Oblivion:The Wayward Knight

You must escort Farwil and his fellow knight through the Oblivion gate to retrieve the sigil stone to close the gate. Quest Giver: Local town guard in Cheydinhal Location(s): Cheydinhal Prerequisite Quest: Dagon Shrine Reward: Knights of the Thorn Medallion, and either Thornblade or Staff of Indarys. However, if Farwil dies, you will only receive a level-dependent amount of gold. Fame/Infamy: If Farwil lives, Fame +2; if he dies, Fame +1 (unless you killed him, then Infamy +2) ID: MS13

Bremman and Farwil... can they make it out alive?

Quick Walkthrough

1. Ask the local guards about the Oblivion Gate.
2. Enter the gate to Oblivion.
3. Make your way through the caves, and meet Farwil and a fellow knight.
4. Find the Sigil Stone room, and close the gate.
5. Make your way out of the gate and back to the count to receive your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

This can be completed as part of the Allies for Bruma section of the Main Quest.

Attack on a Gate

The son of Count Cheydinhal, Farwil Indarys, has entered the Oblivion gate with his group of knights called the Knights of the Thorn. Asking the local town guard about Knights of the Thorn reveals that they spend most of their time making up wild stories and drinking at the tavern.

In Oblivion

After entering the gate you will find that, unlike most Oblivion gates, this quest takes place in a unique plane of Oblivion. The earliest part of the plane will have you traveling through a series of caves, ending with Farwil plus his one surviving knight, Bremman Senyan, on the other side of the tunnels. However, if your Acrobatics is fairly high, you can leap down the cliff, landing on rocks, and get down there, bypassing the caves entirely. Talking to Farwil activates a rather wild story, while speaking with his companion unveils the real story. Farwil, after failing to go to the town guard for help, has led a losing battle against the daedric forces in this plane, leading to all of the other members of the Knights of the Thorn dying. Bremman and Farwil managed to evade the rest of the daedra at the base of the bridge leading to the sigil keep. They refuse to return through the way they came meaning you will have to destroy the gate to save them. This is followed by a long, unbroken bridge over lava with four random Daedra. It is a good idea to keep Farwil and the enemies away from the edges, as Farwil and his companion both will blindly jump into the lava to chase an already doomed Daedra. All Daedra will be drawn to attack Farwil first, and since he doesn't have much health, protecting him is vital.

Tactics for Keeping the Knights Alive

The Sigil Keep (called "The Chaos Stronghold") is a typical run with two corridor-ramp areas, eventually leading to the Sigillum Sanguis. Upon entering the Chaos Stronghold, the two knights will go sword-happy and may very well enter the corridors after some Daedra they managed to spot up in the rafters. As you cannot give them commands you will have a particularly hard time saving Farwil from an untimely death. To make matters worse they lack leveled equipment, instead they wear a partial set of steel armor, with a Knights of the Thorn Shield and two different steel weapons. It is also worth noting they have no ranged attacks and will be extremely vulnerable to friendly fire and enemy spell casters.

Considering these factors the best strategy for completing this quest with the best possible ending would be to do it at an early level, as at the higher levels they are mismatched in one on one fights against the daedra, let alone the daedric hordes you face. Though it may seem logical at first glance, it is not recommended to try to rush the tower and hope they will last long enough for you to destroy the gate as they will die long before you can reach the top of the sigil keep. Archery is nearly entirely useless in this quest as the tower's cramped hallways and crooked paths make it almost impossible to line up a shot, not to mention the two suicidal lemmings that will charge right at the enemy. Having spells that provide magical shields against damage, 100% Chameleon spells to keep them safe from most damage, and healing spells to help them recover from the many wounds they will sustain throughout the battle are all recommended. You may also benefit from spells or enchantments that boost disposition since they are both melee fighters friendly fire is very likely.

At level 30, friendly fire is a big problem for a strong fighter; a tactic that might help is to soften up but not kill the closest Daedra in a group before moving on to the next enemy. The two knights should lag behind and finish off the opponents without too much trouble, two on one, and this keeps them behind you and out of your way while you do most of the damage. Then they can be healed before moving on to another group.

After fighting a group, if your companions are on low health, you can wait (if there are no enemies around) and they will regenerate their health.

If your Acrobatics are high enough and you have enough health restoring potions and/or spells it is possible to navigate under the bridge to bypass the daedra and not have to worry about Farwil and his knight being slaughtered in the Sigil Keep.

You could also choose to leave the Keep and wait for an hour after every wave of daedra. This will restore your health and magicka, as well your companions'.

Alternatively, see the Note below about sneaking past Farwil and assaulting the tower alone.

Reward

If Farwil is returned safely, he will make you a Knight of the Thorn. You will receive +2 Fame. Access to the Knights of the Thorn Lodge is also awarded, but there is not much in there. It does have some beds which makes for a decent place to rest. It is probably a bad idea to use the chests and crates to store items because some of them respawn. If you speak to him about the Knights of the Thorn, he will give you a leveled Knights of the Thorn Medallion (Fortify Speechcraft). However, if you neglect to do so, and complete the quest by talking to his father, the medallion will be forfeit.

The Count will also offer a reward of one of two magic items - a sword or a staff; only one can be selected. If the sword is chosen, the Count will present Thornblade, a leveled longsword of Disintegrate Armor. The alternative is the Staff of Indarys (leveled Shock Damage and Damage Strength). The Count will also give allies to Bruma.

If Farwil dies, you can retrieve his Signet Ring and his Knights of the Thorn Medallion. In this case, you get only +1 Fame and your final reward from the Count will be lessened, as you get just a leveled gold reward (see chart below). Although the Count asks for Farwil's Signet Ring, you do not need to have it to obtain the reward; even if you do have the ring, the Count returns it to you.

If you kill Farwil, the quest will fail. Beware, if you do kill Farwil and do not reload, the Count will refuse to talk to you for killing his son, making it impossible to do any previously uncompleted quests involving the Count, such as the Cheydinhal house for sale, or the Allies for Bruma quest. You will also receive +2 Infamy for killing Farwil.

Gold Reward

(The leveled gold reward is only if Farwil dies. If he survives, you get one of the weapons described above.)

Level	Reward
1-4	75 Gold
5-9	150 Gold
10-14	225 Gold
15-19	300 Gold
20-24	375 Gold
25+	450 Gold

Notes

• If you complete the Main Quest without finishing this quest, the quest will be terminated, with the quest update With the banishment of Mehrunes Dagon to Oblivion and end of the Oblivion Crisis, the gate at Cheydinhal has been destroyed.
• After you complete this quest, if Farwil survives, a special edition of the Black Horse Courier is published: Cheydinhal Heir Saved!.
• Although Amminus Gregori tells you that Farwil "entered the Oblivion Gate with six other men", only Bremman and four Fallen Knights of the Thorn can be found. The only other bodies that can be found are charred and unidentifiable.
• It is possible to complete the quest without ever speaking to Farwil. You need to sneak around them, jump or swim quickly cross the lava flows under the bridge (Waterwalking helps immensely), then make your way to the door. The War Gates on the bridge will remain locked. Once the Oblivion gate closes, Farwil and his armored friend will be waiting for you outside and the quest will update.
• Alternatively, if Farwil does spot you and engage you in conversation, you can immediately exit the conversation without Farwil following you. However, the War Gates on the bridge will still be locked.

Bugs

• In the Corridors of Dark Salvation there are two doors next to each other which lead to a small ledge in the Chaos Stronghold. The right door leads to the left side of the ledge and the left door leads to the right side.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch fixes this bug.
• Once you close the gate, you should be sure to finish the quest by talking to Count Andel Indarys before proceeding with the Main Quest. Otherwise, when you finish the Main Quest, this quest will artificially terminate. The count will insist that you killed his son, even if Farwil is alive and well, and will refuse to give you any reward.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch fixes this bug.
  • It may still be possible to get the reward. Look around Cheydinhal until you find Farwil. Speak to him and he will tell you to go to his father, the count. You will then be able to claim your reward from the count as normal. After claiming the reward, the count will again insist that his son is dead.
• If you return Farwil's signet ring to Count Andel Indarys, the journal entry indicates a reward of 200 gold, but in fact it is a leveled reward (the same as if his ring was not returned) as shown above, never exactly 200.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch fixes this bug.
• If you close the main gate before closing this gate, this gate will close automatically; however, the quest will not update. When you set it as active, it still says that you should meet Farwil at the gate, and your compass still points you there, but there is no gate, and Farwil never comes.
  • The Unofficial Oblivion Patch fixes this bug.

Journal Entries

The Wayward Knight (MS13)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		Count Indarys of Cheydinhal has mentioned the opening of what they suspect to be a gate to the realm of Oblivion just outside the city walls. The guards seem on alert and tensions appear to be running high. He said if I wanted to help, I should make my way through the west gates of Cheydinhal and speak to the guards there. (If the player hears about the gate from the count) or One of the townspeople in Cheydinhal has mentioned the opening of what they suspect to be a gate to the realm of Oblivion just outside the city walls. The city guards seem on alert and tensions appear to be running high. I should make my way through the west gates of Cheydinhal to investigate. (If the player hears about it from somebody else)
13		I've come upon an Oblivion Gate dominating the landscape outside the walls of Cheydinhal. A few Cheydinhal guards seem to be patrolling its perimeter. I should approach one of them and see if I can render any assistance.
15		I've stepped through the Oblivion Gate outside of Cheydinhal and now find myself in the dreaded plane of Oblivion itself. I should proceed carefully, as unknown dangers await me here.
20		I've met Amminus Gregori at an Oblivion Gate that has appeared outside of Cheydinhal. He said that a group of Knights led by the Count of Cheydinhal's son, Farwil Indarys, went inside to close the Gate. That was almost two days ago. The Count has posted a generous reward for the closing of the Oblivion Gate and information on Farwil's whereabouts. I should question him to learn more.
30		Amminus told me that Farwil heads up a group of soldiers calling themselves "The Knights of the Thorn". This group seems to be a splinter faction of the town guard that maintains a lodge just outside the city. From the [sic] Amminus's snide comments, it doesn't sound like they're appreciated.
40		Amminus told me that the only way to close the Oblivion Gate is to locate the Sigil Stone that resides within. Once the stone is in hand, the Gate will cease to exist. I'll have to keep this in mind when I venture through.
45		I've stepped through the Oblivion Gate outside of Cheydinhal and now find myself in the dreaded plane of Oblivion itself. My only chance to destroy the gate and return home would be obtaining the Sigil Stone in this plane's citadel. I should make my way there now.
50		I've located Farwil and one other survivor of his group. They look wounded and shaken. I should speak to them to learn what's happened here. (If the player has heard about Farwil's attempt to close the gate) or I've located a Dunmer and a Breton [sic] in the Oblivion plane. They look wounded and shaken. I should speak to them to learn what's happened here. (If the player entered the gate without hearing about the knights)
60		Farwil told me that all of the Knights of the Thorn have been killed except himself and Bremman Senyan. They died trying to get inside the citadel to obtain the Sigil Stone. He's now ordered me to go into the Citadel and recover the Sigil Stone, and says he'll not leave this place until that task is done. (If the player has heard about Farwil's attempt to close the gate) or The Dumner [sic] has identified himself as Farwil Indarys, son of the Count of Cheydinhal and a "Knight of the Thorn". He told me that all his companions have been killed except himself and Bremman Senyan. They died trying to get inside the citadel to obtain the Sigil Stone. He's now ordered me to go into the Citadel and recover the Sigil Stone, and says he'll not leave this place until that task is done. (If the player entered the gate without hearing about the knights)
70		Farwil has been slain. I should take his signet ring from his body to the Count of Cheydinhal as proof of his son's demise.
80		After I touched the Sigil Stone, I appeared outside of Oblivion and back on Tamriel. The gate has been destroyed. I should report my actions to Amminus Gregori as soon as possible. (If Farwil dies during the quest) or After I touched the Sigil Stone, I found myself outside of Oblivion and back on Tamriel. The gate is now nowhere to be found. I should now speak with Farwil. (If Farwil is still alive)
90		Farwil thanked me in his odd way, and told me to go speak to his father, the Count of Cheydinhal. I should do so. Also, he's bestowed upon me the "honor" of being a Knight of the Thorn. To humor him, I courteously accepted.
95		Amminus Gregori has told me that Count Indarys wishes to speak to me personally. I should head to Castle Cheydinhal now.
100	Yes	I've spoken to Count Indarys. He was pleased that the Oblivion Gate outside his city was closed, and ecstatic that his son was still alive. To reward my actions, he presented me with a fine sword named Thornblade.
105	Yes	I've spoken to Count Indarys. He was pleased that the Oblivion Gate outside his city was closed, and ecstatic that his son was still alive. To reward my actions, he presented me with a fine weapon named the Staff of Indarys.
110	Yes	I've spoken to Count Indarys. He was pleased that the Oblivion Gate outside his city was closed, but heartbroken about his son's death. Still, he was generous enough to reward me in gold.
115	Yes	I've spoken to Count Indarys. He was pleased that the Oblivion Gate outside his city was closed, but heartbroken about his son's death. Still, he was generous enough to reward me with 200 gold. When I tried to present him with Farwil's signet ring, he relented and allowed me to keep it as a memento of my journey with Farwil.
150	Yes	Farwil has died by my hands. Count Indarys will be extremely upset that this has transpired. I fear I may have ruined the good deed my quest represented.
200	Yes	With the banishment of Mehrunes Dagon to Oblivion and end of the Oblivion Crisis, the gate at Cheydinhal has been destroyed. Farwil and the few surviving Knights of the Thorn were fortunately returned to Tamriel when this occured [sic]. (If the player had either left the gate after talking to Farwil or had heard that he had entered the gate) or With the banishment of Mehrunes Dagon to Oblivion and end of the Oblivion Crisis, the gate at Cheydinhal has been destroyed. (The player has never met or heard of Farwil)

Notes

• 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 random order.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• It is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage MS13 stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages. See SetStage for more information.