Quarry Conundrum is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls Online: Orsinium. It involves the Vestige aiding the Tumnosh Clan with a Dwarven animunculi infestation in their quarry.
Background[]
Forge-Wife Kharza is worried about Graystone Quarry. After she hired an Elf to help improve efficiency, strange things began to occur. Fog rolled out of the quarry and screams were heard. Then... nothing
Quick walkthrough[]
- Investigate the quarry
- Find Hunt-Wife Bolgar
- Find Shabon
- Find the High Elf
- Find the Dwarven control center
- Talk to Neramo
- Solve the puzzle of the orb of illumination
- Talk to Forge-Wife Kharza
- Help Kharza decide Neramo's fate
Walkthrough[]
While visiting the Tumnosh Clanhold, the Vestige may overhear that the local Orcs have been having difficulties operating their nearby mine, Graystone Quarry, due to a mysterious fog. Speaking to Forge-Wife Kharza will reveal the following:
Have you happened to see an Elf around here? Tall, spindly, talks way too much for his own good?
- I haven't seen anyone like that recently. No, of course not. That would have been too easy. This is what a get for hiring a tuskless runt! He said he could "improve efficiency" in Graystone Quarry. What did we get for our trouble? First the fog. Then the screams. Then... nothing.
- You haven't heard anything from the quarry? Not a word, and it smells like Elf mischief to me. My husband, Chief Ramash, went down into the quarry to look for the Elf and find out what happened to our workers. He came back covered in blood. And I can tell you, Ramash doesn't bleed easily.
- I can take a look in the quarry if you like. I'd appreciate any help you can provide. After what happened to the chief, the rest of the clan refuses to go anywhere near the quarry. If you can get in there, find out what happened and make sure the quarry workers are safe.
The quarry.
The Vestige now has to go investigate the quarry and find out if the Orcs inside are alright. Entering through the nearby ladder and following the path will eventually lead to Ghorn, a wounded quarry worker. He will explain that after breaking into a cavity, a strange fog filled the area. The Elf Neramo insisted on exploring it, taking several of the quarry workers with him. Soon after, Chief Ramash and his hunt-wife decided to investigate and were subsequently attacked by creatures in the fog. The Chief managed to escape, but his hunt-wife is still trapped in the cavern, looking for her daughter. Entering the cavern will reveal that the hostile creatures are Dwarven animunculi, seemingly awakened after the ruckus the quarry workers made, the "strange fog" being steam. Battling through groups of hostile Dwarven machinery will eventually lead the Vestige to Hunt-Wife Bolgar, lying wounded next to a stairwell. Startled, she will tell the Vestige the following:
I thought you were one of those damn machines! You're just lucky I've got the reflexes of a snow bear or your guts would be decorating the floor. Now, care to explain what you're doing down here?
- I was looking for you. Is this another of my husband's half-hearted rescue attempts? Whatever. I guess I should be grateful. One of those metal spiders took a chunk out of my leg. Nothing too serious, but I can't fight worth a damn. So it's up to you to find my daughter.
- How do you know she's still alive? I don't. But I can hope, can't I? Besides, I haven't seen her corpse, and she is her father's daughter. Then there's the Elf. He knows what he's doing and has more than a few tricks up his sleeve to deal with the machines.
- Tell me about the High Elf. He's a clever bastard, I'll give him that. He knew there was a Dwarven ruin down here and used us to uncover it. We should have been more careful, but he had significantly increased our production. And you know Orsinium. They always want more stone.
Tell me about your daughter. Shabon? She's a brave young woman. Took an immediate interest in the High Elf and his fancy ways. The Elf didn't seem to mind. In fact, I think he liked having someone strong and beautiful at his side. You find one and you'll find the other.
The ruins.
The Vestige now has to perform the tedious task of clearing the Dwarven ruin of animunculi, fighting their way to Shabon. She will be located near a underground lake, hiding from the machinery. Shabon will explain that the caverns actually served as a separate quarry. The Dwemer started mining underground, eventually trying to work their way up. Informing about the Elf will lead Shabon to explain to the Vestige that he went to investigate the "central structure". Shabon wanted to help him, but knew her limitations as she wasn't fit to deal with hostile machines. Following the path ways and defeating several more of the hostile animunculi will eventually lead the Vestige to Neramo, the infamous High Elf the Orcs have been referring to. Speaking to him will reveal the following:
Amazing! You were actually able to navigate the Dwemer defenses? You must either be exceptionally strong or exceedingly lucky. Either way, I can make use of that.
- You're the High Elf working with the Orcs? Ah! So you've met them. I really do feel awful about what happened. I offered my help because I suspected that the ruins of Mzindyne were down here, but I never expected such powerful defenses. This place is remarkable!
- Defenses? You mean the constructs? Yes, but I was referring to the fog. It was a most curious thing. As soon as we unearthed the door to this place, a heavy fog set in and the Dwemer spiders swarmed us. I know how to handle Dwarven constructs. The Orcs, sadly, do not.
- Do you have a plan for dealing with the constructs? These Dwemer systems are as sophisticated as they are ancient. I'm not sure we can disable the constructs now that they're fully operational, but we may be able to control them. All we need to do is find the construct control center.
The puzzle.
The Vestige has to find the control center, which is located deep within the ruins. Following the pathways and fighting through hordes of Dwarven machinery will eventually lead them there, and they willl be greeted by Neramo and a giant Dwemer puzzle called the "Orb of Illumination". Neramo explains that this device is the key to controlling the Dwemer defenses, and in order to do so, they will have to solve a puzzle by manipulating the resonators and rotating the rings. In order to solve the puzzle, the Vestige will have to:
- Hit the left kinetic resonator 6 times
- Hit the center kinetic resonator 3 times
- Hit the right kinetic resonator once
This will solve the puzzle, and allow Neramo to control the mechanisms making it safe to work the quarry once more. The Vestige is now free to leave the ruins, with Neramo staying behind as he wants to try repaying the Orcs for his indiscretion by making some adjustments to the Dwemer machinery, allowing them to become quarry workers. Once the Vestige is outside, they will be greeted by Forge-Wife Kharza, who is furious the Neramo. Even after explaining the situation to her, she will not be calmed down and insists on destroying both Neramo and the machinery he returned with.
The Vestige now has the option to either persuade Kharza to accept the constructs as a blood price, using them to mine the quarry until the Orcs regain their strenght or letting Neramo take them to Orsinium, never to return again. Either way, the quest will be completed and the Vestige will receive their reward.
Reward[]
- Pauldrons of Clan Tumnosh
- 73–302
Journal[]
| Journal Entry |
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I should go down into Graystone Quarry to see if I can find out what happened there and check on the quarry workers.
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I met one of the Orcs that accompanied the chief on his aborted rescue mission. He says that Hunt-Wife Bolgar in still in the quarry, looking for the High Elf and her daughter. I need to find her.
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Hunt-Wife Bolgar asked me to continue searching for her daughter, Shabon. She thinks I'll find her with the High Elf.
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I found the Hunt-Wife's daughter, Shabon. She said that the High Elf went to investigate the central structure. I should go in there and locate him.
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Neramo believes a control center operates the Dwarven constructs and that it's located somewhere in the ruin. I should look for the control center.
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I found the Dwarven control center and so did Neramo. I should talk to him.
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I need to strike the kinetic resonators to rotate the rings and adjust the lenses until they align with the emitters. That should unlock the Orb of Illumination and open the way to the construct control room.
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I successfully calibrated the Orb of Illumination and unlocked the chest. I should talk to Neramo to see what he found inside.
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Neramo can now prevent the Dwarven constructs from attacking the quarry. I should go back to the surface and let the Orcs know that it's safe to return to work.
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Neramo brought some of the Dwarven machines out of the ruins as some sort of gift to make up for the trouble he caused, but the Orcs want to destroy them and him, I should talk to Kharza and try to make this right.
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