- For other uses, see Main Quest.
The Vestige in Coldharbour.
Main quests are a series of quests that are the central narrative of The Elder Scrolls Online and the Planemeld, the daedric invasion of Tamriel by the daedric prince Molag Bal. There are 15 quests, the first of which, "Soul Shriven in Coldharbour," is started when a new character is created and will lead the Vestige – the player character – through a tutorial area that introduces both the story and game mechanics. Characters created before Update 44 can start the quest by speaking with the Hooded Figure in Daggerfall, Davon's Watch, or Vulkhel Guard. Each quest is completed sequentially and, with the exception of "God of Schemes," is immediately available after completing the previous quest. The Harborage is a location that serves as a hub for main quests; typically, main quests will start and end there and it is located either in Auridon, Glenumbra, or Stonefalls depending on the Vestige's alliance.
After the ultimate main quest "God of Schemes" has been completed, the Vestige will be prompted to complete the zone quests for zones outside of their alliance in "Cadwell's Silver," and "Cadwell's Gold." These quests are marked as main quests but have little story as the main quests' narrative has already concluded and are only prompts to explore other quest lines. With the exception of these two quests, every main quests will award a skill point.
List of main quests[]
- Note: The location of quests outside of Coldharbour, including the location of the Harborage, depends on the Vestige's alliance.
Summary[]
- "The storm is coming. The scent of war swirls in the air. As the Imperial throne lies empty, the fate of all Tamriel rests on the strength of a common prisoner's soul. Evil awakens. A long-banished foe stirs. Those who would destroy Tamriel seek out dangers to their dark plot. And so, death's long arm reaches out. It is the 582nd year of the Second Era. The drums of war are sounding. This is where our journey begins."
- ―The Prophet[src]
Soul shriven[]
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Molag Bal confronting the Vestige and the Prophet.
In 2E 582, the Vestige, in unspecified circumstances, is captured and taken prisoner by the Order of the Black Worm serving the daedric prince Molag Bal and assisting in his invasion of Tamriel. The Vestige is killed in a ritual by the Worm Cult's leader, Mannimarco, and their soul is stolen from them, after which they reawaken in a prison in Molag Bal's plane of Oblivion, Coldharbour. The Vestige is contacted by a man known as the Prophet and escapes during a prison riot by other soul shriven victims assisted by Lyris Titanborn who leads the Vestige to the cell holding the Prophet. Lyris sacrifices herself to release the Prophet by switching their places, freeing him and forcing Lyris to be left behind. The Prophet and Vestie are confronted by Molag Bal after which the Prophet allows the Vestige to absorb the power of a skyshard. They then proceed to escape by activating a dark anchor, a gate between Coldharbour and Tamriel.
After awakening following their escape, the Vestige is contacted by the Prophet through a magic projection instructing them to find them in a cave they call the Harborage. Meeting him there, the Vestige is guided by the Prophet in a vision that shows how Molag Bal's invasion started through the unwitting assistance of the Five Companions: Emperor Varen Aquilarios, his bodyguard Lyris Titanborn, the Grandmaster of the Dragonguard Sai Sahan, High Chancellor of the Elder Council and Imperial Battlemage Abnur Tharn, and the necromancer Mannimarco. The Five Companions sought to find the Amulet of the Kings and use it in a ritual to make Varen Dragonborn, allowing him to light the Dragonfires and legitimize his claim to the Ruby Throne. After finding the amulet, they attempted the ritual but found themselves deceived; Mannimarco, a servant of Molag Bal, used the ritual to tear the veil between Mundus and Oblivion and allow the invasion to begin in an event known as the Soulburst.
Shortly after this vision, the Prophet again contacts the Vestige informing them that they have located where in Coldharbour Lyris Titanborn is being held. When the Vestige arrives at the Harborage, the Prophet opens a portal to the Foundry of Woe and the Vestige locates Lyris. Together, the two experience Lyris' memories of her father and her time as a mercenary, allowing her to come to terms with her past. The two are also unexpectedly aided by Abnur Tharn who has ostensibly been assisting the Worm Cult and Mannimarco since the Soulburst. With her armor and axe, Lyris and the Vestige escape Coldharbour, returning to the Harborage.
Finding Abnur Tharn[]
After again being contacted by the Prophet, the Vestige is instructed to investigate an agent of the Worm Cult hiding in a nearby city who might know where in Coldharbour the captured Sai Sahan is. The Vestige finds the residence of the Worm Cult agent Aldimion and their underground lair which results in a confrontation and the agent's death. Within the lair is an orb of discourse which, when interacted with, allows the Vestige to directly contact Abnur Tharn who mistakes them as a cultist. Regardless of how they speak with Abnur, the Vestige will not learn anything and they bring the orb back to the Harborage.
Abnur Tharn battling Mannimarco.
When the Vestige next returns to the Harborage, Abnur Tharn is present via the orb and requests asylum, explaining that he is not loyal to Mannimarco and opposes his plans. He agrees to tell the Vestige where Sai Sahan is being held but only if he himself is first rescued from Coldharbour. Agreeing, the Vestige and Lyris travel to Coldharbour and infiltrate the Castle of the Worm where Abnur is working and are assisted by Cadwell, a soul shriven the Vestige encountered when they were first in Coldharbour. The three fight their way through the castle, also assisted by Abnur, before finally reaching him at the castle pinnacle. There, they are confronted by Mannimarco who attempts to stop their escape but fails. The Vestige may also suggest Cadwell follow them or stay in Coldharbour. When Abnur is safe in the Harborage, he admits he does not know where Sai Sahan is but is able to find out given time. After being punched by Lyris, he also pushes the Prophet into revealing that he is, in fact, the former emperor Varen Aquilarios and is responsible for the current crisis.
Instead of the Prophet, the Vestige is next contacted by Abnur Tharn who wishes to speak with them outside of the Harborage. The Vestige meets with them at the Mages Guild hall in the nearest city where Abnur says that there is a nearby ruin where Worm Cult documents are kept that may reveal where Sai Sahan is. Inside the ruins, Abnur and the Vestige find speaking stones that show recorded projections, two of Mannimarco and one of Sai himself being tortured. One of the projections explains that Sai was relocated to the Halls of Torment and with that information, the Vestige returns to the Harborage where the Prophet begins work to find a way inside.
Recovering the Amulet of Kings[]
When a way inside the Halls of Torment has been found, the Prophet recalls the Vestige to the Harborage and transports them and either Lyris or Abnur inside depending on which the Vestige chooses to accompany them. The two make their way through the prison and quickly find Sai chained and being tortured by a doppelganger of Abnur. As soon as the doppelganger killed, Sai is pulled away in flames and a voice mocks him. Further inside the prison, a doppelganger of Lyris tries to coax Sai before being interrupted and killed, and Sai is again taken away. Finally, Sai is being tortured by a group of doppelgangers of Varen who, when interrupted, become the Duchess of Anguish. When she is defeated, Sai is finally free and able to return to the Harborage. Sai was being tortured for the location of the Amulet of Kings which he took and hid after the Soulburst, but did not reveal its location. He says that the amulet may be used to stop Molag Bal.
The next time the Vestige is in the Harborage, Sai explains that he hid the amulet in Sancre Tor and in order to retrieve it, he must go to the Valley of Blades and recover an enchanted ring he entrusted to his mentor there that will open the way. The Vestige travels to the valley with Sai, Lyris and Abnur and, soon after arriving, are attacked by a large force of daedra. The four make their way to the crypt where the ring is held and are confronted by projections of Mannimarco who raises the dead in the crypt. After the undead and daedra are defeated, the ring is recovered and the four return to the Harborage.
A projection of Mannimarco in Sancre Tor.
With the ring in their possession, the Vestige, Sai, Lyris and Abnur travel to Sancre Tor to recover the amulet. Inside, they are met by a projection of Mannimarco who explains his plan to steal the amulet and use it to usurp Molag Bal and become a god. The group makes their way through Sancre Tor attacked by daedra and undead, consecrating the tombs to open the way further and using the ring to enter the Vault of Kings. Inside, the group are attacked by Mannimarco directly as he attempts to take the amulet for himself. Upon Mannimarco's defeat, Molag Bal learns of his plan and pulls him into Coldharbour to punish him for his treachery and hubris, leaving the group alone in Sancre Tor to take the amulet and leave.
Ending the Planemeld[]
With the amulet safe in the Harborage, Sai, Lyris, Abnur, and the Prophet plan for an attack on Coldharbour to confront Molag Bal directly. The Vestige in conversation with Sai either chooses to replace Mannimarco and reform the Five Companions or let the group remain in the past given their original failure. After accepting or declining a drink with Lyris, the Vestige will then be told by Abnur that someone in the group will have to die in order to perform the ritual that can stop Molag Bal. Finally, the Prophet tells the Vestige that he and the others will see them again in Coldharbour but only after the Planemeld has ended.
Depending on the Vestige's alliance, they will proceed to speak with various people regarding a potential meeting of the alliances leaders on neutral group arranged by Mages Guildmaster Vanus Galerion. The Vestige will need to travel to the leaders of all three alliances and convince them to attend the meeting on the isle of Stirk to address the daedric threat. All three leaders agree to attend but, after brief negotiations, are unable to come to an agreement. At the same time, Molag Bal takes the opportunity to attack the alliances on the isle as daedric forces appear. Although the alliances are unable to come to an agreement that will allow them to attack Coldharbour, they agree to sanction an invasion of Coldharbour by the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild.
Molag Bal and the Vestige.
Once in Coldharbour, the Vestige assists the Fighters Guild and Mages Guild in establishing a foothold in the Hollow City before destroying the Great Shackle and directly attacking Molag Bal's fortress the Endless Stair with the assistance of the daedric prince Meridia and the last living Ayleid King Laloriaran Dynar. After successfully disrupting the Planemeld and ending the invasion of Tamriel, the Vestige is contacted by the Prophet for a final time, instructing them to return to the Harborage. From there, the group travels to Coldharbour and arrives inside Molag Bal's citadel, encountering the tortured souls of all the servants who failed Molag Bal at the hands of the Vestige, including Mannimarco who can either be freed or left to suffer. At the Seat of Tyranny, the Vestige must choose a companion to sacrifice in order to recieve the power of the Amulet of Kings and the blessing of Akatosh. Abnur performs the ritual, killing the chosen companion, and the Vestige proceeds towards the pinnacle, using the power imbued in them to easily reach Molag Bal who fights the Vestige and is defeated. The Vestige is taken away where they speak with Meridia and the defeated Molag Bal before reclaiming their soul and returning to the Harborage.
Trivia[]
- Prior to Update 44, the quest "The Gates of Adamant" was a main quest that allowed the Vestige to start anywhere in Tamriel. Since Update 44, new characters start in the Wailing Prison of Coldharbour with "Soul Shriven in Coldharbour" started.
- Even after the main quest has been completed, the Planemeld and Daedric incursions will continue indefinitely.