Ancient Remains

Quick walkthrough
1.Clear a path to the first altar.

2.Wait for Bakkhara and the mages.

3.Clear a path to the second altar.

4.Wait for the mages.

5.Defeat Canonreeve Oraneth.

6.Wait for the mages.

7.Talk to Bakkhara.

8.Use the portal.

9.Talk to Speaks-With-Lights.

Walkthrough
Speak to Bakkhara. She thinks you must be strong if you made it past the Justiciars. She is a member of the Mages Guild and wants to stop Canonreeve Oraneth. The canonreeve, an Altmer politician, hired Wood Orc mercenaries to dig up bones in Elden Hollow. From the unearthed bones, the Wood Orc made a ritual altar. Bakkhara asks you to disable, then she will pursue Oraneth. You can continue talking to her to learn more about the situation, if you want. Oraneth used to be a Guild Mage. She believes the Altmer are superior to all in magic, and therefore better at other pursuits as well. Oraneth was very vocal about the Altmer leaving the Dominion, but after the Thalmor opposed her plan, she swore to save the Empire herself. She picked up tomes on Conjuration and Daedra from the Guild before she disappeared into the Hollow.

In the next room, defeat the Thalmor Justiciar and the Darkfern Diggers. In front of the first altar is Akash gra-Mal. Once he is defeated, Bakkhara and her two mages, Speaks-With-Lights and Dracien, appear to disable the altar.

Continue into the Hollow. When you come to a big room with a pond and some grass, a giant strangler named Chokethorn pops out of the grass. Defeat it, then continue to a larger room and defeat the Darkferns there. After they have been defeated, Bakkhara will appear and disable the second altar. If you talk to her this time, she will say that Dracien thinks the altars are necromantic and Oraneth might be a member of the Worm Cult.

In the next large area, defeat Nenesh gro-Mal and the Darkferns. Further along, you come across a giant alit named Leafseether. In the final room, the canonreeve is standing in front of another dark altar. This one appears to have some kind of portal active in it.

Once you have defeated the canonreeve, the three mages try to disable the altar. However, it doesn't work, and they are thrown back. Talk to Bakkhara. "Oraneth is dead, the ritual broken, yet evil still stirs here. There is a darkness growing from the earth below, sprouting from a seed of death. We have failed. The darkness is coming, with no one to control it…" When you try to ask her what you should do, the conversation ends, and she orders everyone out, claiming Oraneth will be the undoing of your group, as she runs into the darkness. She tells Speaks-With-Lights to warn the guild and Tamriel.

Use the portal to escape, then talk to Speaks-With-Lights. Dracien and Bakkhara are gone, but Bakkhara sacrificed herself to save you from the darkness. She gives you a reward for your help.