Skyrim:Crescius Caerellius

Crescius Caerellius (RefID: xx01827B)
Added by	Dragonborn
Home City	Raven Rock
House	Caerellius House
Race	Elder	Gender	Male
Level	10	Class	Miner
RefID	xx01827B	BaseID	xx018278
Other Information
Health	125	Magicka	80
Stamina	80
Primary Skills	Smithing, Alchemy, Enchanting
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Essential	Yes
Voice Type	MaleOldKindly
Faction(s)	Crescius & Aphia Shared Faction; DLC2CrimeRavenRockFaction; Raven Rock Crescius Caerellius's House Faction

Crescius Caerellius

Crescius Caerellius is an elderly Imperial miner living in Raven Rock. He is almost eighty years old, and has spent many years on Solstheim looking for a new source of ebony. A decade ago, he underwent a period of depression at his failure to find anything, and this led to him meeting Aphia Velothi, his current wife. He's now convinced that his great-grandfather Gratian Caerellius was killed by something in the local mine other than a tunnel collapse, as the East Empire Company claims. During the quest The Final Descent, you will have to prove old Crescius right, a task that will put Raven Rock back on the map.

If attacked, he will defend himself with a steel dagger. He wears farm clothes and boots. He carries, among other things, a key to his house.

Unlike many other citizens, Crescius avoided the spell of Miraak and will never be seen working on the Earth Stone. Instead, he sleeps inside his house every night between 11pm and 7am. He skips breakfast (see bugs) and then spends the entire day in the house, cooking, relaxing, or talking to Aphia. Once you reopen the mine, Crescius will no longer stay at home all day long, but will instead be promoted to foreman of the ebony mine and will spend the majority of the day in the office inside the mine.

Related Quests

• Dragonborn: Travel to the island of Solstheim to find out what's happening there.
• An Axe to Find: Retrieve an ancient Nordic pickaxe for Glover Mallory.
• The Final Descent: Find out what happened to the great-grandfather of Crescius Caerellius.
• It's All In The Taste: Distribute Sadri's Sujamma to the citizens of Raven Rock.
• Her Word Against Theirs^CC: Spread the word of the Goddess Almalexia.

Dialogue

His greetings can be:

"If it wasn't for my wife, Aphia, I'd have joined my ancestors long ago."

"For all I know, I might be the last Imperial left on Solstheim."

"Maybe I won't live as long as the dark elves, but at least I didn't abandon my home."

When approached before The Final Descent is finished:

"There was a time when this town meant something. Now it's all gone."

When spoken to:

Are there any other Imperials in Raven Rock?

"Those cowards left decades ago. Every single damned one of them. The moment the ebony mine dried up, they pulled up stakes. Ridiculous!"

Ridiculous? Why?

"Solsthiem [sic] is still rich in ebony ore. I know there's more down there... I can smell it. I come from three generations of miners, and I'm telling you that the East Empire Company was wrong. They just didn't want to spend the coin trying to find it."

Tell me about your family.

"Our home has stood in Raven Rock since the colony was founded. Gratian helped build it with his own two hands. After Gratian died, he left behind a wife and a son... my grandfather, Rellicus. Rellicus lived there for quite a long time, working in the other sections of the mine until he was slain by reavers."

And your parents?

"I never knew my father... my mother and I always lived alone. I asked her about him many times, but she seemed angry and refused to speak about him, so eventually I let it go. When I was old enough, I began working in the mine hoping to make my fortune and eventually move to the Imperial City."

Then it dried up.

"Unfortunately, yes. I only had enough coin saved to send one of us back to the Imperial City, so I sent my mother alone. I wanted her to see her homeland before she died."

And you've been alone ever since?

"Until I met my darling Aphia, yes. I suppose you could have called me a bitter old hermit... now I'm just old."

Once the mine is open again:

"I can't believe you found a way to reopen the mines. I don't know how to thank you."

How are things now that the mines are open again?

"I've been made the foreman of the mine thanks to everything you did down there. It's good to get the old nose working again. I missed sniffing out the ebony deposits and getting my hands dirty. Best of all, Aphia isn't so cross when I go down there any more!"

Can I dig for ebony in Raven Rock Mine?

"Of course! In fact, Councilor Morvayn has given you the full run of the place. Help yourself to whatever you like. We're all in agreement that you're entitled to as much as you can carry."

He will also change his response on how his predecessors are ridiculous:

"Well you know it as well as I do. Raven Rock Mine wasn't empty at all... it's still rich in ebony ore. I came from three generations of miners, and I couldn't get anyone to believe me. Well we showed them, didn't we!"

Quest-Related Dialogue

The Final Descent

Crescius in Raven Rock Mine

You will initially find him inside Raven Rock Mine, in the very first chamber, busy discussing with his wife:

Crescius: "Damn it, woman! I said to leave me be!"
Aphia: "Crescius, last time you explored the mine you almost fell to your death. I'm not spending the rest of my days as a widow!"
Crescius: "And I'm telling you that I'll do whatever it takes to find my great-grandfather's remains. He's down here, I can feel it."
Aphia: "That was almost two centuries ago. There may be nothing left to find."
Crescius: "Just let me go, woman!"
Aphia: "Crescius, you're an obstinate old fool and you're going to get yourself killed."

If you speak to Crescius after this conversation:

"Who in the blazes are you?! Can't you see I'm busy?"

Busy doing what?

"Why should I tell you? I don't even know who you are."

If you leave conversation, he will say:

"Sure, ignore the ravings of a 'crazy old man.' I get it."

"At least hear me out before you walk away."

You will then have three options:

Perhaps I could help.

"Hmph, maybe. Been difficult trusting people lately, they think I'm crazy."

I'm just exploring.

"Exploring, huh? Most folks think this place isn't worth the effort."

It's dangerous here for an old man.

"Ask most of the folks around here and they'd agree with you."

All three options will lead to:

"But mark my words, these mines hold a secret that could put Raven Rock back on the map."

What sort of secret would be hidden here?

"A secret the East Empire Company swept under the rug two centuries ago. It killed my great-grandfather, and left Raven Rock with a worthless and tainted mine."

East Empire Company?

"You never heard of them? They're the largest trading company in Tamriel, originally chartered by the Emperor of Cyrodiil himself."

Who was your great-grandfather?

"Gratian Caerellius. He spent his entire life exploring ancient ruins across Tamriel and he died in these very mines almost 200 years ago."

How did he die?

"East Empire Company called it 'a terrible accident,' claiming that he was lost in a rockfall, but I know better."

What's your proof?

"My wife and I were cleaning out our home, and we came across some of my great-grandfather's things locked in an old chest. I found an unsent letter he'd written to the East Empire Company, and a key."

What did the letter say?

"It describes a discovery that was made in the mine by some of the diggers. They wanted Gratian to take a closer look. The East Empire Company must have felt it was of great value, as they locked that section of the mine off from everyone else."

The key is to the locked section?

"It is. Well, I assume it is. I haven't been able to find the entrance."

This is hardly proof of anything.

"Now you're starting to sound like everyone else."

I admit, this does sound suspicious.

""Finally! Someone who believes me."

I still think you're crazy.

"Sigh. I don't care what you, or anyone else thinks about me."

All three options lead to:

"I'm telling you... there's something big down there, something that the East Empire Company wanted to hide from everyone."

Why are you telling me all of this?

"Look, my wife nags that I'm too old to go traipsing around these mines chasing my story. Time's my enemy... it's caught up with me before I could find the answers that I'm looking for."

So you do need my help.

"I do. I want to know what happened to Gratian, and what the East Empire Company is keeping from all of us."

Any idea where to start?

"Gratian kept a journal of notes about his discoveries. If you can find his... remains, I'm hoping it will help. Here's everything I have. The letter, the key. Please, do this for me so I can finally regain the respect that I've lost."

Are you sure Gratian's death wasn't an accident?

"Look, I know I don't have much to go on. I have that unsent letter, and that's really it. But I also have a miner's instinct that's run in my family from before Gratian was even born. I may sound like a crazy old man to you, but I'm telling you, the tunnels here are solid... they would never collapse like that."

Why were you arguing with Aphia?

"She thinks that old age has addled my mind... that I'm seeing things when there's nothing to be seen. I realize she cares about me, but she has to understand that I can't rest until I find out what happened to Gratian."

What if she's right and I don't find anything?

"Then I'll settle down peacefully and never set foot in this mine again. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time... even before I discovered Gratian's old things. I just hope both of you don't mistake my enthusiasm for insanity."

Once you leave conversation:

"Be careful down there, the mine can be treacherous."

Once you return with the journal of his deceased great-grandfather:

"You're back! Please, tell me what you found."

You were right all along. (Give journal)

"Let me see that! Ha, I knew it! Gratian's death wasn't because of a rockfall, it was just a story to keep people away from the tombs. Now that I have his journal in hand, I can get some closure from the East Empire Company. Make them pay for lying to everyone."

Good luck with that.

"Thank you. Now, I believe I owe you a little more than a debt of gratitude for all that work you did. Here... it's not much, but it's the best an old, retired miner can do."

He will then hand you a leveled amount of gold and the quest will finish. Soon afterward, Raven Rock Mine will be reopened, making Raven Rock a prosperous town once again, with numerous citizens now employed.

Dragonborn

Do you know someone called Miraak?

"I recognize the name, but... I don't know how I know it. It sounds so familiar."

Tell me anything you can.

"It's so strange. I feel like it's from a dream. Something about the Earth Stone, and a shrine... That's it. That's all I can think of."

An Axe to Find

Speaking to Crescius after accepting the quest from Glover:

Glover wants his Ancient Nordic Pickaxe back.

"The damn fool doesn't even deserve to have it! The pickaxe was made for mining, not selling. I'll bet he stole it from the Skaal in the first place."

Three options are available, two of which will make both Crescius and Glover respond differently:

It doesn't belong to you.

"Oh, very well. Here. Tell him I hope he drops the thing on his foot."

Fine, you keep it.

"Now you're finally talking some sense. A mining tool belongs in a mining family. Just tell him I lost it or something."

Let me think about this.

"Good. Now let me get back to what I was doing."

It's All In The Taste

During the quest It's All In The Taste, Crescius will taste some of Geldis Sadri's sujamma:

Geldis Sadri wants you to try his new drink.

"Hmph, he's begging for patrons again, eh? Well, I suppose I could have just a bit."

Conversations

"They thought I was a crazy old fool. But I proved them wrong."

Crescius: "You're too good to me, Aphia. I only wish I could remain with you longer."
Aphia: "It doesn't matter, my husband. Let's simply cherish the time we have for now."
Crescius: "And what will you do when I'm gone?"
Aphia: "Then I'll simply have to fall in love with some other senile, grousing old fool."

Crescius: "They've laughed at me, Aphia. They thought I was a crazy old fool. But I proved them wrong."
Aphia: "People laugh at things they don't believe. It helps them accept the unknown."
Crescius: "You're too kind to people, always giving them the benefit of the doubt. Don't know how you put up with it."
Aphia: "Well, I put up with you, don't I?"

Bugs

• Crescius was supposed to wake up at 6am for a one-hour breakfast, but his sleeping package lasts until 7am and always takes precedence.
  • The Unofficial Dragonborn Patch, version 2.0.2, fixes this bug.