Rebuilding the Gatekeeper
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[edit] Overview
Faction: Shivering Isles Main Quest
Prerequisites: Retaking the Fringe
Quest Giver: Sheogorath
Reward: Build a Gatekeeper, Greater Power Summon Flesh Atronach begin quest The Helpless Army
[edit] Background
In the previous quest you fought off an attempted invasion of The Fringe by the Forces of Order. Sheogorath wanted to reinforce his defenses, so he sends you to Relmyna Verenim to build a new Gatekeeper.
[edit] Walkthrough
Fight your way through the creepy ruins of Xaselm, following the red arrows. Watch for undead and Failed Experiments. Once you get to the Sanctum of Vivisection, the fun begins. You will find Relmyna down here, torturing people to death. You can help her by pressing the buttons next to the captives' cages. One will send a rain of darts into a defenseless NPC, another opens a trap door underneath the captive. If a captive dies, Relmyna will eventually bring him or her back to life. Also, whatever you do, make sure you don't fire arrows or spells at the captives. Relmyna will immediately call you a murderer, and attack you.
Talk to Relmyna. She recognizes you as the adventurer who slew her Gatekeeper. The ensuing conversation is lengthy and offers you the choice of being rude or friendly, but it doesn't really matter what you chose to say. In the end, Relmyna will give you a key to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone and tell you to get Blood Liqueur, Osseous Marrow, Dermis Membrane, and Essence of Breath.
If you object to Relmyna's torturing people to death, you can speak to her about it. She tells you that Sheogorath sanctions her experiments, and that she brings "the worthy ones" back to life. If you continue to protest, she will offer to set them free in exchange for your participation. If you agree, she will cast the spell Exalted Pain on you, which drains nearly every attribute you have, including health. For some PC's, this will kill you outright. Others may survive but find some attributes damaged permanently. The extent of the damage is presumably based on game difficulty and character level. If you submit to Exalted Pain, speak to her afterwards, she will give you a pair of enchanted handcuffs called the Manacles of Pain.
Follow the red arrow out to the Realm of Sheogorath. The Gardens of Flesh and Bone are in the northwest portion of the Fringe, the counterpoint to Xeddefen. The Gardens are heavily trapped. Watch for falling ceilings, giant shooting thorns, and twisted roots that can be opened by a green switch to the side.
This is a large dungeon, but blockages of twisted roots will help keep you on track. The map and red/green arrows are also very useful. This portion of the quest is a straightforward search for four items. The Dermis Membrane and the Osseous Marrow are located on the Conservatorium Corpusculum level. The Caverns of Susurration are a complex web of caves that double back on each other so often that the green arrow is useless and it's best to save at the entrance here because you could get stuck here. Head downward when possible, and follow the green-tinted gusts of wind that blow through the caverns. They are all sweeping toward the Essence of Breath. You must activate the Essence once to gather all of the Breath and then again to take it. The final ingredient - Blood Liqueur - can be found in the Natatorium of Wound Bled Tears. This is an especially dangerous section. Falling ceilings are abundant - be careful when pushing buttons to open doors. The Blood Liqueur can be found by activating the spring of blood in the blood-filled room.
Head back to Relmyna. Now you get to build your own Gatekeeper. Relmyna has created versions of each appendage and you get to decide which one goes where. Go to the room with the hanging body organs. You can't miss it. The names of the parts are fairly self-explanatory. Adding that part of the body will allow you to get a Gatekeeper's Gift when you later activate the live Gatekeeper.
Once you've created your Gatekeeper, accompany Relmyna to the Fringe. Once at the statue of Sheogorath that stands in front of the Gates of Madness, speak to Relmyna again. She will begin the ceremony. A pool of light will open in the ground. Toss all of the ingredients you've collected into the pool by activating it. If you forget, Relmyna will helpfully remind you, over and over again, every three seconds. She will continue to chant her summon spell on while you add body parts. Once the ceremony is over, a new Gatekeeper will be stomping around the Gates. If you wait a few seconds, a group of Knights of Order will attack the Gatekeeper.
Relmyna will also grant you the Greater Power Summon Flesh Atronach. (Later on, after you finish the quest, you can "Activate" the Gatekeeper to gain a "gift" from it. Depending on what type of body you give it, you will gain a greater power from it. Exe: "Legs of Fortitude (Gatekeeper Gift") ect.)
Go back and tell Sheogorath. This will conclude your current quest and begin your next: The Helpless Army.
[edit] Journal entries
After completing the quest Retaking the Fringe:
- Sheogorath has tasked me with rebuilding the Gatekeeper. He has given me instructions to visit the powerful sorceress named Relmyna Verenim in Xaselem to petition her assistance.
After retrieving all four ingredients:
- I now have all of the items required by Relmyna Verenim. I should return to her.
After choosing the Gatekeeper's body parts:
- I have finished selecting the body parts for the Gatekeeper. I should return to Relmyna Verenim now.
After finishing the ceremony:
- The Gatekeeper has been rebuilt. I should return to Sheogorath with news of my success.
| Previous Quest: Retaking the Fringe | Next Quest: The Helpless Army |
