Septimus Signus tasks you with retrieving an Elder Scroll from Blackreach, a massive underground Dwemer city. This quest is a lengthy and dangerous expedition through Dwemer ruins, culminating in the retrieval of the Elder Scroll and a powerful Daedric artifact.
Objectives:
- Enter Blackreach.
- Find the Tower of Mzark.
- Retrieve the Elder Scroll (Dragon).
- Return to Septimus Signus.
Strategy:
Blackreach can be accessed through several Dwemer ruins, such as Alftand, Mzinchaleft, or Raldbthar. Alftand is often the most direct route. These ruins are filled with Falmer and Dwemer automatons (Spheres, Spiders, Centurions). Be prepared for tough fights. Navigate through the ruins until you reach Blackreach. Once in Blackreach, follow the quest marker to the Tower of Mzark. Inside the Tower, you'll find a Dwemer mechanism. Place the lexicon Septimus gave you into the receptacle, then activate the buttons in the correct sequence to retrieve the Elder Scroll. The sequence is: activate the button on the far left, then the second button from the left, then the third button from the left, and finally the fourth button from the left. This will reveal the Elder Scroll. Take it and return to Septimus Signus. He will then ask you to collect blood samples from various races for his research, which leads to the Daedric quest 'Discerning the Transmundane' (which is also the name of this main quest, confusingly). After completing his blood sample request, he will open the Oghma Infinium for you, granting a massive skill boost.