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Quick WalkthroughEdit
- Speak to the Peculiar Bottle.
- Speak to Borfree Dull-Blade.
- Read Narsis Dren's Skyrim Journal.
- Find the three verses scattered around Solitude.
- Retrieve Maelmoth's Final Journal from Mages Guild.
- Go to the Meditation Grotto near Kilkreath Temple and solve the puzzle.
- Go to Kyne's Shrine and solve the puzzle there.
- Go to Sabre Cat's Leap and solve the final puzzle.
- Enter Folgunthur Barrow.
- Enter Maelmoth's Mysterium and read Maelmoth's Marvelous Masterpiece.
- Warn Narsis against touching the bottle, or not.
- Return to Deem-Vilax at the Mages Guild.
Detailed WalkthroughEdit
The Peculiar Bottle and the Three VersesEdit
You'll find your quest giver in the eastern corner guest room within the Lonely Troll and in an alley between an empty building and Proudspire Manor in Solitude. There, you'll notice a Peculiar Bottle sitting on one of the tables or the cobblestone pavement. Speak to the bottle, and the bottle talks back. At first the voice mistakens you for someone else. Inform them of your identity, and the bottle will explain that they are not trapped inside the bottle, but rather suffer from a "very stubborn illusion". The voice goes on to explain how they managed to trigger the spell, but noted in a journal how to dispel the illusion. Of course, you offer to find said journal and assist the unfortunate soul. It is then that the bottle identifies themselves as none other than "Narsis Dren—famed historian, etcetera". Even if you're very familiar with the Dunmer, he'll still tell you about his incomparable skill as an adventurer.
Narsis Dren will send you to speak to his servant, Borfree Dull-Blade. Borfree is located in front of Solitude's bank. He gives you Narsis' journal. After reading the journal, you'll find the location of the three verses that are required to dispel the illusion of the bottle scattered around the city of Solitude. The first fragment is sitting on top of the well between the Lonely Troll and the bank. Another fragment is posted on the wall near the plaza north of the Bards College, between the college and Proudspire Manor. The last one is posted on the northwestern exterior wall of the Mages Guild hall. Taking this one will trigger a flash of magicka, startling the nearby gardener.
Return to the bank, and you'll see that Borfree has brought the bottle to his makeshift camp. You need to read the verses in the correct order to transform him back into an Elf.
The correct order is as follows: "On the shores of an open sea, hordes of horkers frolic free. / Pigs, and pigs, and pigs, My auntie's fingers, thin as twigs. / Vibrant feathers drift on the wind, my hair grew long but never thinned."
Read the verses in the correct order, and the bottle will transform into Narsis Dren in a flash. Once he determines he's made it out all in one piece, he'll inform you that the two of you need to find the journal of the mage who created the illusion, Maelmoth the Mysterious. Narsis Dren seeks to find Maelmoth's Mysterium, the master illusionist's vault of treasures. Unfortunately, Narsis tried to acquire the journal earlier from the Mages Guild, but could not cajole the librarian, Deem-Vilax, to borrow the tome, especially after he tore one of the pages. It now falls to you to convince the Argonian to lend you the precious volume.
Go to the guild hall and you'll find Deem-Vilax making notes among the stacks. You can lie, persuade, or bribe the annoyed tome-keeper to let you have Maelmoth's Final Journal. Take the book back to Narsis, who is standing in front of the Lonely Troll. Narsis Dren deduces that the journal contains a clue on how to find Maelmoth's treasure. He claims the clue points to a meditation grotto near Kilkreath Temple.
The Meditation GrottoEdit
Meet Narsis at the grotto, which lies southeast of Kilkreath Temple and northeast of the Kilkreath Giant Camp. The Solitude Docks Wayshrine is closest to the location, and the grotto is a straight shot west from it, past Wiljar's farm. There, Narsis will point out a switch. After activating it, a projection of Maelmoth appears and carries out the sequence needed to solve the puzzle. Narsis' pride gets the better of him and tries to solve the puzzle... and fails. He tries to save face by explaining that he was merely showing how not to do it and that "puzzles can really, really hurt. Yet another lesson, free of charge."
Use the switch to reset the puzzle. To solve the puzzle, step on the tiles in the following order:
2 - 4 - 3 - 1
In other words, orienting yourself facing the pedestal, step on center, upper right, bottom left, upper left, bottom right.
Correctly solve the sequence of the tiles and a scroll appears on a nearby pedestal. The scroll contains a poem called The Blossoms of Maelmoth. Discuss the scroll's contents with Narsis and he'll note that the bit about the "Lady of the Winter Winds" likely refers to Kyne. Narsis will tell you of a shrine to the Nords' storm goddess near Chillwind Depths.
The Blossoms of MaelmothEdit
The shrine is located west of Chillwind Depths and southeast of the center of the Chilblain Peak Ritual Site. Narsis will have beaten you to the next site, and is already exasperated by the time you arrive. You'll need to solve another riddle to move on. To solve the puzzle, light the sconces with the following number of flowers in order: two, four, three and one.
After you solve the puzzle, another scroll appears. Read The Mysterium's Threshold, then consult with your partner again. This time, Narsis Dren points you towards Sabre Cat's Leap—a rocky precipice southwest of Morthal.
The Mysterium's ThresholdEdit
Sabre Cat's Leap is across the river and north of Shademother's Haven. When you arrive at the site, you'll find that there are four illusory doors. The ever-impulsive Narsis Dren will once again attempt to solve the riddle, only to pick the wrong door. You need to enter the correct door in order to find what you're looking for. Speak with Narsis Dren, then make your guess.
Go through the leftmost door, and the two of you will be transported to Folgunthur Barrow, where a scroll is sitting upon a table.
The Penultimate LaughEdit
Read The Penultimate Laugh, which is sitting outside the ruin. You'll discover that you have unlocked the barrow by just reading the scroll. Narsis Dren is at his wit's end, and desperately hopes this is the last riddle. When you point out to him that the adventure is near its end, he'll rush through the door.
Inside you'll be blocked by a locked door, which leads to Maelmoth's Chamber of Treasures. Narsis notices a key on a pedestal on the other side of the hall. The key, however, is guarded by the spirit of Maelmoth. You'll need to defeat him in order to take the key. Return to the door with the key, then you and Narsis can enter.
Inside the vault, Narsis will at first be elated, until he notices that the contents of the room are actually worthless trinkets. He is quite upset by this revelation, and assumes the room is a trap.
Narsis will notice a book on a table and asks you to investigate. He'll also notice an X on the floor, and presumes that it's a gate of some kind.
Read the book and you'll find out that Maelmoth was indeed mad, and most of the "treasures" have no real value to anyone other than Maelmoth. However, Maelmoth places great pride on the very complex illusion spell he created; the Bottle illusion. The book explicitly states that the bottle is little more than a trap and will trap whoever touches it inside.
You can warn Narsis that the bottle is a trap, or lie and let him be a victim of his own hubris.
No matter what choice you made, you will need to return the journal to the librarian. Once back at the Mages Guild in Solitude, Deem-Vilax will greet you with her typical disdain. However, if you lied to Narsis and let him touch the bottle, she'll be quite amused at his predicament. She'll gladly take Maelmoth's journal back and even though she says she'll release Narsis from the bottle — eventually, she tells you this is a fine "teachable moment" and sets the bottle on a nearby cupboard.
As you leave the hall, you can hear her say:
- Deem-Vilax: "There we are. Oh, Narsis. You really tie the room together. Ha!"
However, if you warned Narsis about the bottle, you will return bottle-less. Deem-Vilax will be relieved that you returned with the journal and without Narsis, and will give you a reward and the quest will complete.
Afterwards, Deem-Vilax will say:
- Deem-Vilax: "I simply cannot wait to throw Narsis Dren's next opus in the waste bin. He's a terrible writer. I won't allow his books on my shelves!"
Quest StagesEdit
| The Maelmoth Mysterium | |
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| Finishes Quest | Journal Entry |
| A prideful historian named Narsis Dren found himself trapped in an illusion while researching an ancient mage. Assisting him in his investigation may lead to some exciting discoveries.
Objective: I should go talk to the bottle's manservant.
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| Narsis Dren asked me to find his journal. Apparently, it contains the location of a powerful incantation capable of reversing the illusion spell.
Objective: Read the Journal
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| According to Narsis's journal, the legendary illusionist, Maelmoth, separated his incantation of reversal into three parts and hid them throughout Solitude. I must use the bottle's notes to locate all three parts of this powerful incantation.
Objective: Gather Maelmoth's Incantation: 0 / 3
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| I gathered all three parts of Maelmoth's incantation. I should return to Narsis Dren and dispel the illusion.
Objective: Dispel the Illusion
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| I successfully cast Maelmoth's spell and freed the boastful historian, Narsis Dren, from the illusion spell. I should talk to him about what he plans to do now.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| Narsis Dren urged me to acquire Maelmoth's last journal from the Mages Guild librarian in Solitude. Apparently this text contains a riddle that could lead us to the ancient mage's greatest treasure.
Objective: Find Maelmoth's Journal
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| The Mages Guild librarian let me borrow Maelmoth's final journal. I should deliver it to Narsis to see if he can make sense of it.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| According to Narsis, Maelmoth's journal entry points to a meditation grotto near Kilkreath Temple. I should make my way to this hidden grotto. Narsis will meet me there.
Objective: Meet Narsis at the Meditation Grotto
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| There is a switch that Narsis wants me to pull. He thinks it will reveal one of Maelmoth's secrets.
Objective: Use the Switch
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| We found an ancient puzzle in Maelmoth's grotto. Narsis thinks that if we solve the puzzle, it may lead to Maelmoth's treasure.
Objective: Solve Maelmoth's Puzzle
Objective Hint: Use the Switch to Reset the Tiles
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| Shortly after solving Maelmoth's puzzle, a scroll appeared. I should read it to see if it contains any additional clues.
Objective: Read Maelmoth's Scroll
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| I read Maelmoth's scroll. I should discuss its contents with Narsis Dren.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| Narsis believes that Maelmoth's scroll indicates we'll find our next test at Kyne's Shrine. Narsis will meet me there.
Objective: Meet Narsis at Kyne's Shrine
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| Narsis beat me to the shrine, but seems to be struggling with Maelmoth's next puzzle. I should talk to him.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| I must solve this sconce puzzle to discover the next step in Maelmoth's elaborate test. The scroll we discovered in the grotto should provide all the clues I need.
Objective: Solve Maelmoth's Puzzle at Kyne's Shrine
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| As soon as I solved the sconce puzzle, another scroll appeared. I should read it.
Objective: Read Maelmoth's Second Scroll
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| This new scroll contains another obscure clue. I should talk to Narsis. He might be able to make sense of it.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| Narsis believes the scroll points to a rocky precipice southwest of Morthal called Sabre Cat's Leap. I should make my way there. Narsis will join me soon.
Objective: Meet Narsis at Sabre Cat's Leap
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| I found Narsis examining an array of mysterious doors—undoubtedly another of Maelmoth's puzzles. I should talk to Narsis about how to tackle this next challenge.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| Narsis helpfully illustrated the consequences of getting this puzzle wrong. I must choose the correct door to proceed. The scroll I recovered at the braziers likely contains the clues I need.
Objective: Solve Maelmoth's Door Puzzle
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| Walking through the correct door magically teleported me to another location—and another scroll. I should read Maelmoth's next clue.
Objective: Read Maelmoth's Third Scroll
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| Reading the final scroll seems to have opened the ruin, Folgunthur. I should deliver the good news to Narsis.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| I should enter Folgunthur and discover what secrets await inside.
Objective: Enter Folgunthur
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| Narsis and I entered Folgunthur, only to encounter another locked door! I must find a key that will grant us entry to Maelmoth's Mysterium.
Objective: Find the Key to Maelmoth's Mysterium
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| I found the key to Maelmoth's Mysterium. Now we can finally discover the ancient mage's secrets.
Objective: Enter Maelmoth's Mysterium
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| We discovered Maelmoth's "deepest mysteries"—a pile of dusty, unremarkable junk. Narsis Dren pointed out a nearby tome. I should read it. Perhaps it can shed some light on Maelmoth's bizarre collection.
Objective: Read Maelmoth's Collection Notes
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| According to Maelmoth's tome, the nearby bottle is the product of his life's work—an illusion capable of instantly transforming people who touch it. I should talk to Narsis.
Objective: Talk to Narsis Dren
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| (If you chose to lie)
Predictably, the bottle unleashed a spell on Narsis, turning him back into a bottle. I should pick him up and decide what to do with him. Objective: Take the Bottled Narsis
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I should deliver the bottled Narsis Dren to Deem-Vilax in Solitude, along with Maelmoth's journal. Perhaps she'll know what to do with him.
Objective: Talk to Deem-Vilax
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(If you chose to tell the truth.)
Maelmoth's trail ended in disappointment for Narsis Dren. Despite the lack of mysteries and treasures, Narsis is confident that he can weave it all into a profitable tale. I should return the journal to Deem-Vilax in Solitude like I promised. Objective: Talk to Deem-Vilax
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<Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the game and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
- Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
- Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.