12: Retaking The Fringe

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Guide - Shivering Isles

Quest 12: Retaking The Fringe

You must travel to the Fringe and help defend it from the Order. Fast travel to the Gates of Madness and make your way to The Fringe from there. When you reach The Fringe, you'll be able to see the scale of the assault.

With 'Retaking the Fringe' set as your active quest, follow the arrow on your compass to the warrior in command. Work your way through their dialogue tree, and you will eventually be given a choice: allow the captain to direct the troops herself, or, as the Duke/Duchess of Mania/Dementia, command the troops yourself. It would be best to allow the captain to issue the orders, as they're more than competent and you'd just be wasting time otherwise. If you do wish to issue orders though, select the 'How do I issue orders?' dialogue option to learn more.

Help the Aureals or Mazkens retake The Fringe.

When ready, tell the captain to begin the fight. You'll be facing three waves of Knights of Order. It may be difficult, but try not to harm your allies by accident. When the Knights of Order in Passwall are dead, speak to the captain again. It seems that the source of the Knights' power is a spire in Xeddefen, the ruins that run under Passwall. Since directly assaulting Xeddefen would prove difficult, the remaining troops will act as a decoy while you slip in. The arrow on your compass will now point to the door into Xeddefen. You'll meet some resistance along the way, but don't let the shifting Obelisks intimidate you.

You'll encounter plenty of Knights inside Xeddefen. You have to be especially careful here, as the Knights in Xeddefen tend to group together with the other knights. While walking through the halls of Xeddefen, you should be able to hear the Knights of Order draw their swords when you're detected. When you hear that sound effect, consider falling back just a bit to allow the Knights to come at you. By doing so, you won't risk walking into the middle of a group of Knights. Each time you kill a Knight, be sure to remove the Heart of Order the corpse.

Fight your way to the Obelisk of Order.

When you encounter and kill a Priest of Order, remove the Xeddefen Key from his corpse. This key will automatically unlock any of the locked doors in this dungeon. Follow the arrow on your compass to the door into the 'Xeddefen, Fane' area. The Fane is a small area without many enemies, so move through quickly. Continue following the arrow on your compass to the 'Xeddefen, Great Chamber' area.

The Obelisk of Order is at the center of the Great Chamber. Shutting down the Obelisk is simple; place three Hearts of Order inside to overload it, as you would any Obelisk of Order. Knights of Order will materialize periodically, although they shouldn't be able to do much to hinder you. When the Hearts of Order have been placed in the Obelisk of Order, Xeddefen will begin to collapse. Get out of there! Do your best to avoid falling boulders, as they hurt muchly.

Place three Heart of Order in the Obelisk of Order to overload and destroy it.

If you happen to run into Shelden on your way out of the crumbling dungeon, chat with him and allow him to follow. You can't escape by the way you came in, so follow the area on your compass to the new exit in the 'Xeddefen, Felles' area. The escape route is pretty straight forward, save for one part. When you reach the locked gate, turn around, turn right, and head up the stairs here. Activate the Push Button up here to raise the gate.

You're almost there. Make your way through the 'Xeddefen, Fales' area and you're home free. There are many Knights of Order in the Fales, as well as plenty of falling debris to dodge. There's no need to rush; it would be a good idea to take it slow to avoid getting hit by falling rubble. Usually stepping into a new area will trigger falling debris, so hang back and watch it happen before you press on. When you've made it out, return to the captain and speak to her. She'll tell you to consult with Sheogorath. Travel to New Sheoth Palace and speak to Sheogorath to complete the quest.