Originally this was part of a much larger mod with a team and there was going to be an NPC with you for lore/hints.
The cups puzzle serves 2 purposes: 1
Spoiler:
Show
To open the way to to the mages hidden room through the barred hall. The animals on the pillars have nothing to do with this part.
2
Spoiler:
Show
To open the floor door to get the the chest at the bottom of the steps. You need to get all snakes for that to happen and it is probably the most difficult puzzle you will ever see in Skyrim.
If you need help in the cage after the cups puzzle:
Spoiler:
Show
Walk to each space between the statues first until you activate all the mirrors outside of the cage. Then shoot or cast a spell at the one that has the symbol that matches the symbol on the floor facing the door. I believe it's the butterfly. What is the cage for? Once you get out of it you can see it was designed as a kill room for unwanted intruders. The mages would have been able to see who was there through the one way walls.
The mod for Twilight Sepulcher just changes the tests and adds 2 tests that do have hints in the book you normally find.
I downloaded this mod quite some time ago and completely forgot about it (I rarely do the thieves guild questline). So it was quite a surprise when Snow Veil Sanctum suddenly seemed not quite as familiar as I remembered ...I'm very much enjoying the changes so far.
Just one query: Are the mages marbles found in the room with the 5 cups (dragon shout room)? Or should I have been looking out for them throughout the previous rooms? Or is this an area I'm supposed to go back to?
Regardless, I'm endorsing the mod, as it's been a while that I've been quite as challenged by a dungeon
Edit: I found the staircase that got me up to the loot chest in the Dragon Shout room. Did a lot of running through the dungeon, seeing if there was anything I had missed. After being betrayed and recovering, I came back an fought the final Mage Draugr Boss, retrieving the marbles. I must say, I have been less of a fan of the last two puzzles. The puzzle with the marbles and cups did not feel intuitive. I get that some marbles activate a different number of pillars, but it wasn't clear if I was supposed to be trying to get them all one animal shape, or if there was a sequence earlier in the dungeon that I somehow missed. In the end, the door seemed to open on a completely random sequence, scuppering my working theory that I had to get all columns to face on the same animal.
Finally, the cage puzzle. This ... is not a fun puzzle so far. I understand that facing certain pillars outside the cage seems to activate them. However, as with the last puzzle, there seems to not be any clue as to which order they should be activated. Doing them at random seems to have all five pillars active (with a swirling magical blob in the middle). However, the door remains sealed, with no way forward or backwards, without console commands. This is a serious turn off for me (I was very much enjoying the dungeon until this point), as there is no way to give up and try again (without console commands).
For this puzzle in particular (but also the puzzle with the five cups and marbles), I feel that there really could be some clues or literature (perhaps in the form of a diary entry, letter or notebook). That would at least let whoever is using the mod know that they are on the right track (or if something has gone wrong). As for myself, I will probably give this puzzle another 10 minutes, before giving up and console commanding out of here.
So the puzzle seems to indicate Dragon, Dragon, Wolf, Wolf, Butterfly, Butterfly. Except there is no second butterfly pillar. Is there something I'm missing here?
Thank you very much! I'm glad you are having fun with it. You have not missed the mage marbles. Keep going and you will find them. I'll put the answer in a spoiler.
That's nice :) They do look pretty cool. I can display it next to my bed. Whenever I look at it, I can remind myself never to get stuck in a magical cage with no way out.
Meanwhile, dungeon delving in Kagrenzel: "Ooh, what's this pretty, shiny Orb? I wonder what happens when I touch it?"
Originally this was part of a much larger mod with a team and there was going to be an NPC with you for lore/hints. In the cage:
Spoiler:
Show
walk to each space between the statues first until you activate all the mirrors outside of the cage. Then shoot or cast a spell at the one that has the symbol that matches the symbol on the floor facing the door. I believe it's the butterfly.
The mod for Twilight Sepulcher just changes the tests and adds 2 tests that do have hints in the book you normally find.
I'm free! I tried it and it worked. Thank you for helping me. I really did like the Snow Veil Sanctum dungeon. I died so many times, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It's just those last two puzzles that did me.
I did fire off a few spells in frustration, but mostly at the walls and the seal in the floor. I can sympathise that this was originally meant to be part of a much bigger mod, so some features may have difficulties. For the last puzzle, a small note saying something like "Crown the last waker in wreaths of flame" (every player has the flames spell) would probably have been enough of a clue. Could be found on the dead draugr mage.
Anyway, it's probaby redundant now, as anyone who gets stuck has these comments to fall back on now :) I said it before, but I'll say it again; regardless of my comments, I have enjoyed this mod a lot, so thank you for sharing it.
The mages quarters was going to become one of many thieves guild locations. The dialogue with the NPC that was going to be with the player through there was really neat.
It seems a shame that those other ideas have come to naught. I would have been interested to see your completed vision. At least we got a fun little dungeon.
I don't see why not. There are a couple of new scripts in it though so probably not on the Playstation. It's a free to use resource so give it a go! Thank you for the interest.
that's a shame about echoes of barenziah coming to an end. i thought you guys had some fantastic ideas for revamping the entire quest line, but these things happen. i'd pretty much thought that this was the case for some time now. but, it's good to see some good come from it though. i'm glad you were able to release this mod.
Thank you very much. It was sad to have it end, so much promise. That's also why I wanted to publish these so if someone wants to do anything with it.....
19 comments
The cups puzzle serves 2 purposes:
1
2
If you need help in the cage after the cups puzzle:
The mod for Twilight Sepulcher just changes the tests and adds 2 tests that do have hints in the book you normally find.
Just one query: Are the mages marbles found in the room with the 5 cups (dragon shout room)? Or should I have been looking out for them throughout the previous rooms? Or is this an area I'm supposed to go back to?
Regardless, I'm endorsing the mod, as it's been a while that I've been quite as challenged by a dungeon
Edit: I found the staircase that got me up to the loot chest in the Dragon Shout room. Did a lot of running through the dungeon, seeing if there was anything I had missed. After being betrayed and recovering, I came back an fought the final Mage Draugr Boss, retrieving the marbles. I must say, I have been less of a fan of the last two puzzles. The puzzle with the marbles and cups did not feel intuitive. I get that some marbles activate a different number of pillars, but it wasn't clear if I was supposed to be trying to get them all one animal shape, or if there was a sequence earlier in the dungeon that I somehow missed. In the end, the door seemed to open on a completely random sequence, scuppering my working theory that I had to get all columns to face on the same animal.
Finally, the cage puzzle. This ... is not a fun puzzle so far. I understand that facing certain pillars outside the cage seems to activate them. However, as with the last puzzle, there seems to not be any clue as to which order they should be activated. Doing them at random seems to have all five pillars active (with a swirling magical blob in the middle). However, the door remains sealed, with no way forward or backwards, without console commands. This is a serious turn off for me (I was very much enjoying the dungeon until this point), as there is no way to give up and try again (without console commands).
For this puzzle in particular (but also the puzzle with the five cups and marbles), I feel that there really could be some clues or literature (perhaps in the form of a diary entry, letter or notebook). That would at least let whoever is using the mod know that they are on the right track (or if something has gone wrong). As for myself, I will probably give this puzzle another 10 minutes, before giving up and console commanding out of here.
So the puzzle seems to indicate Dragon, Dragon, Wolf, Wolf, Butterfly, Butterfly. Except there is no second butterfly pillar. Is there something I'm missing here?
Meanwhile, dungeon delving in Kagrenzel: "Ooh, what's this pretty, shiny Orb? I wonder what happens when I touch it?"
The mod for Twilight Sepulcher just changes the tests and adds 2 tests that do have hints in the book you normally find.
I did fire off a few spells in frustration, but mostly at the walls and the seal in the floor. I can sympathise that this was originally meant to be part of a much bigger mod, so some features may have difficulties. For the last puzzle, a small note saying something like "Crown the last waker in wreaths of flame" (every player has the flames spell) would probably have been enough of a clue. Could be found on the dead draugr mage.
Anyway, it's probaby redundant now, as anyone who gets stuck has these comments to fall back on now :)
I said it before, but I'll say it again; regardless of my comments, I have enjoyed this mod a lot, so thank you for sharing it.
https://creations.bethesda.net/en/skyrim/details/63699/Twilight_Sepulcher_Overhaul