In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, some side quests can slip through your fingers if you move too far in certain storylines, make permanent choices, or let important NPCs bite the dust. Here’s a quick rundown of side quests you might miss if you’re not paying attention or get unlucky.
1. The Noble’s Daughter
- Location: Water’s Edge, near Leyawiin
- How to Start: Chat with Biene Amelion in Water’s Edge about her dad’s debt.
- Details: You go grab her dad’s armor from a tomb to help clear a debt. You can miss this if Biene gets killed during the Knights of the White Stallion quest, since the village might get attacked if you’re not careful.
- Reward: Some gold or the armor (it’s enchanted).
- Why It’s Missable: If Biene dies in the attack, the quest is gone.
2. Paranoia
- Location: Skingrad
- How to Start: Talk to Glarthir behind Skingrad’s chapel about his wild conspiracy ideas.
- Details: Glarthir wants you to snoop on townsfolk. You can go along with him, make stuff up, or rat him out. It’s missable if Glarthir gets killed (like in random NPC fights or if you take him out early) or if you push too far in the Mages Guild quests, which can mess with Skingrad.
- Reward: Gold or items, depending on what you do.
- Why It’s Missable: Glarthir’s death or Mages Guild progress can block it.
3. The Renegade Shadowscale
- Location: Bogwater Camp, southeast of Leyawiin
- How to Start: Find Scar-Tail at Bogwater Camp and ask about his Shadowscale backstory.
- Details: You choose to kill Scar-Tail, let him go, or take his heart. You’ll miss it if Scar-Tail gets taken out by random enemies (like animals) before you talk to him or if you never wander to this out-of-the-way spot.
- Reward: A cool ring or some gold.
- Why It’s Missable: His camp is super remote, and he can die to random stuff.
4. Two Sides of the Coin
- Location: Imperial City, Talos Plaza District
- How to Start: Talk to Arnora Auria in Bruma about her stolen gold, then deal with her ex, Jorundr.
- Details: You dig into a fight over stolen gold and pick a side—Arnora or Jorundr. It’s missable if Arnora dies (like from random vampire attacks in Bruma or if you kill her too soon).
- Reward: Gold or a unique item called Truegold, depending on your choice.
- Why It’s Missable: Arnora’s death before you start shuts it down.
5. A Brotherhood Betrayed
- Location: Bruma
- How to Start: Talk to Raynil Dralas, a Dunmer in Bruma, about a vampire hunter.
- Details: You uncover a shady plot involving a so-called vampire and some betrayal. You can miss it if Raynil or other key NPCs die from random stuff (like vampire attacks or guard fights) or if you don’t hit up Bruma early.
- Reward: Gold or some small loot.
- Why It’s Missable: The NPCs can die randomly, locking you out.
6. Caught in the Hunt
- Location: Bravil
- How to Start: Talk to Ursanne Loche in Bravil about her missing husband, Aleron.
- Details: You look into where Aleron went, which leads to a risky run-in with a hunter. It’s missable if Ursanne dies (from random NPC fights or if other quests mess up Bravil).
- Reward: Gold or a unique ring.
- Why It’s Missable: Ursanne’s death stops the quest cold.
7. Mages Guild Suspension Quests
- Location: Various Mages Guild halls
- How to Start: Get kicked out of the Mages Guild by doing bad stuff (like stealing or attacking members).
- Details: To get back in, you do chores like collecting alchemy stuff (like 20 Dragon’s Tongue and 20 Redwort Flower). You’ll miss these if you never get suspended or if you finish the Mages Guild storyline without getting in trouble.
- Reward: You get back into the Mages Guild.
- Why It’s Missable: You have to mess up on purpose, and most players don’t.
8. Buying a House in Skingrad
- Location: Skingrad
- How to Start: Talk to Shum gro-Yarug, the Orc butler at Castle Skingrad, about buying a house.
- Details: This is about snagging Rosethorn Hall. You can miss it if Shum dies, which can happen from a glitch where he falls off a bridge in Skingrad or from random events.
- Reward: You own Rosethorn Hall.
- Why It’s Missable: Shum’s random death kills the quest.
Key Tips to Avoid Missing Quests
- Save Often: NPCs can die out of nowhere (vampires, animals, or glitches) and ruin quests.
- Check Out Places Early: Hit up remote spots and talk to people before diving deep into main or guild quests, since some events can mess with NPCs.
- Don’t Kill NPCs: Accidentally offing someone (or letting them die in a fight) can block quests.
- Watch Quest Requirements: Some quests need you to hold off on speeding through factions like the Mages Guild or Dark Brotherhood.
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