Baiting the Trap
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[edit] Overview
Faction: Shivering Isles Main Quest
Prerequisites: A Better Mousetrap
Quest Giver: Sheogorath
Reward: Dawnfang/Duskfang, Talisman of Abetment, leveled loot, begin quest Understanding Madness
[edit] Background
Sheogorath sent you to Xedilian to attune the Resonator of Judgement in A Better Mousetrap. Once you complete that task, your current quest ends and this quest begins.
[edit] Walkthrough
You begin on the bottom floor of Xedilian in front of the Resonator. Go up the stairs to your north and activate the teleportation pad. You will be greeted by Kiliban Nyrandil, a smiling, hooded Dunmer. He explains that you are trapped here until you proceed through the chambers.
Nyrandil says that you will have three encounters with a group of adventurers. At each encounter you will have a choice to make: either choose a physically harmful fate, more in the spirit of Dementia; or choose a mental assault, closer to the spirit of Mania.
The first chamber is known as the Chamber of the Gnarl. You can cause either a large group of small gnarls to attack or you can make a single gnarl appear to grow in size suddenly. Nyrandil says that this effect will be magnified by hallucinogenic spores released into the air.
Move into the west room. You will be on a balcony overlooking a large, empty room. In a moment, three adventures - an Orc warrior, an Bosmer archer/thief, and a Dunmer mage will enter the room. The switch to the right, the orange smiley face, will activate the Mania choice, the left will choose Dementia. Either choice will lead to the incapacitation of the archer.
Move onto the nearby teleportation pad. Inside the next room a great treasure waits inside a locked cage. Choosing Dementia will activate a fireball that kills the mage. Choosing Mania will cause a great number of keys to cascade to the floor, and the mage will go mad as he tries to find the correct key.
Move onto the third teleportation pad. The final room is blood-spattered and decorated with hanging corpses. The sole remaining adventurer - the Orc warrior - enters. You can either choose murder-by-zombie or drive him mad by making him think he has died without a fight.
After you are finished, speak to Nyrandil again. He will congratulate you on your success and give you the sword Dawnfang/Duskfang. Go up the stairs to the Recovery Chest and find leveled loot and the Talisman of Abetment.
Immediately after this, groups of the distinctive silvery crystals suddenly grow without warning, and a trio of Knights of Order appear. Kill the Knights (don't forget to check for Hearts of Order) and speak to Nyrandil again.
He will explain that Knights were attracted to the Resonator and orders you back to Sheograth to notify him of this new and ominous development.
This will complete your current quest and begin your next quest: Understanding Madness.
[edit] Journal entries
Upon receiving the quest:
- I should now make my way back to New Sheoth and report my success to Sheogorath.
After meeting Kiliban Nyrandil:
- I've met Kiliban Nyrandil inside one of the many observation rooms of Xedilian. It also appears that Xedilian has its first visitors, a group of adventurers. It's up to me to decide whether to allow Xedilian to kill them or drive them insane.
After activating the Mania button in the Chamber of the Gnarl:
- I've unleashed the Giant Gnarl on the adventurers in Xedilian. With the threat of what he perceived as certain death knocking at his door, Lewin the Rogue has gone insane. I should make my way to the next observation room and choose how the adventurers will encounter their next obstacle.
After activating the Dementia button in the Chamber of the Gnarl:
- I've unleashed the Gnarl Swarm on the adventurers in Xedilian. Unable to survive their onslaught, Lewin the Rogue has been slain. I should make my way to the next observation room and choose how the adventurers will encounter their next obstacle.
After activating the Mania button in the Chamber of Avarice:
- I've caused Syndelius the Mage to go insane by pouring hundreds of keys on the ground which convinced him that one of them opened the gate to the huge treasure pile. All that remains now is the leader of the group, Grommok. I should make my way to the last observation room and choose how the stubborn Orc will encounter his final obstacle.
After activating the Dementia button in the Chamber of Avarice:
- Using a huge pile of treasure as bait, I lured the two remaining adventurers into a fire trap. Syndelius the Mage didn't survive the blast, leaving only their leader, Grommok. I should make my way to the last observation room and choose how the stubborn orc will encounter his final obstacle.
After activating the Mania button in the Chamber of Anathema:
- By making Grommok think that he actually died and became a ghost, I've driven him insane. Now that all of the adventurers have been dealt with, I should speak to Kiliban.
After activating the Dementia button in the Chamber of Anathema:
- I've caused death of the remaining Orc adventurer, Grommok, by animating the zombies in the final room of Xedilian. Now that all of the adventurers have been dealt with, I should speak to Kiliban.
After talking to Kiliban:
- Kiliban Nyrandil has told me to meet him in Xedilian's reception chamber where I can recover the defeated adventurer's gear. I should use the final transport pad and make my way there now.
After asking Kiliban about the earnings:
- I've received some items and gold from Kiliban Nyrandil that had belonged to the adventurers. I can now safely report back to Sheogorath that Xedilian is in full operation.
After being attacked by the strange beings:
- Before exiting Xedilian, I was attacked by three unusual beings in equally strange armor. I should ask Kiliban if he knows anything about them.
After asking Kiliban about the strange beings:
- Kiliban explained the entity of the strange beings, calling them Knights of Order. He seemed very dismayed and wishes me to hasten to Sheogorath and report their presence.
| Previous Quest: A Better Mousetrap | Next Quest: Understanding Madness |
