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Through a Nightmare, Darkly is a rumor-based quest found in the Bravil area ofOblivion Remastered. As one of the miscellaneous objectives, it can be completed at any point in your playthrough without any prerequisites. In this mission, you’re tasked with rescuing someone, a friend of a member of the Mages Guild, trapped in a never-ending dream.
Reminiscent of the movieInception, Through a Nightmare, Darkly takes you inside another person’s dream, where you must guide them back to the real world.
While most of the quest is fairly straightforward, someOblivion Remasteredplayers may need help solving the dream puzzles. This guide provides a step-by-step breakdown to help you start and complete Through a Nightmare, Darkly as quickly and efficiently as possible.
~ 10 minutes
Kud-Ei
Bravil
The Through a Nightmare, Darkly quest begins once youstart investigating rumors in Bravil. Eventually, NPCs will mention that Kud-Ei, an Argonian member ofthe Mages Guild, is searching for her missing friend. When you speak to Kud-Ei directly, she explains that her friend, Henantier, isn’t missing but is trapped in an illusion, and she needs your help to rescue him.
How to Enter the Dreamworld
After accepting the quest to save Henantier, Kud-Ei will take you to his location. She’ll then ask you to sleep in the bed next to Henantier to enter what she calls the “Dreamworld.” To do this, you must first confirm you’re ready by speaking to Kud-Ei, thenequip the Dreamworld Amulet before lying down.
Here’s a quick recap:
How to Complete the Four Sanity Tests
After entering the Dreamworld, you’ll discover that Henantier is trapped there because he’s lost four aspects of his sanity: Patience, Courage, Perception, and Resolve. To rescue him, you must complete four symbolic tests—each representing one of these traits—and recover all the missing elements.
You can complete the Sanity Tests in any order.
The Test of Patience Puzzle Solution
At the start of the Test of Patience, you’ll find a Mysterious Scroll in a container. This scroll serves as a map, showing the safe route through a series of booby-trapped pressure plates ahead.
The path is divided into three puzzles, each increasing in size and complexity. Stepping on the wrong tiles will trigger deadly traps, so follow the scroll’s symbols carefully. The trick is tofollow the path on the Mysterious Scroll marked by matching symbols.
If your character’sSpeed and Acrobatics attributesare high, you might be able to bypass these puzzles. However, this will likely cost you some HP, which is not advisable.
The Test of Courage Solution
The easiest of the four tests, the Test of Courage, involves diving into a tunnel. First, grabthe Weak Potion of the Seafrom the container, but don’t drink it yet.Jump into the water and follow the tunnel path. Drink the potion whenever you’re about to run out of air.
There’s a secondary Breath Potion in the tunnel. If necessary, use it to extend your underwater breathing capacity.
The Test of Perception Solution
The Element of Perception is locked behind a parkour path filled with booby traps. To complete the test, grab the torch from the container and follow the path ahead,avoiding the pressure plates scattered along the way. At certain points, debris will fall overhead, so don’t rush. It’s best to take your time and carefully navigate each section to avoid traps.
The Test of Resolve Solution
For the Element of Resolve, you’ll need to fight off some Dreamworld Minotaurs. Fortunately, you’re givena full set of armorand several weapons at the start, making the combat easier. I recommend using the Staff, as it allows you to kill the enemies without taking damage. However, since the Minotaurs are always lower level than you, any of the provided weapons should make defeating them a breeze.
How to Exit the Dreamworld
Once you have all four Elements of Sanity (Patience, Courage, Perception, and Resolve), return to Henantier’s house and talk to him. He will lead you both out of the Dreamworld, completing the quest.
Fun fact: If you choose to kill Henantier inside the Dreamworld, you will die as well. As Kud-Ei warned at the start of the quest, everyone’s life is tied to Henantier’s while in his dream, so killing him is essentially a suicide attempt.
