The Gordian Bind
Entry posted by Frayed in Walkthrough
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This is a complete walkthrough of "The Gordian Bind", the second quest of The Trappings of Fate.
It was made for BETA version TToF v2.0.5. There might be differences with later versions, as I may not have updated this guide after making changes to the mod itself. However, it should remain largely valid.
Needless to say, this is heavy spoiler territory. These spoiler tags below here describe how to get through the various parts of the quest, with nested spoilers for individual steps.
First room (cell):
You awaken and after some dialogue, Irkalla releases you from the chair. Whenever you either run, attack, sneak, shout, cast or try to walk out of the cell she will command you to stop. After a short scene, you are locked into the x-cross. Another short scene plays, and Irkalla will leave, locking the cell door and sealing it with a barrier.
Escaping the x-cross:
All struggle options are red herrings: escape is impossible. Choose the "give up" option and a scene will play where Azura and Boethiah give you a task and make the x-cross escapeable. Then, simply struggle out of the device via the regular DD way.
Once free from the x-cross, your next objective is to escape the room. But to do so, you'll first have to escape the devices locked onto you.
Escaping the locking earplugs:
The key for the earplugs is on the small table next to the x-cross. Use it.
Escaping the rope devices:
The rope restraints are too tight to struggle out of, you need something to cut them. Jurgin (the man across the bars) can/will not help you, so pick up the Fragile Bottle through the bars, drop it into the floor to break it, and use the glass shards to cut your rope bindings.
Getting through the door:
The door is locked and a barrier blocks access to the lock.
The barrier will dissipate if you activate it while wearing some of the restraints on the large table in the cell. Specifically, you need to wear the ball & chain and the manacles.
To pick the lock on the door you will need a lockpick. There are none nearby, but you can improvise with a cruder tool. Jurgin will bring you a plate of food with cutlery if you ask him. Use the fork from the plate as a pick to unlock the door.
Second room (alchemy lab):
While you may have escaped the cell, you'll quickly find out that as soon as you try to step outside of the alchemy lab the collar will take control and make you walk back. You'll have to do something about that before you can progress. Jurgin may have some ideas. Don't forget to pick up the key for the Plain Iron restraints next to the cell door if you haven't already done so.
Suppressing the collar enough to leave the lab:
You'll need to make a potion to help you fight the collar's influence. To do so, find the four alchemy notes scattered throughout the alchemy lab. They are located:
1. On the table facing the cell.
2. Below the lid of the stone pool in the side room with all the glowy plants.
3. On the ground between a large and a small shelf, on the side with the doors leading outward.
4. In the bucket with the broom near one of the lab exits.
Once you have all four notes, pick up an invisibility potion, a resist magic potion, lavender, a creep cluster root and bread, and craft the potion at the cooking pot (NOT at the alchemy table). Drink it, and you will be able to leave the alchemy lab.
Getting into places and finding the first shrine:
Once you've escaped the alchemy lab, you'll reach a more open section of the quest. Explore the cavern outside. Some areas may be inaccessible for now, but will open up later. It may be a bit confusing where to go, but remember that your objective is to cleanse Azura and Boethiah's shrines. Jurgin should have directed you to talk to Walker, a Bosmer girl who lives nearby in the small mushroom hut (not the large one) in the cavern. Find a way up to it and talk to Walker. She will mention that you should go "where the ground whispers and the sky screams". She will also give you a key to the large mushroom and tell you that there are three notes with hints you can find.
The hints notes are at:
1. The desk in the lower section of the large mushroom.
2. The bookshelves in the upper section of the large mushroom.
3. One of the desks in Irkalla's Arcanaeum, which is located next to the alchemy lab. Changed: now on a desk near the exit of the upper section of the large mushroom.
Getting into the upper floor of the large mushroom:
Another barrier blocks your way. To pass it, you will need to wear a specific device. In this case, it's a hobble dress. You can find one in a side room of the lower section of the mushroom.
Finding "where the ground whispers and the sky screams":
One corner of the large cavern has a bunch of blue crystals and glowing mushrooms. Go there and look for stones that look more like ruined pillars that natural stone. You'll know you are in the right location when an ambient whisper sounds starts playing when you enter the area. Now to find out how to open the door...
Opening the entrance where "where the ground whispers and the sky screams":
The riddle says: "In corners touched by moon nor sun, Reach deep into the black, Look ye to sky for one last time, And pass through stone unseen". You've done the first two lines, now do the last two: from where the whispers play, look at the sky until you hear screams, keep looking for a few seconds until you hear a swoosh, then walk BACKWARDS through the stone while still looking at the sky.
Still can't find it? Here's a visual:
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(Those stairs may look slightly different depending on the version you're playing)
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It's important that you walk backwards after the swoosh, because once you look away from the sky the rock will become solid once again. Also, you can't see the sky if you're wearing a blindfold, silly. Take that off first.
Cleansing the first shrine (the Gloomy Ruin):
You're now in a very dark ruin with lots of awful noises. Somewhere in here is Azura's shrine, but it's currently warped by Hermaeus Mora's influence. Two plaques before you state:
"Abandon all reason, ye who enter
For his screaming whisper shall fill your ears
And instill you with madness
For his visage will swallow your sight
And instill you with madness
For his being will draw you below
And instill you with madness
Yet for those clear of purpose and singular of mind
Heed not the whispers, mind not the screams
Avert thy gaze and stare past the abyss into nothing
Walk steadfast through muck and madness
And ye shall find His Word and Power"
Going mad is bad. You'll want to do something to prevent that. Essentially all puzzles here are based on senses. Every unpleasant thing can be avoided by blocking off a sense with the
appropriate devious device.
Getting through the door with the green swirly on it:
Equip the locking earplugs to block out the awful sounds.
Dealing with the monsters:
The monsters will drive you to madness if you look at them for a few seconds. Either keep your camera pointed away from them, or equip a blindfold.
Preventing getting dragged under:
The tentacles react to exposed skin. Equip some boots.
Getting through the gates:
Either a) wait for a monster to open the gate for you, and sneak in behind them or b) open the gates yourself via the orange thingies. The orange thingies react to exposed skin: if you wear gloves they will not work, and if you don't wear a catsuit they will react a little too well...
Finding the shrine in the maze:
Your sight deceives you and blocks the entrance by a wall unless you are wearing a blindfold. Even if you do wear one, you'll still need to pass through a wall of tentacles to get to the shrine. They react to exposed skin and will let you pass if you wear a catsuit.
Cleansing the shrine:
Touching the shrine will get you sucked into a metaphysical tug-of-war between Azura and Hermaeus Mora. In this case, that means that Mora will try to drive you mad with sounds, visions and tentacles, while Azura needs you to stay sane. Block the visions with a blindfold, the sounds with earplugs, and the tentacles by barring entry to, well, your orifices by equipping a belt and a gag.
Once Azura's shrine is cleansed, you can talk to her and roam around the ruin unimpeded. Go to all three word walls if you didn't already and get the Unrelenting Pull shout. You'll need it later. Once you're done, exit the ruin.
Irkalla's checkup and the bedroom:
After you cleansed Azura's shrine and left the ruin, you'll find that the potion has worn off and the collar takes control again. Worse yet, Irkalla is coming to check up on you. Uh-oh. The collar will lead you back to the alchemy lab, and you'll have to think of a way to make Irkalla not notice you've (fairly succesfully) been trying to escape. Your options to do so are actually very limited. Thankfully, as soon as you are locked into the x-cross again either the collar or by yourself, some mysterious entity intervenes and makes you wear the right devices, and even makes you able to lie to Irkalla in a limited fashion despite the collar's influence. Who could this entity be?
Either way, Irkalla is fooled and she takes you to her bedroom and toys with you a little. After some games, food and talk, she will eventually lock you into the chair in the corner and command you to sleep. Boethiah, not very happy that you've cleansed Azura's shrine but not hers, will wake you up, give you a lockpick, return control and tell you to get on with it.
Acquiring a new potion:
Irkalla has one stashed in the lockbox next to her bed. There are a number of lockpicks hidden in the bedroom. Find some and pick the lockbox. Or pickpocket the key from Irkalla.
You'll have to remove your gag before you can drink the potion. Luckily, there should be some sharp knives on the table in the lower bedroom.
The barrier:
Requires a genital piercing, which can be found in the chest next to the dressers.
Don't forget to grab a few things from Irkalla's bedroom before leaving. You'll need the Pet suit and Muffling Hood next to the x-cross, the Staff of Renew Vigor next to the lockbox, and the Draft of a Letter note and the Intricate Heavy Key from the desk in the lower bedroom. Additionally, while not required, it'll be useful to have the Heart-Engraved Key and the note under it that are lying on a low set of drawers in the upper part of the bedroom.
Finding the second shrine:
Having escaped Irkalla's bedroom, your next objective is to find and cleanse Boethiah's shrine. Before you set out looking, though, remember that Azura told you there was something of Boethiah within Irkalla's Arcanaeum. You'll need that something for the shrine, so you'll want to go get that first.
Finding Boethiah's sword in the Arcanaeum:
If you haven't been there yet, Irkalla's Arcanaeum is behind the blocked door next to the alchemy lab. The barrier requires a straitjacket, which can be found in Walker's hut. With the Intricate Heavy Key you will be able to open the far door in the Arcanaeum, behind which you will see an ebony greatsword floating above one of Hermaus Mora's black books, all guarded by two barriers powered by soul gems and a set of metal bars blocking access.
Three notes can be found in the Arcanaeum. One (Riddle Notes 3) is for finding Azura's shrine, which is no longer relevant. The other two (Tonal Fork Note and Black Book Safeguards Note) describe the process of getting to the sword. To get to the sword, you'll need to remove the barriers. To do this, you need to change the attunement of the Tonal Fork from being attuned to Azura to being attuned to Molag Bal. To do so, heat up the Tonal Fork by holding it in a flame or the coals of the forge until it becomes a Heated Tonal Fork, attune it to Molag Bal by dropping it in the pool of blood, then quench in the attunement by dropping it in the water.
Once you have the "Tonal Fork (Molag Bal)", hold it out through the bars and move it close to the soul gems. They will explode, the barriers will fade and the sword will drop. Oh, and Mora will start leaking out. Oops. I'm sure that's nothing to worry about, right?
The sword may not fall down close enough to pick up. If so, use the Unrelenting Pull shout to pull it towards you.
Finding Boethiah's shrine:
There is a part in the upper section of the large cavern near the upper door of the large mushroom that you couldn't access earlier without the collar sending you back. With the better potion you drank you can now access it. Walk to the other side of the small canyon and jump into the water there. Swim underneath the rock and you'll be in Boethiah's shrine. Go up to the altar and put the sword in place, and Boethiah will appear to tell you the next steps.
The trials:
To cleanse Boethiah's shrine, you will need to complete three trials. In each, you have to align your actions with what Boethiah represents as a god, and not with Molag Bal. Molag Bal is all about domination and wants you to be submissive. Boethiah wants you to betray and subvert authority. Both like murder. Yeah, they're very pleasant.
The first trial:
In the Trial of the Toy, you're in some kind of vision where you are playing the role of Irkalla's willing toy. She asks you to play a kinky game with her, but remember that accepting to play said game is accepting the role of a submissive, which is what Molag Bal wants you to do.
Instead, when Irkalla leaves to let you pick out devices, look below the tables in the dressing room for Lotus Extract, a potent poison. Put some in the wine on the small table next to the contraptions, lock yourself in (manipulating the contraption if you can/want), and wait for Irkalla to drink the poisoned wine during the game she proposes you two play. Then break out, pick up the sword, and murder her.
The second trial:
In the Trial of the Prisoner, you'll find yourself being escorted to a cell in a dark dungeon by a dremora. After some dialogue, he'll tie you up and lock you into the cell, where you will have to escape a series of devices in time to smash a magic crystal that's doing something nefarious to your mind. There are two ways to complete this trial:
The normal way:
Straitjacket:
- "Struggle foot"
- "Struggle torso" 2x
- "Look around" -> active loose cuffs 3x
Pole:
- "Look around" -> pick splinters from the pole
- "Struggle hands" and pick the lock on your wrists
Mittens:
- BEFORE you remove the mittens, get rid of the mask that's gagging you. Just struggle out of it like a normal Devious Device. Then use the shout from the Gloomy Ruin (you did grab that, right?) to pull the tool that's lying in the ritual circle behind the bars towards you, and jam it into the wall of your cell. Now you're prepared for what comes later.
- Hold your hands over the fire by standing close and raising your fists ("unsheathe weapon"), wait until they're hot, then quickly cool them in the pool of water. Do this three times and the repeated heat stress will destroy the mittens.
Yoke:
- If you didn't remove the gagging mask when the yoke is equipped, it's gg. Give up and try again.
- If you DID and you put the tool in the wall, use it to pick the locks on your yoke. You may need to grab a single lockpick from the pole again if you don't have one.
Elbowbinder / escaping the cell:
- The elbowbinder cannot be removed. Instead, drop the yoke from your inventory and jam it beneath the bars of your cell, then use it to push the grate open.
- Activate the crystal to destroy it.
- When the dremora shows up, do not let him talk! Just attack him instead. You'll find he's much weaker than he appears.
Cheesing it:
You can just attack the dremora during his first dialogue and instantly kill him, and you'll skip the entire tied up section.
The third trial:
In the Trial of the Conqueror you're not taking a submissive role for a change, but instead are put into the role of the victor that has to decide the fate of your captor Irkalla and her associates. Allegedly helping you decide their fate is Boethiah, who may not seem entirely like herself.
And indeed, she isn't - in truth, it's Molag Bal pretending to be Boethiah. When you call him out on his bullshit, he'll offer you a deal: serve him willingly or suffer. There are two ways to complete this trial:
Accept Molag Bal's deal and he will instruct you on what to do. But entering a contract of servitude to Molag Bal may have consequences later...
Reject Molag Bal's deal and he will get angry, taking control of your body and making you quite literally rape and murder everyone else left in the room. To prevent this, take the shackles Irkalla is wearing (either pickpocketing them or from her corpse) and equip them on yourself while Molag Bal is ranting. He'll be so perplexed and amused that he "lets you off easy".
Finding something to bargain with:
After completing all three of Boethiah's trials, you'll quickly find out that unfortunately Boethiah can't remove your collar either. Bother. She tells you that it can only be removed by either Irkalla herself or by Molag Bal, and that you should find some way to trick them into doing just so. Tricking a god is no easy feat, however, so she tells you to find Mephala, who apparently ALSO has a shrine hidden away somewhere. She does give you a reward though, in the form of a powerful shout that can unlock Devious Devices, but instructs you not to use it yet.
On the way out of Boethiah's shrine, you'll be intercepted by Irkalla, who finally reveals her motivations for capturing you in the first place. She still won't let you go, though. The place she chooses for your little chat here is important, but it's easy to miss: she remarks that this place is "safe from prying eyes and ears", presumably Molag Bal's. But it's not Azura's shrine, and not Boethiah's shrine, so that leaves...? Exactly, Mephala. Once Irkalla leaves, go talk to Azura briefly to get some additional information, then return to this little blue cave.
To get past the current:
equip the metal ball & chain from the starter cell to make yourself heavier (or overencumber yourself, either works), and use that to sink past the upwards current.
You'll now find yourself in another cave, where after a little swim you'll find a glowing sealed door joined by two alcoves with pedestals in them. To open the door, you'll have to figure out how to activate the pedestals and in what order.
The pedestal puzzle:
Each pedestal is activated by a specific type of magic. There are a number of staves placed around the play area of The Gordian Bind, all of which can be used to shoot magic without having to cast it yourself (and triggering the collar). There are six staves to collect, and the pedestals must be activated in a specific order. The order is given in the form of a riddle given in the "Draft of a Letter" note on the desk in Irkalla's bedroom. It says "Within the depths, the five open the six seals. Lust is love. Lies are truth. Death is life." The depths you've found already - that's where the puzzle is. "The five" refers to the schools of magic: alteration, conjuration, destruction, illusion and restoration. You'll also find the symbols of these scholls above each pedestal. The six seals are the pedestals. "Lust is love. Lies are truth. Death is life." is Mephala's mantra, but here it also describes the order in which to use the staves:
1. Lust - Staff of Conjure Arcane Phallus on the CONJURATION pedestal WITHOUT skull
2. Love - Staff of Suggestion Charm on the ILLUSION pedestal WITH flowers (BEFORE v2.0.5 you need to use Grand Staff of Charming instead)
3. Lies - Staff of Fear on the ILLUSION pedestal WITHOUT flowers
4. Truth - Magelight on the ALTERATION pedestal
5. Death - Staff of Reanimation on the CONJURATION pedestal WITH skull
6. Life - Staff of Renew Vigor on the RESTORATION pedestal
Once activated in this order, the door will open.
Behind the door is a vault with valuables, most notably being your gear! Grab it from the chests and loot to your heart's content. But what you came for isn't immediately visible here: Mephala's shrine is hidden behind another small puzzle. Azura has told you the solution already: disturb the spiders. You'll find some cobwebs in here: destroy them with the conveniently placed Staff of Flames, then follow the small line of insects on the floor next to the pile of rugs into the wall behind one of the destroyed cobwebs. It will fade and reveal Mephala's shrine, along with your prize: a soul gem holding Irkalla soul.
Once you touch the soul gem, Mephala will appear with some exposition and offer you a choice: take the real gem and use it to bargain for your freedom, or take a fake she produces and trick Molag Bal into taking it. Choose whichever you like, but choose carefully, as this choice will have consequences later.
Getting past the barrier over the pit in the Living Quarters:
Down here is the endgame, and Molag Bal isn't too keen on letting you in. Like the other barriers, you'll need to be properly tied up in order for him to let you pass. This particular one is tough to figure out, but luckily you can get some help from a certain lecherous dremora you may remember from A Snare To Loosen. If you haven't found him yet, look around along the water right next to the mushroom. You'll find a metal door you can open with a key (if you have it) or some lockpicks (if you don't). In it in a cage is your old "friend" the dremora, who now introduces himself with another name. If you tell him you want to get past the pit barrier at this point, he will give you instructions on which devices you need to find and equip. Follow his instructions until he says you're good to go, then head over to the pit and present yourself to the barrier. Molag Bal will dissipate it and invite you in, but before you go, you will be greeted by Boethiah again, who removes your gag and tells you to use her Shout to remove the rest of your restraints. Do so, and she'll wish you good luck and disappear.
The grand finale:
Depending on whether you chose to accept Mephala's offer and take the fake gem, your objective here is different.
If you have the REAL gem:
- If you SMASH the gem while talking to Irkalla, you will release her soul from Molag Bal's control but stun her. Molag Bal will send dremora to get your ass. Avoid or defeat them while using Azura and Boethiah's blessings to avoid getting tied up every time you take a hit, then attack the pillars closest to the altar to bring down the cave. Remember to help Irkalla and Jurgin up if you want them to survive!
- If you DON'T SMASH the gem, Irkalla will attack you. Defeat her while using Azura and Boethiah's blessings to avoid getting tied up every time you take a hit. Once she dies, Molag Bal will resurrect her. What a cheater! He will keep on doing so until you lose, so you only have one option left: talk to him to trade the gem for your freedom. He won't talk to you before you've killed Irkalla at least once, btw. If you don't like the deal you're offered here, tough luck - your actions earlier made you miss out on better options. Take the deal and skidaddle on out of there.
If you have the FAKE gem:
Your goal is to trick Molag Bal into getting the gem while not suspecting foul play. Say whatever to Irkalla, she'll attack you regardless. Defeat her while using Azura and Boethiah's blessings to avoid getting tied up every time you take a hit. Once she dies, Molag Bal will resurrect her. What a cheater! He will keep on doing so until you lose, but here's your chance: talk to Molag Bal on the altar and convince him you want to make a deal: your freedom for the soul gem. Say whatever and give him the gem, and he'll be stunned. Help up Irkalla and Jurgin, then smash the pillars surrounding the altar to collapse the cave on top of it, and get the hell out of there.
Alternatively, if you get tied up during the fight with the fake gem on you, Irkalla will take it from you and give it to Molag Bal, achieving your objective! With Molag Bal briefly stunned, your binds disappear and you'll be free to smash the pillars, help up Irkalla/Jurgin and get out of there.
Edited by Frayed
Added some screenshots to clarify how to find the Gloomy Ruin entrance.
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