Skyrim:Black Book: Untold Legends (quest)

This page is currently being rewritten as part of the Skyrim Quest Redesign Project. The page is being rewritten and checked in several stages. All users are welcome to make changes to the page. If you make a change that is relevant to the project, please update this template accordingly, and make sure you have observed the project guidelines. Details Walkthrough: written by multiple users, not checked Reward: written by 178.235.103.47, not checked

Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge. Quest Giver: The Black Book Untold Legends Location(s): Benkongerike Great Hall, Apocrypha‎ Reward: Bardic Knowledge, Black Market, or Secret Servant power ID: DLC2BlackBook03Quest Suggested Level: 25

The Black Book in Benkongerike

Quick Walkthrough

1. Read the Black Book Untold Legends in Benkongerike Great Hall.
2. Make your way through Apocrypha‎.
3. Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
4. Choose your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

There are five chapters: Chapter I is basically a corridor that leads to Chapter II, containing no enemies and only three soul gems in the way of loot. These can be found at the very end of the chapter, at the final bend just before the book that leads to Chapter II.

Chapter II has exits to both Chapter III and Chapter IV, enabling you to bypass Chapter III if you wish. There is a leveled lurker to battle before reaching either exit. The lurker is standing near a Font of Stamina and a Font of Magicka. There is another Font of Magicka by the exit to Chapter IV. The exit to Chapter IV can be found by taking the corridor south and then west; whereas the exit for Chapter III is taking the corridor north.

Chapter III contains a seeker, a spell tome and a container of loot. These are all in the same enclosed starting area, so that the Seeker will attack you just as you enter the Chapter; the spell tome is in the beginning area as well. There is no direct path from Chapter III to Chapter IV, so you do have to return to Chapter II.

Chapter IV contains the most loot including four stealth based skill books, two soul gems and four containers of loot as well as three seekers to battle. It starts off on an open platform with two Fonts of Stamina; walking down the corridor will take you past a well-lit Font of Magicka. You will head south into another open area; all the Seekers are here together. There are various landings here going in roughly the eight cardinal directions; the northeast one contains a locked treasure pod, a soul gem, and the four skill books. East is another locked pod and another Scrye which opens the middle. Southeast goes nowhere. South is initially unclimbable. Southwest contains another locked treasure pod. By the west gate is a Scrye which opens said gate. Inside is another Scrye which opens the east landing. There is a pod to the northwest. North returns you to the corridor to Chapter II. The middle Scrye opens out the southern stairs, allowing exit to Chapter V.

Chapter V contains a corridor that initially points towards the final reward, but may bend to the left or right whenever you move down the corridor. If it does, you'll be directed towards a room with a leveled lurker. Kill the lurker and a door will open behind it, allowing you to return to the central room. Once any side areas have been dealt with, the corridor should return to its original position, leading to the Black Book: Untold Legends.

Rewards

Your choice of one of three lesser powers:

• Bardic Knowledge — Summons a spectral drum that plays for you, increasing stamina regeneration for you and nearby allies for 300 secs.
• Black Market — Summons a Dremora merchant to trade with you for 15 secs.
• Secret Servant — Summons a Dremora butler to carry your excess items for 15 secs. (Max carry weight 148)

Achievements

One achievement is related to this quest:

• Hidden Knowledge (40 points/Bronze)

Notes

• There is a table in Chapter IV that has the four skill books The Gold Ribbon of Merit, Advances in Lockpicking, Beggar, and The Rear Guard, which train archery, lockpicking, pickpocket and light armor, respectively.
• You can change the reward at any time by traveling to Solstheim and re-reading the book. This will transport you to Apocrypha near the reward location and you can select a different one.

Bugs

• Sometimes after defeating one of the lurkers in Chapter V, the nearby door will open and then shut before you have a chance to pass through.
  • Use the tcl console command to clip through the door.
• If you return to Chapter III, the hallway configuration may change, leaving any dropped items in the previous configuration permanently inaccessible. ^?
  • Use the tcl console command to clip through the door(s) and regain your items.
• Although it appears that the corridor in Chapter V was always supposed to move to the left, right, or possibly each in sequence, it will often fail to do so.
• Sometimes after completing the book, you will have a false combat signature, preventing you from exiting. ^?
  • Reload the game.

Quest Stages

Black Book: Untold Legends (DLC2BlackBook03Quest)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		I read the Black Book called "Untold Legends", and found myself in Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha. I should uncover the knowledge hidden here, or read the book again to escape. Objective 10: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge
20	Finishes quest	I uncovered the hidden knowledge contained in the Black Book "Untold Legends".

Notes

• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage DLC2BlackBook03Quest stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest DLC2BlackBook03Quest.