Online:Illusions of Grandeur

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Something is amiss among the students of the Illumination Academy. Zone: Summerset Objective: Illumination Academy — Break the enchantment plaguing the Illumination Academy. Quest Giver: Erudil, Merenfire Location(s): Illumination Academy Reward: Targe of Foul Story Average Leveled Gold XP Gain: Standard XP ID: 6115

Students in the Illumination Academy have taken on bizarre personae and don't appear to know who or where they are. I must help them reclaim their lost identities.

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Merenfire outside the Illumination Academy.
2. Find Erudil inside the academy and talk to him.
3. Help Erudil break an enchantment on his friends.
4. Determine where to appropriately shelve some enchanted books.
5. Deal with the resulting threat in the library.

Detailed Walkthrough

Near the Illumination Academy in Summerset you'll find an Altmer acting strangely. She speaks convincingly as if she were a Nord and direct you to talk to Erudil inside the academy. Erudil will reveal that he accidentally released a powerful enchantment by reading the Illuminus. When you read it, you'll note that it is blank. He is mortified at what's happened and asks you to help him break the enchantment on his friends. Each friend appears to be acting out a role of some kind, and you must snap them out of it.

Freeing the Friends

After freeing each friend, a portion of the text of the Illuminus will return to the book. The friends are:

• Pavo Maria thinks he is a beggar covered in sores. By selecting the correct book (Beggar Prince — The story of Wheedle and their gifts from the Daedric Lord Namira), refusing to give him alms, and pretending to be Namira, you will break the enchantment.
• Tanelwen thinks she is the great Investigator Vale. By selecting the correct book (Investigator Vale: The Locked Room Murder — An investigation of an alchemist), questioning the suspects, and finding the evidence, you will break the enchantment.
• Selynia thinks she is a fearless creature and is preparing to jump off the top of the Academy ramparts. You'll find her by entering the Faculty Hall, going upstairs, and finding the access to the ramparts. By selecting the correct book (Brave Little Scrib — A traditional Dunmer children's tale), and locating a spider in the courtyard to scare her, you will break the enchantment.

Navigating the Stacks

Instead of freeing Glardir from the enchantment, she becomes furious and runs the bookstacks in the Hall of Illumination. After talking with the amusingly ensorceled librarian, you'll descend to sublevel 1 to explore the stacks, where you'll have to defeat numerous fast-reappearing illusions. Threats include spirits of Dire Wolves, Spriggans, and Kagouti, many of which are lootable, as are many of the desks, nightstands, urns, and jewelry boxes. Several bookshelves in the stacks contain skill books and Eidetic Memory books for Shalidor's Library.

When you descend to sublevel 2, you'll find more spirits and searchable stacks, but you'll also encounter your first enchanted book (The Forest Dark by Joseryne Madier — Poetry about an encounter in the woods). By reading the book, you'll gain an idea of where might be an appropriate section of the library to shelve the book. The book will remain in your inventory of Quest Items until you puzzle out where to shelve it, so you can read it again, if needed. Several sections of the surrounding stacks will be highlighted with options as to where to place the book. Choosing the wrong section will result in a hefty physical attack, and taking too long to decide will bring back more of the spectral animals. As this book is about nature, the best fit is the section entitled Nature Poetries.

Continuing onward, you will ascend to sublevel 1 on the north end of the map, where you will be attacked by spectral Illuminated Villains, Nightmares, Henchmen, Binders, and Battlemages. There, you will also find your next enchanted book to take care of (The Siege of Ald Marak by Siege-Master Germia Demetrius — A recounting of how the Imperial Legion overthrew an imposing Dunmer fortress). It will not be shelved on this level; you must ascend to the main floor via the nearby stairs to find its appropriate stack. Once there, you'll notice an illusory icewall preventing you from further progress until you find the right stack. As this book is a historical account of an Imperial victory over Dunmer forces aligned with Vivec the Liar, the appropriate stack is the one labeled Imperial History. The icewall will disappear, allowing you to proceed to the upper floor.

There you'll find another icewall blocking your way until you deal with the next enchanted book (The Truth of Minotaurs by Tyronius Liore, Scholar of Imperial Antiquities — The dismissal of a theory surrounding the origin of Minotaurs). As this book is told from the perspective of someone who finds Minotaurs an abomination, the appropriate stacks is labeled Beasts and Horrors. This will remove the icewall and allow you to confront the source of the threat to the library.

Discovering the Villain

Crossing the bridge, you'll face a spectral Minotaur and Minotaur Shaman before speaking with the now-freed Glardir. She'll reveal the name of your enemy: The Illuminated One. This spectral creature is the manifestation of the spirit that was trapped within the Illuminus. It will pull power from the stories of the tomes around it, transforming into a spectral Aegis to attempt to defeat you. After you defeat it, grab the nearby Illuminus and shelve it in the Shrieking Tomes stack to end the threat.

Conclusion

Speaking with Meredil on the way out of the stacks will reveal his true, less-flamboyant nature. Outside, Erudil will thank you, reveal that it was his "boring" nature that allowed him to be spared the enchantment of the Illuminus, and give you a reward.

Notes

• Unlike the other two friends, Tanelwen and the students she is found with, Hundrand and Maya Doran won't exist in the academy before starting the quest or reaching the related objective.
• Once you start helping one friend, the other two cannot be helped until the previous interaction is completed fully.
• During the objective to speak with Erudil after Glardir flees, the objective description states that she fled in the direction of the Hall of Illumination specifically, when all she does is teleport away with no indication as to where.
  • Only talking to Erudil afterward reveals that this is where she is going.
• During the objective after placing the third book, the objective description states that doing so has cleared the minotaur illusions. However, placing the book only removes the barrier, not the minotaurs.
• The filled Illuminus cannot be read once it is in your quest items.

Bugs

• If Tanelwen is the second friend helped, once you return with the third friend back to Glardir, Tanelwen is missing from the group. She will instead be back at her original location with Hundrand and Maya Doran. ^?
  • She finally rejoins the group near the end of the quest, after returning from the Academy Stacks.
• Placing the books in the Academy Stacks only dispels the projected decor, the enemies remain. ^?
• The second cursed book lacks a quest marker above it, and the quest marker on the compass HUD and local map point in the wrong direction to get to it. ^?
• While most of the NPCs in the academy will snap out of the enchantment upon defeating the Illuminated One, some will only do so upon completing the quest instead. ^?

Quest Stages

Illusions of Grandeur
Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
	A clearly mad student of the Illumination Academy mentioned that an Elf named Erudil tried to talk some sense into her. I should find Erudil and talk to him. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	Erudil mentioned that a mysterious book called the Illuminus might be the source of the enchantment. I should take a look at this suspicious tome. Objective: Read the Illuminus
	The Illuminus contained no text. I should ask Erudil about it. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	Erudil thinks if we break the enchantment on his friends, they might be able to come up with a broader and more effective solution. I should follow him. Objective: Follow Erudil
	We encountered one of Erudil's classmates—a Wood Elf named Glardir. I should ask Erudil about her and how she fits into all this. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	Objective: Locate Erudil's Friends
	Erudil's friend, Tanelwen, should be lingering in the lecture garden. I should talk to her. Objective: Talk to Tanelwen
	Tanelwen insists she's some kind of investigator. I should read some of the books nearby to determine her adopted persona. Objective: Find Tanelwen's Story
	I found a book detailing the adventures of a fictional detective, Investigator Vale. This must be Tanelwen's persona. Now that I know who she is, I should talk to her again. Objective: Talk to Tanelwen
	Acting out the role of Investigator Vale, Tanelwen is sure that she knows the identity of a pie thief. Perhaps if I prove her wrong, her enchantment will break. Objective: Find the Real Pie Thief Objective Hint: Talk to Hunrand Objective Hint: Talk to Maya Objective Hint: Follow the Pie Trail
	I found a guilty-looking dog sitting near a half-eaten pie. This is clearly the culprit. I should take the half-eaten pie as evidence. Objective: Gather the Evidence
	I should take the half-eaten pie back to Tanelwen and prove her wrong. Hopefully that will break the Illuminus enchantment. Objective: Talk to Tanelwen
	I should urge Tanelwen to meet up with Erudil in the central courtyard. Objective: Talk to Tanelwen
	I broke the enchantment on Tanelwen. I should return to Erudil and give him the news. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	I should read the Illuminus to see how the pages have changed. Objective: Read the Illuminus
	New text has appeared in the Illuminus. I should discuss this new development with Erudil. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	Erudil's friend, Selynia, is standing high atop the Academy's walls. I should go talk to her. Perhaps I can find a way to break the enchantment's hold on her. Objective: Talk to Selynia
	Selynia mentioned that the key to her identity is nearby. I should sift through these books to find some clues. Objective: Find Selynia's Story
	I discovered Selynia's persona: The Brave Little Scrib. I should talk to her again. Maybe I can use this information to help break the enchantment. Objective: Talk to Selynia
	Selynia's persona, the Brave Little Scrib, isn't afraid of anything. If I can find something that frightens Selynia, I might be able to force her out of character and break the enchantment. Objective: Collect a Spider to Scare Selynia
	I found and captured a spider in the Academy courtyard. I should release it near Selynia to scare her. Hopefully this will break the Illuminus's enchantment. Objective: Scare Selynia
	Scaring Selynia seems to have worked! I should talk to her and send her back to Erudil. Objective: Talk to Selynia
	I rescued Selynia from the Illuminus's enchantment. I should return to Erudil so we can plot our next move. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	I should read the Illuminus to see how the pages have changed. Objective: Read the Illuminus
	New text has appeared in the Illuminus. I should discuss this new development with Erudil. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	Erudil's friend, Pavo, is tucked away near the eastern wall of the academy. I should talk to him. Objective: Talk to Pavo
	Pavo has taken on the persona of some sort of beggar. I should look through the nearby books to see if I can determine his false identity. Objective: Find Pavo's Story
	I've convinced Pavo that I can lift his curse. I should put on a show to convince him I've used my "Daedric power." Objective: Lift Pavo's "Curse"
	In "lifting the curse," I've broken the Beggar Prince's central character trait. I should talk to Pavo again to see if this freed him from the Illuminus's enchantment. Objective: Talk to Pavo
	(?) Objective: Talk to Pavo
	I broke the enchantment on Pavo. I should return to Erudil and give him the news. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	I should read the Illuminus to see how the pages have changed. Objective: Read the Illuminus
	The persona that has taken hold of Glardir is clearly linked to the Illuminus's shifting and ominous text. I should confront Glardir and learn her role in this once and for all. Objective: Talk to Glardir
	Glardir took the Illuminus and fled toward the Hall of Illumination! I need to track her down. Objective: Talk to Erudil
	It appears that Glardir has taken refuge in the Academy Stacks. I must pursue her. Objective: Explore the Academy Stacks
	The Stacks are in a state of magical chaos. Perhaps the archivist can help shed some light on the situation. Objective: Talk to Meredil the Archivist
	The archivist was clearly affected by the enchantment, but he still managed to give me good advice. I must dispel the Illuminus's hostile illusions by closing the book they sprung from and filing it away in the stacks. Objective: Dispel the Illusions Objective Hint: Find the Cursed Book Objective Hint: Place the Book Back on Its Shelf
	I dispelled the forest illusions. I should delve deeper into the archives and dispel any other illusions I find. Objective: Dispel the Illusions Objective Hint: Find the Cursed Book Objective Hint: Place the Book Back on Its Shelf
	I managed to dispel the Imperial illusions. I should delve deeper into the archives and banish any other illusions I find. Objective: Dispel the Illusions Objective Hint: Find the Cursed Book Objective Hint: Place the Book Back on Its Shelf
	I banished the minotaur illusions, clearing the way to the archives' central chamber. I must defeat the source of this enchantment. Objective: Kill the Illuminated One Optional Step: Talk to Glardir
	I defeated the Illuminated One. Now, I must place the book back on the shelf to break the enchantment once and for all. Objective: Shelve the Illuminus
Finishes quest	I defeated and locked away the spirit of the Illuminus. I should inform Erudil of my success. Objective: Talk to Erudil

Notes

* Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the game 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.

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