Online:Gasteau Chamrond

Gasteau Chamrond is a Breton spirit found inside the Vaults of Madness. He was imprisoned and tortured there at the behest of the Mad Architect. He enlists your help to free himself and his friends from the Vaults. In life he was a fellow architect and rival of the Mad Architect who was known as Dutheil. Gasteau's plan to "even the competition" between the two ultimately led to Dutheil's descent into madness and Gasteau's imprisonment.
 

Related Quests


Quest-Related Events
 
When he is first approached, he is a Soul Shriven that pleads with you repeatedly to kill him.
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Please—I need you to kill me."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "End my misery. Kill me."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Please—release me from this wretched body."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Destroy this shriven husk—free me. Please."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "I can never leave this place anchored to this vessel. Please—end me."
 

Once his body is destroyed, his spirit is freed and Gasteau can be spoken with.
:Gasteau Chamrond: ''"I'm free!"

:"Thank you. 
:''I've lost track of the days. I feel so hollow."
:Who are you?
:"I'm dead. In life, I was called Gasteau Chamrond. 
:''And you are trapped here, with me. If you'll lend me your strength, I'll show you the way out of here."
:What is this place?
:"These are the Vaults of Madness. constructed by the Mad Architect. It's an eternal prison for his enemies. For me. 
:''I cannot leave until I am whole—a Harvester has taken my soul. Find it, defeat it, and we'll leave together."
:I'll defeat the Soul Harvester.'''

Once the quest has been started, he can be asked about what he remembers from his life, which is little.
thumb|right|Gasteau's spirit before his soul has been restored
:"You could be the key to my escape."
:What happened to you?
:''"I was an artisan. A rival of the Mad Architect's in life."
:Is that all?
:"I suppose. 
:I find the lack of a soul makes me a little...lackadaisical."

When approaching Ulguna Soul-Reaver he can be spoken with again.
:''"You tear away the Architect's legion like weeds. 
:The Harvester that possesses my soul waits just across this bridge."
:What did you need me to do, again?
:''"Ulguna Soul-Reaver, the overseer of this Vault of Pain, waits across this bridge. It's stolen my soul, and I'm going to need it back if we're to leave."

Once Ulguna is destroyed and his soul restored, Gasteau is much more talkative. He will yell out:
:Gasteau Chamrond: "What a foul sensation!"

His spirit now glows with a lively shade of gold.
:"By the Eight! Having your soul reinserted is just as painful as having it ripped out. At least I'm whole again. A reintroduction is in order! 
:''I'm Gasteau Chamrond—you won't find a better artisan this side of Oblivion. Mad Architect included."
:How do we get out of here?
:"I apologize, but I can't leave yet. The Architect has imprisoned my friends, and I won't leave them. 
:Will you help me free them?"
:Where are they?
:"The first, Saryne Dralen, is being held in the chamber just up ahead. I want to help him, if we can."
:I will free him.
:"Saryne will need your help, like I did."
::Tell me about Saryne.
::''"He was a noble—of heart and in title. He's up ahead, in the Vault of Despair, with other trapped souls."
:::I'll find him.
::Who are you?
::"Gasteau Chamrond, master artisan, at your service. 
::''I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me."
:::Tell me about your work.
:::"I've designed structures here and there."
::::Where were they built?
::::"They... they haven't been built. Don't get me wrong—I have volumes of blueprints, brilliant designs, if I have to say so myself. But they've never been realized. You can blame the Mad Architect for that. I did."''

When you've gotten through the vault of despair, he will appear again and say:
:''"Welcome to the Vault of Despair, my friend. Let's make our visit as expedient as possible. Saryne should be close by."	

When the Vault of Despair is cleared on hostiles, Gasteau will approach Saryne and ask the player to free Saryne like himself. Afterwards they have a conversation which hints at their past with the Mad Architect.
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Saryne! I've brought help!"
:Saryne Dralen: "This is my chance! Release me from this body, please!"''
: 
:''"Thank you! Thank you … I thought I would never be free. Gasteau—you look good, considering. It's been ages."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "It has been. Are you well?"
:Saryne Dralen: "Hardly. I think we've made a mistake."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "I regret nothing—look at what Dutheil's become." 
:Saryne Dralen: "We've created a monster. All these souls he tortures for the Daedra."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Don't ever—Dutheil, the Mad Architect, did this. Not us."''

Gasteau can be asked about his history with the Mad Architect, though he isn't very forthcoming.
:''"Let's make haste. There's no telling what the Architect will do to us when he finds out we're free. It's a great thing you've done for us, my friend. I didn't think Saryne and I would ever walk free."

After speaking to Saryne:
:"If Reynelle remains here, she'll be just up ahead."
:What is this place?
:"These are the Vaults of Madness. The home of the Mad Architect. They were originally built to hold three prisoners—myself, and my friends. They have since expanded to hold the many souls the Mad Architect has gathered over the years."
:Tell me about the Mad Architect.
:"He was mortal, once, among the most skilled artisans of this time. Like me, and others he's imprisoned. He made a deal with the Daedra when he died, and now he builds for them—torments souls for them."
:Is there a reason he's torturing you?  
:"Because his soul is as dark as this Vault. But enough about him. We'll face him soon enough."''

When Grothdarr is killed, Gasteau's apprentice, Reynelle Derone, is freed and has a conversation with Gasteau.
:Reynelle Derone: "That was a nightmare."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Reynelle my dear. How do you fare?"
:Reynelle Derone: ''"Gasteau? I'm fine thanks to our friends. Is this...an attempt to escape?"
:Gasteau Chamrond: "There's a chance, my dear. There's a chance. If our friends here are as powerful   seem."
:Reynelle Derone: "Your plan is to fight the Architect directly? Haven't we done enough to him?"
:Gasteau Chamrond: "Have we done enough to him? He's tortured us every day since our imprisonment! You think his actions are just?"
:Reynelle Derone: "No, but I can understand his anger. We ruined him, Gasteau."''

Before you've talked to Reynelle:
:''"All that remains is to deal with the Mad Architect himself. He waits deep below us, heavily defended and well-armed. But I'm a betting man and I think you can beat him. You're our only chance."

Gasteau can be spoken with again and grudgingly admits he played a part in the creation of the Mad Architect but unlike his friends, he does not regret what he did. 
:"We are close—so very close to freedom. I have no qualms with leaving now that we are all gathered. The Architect waits up ahead. If you can defeat him, we—all of us—will be free to leave."
:How did Dutheil become the Mad Architect?
:"Dutheil's madness drove him to make a Daedric Pact. He agreed to work as an artisan of Oblivion—to plot and design for the Daedra. He became their Mad Architect. In return, the Daedra hunted us, Dutheil's enemies, killed us. Tortured us in  death."
:Why did he do this?
:"He's of the opinion that we ruined him, when we simply … balanced the competition."
:What did you do?
:"We did what we thought we had to. The others may regret it, but I do not. Speak with them if you want to waste time on events past." 

While progressing through the Vaults, Gasteau will comment on the structures.
:"That structure up ahead is your destination. It was designed to be a mockery of one of the greatest architectural pieces of the age. You'll find the Mad Architect there."
:A mockery? What do you mean?
:"It is a twisted reproduction of the Great Cathedral in Tamriel, which was built to honor the Divines. That travesty was made to honor Molag Bal. Housed within its walls are tortured souls driven feral. And the Mad Architect himself." 

Gasteau will appear once again when the chasm is reached.
:"Welcome to the chasm my friend. We're nearly there."
:The chasm?
:"This is the Mad Architect's project graveyard. The works he considers failed are collected here. There's room for a couple more, if you ask me. His chambers lay at the bottom of this chasm."
:What do I do? Jump?
:"It's the only way out of here."

Once the Mad Architect is destroyed, Gasteau and his friends find they cannot leave the Vaults.
:Gasteau Chamrond: "He's gone! He's gone—but nothing's happening."
:"It seems the Mad Architect's destruction did not allow us to step from this plane. Unfortunate, but we'll have to make do. He mastered this place, mastered the Daedra, somehow. Perhaps we can do the same."
:Reynelle Derone: "But what do we do? Where do we go?"
:Saryne Dralen: "We can't stay here. Not like this."
:Gasteau Chamrond: "I'll figure something out. I always do."

You can talk to Gasteau after the completion of Mind of Madness, and he will speak with a low, menacing tone:
:"We're free! 
:I … had I tears to shed I would weep."
:What will you do now?
:''"I hoped your defeat of the Mad Architect would allow us to pass from this plane. Seems that was not the case. We'll have to determine a new course of action—but we'll not trouble you with that. You have my thanks, friend. For everything."

After the quest:
:"With the Mad Architect gone, I'll admit … this place has a homely look. I've work to do. If I could learn what he learned—perhaps I could fill his role."''

Notes
Before his soul is restored to him, Gasteau's spirit is blue in color but once it is returned to him, his form is transformed to a golden color.