The Blessings of Nature

The Blessings of Nature is a quest available in in which the Dragonborn must assist Danica Pure-Spring at the Temple of Kynareth repair the dying Gildergreen in Whiterun.
==Background==
I've agreed to help Danica Pure-Spring repair the Gildergreen, the large tree outside the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.
==Objectives==
#Talk to Danica about the Gildergreen being destroyed
#Retrieve Nettlebane
#Bring Nettlebane to Danica
#Retrieve Eldergleam sap
#Follow Maurice (if taking sapling instead of sap)
#Take sapling (if taking sapling instead of sap)
#Return to Danica
==Walkthrough==
Danica Pure-Spring laments the fact that the Gildergreen tree (grown from a cutting from the Eldergleam) is in a poor state. She claims that the sap of the parent tree will revive it. In order to activate the quest, the Dragonborn will have to talk to Danica when she is near the tree, or inside the Temple of Kynareth.
===Orphan Rock===
She asks the Dragonborn to travel to Orphan Rock in search of a mystical weapon that is said to be able to harm the Eldergleam. This mystical weapon, Nettlebane, is required to gather the Eldergleam's sap. A coven of four witches led by a Hagraven hold the blade at Orphan Rock. If desired, the Dragonborn can snipe many of the witches from the safety of the Falkreath Stormcloak Camp.
Once retrieved, the blade needs to be brought to Danica. She will claim not to want to touch the "foul thing" and instead requests that the Dragonborn go and gather the sap. At that point a pilgrim named Maurice Jondrelle mentions his desire to also travel to the Eldergleam Sanctuary. The Dragonborn can either accept him as a traveling companion or decline.
===Eldergleam Sanctuary===
At the Eldergleam Sanctuary, two other pilgrims are there already and the Eldergleam's roots are blocking the path to its main trunk. There are two methods to completing the quest.
*Slashing the roots with Nettlebane will cause them to move out of the way. There is no other way around them. Then proceed to the tree and gather the sap. This will cause Spriggans to be summoned. They will attack everyone in the sanctuary (even the pilgrims).
*If Maurice Jondrelle is present, he will protest once the roots are cut. Either continue and gather the sap or listen to his alternate plan. He then prays to the tree and it grants a new sapling. This avoids the fight with the spriggans. Upon return to Danica in Whiterun, she will protest that "she will not be able to run the temple without the support of those who come to see the Gildergreen," but eventually accepts the sapling.
===Completing the Quest===
Taking the sap (or sapling) back to Danica Pure-Spring completes the quest. The tree will bloom shortly afterwards.
==Rewards==
*Danica Pure-Spring offers the Dragonborn Master-level training in Restoration upon completing the quest. Additionally, Nettlebane no longer remains flagged as a quest item and can be improved at a grindstone, but cannot be enchanted at an Arcane Enchanter.
==Notable items==
*Restoration skill book — Mystery of Talara, Book II is leaning up against the stone that Asta is sitting on. Head west after coming up the walkway past the pilgrim.
*In the top chamber with the tree, a chest is hidden against a rock wall behind one of the tree's roots. It contains random, leveled loot.
*There is also a chest on top of a rocky shelf just past where Asta is first encountered that contains random gems and loot.
*There is a corundum ore vein on the same rocky shelf.
==Journal==
Introduction – T03Intro 	Introduction – T03Intro
ID 	Journal Entry
10 	
*Objective 10: Talk to Danica about the Gildergreen being destroyed.
20 	
*Quest complete
The Blessings of Nature – T03	The Blessings of Nature – T03
10 	
*Objective 10: Inspect the Temple of Kynareth
20 	I've agreed to help Danica Pure-Spring repair the Gildergreen, the large tree outside the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun.
*Objective 20: Retrieve Nettlebane
30 	
*Objective 30: Bring Nettlebane to Danica
40 	
*Objective 40: Retrieve Eldergleam sap
50 	
*Objective 50: Follow Maurice
55 	
*Objective 55: Take sapling
70 	
*Objective 70: Return to Danica
75 	
*Objective 75: Return to Danica
100 	I helped Danica Pure-Spring repair the Gildergreen, a large tree central to the worship of Kynareth in Skyrim.
*Quest complete
105 	I brought a sapling to Whiterun that will one day be the new Gildergreen, a tree sacred to the Temple of Kynareth.
*Quest complete
==Trivia==
*There does not seem to be any benefits and/or long term repercussions from completing the quest by either gathering the sap and defeating the spriggans or by bringing Maurice Jondrelle and retrieving the new sapling.
*If intent on completing this quest by bringing Maurice Jondrelle to the Eldergleam Sanctuary, keeping him alive on the trek may be quite difficult. Maurice has no weapons or armor of any kind and it is not possible to equip him with items (unlike other companions though, if an enemy is defeated, he may pick up their weapon). At the first sign of trouble, Maurice will sprint into action and attack any enemies encountered using just his fists. This will almost certainly result in his death. Discover the location of the Eldergleam Sanctuary first before accepting this quest from Danica, then fast travel to the Eldergleam Sanctuary.
*The Hagraven at Orphan Rock can easily be dispatched with a well aimed Unrelenting Force, killing the hagraven with fall damage and making the fight significantly easier. As her body has Nettlebane on it, it is possible to lose her body and Nettlebane in the forest if she is killed in this way.
*At a high enough level, a Spriggan Earth Mother can be found leading the spriggans.
*Completing this quest may cause Ardwen to appear.
*If the two pilgrims Sond and Asta survive the Spriggan attack after taking the sap, they will (particularly Asta) rebuke the Dragonborn, saying they are no longer welcome and must leave the sanctuary. Sond will simply ask the Dragonborn to stay away from him so Kynareth does not think he is on the Dragonborn's side. This will also happen if Asta is shown Nettlebane via a dialogue option.
*If the Spriggan from Snapleg Cave has previously been freed and is standing outside Eldergleam Sanctuary, this particular Spriggan will still not be hostile even if the Dragonborn chooses to take sap from the tree.
*Once the quest is completed, Whiterun guards will either comment about how the player saved the Gildergreen, or they will mention the new sapling.
*It is possible to get both the sap and sapling with Maurice's help. When you hit the roots, Maurice will tell the player an alternative way. After dialogue, quickly run to the tree and collect its sap. This will spawn Spriggans and Maurice will turn hostile. Kill the creatures and sheath your weapons, so Maurice will turn passive saying he will spare the player. He will then proceed to pray at the tree which will allow the sapling to be picked up. Go to Whiterun, give the sap to the priestess there, and finish the quest.
==Bugs==
* It is possible that completing the quest by bringing Danica the sapling instead of the sap will result in a graphical glitch where the old tree will remain even though the sapling has been planted, so the tree will continue to appear dead and have a small crown of flowering branches showing through just above the main trunk.
** Walk up close to the tree, open the console, click the tree in the background and type "markfordelete", when clicked on again it should have a [D] behind the number. If not, try again. Fast-travel somewhere and upon return the dead tree will have vanished, revealing a young Gildergreen. If the young Gildergreen is not present, open the console, type "prid 46284" (without quotes), hit enter, then type "enable".
* It is possible to walk through the opening near the tree and roam around the unfinished world. Although, if the Dragonborn crosses into the void the game will crash.
* Be aware that fighting the Hagraven with Barbas can result in the Hagraven's corpse falling through the ground, effectively preventing the Dragonborn from picking up Nettlebane from the corpse.
* Even if the spriggans kill Asta, her book, wine and knapsack contents are still marked as stolen, regardless of whether they are taken before or after her death. The items on her body and Sond's body are not marked as stolen.
* If both Barbas and Maurice Jondrelle are followers, the Daedra may attack Maurice during combat against Spriggans, causing his demise.
* Sometimes Whiterun guards will comment on the sap even if the Dragonborn only got the sapling.
==Appearances==
*
de:Der Segen der Natur
es:Bendiciones de la naturaleza
ru:Чудо природы
uk:Благословіння природи
Category:Skyrim: Whiterun Quests
Category:Skyrim: Side Quests