Online:The Strangeness of Seht

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Investigate Sotha Sil's recent change of character. Zone: The Clockwork City This quest is part of the Zone Story Quest Giver: Divayth Fyr in the Chancel of Records Location(s): Brass Fortress, Mechanical Fundament Prerequisite Quest: In Search of a Sponsor Next Quest: Deepening Shadows Reward: Grips of the Impostor 1 Skill Point Average Leveled Gold XP Gain: Standard

Track down Neramo—Lord Fyr has a task for him

Divayth Fyr is convinced that something sinister is driving Sotha Sil's recent change of character. He asked me to help him root out the cause of the Clockwork God's new and peculiar behavior.

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Divayth Fyr in the Chancel of Records.
2. Question the aides in the Clockwork Basilica.
3. Talk to Divayth Fyr.
4. Find Neramo at the marketplace.
5. Locate discarded loquitorium lamps in the Mechanical Fundament.
6. Collect components to build a new lamp.
7. Find Neramo in the Hall of Refined Techniques.
8. Return to Divayth Fyr.
9. Place the new lamp on the balcony above the loqutorium.
10. Talk to Divayth Fyr and attend the Congress of Calibration.
11. Activate the lamp.
12. Defeat the shadow in the Sotha Sacristy.
13. Report to Divayth Fyr.
14. Talk to Varuni Arvel.

Detailed Walkthrough

After your soiree with citizenship, you must speak with Divayth Fyr, who grants you this quest.

"So you're a citizen now? Well done.

I heard something about a constable tossing people down sewer drains. Even in this shrine to knowledge, drooling idiots bumble their way to power. Ludicrous. Moving on, I require your services once more."

What do you need?

"It's Sotha Sil. Shortly after you and I parted company, I sought him out to discuss our Daedric artifact. I fear something is... askew.

His habits, his diction, the timbre of his voice- they've all changed, albeit subtly."

You think something is wrong with him?

"Worse. Initially, I dismissed it as boredom, fatigue, or even the first signs of senility. But now, after observing him at length, I can say with certainty- this is not the Sotha Sil I know.

There's Daedric mischief here, and we will root it out."

How do we go about doing that?

"We will leverage your hard-earned citizenship to make inquiries.

First, I will make it known that in light of your recent exploits, I offered to take you on as my aide- an offer you so eagerly accepted."

Fine. How does me becoming your aide help us investigate Sotha Sil?

"As the most powerful mage in the Brass Fortress, I find it difficult to have proper conversations with common folk. They grow silent at my approach, then whisper as I leave. An appropriate, but sadly uninformative display of deference."

So you want me to talk to the other aides?

"Indeed. It's commonly understood that servants grumble about their masters, loudly, to those they consider equals.

Ask them about Sotha Sil's recent behavior. I'm confident that we'll find something of value tucked away in their churlish complaints."

All right, I'll talk to the other aides.

Find and speak with the other aides in the Clockwork Basilica.

Speaking to Kiliban Arethi

"So you're the one that Divayth has tapped to be his aid in the Brass Fortress. Sorry to hear that.
Provost Varuni's ancestors hail from House Telvanni, just like Lord Fyr. But honestly, they couldn't be more different."

What's it like working for Provost Varuni?

"Not as bad as you might expect. She's young. Youth comes with impatience. But I've never felt unfairly judged, and she's generous with her praise.
Honestly, if I had the choice between serving Varuni or Sotha Sil, I'd take Varuni every time."

Sotha Sil is difficult to work for.

"Now more than ever. I don't pretend to understand his motives, but he's never been so demanding.
One example? He insists that we turn all the lights down before he enters a room. Do you have any idea how difficult that is? It's maddening."

Is flipping a switch that difficult?

"Ha! Flipping switches. That's rich.
Each lamp has its own switch, and some lamps have multiple switches. And if that isn't mad enough, some switches control multiple lamps! He's a god, I know. But it shouldn't take a genius to turn on the lights"

That sounds frustrating

"Don't even get me started.
Varuni might demand some obscure tome in the middle of the night, or chide someone for leaving oil on the floor, but that's the worst of it. Sotha Sil exiled an auxiliary last week because she forgot to switch off a lamp!"

Thanks for letting me know all that. I should get going.

"Right, right - don't let me keep you. I can't imagine how demanding Divayth Fyr must be. Better you than me, that's for sure. Keep your nose to the cogs and you'll be fine.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to flip two dozen switches. Again."

Speaking to Sedris Nedaren

"So you're Divayth Fyr's new auxiliary, eh? Tough luck, friend. I've heard he's an insufferable bastard, but at least he's not Sotha Sil. Better to be turned into a guar than to serve the Clockwork God. "

You don't like working for Sotha Sil?

"Not anymore. In the old days, sure. He was easy to please because he was never around.
These days? He changes his mind about something every night. Constant meetings, new dictums daily, adjustments to Factotum patrols. It's a nightmare."

Are you sure he hasn't always been this way? You said he was never around.

"Trust me, this is unprecedented. I'm afraid something's wrong with his enhancements, like he's having trouble regulating. He's a different person, I swear.
Don't tell anyone I said this. Especially Gascone. Blasphemy doesn't go over well nowawadays. "

Blasphemy?

"Yes. Speaking ill of a god never turns out well. In the old days, he'd take it in his stride. Commit your small blasphemies, he'd say. The fire of doubt turns ignorance to steam. But not anymore.
This place is getting more like Mournhold every day."

Sorry to hear that. I should get going.

"Right. I'm sure you have plenty of work to do for Lord Fyr. He's back a few days and already burying you in paperwork, no doubt.
Take care of yourself, friend."

Speaking to Agral

"You're Lord Fyr's newest steward, eh? Could we talk later? If I don't finish this lamp inventory, Gascone will feed me to the fabricants."

Lamp inventory?

"Yeah, Gascone must know much I love doing paperwork.

A few days ago, Sotha Sil ordered us to rip out all the lamps in here and replace them with less efficient ones. What kind of sense does that make? Who wants weaker lamps?"

What are you doing with the old lamps?

"A bunch of factotums loaded them onto a dolly and dumped them somewhere in the Mechanical Fundament.

Hey, I know that look. If you're looking to poach a free lamp, don't bother. Gascone made us slag them all. And that's not even the worst part.

What's the worst part?

"Half the old switches don't work with the new lamps, so we've had to manufacture new switches. And half the time, the switches get installed backward, which means we have to do it all over again! Even the factotums don't know what they're doing!"

"That does sound frustrating, but...

"And don't even get me stared on the lamp assembly! Sotha Sil could have tuned the fabricators to make the new lamps with a flick of his finger, but he demanded that we do it instead!

Do you have any idea how complex the fabricators are?"

I don't. But I really have to go. Good luck.

Speaking to her again will have her say, "Crank this... I've never had to do this much paperwork. And this isn't even the worst part!"

Head back over to Divayth Fyr by the entrance of the Basilica and speak with him about what they've said.

"Were you treated well by the menials? I assume they battered you with complaints. What have you learned?"

Sotha Sil is definitely behaving strangely. He's made lots of odd demands.

"Well I could have told you that. That is why I sent you here, after all. What kinds of demands? Be specific."

He makes the servants darken rooms before he enters, and demanded that some lamps be replaced.

"The lamps in the loqutorium, yes? The large assembly room over there? The auxiliaries and factotums have been laboring in there day and night, ever since we arrived. Curious.
What could lights have to do with this? There's only one way to find out."

Expose him to the light?

"Impressive. I assumed I'd have to explain it to you. Of course, this requires a functional lamp. I assume he ordered them destroyed.
Speak to that High Elf of yours. Neramo. The Dark Elf as well. We need one of these lamps—repaired and operable."

All right, I'll go find Neramo and Raynor.

"While you investigate and acquire this lamp, I will make sure Sil stays off your scent. Keeping secrets in the Brass Fortress requires a spider's cunning and god-like vigilance. Luckily, you have me.

Find Neramo and bring me that light."

Fetching the Lamp

Neramo and Raynor need to construct a lamp

You'll find Neramo with Raynor and Kirith by a small merchants' stall. Talk to Neramo about the lamp.

"Ah, I hoped to see you again, assistant. Pray tell, what did Divayth Fyr have to say?

I fear that he and I might have gotten off to a poor start. Did he ask about me? Any mention of my exploits?"

Actually, Divayth wants you and Raynor to help me with an important task.

"Raynor? Surely this is something I can handle myself! Impressing Divayth Fyr could greatly increase my standing in the Dwemeric scholarly community.

Tell me, what does Lord Fyr ask of me... er, us."

He wants us to build a lamp- one that's identical to the lamps removed from the loqutorium.

"He just wants us to build a lamp? What an odd request. No matter. I would be happy to offer my ample expertise, provided you let Divayth Fyr know that I did so.

First thing's first- I need to study one of these lamps we're supposed to recreate."

An aide told me they tossed the old lamps into the Fundament. We should start there.

Head on in to the Mechanical Fundament and find the various broken parts Neramo needs to examine. After you've examined all of the broken parts, speak with Neramo about his findings. Neramo deduces that the lamps removed from the loqutorium emitted some kind of invisible light. He gives you the list of parts he needs, and you need to locate the parts to make a lamp. The filaments can be looted off of any of the Factotums you kill in the Mechanical Fundament. You need six of them. Then you must collect a Modulated Compressor. A Khajiit named Na'jhargo can be intimidated into giving one to you by threatening to bring Sotha Sil or Proctor Luciana his way. Alternatively, you can kill any Verminous Fabricant in the Fundament for one. The Lamp Tube can be acquired from Hailibah behind the Brass Fortess Wayshrine, next to the furniture vendors. She can either be persuaded that you are an associate of Provost Varuni, or you can buy it off of her for 69 gold.

Divayth and Kireth arrive

Once you have all the parts, head on over to the Hall of Refined Techniques, the Brass Fortress' own designated area for crafting stations of all stripes. Raynor and Neramo are just beyond the Transmute Station, working on a frame for the lamp. Speak with Neramo and give him the lamp parts. Then return to the Basilica and tell Divayth Fyr about your accomplishments. Kireth arrives as soon as the conversation ends, bringing news about worrisome new security measures by the balcony that she overheard some aides talking about. You will need to plant the lamp on the balcony upstairs stealthily. Try not to incur a bounty by being seen, and avoid the guards. You must make your way to the Catalog of Rote Duplication, use the lift and do as instructed. Plant the lamp on the balcony. You can take the lift back down or you can jump off the balcony, then talk to Divayth Fyr. He will tell you he's convinced Sotha Sil to perform another lecture, and he needs you to turn on the light while Sotha Sil is on stage. Wait for the Clockwork God to come out of his chambers.

Attend the Congress and stand close to the nearby switch, which sits on a podium. Sotha Sil will appear on stage and begin his lecture.

Sotha Sil: "Greetings, Apostles. It seems I must disrupt your labors yet again."

Sotha Sil: "My dear friend, Divayth Fyr, informed me that some of your number may be experimenting on my blessed factotums."

Sotha Sil: "I will remind you yet again- my beloved factotums serve as an extension of my divine will. Accost them, and you accost me."

Sotha Sil: "In the past, I have encouraged a child's curiosity and accepted minor blasphemies. But my generosity has limits."

Sotha Sil: "Know this—any servant of the Clockwork God found tinkering with factotums shall face severe sanction."

Sotha Sil: "In this place, my word shapes, constructs, and controls. My authority is absolute."

Sotha Sil: "Keep to your modest experiments. Seek discovery outside the walls or in the confines of your own cloisters."

Sotha Sil: "Such is the will of Seht—The Mainspring Ever-Wound. Obey."

Sotha Sil: "Now. Are there any questions?"

Activating the switch causes the obscenely bright light to shine directly on the Clockwork God. He screams in agony, and his features dissolve, revealing the doppelganger's true identity as Sotha Sil's Shadow. The Apostles are taken aback by this sudden transformation and begin to panic. Pursue the Shadow of Sotha Sil into the Sotha Sacristy next to the stage and defeat it. After dispatching the Shadow and seeing it escape, exit the Sacristy and speak with Divayth Fyr. Even he's surprised. He reveals that an impostor taking Sil's place and learning how the City works could be catastrophic, and that you're all going to die soon. He instructs you to stay with Varuni and see if you can root out any other worms from the mud in all the chaos. With Fyr departed, speak with Provost Varuni and claim your reward for this quest.

Notes

• The aides won't exist in the Clockwork Basilica before starting the quest.
  • Ernse Eldri won't exist inside before either.
• Talking to Neramo again after informing him of the assignment results in him telling you to "Lead the way". He will however not become a follower right away, and instead only when entering the Mechanical Fundament.
  • He will repeat this line if spoken to once in the Mechanical Fundament, where it now makes more sense.
  • Neramo will exclaim "Wrong way, assistant." if you veer off the assigned path.
• Neramo's List cannot be read when viewed in your quest items, the only place it's visible.
• While displayed as hints needed to progress the quest, asking about the Clockwork Filaments and the Modulated Compressor isn't mandatory, as their locations are clearly outlined in the Mechanical Fundament's map.
• During the quest, and from speaking to Sotha Sil earlier, it's unclear if Sotha Sil is being impersonated or just has an odd behavioral change. However, the description of the Completed Lamp quest item flat out states that Sotha Sil has been impersonated, ahead of the official reveal later in the quest.
• It should be noted that if you kill anyone upstairs while planting the lamp on the balcony, it will have no ill bearing on your citizenship status in the Clockwork City or any otherwise ill effects later on - although you will get a bounty for it, as with any other murder, or any other case of being seen while trespassing.

Bugs

• The follower icon remains above Neramo after acquiring the objective to gather the lamp components, even after he ceases being a follower. ^?
• During the objective to plant the lamp, while on the ground floor of the Clockwork Basilica, the quest marker in the compass HUD will point to where the plant must be placed on the second floor (inaccessible from where you currently are) rather than to the elevator you must take to get up. ^?
• Using the hiding spot in the Catalog of Rote Duplication causes the camera to become partially become obstructed as it clips with the wall behind the barrel, obscuring your field of vision. ^?

Quest Stages

The Strangeness of Seht
Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
	I should speak to Divayth about his plans to discover the source of Sotha Sil's new and peculiar behavior. Objective: Talk to Divayth Fyr
	Divayth wants me to conduct quiet inquiries in the Clockwork Basilica. He seems convinced that the various aides who work there will know more about Sotha Sil's recent behavior. I should talk to as many as I can find. Objective: Ask Aides about Sotha Sil: 0/3
	I collected a number of complaints about Sotha Sil's bizarre and annoying behavior. I should inform Divayth Fyr. Objective: Talk to Divayth Fyr
	Divayth Fyr wants me to find out why Sotha Sil ordered the lights removed from the loqutorium, and perhaps construct a light of our own. I'll need Neramo's help. Objective: Talk to Neramo
	I agreed to enter the Mechanical Fundament to look for clues. According to the aides, the factotums may have discarded some of the lamps there. Perhaps Neramo can determine what makes them so unique. Objective: Investigate Dented Lamp Tube Objective: Investigate Charred Filaments Objective: Investigate Broken Compressor Objective: Investigate Broken Modulator
	It seems that Neramo has discerned the unique lamps' function. I should talk to him. Objective: Talk to Neramo
	Neramo believes he can build a lamp just like the broken ones we found in the Fundament, but he needs a number of very specific components. I must buy, barter, or hunt fabricants for those parts. Objective: Collect Lamp Tube Objective: Collect Clockwork Filaments: 0/6 Objective: Collect Modulated Compressor Objective Hint: Ask About Clockwork Filaments Objective Hint: Ask About Modulated Compressor
	I collected all the parts Neramo requested. I should deliver these components so he can complete our unique lamp. I can find him in the Hall of Refined Techniques. Objective: Deliver Parts to Neramo
	Neramo and Raynor should complete work on the lamp soon. In the meantime, I should make my way to the Clockwork Basilica and inform Divayth Fyr of our progress. Objective: Talk to Divayth Fyr
	Kireth arrived with the completed lamp, but she seems concerned. I should talk to her. Objective: Talk to Kireth
	I must make my way to the balcony that overlooks the loqutorium and place our unique light in a place where it can shine down on the stage below. Unfortunately, the upper floors are crawling with guards. I must be cautious. Objective: Place the Lamp
	I placed the lamp on the balcony. I should inform Divayth Fyr. Objective: Talk to Divayth Fyr
	When Sotha Sil steps out on stage and begins his lecture, I must activate the lamp and observe the results. Objective: Activate the Lamp
	I revealed Sotha Sil as an imposter! Apparently, a malevolent shadow took his place. It fled into Sotha Sil's private rectory. I must track it down and defeat it before it gets away. Objective: Defeat the Shadow of Sotha Sil
	I defeated the Shadow of Sotha Sil. I should speak to Divayth Fyr and see if he has any thoughts on what just occurred. Objective: Talk to Divayth Fyr
	A very concerned Divayth Fyr encouraged me to talk to Varuni Arvel. I should speak with her. Objective: Talk to Varuni
Finishes quest	Varuni is very concerned about the future of Clockwork City. I should talk to her to see how she'd like to proceed. Objective: Talk to Varuni

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.