Today in Cyrodiil, spoilers version, TES: 4 Oblivion character accounts & stories Options

[Acadian]

“Come my Ladies, we’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Arkved."
- - I do enjoy the lighthearted sense of humor that is evident as the Jandanga recounts his adventures.

Thanks to your screenshots, I remembered this quest and its creativity.

[Renee]

Latest News: I still play Oblivion, but rarely post updates. Lady Saga just left Arenthia in Valenwood, where she donated several thousand to help her friends and family back home. This is something she's been doing for years in imagination, so it's good to finally write a quest which makes her donations real.

I have also finally deemed Joan of Arkay's game unplayable on Xbox. She just gained a level (I think she's 13) and her game world is at the point which I consider too annoying to enjoy. It's bear after lion and to me the world loses its feeling of reality when the alpha predators start showing up everywhere, and ALL of them attack. Anyway, I'll eventually switch her game to PC, where the various add-ons will help bring some life and love back to her game.


Is Exsanginator part of Vampire Hunting? It does not show up in UESP so I assume so. I really do not remember much about that questline do I? Other than some of the final bits in the Imperial City.

That spore chest is wicked!

Who is Faves? He or she sounds like a servant / guard.

Whoa, Arkved is vanilla! I just UESP'd it and there's a result. That's one quest none of mine have ever done. It really gets that dark in there??? What a weird place. Is all of that vanilla?

[mirocu]

Whoa, Arkved is vanilla! I just UESP'd it and there's a result. That's one quest none of mine have ever done. It really gets that dark in there??? What a weird place. Is all of that vanilla?

Ah, yes. Arkved's Tower. Years since Lothran was there but a pretty fun little quest it was. Vaermina is now happy

[macole]

Acadian - Thank you and you are welcome.

Renee - Yes, the Exsanginator is part of Vampire Hunting and so is Faves. They are both part of the VHOVB quest to open a chapter house in Cheydinhal. Faves is a Telvanni Lawman sent to retrieve the Exsanginator which was stolen from his master.
The Chest of Spore from the PTArtifacts mod will produce 3 mushrooms once a day. Great for alchemists.
I use a lot of hi-rez texture and lighting mods so I can't really say that the vanilla game is that dark. I would think it is pretty close .

mirocu - It was fun. So different. I don't remember doing this one before. I normally don't get involved with the daedric quests but Vaermina was in the Adense Epic Dungeon mod so I felt she had a special place in this game.

20201026 Imperial City, Wawnet, VH-OVB
Leaving Vaermina’s shrine we returned to Arkved’s Tower to get a view of the basin from the viewing platform. Nice view on a clear day.

Idyllically wandering around the ancient yew forest in a halfhearted attempt to reach the Imperial City we came across a grouping of standing stones. With a storm coming in the trees were swaying wildly in the wind (wish you could see the tress swaying in the wind) as the large stones drew us down a trail to an entrance of an ancient crypt (ulAncientYews).

No shelter from the rain here. The crypt was securely locked and a sign posted stating the place was closed until further notice by the order of Commander Adamus Phillidia. I wonder, does Phillidia have a little business on the side going on here?

Continuing westward we soon came to the Ring Road and the eastern portion of Lake Rumar. When we neared the area of the Stendarr Wayshrine we realized we’d have to walk all night to reach Weye and the Wawnet Inn. We decided to save some time by walking across the lake and cutting through the Imperial City.

Good move, Nerussa was so overjoyed to receive the Shadowbanish Wine that she made rooms available for us. Plus as Kaleah said, “we didn’t have to stay at Aleswell Cottage and put up with Vilja’s constant yammering.”

Sometimes I think Kaleah is jealous of the busty blonde Nord.

“Am not!” came a cry from down the hall.

Early the next morning as we were leaving Wawnet, Rowley Eardwulf stopped us. He made us an offer on furnishing Deepscorn. He had this creepy kind of air about him so in an effort to get rid of him quickly we bought the furnishings sight unseen and left. We may regret this later.

Back in Imperial City we checked in with the Order of the Virtuous Blood right away. Everyone was impressed with our accomplishments. During the celebrations Roland took us aside to give us two more assignments. One was near Anvil at a place called Crowhaven. Roland suggested talking to the Grey Prince since the Orc was from that area.

The other task sounded urgent. There are reports of a vampire army gathering at Wenyandawik, northwest of Bravil. Is this a sign of a coming vampire clan war or something more sinister? Either way it looks like we have some more work to do. But first let’s spend a day in the Imperial City.

After a marathon session of shopping in the Market District we went to speak to the Grey Prince. Agronak gro-Malog, the Grey Prince told us his story and offered to give us a key to Crowhaven if we would help prove his birthright. Hmmm, we have business at Crowhaven so why not help him.

Our next stop was the Universitum Arcanorum to see the Orrey. What a sight to see it was. Well worth the visit. When I activated the mechanism the power Secunda’s Brilliance came over me. Tired we spent the night in the Arch-mage’s quarters.

Having learnt my lesson, before we left the Imperial City I took My Ladies to The Goddess Store. My Ladies ran from vendor to vendor like butterflies flitting from flower to flower while I went to the magic shoppe at the other end of the wharf and then to the Bloated Float for a drink, or two or three.

Hours later when the money was all gone My Ladies picked me up (off the floor) and we left the Imperial City.

[Acadian]

“Am not!” came a cry from down the hall.'
- -

Walking across the lake to get to Weye was a great idea.

The Orrery is pretty cool. You'll be happy to know that one can see it again in ESO.

Good to see the Jandanga learned his lesson about the Goddess Store. And to make sure that financial support for the endeavor was finite.

[macole]

20201031 VH-OVB Wenyandawik
Our first stop on the way to Wenyandawik was Hercine’s shrine to turn in the unicorn horn. Hercine gave us his Savior’s Hide as a reward. It was amusing to hear Kaleah’s not entirely inappropriate reaction.

“That’s no damned use!”

We didn’t stay long and continued our journey to Wenyandawik.

Passing a wayshrine we stopped to pray as we told the fool prophet we would do. Instead of a prayer to the Nine (phfft) I opened my ancient copy of the Anuad and read the holy scripture. At the end I petitioned that Nir, Mother of All Creation awaken from her death sleep and deliver her creation from the turmoil of Man and Mer.

Oh my Nir, where are you now
Don't you care about your sons and daughters
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster.

The ghost of Whitestrake appeared to give a long misguided speech. Did he not listen to my prayers? Umaril and Whitestrake, I care not about them. Alas there was nothing I could do but listen.

The ghost pointed me to the first of his artifacts and left. Oh well, might as well go collect it for the Archeology Guild.

It was well past sunset by the time we reached Wenyandawik.

“Ooooh that smell, can't you smell that smell?” Kaleah cooed ominously. “Ooooh that smell, the smell of vampire abounds here.”

A motley crew of seven volunteers had assembled outside of Wenyandawik. Just one look was all it took for doubts about our eventual success to creep in.

Imperial Legion Sergeant Gustavus is in charge of the volunteer force. He plans to attack at 0800 hours so that we will have a full day of daylight ahead of us when the battle starts, and if needed we can retreat into the sunlight.

That strategy is sound. Vampires surely would not follow us out of Wenyandawik into the sunlight. The only thing bothers us, the inexperienced volunteers themselves.

Marcelius Varello, a Leyawiin City Guard had volunteered hoping to impress his superiors.

Dorisa Bovary, a Healer whose compassion for the sick and injured compelled her join eventho she has no experience in battlefield operations.

Ponctunius Graccus, a Vampire Hunter with a score to settle. By the look of his face it’s a big one. Kaleah thinks he’s a vampire. Then he’s a careless vampire hunter who got himself infected.

Itera Galianus, Vampire Huntress looking for excitement. Suggests we get together for additional excitement after the party. Geez, she’s just a girl who wants to have fun.

Felornya, an Altmer Mage scholar out doing fieldwork for his thesis paper. What’s he going to do take notes while the rest of us are fighting?

Shiny Scales, Argonian Blackwood Company Mercenary; thinks Argonians are immune to vampirism. Over confidence can be every bit as bad as inexperience.

Kaleah leaned in close and whispered, “We’d be better off leaving these fools here and going in now, alone.”

Just you and me? Hmmm, interesting. Let’s take a moment and think about it.

[Acadian]

Not impressed by Hercine’s Hurcine’s Hircine’s reward, eh?

I agree in not having much interest in Umaril and Whitestrake.

Rather a conundrum at Wenyandawik. Go in with a small but known force and have good control or to go in with a larger but motley crew of inexperienced vampire hunters?

[macole]

Acadian: Kaleah finds Hircine's gift to be too restrictive (I must have been dealing with his feminine aspect that day). Thanks for that I did correct the spelling along with some other additions in my personal document.

20201106 VH-OVB Q07 Pitched Battle
After thinking it over for awhile another issue we have with Sergeant Gustavus’ strategy come to mind. What’s to keep the vampires from coming out now that it is dark and attacking us first while we sleep?

The clock had not yet struck midnight when the Jandaga and his party decide to ignore Sergeant Gustavus’ order to wait until morning and entered Wenyandawik alone. With the aid of conjured reinforcements Jandaga and his band defeated nearly 30 vampires. That included the officers from left to right; Andarla the Spy, Capt Bergenhein, Commandant Veloth, General gro Urbok, Jaque the Quartermaster, and Willard the Scout.

The Light of Dawn has now absorbed over 200 vampires and has undergone a change becoming even sharper and its surface shines more brightly. The effect Light of Dawn has against vampires is now even stronger. Every strike inflicts grievous wounds. Yet its hunger is not satiated. I feel that Light of Dawn has not yet reached its full power.

We exit Wenyandawik victorious just as Sgt Gustavus is readying his command to enter Wenyandawik. Sgt Gustavus approaches and proclaims, “We have defeated the army of vampires. Those filthy scum, look what they did to my command.”

Sgt Gustavus then gives orders to dismiss and the volunteer force quickly forgets why they had gathered here. Itera Galianus seems to have forgotten about us getting together after the “party”. I guess it wasn’t exciting enough for her.

Well now we’re a bit confused. A celebration is in order but Sgt Gustavus laments some perceived devastation to his company. As the volunteers hang around chit-chatting we take a head count. Other than two nondescript guards, one from Leyawiin and one from Bravil, and a Breton woman prisoner (vampire dinner?) there were no casualties. What more could we have done?

Pym reaches in her pocket and pulls out an hour glass (where it came from I have no idea). Turning it over, the shifting sands of time take us back to just before we meet Sgt Gustavus.

Following Sgt Gustavus’ strategy we wait until Sgt Gustavus leads us into Wenyandawik. This approach makes Light of Dawn reaching 200 kills more difficult.

1st attempt: only Sergeant Gustavus and Felornya made it alive to Wenyandawik’s 1st rest area. Lesson learned: do not summon Daedra aid. Friendly fire from Sgt Gustavus’ company upsets my conjured reinforcements e.g. the Sisters of Insanity, Marky, and Elytra. It did not end well.

2nd attempt: All seven of the volunteers survived to reach Wenyandawik’s 2nd rest area. After a recovery period Sgt Gustavus leads us leads us into Wenyandawik through the southern gate. Only Sergeant Gustavus survives to reach Wenyandawik Edesel’s 1st recovery area.

3rd attempt: all survived to reach Wenyandawik Edesel’s 1st rest, only Sergeant survived final Edesel assault on vampire army officers.

4th attempt: Figured out how to tackle Edesel. After taking Wenyandawik with no losses Sgt Gustavus orders a rest to recover as normal. While the volunteers are recovering, Jandaga’s little band enters Edesel through the northern gate and attack the vampire officers. There is not much time before the rest period ends so the officers must be defeated swiftly. Once the officers are defeated there are two options.

Option one: Quickly sweep Edesel of all vampires. If this goes slowly Sgt Gustavus’ company will enter Edesel when the rest period ends. His command may incur significant casualties.

Option two: Report back to Sgt Gustavus immediately after defeating the Vampire Army Officers. Sgt Gustavus declares the vampire army defeated and leads his company out of Wenyandawik. Once the volunteers are safely outside go back into Wenyandawik to finish off the remaining vampires.

Isn’t it nice how Sgt Gustavus left all the loot for us to plunder?

In the end no matter which strategy is taken it all comes out the same the vampire army in Wenyandawik has been destroyed, and Sgt Gustavus laments the losses to his command.

[Acadian]

Light of Dawn is very neat!

Pym has pockets? By Julianos’ little teapot, where would those be? I see the Jandanga ponders the same question. Neat how she can turn back the sands of time though.

It is clear how the mod maker expected that big fight to go. Fun how you explored differing options.

[macole]

Light of Dawn is very neat!

Pym has pockets? By Julianos’ little teapot, where would those be? I see the Jandanga ponders the same question. Neat how she can turn back the sands of time though.

It is clear how the mod maker expected that big fight to go. Fun how you explored differing options.

I do try to come up with a plausible reason for all my, um well I wouldn't them cheats but ah more like diversions from normal game mechanics.

[Renee]

Nerussa got her wine. She's so obsessed with it. Gets really sad if we don't bring her any. She might even lose Disposition over time as we keep *not* bringing her wine.

Ha ha ... Kahleah can hear Jandaga's thoughts.

I agree that Rowley is creepy. My Lawful Good Joan of Arkay visited Deepscorn out of curiosity once. And because of this she has to listen to that guy make his portentiously Evil offerings every time she visits Nerussa's inn. She can't do anything about him, either. Technically he hasn't done anything illegal. She'd be the one who'd get in trouble if she banished him with her Nine nonsense.

aving learnt my lesson, before we left the Imperial City I took My Ladies to The Goddess Store. My Ladies ran from vendor to vendor like butterflies flitting from flower to flower

Hours later when the money was all gone My Ladies picked me up (off the floor)

Ha ha ha!

Wow, you're doing Knights of the Nine too? Does Jandaga ever turn quests down? I can remember way back with my first main character, she was doing every quest offered (this was before I remembered how to Roleplay). It got to be like after awhile. My background at the time was Tomb Raider, mostly, in which the goal is to do every mission entirely, and find every secret.

I am impressed you're getting all those people (and elves, and beasts) to volunteer with Vampire Hunting. Wish I had done more of that. My character who did VH also has her own Party of Four (sometimes Five) and sometimes just this party is hard enough to manage, with friendly fire and what not.

Also impressed you lined up all those undead. Nice. That must have taken some time. The Psychedelic Party lives on!

[macole]

Ha ha ... Kahleah can hear Jandaga's thoughts.

I like to think that she can read the journal as Jandaga writes it just by the unique sound each letter makes as the stylus strokes it on the parchment.

Wow, you're doing Knights of the Nine too? Does Jandaga ever turn quests down?

He will not do certain daedric quests e.g. Mephala, Hermaeous Mora. Kaleah says her Feache is to pretty to do anything for Namira. Also the Dark Brotherhood is taboo Jandaga will carry a certain dagger unused forever or until he finally leaves Cyrodiil to go to Skyrim.
After buying the Deepscorn upgrades I looked them up on UESP and two of them should have known better than to buy them.
Jandaga is only doing KotN because of that fool prophet's constant ranting is driving the property values down. Also he'd like to see Dibella's cathedral active again.
Tell the truth I wish I hadn't installed KotN. Now after nearly four years I'm afraid to try and remove it.

Also impressed you lined up all those undead. Nice. That must have taken some time. The Psychedelic Party lives on!

Fireballs can move bodies around very quickly. For the fine tuning there is a ragdoll mod that allows grabbing and dragging bodies.
I have a whole folder dedicated to morgue mug shots of slain villians.

This post has been edited by macole: Nov 10 2020, 04:33 AM

[macole]

20201112 Rumple – Skull of the Mountain
“Woohoo, that wasn’t easy but oh so fun,” Maeva said as we were leaving Wenyandawik. “Felt like we redid this fight a dozen times over.”

“Whipped them, whipped them good. Loved whoopin up on the officers,” Kaleah stated as Pym nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah so did I and to be able to watch the volunteer force march out intact felt really good too. Although we really should have had more troops here but where could we have gotten them? It sort of does seem like nobody cares about the work we are doing. But if we don't stand up and do it, the consequences to Cyrodiil could be dire and any chance of finding lost artifacts of the fae will go down right along with Cyrodiil.”

“Well, starting up the Leyawiin OVB chapter which you do still need to do, will help,” Maeva reminded.

"Yes that’s right but first we’ll go back to the IC Market District and cash in the loot."

“And while there contact Tar-Meena about the Skull of the Mountain,” Maeva injected while thumbing through her request for service log.

Ok, ok, and that’s what we did. A day at market cashing in and then we walked over to the Universitum Arcanorum Mystic Archives to speak with Tar-Meena. She really didn’t know much about Skull of the Mountain other than it is described in a book rumored to be found in Fort Horunn.

That’s back up north, hmmm. That’ll hold for a bit while we attend to some business in the south.

After a night spent in the Arch-mage’s quarters and a morning doing Arch-magey things (paper work, tons of paper work) it was early afternoon by the time we left the Imperial City. Crossing Lake Rumare we took the Red Ring Road and turned south on the Yellow Road toward Leyawiin. The weather was good but the roads were fraught with danger. Several attacks by Skyrim invaders slowed our progress. The invaders from the north were now often groups of three led by champion class warriors.

It was getting dark when we passed a young woman near the Corbolo River. She made a comment that stopped us in our tracks, “You smell of death. Been conjuring dead things?”

“No, but we’ve been fighting a lot of zombies, mummies, and vampires lately,” I replied. “Pretty girls like you shouldn’t be wandering the roads alone at night. You might get bit.”

Stopping to chat, Callia Bincal insisted that she can take care of herself. She also told us her family is trying to establish a new farmstead they named Cropsford. Her family’s hopes and dreams have been crushed due to the outbreak of a goblin war. Caught in between two warring nearby goblin tribes Callia is afraid her family is going to have to give up their dreams. It’s a sad tale.

Making no commitments she went on her way and we on ours. It was really late when we reached the Silverfish River. The Imperial Bridge Inn is just a short ways up river. Tired and hungry we turned east to spend the night at the Imperial Bridge Inn. Good food, potent drink, a nice comfy bed, and fairly well entertained listening to Imperial Legionaries tell their adventures. Baron von Munchausen would be proud at what we heard.

[Renee]

I have a whole folder dedicated to morgue mug shots of slain villians.

Please do share. That's an interesting habit you've got there.

I finish reading the latest as I'm eating lunch later...

[Acadian]

I'm glad to hear the ladies enjoy their work. Messy stuff but somebody has to do it.

And south now, after retrofitting in the IC.

I have fond memories of Cropsford - doing their quest and watching the town grow.

[macole]

20201117from Imperial Bridge Inn to Merendin
No it wasn’t the best bed ever but still we slept late the next morning. It was the noise from the late breakfast crowd that got us up and moving. The sun was high in the sky by the time we left the Imperial Bridge Inn.

The view of the Silverfish River from the Inn’s courtyard is so beautiful that I’m near tempted to make an offer to buy the place and settle down for awhile.

Kaleah put her arm around my shoulders and calmly said, “My dear Feache, you wouldn’t last a week before you’d get up leave.”

Yeah, she’s right. There’s something that drives me ever onward.

Taking the path that leads to Lover Stone we cross the Silverfish River. Instead of heading east toward the Lover Stone we continue south up the mountain where we pass the great statues and the Overgrown Spire.

When we reach the peak we stop a moment to take in the impressive view of the Nibenay Valley before descending down to the Panther River below. As we near the Panther River we come along a wilderness camp. There’s a woman in camp. I raise my hand in a friendly greeting; she yells “DIE…” something or other, and attacks. For what, I don’t know. It’s crazy how campers in the woods fight to the death to protect a barrel full of nothing but vegetables.

There’re enough tents in Black Dog Camp for everyone so why don’t we spend the night here and get some sleep. My Ladies were all for a bit of time to relax.

From Black Dog Camp we cross the Panther River and continued south through the Blackwood Forest until flashes of gleaming white stone against the dense green foliage announced the presence of an Ayleid ruin.

Soon we were standing in front of the partially hidden doorway of the Ayleid ruin Welke. There didn’t seem to be much going on in Welke other than being cursed with an army of ghostly warriors and wolves. The ghosts succumb quickly to our lightning attacks.

Welke quickly became ghostly quiet. Unimpressed Maeva commented as she often tells me, “Is that all there is? I was hoping for more.”

That was just before we entered Welke Edesel. After defeating several ghostly knights we searched the room and…

Well look what we have here, an Ayleid statue. Umbacano would be interested in this. We now have collected six statues for Umbacano.

Leaving Welke we walk along a branch of the Panther River. When the river comes to an end we continue through the jungle in a southeasterly direction until we reach Merendin, the headquarters of the Stranded Light. Everyone was glad to see us return and couldn’t wait to hear of our exploits. While our good deeds done as an agent of the Stranded Light helps to improve the organization’s reputation, Tesserayiel was mildly disappointed we had not accomplished more to directly benefit the Stranded Light.

The big Xivilai, Karashivuel was even more direct in her questioning. “Why haven’t you gone back to the 19 Voids and inform that seducer that her sister Teshekru has been freed?”

My Ladies were doubled over as if in pain as they valiantly tried to stifle their snickers as I said, “Well, um, the way Turumerin licks her lips when she looks at me kind of creeps me out.”

“Some diplomat you are.”

“Ok, ok. I’ll get a good night’s sleep and get started on it first thing in the morning.”

[SubRosa]

Wow, that is an awesome view of the Silverfish.

[Acadian]

SubRosa is right about that awesome view of the Silverfish River. In fact all the scenery in your game is simply gorgeous!

’It’s crazy how campers in the woods fight to the death to protect a barrel full of nothing but vegetables.’
- - As Renee would say, I know, right?

And another statue for Umbacano.

No rest for the crew it seems as a Stranded Light task seems in order.

[macole]

SubRosa & Acadian - Thanks you for your appreciation. All the credit goes to Bevilex for the install suggestions and to the mod authors for their beautiful creations especially the Unique Landscapes team. Turned out well and that may be one of the reasons I've stayed with this game for past 3 years.

[Renee]

As we near the Panther River we come along a wilderness camp. There’s a woman in camp. I raise my hand in a friendly greeting; she yells “DIE…” something or other, and attacks. For what, I don’t know. It’s crazy how campers in the woods fight to the death to protect a barrel full of nothing but vegetables.

I love this! This is probably my favorite macole quote from 2020.

Congrats on finding another Ayleid Statue.