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TheElder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remasteredfeatures all the quests found in the original and its DLC, including the Shivering Isles if you have the Deluxe Edition. The Shivering Isles DLC has players entering the titular realm of Oblivion, ruled over by Sheogorath the Prince of Madness, in an effort to become his champion and reap the rewards.
During the Shivering Isles main quest inOblivion Remastered, players will be tasked with restoring the dungeon “Xedilian” so that it may once again serve as a line of defense against any who enter the Shivering Isles uninvited, and a test of their worthiness to enter the Isles proper. This means delving into Xedilian to retrieve three Focus Crystals and reactivate the Resonator of Judgment, facing off against Grummites and, eventually, a far more dangerous threat. This guide will explain how to finish the quest, and the video above shows the entire dungeon.
Reaching Xedilian (A Better Mousetrap)
To reach Xedilian after getting this quest(obtained by speaking to Sheogorath after passing through the Gates of Madness), your easiest route will be traveling south down the road from the Gates of Madness, continuing to wind further south until you arrive at Xedilian.You’ll likely encounter some of the Shivering Isles' unique and dangerous wildlife as you go, such as Elytra, Gnarl, or Grummites, so it’s best to stock up on healing potions and ensure your armor is repaired before setting out.
Finding the First Focus Crystal (A Better Mousetrap)
On entering Xedilian, you’ll be faced with a gate with a button next to it. Pressing the button will open the gate, and many of the doors throughout Xedilian require a button to be pressed before they can be opened, just like this one does, limiting the utility of the security skill in this particular dungeon. Head through the gate and turn the corner to find a room with some Grummites guarding it.
Grummites are vulnerable to fire and resist frost, with some stronger Grummites also having the ability to restore their health and fatigue. Hit them hard with fire damage to get rid of them quickly, these will be the main enemy type throughout Xedilian. The door leading north out of this room is impossible to open right now, so harvest the withering moon plants from the braziers around the room and then take the western exit.
Following this path, you’ll quickly come to a room where more Grummites are patrolling, one of whom is a Shaman holding a staff with a crystal on the end. Take them down and loot the staff to discover that this crystal is the Focus Crystal you’re looking for. The Judgment Nexus you need to place the crystal into is right next to where you found the Shaman, so plug it back into the Nexus before heading further into Xedilian.
Finding the Second Focus Crystal (A Better Mousetrap)
Heading south, through the door that opened when you returned the crystal to its place, you’ll reach a room with some Grummites gathered around a fire. Take them out, then continue through the dark halls of Xedilian to find two doors with a button between them. Pushing the button will trigger a trap and drop you to a lower section of Xedilian, but we needed to get down here to progress anyway. It’s not a long fall, so heal up if necessary and head east to find the next Judgment Nexus, and another Grummite Shaman with a crystal staff. Kill the Grummite,grab the staff, and plug the crystal into the Judgment Nexus to finish up this step of the quest.
Finding the Third Focus Crystal (A Better Mousetrap)
Heading east through the door that opened once the crystal was returned, you’ll find your way to a large chamber with stairs leading up to a raised platform in the center. Turn left after entering this room to find a Grummite and a chest you can crack open for some loot, then clear out any other threats and exit down the path to the west, eventually reaching a door leading to the Halls of Judgment. There’s a chest straight ahead of where you enter the Halls of Judgment, so take out the Grummites nearby and loot it before heading further in.
You can find Flame Stalks growing a little further inside, yet another new alchemy ingredient you can loot, and then you’ll find the room with the Judgment Nexus a short way past that. Once again, you’ll find a Grummite Shaman with a staff to loot near the Nexus, so take them out, grab the crystal, and plug it into the Nexus to finish this step of the quest. (Make sure to loot the Urn near the Judgment Nexus too.)
How to Activate the Resonator of Judgment (A Better Mousetrap)
Continuing onward, past more Grummites, you’ll eventually reach a hallway with a chest and urn to loot on the left, so make sure not to miss them. Past this hallway is our next objective, the Resonator of Judgment. As usual, clear out enemies, loot the urn near where you came in, and then approach the Resonator to activate it and get Xedilian up and running again. You should also loot the chest to the left of the Resonator. A gate will open nearby, leading to a teleporter, taking us to Kiliban Nyrandil, who has a new task for us.
How to Complete Baiting the Trap in Oblivion Remastered
Technically, the rest of Xedilian is part of the follow-up quest “Baiting the Trap”, but due to it being quite a short quest, we’ll be covering it here too.Speaking to Kiliban will clarify the purpose of Xedilian, namely to test and torment anyone who enters the Shivering Isles, allowing Sheogorath to invite those who are driven mad by it to live in the Isles. Since a group of adventurers entered when we restarted the Resonator, we cannot leave until they’ve been suitably tormented.
Luckily, Kiliban is quite happy to let us handle the process personally, using teleport pads to hop to each room as the adventurers reach it and decide on their fate. Each chamber has an observation point with two buttons, each offering a different option for handling the adventurers. The button on the left always offers the Dementia option (a lethal trap), while the button on the right offers the Mania option (a psychological trap paired with hallucinogenic spores).
In this first chamber, the adventurers are faced with a lone Gnarl. Choosing the Dementia option will unleash a swarm of Gnarl to overwhelm them, killing one of them, while the Mania option causes the illusory Gnarl to grow to enormous size and terrify them instead, causing their rogue to go insane. Choose whichever you prefer, and then move on to the next chamber. This second chamber has a huge bounty of gold locked away in a steel cage. Choosing the Dementia option will trigger a flame trap and result in the death of the mage, while choosing the Mania option drops hundreds of keys into the room, driving the mage crazy as he tries to find the one that fits the lock.
The final chamber is filled with corpses, hanging from the ceiling, or lying strewn about the chamber floor. The Dementia option will raise some corpses to attack the last remaining adventurer, leading to his death, while the Mania option fakes his death and makes him believe he is a ghost, before restoring him to his body in a process that drives him completely mad. After selecting whichever option you prefer, make sure to check out Kiliban’s room down the hall behind you, where you’re able to find an urn that you can loot without it being treated as theft, along with various other items you could choose to steal if so inclined.
The final teleport pad will take you back to the entrance of Xedilian, behind the locked door from earlier.Kiliban will reward you with Dawnfang/Duskfang, a powerful sword one of the adventurers was carrying, along with Grommak’s Journal. He’ll also invite you to peruse the chest nearby for the adventurers' other items, which include a unique amulet called the Talisman of Abetment. Any adventurers that were driven mad instead of killed can be found in a holding cell nearby too. Once you’re ready, use the button to open the door and start heading back toward the entrance, where one more surprise awaits.
As you reach the exit, you’ll be assailed by the Knights of Order. These dangerous foes have a natural resistance to all forms of magic and wield Order Swords, which can range from Fine Iron quality to somewhere between Ebony and Daedric quality, depending on the Knight’s level. If you want an easier time of it, you could use the button by the door to close the door between them and split them up, using the dungeon terrain to your advantage. Once they’re beaten, head back to Kiliban to ask about them, which will complete the quest.
