Through a Nightmare, Darkly is a rumor-based quest found in the Bravil area of Oblivion Remastered. As one of the miscellaneous objectives, it can be completed at any point in your playthrough without any prerequisites. In this mission, you're tasked with rescuing someone, a friend of a member of the Mages Guild, trapped in a never-ending dream.
Reminiscent of the movie Inception, Through a Nightmare, Darkly takes you inside another person's dream, where you must guide them back to the real world.
Oblivion Remastered: The Siren's Deception Walkthrough
The Siren's Deception is a side quest in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered that takes place in the city of Anvil in western Cyrodiil.
While most of the quest is fairly straightforward, some Oblivion Remastered players may need help solving the dream puzzles. This guide provides a step-by-step breakdown to help you start and complete Through a Nightmare, Darkly as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Quest Details
|
Type |
Duration |
Quest Giver |
Location |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Miscellaneous Quest |
~ 10 minutes |
Kud-Ei |
Bravil |
The Through a Nightmare, Darkly quest begins once you start investigating rumors in Bravil. Eventually, NPCs will mention that Kud-Ei, an Argonian member of the Mages Guild, is searching for her missing friend. When you speak to Kud-Ei directly, she explains that her friend, Henantier, isn't missing but is trapped in an illusion, and she needs your help to rescue him.
How to Enter the Dreamworld
After accepting the quest to save Henantier, Kud-Ei will take you to his location. She'll then ask you to sleep in the bed next to Henantier to enter what she calls the "Dreamworld." To do this, you must first confirm you're ready by speaking to Kud-Ei, then equip the Dreamworld Amulet before lying down.
Here's a quick recap:
- Follow Kud-Ei into Henantier's house.
- Talk to Kud-Ei and confirm you're ready.
- Open your inventory and equip the Dreamworld Amulet.
- Approach the bed next to the sleeping Henantier and go to sleep.
- This transports you to the Dreamworld and begins the next phase of the Through a Nightmare, Darkly quest.
How to Complete the Four Sanity Tests
After entering the Dreamworld, you'll discover that Henantier is trapped there because he's lost four aspects of his sanity: Patience, Courage, Perception, and Resolve. To rescue him, you must complete four symbolic tests—each representing one of these traits—and recover all the missing elements.
You can complete the Sanity Tests in any order.
The Test of Patience Puzzle Solution
At the start of the Test of Patience, you'll find a Mysterious Scroll in a container. This scroll serves as a map, showing the safe route through a series of booby-trapped pressure plates ahead.
The path is divided into three puzzles, each increasing in size and complexity. Stepping on the wrong tiles will trigger deadly traps, so follow the scroll's symbols carefully. The trick is to follow the path on the Mysterious Scroll marked by matching symbols.
- First Pressure Plate Puzzle (Small): Start from the second plate on the left. Step forward onto the tile in front of it. Move to the leftmost tile, then continue straight ahead to the other side.
- Second Pressure Plate Puzzle (Medium): From the starting point: two tiles up, two tiles left, two tiles up, one tile right, one tile up, two tiles right, one tile up.
- Third Pressure Plate Puzzle (Large): From the starting point: three tiles up, four tiles right, two tiles up, one tile right, two tiles up, three tiles left, one tile down, four tiles left, two tiles up.
If your character's Speed and Acrobatics attributes are high, you might be able to bypass these puzzles. However, this will likely cost you some HP, which is not advisable.
The Test of Courage Solution
The easiest of the four tests, the Test of Courage, involves diving into a tunnel. First, grab the Weak Potion of the Sea from the container, but don't drink it yet. Jump into the water and follow the tunnel path. Drink the potion whenever you're about to run out of air.
There's a secondary Breath Potion in the tunnel. If necessary, use it to extend your underwater breathing capacity.
The Test of Perception Solution
The Element of Perception is locked behind a parkour path filled with booby traps. To complete the test, grab the torch from the container and follow the path ahead, avoiding the pressure plates scattered along the way. At certain points, debris will fall overhead, so don't rush. It's best to take your time and carefully navigate each section to avoid traps.
The Test of Resolve Solution
For the Element of Resolve, you'll need to fight off some Dreamworld Minotaurs. Fortunately, you're given a full set of armor and several weapons at the start, making the combat easier. I recommend using the Staff, as it allows you to kill the enemies without taking damage. However, since the Minotaurs are always lower level than you, any of the provided weapons should make defeating them a breeze.
How to Exit the Dreamworld
Once you have all four Elements of Sanity (Patience, Courage, Perception, and Resolve), return to Henantier's house and talk to him. He will lead you both out of the Dreamworld, completing the quest.
Fun fact: If you choose to kill Henantier inside the Dreamworld, you will die as well. As Kud-Ei warned at the start of the quest, everyone's life is tied to Henantier's while in his dream, so killing him is essentially a suicide attempt.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- April 22, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, RPG, Open-World, Adventure
