Malacath's Shrine (Oblivion)

Malacath's Shrine is in the Gold Coast region near the border with Hammerfell. North of the city of Anvil, it is located northwest of Lord Drad's Estate on a hill overlooking the Abecean Sea. The shrine is tended by three orcs. Led by the priest Shobo gro-Rugdush, Mug gro-Murgak and Ghorub gro-Ugdub also worship the Daedric Prince of Curses.

A single Aloe Vera plant to the north is the only flora of import.

Overview
Prerequisites: Minimum level of 10, Troll Fat offering

Reward: Volendrung- an enchanted warhammer

Background Information
Upon offering up the troll fat, Malacath begins to speak. For a time he talks about an indignity done to him: a nearby noble has captured several of Malacath's 'servants', ogres, and put them to work as slaves. Malacath finds this distasteful, as only he is allowed to have ogres as slaves, and tasks you to free them.

Walkthrough
Head south east to Lord Drad's Estate. Speak to Lord Drad and he'll tell you how he earned his riches: enslaving ogres and putting them to work in the mine underneath his property. As Lord Drad is unwilling to part with his lucrative servants, you will have to free them yourself. If you upset him, talk to his wife and she'll show where the mine is located. Or you can enter the house at night and steal the key to the mine. The key is sitting on a small table to the left of the front door.

Your journal should update with the location of the Bleak Mine, which is a short distance east of the house. If you stole the key from the house, you will not get a journal update with the location, just walk east a short way. You can either get a key from the guards by killing them or pickpocketing or pick the lock to the cages which hold the ogres. When you free the ogres, the guards will start to attack them. Then it is 6 or so armed guards versus 3 ogres. If too many ogres die, the quest fails. However, if you kill the guards before beginning to free the ogres, they will not count as murders, nor raise your bounty. Also, they will not go hostile to you unless they see you fighting another guard. So it is easier to just kill the guards one by one before opening the two cells and freeing the 6 ogres. After freeing the ogres, head back to Malacath for your reward: the daedric artifact Volendrung. Afterwards, you can visit Lord Drad and his wife working in the fields 24/7, being watched over by the freed ogres.

Note: There is a glitch where there are endless lines off ogres coming out of the cave, but most times the glitch doesn't occur.

Journal Entries
After speaking to one of Malacath's followers:
 * One of Malacath's worshippers has told me that, in order to have the Daedra summoned, I must leave an offering of Troll Fat at the statue. [You must be level 10 to begin this quest.]

After offering to Malacath:
 * When I left the offering, Malacath was summoned and spoke to me. He tasked me with traveling to the estate of Lord Drad and freeing his ogre slaves.

After speaking with Lord Drad and being nice:
 * I have spoken with Lord Drad. He believes the ogres to be suitable slaves, as they are mindless beasts, and is pleased with the ogres he uses in Bleak Mine. I [sic] appears I will have to free the ogres myself, if I am to complete Malacath's task for me.

After speaking with Lord Drad and angering him:
 * I have spoken with Lord Drad. He believes the ogres to be suitable slaves, as it does not violate Imperial Law. I fear I've angered him, though, and he will no longer speak with me. Perhaps his wife will be more forthcoming.

If you speak to Lady Drad:
 *  Lady Drad has told me that the ogres are located in Bleak Mine, not far from here. I will have to go free them to appease Malacath.''

When you enter Bleak Mine:
 * I have entered Bleak Mine. Now I must free Malacath's ogres.

If you free one group of ogres:
 * I freed one group of ogres. I must check to see if there are more to be freed.

Once you've freed all the ogres:
 * I have freed all the ogres in the Bleak Mine. I should return to the Shrine of Malacath.

After returning to Malacath:
 * Malacath was satisfied with my efforts to free the ogres. He has rewarded me with Volendrung.

If all of the ogres are killed:
 * Malacath wanted his ogres freed... not killed. Now there's no chance of earning the reward he promised.