Oblivion main quest walkthrough

There are more than a few story arcs that run through the epic journey of Oblivion. With the different factions, side missions, and NPC quests that you can complete, your time in Cyrodiil can be spent any number of ways doing things for other people. This walkthrough is for the folks that want to experience the main story from beginning to end without any interruptions and not have to worry about those pesky side quests and faction missions and just get the main story and large battles out of the way. Once the main story is completed however, there is still a ton of stuff to do and you will be both the stronger and the wiser to face it!







The Sewers

Once you have created your character, the game will finally begin in earnest and you will be in a prison cell. Wait for the guards to show up and then go towards the window so that they will open the cell door. Once they do, the guards and Emperor will enter for a chat. Talk to them and then follow them through the opening that appears in the wall. For the first part, simply follow the guards until some assassins show up. Stay out of the way of the battle and once it’s over, search the body of Captain Renault to take the sword and torch. As you proceed down the stairs, some rats will break through the wall to the southeast.

Kill them with your sword equipped and go through the opening. Go to the east side of the cavern and you will find a skeleton with a bow and a shield. Grab the goods and search its body for lock picks. Open the chest there for some gold and then continue to the SE corner where you can find a goblin shaman’s corpse. Search it for the iron key and then go through the wooden door next to him. Continue to follow the corridor around to a large area with wooden pillars. In the center of the area will be bones scattered about with a helmet, shield and other goodies scattered about.

Grab what you need and head up the stairs and continue down the corridor to a wooden door that will take you to the Natural Caverns. Follow them forward and you will wind through some caves until you eventually come to a goblin roasting a rat. Sneak up on him and continue through to find a pile of logs at the top of a hill. Push them and they will roll down to kill the two goblins at the bottom. Make your way past them and you will come to a large cavern with a fire in the center. Clear the room of goblins and check the fenced in area to the north for a chest that has an iron sword in it. Continue up the ramp to the northeast and go through the wooden door and through the opening in the wall to meet up with the Emperor and Baurus again. Let the guards fight the assassins that show up.

Continue to the Sanctum and when you reach an iron gate, you will backtrack to a dead end where the Emperor will give you the Amulet of Kings. Talk to Baurus and tell him that the emperor wanted you bring it to Jauffre. Next you will need to pick your classes that you want to excel in and then head off to the sewers to start your delivery of the amulet. Hop through the narrow opening next to the emperor’s body and follow the corridor to the wooden door. Go through and then hop down the round opening to enter the sewers. Go through the hallway and then take the short stairs on the right. Fight through the rats in the next room and then go up the stairs on the left and through the iron gate. Continue to the northeast and you will get outside. Now you that you are in the fresh air, you will need to head far west to reach the Weynon Priory where Jauffre is located.

Make your way there and when you reach it, enter the Weynon House and speak to the monk inside the door. He will tell you that Jauffre is upstairs, so make your way up to find him sitting behind a desk. If it is night time, you may have to hang out for a bit for him to show up. You can rest until the day time and then proceed to talk to him. Tell him about what happened to the Emperor and he will then ask you to go to Kvatch to find the emperor’s son, Martin who is now a priest in the Chapel of Akatosh. Exit out of the house and make your way to the southwest to Kvatch.

Breaking the Siege of Kvatch

Once you reach the city, you will find Savlian Matius just outside of the blood red, brightly lit Oblivion Gate. Talk to him about Martin and he will tell you that he believes he is still alive inside the gate and will ask for your help. Agree and then enter the gate. Once inside, you will see Ilend Vonius just ahead of you. You can help him against the Stunted Scamps there or just let him die. If he dies, you can take all of his armor and weapons. If he lives, you can either have him help you or send him back through the gate. Make your way to the northwest of the area and follow the path to the north when able. Enter the large doors there that lead to the Bloodfeast. Take out the few enemies inside and proceed through the next door to the Rending Halls. Defeat the Churls inside and use the fountain to regain your health. Head through the next door on the right and follow the hallway to the Bloodfeast again.

Follow the pathway around and up the ramp to the Corridor of Dark Salvation. Clear the room of Stunted Scamps and then head through the door on the left to go outside. Cross the large bridge and enter The Reapers Sprawl. Walk up the ramp and you will come to face the Dremora Sigil Keeper. Take him out and take the Sigil Key from his body. Talk to the captive in the cage and he will tell you to get the key. Head back down the ramp and across the bridge again to the Corridor of Dark Salvation. Now use the key on the Citadel Hall door to the left and follow the corridor to another door on the right that leads to the Bloodfeast again. Follow the ramp upwards to the bright red light at the top. Hop on the Ruined Portal and activate it. Follow the pathway to the left and go up the ramp to find a locked door to the Sigillum Sanguis.

Go through with the Sigil Keep Key and make your way up the ramps. There will be a few enemies in here, so keep on your guard. When you reach the very top of the room, look to the center and step to the glowing ball. Activate the Sigil Stone and you will appear back outside at the gates to Kvatch. Remember how the operations of the Oblivion Gates work as throughout the main story, you’ll be closing A LOT of them. Go to the south and talk to Matius and after the conversation, go through the large gates the soldiers run to. Once out are inside the city, you will need to clear out the few enemies in the streets. Take them down and then Matius will shout that all is clear. Enter the church to the right of the area and find Martin walking around. Tell him that he needs to come to the Priory with you and he will agree.

Weynon Priory

Make your way there and when you arrive, it will be under attack by the same assassins that attacked the Emperor. Kill all those you come across and then follow Brother Piner into the chapel to find Jauffre. Talk to him and he will tell you that he has hidden the amulet in the house and that you should check on it. Exit the chapel and enter the Weynon House to the right and go up the stairs to where Jauffre is. He will tell you that the amulet is missing and that Martin must be protected. He will suggest going to Cloud Ruler Temple with him, to the north of Bruma. Make your way there via fast travel and you will then be greeted by Cyrus when you open the main gate. Walk to the top of the stairs and Martin will give a speech to the Blades there. Once he is finished the next course of action will be to track down the amulet. Talk to Jauffre and he will first offer you to join the Blades. Decline if you are to keep ongoing with the main storyline quests.

Jeff McAllister is a freelance journalist who has contributed to GamesRadar+ over the years. You'll typically find his byline associated with deep-dive guides that are designed to help you scoop up collectibles and find hidden treasures in some of the biggest action and RPG games out there. Be sure to give Jeff a thanks in the comments while you're completing all of those tricky Achievements and Trophies.