Upon your return from the Ayleid ruins of Vahtacen in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, your next chapter in ascending the ranks of the Mages’ Guild begins. To decipher the unsettling activities linked to necromancy and possible cult movements, you’ll need to delve into obscure books and conduct thorough research.
Of course, the most rewarding research is the kind you handle yourself. After diving into various tomes and honing in on your suspicions, you can gain some direct experience. And if you decide to explore necromancy personally, who’s to judge?
How To Start The Necromancer’s Moon Quest
To kick things off, make sure you’ve completed the following quests at the Arcane University:
- A Mage’s Staff
- Ulterior Motives
- Vahtacen’s Secret
Once you’ve wrapped up those quests, talk to Raminus Polus about your upcoming tasks at the University.
Advancing in rank is necessary to receive subsequent quests in most of the Mages’ Guild story. However, for the Necromancer’s Moon quest, you don’t need to be promoted to Conjurer first.
After accepting Raminus’s latest assignment, head to the Mystic Library and find Tar-Meena. Inform her that you were sent to assist her.
Inquire about the Black Soul Gems. She will guide you to a book titled The Necromancer’s Moon.
This book is located on a table near the entrance, positioned between a desk and the bookshelves along the west wall.
Read The Necromancer’s Moon and discuss your insights with Tar-Meena.
Afterward, return to Raminus Polus with the book. He will instruct you to speak with Bothiel.
Be cautious: if you interrupt the conversation between Raminus and Bothiel before speaking to her, you may find the prompt to talk to her unresponsive. To resolve this issue, simply exit the room and re-enter, making her more likely to engage in conversation.
Discuss the Shade of the Revenant with Bothiel. She will provide you with a hurriedly written note. Read it, and then speak with Raminus again.
How To Catch The Necromancers
Your choice of location to confront the Necromancers is flexible. Though Raminus will suggest you check out Dark Fissure Cave, you can also visit:
- Fort Istirius
- Fort Linchal
- Wendelbek
Once you arrive at any of these sites, you’ll have several options:
- Observe the ritual.
- Steal a note from a Worm Anchorite.
- Conduct the ritual yourself.
Choosing To Wait For The Ritual
If you prefer to watch the ceremony or decide to perform the ritual yourself, you need to wait for the right date.
The ritual occurs every eight days, as shown in your Days Passed statistic on your character page (e.g., 1st, 9th, 17th, etc.) and lasts for 24 hours.
Remember, your Days Passed count decreases by one for each night spent in jail.
When the ritual starts, you should see a purple light glowing from the altar in the distance. Additional signs include thunder and a purple-pink tint in the sky.
During this time, the Worm Anchorite will perform the rite at the table. At this moment, you can:
- Crouch and watch him complete the ritual, or
- Defeat him and carry out the rite yourself using the instructions on the note he has.
To finish the rite, place an empty Grand Soul Gem on the altar and then cast a Soul Trap spell on it.
Choosing To Steal From The Worm Anchorite
If waiting around isn’t your style, you can enter Dark Fissure Cave and seek out the Worm Anchorite.
He possesses a Handwritten Note, and you can acquire it by either defeating him or pickpocketing. Getting this note will serve as your proof.
This option carries more risk as the cave is filled with necromancers.
How To Conclude The Necromancer’s Moon
To wrap up the quest, report your findings to Raminus Polus.
Once you share your experiences from whichever altar you visited, the quest will conclude. This grants you the opportunity to pursue Advancement with him to the rank of Magician.
While the Magician Rank doesn’t offer any special perks, you will now obtain tasks and assignments from Archmage Traven moving forward.
