Online:Nendirume

Nendirume is a High Elf Star-Gazer and scholar found near Skyreach Wayshrine, just before Skyreach Hold. She requests your help for stopping the Scaled Court from harvesting nirncrux deep inside the hold.
 

Related Quests


Quest-Related Events
As you approach, you'll hear her complain, ''"Curse these Scaled Court vermin! A wellspring of research beneath our feet, and they're tearing it apart. I wish there was someone around who could stop them."

When you speak to Nendirume near the Skyreach Hold, she will try to stop you before reconsidering:
:"You there! You can't go any farther. It's the Scaled Court. They've taken over the ruined city. They're tearing apart Skyreach Hold in their search for more nirncrux. Unless, of course, you've come to stop them. Could I really be that fortunate?"
:Nirncrux?
:"Yes, nirncrux. A crimson stone found only in this region. We considered the rare element to be dangerous and worthless. But the Scaled Court calls it "the blood of Nirn." They've shown that the power contained within the stone is quite phenomenal."
:What can the Scaled Court do with the nirncrux?
:"The better question might be, what can't they do? If they locate a large source of nirncrux and figure out how to use it, well … anything is possible! So tell me. Have you come to stop these Serpent-loving, thrice-damned nuisances or what?"
:I'll enter Skyreach Hold and try to stop them.

You can then ask Nendirume to tell you more about nirncrux, Skyreach Hold and the Scaled Court:
:"Thanks to the bravery of people such as you, we scholars can do our own part to make the world a better place. I need to return to Dragonstar. My companions need to know what's happening here. When you find the Scaled Court, show them no mercy."
::What else can you tell me about nirncrux? / Tell me more about nirncrux?
::"It exists only in Upper Craglorn, as far as I know. The locals call it red brittle. They considered it useless until the Scaled Court arrived. I hoped to gather samples to study, but the Scaled Court has devoured every grain it can get its hands on."
:::You must have some theories about the element.
:::"Some of my colleagues believe that the Nedes created the Mundus Stones and set them in place across Tamriel. They were able to imbue their stonework with Aetherial energy—using techniques we can't replicate today. I believe nirncrux was the key."
::::But why does the Scaled Court want nirncrux?
::::"I believe they rediscovered lost processes and seek more nirncrux in the ruins. I'm not sure what nirncrux does. Not exactly. But if it utilizes Aetherial energy in some way, then the power it provides could be as vast as the stars themselves."
::Tell me more about these ruins.
::"This is Skyreach, the greatest of the Nedic cities. It proves that the Nedes weren't all just simple farmers and uncultured barbarians as the histories would have us believe. The construction is incredible, spanning the entire Dragontail Mountain."
:::Does anyone still live there?
:::"No, not since the Yokudan invasion and the fall of the Nedes. Skyreach is falling apart and much of it is unstable. I expect that even the great towers will eventually collapse. Someday, no one will remember that this magnificent place even existed."
::::Why didn't the Yokudans claim Skyreach for themselves?
::::"Legends say the Yokudans found something terrible inside and collapsed many of the passages to bury it. Even today, Redguards claim the place is cursed. I don't believe that, but the Scaled Court's arrival certainly hasn't made the ruins any safer."
::Tell me more about the Scaled Court / What else can you tell me about the Scaled Court? / What do you know about the Scaled Court?
::"You won't find a more twisted bunch in all of Tamriel. They worship the Celestial Serpent. To them, chaos is the process by which the world sheds its diseased skin. So to speak. And the Scaled Court sees itself as the catalyst of this change."
:::And why have they come to Skyreach again?
:::"The Scaled Court is a nest of thieves and cutthroats. They've come to Skyreach to steal its ancient secrets&mdash;including the secret of the primal element, nirncrux. With nirncrux, I believe the Scaled Court can bolster its power a thousandfold."

After killing Arnoth:

:"By the Eight. you're alive! You've been gone for so long. I was beginning to think I should have tried harder to keep you out of the ruins.   But tell me, was what I feared true? Was the Scaled Court harvesting more nirncrux?"
:Yes, they were collecting nirncrux. I defeated someone called Arnoth, a Scaled Court exarch
:"Exarch Arnoth? I've heard his name whispered in fear, even among the Scaled Court. If you killed him, you've dealt a far greater blow to the Serpent's cult than you can imagine. Perhaps now we'll be able to learn more about the nirncrux element."

Post-Quest:
:"It must have been gruesome work, but thanks again for dealing with the Scaled Court in Skyreach Hold. I'm sure you saved many lives. I only hope the Scaled Court doesn't return to try again. That would be disastrous."''