This power fortifies your Agility, Endurance, Intelligence, Luck, Personality, Speed, Strength and Willpower by 10 for 300 seconds. Sweet! [KN02] <~~~~~~ THE SHRINE OF THE CRUSADER ~~~~~~> The Shrine of the Crusader is located inside the Ayleid ruin of Vanua. The entrance to Vanua is under water, just north of the Ring Road bridge over the Upper Niben River. Water Breathing is a plus; but, not required. Suit up for undead hunting in an Ayleid ruin and swim out to the spot marked on your map. Dive down and find the entrance to Vanua (it's easier to do this on a bright, sunny day). Once inside, you'll have to swim about 10 meters to a stairway that takes you out of the water--if you don't have Water Breathing, be sure you have enough breath before entering the ruin. At the top of the stairs is your first encounter with a (leveled, obviously) undead. Many more will follow. Continue straight until you reach a T- intersection. The right (east) branch is eventually blocked, so go left (west). When you reach a large room and dispose of the guardians, go through the tunnel to the north into the Shrine of the Crusader. Yeah...it's not that simple. This area is a lot like the secret passages under the Imperial prison--lots of ruins mixed with crawling through tunnels; and, undead all over the place. Go straight and drop down into a ruin; turn left (west) and then right (north) until your way is blocked. A hole in the wall to your left (west) leads through a small cavern and then into the shrine. You can now see the target; but, you can't reach it yet. Loot the skeleton on the raised bit of floor to get Sir Amiel's key, ring and diary. This opens the next quest, "Priory of the Nine", and lets you continue on your way. First, unlock the gate to the south and deal with the undead guardian of that path. That's your shortcut back out once you've retrieved the Helm of the Crusader. Go through the gate to the west and kill the undead. In the next room, find the hole in the west wall and jump into another tunnel. Fight your way north and then drop down into the ruin again. Take the south hall for a little treasure, then take the door to the north. This leads to the Lost Catacombs. Follow the catacombs--make sure you take opportunities to loot--until you reach a door leading back into the Shrine. There are actually two doors; either will serve. Back in the Shrine, fight your way to the altar where the Helm is located. Watch out for the undead near the altar--it might be down in a little doorway on the north side of the area. Collect the Helm, jump over the fence and go through the south gate you opened earlier. This takes you to a tunnel leading back into Vanua. In Vanua, you'll pass through a room with at least three undead--including one boss-level mob. In the same room is an Ayleid Reliquary with your reward for this dungeon. Leave Vanua and embark on the next stage of your quest. [KN03] <~~~~~~ PRIORY OF THE NINE ~~~~~~> Your next stop is the old Priory of the Knights of the Nine. This is located in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Skingrad and Bravil. Lucky you, it's marked on your map; but there's precious little close by that you can Fast Travel to. The closest may be Silorn (Mages Guild quest, "Ambush"); or, you can Fast Travel to Skingrad and hoof it. Regardless of how you go, stock up on healing potions or a good healing spell and Magicka potions before you go. When you reach the Priory, all appears peaceful. Enter the Priory and find the Knights of the Nine seal on the floor. Activate it and Sir Amiel's ring opens the door to the basement. (You did remember to loot Amiel's ring in the Shrine, right?) Go down into the basement, which is a training room, then take the door into the Undercroft. There's the Cuirass of the Crusader! That was easy. Yeah, right. Eight of the original Knights of the Nine surround you and you have to beat them all in personal combat (i.e. one-on-one). You can use any style of combat you wish, just so long as you beat each one. They are all swordsmen, and good ones; but, they are leveled to match you so you should be able to handle them. Use the brief respite in between each fight to heal up and restore your Magicka. Summon help if you need it. When you have bested all eight knights, claim the Cuirass as your own. When you get the quest update telling you to talk to the knights about the other Relics, go around the circle and speak to the knights. The four important conversations are with Sir Casimir (Gauntlets of the Crusader), Sir Ralvas (Mace of the Crusader), Sir Henrik (Shield of the Crusader) and Sir Juncan (Boots of the Crusader). You can quest after these items in any order with one restriction: you must retrieve the Boots before you can get the Mace. All clear? On with the show then... [KN04] <~~~~~~ NATURE'S FURY ~~~~~~> To get the Boots of the Crusader you must travel to a Shrine of Kynareth west of Imperial City. Make this your active quest and the shrine's location will be marked on your map; it's southwest of Wawnet Inn and north of Clavicus Vile's shrine. When you find it, talk to Avita Vesnia to get the details of your test. She instructs you to go to the Grove of Trials and face whatever test Kynareth has for you. Go ahead and sheath whatever weapon you may be carrying. Not only do you not need it, you best not use it. Travel west a short distance to a ring of white- barked trees. Enter them and wait a bit until a wild animal enters and attacks you. You can block the attacks; but, don't return the favor. Take your lumps and, pretty soon, Kynareth deems you worthy, shows you a secret door; and, you enter Kynareth's Grotto and get the Boots. Simple. [KN05] <~~~~~~ THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS ~~~~~~> The Mace of the Crusader is protected by Zenithar in his chapel in Leyawiin. Make sure you have the Boots of the Crusader before you attempt to get the Mace. Travel to Leyawiin; go to the chapel and downstairs into the Undercroft. There will be at least four spirits down here. Dispatch them; then, Activate the Tomb of Saint Kaladas at the far end of the Croft. You'll find yourself in space, on a floating piece of a fort. In the distance is the Mace. If you have the Boots of the Crusader equipped, you just walk across the misty path that appears. If you don't have the Boots equipped-- well, go get them and put them on! As soon as you grab the Mace, you re-appear in the Undercroft. Go ahead and equip the Mace (or your favorite weapon) and gird your loins. As you leave the Undercroft and enter the chapel, you'll be attacked by Aurorans--Umaril's daedra servants. You'll have help killing them, try to be careful you don't harm the eager knight that greeted you when you first entered the Temple. He soon declares himself a new Knight of the Nine and runs off to join your service. [KN06] <~~~~~~ STENDARR'S MERCY ~~~~~~> This is a pretty simple quest. Go to the Chapel of Stendarr in Chorrol and talk to the priest, Areldur. He'll tell you the sad tale of Sir Casimir and his descendents. He'll also inform you Kellen, the current scion of the Casimir family, is in the temple trying to be rid of the family curse. Go downstairs to the Chapel Hall and find Kellen. He's typically sitting in a small bedroom off to the side. Kellen tells you more about his curse and says he thinks Areldur knows the cure but is holding out on him. Return to Areldur and confront him about Kellen. He reveals the only way to cure Kellen is to take the curse yourself. Once you show mercy to Kellen, you can lift the Gauntlets. Pray at the altar of Stendarr and you'll be asked if you want to take Kellen's curse on yourself. Answer yes and you'll receive a one-use Lay Hands lesser power. Go downstairs and Lay Hands on Kellen. He'll be cured and you'll suffer the Curse of the Consumed, which is a permanent Damage Fatigue effect. (It is by no means crippling and you'll hardly notice it.) In the main chapel, find the gauntlets laying on the floor behind the altar; Activate them to pick them up. On with the show! [KN07] <~~~~~~ WISDOM OF THE AGES ~~~~~~> Make "Wisdom of the Ages" your active quest and find Fort Bulwark in eastern Cyrodiil. It is northeast of Leyawiin and not particularly near anything. The closest quest point is Fort Teleman (Mages Guild, "Bloodworm Helm"). Fast Travel to Teleman and go south, or go to Leyawiin and head northeast. Approach Fort Bulwark warily. There are conjurers also seeking the Shield and two are outside the main doors--one at ground level and one at the top of the tower. If you can draw the ground-level conjurer outside the fort and dispatch him, you can sneak into the fort without the upper-level mage knowing about it. Or, run upstairs and take care of him too. Inside, watch your step as there are plenty of conjurers and daedra to impede your progress. The quickest route to your target is to follow the corridor around a left turn, then take the first left-hand branch and then the next right through a double wood door. You'll be in a large room on a raised catwalk. Note the gate to your right and raised drawbridge to your left. Go past these two obstacles and through another set of double wood doors. Follow the tunnel to a makeshift bedroom with two conjurers. When they are down, turn the handle on the north side of the room and pick up the Conjurer's Note from the desk to the right of the handle. Backtrack a short way down the tunnel and take the left-branch. You'll come to a balcony overlooking a room with two raised drawbridges. Turn the handle and watch the drawbridges lower and a gate rise. That's the gate you passed a short while ago. Backtrack to it and go through, across the drawbridges and to a corridor with four rows of three pressure plates. If you follow the clue on the Conjurer's Note, you need to step on the plates in this order: left - middle - right - left. There's no penalty if you mess up, other than you have to go back and start the sequence over. Go through the door into the second area of Fort Bulwark. You're in a corridor with prison cells to either side. Go past the first pair and then enter an open cell to your left. There's a door on the north side of the cell that leads to a torture room and a conjurer or two. Dispose of them, then go to the cell on the other side of the corridor and open it to free Sir Thedret. He'll give you a clue to reach the shield and then leave for the Priory of the Nine. At the end of the prison corridor is another room full of mages. Get rid of them and loot their stuff. There's another note that details what they have in mind for Sir Thedret. Continue west, keeping an eye out for conjurers. You will soon reach a long room running north-south with raised drawbridges. The handle for the first drawbridge is right next to the bridge. Turn it, watch the drawbridge lower and marvel at the number of darts being flung out by the traps in the ceiling. If you've got plenty of health, you can just make a run for it. Otherwise, watch the pattern of the darts and try to slip through in between cycles. At the end of the first bridge, you'll make a left and find another handle that lowers the second bridge. This handle is in a safe spot out of range of the darts, so take a breather here and heal up if necessary. Then, dodge your way across the second bridge and continue. Advance carefully into the next room. There are at least two conjurers in this room and one of them is the boss of this dungeon. Get rid of the mages, then study the room. You'll see four Stone Guardians on pedestals around a seal of Julianos. At the base of each Guardian is a handle. Turn each handle until each Guardian is turned to face the seal of Julianos. You may have to turn each handle multiple times until the Guardian rotates all the way around. Once all four Guardians are facing the seal, a door in the south wall opens and you can advance to the third area of the fort. Fortunately, there are no more enemies or traps, so you can move ahead swiftly. Area three is small--just a short tunnel and a big room. The room has a raised platform with a chest and eight Stone Guardians around the edges of the room. Each Guardian is turned away, facing the wall, and has a chest at its base. The large chest in the center of the room is randomly filled with one of eight items: * Rodgar's Book * Rodgar's Gem * Rodgar's Goblet * Rodgar's Hammer * Rodgar's Helm * Rodgar's Skull * Rodgar's Stone * Rodgar's Sword You have to take the item that appears in the large chest and place it in the correct small chest at the base of one of the Guardians. When you place the correct item in a Guardian's chest, the chest glows and the Guardian turns to face the room. If you place the incorrect item in a Guardian's chest, nothing happens. The item will randomly show up again in the large chest. If you want to solve this yourself...why are you using a walkthrough? Anyway, each time you take an item out of the chest, scan the room. One of the Guardians will randomly display a floating image of the item it wants. Start facing the door, the Guardians to the left, beginning with the one closest to the door, take: sword, goblet, helm, stone. Facing the door, the Guardians to the right, beginning with the one closest to the door, take: book, hammer, skull, gem. Lights flash, a door opens at the top of the stairs and you can go into the next room and retrieve the Shield of the Crusader as well as other goodies. Once you pick up the Shield, doors to either side of the altar open and you can take a shortcut back to the top level of the fort. You'll come out on the drawbridge you couldn't lower earlier. Leave Fort Bulwark and Fast Travel back to the Priory of the Nine. [KN08] <~~~~~~ THE FAITHFUL SQUIRE ~~~~~~> Upon your entry to the main Priory building, you'll be accosted by Lathon, squire to Sir Roderic. (You may have met Roderic and Lathon on your Pilgrimage if you used the wayshrines on the Prophet's map.) Lathon tells you of the death of Sir Roderic at the hands (or ephemeral representations thereof) of Sir Berich's ghost. Lathon presents you with the Greaves of the Crusader and tells you the Sword of the Crusader is still in the misty appendages of Sir Berich in Underpall Cave. Further, Lathon asks if you'll allow him to join the newly formed Knights of the Nine. If you say yes, Lathon not only becomes one of your Knights, he also accompanies you on the upcoming quest for the Sword. If you're a stealthy fighter, this won't be a good thing and Lathon will just keep getting in your way. The upcoming mission is no more difficult than the invasion of the Shrine of the Crusader, so tell Lathon to be patient a bit longer. Explore the Priory a bit more. You'll see many of the people you have previously met on this adventure. They have come to join your Order. (Yes, it's your Order. Several of the warriors address you as Commander.) The place is nice and livable now and has become a place of residence for you. And there's a very nifty contraption in the Undercroft. Go down to where the eight ghostly Knights still await the completion of Sir Pelinal's crusade. Speak to Sir Amiel about Berich for a little more history of the original Knights of the Nine. Behind Amiel is the armor stand where you first found the Cuirass. Activate the stand and place all your current Relics on it; then, target the bit of stand showing between the greaves and take all the Relics back. You'll find them completely repaired and recharged and, if you've increased enough in level, leveled up. Seriously Sweet. Leave the Priory and Fast Travel to Bruma. Refit yourself (healing potions, arrows, etc.) and look for the quest marker pointing to Underpall Cave. It's north of the Orange Road between Bruma and Chorrol. Leave Bruma by the East Gate and travel the Orange Road toward Chorrol. When you get to a point east or southeast of the cave, cut cross-country. [KN09] <~~~~~~ THE SWORD OF THE CRUSADER ~~~~~~> When you reach the cave, go ahead and charge in. There's nothing in the cave portion of this dungeon. Deep in the cave is a sunken fort; it is inside the fort where you will encounter all the enemies (primarily undead, though a few creatures show up as well). Once inside the fort, advance to the first main room, kill the undead creeping around, and make a U-turn down another south-running hallway. The other two exits from this large room--to the east and west--lead back out into Underpall Cave. There's a little loot on those paths if you're intent on scavenging as much as possible. Advance carefully down the south-running hall. There's one door that blocks your way; on the other side is a rock-fall trap. Only take a step through the door, then jump back to avoid the rocks. At the end of the hall is the door to the Underpall Reflecting Room and your big boss fight with the remains of Sir Berich. Go through the entrance tunnel slowly. There are two ways to proceed; both are about equivalent. You may or may not encounter any enemies, depending on your level. The left (east) path has Sir Roderic's body. When you enter the main chamber, you're in for a fight with a wraith. You'll need a silver, daedric or enchanted weapon (such as the Mace of the Crusader), or spells. This can be a difficult fight; however, there's plenty of room for maneuvering and you can even run away into the tunnels for a bit to heal up. Just try not to fall into the water, as there's only one place where you can climb back out. When the wraith has spewed forth its final essence, pick up the Sword of the Crusader. *DO NOT EQUIP THE SWORD!* It's cursed and, if you equip it, you will be cursed as well. Leave Underpall the same way you came in and Fast Travel to Cheydinhal. Rest and refit before entering the Temple of Arkay. Upon entering the Temple, you'll be attacked by Aurorans. You have two choices: 1) Kill all the Aurorans (with the help of the other people inside the Temple) and then pray at the altar to consecrate the Sword. 2) Run straight to the altar and pray to consecrate the Sword. You can then use the Sword to kill the Aurorans. Either way, the Aurorans end up dead, the Sword is now useable and you'll find you've also lost the Curse of the Consumed you took from Kellen, descendant of Sir Casimir. All-in-all, a good day's work. Return to the Priory of the Nine. It's time to put an end to this business. [KN10] <~~~~~~ THE BLESSING OF TALOS ~~~~~~> As soon as you arrive at the Prior, you're met by Sir Thedret. The Prophet has come sticking his nose into your business again and is preaching to your knights in the chapel. Well, you'll just have to see about this. Enter the chapel and listen to the Prophet's sermon. He then approaches you and tells you to get on with killing Umaril and all. As an aid, you get one thing Pelinal did not: the Blessing of Talos. This Power will enable you to follow Umaril into the spirit realm and destroy him once and for all. After the Prophet's speech, go around the chapel and induct all the people who want to become Knights of the Nine. They'll run off, suit up and head out for Umaril's headquarters, Garlas Malatar. Before following them, head down into the Undercroft and chat with the spirit of Sir Berich, now restored to his brothers. Repair, recharge and (possibly) upgrade your Relics while you're down there. Ready to kick some butt? [KN11] <~~~~~~ UMARIL THE UNFEATHERED ~~~~~~> Garlas Malatar is located on the coast, northwest of Anvil. Fast Travel to Anvil and head out to the coast and then go north. You'll find some, if not all, of your knights on the beach facing the bridge that leads over to the main entrance. If all eight knights are not there, wait for a few minutes and the rest will show up. Once they are all gathered, give one of them the command to charge and they will. They'll bowl over the two Aurorans stationed outside the main door, then charge inside. Try to keep up. There are two more Aurorans in the first large room, then your way is blocked by some gates. The button to open the gates is on top of one of the altars in the room. Before opening the gates, take the opportunity to walk around and use Merciful Touch (healing Lesser Power granted by the Gauntlets) on your knights. Push the button, charge up the stairs and continue your rampage through the ruins. Your path leads to the northeast section of the ruins and through a door into Garlas Malatar, Ceysel. When you enter Ceysel, you'll be stopped by a couple of gates. The button to push is right there--on the wall between the gates. Again, take the opportunity to go around the use Merciful Touch on your companions. Open the gates and charge into the next room. Ignore the Aurorans and run around the right (east) side of the large raised platform in the center. Go around the back and head west up a flight of stairs and around to the top of the platform. Ignore any Aurorans that get in your way. When you reach the glowing orb, Activate it to destroy it. The orb explodes and time stops... Now, you can take some time and loot the area. Your knights and the Aurorans are gone; but, you can still collect welkynd stones and anything else you can find lying around. You should also use this time to heal up and make sure you're ready for battle. When you're ready to move on, go back up to the orb platform and go north into Garlas Malatar, Carac Abaran. Run through the halls, disposing of a couple Aurorans on the way until you reach the main chamber, where Umaril is waiting for you. The door is blocked behind you, so this is a fight to the finish. Umaril is big and packs a big punch; but, he's predictable. He will occasionally shoot lightning at you, which is easy to dodge. Then he'll run up close and make a big thrusting attack. This attack is easy to avoid since he spends a lot of time winding up. He is also easily distracted by other enemies, so summon help if he's giving you fits. Generally, if you just stay out of the way of his lightning blasts and sword thrusts, you can take him down pretty easily with potshots from range or by getting in a few, quick strikes right after he's made a sword attack. The higher your level, the tougher Umaril will be; but, he should be manageable by anyone. When he's dead, you'll get a quest entry reminding you to cast The Blessing of Talos to follow Umaril into the spirit realm. Don't rush off! Heal yourself first and restore your Magicka as well. Loot the place. There are some Ayleid casks around, not to mention Umaril's body and his sword. Once you've picked the place clean, cast The Blessing of Talos. You'll find yourself fighting in the clouds over Imperial City. Umaril is quite a ways off, so take the opportunity to stick a couple of arrows into him. (If they're poisoned first, so much the better.) Repeat your earlier tactics. Umaril is no tougher now than he was earlier. When he dies, you fall into mist... And come to in the Undercroft of the Priory of the Nine. Sir Amiel chats with you right before the old knights pass into glory. When you leave the Undercroft, Sir Thedret greets you and tells you what happened in Garlas Malatar after you destroyed the orb. He then goes out and speaks to your assembled knights. They all cheer. And then... [KN12] <~~~~~~ EPILOGUE ~~~~~~> Life goes on. You are now the Commander of the Knights of the Nine. There will always be eight other knights available to you in the Priory. Any that were killed in the attack on Garlas Malatar are replaced by generic, no-name NPCs. You can, at any time, ask one of the knights to accompany you as a henchman- type person. There's also the armor stand in the Undercroft, waiting to repair, recharge and upgrade your threads. You have your own bedroom in the Priory (to the left at the top of the right-hand set of stairs). Right outside your room is a bookshelf with a number of books about Pelinal and the original Knights. You can read these sometime when you want more history of the original Crusader and the Order. The altar in the Chapel functions just as the altars in the Temples in the big cities, curing diseases, poisons, damaged attributes and the like. And, oh yes, there's the little matter of praying at the crypts of the eight original knights. (Sir Berich, you may remember, is not buried in the Undercroft.) Praying at a knight's crypt grants you a permanent boost to one ability score. This remains in effect until such time as you pray at another knight's crypt--i.e. only one of these blessings can be in effect at one time. The amount of boost you get to your ability score depends on your level when you pray. The knights and the blessings they bestow are: Sir Gregory (Dibella): Fortify Personality Sir Juncan (Kynareth): Fortify Speed Sir Casimir (Mara): Fortify Endurance Sir Torolf (Arkay): Fortify Willpower Sir Henrik (Julianos): Fortify Intelligence Sir Caius (Stendarr): Fortify Personality Sir Ralvas (Zenithar): Fortify Luck Sir Amiel (Akatosh): Fortify Strength Remember, the cost of having all this goodness is you must keep your Infamy at zero (0) or one (1). Anything higher and you have to walk the Pilgrim's Way again to reduce your Infamy and be able to be the Crusader. [VH00] ~~The Elder Scrolls IV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ VERSION HISTORY AND CREDITS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OBLIVION~~ v1.00 2007-02-17 - First published version [LG00] ~~The Elder Scrolls IV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEGAL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OBLIVION~~ Written & Copyright 2006, 2007 by Barry Scott Will Trademarks and other marks are reserved to their original owners. This guide is not endorsed or authorized by 2KGames or Bethesda Softworks. This guide is for informational purposes only and no explicit or implicit warranty is made with regards to the suitability of this information. The reader agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the author, Barry Scott Will, from any consequences of using this information. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/