Oblivion:Squandered Mine

It contains three zones: Squandered Mine, Squandered Mine Snake Works, and Squandered Mine Wind Holes.

It overlooks the farm of Drakelowe just down the hill to the southwest.
 
Related Quests

Notes
One section of this cave, containing the Grand Soul Gem and boss-level Undead in Squandered Mine Wind Holes, does not exist unless you have reached at least stage 30 of the Vampire Cure quest.
This mine contains 11 Cairn Bolete plants and 82 Wisp Stalk plants.

 
Exterior

The exterior is located at coordinates: Tamriel 31, 11
This location's map marker (M on map) is named Squandered Mine (editor name SquanderedMineMapMarker). The entrance door is SW of the marker, 50 feet away.
1 Wilderness Creature (Forested Mountains variety) is near the entrance
The following plants can be found near the entrance: 14 Blackberry bushes, 8 Lettuce plants, 10 Strawberry bushes, and 5 Tobacco plants

 
Zone 1:
thumb|right|267px|Squandered Minethumb|right|Squandered Mine interior
Squandered Mine contains a fair share of bandit opposition, but the chests inside make the mine well worth exploring. Upon entering the mine, head through a short tunnel; watch out for the Tripwire at F that activates a Swinging Mace (E). After passing the trap, you will find yourself in a room with a silver vein and two chests containing minor loot; one of these chests is located behind some loose planks at G. Proceed forward and enter a tiny room containing a minor loot chest guarded by one foe. Continue onward to enter a bandit camp complete with a fire, a practice dummy, a bedroll at b, a silver vein, two enemies, and a locked chest containing some minor loot. Ignore the first path on your right for now as it leads to the next zone. Instead, head east through the north tunnel to find yourself in a room with a chest guarded by two foes. After taking care of the opposition and looting the chest, continue forward into a smaller chamber with a chest guarded by two more foes. After looting the chest, backtrack to the bandit camp and enter the previously ignored tunnel to reach a room guarded by one foe; be sure to loot the chest in the south part of the room behind the woodwork. Locate door C and enter it to reach the next zone, Squandered Mine Snake Works.      

Occupants:
8 Bandit Enemies (each 50% probability melee , 25% archer Bandit, 12% Dog, 12% Nuisance Animal)
Treasure:
3 Chests 01
3 Chests 02 (2 locked)
1 Chest 03
2 Silver Veins (non-respawning)
The following plants will always be found: 1 Cairn Bolete plant and 2 Wisp Stalk plants
Traps:
2 Swinging Mace traps at location E on map
1 Tripwire trigger at F
Doors and Gates:
There are two doors in/out of this zone
1 door (at Out) leads outside
1 door (at C) leads to the zone Squandered Mine Snake Works
1 Break-away wall ('Push Loose Planks') at G
Other:
1 bedroll at location b on map

 

Zone 2:
thumb|right|292px|Squandered Mine Snake Works
This zone is even more linear than the first area but continued bandit opposition will make exploration somewhat difficult. Upon entering, grab the minor loot from the chest to your right. Proceed forward to reach a room containing an enemy, a silver vein, and a locked chest containing minor loot. Continue ahead to enter another room guarded by one foe; be sure to loot the locked minor loot chest in the north part of the room behind the woodwork. Continue onward to find yourself in a corridor with an opponent patrolling the area. After defeating this foe, loot the silver vein and the minor loot chest right beside it and push the loose planks at G to reach another chest. Continue forward to reach a large room that greets you with a Tripwire at F that activates two Swinging Logs (E). Loot the chest to your immediate right and head down to the lower level of the area to battle two foes guarding a chest. After looting the potions from the chest, head back to the upper level of the room and obtain the minor loot from the chest in the northwest corner of the room. Proceed forward to reach the last chamber of this zone, which contains two enemies and chests. After looting the chests, locate door D and enter it to reach the next zone, Squandered Mine Wind Holes.   

Occupants:
7 Bandit Enemies (each 50% probability melee , 25% archer Bandit, 12% Dog, 12% Nuisance Animal)
Treasure:
1 Chest 01
3 Chests 02 (1 locked)
5 Chests 03
1 Chest 04
2 Silver Veins (non-respawning)
The following plants will always be found: 2 Cairn Bolete plants and 5 Wisp Stalk plants
Traps:
2 Swinging Log traps at location E on map
1 Tripwire trigger at F
Doors and Gates:
There are two doors in/out of this zone
1 door (at C) leads to the zone Squandered Mine
1 door (at D) leads to the zone Squandered Mine Wind Holes
1 Break-away wall ('Push Loose Planks') at G

 
Zone 3:
thumb|right|250px|Squandered Mine Wind Holesthumb|right|The hidden Vampire Cure room
Upon entering this zone, you will find yourself in the lower level of a large chamber. Two chests containing minor loot can be found in the lower level of this room but the three bandit foes in the area will make looting these chests difficult. After taking care of the opposition and looting the chests, head south through the tunnel where you could possibly reach an intersection (see the note below). If the rock wall (G) is no longer there, you can head into a small room to battle a boss-level undead (A) to obtain a grand soul gem at S. After exploring this path or if the path does not exist yet, head northwest through a tunnel; watch out for the Tripwire at F that activates a painful Falling Logs trap (E). Eventually, you will reach a room containing a minor loot chest guarded by one foe. Continue onward to reach the final chamber of this dungeon and battle the two foes inside. After defeating the opposition, loot the locked chest inside the room to obtain some minor loot. You will now have to backtrack to the beginning of this zone and enter door D to head back into Squandered Mine Snake Works.     

Note: One section of this zone does not exist unless you have started the Vampire Cure quest. At stage 30 of that quest (when Melisande tells you she wants five Grand Soul Gems), rock wall G and the tunnel behind it is added to the dungeon. Before that point, the tunnel, the boss-level undead, and the soul gem do not exist, even if you use Console commands such as tcl. Following the quest, the section remains in place for the remainder of the game.  

Occupants:
1 boss-level Bones Undead at location A on map (only if Vampire Cure quest has been started, see above).
7 Bandit Enemies (each 50% probability melee , 25% archer Bandit, 12% Dog, 12% Nuisance Animal)
Treasure:
1 empty grand soul gem at location S on map (only if Vampire Cure quest has been started)
2 Chests 01
1 Chest 02 (locked)
1 Chest 03
The following plants will always be found: 8 Cairn Bolete plants and 75 Wisp Stalk plants
Traps:
1 Falling Log trap at location E on map
1 Tripwire trigger at F
Doors and Gates:
There is one door (at D) in/out of this zone, leading to the zone Squandered Mine Snake Works
1 Rock Wall at G (disappears once Vampire Cure quest is at Stage 30 or higher)