A Brush with Death (Online)

Overview
Prerequisites: Faction: None Quest giver: Rumors in Cheydinhal Reward: Apron of Adroitness

Walkthrough
Visit the home of the famous painter Rythe Lythandas to find out from his wife Tivela Lythandas that he's gone missing. She gives you a key to his studio; you'll find a painting in there - you can travel into that painting! Woah. So inside this painting, where the world looks sort of impressionistic, you'll find the painter. He's been stuck there, and now you're stuck too, until you can defeat some Painted Trolls and recover Rythe's magic paintbrush.

Rythe will give you bottles of Turpentine to aid you in the fight against the trolls, these bottles are used like any other poison. The damage of Turpentine scales with your level.

Note, it is possible to bypass most of the Painted Trolls by hopping over the rocks between Rythe and the thief; the area is basically shaped like the letter U, with Rythe being on one end and the thief on the other.

The title of this quest may have slightly been inspired by the episode of Darkwing Duck called A Brush With Oblivion, which involved a villain with a magic paint brush.

Bug
Some people have encountered a game-stopping script bug in this quest, wherein the return portal fails to spawn when the player returns the brush to Lythandas. Players are advised to save before entering the painting. If this bug does occur, however, it is possible to use the console on the PC to teleport out of the painting using the command, player.coc DestinationName, for instance "player.coc CheydinhalRythesHouse", without the quotes, will teleport the player into Rythes' house in Cheydinhal. It is uncertain whether, if the player performs this action after the portal fails to appear, Lythandas will also teleport to his house, enabling the player to finish the quest, but the player at least will be able to escape the painting.

For those on the console versions, there are several ways of getting the portal created:
 * Attack Lythandas before talking to him, and have him chase you down the hill. Yield to him and he should walk up the hill and make the portal.
 * Another method is to kill all six Painted Trolls using the Turpentine you've been given BEFORE searching the bandit's body to reclaim the paintbrush. Avoiding the trolls and jumping over rocks to reach the body may cause the glitch.

Journal Entries
Upon hearing the rumor about Rythe's disappearance:
 * I've heard that a famous painter named Rythe Lythandas has gone missing. Apparently, his wife Tivela has been frantically searching for him. Perhaps I should visit their home here in Cheydinhal to see if I can assist with the search.

When you've spoken to Tivela:
 * I've met a kindly Dunmer named Tivela Lythandas. It seems that her husband, Rythe, has gone missing. She seems extremely distraught, so perhaps I should talk to her to find out more information.

After inquiring further:
 * Tivela told me that Rythe had been locked in his studio to work on his latest painting. He usually comes out to eat and sleep, but hadn't done so for more than a day. When she went in to investigate, he was gone. The odd thing was that the study door was still locked. Tivela gave me the key to Rythe's study. If I intend to find him, that's where I should start.

After entering Rythe's studio and investigating:
 * After touching the painting Rythe had been working on, I suddenly found myself standing in a strange forest. It looks familiar, like the Great Forest in the heart of Cyrodiil, but something is different about it.

When you've found Rythe:
 * I've located Rythe Lythandas. He was standing in this strange forest, seemingly waiting for someone to rescue him. He blames his predicament on a thief. I should continue speaking with Rythe to find out more.

When you and Rythe have spoken further:
 * I've learned that a thief broke into Rythe's studio and stole his Brush of Truepaint. Using the artifact, he escaped into the painting. He then painted trolls to protect himself, but they turned on their creator and killed him. Now the Brush is on the thief's body, and we can't leave without it. I should take my leave of Rythe for now and begin exploring this surreal forest.

After finding the thief's body and the Brush:
 * I've retrieved the Brush of Truepaint. I should go back and return it to Rythe, so together we can leave this strange landscape.

Upon returning the Brush to Rythe:
 * I've given the Brush of Truepaint to Rythe. He said he could paint an exit and beckoned me to follow him. I should do so.

When an exit has been painted:
 * Rythe used the Brush of Truepaint to paint a door back to his studio. I should now step through and return back to Tamriel.

After entering the newly painted door:
 * We've arrived back in Rythe's home. The painting is now sealed, and Rythe is safe. I should speak to him when I have a moment.

When given your reward:
 * As a reward for getting him home safely with the Brush of Truepaint, Rythe presented me with a fitting reward; his Apron of Adroitness.