‘A Rat Problem’ is one of the very first quests players can undertake as a contract for the Fighters Guild in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Like most quests in the game, it is an involved affair with two possible outcomes and multiple twists and turns along the way.

The quest giver is Arvena Thelas, who finds her basement crawling with starved Mountain Lions, intruding upon the rat nest she has painstakingly built. The Hero is tasked with helping Arvena solve the problem and investigating who the mastermind behind the scenes is.

A Rat Problem Quest Walkthrough

starved mountain lion in a rat problem in the elder scrolls 4 oblivion remastered

To begin ‘A Rat Problem,’ talk to Azzan in the Anvil Fighters Guild. He is usually found in front of the training dummy on the main floor. After agreeing to join the Fighters Guild (if this is your first contract), select the ‘Contract’ option, and he will direct you to speak with Arvena Thelas, a Dunmer living nearby who needs her ‘rat problem’ solved.

  1. Follow the quest marker to Arvena Thelas’s house and speak with her. She will tell you that Mountain Lions have been found in the basement where she keeps her pet rats.
  2. Head down to the basement and kill the Mountain Lion.
  3. Report back to Arvena, and she will direct you to consult the services of Pinarus Inventius, the resident expert hunter of Anvil.
  4. Pinarus Inventius will agree to go on a hunt for any Mountain Lions nearby with you. Follow him outside the city gates, and you’ll encounter four Mountain Lions. Slay them.
    slaying mountain lions in a rat problem in the elder scrolls 4 oblivion remastered
  5. Return to Arvena and report your progress. She will instruct you to kill another Mountain Lion who has infiltrated her basement. Do so.
  6. Speak with Arvena again, and she will request that you find the root cause of the problem. The main suspect is Quill-Weave, a female Argonian neighbor who constantly complains about Arvena’s rats.

Do not kill the Mountain Lions before Pinarus Inventius comes to help you. This often breaks the quest.

How to Catch Quill-Weave in Oblivion Remastered

catching quill weave behind arvena thelas house in the elder scrolls 4 oblivion remastered

After the immediate Mountain Lion problem has been dealt with, Arvena requests that you investigate Quill-Weave, her neighbor, at night to discover what she has been doing. Here is what you need to do:

  1. Wait until night. 8 - 11 PM works.
  2. Crouch to enter sneak mode and hide behind the house next to Arvena’s (The Count’s Arms). The goal is to keep Arvena’s backyard within view, without being visible yourself.
  3. Use third-person view to get a bigger field of view.
  4. Keep a lookout for Quill-Weave. She will circle around Arvena’s house before heading to her backyard in order to place slabs of meat near the basement’s entrance.
  5. As soon as you catch her in the act, a popup will appear, indicating that this part of the quest is complete, and now you can confront Quill-Weave about her actions.

Quill-Weave will circle around Arvena’s house throughout the day and stop behind her house multiple times. However, she will only take action at night. Following her during the day offers no benefits.

A high level in Sneak is not required to complete this objective, but it does help.

Should You Tell Arvena Thelas The Truth in Oblivion Remastered

deciding quill weave's fate in the elder scrolls 4 oblivion remastered

Confront Quill-Weave about her actions, and she will admit that she has been leaving meat behind Arvena Thelas’s house in order to lure the rats outside, hoping that the guards will deal with them. Upon learning that the meat’s smell has lured in Mountain Lions instead, she is shocked and begs the Hero not to report her actions. In exchange, she will ‘teach you what she knows.’ Now, there are two options.

Option #1: Tell Arvena About Quill-Weave

If you tell Arvena that Quill-Weave was behind the Mountain Lions appearing in her basement, you will receive one free level in Speechcraft, +1 Fame Point, and a gold reward. Quill-Weave will not be arrested and will still be available as an Acrobatics trainer.

Option #2: Do Not Tell Arvena About Quill-Weave

If you do not tell Arvena Thelas that Quill-Weave was behind the Mountain Lions appearing in her basement, you will receive one free level in Acrobatics, +1 Fame Point, and a gold reward.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Tag Page Cover Art

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Display card tags widget
Action
RPG
Open-World
Adventure
Display card system widget
Systems
Xbox-1 PlayStation-1 PC-1
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
Display card main info widget
Released
April 22, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Virtuos, Bethesda
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 1
6 Images
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 1
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 2
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 3
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 4
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 5
The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered Press Image 6
Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

OpenCritic Rating
Strong