Elder Scrolls 4: Shivering Isles Walkthrough

There are a few ways to find the Door into the Isles.

If you installed the pack before starting a new game, you will get the quest  after a few game days of play. If you installed the pack after playing the game for a while, same deal. However, there is a way that you don’t get the quest at all. It simply won’t pop up. No fear, just fast travel to the Bravil Bay Roan Stables, swim east, and you’re there.

Anyway, here is the quest.

A Door in Nibben Bay

From the stables head east by either waterwalking, or swimming. The island  with the huge stone faces and the blue ball of light will be hard to miss.

Go up the ramp and approach the scene in front of the mouth. Talk to the lone guard to begin your journey proper. Eh, it takes a while, but just wait for him to take care of things; no need to get involved unless you have to.

When the match is over, talk with the victor and your quest is updated (the  strangest thing I’ve seen is the fight spill over into the water, but the guy seems to find his way out). Wait around the door for a while until the strange voice finishes, and then enter.

Inside, go ahead and have a seat and then start your conversation with this  odd looking fellow named Haskill. After the chat speak to him once more and  say you’re in; though, it may be wise to sit this one out, your choice.

Through the Fringe of Madness

You can always use the door behind you to go back to the real world, but no sense in that now.

After you take in the pretty colors of it all, head down the path in front of you. When you near the ground level you are attacked by the first of a long  line of new enemies, the Grummites. Summon, hack, slash, or cast, whatever  you chose to specialize in. Kill it and move on.

Keep along the path and head toward the only town in the area, Passwall. Talk to the residents to gather info on the new scene, but make sure to talk with the mayor, Shelden, and then follow him up the hill.

Oh my, you don’t want to get involved! Just keep away and watch the show.  After the bloodbath, talk to the mayor of the Fringe and find that someone  named Jayred wants the Gatekeeper dead as well. Follow the arrow to a little shanty by the mud, or find him wandering about.

Ice-Veins has a very enlightening perspective on life, but roll through each topic to find that he wants to help you, or you help him. Either way, agree to it and follow his lead out of town and up another hill.

**I wouldn’t steal anything here or ever, it’s just dead weight in the Isles.

At the Garden of Flesh and Bone pick the lock and get ready to fight the next new enemy, the Shamble. Depending on your level, there may be one or more.  Kill them as you need, but watch for their cold touch magic attack and their cold attack after they are dead. Your friend will pick the bones in the center and then talk with you. Just run back to the front of his house, press T, and then wait for two hours.

Talk to him again and you get the arrows you need to slay the Gatekeeper. Both of you should head up the hill to battle, with your new arrows and a bow  equipped; save before you enter the Gatekeeper’s zone of control. Draw back and shoot, and then make sure your friend is shooting (one time he didn’t for me and the fight didn’t go so well). It helps to summon something and then get behind the beast so you can fire without miss. The fight shouldn’t be too tough so long as you avoid getting hit (and that makes all fights easier, but it only takes a few hits to kill you in this fight). When it’s all done you will be  visited by a familiar friend, and then pick up the keys from the Gatekeeper’s  body. You have a choice to make, Mania or Dementia?

Choose Mania for now, that’s the left door. And if you want to go all renegade on me, go Dementia. Either one will be similar for now, but if you wish to  be consistant in your choices throughout, just pick one.

**The Blessing of Dementia is a Demoralize spell.**

You’re now in the Shivering Isles. You will note that unlike the last realm you started in, this time you will have to hoof it to each new location.

**Make sure to save often, especially if you are having trouble with managing  health.**

Start by heading down the Dementia road to the southeast and try to sneak up on the lone Zealot. These are not much different from the mages and whatnot that you faced in Tamriel. They usually summon the new Flesh Atronach to help them, and try to dodge their many destruction spells. Ignore the monster, maybe by summoning your own, and focus everything on the bad guy; he’s quick, so  corner him, or chase him down. There are some chests of goodies and a small jewelry box on the table of one of the structures that might have something worth the trouble.

You can hug the hillside to the south and make a tiny cut through the grass  (essentially saving a few extra steps if you took the road). You’ll maybe run into two enemies when you get to Blackroot Lair. You’ll enter a canyon-like  path that will take you to another fork, and you’ll be under a huge tree. Head directly east from here to cut across a body of water; you’re once again just saving a few steps. If you don’t want to cut across the water, just take the beaten path. If you do cross over the pond, be sure to get back on the highway when you spot a crystal structure ahead. These need to be avoided for now.

When the path almost reaches another body of water, be careful of another enemy in the way. If you’re on the ball and a chicken, you can sneak around the thing (maybe) by going behind the hill; and if all else fails, just fight it. At the wooden bridges, be mindful of the possible Grummites that might be in the  water. When you get across the water (which is directly south of the Hill of  Suicides by the way), you should jump back into the water on the other side  (this river will run along the path for a good distance). For most of the areas near water, watch out for the Baliwogs; and if you’re waterwalking, then there is little you can do if they are under water. And watch for the powerful  Scalons under the water, they bring a powerful lunge attack to the table.

For the rest of the path, simply alternate between water and road if you wish to avoid confrontation. You will hopefully survive the trek, cross a graveyard, and then you will enter the city of New Sheoth from the Crucible side.

You might run into a quest giver by the name of Hirrus, and if not then simply make your way to the palace by taking the stairs in the northeast corner of  Crucible. There are many sidequests in both Crucible and Bliss, but for now let’s just focus on the main quest. Refer to the sidequests section for any stray quests you come across that you feel you must complete. And I’m not  saying that you must take on the main quest only. You can do whatever you  please, and I even encourage you to go around the town and pick up the quests, but you might want to wait to complete most of them.

Go up the stairs in the Palace Grounds and enter the throne room from either  of the doors guarded by the ladies. It’s your friend Haskill, and the lord of madness, Sheogorath. I will let the Madgod fill you in on the story, but the jist of it is that you need to go to a far away fort. Talk to Haskill after you have spoken with the crazy god.

Reward: Charity of Madness – resists some magic

Quick FYI: Talk to Big Head ASAP, even before starting the main quest. This is  only if you want his quest, because he will kill himself fairly  quickly. Big Head is found in Bliss, and when he dies be sure to check  his forking grave!