Online:Shattered and Scattered

Rescue a group of adventurers from a mysterious Daedric vault. Zone: Blackwood Objective: Doomvault Vulpinaz — Help Mirri Elendis rescue her kidnapped comrades. Quest Giver: Adventurers Wanted for Exciting Opportunity!, Mirri Elendis Location(s): Doomvault Vulpinaz Next Quest: A Mother's Obsession Reward: Mirri Elendis as a Companion Average Leveled Gold XP Gain: Standard ID: 6648

"Liam! Can you hear me? Big sis is getting you out of this!"

I found a notice on the ground. It seeks explorers for an expedition into a newly discovered ruin. It may have belonged to the brother of someone named Mirri, based on the handwritten note at the bottom.
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I met a Dark Elf adventurer, part of a group who were betrayed by their employers and taken captive. She asked me to help her rescue those who didn't escape, including her little brother.

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Mirri Elendis outside of Doomvault Vulpinaz.
   • If you are using an ESO Plus free trial and have not purchased the Blackwood chapter, Mirri will not appear.
2. Enter Doomvault Vulpinaz.
3. Pick one:
   1. Just break the main crystal in front of Eolaf; or
   2. Grapple up above on your right to break a linked crystal.
4. Talk to the survivors.
5. Read the journal and talk to Mirri.
6. Rescue or kill Ardia.
7. Talk to the survivors.
8. Examine Ghalor.
9. Rescue or kill Deejos.
10. Open the warded door.
11. Rescue or kill Liam Elendis.
12. Talk to Mirri outside the Doomvault.

Detailed Walkthrough

You can begin this quest in one of three ways: by reading a note, by speaking directly to Mirri outside of a doomvault, or by equipping Mirri into an Allies quickslot and attempting to summon her. Either way, you'll end up heading to the doomvault. Mirri is just outside Doomvault Vulpinaz, arguing with Brigadine Andricius of the Ivory Brigade. Wait for her to finish cursing, then talk to her.

"Who are you? Another of these useless Leyawiin layabouts?
No, you're an adventurer, like me. Don't tell me Xigira roped you into this mess too."

No, what's the trouble?

"My little brother and I answered a job posting seeking adventurers to help explore a newly discovered ruin, only once the expedition got underway—and we were all split up—our employers turned on us. I barely got away."

What's your plan now?

"Free my little brother and the others before something terrible befalls them. I don't know if I can do this on my own, but I have to try.
Can I count on your help? Or were all the questions just morbid curiosity? I can pay if I have to."

I'll help you with your rescue.

"There were five, in addition to me who got duped into this. My brother, Liam; Eolaf, a Nord warrior; Ardia, a High Elf researcher; Deejos, an Argonian scout; and Ghalor, a Wood Elf adventurer.
Other than my brother, I don't know a lot about them."

What do you know about the ones who tried to take you captive?

"Not much. Xigira, the woman who hired us, was charming. I didn't buy her story that her expedition was for study, but she paid half our fee up front. I figured they were just treasure hunters looking for plunder. We had no idea they were a cult."

When did you realize?

"About the time they said, don't kill her, we need her for the ritual. And while they were trying to subdue me. Probably saved my life though. I fought twice as hard knowing they were taking it easy on me.
No one else escaped, that I know of."

You can also ask Mirri about the ruin. She identifies it as a Daedric ruin, but notes that it's fairly new—a few hundred years old at most. Mirri tells you that its age and the fact that the interior seems demolished strikes her as odd.

Once inside the Doomvault, Mirri will suggest you find their base camp first:

Mirri Elendis: "We need to reach the base camp, but be careful. I saw a lot more cultists during my escape than the ones who led me here."

Proceed north through the metal halls until you find the sky above your head. Mirri tells you it wasn't like this before she escaped. Grapple over to the ledge on the other side of the sulfurous river and investigate the expedition's camp.

As you approach the base camp, Mirri will notice one of her group members:

Mirri Elendis: "The base camp should be—Eolaf! What are those fetchers doing to him?"

As you approach the Soul Siphon Array, Xigira will taunt Eolaf:

Eolaf: "I don't … I don't feel so good … hurk …."

Xigira: "Endure, Nord. The foothold is nearly complete!"

<Xigira leaves through a portal.>

Mirri Elendis: "That voice! Xigira!"

The Nord appears to be strapped to a device and the surrounding cultists are using the crystals pylons to do something to him. Mirri will run up to the rock overlooking the scene, where you can talk about what is happening to Eolaf and what can be done:

"That's Eolaf! One of the other adventurers Xigira duped with this setup. They've got him strung up like a New Life pony guar. Survey stones, my ashy arse. That's a sacrifice if I've ever seen one! We've got to do something."

Survey stone?

"Xigira had us escorting her scholars around the area to place those so-called survey stones. Supposedly they would get the layout of this place in an instant. Bunch of guar dung, clearly.
It's sucking the life out of him!"

Can we destroy it?

"I damn well plan to try. It'll be dangerous though. For Eolaf most of all. That ritual is already feeding off of him somehow. The sudden shock of destroying the stone might kill him.
We could try weakening the ritual before ending it entirely."

How do we do that?

"That array by Eolaf seems to be the heart of the ritual, but the magic is being drawn to another focal point nearby. Destroying that might lighten the load on Eolaf, and the backlash of ending the ritual by force. It's the best chance of saving him."

How to Save Mirri's Friends

There is a right and wrong way of saving the explorers.

If you ignore the outer crystals and just go to the middle one and destroy it, the person in the trap will die. You must destroy the outer crystals before smashing the one in the center of the apparatus in order for the victim to survive.

If Mirri's brother Liam dies, it will affect her dialogue not only at the end of this quest, but in future quests.

Eolaf

Looking at Eolaf's situation, you'll notice a small crystal in front of him. A purple trail of magic connected to the crystal leads up to the cliff in front of Eolaf. You can grapple up to it or jump up the hill on the western side of the formation. However you get up there, if you break the larger Ritual Focus Crystal on top of the cliff before breaking the smaller Soul Siphon Array in front of Eolaf, he will survive. If you destroy the small crystal without doing anything else, Eolaf will perish.

Once you kill or free Eolaf, follow Mirri north through a door to the Interstitial Corridor. Talk to Mirri once you're inside. You also have the opportunity to talk to Eolaf, if he survived the ordeal.

Eolaf was rescued:	Eolaf died:
"It worked! Sorry if that sounds too much like surprise, but I couldn't be sure that would be enough to save Eolaf's life until we tried it. If the cult is doing this to the others, we should be able to free them too. If we're careful." Any idea what it was they were doing to Eolaf?	"Eolaf … that's what I was afraid would happen. The strain of snapping that connection to his soul was too much to take. If we aren't more careful, the others will meet the same fate." Any idea what it was they were doing to Eolaf?

"It was definitely a Daedric ritual, but not your typical sacrifice. Offerings to the Princes are usually quick and brutal. This was much more purposeful. I don't know what they were trying to accomplish, but they were using Eolaf's soul to power it."

Do you know where the others were taken?

"The s'wits didn't tell us much of their plans before stabbing us in the back, but I've got a rough idea where they were taking the other stones.
If we head out the other side of these corridors we should be on the right path."

Let's keep moving then.

"I recognize these corridors. The expedition hadn't split up just yet. Everyone aside from Eolaf would have been lead somewhere beyond.
The exit wasn't far, but it's sure to feel like farther now that the place's crawling with cultists and Daedra."

Ardia

Continue through the door at the other end of the hallway to proceed with the search for the rest of Mirri's companions. You'll come across Ardia's Journal at the end of the next area, by the door leading outside. Read the journal, then talk to Mirri.

"Well, I'll be. Ardia actually made a break for it. She's the last one I'd have expected to escape. Two left feet, that one. Much as I'd like to believe she made it out, somehow I doubt it."

You think she was caught?

"Honestly, I'm impressed she made it this far, but my gut tells me she's still here. I think we should keep looking for the rest of those sacrificial stones. Whoever's still bound up in the cult's rituals is in the greatest danger."

Head through the door to continue the search.

Grapple across the first gap. You'll make a similar crystal-smashing decision at this clearing, although now there are 2 secondary crystals if you choose to do them: one to the right (east), and one to the left (west). The grapple points are on the east and west side of the path leading up to Ardia. Break the two focus stones on either side of the main soul array, then break the gem in front of Ardia to set her free. Mirri takes Ardia up the path leading north.

You can talk to Ardia if you'd like, but your objective is to talk to Mirri. Ardia reveals what you probably suspected at this point: Xigira, the one who hired Mirri and her adventuring cohorts, is a Daedra. She drops her mask around her followers. Talk to Mirri.

Ardia was rescued:

Ardia died:

"It looks like Ardia will be all right. Hopefully she can make a successful escape this time." How many more of these rituals do you think there are? "I can't be certain, but Deejos, Ghalor, and my little brother, Liam are still missing. We have to assume they've been captured and bound like the other two. We need to stop these rituals, and not just for their sakes." What do you mean? "I have a theory about the purpose of these rituals. The changes to the land, the sky, the blasted heat. I think this place is being overtaken by another plane. If I had to guess, I'd say it's becoming the Deadlands." How is that possible? "I think this ruin isn't actually part of Nirn. More like a piece of our world bottled up and the cult is trying to fill the bottle from another source." All the more reason to stop these rituals.

"Damn it, Ardia. If only you'd managed to escape. At least we were able to end the ritual before it consumed her soul. May she rest with her kind." How many more of these rituals do you think there are? "I can't be certain, but Deejos, Ghalor, and my little brother, Liam are still missing. We have to assume they've been captured and bound like the other two. We need to stop these rituals, and not just for their sakes." What do you mean? "I think this ruin isn't actually part of Nirn. More like a piece of our world bottled up and the cult is trying to fill the bottle from another source." All the more reason to stop these rituals.

Ghalor

When you reach the third outdoor section, the Core Layer, you will find that the Deadlands has supplanted the area, with only some burnt trees and grass remaining. Mirri recognizes someone nearby:

Mirri Elendis: "Is that—Ghalor! Over here!"

<She runs up to him but stops short.>

Mirri Elendis: "Ghalor? Oh, fetching Vehk!"

<Ghalor staggers around, ignoring her.>

Examine Ghalor. He doesn't acknowledge you, and seems unaware of his surroundings. Talk to Mirri.

"He's gone. Soul shriven. I've read accounts of this happening, but I've never seen it myself. This ravaged body is all that's left of Ghalor. His soul … gone somewhere far worse.
This is what will happen to the others. To my little brother …."

Only if we fail.

"Right. You're right. This isn't the time to lose it. There's still hope for the others.
Ghalor couldn't have wandered far like this. There must be another ritual site nearby. Let's go!"

Deejos

Mirri surmises one of her adventuring fellows must be nearby. Continue through the doomvault, making your way northeast. Heading up the wooden platform east of Ghalor will lead you up a hill, towards a river of lava. A Ruinach patrols the path leading northeast of here, leading north from this hill. You can also take the path leading west of Ghalor's position and grapple across a chasm with a river of lava cutting through it. No matter which path you take, you'll find Deejos here.

To save Deejos, you'll need to break two focal points. Grapple to the north when Mirri points out Deejos' presence; the first crystal is north of that dialogue trigger. When you break that one, you can head southwest, crossing a bridge, turning left at the end of the bridge and grappling up to reach the next focal point. Once both focal points are down, you can break the central soul array to safely rescue Deejos. Mirri leads Deejos up the path leading southeast. Follow them into the next corridor.

You can talk to Deejos, but you need to speak with Mirri to proceed.

Deejos was rescued:	Deejos died:
"We managed to save her. I don't know if that'll improve her opinion of me—well, my kind—but I'm glad. I wouldn't wish what happened to poor Ghalor on anyone." We've accounted for everyone but your brother.	"Deejos and I were not close. Truth told, I think she merely tolerated me and my brother. Not that I can blame her. I hope she finds some rest with her Trees." We've accounted for everyone but your brother.

"Liam … hang in there, little brother. We'll find you.
We seem to be getting close to the heart of the cult's plot. Other than the ruins, the terrain here is unrecognizable from where we came from. I'd wager that's where we'll find him. And Xigira."

You want to go after her too?

"No. I don't care about that hooded viper. I just want my little brother back … but if she stands in our way, I'll gladly kick her fetching arse back to Oblivion.
Come on. Liam needs me."

Liam

Traverse the next area. Fighting your way through Daedra, you will soon reach a gate where Xigira is waiting for you:

Mirri Elendis: "Xigira! Give Liam back and maybe I won't fetching kill you!"

Xigira: "Allow me to reward you for hampering our progress. You may listen to your brother's muffled screams unmolested as you stand helpless before this gateway."

<The gate is sealed with magic and Xigira leaves.>

Mirri Elendis: "Damn it! She's sealed the gate! We need to remove that barrier! That switch might have something to do with it."

Xigira has warded the door to prevent your entry. You can ask Mirri for advice on what to do:

"That s'wit's locked us out! We aren't getting that gate open by force, but I bet that mechanism plays some part in getting it open."

Any thoughts on what to do?

"I think that mechanism must be connected to the gate, but that can't be the only thing stopping us or Xigira wouldn't be so confident. We should look around. There might be more of these Daedric objects involved in the barrier."

There are three levers you need to find and pull to unlock the gate. Two are reachable with the grappling bow, on the northeast and south sides of the door (left and right of the central switch). The third is right in front of the door, upon a pedestal. Once you have done, the gate will unseal:

Mirri Elendis: "I think that did it! The gate's unsealed! Let's find Liam!"

You can fight Xigira in the middle of the room, but this is optional. In order to rescue Liam, you need to break two crystals south and northeast of the central soul array. The Anchor Stone Array (a sigil stone on a dais, which glows with a dark, misty purple aura) in front of Liam (who you'll grapple up to in order to reach) is what will make or break this rescue: this is the last component you need to break to rescue Liam. If you break this before destroying the crystals down below, Liam will die. Destroy the crystals below his platform, to the south and northeast, before you break the Anchor Stone Array, if you want to save Liam Elendis.

You can speak to Mirri here. She obviously wants you to save her younger brother.

"This is it! We're going to save Liam and stop Xigira's plot here and now.
Let's find the ritual's focal points and weaken it so we can set him free."

You think we have time for that?

"I don't know! He's my little brother, I have to try! If—if it comes to it … end the ritual prematurely. I'd rather send Liam into the arms of Mother Morrowind than let Oblivion have him.
Just, try. Please?"

I'll do what I can.

Once you've broken the Anchor Stone Array, follow Mirri through the southeastern door and talk to her at the camp just north of the vault's exit. You can then speak to Mirri to end the quest. Her dialogue depends on whether or not her brother survived:

Liam is Rescued:

Liam Dies:

"We did it! My little brother is safe and that backstabbing viper, Xigira's plans are in shambles. I almost wish I could see what Dagon does to her for her failure, but my imagination's probably better than his anyway." What next? "We leave this useless s'wit to his report and count Azura's lucky stars. My little brother is alive and well thanks to you. That's more than I could ask. We owe you. If you ever need anything—and I mean anything—you can count on me."

"Damn Xigira! Damn her fetching soul to the blackest pits of Oblivion! I hope Dagon rakes her over hot coals for eternity for failing to accomplish whatever it was she was trying to do here. It's my only consolation." What next? "There's nothing left to be done than pay my respects to the Tribunal and pray Liam can rest in our family tomb. I couldn't save my little brother, but you helped me try when no one else would. If you ever need anything. You need only ask."

After the quest, you can summon Mirri Elendis as a Companion.

Bugs

• Sometimes the quest can't be started because Mirri is not in here starting position. Usually in this case, she can be found inside the entryway of Doomvault Vulpinaz. However, she still won't start the quest.
  • The solution to this is to go next to the quest marker and abandon the quest. Then Mirri should appear; where, after a quick confrontation, she will start the quest.

Quest Stages

Shattered and Scattered
Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
	It's unclear whether the owner of this note traveled to the ruin, but the aforementioned expedition could be an opportunity worth exploring. I should look for it. Objective: Find the Ruin
	Mirri says she and her brother were betrayed by some cultists, led by someone named Xigira. I should find out more from her before we go inside the ruin. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	I should talk with Mirri before we head into the ruin. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Mirri Elendis informed me that she was hired to explore this ruin along with her brother and several others, but it was a trap that only she managed to escape. She claims the others are soon to be sacrificed by a cult. I agreed to help stop them. Objective: Enter the Ruin
	We need to head through the ruin's entryway to reach the expedition's base camp. Objective: Reach the Expedition Base Camp
	The entry of the ruin opened into an outdoor courtyard, though there's something odd going on in the sky and the bridge that was here collapsed. I need to use my grapple bow to get across the gap. Objective: Use Grapple Bow
	Mirri claims that the expedition's base camp should be close. We just need to reach it. Objective: Investigate the Base Camp
	We reached the outskirts of the base camp, but Mirri spotted the cultists at work on some kind of ritual. I should speak to her about how to proceed. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Mirri explained that it looks like Eolaf, one of her betrayed colleagues, is having his soul fed upon by a Daedric ritual. We need to stop the ritual but she fears that could kill him. Objective: Destroy the Soul Siphon Array Optional Step: Destroy Ritual Focal Crystal
	I stopped the ritual that was feeding on Eolaf. I should follow Mirri ahead and ask about our next course of action. Objective: Follow Mirri Elendis
	(Eolaf Survived) We succeeded in freeing Eolaf from the ritual without killing him. I should speak to Mirri about what she wants to do next. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis Optional Step: Talk to Eolaf
	(Eolaf Died) Eolaf did not survive the interruption of the ritual, just as Mirri feared. I should speak to her about our next course of action. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Mirri says that most of the others were led farther into the ruin and we should find another camp nearby. Objective: Find the Remaining Expedition Members
	Mirri spotted a notebook belonging to one of her fellows. I should examine it. Objective: Examine the Notebook
	Ardia appears to have dropped this notebook during her own escape attempt from the cult. I should speak to Mirri about this. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Regardless of whether Ardia was successful in her escape attempt, Mirri thinks we should locate the cult's nearby camp if for no other reason than to destroy it. Objective: Find the Remaining Expedition Members
	Ardia's escape attempt was unsuccessful and she's being used as a sacrifice in another Daedric ritual. I need to put a stop to it before it drains her soul entirely. Objective: Destroy the Soul Siphon Array There are several focal points around the ritual drawing power from the victim. Destroying them may slow the drain on their soul. Optional Step: Destroy Western Ritual Focal Crystal Optional Step: Destroy Eastern Ritual Focal Crystal Now that we stopped one of these rituals Mirri may have greater insight into their workings. I should speak to her about how best to proceed. Objective Hint: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	I stopped another ritual. I should follow Mirri and speak to her about our next move. Objective: Follow Mirri Elendis
	(Ardia Survived) We succeeded in freeing Ardia from the ritual without killing her. I should speak to Mirri about what comes next. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis Optional Step: Talk to Ardia
	(Ardia Died) Ardia did not survive the disruption of the ritual. I should speak to Mirri about our next move. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	There are still three others missing from Mirri's party. We need to continue our search for more of the cult's rituals. Objective: Find the Remaining Expedition Members
	Mirri spotted Ghalor, one of the other missing adventurers, but something is obviously wrong with him and she's shaken by it. She asked that I examine him. Objective: Examine Ghalor
	Ghalor is completely glassy-eyed and unresponsive to my presence. I should speak to Mirri about it. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Having his soul drained by the cultist's ritual left Ghalor a soul shriven, essentially an empty husk. Alive, but not. We'll need to find the others quickly or they will wind up like him. Objective: Find the Remaining Expedition Members
	We found Deejos trapped in another of the cult's rituals. I need to stop it before it consumes her soul like Ghalor. Objective: Destroy the Soul Siphon Array Optional Step: Destroy Northern Ritual Focal Crystal Optional Step: Destroy Southern Ritual Focal Crystal
	I stopped another of the cult's rituals. I should follow Mirri and speak to her about our next plan of action. Objective: Follow Mirri Elendis
	(Deejos Survived) We saved Deejos from the ritual. I should speak to Mirri about what we do next. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis Optional Step: Talk to Deejos
	(Deejos Died) Deejos did not survive the disruption of the ritual. I should speak to Mirri about what we do now. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	Mirri's little brother, Liam, is the only missing adventurer unaccounted for. We need to keep searching. Objective: Find Liam Elendis
	Xigira has Liam captive and she sealed the gateway leading to him. We need to remove the magical seal if we hope to reach him. Objective: Unseal the Warded Gate Objective Hint: Talk to Mirri Elendis Objective Hint: Manipulate Daedric Switches: 0/3
	The path to Mirri's brother is open. Now we just need to find him. Objective: Find Liam Elendis
	I need to stop this last ritual before it consumes Liam's soul. Objective: Destroy the Anchor Stone Array Optional Step: Destroy the Eastern Focal Crystal Optional Step: Destroy the Western Focal Crystal Objective Hint: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	(Liam Elendis Survived) Liam survived the disruption of the last ritual and fled with Mirri out of the ruin. I should follow suit. Objective: Exit the Ruin
Finishes quest	I disrupted all of the cult's rituals and reunited Mirri with her brother Liam. I should speak to her. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis
	(Liam Elendis Died) I stopped the last of the cult's rituals, but Liam didn't survive and Mirri fled the ruin. I should follow suit. Objective: Exit the Ruin
Finishes quest	We stopped all of the cult's rituals, but that is likely little consolation to Mirri after the death of her brother. I should speak to her. Objective: Talk to Mirri Elendis

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.