Online:Depths of Madness

Quick Walkthrough
#Talk to Eminelya near the entrance to the Vale.
#Find out what happened to the entourage.
#Rescue Minantille, Merion, and Nuulehtel.
#Defeat the madman holding them captive.
#Return to Eminelya.

Detailed Walkthrough
A Plea For Help
thumb|right|"What will I do? What will I do?"
Making your way north from Tanzelwil to Skywatch, you might encounter Eminelya of the Queen's entourage resting near a campfire to the side of the road. Speak with her to learn that her colleagues have been abducted by a mad mage. The good news is that the Queen is safe, thanks to the fact that the she travels faster than her entourage due to the riding skills of the other members. 
:''"What am I going to do? They've been taken!"
:Are you all right? Who's been taken?
:"The Queen's entourage. They were taken right out of our camp. A madman—a mage—teleported them away. The look in his eye!"
:Do you know where the mage took them?
:"He cackled something about the Vale. It lies just beyond this cave. I've tried to summon up the nerve. But I just can't. Will you go after them? I have these teleportation scrolls. You could use them, get everyone out."
:Give me the scrolls. I'll take care of this.'''

Eminelya will beg you to save the others and will hand you five  .

Agree to help and your quest will begin, with your initial objective pointing you to where they're thought to be held: Glister Vale.

Glister Vale
The easiest route to the vale is via a small cave that runs through the mountainous terrain, with entrances marked on your map during the quest. The cave has several Giant Bats blocking your way, but exits into the Glister Vale. Make your way through the gravestones and wolves to the lone tower overlooking the Vale.

Tower of the Vale
Lanitaale's Greed
thumb|right|"There are so many expensive things here!"
Once inside, you'll find the first entourage member, Lanitaale, obsessively poring over various trinkets and books. Speak with her and tread through her attempts to buy your clothes.
:''"Go away! It's all mine. Sanessalmo said so. Eh. Are you using that weapon? I bet I could get a fair price for it."
:Sorry, it's not for sale. Who's Sanessalmo?
:"A mage. He teleported us all here and started casting some spells, and. Oh, that really is a nice pair of boots you're wearing. Could I just see—"
:Concentrate. Where did the mage go? Where are the other members of the Queen's entourage?
:"Oh they're somewhere back there. I couldn't get Minantille or Merion to give up their shirts. And I really wanted Nuulehtel's pants, but he refused. Misers. You're sure you don't have anything to trade?"
:You know, I do have this very valuable scroll. Why don't you read it over?
:"Ah, beautiful. Look at this handwriting—"''

After cleverly convincing her to read the Teleportation Scroll, she'll disappear to safety.

Meet The Mad Mage
Once Lanitaale disappears, you will hear a projection call out to you from further in the tower. 
:Projection of Sanessalmo: ''"An accountant's greed is rarely distracted. Come, speak with me."'' 

Speak to the projection to learn that this is Sanessalmo, the culprit behind the missing entourage members. He'll nonchalantly admit to the fact that he's been using them as experiments for a type of magic that targets emotions, by trapping them in separate worlds created solely to exploit their greatest emotional weaknesses. He'll also comment on the fact that even though Lanitaale has escaped confinement, she won't be able to escape her greed, possibly hinting that she'll suffer from after-effects of his experiments.
:"Clever. Very clever. Poor woman. Even taken beyond these walls, no accountant is ever freed from her greed. I am Sanessalmo. Welcome to my laboratory."
:'''Where are the other members of the Queen's entourage?
:"Oh, I'm testing them. Much like I did to Lanitaale. Each now resides in a small world of their own making. I'm fascinated by emotion, the power it holds.  I'm afraid to say, but … they're not doing very well."
:Let me free them. Let me participate in your tests.
:"Oh! What a splendid idea. External stimulus in the mix. Here, I'll open portals to their little worlds. Succeed or fail, this should be simply fascinating."''

You'll eventually appeal to him by requesting that Sanessalmo place you into the experiments, allowing you to attempt to rescue them from their vices. He giddily agrees, claiming that regardless of your success or failure, an external influence will make the experiments more interesting. He will then proceed to open the portal to Minantille's Rage.

Minantille's Rage
thumb|left|Minantille's Rage
You'll come out of the portal in a tunnel with a single, lit torch of blue fire to the right. Move forward through the tunnel to reach the main area of the experiment which is volcanic and populated with a large number of Flame Atronachs, most of which are in pairs and are packed tightly together. Low level players can easily become overwhelmed if they allow themselves to get swarmed. There is also a lava flow spanning most of the area, which won't kill you instantly, but does a sizable amount of damage.

As you walk into the expansive main area, Sanessalmo's voice can be heard from all around, making comments about Minantille and hinting at her past and issues. As you traverse her rage, he'll speak one of five dialogue lines at random:
:Sanessalmo: "How can one live with nothing but rage?"
:Sanessalmo: "Minantille was a great general once—stripped of her command."
:Sanessalmo: ''"Minantille's men suffered in death. She suffers in life."
:Sanessalmo: "What is a general without war?"
:Sanessalmo: "Do all soldiers dream of death?"''

Two paths split to the north and south. Go up the north path, which will take you through an area dotted with many dead, burned trees and plenty of Flame Atronachs to extinguish. Make your way up the steep hill, and you'll eventually come to another area flowing with lava, which surrounds a large landmass upon which you can find Minantille. There is no bridge across the lava, so hop over or run through it to reach your objective. 

As soon as you cross the lava, Minantille will ask you to stay away or she will kill you. 
:Minatille: "Get away from me!"
:Minatille: ''"Don't touch me! I'll kill you, you hear me? I'll kill you!"''
thumb|right|Repressed Rage made Manifest
The representation of her repressed anger—Minantille's Rage—will then spawn. Take this opportunity to make the first strike. Minantille's Rage uses an inferno staff, and periodically drops two AoEs that look like rings of flame with a symbol drawn from fire in the center. Even at higher levels, it deals a hefty amount of damage with both its basic fire attack and the AoEs, so dispatch it quickly.

Once Minantille's Rage is defeated, speak with Minantille. 
:"Thank you. Thank you so much. I can think again."
:What was that thing?
:''"Didn't recognize the face, but the armor. That was my old armor from my campaigning days.  I had no idea. All this rage, this hatred, must have been bubbling within me for years."
:We need to get you out of here. Take this teleportation scroll.
:"The sooner I'm clear of this place, the better I'll feel. Speak with you soon, soldier."''

After handing her a Teleport Scroll, Minantille will then disappear back to her companions. Head back to the tower. As you approach the portal leading out of the area, Sanessalmo's projection will appear. 
:Sanessalmo: "A very disgraced general overcomes her anger? How very uplifting."
His projection will then disappear after briefly leaving a red warning circle, and letting off a damaging blast of fire similar to the death of a Flame Atronach. Continue through the portal to rescue the third victim of Sanessalmo's Experiments.

Merion's Bliss
Merion's Bliss is another subterranean space, this time a cave with many mushrooms populating the walls. It's also darker and more surreal than Minantille's Rage. Move forward and take either of the two paths in front of you, which will lead out to the large, main room of Merion's Bliss.

The area is dominated by two massive mushrooms, with several Imps and Giant Bats taking up residence beneath the fungal canopy. The main area has three connected pathways: the east side is where you will come in from, which leads back to the portal. The south and west ends are tunnels, filled with more Imps and Giant Bats, that wind around and up to a second level of Merion's Bliss. The southern, lower path connects to the eastern, upper path. The western, lower path connects to the southern, upper path.
thumb|right|"The picture of true love, those two."
For now, head to the north end of the room where you'll find a wooden platform supporting some amenities that include an Alchemy Station. Merion can also be found here, standing across from a Malevolent Spirit. As you approach, you'll hear Sanessalmo's ever-present voice once more: "The picture of true love, those two." 

Talk with Merion to see how he is—you will quickly see that he has been deluded.
:''"Isn't she beautiful? Where has she been all my life?  We'll be together. Forever."
:You're being manipulated, Merion. It's some kind of spirit.
:No! She's the love of my life. Nothing you can say will change that. I just wish this cave wasn't so dangerous. The poor thing gets scared around these strange mushrooms."
:Strange mushrooms?
:"Yes. I'm an alchemist. Before I met this fine lady, I was worried about magical manipulation. For some reason. Hmm. Anyway, I was going to collect spores, create a potion to guard against ….  Did I mention we're to be married?"
:Concentrate, Merion. How were you going to make the potion?
:"Oh? The recipe's in my pack, I'm sure. Don't know where my pack's gotten to. Why would you need— Yes, my sweet? What was that, you said?"''

With what you have learnt, look for Merion's backpack nearby, which can be found in the main cavern between wo large mushrooms, lying next to several other, smaller mushrooms. You'll also find Merion's Diary, which shows his gradual descent into bliss: starting from a determination to use the mushrooms in creating a potion to protect him from magical illusions, to proclaiming his intent to marry the Malevolent Spirit. Open Merion's Backpack to find the   that you'll need to break Merion's bewitchment.

Much like the previous experiment, Sanessalmo will periodically make comments about Merion's personality.

:Sanessalmo: ''"It's so easy to make Merion happy. For a time."
:Sanessalmo: "Merion's passions control him."
:Sanessalmo: "He really loves alchemy. Everyone mixes well with him."
:Sanessalmo: "If Merion dies here, he dies happy. You'd deny him that?"
thumb|left|"You can't get me out of his head, fool."''
You'll require three ingredients to create the potion. Obtaining each ingredient will cause the Malevolent Spirit to mock Merion's predicament. You can find the ingredients in the following places:

 can be found on the lower, southern path that connects to the upper, eastern path. They're closer to the bottom level, in a group of three. Your first ingredient will bring about the Malevolent Spririt's voice: ''"Merion's soul is mine!"''

 can be found on the lower, western path that connects to the upper, southern path. They're closer to the upper level, and also in a group of three. Acquiring a second ingredient will, once again, cause the Malevolent Spirit to speak: ''"I'm all he can think about. Delicious."

 are found on the upper level, in the northwestern area. They are found in a group of four large, red mushrooms. Activate the final ingredient, and the Malevolent Spirit will mock you once more: "Merion's love is like a fine wine. So heady."

Once you have all three ingredients, you will automatically create the  . 
 
You are to now head back to Merion and free him from the clutches of the Malevolent Spirit. As you approach the duo for the final time, Sanesselamo will plea: "Don't ruin such an innocent love." Ignore his request, and throw the potion at the Malevolent Spirit to exorcise it. 
:Malevolent Spirit: "No! Merion is mine! All mine!"
:Merion: "What? What's happening?"

With Merion more lucid, talk with him to explain what has happened.
:"What happened to me? What was that thing?"
:You're safe now, I think. Do you still want to marry that thing?
:"Marry it? That's ridiculous. I'm already married! And I'm always careful. I never bring up marriage with another woman. That's just asking for trouble."
:Right. We need to get you out of here. Take this teleportation scroll.
:"Ah, very nice. From Eminelya, right? Rather fetching! Even if she is high strung. Thank you, my new friend!"''

After handing him his scroll, he'll also vanish back to Auridon.

Trek back to the tower portal, and encounter Sanesselamo's projection before entering the portal once again. This time he'll disappear harmlessly after showing displeasure at you breaking Merion's 'happiness'. 
:Sanessalmo: "True love denied? How interesting. How cruel."

Back at the tower, the entrance to Merion's Bliss is now gone, and next to its spot has appeared the portal to Nuulehtel's Despair. Enter the portal to save the last member of the Queen's entourage.

Nuulehtel's Despair
thumb|right|"Help me! Please!"
You'll find yourself in, yes, another cave. This time, every inch of the area is covered in solid ice. This experiment, much like the last two, has a theme of enemies—this time it is Wolves and Bears. The layout is that of a large tunnel that's roughly square-shaped, and runs in a complete circuit with small branch passages. Head onward, circling the large column in front of you, and you'll find Nuulehtel next to a lantern, hunched over in despair. Speak with him to learn of his woes, and acquire the goal of creating a fire to warm him up. 
:''"It's so cold. Can barely move. Never get out of here. Not sure I want to."
:Why don't you want to leave?
:"It's got to be colder. Out there. Than it is in here. Please, build us a fire. Warm us up, and we can go."
:What should I use to build the fire?
:"I brought a few things in with me. Oil. Some flint and tinder. And I think I saw a pile of straw somewhere while I was wandering around. Just. Hurry."

The components needed for the fire are  , a  , and some  , all of which are found on each end of the map.

From this point forward, the Sanessalmo will make comments about Nuulehtel and reveal his personal enmity. 
:Sanessalmo: "Nuulehtel, the Queen's herald. The most knowledgeable man in the Aldmeri court."
:Sanessalmo: "Knowing secrets is like slowly freezing to death. Painful. Numbing."
:Sanessalmo: "Nuulehtel announced my expulsion from the Queen's inner circle."
:Sanessalmo: "He suffers. His mind sits on the razor's edge."
:Sanessalmo: "Amazing, isn't it? The Queen chose a herald who can barely stand speaking to others."''

From the area with Nuulehtel, head east, taking a left turn and continuing north down the tunnel. You'll find an alcove to your left, where a Bale of Straw can be found. Take the Straw from the Bale and continue north. The path will take another left turn, heading westward. Half-way along this tunnel, it will curve right and then left again. The point on the curve is where an Explorer's Bag containing a Bottle of Oil can be found. Continue west, until the path turns once more and heads south. Another alcove, this time to your right, can be found with a Dead Explorer that you can obtain Flint and Tinder from. There's also a Faded Note next to the skeleton, which explains how this person was apparently Sanessalmo's adjutant and the shift in the mage's personality after the death of his wife and exile from the Royal Court. 

After grabbing the Flint and Tinder from the skeleton, head back to Nuulehtel's area. A Burnt Campfire can be found near the large ice column. Activate it to light a fire for Nuulehtel. 
:Nuulehtel: ''"Ah, it's so warm. Never thought I'd feel warmth again." 

Speak with him after he proclaims his elation at being warm once again. 
:"You were right, it's so much warmer out here. The cold in there. Terrible!"
:Are you feeling better?
:"Yes. Yes, I am. Thank you. I just couldn't take that first step. I felt safer freezing to death than I did trying to leave the cave. Damned but the mind is a strange thing."
:I have a teleportation scroll here. Take it, and get yourself warmed up.
:"Your kindness shall be remembered. Until we speak again."

On your way back to the portal, Sanessalmo will appear one last time, clearly aggravated by your success in all three experiments.
:Sanessalmo:  "He fears others, yet you forced him from seclusion. How kind."

Finish The Job
thumb|right|"Thank you for your help but, sadly, you're no longer useful to me. Prepare for death!"''
Head back to the portal and you'll find that there are now two portals. You can either take the left portal, which drops you right in Sanasellmo's lair, or you can take the portal back to the tower and use the trap door on the north end of the room. Once you're in his lair, head deeper inward to find the mad mage standing upon a stone platform in the middle of some torch stands. He'll be hostile, so a fight will break out immediately after approaching him.

After defeating the entourage's captor, you can use the final   to quickly leave the tower and return to Eminelya's camp. Speak with Eminelya to learn that the formerly imprisoned entourage members have gone ahead to catch up with the Queen.
:''"You've done it! The rest of the lady's entourage has gone on ahead. Did you deal with the mad man?"
:Yes. I took care of him. He was a mage named Sanessalmo.
:"Sanessalmo? Now that name I remember. Used to be a member of the Queen's inner circle!  You have my deepest gratitude for your service today. I'll be sure the Queen learns of your bravery."''
Finish the dialogue to complete the quest, which will net you some gold and the unique Light Armor Legs:  . Afterwards you can speak with Eminelya to learn more about Sanessalmo.
 
 

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