Online:Dangerous Union

Discover why the Worm Cultists are working with the Reachmen. Zone: The Rift This quest is part of the Zone Story Faction: Ebonheart Pact Objective:  Vernim Woods — Investigate Vernim Wood. Quest Giver: Bermund, Dajaheel Location(s): Vernim Woods Previous Quest: To Vernim Woods Next Quest: Gift of the Worm Reward: Average Leveled Gold XP Gain: Standard XP ID: 3928

Find out why the Worms and the Reachmen are collaborating

The military has tracked Stral Blackthroat, the leader of the Reachmen, to Vernim Wood. When they arrived, they found Worm Cultists performing dark rituals with his warriors.

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Dajaheel at the Pact's forward camp in Vernim Woods.
2. Use the Ornate Globe or the Pale Dagger to collect a Worm Cultist's soul or heart.
3. Give Lieutenant Belron whichever item you decided to use to get the cultists to talk.
4. Interrogate the Worm Nightfrenzy or the memory of Stral Blackthroat.
5. Report back to Dajaheel with your findings.

Detailed Walkthrough

Bermund reveals that the Worm Cult is actually in Vernim Woods, and they're doing something to the Reachmen. You should talk to Dajaheel at the Pact's forward camp in the woods if you want to help.

"Don't suppose you're bringing any reinforcements, are you?"

No. You're expecting reinforcements?

"Hours ago. We tracked Stral, the bastard, to Vernim Wood. The Reachmen, though, they're not … it's not what we thought.

The Worm Cult. They're here."

The cult? In Skyrim?

"It gets worse, they're … doing something. To the Reachmen.

I need to keep watch for any other soldiers coming through. Talk to Dajaheel and the Centurion if you want to pitch in. Good luck."

I'll report in.

Dajaheel is beneath the large red tent. She and her men have tried everything to figure out why the Reachmen and the Worm Cultists are here together. An undercover agent, Lieutenant Belron, has proposed two options: cut out a cultist's heart with a Pale Dagger then reanimate them, or use a globe to collect a cultists' memories. You can choose which option you'd like to go with. You will need to kill a cultist either way.

"Welcome to Vernim Wood. Dark waters run in this river."

What's the situation?

"This is what we know: Stral and his elite warriors were tracked to the wood. As soon as we hit the treeline, we saw the hoods and robes."

The Worm Cult is here?

"Indeed. We found a defensible position and have held them back, thus far. We have no idea what's going on. Why are the Reachmen here? How did they get mixed up with the cult?"

Have you interrogated prisoners?

"We've tried everything. Even some things I'm not proud of.

An undercover agent named Belron, who joined us in Shadowfen, has narrowed it down to two options. One cruel, one not so much."

What's the cruel option?/What is the cruel option?

"This magical dagger can cut out a cultist's heart that will magically continue beating.
The heart can reanimate a cultist corpse, for a bit, and it will tell us what it knew."

I'll take the cruel option.

"Here's the dagger. Cut out the heart of a cultist and give that beating heart to Belron. You'll find him just south of my tent."

What's the less cruel option? / What is the less cruel option?

"This ornate globe will collect the memories of the cultists. You use it on them then kill them.
Belron can peer into the stored memories and perhaps see Stral speaking to a cultist."

I'll take the less cruel option.

"Here's the globe. Use it on living cultists, then kill them. Their last memories will rush into the globe. You'll need to do this a few times to make sure you get a memory of Stral."

Kill one of the Worm Cultists out in the woods. After you collect a Beating Heart or have filled the Ornate Globe, talk to Lieutenant Belron who is south of Dajaheel's tent. He'll help you see the memory trapped in the ornate globe or reanimate the nearby Worm Nightfrenzy using the heart you took from one of the other cultists. With the ornate globe, a memory of Stral Blackthroat appears.

"Thallik is pleased with my Reachmen for unleashing the giant, Sinmur. He has asked that you guard Vernim Wood while his priests perform rituals upon us."

What will the rituals do?

"Channel the touch of the Lord of Brutality into us. All across the wood, my Reachmen are being transformed. I will undergo the ceremony within the central ruin."

Going with the pale dagger option has you reanimate the aforementioned Worm Cultist.

"I can feel my flesh decay. But I'm not dead. Please, kill me. I'll tell you anything if you promise to kill me."

Tell me what I want to know first.

"We made a deal with the Reachmen. They unleashed the giant, Sinmur. And we promised to bless them with the touch of our dark lord."

How?

"We channel the touch of the Lord of Brutality. All across the wood, the Reachmen are being transformed. Stral himself undergoes the ceremony inside the central ruin.
Now please kill me."

As you wish.

You will learn that the Reachmen made a deal with the Worm Cult. The Reachmen brought Sinmur back from the dead. In exchange, the Worm Cultists are anointing the Reachmen with a blessing from the Lord of Brutality. Stral himself is undergoing this ritual right now in the central ruin. Report to Dajaheel with this information. She sends troops to investigate the ruins and gives you a reward for your work in learning the cultists' plot.

"Have you learned why the Worm Cult is here?"

The cultists imbue the Reachmen with dark powers. Stral is at the ruin.

"That's a dark twist in the river. I'll send troops to investigate the ruin.
It's been dirty work, but I thank you for your help."

Quest Stages

Dangerous Union
Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
	I've been asked to talk to Dajaheel at the Pact's forward encampment. Objective: Talk to Dajaheel
	The Pact's efforts to learn anything about the cult at Vernim have met with little success. Dajaheel wants me to help a Lieutenant Belron by using an ornate globe on the Worm Cultists around Venim Wood, then kill them. Objective: Use Globe on Cultist Then Kill Them: 0/5 (If you picked the Ornate Globe)
	I must return to Belron and give him the globe. Objective: Give Globe to Belron
	Belron used the globe and Stral appeared. I must talk to the memory of Stral. Objective: Talk to the Memory of Stral
Finishes quest	The Worm Cultists are transforming the Reachmen as a part of an agreement between Stral and the head of the Worm Cult. I must report back to Dajaheel at once. Objective: Talk to Dajaheel
	The Pact's efforts to learn anything about the cult at Vernim have met with little success. Dajaheel wants me to help a Lieutenant Belron with a necromantic ritual. To begin, I'll need to cut the heart from a Worm Cultist. Objective: Use Dagger on Dead Cultist: 0/1 (If you picked the Pale Dagger)
	I've cut the heart free of a Worm Cultist. I should bring it to Belron at the Pact encampment. Objective: Talk to Belron
	Belron has asked me to place the heart inside the dead Cultist. Objective: Place Beating Heart into Slain Cultist
	I should interrogate the cultist to learn why the Worm Cult and Reachmen are working together. Objective: Interrogate Cultist
Finishes quest	The Worm Cultists are transforming the Reachmen as a part of an agreement between Stral and the head of the Worm Cult. I must report back to Dajaheel at once. Objective: Talk to Dajaheel

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.