Yes, you have to go fetch Martin from Kvatch. Until then, no gates appear.

Detect life magic is very useful for this sort of quest. Makes avoiding the guards much much easier.

Major spoiler
If you do move Martin out of Kvatch - then leave after you get him resettled, you'll get random smallish Oblivion gates but the major action requires further advancement of that set of quests. The smaller gates are optional, but loaded with good loot. So you can do that, then return to your normal quests.

Hi all,

Sounds like we are all doing great.

I just finished the Vampire in Imperial City Quest and got a Resist Disease Ring out of it and am now a Vampire Hunter hehe.

Also if I bring him Vampre Dust he will pay me I think it was 250 in gold.

You should not be afraid to go after the Vampires because you have about 3 days before you turn into one. You can go to any temple altar and get rid of your disease before time runs out or make sure you carry a potion for cure disease with you at all times.

I always carry the potion with me even if one of my ladies has a natural resistance to disease.

Ok, I'd like to give sneaking a try. Do I have to take it off of "Run" to get more in the sneak skill? I'm always in run mode and when I try sneaking I can't ever seem to increase my skill. Can I just walk around sneaking to increase it?

Meanwhile, I'm now a warrior in the arena.

Tamia, I started sneaking in the Imperial Prison sewers at the start of the game and make a point of being in sneak mode any time I'm not actually talking to someone.

I don't know if running decreases the pace at which the skill increases but my sneak skill is now very high even with all the running. The only thing I've noticed about "sneak running" is that enemies are a little more likely to notice me. But sneaking is best done in the lightest shoes you can find - even Light Armour boots will increase your chances of being detected.

The SG says the sneak skill increases most when you are sneaking around and there is someone there who may detect it. Just follow a guard around town and sneak is supposed to do it. I found that sneak increases very fast when you are exploring a ruin or cave.

Light armor - robes and light shoes or none is definitely the way to go at first. An expert can run in sneak without too much chance of detection. My sneak skill is now 100% so I have had enemies run right past me in a cave after being shot and they still can't find me.

I'm only ever in run mode when travelling. I hate trying to fight and realising the reason I can't hit anything is that I'm still running as well.

I've been buying houses and am trying to figure out which one I like best. For those who want to invest in a little real estate:

The mansion in Anvil is nice, but has a creepy basement. The house is Bruma is cosy but sort of plain, like a cottage. The house in Leyawin was a huge disappointment - it's a rathole, even fully decorated and at large expense I might add. Whoo! High property values there. For that price I was expecting one of the nicer places.

The mansion in Chorrol is lovely, as is the large house in Cheydinhal. I'm going to see what I can get in Skindgrad. I hesitate to invest in a home by the sewers in Bravil, but I might as well check it out since I'm on a buying spree.

So far my favourite is Cheydinhal. It's at once cosy and luxurious. And a heck of a lot nicer than sleeping in the Brotherhood (now renamed Sisterhood) cellars.

HELP, help, help

Have just spent 2 game days on Fort Grief. Searched every nook and cranny above ground - and searched all around the perimeter under water. Dashed if I can find a way in - and the gate is locked.

The S.G suggests I should kill three hunters and take the key to the gate from them. Obviously there must be a hidey-hole somewhere on the isle and it is not showing itself.

While you lads and lasses over the Big Pond are still sleeping I think I might re-load and search everywhere wearing my Life detect gauntlets. Have a strong feeling the entrance might be beneath the waves.

Hi Alice:

Is that the one where you are supposed to go and find out what happened to the woman's husband? If so, when you get there you have to open the gate via a switch found on the island. I think it's to the left. Inside you'll talk to the missing husband. You'll find the 3 hunters inside the ruins one by one.

Edited to say: Once you leave the island, DO NOT teleport yourself back. Always take the boat. I teleported myself back once, and the game wouldn't let me teleport myself off. I had to go back to a saved game.

Jean

Alice, I couldn't find it either. It is right beside the door--in plain sight!

Alice, a lot of us couldn't seem to see it. It is a few feet to the right of the door on the ground.

I'm taking a break from shutting Oblivion gates and looking for Shadowbane wine instead. Man, it's so relaxing to go into a fort and only face Conjurers, Necromancers or ordinary undead for a bit ! I picked up my first two bottles during the Fort Grief quest (the bane of Alice ) and just found my second two bottles at another fort east of Bravil. One more fort and I can go claim my reward. I think I'll pick one of the vampire caves, selling the dust is quite profitable. Vampires tend to be easy pickings with a magic bow and 3x sneak bonus.

Heck, just about ANYthing is easy with a magic or Deadric bow and some poison of Paralyse and a good sneak bonus! Trouble is, I'm not so happy when something gets back up and sees me.....

I haven't found that wine yet. Time to go looking for it, once I sort out that Blackwood Company.

The Oblivion gates aren't nearly so easy for me. The opponents there don't tend to die from a single shot and then it starts getting ugly. I need a more effective poison (or perhaps recharging my bow a bit more often?) for them. On the other hand, they've encouraged me to be a *lot* faster reloading that bow.

Had a really bizarre thing happen last night. I was in the market district when suddenly the Guards started attacking something. At first I thought a daedric lizard thing was there, but after the first minute, it looked like the guards were busy attacking each other. That got just too weird for me and I ran for the exit!

Yes, I deleted about 750 game saves last night. Things are running a lot faster now.

In the Oblivion Gates my Deadric bow is still my weapon of choice, but if there is more than one Deadra standing around I absolutely have to use a paralyse potion or at least a damage health or magica potion, and start shooting really really fast. In true cowardly fashion I've also learned to shoot with deadly accuracy from a long, long way away. At one time I made about 15 potions that both paralysed and damaged magica, and they were really effective but I can't remember what I used to make them.

I've been in the market district a few times when all heck broke loose but the ruckus always turns out to be about someone that's carrying a volume of Mythic Dawn commentaries. Don't know why they think it's a smart idead to transform themselves in the middle of a busy distric with soldiers standing around, though. Obviously on suicide missions, or very stupid.

Am wondering.......did one of you dispatch Shum-gro-Yarug at some time or other?

Have been working all the morning on the Lost Histories Quest for the Thieves Guild. Doing it over and over again but this Orc is nowhere he should be. Searched the castle, have turned up at the West Weald Inn at 10am and been in the Colodian Trader at noon. He never turns up. Have a feeling I'm going to get myself put in Jail.

Woe is me.

I don't recall having any trouble finding him. Don't you have a marker on your map to track him down? He probably has a room at the castle, where you could catch him asleep in the middle of the night.

Pokey, I could not find a room in the castle but the S.G advises going to jail as the best way - sounds interesting - so am on my way back to the castle to pinch an apple

Last night I spent most of my gaming time selling loot from the Mages Vampire Hunters/feral Vampires quest. I haven't reported to the Count in castle skinguard yet...hope the quest completes correctly. I used 3 of my 4 cure diesase potions and I'm still a human being. whew.

Suddenly I have enough money to think about buying a better house. Early on I bought a very cheap house in Bravil (the only city/house Hagatha left me! ).

Its a shack and the furnishings are trashy thrift shop at best. (My 900+ dollars for kitchen stuff bought me 2 spoons, forks, plates and a covered dish...ball park prices!... and when ever I get home and throw my loot on the floor before jumping into bed to rest all those things fall off the table---its that small of a place!)

BUT I've oddly grown fond of the place...I've got my stuff all organized in the storage and I've put stuff around to see. I know all my nieghbors really well and I know what everyone in town is doing when and who I'll see on my jaunt from the city gate to my home. I've even reloaded or gone back to old saves a couple of times so City Swimmer's pitaful pick pocketing doesn't get her killed by the guards (she dies for a pear...I looked once). Oddly I really have a fondness for the lizard people, even since I saved that kid in Hackenville (Sp?), I just like them when I talk to them.

But sadly I think its time to move on to a new town and see some new sights. A house in every town is my eventual goal, just for fun....but maybe I'll skip Leyawin on you all's advice.

Well, my recommendation would be for the mansion in Anvil, since it's only 5,000 and has an easy quest associated with it. It comes fully and comfortably furnished and has a well-stocked wine cellar, a study and a balcony overlooking the better part of town -- everything the well-heeled adventurer could possibly want. There are some spiders in the basement, though.

Oh - and, you might have a little trouble sleeping that first night in your new bed.

Ha! I just bought that house! I just "slept" there. I'm in the middle of taking care of the occupants. Wasn't sure if you got to keep it at the end of the quest, but it sounds like you can.

BTW- does anyone just happen to know where I can find an open lock spell for hard and average locks? I only have very easy and easy lock spells. I'm terrible at the lockpick "game".

Tamia, if you are far enough along to do the Daedric quests, try Nocturnal. The reward is a skeleton key!! I was always breaking my last lockpick while deep in a cave or dungeon and was so determined to get that key! Someone here mentioned it a while ago and I never forgot as I have been rotten at lockpicking since the "git go".

Nipomo, try to find someone who sells the Cure Disease spell. If you like going after Vampires, it's a handy thing to have! Seems there is some other dread disease I contracted at one point, too.

Tamia, when you finish the quest you can have the house lock stock and basement. I went down to clean it all up recently, thinking I might put in a bar and a pool table, but unfortunately there are some things down there that can't be removed. And I haven't been able to find a carpenter willing to go down there to install a door. Still I suppose a few old dead things and a sacrificial altar shouldn't bother the head of the Assassin's Guild, who has a mouldering cellar for a head office, after all and an evil god for a boss.

If the locks are giving you fits just use the autopick function and save before each try. That will level up your skill just as fast as picking the frustrating traditional way.

Agreed, before I did Nocturne's quest, I just carried 100 lockpicks before any major dungeon crawl and did autopick. Until my skill got into the apprentice range, the tumblers always fell too fast for me.

I have found that the big fuss in the marketplace is indeed Mystic Dawn agents coming out of the woodwork now that I've exposed the Dagon Shrine. It happened in Cheynidal as well, and about 1 minute after a mob killed the agent, a guard came by and said "The body is still warm. The killer must be close" which was funny cause I suspect that he was one of the mob who killed the agent.

I was a bit peeved at the Count of Cheynidal last night. I had just rescued his son and closed the gate outside his city. I went to talk to him about buying a house and what was his disposition toward me like? About 23! Sheesh, what does a girl have to do to impress him?

Speaking of what a girl has to do to impress people in Oblivion, I really miss the wolf whistles I used to get in Morrowind. Now those were probably directed at my shining armour and robes but still, ya gotta feel good about it, you know? Now people tell me to go brew up some potions, like I was an old hag (oh wait - I am an old hag).