Skyrim Mod:The Forgotten City/The Forgotten City (quest)

This page is currently being rewritten as part of the Skyrim Quest Redesign Project. The page is being rewritten and checked in several stages. All users are welcome to make changes to the page. If you make a change that is relevant to the project, please update this template accordingly, and make sure you have observed the project guidelines. Detail Walkthrough: written by Fullerton, not checked Reward: not written

This article could benefit from an image. See Help:Images for information on how to upload images. Please remove this template from the page when finished.

Answer Cassia's Plea. Quest Giver: Courier delivery upon reaching level 5 Location(s): The Forgotten City Reward: None ID: 000FCQuest01 Added by: The Forgotten City

Quick Walkthrough

1. Travel to The Forgotten City.
2. Speak to Cassia.
3. Enter the Forgotten City
4. Claim the Lakehouse key

Detailed Walkthrough

Upon reaching level 5, the Courier will approach you, saying "I have a letter here for you."

This will begin the quest, and Cassia's Plea will open and read itself to you. The note invites you to investigate the promise of "Riches Beyond Imagining", which Cassia promises can be found in Forgotten Ruins in The Reach. She will request that you travel to the ruins and help her find her brother, Altrius, who explored them but did not return.

The Forgotten Ruins are just west of Purewater Run and east-south-east of Hag Rock Redoubt, between two waterfalls. After entering it behind the first, its interior door will automatically open for you, revealing Cassia standing before a pedestal and a plaque written in Dwarven lettering: "Riches Beyond Imagining".

Approach her, but be ready for her to draw her sword as she angrily yells "That's close enough- [sic]who are you?" Depending on receipt of her letter, following your introduction, the conversation could proceed one of two ways:

Who are you?

"What do you mean? Didn't you get my letter? I paid good coin to a courier to track you down, and you're saying you just came here by coincidence?

Well, perhaps it's fate. The thing is, my younger brother went down this shaft a few days ago and I'm worried he's stuck down there, or worse.

I know this is a lot to ask, but I need you to go in after him, and bring him back to me alive. Do you think you could do that for me?"

I got your letter

"Oh, it's you! I'm so glad you're here. Look, I don't know how much time we have left. My brother went down this shaft a few days ago and I'm worried.

I need you to go in after him, and bring him back to me alive. It could be dangerous, but if anyone can do it, it's you. Now, are you ready?"

I'm ready.

"I knew I could count on you. Now quickly, go!"

Not yet. I have some questions.

"Alright, but please hurry."

Who are you?

"My name's Cassia. My brother and I came to Skyrim from Cyrodiil with the Imperial Legion, but we took a... break... to explore these ruins."

So you're both deserters, then?

"We didn't want to get involved in this stupid war in the first place! We only came here because we were conscripted.

But our unit was wiped out by Nords and those Forsworn savages, and we saw a chance to get away from the fighting altogether. So we took it."

What happened here, exactly?

"Well we came here hoping to find something valuable, to pay for carriage back to Cyrodiil. Altrius went down the shaft, but he asked me to stay here."

Why haven't you gone down there?

"Because he made me promise I'd stay here and wait for him, no matter what. And I keep my promises. Well, except as far as the Legion is concerned."

Why did you send for me, of all people?

"I was in Markarth looking for help, when I heard people talking about you, and all the loot you've been trading with merchants all over Skyrim.

I figured you'd be interested in exploring these ruins, so I asked a courier to track you down. And here you are."

That's all the questions I had.

"So you're ready to go now?"

I didn't come here to help you... [sic]

"Damn you! I knew sending for you was a mistake! Get away from me!"

At this point, you can inspect the plaque in front of her, or read the Dusty Journal on the small pedestal. Once you have concluded your business on the surface, jump into the unknown. Walk through the passage in the ruins, and enter The Forgotten City. Once inside, you will find an abandoned township under the ground, with no life at all save for bats and skeevers. The area is strewn with burnt corpses, and the atmosphere is one of abandonment. As you approach a dead tree, a hanged Old man drops from his noose in front of you. Beside his corpse lies an empty wine bottle, quill, and a Suicide Note. The note proves that the body is Altrius's; it intimates his tale of infinitely entering and re-entering the Lakehouse. His note goes on to urge you to kill yourself rather than endure the same fate as he did. If you choose to pursue this course of action, you may drown yourself in the lake. Otherwise, enter the Citadel to obtain the key from Altrius's ghost. As you enter it, his voice will alight the passageway and tell you that "I was in your shoes once, a lifetime ago. I remember the way the lakehouse calls to you." As you ascend the stairs to the Citadel's balcony, the ghost continues his story: "I thought to myself: Do I want to die alone in here, or do I want to open that door?"

"It seems like a simple choice. But in the end, death was the better option all along."

"Please understand. I locked the Lakehouse door to stop you from making the same mistake I made."

"And now you ignore my words and come searching for the key."

After the final stairs and the final warning, you will see Altrius's Ghost around a corner. As you round the corner, it will charge from behind its own at you, yelling "Stay away! I hid that key for a reason!" Battle and defeat the ghost. Once this is complete, exit the Citadel to its balcony, on which a small chest sits. Open it to take the key, but be prepared for a surprise: The balcony will drop from beneath you, and a voice will whisper into your ear: "Lakehouse." After you have recovered from the significant fall damage, head to the Lakehouse and enter it. Once inside, do not try to leave, as a voice will angrily yell "My letter!" each time you attempt escape. Instead, go to the desk and read Metellus's Note. The letter charges you with a mission: Prevent the desolation of the Forgotten City. Once Metellus's last words have been spoken, you are free to exit. Do so, and the door will reveal a strange portal that will cast you into a different time: The Forgotten City will be bustling, illuminated by the sun under the ground. A new quest, Forget-Me-Not, will begin.

Quest Stages

The Forgotten City (000FCQuest01)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		A courier tracked me down and gave me a letter. I should read it. Objective : Read Cassia's Plea.
15		I've discovered some forgotten ruins on my own...
20		A woman named Cassia has written to me, asking for my help in some hidden Dwarven ruins. I should travel to the Reach to investigate. Objective : Meet Cassia in the forgotten ruins.
30		I should talk to Cassia. Objective : Listen to Cassia's request.
100		I must take a leap of faith into the city. Objective : Enter the Forgotten City.
110		I must take a leap of faith into the city.
200		I should explore the Forgotten City, and then find a way out. Objective : Explore the Forgotten City for a way out.
250		I've found an old man who hanged himself, but he's too old to be Cassia's younger brother. Objective : (Optional) Search the old man's body for a suicide note.
300		The key to the Lakehouse door is being guarded by a ghost on the Citadel balcony. Objective : (Optional) Retrive the Lakehouse key from Altrius's ghost on the Citadel balcony.
350		Now that I have the key, I should use it to unlock the Lakehouse. Objective : (Optional) Enter the Lakehouse.
375		The door to the Lakehouse looks strange from this side, but I'll have to pass through it to leave.
1000		Objective : (Optional) Drink the Elixir of Acrobatics.
1010		Objective : (Optional) Confront Deglund about the ineffective Elixir.
2000		I've returned to the present and have found Altrius alive and well. Objective : Talk to Altrius.
2015		Altrius has suggested I attack the cracked wall in the bathroom. Objective : Smash the cracked wall in the bathroom.
2020		I should take Altrius to the Citadel bathroom where we should be able to escape the city. Objective : Escape the city through the bathroom.
2050		Objective : (Optional) Travel back in time and show the Arbiter's helmet to him as proof of your deeds.
3000		I've escorted Altrius out of the city.
3100		I've concluded my business with Cassia.
4000		I've returned to my original time By convincing the Arbtier to wind back the Dwarves' Law, I prevented the events which sent me back in time.
4020		I have reminded that Altrius was waiting for him. He has suggested we jog up together, so we can chat along the way.
4030		I've brought Altrius to Cassia.
4050		Cassia has rewarded me for returning Altrius to her, and has entered the city.

• The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0, 325, 330, 2025, 2030, 2040, 2050, 4010, 4015, 4025.

Notes

• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage 000FCQuest01 stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest 000FCQuest01.