Tamriel Rebuilt:Duel of Riddles

Beat Mistress Eldale in a contest of words. Quest Giver: Ultern at Tel Darys near Gah Sadrith Location(s): Gah Sadrith Reward: None Disposition: +45 (Mistress Eldale) ID: TR_M1_GS_MQ_4

A somewhat intimidating dueling arena

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Ultern in the upper tower of Tel Darys, Gah Sadrith.
2. Answer all five of Mistress Eldale's riddles.

Detailed Walkthrough

The townsfolk of Gah Sadrith will tell you that Mistress Eldale is the leader of the local Telvanni and that she is a fearsome mage. She also has a reputation for sarcasm and haughtiness. Her lieutenant, Ultern will tell you that she regards almost everybody as intellectually inferior to her, and that she enjoys setting puzzling riddles to prove her point. He suggests that if you manage to answer her riddles, she may look more favorably on you.

Talk to Mistress Eldale about riddles and she will question your presumption, but nevertheless ask you her first riddle.

The First Riddle

The first test of your wits is:

I have no lungs, yet I blow,

I have no comb, yet I can shuffle your hair,

To make fire when I am near you need a stove,

Even though I am but air.

You are given the following choice of answers: "Cloud", "Wind", "Sparkle", "Frost", and "Scrib". The answer is Wind. (Select the black block to reveal the answer).

If you fail at this stage, Eldale will hold you in utter contempt, and her disposition towards you drops 40 points. A correct answer raises her disposition by 5, but as she says, that riddle was merely a sample.

The Second Riddle

Her second riddle is:

If you follow me I run from you,

If you run from me I follow you,

When the sun raises I shrink and when it falls down I grow,

Until I completely disappear in the night, though I am never there, where is light.

The possible answers are: "Daedra", "Lamp", "Age", "Shadow", and "Moon". The answer is Shadow.

Failure at this riddle proves your unworthiness to Eldale, and her disposition drops by 20. A correct answer raises her disposition by another 5 points. As she says, "This is getting interesting".

The Third Riddle

Eldale's third riddle starts on a fiery note:

I spit rocks and I sweat fire,

I breathe smoke out of my throat,

When I cry all around trembles,

Ash covers a nearby road.

You are given the following choices: "Dragon", "Ogrim", "Sun", "Mountain", and "Volcano". The answer is Volcano.

If you give the wrong answer, she sarcastically comments that it is "unexpected", and her disposition drops 10 points. The correct answer raises her disposition by 10 and she will tell you that you have "impressed me thus far".

The Fourth Riddle

The fourth riddle is a brief one that seems to pose a paradox:

If you feed me, I become smaller.

If you take from me, I become greater.

Your choices are: "Hunger", "Sack", "Hole", "Fire", and "Stomach". The correct answer is Hole.

Giving her the wrong answer disappoints Eldale and her disposition drops by 5. A correct answer raises her disposition by a further 10 points and she will admit that you have "potential".

The Fifth Riddle

Eldale is eager to test you with her final and most difficult riddle, a one-liner:

Those who own it don't need it yet and those who need it don't care about it.

The choices are: "Tomb", "Age", "Gold", "Hunger", and "Wisdom". The correct answer is Tomb.

This time, an incorrect answer brings no penalty, but Eldale is still somewhat disappointed. The correct answer boost her disposition by 15 and she will grudgingly admit that the two of you might have a meaningful conversation after all.

Quest Stages

The following Journal ID and Index codes can be used with the Journal console command to manually update the quest to a certain point.

Duel of Riddles (TR_M1_GS_MQ_4)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
5		Eldale's lieutenant, Ultern, told me that his mistress enjoys speaking only with those whom she considers of equal intellectual level to herself. To approach her, he suggested I should be very cautious and perhaps attempt to prove my cunning by answering some of her riddles.
10		I have correctly answered the first of Eldale's riddles.
20		I have correctly answered the second of Eldale's riddles.
30		I have correctly answered the third of Eldale's riddles.
40		I have correctly answered the fourth of Eldale's riddles. She wishes to give me a final riddle to test my intellect.
50	Finishes quest	I have answered all of Eldale's riddles and it seems she was impressed by my knowledge. She will probably be more open to conversation with me in the future.
60	Finishes quest	I have failed to answer one of Eldale's riddles. It is likely she will look down on me from now on.