Online:Dream-Walk Into Darkness

Quick Walkthrough
# Meet Count Verandis Ravenwatch at Ravenwatch Castle.
# Learn the secrets of the memories.
# Reach the top of the Doomcrag.
# Talk to Verandis Ravenwatch.

Detailed Walkthrough
A Visit to Castle Ravenwatch
|thumb|right|"This potion will allow you to dreamwalk through my memories."
This quest can be started two ways, from High King Emeric, who can be found in Shornhelm Castle after the quest Shornhelm Divided has been completed and who wants you to enlist Verandis's help in tracking down Reezal-Jul. Secondly straight from Count Verandis Ravenwatch himself, who can be found at Ravenwatch Castle. 

Regardless of whether you first spoke to the High King or not, you will happen to find Verandis, along with two of his wards, during their meal time. It becomes evident that Verandis —along with the other members of the House— are vampires, which he calmly proceeds to explain to you does not imply that his intentions are anything but benign. He will then get to the matter at hand, namely the question of how peace and tranquility can be restored to Rivenspire:
:Can you tell me anything that can help us deal with Montclair?
:''"You were able to drive off Reezal-Jul and take back Shornhelm. Those were no small feats, I assure you. But Emeric needs our help to restore Rivenspire's tranquility. You need to understand. There is more to Montclair than simple ambition."
:'You've hinted at this before. Tell me what you're talking about. 
:"Walk with me and I'll explain. There is much I need to show you and time grows short."''

Verandis will then lead you to a neighboring room where a potion stands ready, while he explains that he believes that the key to defeating Montclair and restoring stability to Rivenspire is hidden within his own memories and that he hopes that an outsider such as yourself, someone with a fresh and relatively unbiased look on things, might help him to solve this conundrum. 

The Dream-Walk Begins
|thumb|left|Verandis faces a dilemma at Leila Montclair's sickbed
Even though doing so is not a compulsory part of this quest, asking him some questions before you go ahead and imbibe the potion can grant you some interesting insights into the situation. Regardless of whether you choose to do this or not, however, events will unfold in the same way after you drink the potion. You will find yourself in Verandis's memories, in which you will try to unravel the truth while his projection (which, of course, the Montclairs can neither see nor hear because it is not an actual part of the memories themselves) witnesses and comments on the situation:
:Count Verandis Ravenwatch: ''"I must say, it's rather strange seeing you as … me."
:Lleraya Montclair: "Mother… please. You have to take the medicine. Reezal-Jul can help you!"
:Baroness Leila Montclair: "Oh, sweet daughter. I can't go on like this. I don't want to spend my final days as an experiment. Instead, let me spend them with the ones I love."
:Count Verandis Ravenwatch: "Even in retrospect, reliving this is difficult. Her pain, her suffering. She had so much courage."''

You will learn that Baron Wylon Montclair, who was still a good friend of Verandis's at that time and who was understandably desperate to save his wife, pleaded with Verandis to turn her into a vampire. Depending on the player's choice, Verandis may either have refused to do this altogether, prompting Montclair to get upset with him, or the Baroness may have refused this offer from him, in which case the Baron will have continued to insist that he should try to dissuade her from rejecting his offer. 

Either way, the projection of Verandis will comment that you should continue your search for answers, which will soon prompt you to run into nobody less than Reezal-Jul himself. At that time, the Argonian was already working for Wylon Montclair, more specifically as an alchemist, who was tasked by Wylon to craft potions to try and heal Leila with but which he himself claimed wouldn't be of any use to someone with her affliction. He had found an Ayleid relic which he claimed will save the Baroness' life, but since the Baron wouldn't accept it from him directly, he required Verandis to act as an intermediary, which Verandis readily agreed to do.

|thumb|right|A celebration is interrupted by a saddening announcement...
The memory skips forwards a bit and the projection of Verandis comments that it seems as though you are headed in the right direction, as without your help, he would ever have recalled that it was Reezal-Jul who led him to the Ayleid relic. Your work is not done just yet, however, and so you should pay attention to the scene that unfolds next, in which Verandis, Gwendis, who appears to have had a few too many, and the Montclairs are celebrating their apparent success in curing Leila's disease when the Baroness requests for a private word with Verandis, something which he apparently cannot recall has happened either:
:"As I now recall, Reezal-Jul gave me a shard—a piece of an Ayleid relic. I presented it to Montclair and he, in turn, used it to heal his wife. In less than a day, Leila was recovering and on her feet again. It was nothing short of miraculous."
:The shard cured her?
:''"Not exactly. It helped, but I can't remember why. We were here, celebrating Leila's improved condition, when …. And that's all I can recall. I'm sure the key is hidden in my memories. Please, explore this moment and see what you can learn."''

After finishing your conversation with Verandis's projection, you should talk to Leila, who apparently is starting grow ill again. She does not want to disturb the others and suggests that another treatment with the relic is all that she needs to recover, which eventually prompts Verandis (as seen through your eyes) to decide to seek out Reezal-Jul and learn what more he might know about this strange Ayleid relic.

|thumb|left|...but perhaps Reezal-Jul and his knowledge of the fragment can help
Before you go ahead and talk with Reezal-Jul, however, you may first want to check on the Baron to see how he is doing. Whereas the Baron appears to be unwilling to face the reality of the situation and reacts overly lightheartedly and somewhat dismissively when you (i.e., Verandis) mention that things might not be going as well as he seems to be trying to convince himself they are, Reezal-Jul, who can be found standing near the Ayleid relic at the ground floor of the castle, has some other things to say altogether. He is fascinated by the relic and its power and, when you mention that the treatment that it can provide has proven to be insufficient to permanently cure Leila, reveals that he has been studying Ayleid texts and knows that this relic is in fact only a small part of a much larger one.

The Argonian then points you to some Ayleid texts which he has been studying and which he wants you to have a look at. After you have finished reading the texts, the present-day version of Verandis will want to speak with you again. He now understands what has gone wrong but even so wants you to continue reliving his memories, this time to increase your understanding of just how dire the situation in Rivenspire is at this moment:
 

Ascending the Doomcrag
|thumb|right|The party is gathered outside the gates of the Doomcrag
Fast-forward once again, to the moment where Verandis, together with the Montclairs and Reezal-Jul, is about to enter the Doomcrag while Gwendis offers to stay behind and defend their rear. The conversation which takes place before the party begins their ascent of the Doomcrag makes it quite clear that Wylon Montclair blames Verandis for his wife's gradually deteriorating condition:
:Baroness Leila Montclair: ''"We shouldn't have left the guards behind, Weylon. Who knows what else we're going to run into?"
:Lleraya Montclair: "There was no choice, Mother. You're getting worse and we can't wait for them."
:Gwendis: "I'll stay here and protect the way out. Keep watch in case the guards catch up with us. The rest of you need to keep moving."
:Baron Wylon Montclair: "Thank you, Gwendis. At least you retain and sense of honor."
:Baroness Leila Montclair: "Wylon, you have to stop blaming Verandis. This wasn't his fault."

Immediately after the party enters the Doomcrag, you are attacked by a host of skeletal warriors, which you will need to defeat before you can continue to forge onward. You will have plenty of support during this battle, since everyone but Leila, who feels to ill to fight, helps you to defeat the skeletons. Once the skeletons have been dealt with, it is time to follow the Montclairs and Reezal-Jul deeper into the Doomcrag. 

|thumb|left|"Wylon, my love, I'm afraid."
Upon reaching the highest point of the mid tier, you need - surprise! - to fight yet another group of undead opponents to gain access to the top tier, where the relic which you seek is located. Continue to follow the Montclairs further upwards still until they finally stop just outside the relic chamber. You may enter the chamber at once, but it is also possible to speak with Baron Montclair at this point, in which case it quickly becomes clear just how unwilling he is to give up what he views as his last chance to save his wife despite the clear signs that things might not work out as well as he is convinced they will.
 

|thumb|right|The ritual goes very wrong and Leila becomes a bloodfiend
Observe the ritual, which will automatically begin after you have finished speaking with Montclair and which does not work out as everyone but Reezal-Jul, whose ulterior motives are soon after revealed, had hoped. Leila bends down in pain, stating that something feels wrong, which prompts Wylon to ask Verandis to aid them by imbuing the relic with his power. The act leaves Verandis, who indeed chooses to help, temporarily weakened, while the ritual continues in an increasingly disconcerting fashion:
:Baron Wylon Montclair: "Anyamis alata! Malatua latta mitta jorane mori!"
:Baron Wylon Montclair: "Vasha anya belda sancre!"
:Lleraya: "Father... what... what's happening to us?"
:Reezal-Jul: "It's working! It's working! Soon the power will be ours to command!"

While Verandis continues to helplessly observe the ritual, the room is flooded in red light and the Baron, his daughter and Reezal-Jul are one by one turned into vampires while the Baroness is turned into a bloodfiend. Distressed and in severe pain, the Baroness begs Verandis to put her out of her misery before she turns feral. With no other choice, Verandis kills Leila while the other three remain immobilized for the time being, as a result of the effects that the ritual has had on them. 

After you (Verandis) have killed Leila, Baron Montclair, now a powerful vampire, snaps out of whatever it was that was keeping him from reacting anytime sooner and threatens furiously to kill you because of what you have done to his wife. Empowered by the ritual, the Baron strikes you down, but fortunately, Gwendis returns just in time to prevent him from finishing you off and quickly takes you away before things can get even worse than they already are.

|thumb|left|Verandis wants to discuss your findings with you
Having reached the end of the memories which Verandis wanted you to see, you reawaken in the present. Verandis will want to speak with you about what you have just helped him to learn, along with what should happen next: 

At this, Verandis will hand you some gold and the  . Continue talking with him to see what the urgent matter is.
 
Bugs
 
This issue can be fixed by abandoning the prologue quest.

Quest Stages