Arniel's Endeavor

Arniel's Endeavor is a quest available in in which the Dragonborn must assist Arniel Gane, a fellow member of the College of Winterhold, in an experiment he is conducting to reveal the mystery behind the disappearance of the Dwemer.
==Background==
"Arniel Gane has asked for help with a special project he's working on. Although he won't tell me what they're for, he wants me to bring him a number of Dwarven Cogs."''
==Objectives==
#Deliver ten cogs to Arniel Gane
#Speak to Enthir
#Acquire the Staff of Tandil
#Deliver the staff to Enthir
#Talk to Arniel
#Place the warped soul gem into a Convecter
#Heat the Convector
#Retrieve the soul gem
#Place the warped soul gem into another Convector
#Heat the Convector
#Retrieve the soul gem
#Place the warped soul gem into a final Convector
#Heat the Convector
#Retrieve the soul gem
#Deliver the soul gem to Arniel
#Talk to Enthir
#Find the courier
#Deliver the package to Arniel
#Observe Arniel's experiment
==Walkthrough==
After completing the quest "Hitting the Books," the Dragonborn will have the option to ask Arniel Gane if there is anything he can be assisted with. Doing this will start the quest, which has four phases. Speaking to Arniel, who is located in the College of Winterhold, will reveal that he is working on a secret project and requires the Dragonborn's help.
===Part one – Dwemer Cogs===
Arniel will first ask the Dragonborn to find ten Dwemer cogs. Initially, he will not say what he wants them for. This quest may be started either prior to receiving the quest "The Staff of Magnus," or after that quest has been completed. After obtaining the cogs head back to the College.
*The Dwarven storeroom, which is located just outside Mzulft, has four inside.
*Mzulft itself, accessed in the quest "Revealing the Unseen," has many more than ten. Some are in containers or on tables, while others can be looted from defeated automatons.
*The Dwemer Museum in Markarth (Understone Keep) has roughly fifteen. Head right as soon as the museum is entered. There are four under a novice locked case and another ten just lying around.
*Six cogs can be found in the Tower of Mzark. Five are behind the device used during "Discerning the Transmundane." The sixth is in the room that connects to Blackreach on a shelf.
*There are eight cogs in Raldbthar.
This part will become available after the quest "Good Intentions" has begun. Before that, he will not speak about the Dwemer cogs at all.
===Part two – Warped Soul Gem===
After turning in the cogs to Arniel, he requests that Enthir be asked about delivering some purchased goods. After a discussion with Enthir, the Dragonborn is tasked with finding the Staff of Tandil at a random location (some are listed below), and returning it to Enthir as payment for a warped soul gem that is warped beyond the ability to be able to capture a soul.
Known locations of the staff include:
*Ansilvund
*Boulderfall Cave
*Brittleshin Pass
*Cragwallow Slope
*Falkreath Watchtower (crossroads)
*Fellglow Keep
*Harmugstahl
*Hob's Fall Cave
*House of Clan Battle-Born in Whiterun (behind the locked door)
*Ilinalta's Deep
*Morvunskar
*Movarth's Lair
*North Brittleshin Pass
*Rannveig's Fast
*Southfringe Sanctum
*Sunderstone Gorge
*Yngvild
===Part three – Dwemer Convector===
This part of the quest cannot be started until the quest "The Eye of Magnus" is complete.
Upon speaking to Arniel again, it is discovered that his project is going terribly. He claims to have forgotten to take into account the heat gain and has consequently destroyed his only working model.
It is at this point that he reveals he is attempting to discover how the Dwemer disappeared "instantly, and completely" by recreating the event. The parts the Dragonborn helped recover were made into a Dwarven convector, which broke during his last attempt to recreate the event. When asked if he wants to build another, he says that he would rather have the Dragonborn find the convectors, scattered throughout Skyrim, made by the Dwarves themselves. Arniel then teaches the spell required to heat the convectors (a novice Destruction spell). Three seconds of burning with the spell is all that is needed to heat the soul gem. Arniel postulates that by doing this, the Dwemer may possibly be contacted again.
The locations of Dwemer convectors are marked on the map. Some convectors are in locations that can be fast traveled to, and some are not.
*Two northeast of Markarth.
**One just north of Deep Folk Crossing, just beyond the north gazebo and over the hill.
**One due east and across the river from Druadach Redoubt.
*Two near Mzulft.
**One is in the Dwarven storeroom south of the arrival point when fast traveling to Mzulft.
**The second is inside Mzulft, in the first room after the hall on a table.
*One west of Shor's Stone and north of Autumnshade Clearing.
*One south of Ivarstead.
*One at the Ruins of Bthalft.
Upon completing this part of the quest and returning to Arniel, the Dragonborn is thanked and told that the final piece will be arriving soon.
===Part four – Keening===
After leaving the College of Winterhold for a few days after dropping off the modified soul gem, conversing with Arniel again will reveal that once again Enthir is giving him trouble. When Enthir is asked about it, however, he claims that this time it is not actually his fault. He says he did not keep close tabs on this package because Arniel set up the delivery himself. Enthir suggests searching for the courier, and directs the Dragonborn to one of the following radiant locations:
*Autumnshade Clearing
*Broken Helm Hollow
*Cragslane Cavern
*Cragwallow Slope
*Cronvangr Cave
*Darklight Tower
*Darkwater Pass
*Faldar's Tooth
*Gallows Rock
*Lost Knife Hideout
*Mara's Eye Den
*Mistwatch
*Morvunskar
*Pinepeak Cavern
*Tolvald's Cave
*Treva's Watch
*Uttering Hills Cave
*Redwater Den
*Wreck of The Winter War
Once the Dragonborn retrieves the package, which turns out to be the dagger Keening, and returns to the College and gives it to Arniel, he will give a brief monologue about what he is attempting to do, and then proceeds to hit the soul gem with the dagger. Eventually, there is an explosion of energy, and his body vanishes—similar to when the Dwemer vanished after Kagrenac used Keening and the other tools on the Heart of Lorkhan. This leaves Keening on the floor, completes the quest, and gives the Dragonborn a Conjuration spell to summon Arniel's shade.
==Journal==
Arniel's Endeavor (Part 1) – MGRArniel01	Arniel's Endeavor (Part 1) – MGRArniel01
ID 	Journal Entry
10 	Arniel Gane has asked for help with a special project he's working on. Although he won't tell me what they're for, he wants me to bring him a number of Dwarven Cogs.
*Objective 10: Deliver ten cogs to Arniel Gane
200 	I've given Arniel Gane the Dwarven cogs he asked for, and he was quite grateful. He's suggested that there may be more I can help with in the future.
*Quest complete
Arniel's Endeavor (Part 2) – MGRArniel02	Arniel's Endeavor (Part 2) – MGRArniel02
10 	Arniel has asked for more help with his project, though this time the request is very different. Enthir is apparently refusing to follow through on a trade; something Arniel needs for his work. He's asked that I go speak with Enthir on his behalf.
*Objective 10: Speak to Enthir
20 	Arniel asked me to deal with Enthir, who was supposedly refusing to complete a business arrangement. Enthir insists that he hasn't been paid, but will consider the deal done if I acquire a staff for him from <radiant location>.
*Objective 20: Acquire the Staff
30 	
*Objective 30: Deliver the staff to Enthir
40 	I've managed to complete the trade agreement between Enthir and Arniel, and have the object Arniel was interested in. It's some sort of soul gem, though Enthir believes it to be useless. I should deliver it to Arniel.
*Objective 40: Talk to Arniel
200 	I've successfully completed a deal between Enthir and Arniel that is somehow related to Arniel's special project. He claims to be making progress, though I have no idea what that means.
*Quest complete
Arniel's Endeavor (Part 3) – MGRArniel03	Arniel's Endeavor (Part 3) – MGRArniel03
10 	Arniel has finally revealed to me that his secret project deals with the disappearance of the dwarves, though he hasn't been clear about how his work relates to it. He's given me a warped soul gem, and asked me to find several Dwarven Convectors in the various ruins around Skyrim. I'm supposed to place the gem inside a convector, and then heat it using a spell Arniel has taught me. When I've done this several times, I should return the gem to Arniel.
*Objective 10: Place the warped soul gem into a Convector
**Objective 13: Place the warped soul gem into another Convector
***Objective 16: Place the soul gem into a final Convector
20 	
*Objective 20: Heat the Convector
30 	
*Objective 30: Retrieve the soul gem
40 	I've successfully altered Arniel's warped soul gem, and should return it to him. It is somehow critical to his project regarding the disappearance of the dwarves; perhaps he'll explain exactly what he's up to.
*Objective 40: Deliver the soul gem to Arniel
200 	I've once again helped Arniel with his secret, and very vague, project relating to the dwarves. He implied that he's waiting for something else, and then finally maybe I'll see what this is all about.
*Quest complete
Arniel's Endeavor (Part 4) – MGRArniel04	Arniel's Endeavor (Part 4) – MGRArniel04
10 	Arniel has once again asked me to speak to Enthir, who was supposed to deliver something else relating to Arniel's project.
*Objective 10: Talk to Enthir
20 	Arniel was convinced that Enthir was refusing to complete the trade the two of them had arranged, but it turns out that this time Enthir never received the item in question. The courier bringing the item never arrived. If I want to help Arniel finish his work, I'll need to find the courier myself.
*Objective 20: Find the courier
30 	Arniel was distraught over being unable to finish his project, believing that Enthir was refusing to complete a trade the two of them had agreed upon. Instead, the courier that was supposed to deliver the item never arrived. I've tracked him down (sadly he did not survive) and have the package Arniel wanted. I should make sure it gets to Arniel as soon as possible.
*Objective 30: Deliver the package to Arniel
40 	I've helped Arniel with the final piece of his project, by tracking down a missing courier who was supposed to be delivering an item from Morrowind. That item is Keening, a dwarven dagger that Arniel claims is very important. With it, he says he's able to finish his experiment and has asked that I observe what happens.
*Objective 40: Observe Arniel's experiment
200 	Arniel's experiment is over, but I'm not entirely sure what has happened. He has vanished, leaving behind the dagger Keening. I may never know whether he succeeded in his work.
*Quest complete
==Trivia==
*Arniel's shade may appear in the College as if he were still alive; he sleeps, talks and walks around as a shade. 
*It is possible to find the courier before taking the fourth part of Arniel's Endeavor quest; and if the Dragonborn has done so, one has an option to give Keening to Arniel after Enthir reveals the location of the courier.
*Keening was a major weapon in . It was used in conjunction with Sunder and Wraithguard to destroy the Heart of Lorkhan and thus also destroy Dagoth Ur and his construct, Akulakhan.
**Arniel Gane's disappearance is implied to have a similar effect to Kagrenac's work on the Heart, each of which resulted in the person's ceasing to exist in Nirn.
*Unlike many quests like "Stoking the Flames" which involve getting some number of something, part one of this quest does not track the number of cogs in inventory.
==Bugs==
Click to show
*Keening can fall through the floor and appear in the room below.
* In part two, when attempting to hand in the staff, the staff stays in the inventory even after handing it over. The warped soul gem will be given and Arniel will give thanks and say he has much to do. The quest will finish but the next part in the quest chain will not start. In some cases, though, the quest chain will continue. (The next quest starts after quest "The Staff of Magnus" is finished.)
*Sometimes, the quest "Arniel's Endeavor" begins even after completion. The reason for this is unknown. If this occurs, the quest is impossible to complete a second time.
**If the Dragonborn collects ten Dwemer cogs before talking to Arniel to get the first part of his quest, there is no option to ask what he wants them for, which is the dialogue option to start the quest. Instead, the option will be "I've got the cogs," and as Arniel takes them, the quest "Arniel's Endeavor" will then be marked as finished, even though it was not even started.
** The above bug can occur with no consequences whatsoever, apart from the Dragonborn being left with the staff as a non quest item. This still happens as of Xbox Patch 1.9.
* The staff may not appear where the quest marker indicates.
** Use the console command player.additem 0006a093 1 to receive the staff. Then, use the command setstage MGRArniel02 30 to advance the quest forward one stage to where the staff is given to Enthir. Give the staff to Enthir, and the rest of the quest will progress as if the bug never occurred.
*If the staff is put on a weapon rack instead of giving it to Enthir, the quest may be prevented from advancing, even if it is put back in the inventory.
* In part three, the warped soul gem may not heat up when Arniel's convection spell is used.
** Use the console command setstage MGRArniel03 20. This will allow heating the warped soul gem in any convector.
* In part three, if there are duplicates of the warped soul gem, they can be deposited into a Dwemer convector to remove them from the inventory. Keeping one is advised. Once the extras have been dealt with and the other Dwemer convectors have been used, return to Arniel to progress the quest.
** Use the console command player.removeitem 0006a10a 1 to remove duplicate warped soul gems from the inventory until one is left. If that ID code does not work, one of the following will: 0006a106 / 006a107 / 0006a108 / 006a109/ 0010e44b.
* If stuck on the first convector used in part three of this quest, constantly seeing the message to "place the gem in the final convector," this indicates that the quest is bugged. The only workaround is to keep trying until the duplicate soul gem bug is encountered. Even though the message to use the 'final' convector will appear, it will be possible to use a second convector and continue to a third.
** Try using very short bursts of Arniel's convection when heating as opposed to constant flow, as a possible solution when receiving the message to place the gem in the final convector after only performing the mission in the first convector. Regular quest updates for second and third convectors should appear.
** After heating the soul gem in the first convector, try retrieving the soul gem by using the take all function instead of taking the soul gem as an individual item.
** Place the warped gem into the convector and use the console command setstage MGRArniel03 20. This will allow the quest to go to part four.
* When dual wielding the convection spell on the convector, the quest will glitch, saying to go to the final convector, making it impossible to complete the quest.
** Use the console command player.additem 0006a10a 1 to add a duplicate warped soul gem into the inventory. Place both warped soul gems into a convector and heat them. Take out one gem from the convector and the quest should update (the second one can be taken but it will destroy the first one).
** Use the console command setstage MGRArniel03 40 and then player.additem 10e44b 1, and then deliver the warped soul gem to Arniel to complete the quest. After that, use the console command player.removeitem 10e44b 1 to remove the final warped soul gem from the inventory and the dialogue that will be stuck. Fast travel west and east of Skyrim a few days to initiate the next part of the quest.
*In part four, if Keening has already been discovered and claimed from the courier's body, the quest marker will be attached to the courier's body, and the quest will not acknowledge possession of the dagger.
** Use the console command setstage MGRArniel04 30 to advance in the quest to where the courier's body is looted (Keening must be in the inventory).
** Equip the dagger, then place it in a weapon rack. Taking the item from the weapon rack should trigger the progression of the quest.
* After retrieving Keening and returning to the College of Winterhold, the door to the Hall of Elements from the main courtyard becomes stuck ajar so that entering the main building of the College through it is impossible. To fix this, go to the balcony level either via the Hall of Countenance or the Hall of Attainment and enter one of the doors to the Arcanaeum to reach the Hall of Elements.
** The bug also fixes itself after a few in-game days.
*Arniel will be found outside of the College, on the snowbank close to the river. After delivering the dagger, he will attempt to start his experiment but nothing will happen. Using Unrelenting Force to push him from where he is standing (down towards the water) should enable him to walk back to the College. Waiting a few hours will not stop his course. It is best to do this before he is given the dagger so he is in the right spot for the end of the quest.
* After completing the quest and Arniel disappears, none of the quest reward items were left behind. He advises the Dragonborn to step back, but ignore him, and stand beside the crystal.
*It is possible that Keening will not be received, but the Summon Arniel's Shade spell will.
*Sometimes, after he explains his experiment, he will not equip Keening and he will strike the soul gem with his normal weapon. (For the second strike, he also misses with his hammer and hits the wall behind the gem.)
* The final objective in part three, "Deliver the soul gem to Arniel," is not properly set as completed by the game. This does not seem to affect game play.
* Arniel will hit the warped soul gem with his axe, not Keening. However, he will still disappear as though he had used Keening, so the difference is purely visual.
* The first heating of the warped soul gem may repeat on the spot, completing part three. This has no observed negative consequences.
* The quest might ask you to put a "warped" soul gem in a convector instead. No known fix except to reload from an earlier point.
*If the Dragonborn has ten Dwemer cogs in their inventory before beginning the quest, speaking to Arniel will give the option to give him the cogs, regardless of the fact that he has not asked for them yet. Doing so results in a "Quest Completed" notification appearing before the "Quest Started" notification. This has no observed negative consequences.
* If the quest "A Love Beyond Death" is completed before receiving Enthir's quest to find the Staff of Tandil and Ansilvund is the location chosen, the quest will become impossible to complete, as the quest marker will lead to the Ansilvund Burial Chamber but the staff is glitched into the wall and unobtainable.
* Sometimes, Arniel does not return to his room in the Hall of Attainment. He can be found on the second floor in the Hall of Countenance in the first empty room on the right.
==Appearances==
*
de:Arniels Aufgabe
es:La empresa de Arniel
fr:L'entreprise d'Arniel
it:L'Impresa di Arniel
ru:Проект Арнела
Category:Skyrim: Side Quests