Shivering:Relmyna Verenim

Relmyna Verenim is a Dark Elf sorceress who normally resides and conducts bizarre experiments inside Xaselm. A rare individual in the Shivering Isles, Relmyna was actually chosen and brought over by Lord Sheogorath himself. She had previously and repeatedly been outcast and shunned from the Mages Guild for her interest, theories, and subsequent physical human trials on pain and suffering. Sheogorath, however, so admired her "fresh" way of thinking and lack of remorse or sympathy for other individuals, that he found her to be a perfect inhabitant of the Isles. Relmyna is the creator of the Gatekeeper that guards the Gates of Madness from unworthy adventurers, and, during  Rebuilding the Gatekeeper, she will reluctantly repeat the process and perform the ritual for Lord Sheogorath.

Relmyna wears elegant Dementia clothing suitable for a powerful Sorceress, a Black Finery that covers her entire body, along with a gold necklace. She carries two leveled potions, three leveled, ranged combat scrolls of the best possible quality for your level and a few pieces of gold. Not surprisingly, she knows a huge set of spells; the basic ones are a variety of necromancer and sorcerer spells, a special conjurer spell used to revive her victims in Xaselm and the ultra-strong Exalted Pain spell that will instantly kill you at lower levels. 
 
Although she is only involved with two quests, Through the Fringe of Madness and Rebuilding the Gatekeeper, Relmyna is one of the most influential characters in the Isles and ultimately one of the most complex. Use the Table of Contents to navigate between the many sections covering Relmyna's multitude of quest-related routines and dialogue:

 
left
Through the Fringe of Madness
 
Passwall
Upon entering the Isles for the first time, before The Fringe is attacked, she stays at The Wastrel's Purse in Passwall where she tutors her apprentice, Nanette Don. Until you have witnessed the demise of some unfortunate adventurers by hands of her "child", the formidable Gatekeeper, she will stay inside her blood-soaked room 24 hours a day. She is seemingly hostile towards strangers and if you try to approach her, she will invite you to meet her child; ''"If you think I'm interested in whatever you're selling, you're wrong. I'm not. Why don't you go play with the Gatekeeper? Run along now." When asked about the Gatekeeper she will say: "You want to know about my child? Go see for yourself. He guards the Gates at the top of the hill. Be warned, he doesn't play nice." When asked about the Gates of Madness she will provide an important clue: "One leads to Mania, one to Dementia. Two shades of madness. You're not getting in because you're not blessed by Sheogorath. You can try to get the keys. My Lord had them sewn into my child's body. I wonder if you are a fast bleeder, or a slow bleeder." She will also comment on Passwall: "Quaint, isn't it? Passwall sits in the Fringe of the Shivering Isles. It's where the supplicants wait while the Blessing of Sheogorath takes hold." After that statement, she will provide some information on the Gardens of Flesh and Bone: "It is where the body of my child was grown, and the resting place of his less fortunate siblings. You have no business going there."

The Child
After the adventurers have been slain, and their captain have fled the scene, she will change her behavior slightly and will, at 11pm, leave the Purse for an evening conversation with the Gatekeeper, a creation she obviously made to impress Sheogorath. Apparently, she is obsessed with the Madgod and her nightly visits to the Gatekeeper always ends up with her crying because he abandoned her. During these nightly visits she will choose five sentences from the following options:

thumb|Relmyna and her "child".
:"Well, my child, how are you this evening?"
:"My dearest, how are you feeling tonight, child?"
:"I'm so glad to see you, my dear child. How are you?"

:"I see you have been playing rough with the other boys. They are weak and you are strong!"
:"Look at all the bones around you! You have been a busy little boy, haven't you?"
:"I'm so proud of you, my child. You crush our Lord's enemies into dust."

:"Just looking at you reminds me of... Him. Why has He forsaken us?"
:"You are strong like Him. I made you for Him. But still He refuses me. Why?"
:"Seeing you warms my cold heart. Why has He forsaken us?"

:"No, it's too much. I don't know why I keep coming to visit you!"
:"I'm sorry child, it's just too much for me. I must leave now!"
:"Why does it still hurt, after all these years? Why?"

:"No. You mustn't come near me when I'm crying... you remember what happened last time you touched my tears!"
:"No, not now! Don't you remember what happened last time you touched my tears? Keep away!"
:"Stay away. My tears, they burn you! Don't you remember? Stay back, child!"''

thumb|left|Relmyna in her blood-soaked room in Shivering:The Wastrel's Purse|The Wastrel's Purse
This conversation usually takes her just over an hour and she will return to the Purse between midnight and 1am. In her room, a revealing Letter to Sheogorath can now be found in her room and when approached at this stage, Relmyna will have a whole different set of information for you: ''"Well, what have we here? Another hopeful whose blessing hasn't fully taken root? No, I don't think so. You're an adventurer?  How disgusting. Why don't you go back the way you came?" When you ask her about the Gatekeeper, you will receive a quest update and some revealing information: "The Gatekeeper is my child, the consummation of Sheogorath's wisdom in the womb of my genius. It was a painful and bloody birth, but well worth it. His brothers were less... successful. He won't bother those blessed by Lord Sheogorath. You, however, will die trying to get the keys from my child." When you threaten to kill her child, she will just threaten you back: "Try him if you like. Believe me, after you die, I can put your flesh and bones to very good use." If you claim you are blessed by Sheogorath himself, she will laugh: "You? Hah! No. You have a "conventional" type of soul. But, I don't make that decision. The Shivering Isles belong to Lord Sheogorath.   to me, I'd cut you open and show you just how uninspired your blood is. No. You won't be getting in." and "I'm bored with you. Why don't you talk to Nanette? She likes talking. I'll need to cure her of that habit soon enough. There's one sure way to stop a tongue from flapping: cut it out. Shall I demonstrate?"
 

The Apprentice
thumb|"I'm going to be a powerful sorceress. Just like Relmyna!"
Nanette Don will have several things to say about Relmyna. She will explain her presence in Passwall and her dedication to Relmyna with the words: "I wasn't sure why I came here, until she showed up. Now I know. I'm going to be a powerful sorceress. Just like Relmyna!" If you ask Nanette about the Gatekeeper, she will proudly say: "He's the crowning achievement of Relmyna Verenim. She's my teacher." After you have witnessed the death of the adventurers, Nanette will not prove Relmyna wrong. When her disposition is raised above 70, she will be more than happy to share the juicy secret about her mentor: "I've been dying to tell someone. You seem trustworthy enough... but don't tell Relmyna I said anything! Her Gatekeeper is flawed! Her tears hurt him! Her tears somehow agitate the daedra bound to the Gatekeeper's body. Her tears make it really restless. It strains harder against the warding magic. She may seem like a tough woman, but the Gatekeeper makes her all weepy. Go see for yourself. She visits him every night, around midnight. Just don't tell her I said anything. I might get another lesson in the nature of Pain. I don't like those lessons very much."'' This treachery will cause Nanette to learn the true nature of Pain, as Relmyna will punish her thoroughly back in Xaselm.

Leaving Passwall
At this point, a closer look at Relmyna's evening visits to the Gatekeeper will prove that Nanette is right. Relmyna will, at the end of the conversation, drop a handkerchief containing three potions of 'Relmyna's Tears', a powerful poison and an effective weapon against her creation. After you have fought the Gatekeeper, with the inevitable result, Relmyna will be furious and refuse to even speak to you, just hissing the words: ''"You've killed my child! How dare you! Get out of my sight!" The moment you locate Sheogorath and finish the quest, the furious Sorceress will leave Passwall, followed by Nanette Don, and lock herself up inside the Sanctum of Vivisection of her real home, the ancient ruin of Xaselm.


left

Rebuilding the Gatekeeper
 
Sheogorath
Later in the main quest, after Passwall have been invaded by the Forces of Order, Sheogorath will demand the creation of a new Gatekeeper and task you to seek out Relmyna for help: "You will seek the assistance of Relmyna Verenim in Xaselm to rebuild the Gatekeeper. You remember the creature you killed to get in here? You'll need to speak with Relmyna Verenim. She'll help you with your task. Strange woman. Has some unusual tastes." And he will elaborate: "A powerful Sorceress. Maybe a genius. And a complete lunatic. All in all, my kind of person. I brought her to my Realm so she could continue to study her "sixth element." Honestly, I didn't know there were five already. She's a bit obsessed with it. And with Me. Makes dealing with her difficult. You shouldn't have any problems, though. No one likes you that much." He will send you on your way in typical style: "Go talk to Relmyna in Xaselm. Tell her you're working for me. She'd do anything for me, that little minx." Upon exiting conversation he will comment: "Send Relmyna my love. That'll get her going."

Haskill will provide you with some interesting background information as well: "She is a powerful sorceress. She believes she has found a "sixth element," the element of Flesh. She was expelled from the Mages Guild for this belief, and for the... extreme nature of her experiments. Our Lord took interest and brought her here, so Relmyna might continue her work, free of those provincial notions of decency and morality. You will find her in her Sanctum, hidden away in the dungeon of Xaselm." When asked about Xaselm, he will add: "Our Lord is always acquainted with Sorceress Verenim's current whereabouts. Her affections have caused Him unnecessary annoyance in the past."

Xaselm
After surviving the horrors of Xaselm, you will encounter Relmyna in the now unsealed Sanctum of Vivisection, methodically experimenting on a bunch of caged victims, all naked and chained, screaming in pain. She will torture them one by one, methodically writing down their reactions in her book. Every time a victim dies from the torture, she will revive them, and continue her inhuman experiments in search of the "sixth element.", mentioned in her unsettling Experiment Log and Unproductive Musings, both of which can be found and studied near the torture chamber. Every once in a while, Relmyna will leave the victims behind and calmly walk down in the southeastern part of the Vivisection and kneel three times in front of a bust of Sheogorath. After praying, she will walk back to her experimentation chamber and start over while the victims scream and cry in pain. She will do this routine 24 hours a day.
While torturing the victims, Relmyna will coldly observe them and make comments, choosing from a random set of macabre remarks:
 
thumb|"At this moment, which hurts more, your insides or your outsides?"
:"Let's see how much of this you can take before dying, shall we?"
:"Don't worry, if you die I will bring you back to life. We have much left to accomplish."
:"Does this hurt more or less than last time?"
:"Very interesting."
:"How does this make you feel?"
:"Please indicate on a scale of one to ten, how much pain you are feeling at this moment."
:"It appears this level of pain causes you some distress. Interesting."
:"Each person's pain threshold is different, isn't it?"
:"Thank you for your assistance in my research."
:"Hmmm. Is this too much pain?"
:"I hope this is as much fun for you as it is for me."
:"Tell me, how does this feel?"
:"At this moment, which hurts more, your insides or your outsides?"

When you approach her, it becomes clear she still remembers what happened in Passwall: "You! I remember you. You're the adventurer who slew my Gatekeeper, are you not?"''

A Mother's Scorn
You may respond to her accusation however you like; the only difference between the three options is the level of scorn Relmyna shows for you: 
''No. You are mistaken.: "Am I, really? I think not. Be that as it may, on what authority do you disturb my work?" 
  "Now you make excuses? Pathetic. On what authority have you weaseled into my sanctum and disturbed my work, hmm?" 
Yes, I slew him. I needed to get in.: "The ends justify the means, do they? You'll pay for that, one day. Now, by all means, come right in, walk in here as if you own the place.... By what authority do you disturb me?!"''

Whether you answer by invoking the Madgod's name, or your position as a Duke/Duchess of Madness, Relmyna is insulted and retorts with some scathing insults, mocking you as Sheogorath's mortal lackey before demanding a reason for your presence:
''By authority of your Lord Sheogorath!: "I see. Sheogorath is too important to come on his own account? He sends his mortal lackey? Well, then. I trust my servants didn't give you too hard a time getting in here. Haha! What is it Sheogorath's lackey requires of me?"
By my authority as Duke/Duchess!: "Ah. That confirms it. You're the new Duke/Duchess. The stink of hubris surrounds you! My Lord allows you to lick his boot straps, does he? Well, then. I trust my servants didn't give you too hard a time getting here. Haha! Perhaps the Duke/Duchess would like to explain his/her business?"''

At this point, the conversation can take two paths: Continuing to make demands in the name of the Madgod results in an incredulous response and maintains the conversation's unpleasant tension. On the other hand, politely explaining your task results in a far more pleasant, though still undoubtedly frosty, reply.
''My lord demands a new Gatekeeper!: "Oh? Does he now?"
A new Gatekeeper is required, milday.: "Ah, your tone is more in line with my station. Please, continue."

Just one more bout of verbal sparring with the sorceress and you will finally receive the information and assistance you require. Whether you demand her help or compliment her abilities, she tells you the same thing; due to her grief over the death of her child, she refuses to visit his "womb," and instead entrusts the task to you:
Lord Sheogorath commands it!: "Fine. If it be my Lord's will, then it is also my own. But, I am too distraught over the death of my child to return to his womb. This, you must do. You will travel to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone. There, you will gather mystical components needed for the ceremony. Go fetch me Blood Liqueur, Osseous Marrow, Dermis Membrane, and Essence of Breath. And take this key. It will allow you into the Gardens and give you direct access to my Sanctum."
Will you lend us your powerful magic?: "Yes, powerful magic indeed. It is proper that you bid me kindly, lest I show you the meaning of pain and suffering. Alas, I am still distraught over the destruction of my sweet child. I cannot return to his womb. You must do this. You will travel to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone. There you will gather mystical components needed for the ceremony. Go fetch me Blood Liqueur, Osseous Marrow, Dermis Membrane, and Essence of Breath. And take this key. It will allow entry into the Gardens and give you direct access to my Sanctum."
thumb|left|Back to work, unless...
When asked specifically about the Components you are supposed to collect, she will repeat: "You will travel to the Gardens of Flesh and Bone and collect for me these things: Blood Liqueur, Osseous Marrow, Dermis Membrane, and the Essence of Breath." When asked how the things should be collected, she will taunt you: "Are you not the exalted Duke/Duchess? Slayer of the great Gatekeeper? Champion of our mighty Lord Sheogorath? I'm sure you'll be able to find these things, if not, perhaps Sheogorath's faith in you is misplaced. Go now. You try my patience." Finally, she will provide some information on Gardens of Flesh and Bone: "For many years, I labored painstakingly in those Gardens, until my back bent and my soul became crooked. But the fruits born of that labor were the essential components of true Flesh. You will go there and gather the components needed to bring my new child into this world." After this conversation, Relmyna will return to her vicious experiments on the victims and will keep it up unless you talk to her about Victims'' and convince her to leave them alone; see next section for details.
 

Exalted Pain
From this point forward, it is possible to participate in a mini-quest that will net you the Manacles of Pain and stop her from torturing the caged Victims, providing you are strong enough to survive Relmyna's toughest spell, Exalted Pain, which hits you with 1 point of damage/second to Agility, Endurance, Strength and Willpower, and 10 points damage/second to your Health and Magicka for 5 seconds. You will have to insist that she leaves her victims alone and, eventually, take their place, in the process experiencing what they are going through in their cages. Each time you insist, a new answer is provided, ending with Relmyna casting the spell at you. When you ask about Victims for the very first time, she will explain: 
thumb|"This might hurt a little."
:''"Oh, you mean my research subjects? Don't trouble yourself with their fates. They are volunteers, of one sort or another. Besides, they are furthering important research into the nature of pain and suffering, of life and death. Don't be concerned. I always return the worthy ones to life. Besides, Lord Sheogorath has sanctioned my studies and my methods. Any loyal servant of the Madgod would respect His decision in this matter." 
:"I know your type. You believe yourself better than everyone else. You persecute genius when you find it, because we are able to see around the sharp corners of your simplified "morality." I see the vast horizons of thought, while you cannot see past the tip of your own nose. I can grant the guilty the cleansing fire of retribution, so they may die purified of soul. And, I can grant the worthy everlasting life! And what can you offer the world, except the hot air escaping through that hole in your head?"
:"Out of deference to my Lord Sheogorath, I will allow this outburst. In fact, I will acquiesce to your request. But only if you can prove to me the sincerity of your position, and the depth of your conviction. Are you willing to trade places with these souls, to bear the full weight of their pain and afflictions? Weigh this question carefully."
:"Are you sure? You will not easily heal the damage done to you. This is a permanent sacrifice you are making. In fact, it is likely you will die. Perhaps you had better reconsider."
:"Truly? Very well. I wasn't quite finished with them, but as long as you remain in Sheogorath's favor, I will not conduct experiments on THESE people."
:"Very well. This might hurt a little."
She will then cast Exalted Pain on you, and you will immediately be knocked off your feet. If you survive the deadly spell, you can ask Relmyna about Exalted Pain; she will then hand you the reward and comment: "Did you like that? Pain can be pleasure. You enjoy being in pain, do you? Here, I'm sure you'll enjoy these then." After this, Relmyna will keep her word and leave the victims alone; instead, she will wander aimlessly around the Sanctum all day. At midnight, she will enter her chambers and sleep for six hours. If you decide to experiment on the victims yourself, Relmyna will break off this new routine and revive the victim.

Body Parts
thumb|left|Even Shivering:Failed Experiment|Failed Experiments are noteworthy
When you return with the four components, you will find Relmyna standing next to two Failed Experiments, busy scribbling down research results in her notebook. When you disturb her, she will task you yet again: "You have returned with all the components? Excellent. All that remains is to choose the body parts." When asked to elaborate she will say: "Fearing one day someone might manage to kill my child, I have been preparing a new body. I've created versions of each appendage, with various enhancements. You must choose one of each. I am attached to them all. Artist's prerogative." If you ask her about Body Parts again, she will simply say: "Select one pair of legs, one left arm, right arm, torso, head, and heart. See me when you have finished your selections." After this conversation, she will return to her usual routine, torturing the caged victims. After you have chosen the requested limbs, Relmyna will tell you what happens next: "You've made your selection. Now, we travel to the statue of our Lord, in the Fringe. There we will perform the ceremony. Make haste!" She will then leave Xaselm through the back entrance and travel all the way to Passwall by foot, without ever breaking a sweat. If the wildlife is foolish enough to attack her, she simply uses her powerful spells to dispose of them. After having passed through the Gates of Madness, the Sorcerer will position herself in front of the giant Sheogorath statue separating the Gates. She will then point her arms towards the sky and start the ritual.
 

The Ritual
During the ritual, she will occasionally pause and ask you to put the four components into the Cistern of Substantiation, one by one. After you have done so she will continue the ritual until the Gatekeeper rises from the Cistern:

thumb|Relmyna creates a new Gatekeeper
"First, place the Gatekeeper's body into the Cistern of Substantiation. At the beginning of the worlds were five. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, and Light. Darkness turned into day, the void took form. Hidden away, by virtue of its own self-awareness, was the sixth, containing within it the five which birthed it. Flesh! Meat with the desire to consume like Fire.... Place the Dermis Membrane into the cistern. Blood, liquid nutrient, that ocean which casts pearls of life upon the shores of existence.... Place the Blood Liqueur into the Cistern of Substantiation. Bone, branch and stone of the body, giving shape and structure.... Place the Osseous Marrow into the cistern. Breath, child of air, bestowing movement, the stirring of spirit.... Place the Essence of Breath into the Cistern of Substantiation. And last, the light of Flesh, the illumination of Soul -- perception, thought, memory, imagination.... I summon thee, walker in Flesh! Flesh of true Flesh! From those waters of Oblivion which sire thy kind. Come to this altar. Join with this body. Quintessence of Flesh joined with the Essence of Flesh. Absolute in mortal. Immortal bound to contingent. Stand clear of the cistern. Over here by me. Honored Daedra, fear not thy abasement! Thou shalt be the Holy in this Temple. I bind thee Atronach to this body, henceforth Gatekeeper of the Shivering Isles. My child. It is time to fulfill your destiny. Stand guard in this land against all those who seek entry not bearing the mark of Sheogorath's favor. You shall know them by the coldness in their minds. A darkness of spirit. What's this? My child, they are coming. Destroy them! Show them your true power! Watch my child destroy the interlopers, or run to Sheogorath. Either way, tell Him of our doings here. Send Him my tribute... and my affections."

When all is said and done, Relmyna will return to her experiments inside Xaselm. As soon as you finish the quest by talking to Sheogorath, she loses her Essential status but will stay secured in the Sanctum of Vivisection for the rest of the game.

Stage-Dependent Dialogue
At different stages in the Main Quest, Relmyna will share different rumors with you and other NPCs:
My child will smash to a bloody pulp any adventurer who tries to get into the realm.
Someone killed my poor child! And my Lord cares little. So be it. Let the adventurers in. I don't care anymore.
Foolish adventurers are being pulled into the Resonator of Judgment.
Thadon's a fool. Who cares about his precious Chalice?
Syl enjoys having people tortured. She's a rank amateur. I could teach her a few things.
So, the Great Torch burns. I know something about burning. The human body makes a pretty good torch, especially the fattier parts.
A new Duke in Crucible? They're all just bags of meat to me.
Thadon's dead? They're all just bags of meat to me.
With the Gatekeeper gone, the Knights of Order have been causing trouble in the Fringe.
My new Gatekeeper is a miracle. He's perfect.
The power of Sheogorath doesn't lie in armies. Power comes from the willingness to do things others won't.
Our Lord is too scared to face the Greymarch, is he? Coward! Good riddance.
Maybe now that Jyggalag is gone, Sheogorath will finally return my affections.''
Related Quests



Notes
As with numerous other NPCs, Relmyna doesn't employ the principles required to partake in the Speechcraft minigame.