Staves for unlocking Sigils in the maze
Shalidor's Maze is located in the same map icon as the Labyrinthian, just to the Northeast of the icon on the map (if you're standing on the mound where the Wooden Mask is found, face due east), this maze results in finding a Dremora.
Upon entering, there is a charred corpse holding a Soul Gem and Tattered Note. Upon nearing the corpse, four staves rise out of slots in the ground. The note reads:
"Enter Twice - Exit Only Once Alteration will lead you to Destruction Only Illusion shows the way to Restoration Conjure not, but be conjured instead"
Collect all four staves. They function as "keys" to get through the doors by using them on the proper sigils. Here are the corresponding staffs to sigils:
- Sigil of Illusion - Staff of Fear
- Sigil of Alteration - Staff of Magelight
- Sigil of Restoration - Staff of Repulsion
- Sigil of Destruction - Staff of Fireballs
Walkthrough
Once possessing all four staves, walk straight forward. Here there is a sigil of Alteration. Either cast Magelight or use the Staff of Magelight on the Sigil to lower the gate. Inside the corridors are Shutters that act as chests in this area, and allow the player to peek through the maze.
Using the shutters inside the maze as "markers", to tell what areas have been explored by opening and closing them is not necessary, as Shalidor's Maze is actually a labyrinth.
After running through a few corridors, opening the shudders in the corners on the way, there will be a Destruction Sigil. Cast any destruction spell on it or use the Staff of Firebolt to open the trap door below to continue.
At the bottom of the trap door, a Sigil of Conjuration is to the left. For now, it cannot be activated. Continue forward. A staircase will slide down like an elevator - taking it will result in placing the player back outside near where the four staves appeared. Follow either side of the maze to get to the back. In the back there will be a dragon power word. This word is "Fear", and unlocks (or upgrades) the dragon shout Dismay.
In the back, is a sigil for Illusion. Cast or use the Staff of Fear to open this gate. Follow the corridors, opening the shutters in the corners, until the Sigil of Restoration has been reached. Cast Heal Other or use the Staff of Repulsion to open the trap door.
Here there is a portal to the "Trials of Conjuration" if all of the sigils in the maze have been activated. A Dremora is waiting on the other side and attacks the player on arrival. Upon moving the player is teleported back to where the staves were, and is attacked by the Dremora and two Atronachs.
Monsters and Loot
The Maze contains Skeevers and one Ice Wraith as foes.
Some of the loot in the maze is:
- Liminal Bridges (Conjuration skill book)
- Various Gems
- Centurion Dynamo Core
- Spell Tome: Heal Other
- The Dremora will almost always have a Diadem of the Savant, which is a crown that makes all spells in all magic schools cost less magicka to cast.
Afterwards, the Dragonborn is free to roam around and pick the Deathbell, Nightshade, Red Mountain Flower, Dragon's Tongue and Blue Mountain Flower.
It is possible to jump onto the top of the structure surrounding the area to the west. There is a chest and, on the other side, a skeleton.
Bugs
- Followers can become trapped inside of the loaded area of Shalidor's Maze. Once they become stuck in the area there is no way to get them to follow you out. They will remain in the area indefinitely. There is no known fix for this issue, yet (PS3). On PC/360, fast-traveling from near the door outside could bring the follower back. (Tested, this worked for me.(Tested, worked for me as well; do it immediately outside the door. took me hours to figure out; very frustrating ) Probable Fix: Enter the maze again with your companion inside, close both bars with the chains next to them (you'll have to do the maze again from both sides). This way your companion gets trapped, so when you get close to him/her the game just teleports him/her to the other side of the bars.
- Upon entering the "Trials of Conjuration" if the player successfully kills Dremoria Kynval with a single charged attack it is possible that the player will not be able to exit the Trials area. A reload of the last save is needed to fix this glitch. (XBOX 360/PC)
- -Possible Fix: Conjuring a bound sword, and hitting Dremoria with it immediately upon conjure, can cause you to be warped out, back to the beginning with the conjured Atronachs. It's also possible that this may have happened from waiting long enough
- It is possible to fall through the bottom of the world here. After leaving the elevator, get back inside before it falls back into the floor. At the bottom, leaving the elevator will take you out of the map and you will fall to your death. (PC) Using a shout (I used Ice Form) will also cause the elevator to descend, leaving you to fall to your death or to jump to the waterfall and 'swim' back up to the surface. (PC)
- PC / XBox: You may want to leave your companion and/or dog waiting outside. They might not follow you out upon exiting the maze.
- In the French, German and Polish versions of the game, a bug prevents you from finishing this quest. Even if you cast the right spell on the right sigil, nothing happens. Change the game's language to English to by-pass that bug. You can also use the "TCL" command, wich turn off collision with environment (http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Console_Commands_(Skyrim)), that will allow you to pass through the floor wall then use it again to activate collision back.