A Necessary Alliance

• Location: Artaeum, the Dreaming Cave

  

• Quest-giver: Oriandra (She’ll appear in Shimmerene, Artaeum, Alinor, and Lillandril if you don’t take the quest from her in the Dreaming Cave.)

  

Description: Tragedy has struck and things have taken a turn for the worse. There’s still hope to stop the attack on Summerset, however. Sotha Sil has returned and has news for the Psijic Order, but he’ll need some coaxing to share it.

Leave the Dreaming Cave and enter Ceporah Tower. Head to the tower’s right side and use the portal to Sotha Sil’s study to speak with Sotha Sil about your most recent excursion into the Evergloam. Then head to Valsirenn’s study and speak with Earl Leythen. If you have the Intimidating Presence Fighter’s Guild passive skill, you’ll be able to get some additional dialogue out of Leythen. After you’re done speaking with Leythen, talk with Valsirenn.

Go to the Crystal Tower Gatehouse

Leave Artaeum and go to the Crystal Tower gatehouse on the west side of Summerset, near Lillandril. You’ll find Razum-dar speaking with a pair of monks when you arrive. Once he’s finished his conversation, follow him into the watchtower and speak with him yourself. Next, head up the steps to the Crystal Tower. Enemies litter the path leading up to the tower, so tread carefully.

Defend the Sapiarchs

Once in front of the Crystal Tower, speak with Valsirenn. You’ll need to protect Sapiarchs on the north and south platforms stationed in front of the Crystal Tower. Waves of enemies will swarm each platform, but they’ll only attack a single platform at a time and only after you’ve approached the Sapiarch stationed there. Each defense will end with a Wraith-of-Crows entering the fray. Use what you know to defeat them, then head to the remaining platform.

The enemies don’t come out in full force, and you’ll have help from either Razum-dar or the Golden Knight while defending the platforms, so you don’t have to worry about being overwhelmed. The defense of both platforms is short and will end with the arrival of the Wraith-of-Crows. When you finish fighting, head back to the tower’s main door to check on the Tower Sentinels.

Speak with Valsirenn as soon as you’re given the objective. While speaking with her, you’ll be given two dialogue options. Neither of these will change the outcome of your quest, so select the one that reflects your thoughts and feelings on the current quest. After speaking with the veteran member of the Psijic Order, head to Alinor on Summerset’s southwestern end.

Talk to Razum-dar in Alinor

As soon as you arrive in Alinor, speak with Razum-dar. He explains that a dog approached him and spoke to him like a civil member of society. To be certain that he didn’t get his hands on Moon Sugar, head there yourself and locate the dog.

You’ll find the dog near the center of the circle standing next to one of the city square walls. Pay close attention during this next part. You’ll need to follow the strange dog and it’s not stopping for anything once it gets going.

Once the dog finally stops running, speak with it. It turns out that the dog is actually a messenger for a certain daedric prince—one who wishes to speak with you in a quieter location.

Find the Daedric Prince’s Cave

The prince’s cave is northeast of Alinor, but getting there can be a bit tricky. Your best bet is to use the Russafeld Heights Wayshrine, then head southwest along the river to reach it. High cliffs make a direct approach impossible and will simply lengthen your travel time, rather than get you there faster. The Daedric Prince is located inside the Vaults of Heinarwe.

The Vaults of Heinarwe

Cross the bridge to the door on the room’s northwest side. Groups of enemies will appear on the bridge as you cross, so expect the unexpected. There’s nothing below the bridge of import save for a Wispmother.

In the next set of rooms, head to the map’s west side and speak with the Daedric Prince through its chosen vessel; next, go to the map’s east side and grab the prince’s key. Valsirenn will appear in the room in spectral form. Speak with her and she’ll inform you that Leythen and the Golden Knight have gone missing. Leave the Vaults of Heinarwe and make your way north of Lillandril to the Cathedral of Webs.

Go to the Cathedral of Webs

True to its name, the Cathedral of Webs is positively brimming with the creepiest of crawlies: spiders. You’ll find the Golden Knight and Earl Leythen standing out in front of a door on the cathedral’s lower east side. Speak with both of them, then enter the cathedral.

Cathedral of Webs

The Cathedral of Webs, the shrine of Mephala the Webspinner and the Prince of Spiders. This ruined hall is filled with arachnids and insectoids of all kinds. The outside of the cathedral is nearly buried in a vast cocoon of webs, no doubt created by spider minions of the Prince of Spiders. The interior is much less webbed, though no less dangerous.

Upon entering, head south until you reach the room with the large crevasse splitting its center and Earl Tundilwen on the other side of it. Speak with Earl Leythen and he’ll teleport to the room’s other side to chase down Tundilwen. Follow the passage on the room’s east side to pursue him.

After defeating the Gloam Monstrosity, fight your way through the following rooms until you are on the other side of the crevasse. Continue down either set of stairs in the next room and you’ll find Earls Leythen and Tundilwen. Speak with Tundilwen, then with Leythen.

Head through the passage on the room’s south side and go through the tunnels to reach the door to Leythen’s Chamber. Inside is a Gloam Monstrosity named Krezzinlor.

Once you defeat Krezzinlor, follow the marked doors out of the ruins. Once outside, the image of a Daedric Prince will appear in front of you. Speak with it, then teleport back to Artaeum.

Talk to Valsirenn

Enter Ceporah Tower and tell Valsirenn about your discovery in the Sanctuary of Webs and what the Daedric Prince said. The quest will conclude at the end of your conversation with Valsirenn. You’ll earn a Surcoat of the Psijic Order as a reward.