Oblivion:Molag Bal

Current Best Route

Quest stages are indicated in parentheses at the end of each step when they are updated. Keep in mind that these optimized steps are within the context of the 100% speedrun route, meaning that certain items and setups are sometimes assumed to have already been performed prior to the start of the quest.

1. Reach level 17 and acquire a Lion Pelt from the basement during A Rat Problem.
2. Fast travel to Molag Bal’s Shrine, west of the Imperial City.
3. Activate the shrine.

   Select “Yes.” (This offers the Lion Pelt.)

4. Wait for the cutscene to end. Activate the Molag Bal quest and fast travel to the Quest Marker. (20)
5. Head SSW past Torbal the Sufficient’s House over the large rock to find a gravestone.
6. Wait until 10am, then wait until 11am. Melus Petilius should appear.
7. Drop the Cursed Mace item on the ground.
8. Set the difficulty of the game to slightly to the right of the middle, and unequip anything that will give you 100% Chameleon.
9. Save the game, then attack Melus Petilius once with your fists. Let him kill you.
10. As soon as you are teleported, check your stats screen to make sure you did not lose any Perma Enchants. If it was, reload the save you just made. (60)
11. Follow the Quest Marker to activate the shrine. (✔ 100)
12. Drop the Mace of Molag Bal. Set the difficulty of the game back to the easiest setting and reequip any gear you removed for 100% Chameleon.

Bugs

• There is an unverified glitch in which you have your Fame and some skill boosts reset to zero after being teleported back to the shrine. We may be able to harness this for Class Reset.

Route Logic Considerations

• Olyn Seran needs to be killed at Molag Bal's Shrine for Conjuration Training, so that quest should be completed up to the final step before starting this quest.
• There is a Nirnroot in Torbal the Sufficient's House that should be acquired during this quest.
• The skill book The Black Arrow, v 1 [Acrobatics], which is in a chest at the foot of the bed of Torbal the Sufficient's House, should be acquired during this quest.
• If you kill Melus Petilius or have him kill you without the Cursed Mace, you will not obtain the Daedric Artifact and be unable to get 100% completion.
• The difficulty slider is altered so that you are killed faster, but not too fast. If you lose too much health in one hit, you will die instead of being teleported.
• The most efficient source of the Lion Pelt is from the lions have to kill during A Rat Problem.
• Since a specific player level is required to start this quest, it is best done after the first instance of Power Leveling in the route logic.
• Like most Daedric Shrine quests, there are unskippable cutscenes that we need to find a way to avoid.

Script Analysis

No script analysis has been done for this quest.

Quest Stages

Molag Bal (DAMolagBal)

Stage	Finish	setstage Scripts	Journal Entry
10			Molag Bal's follower has told me that, in order to summon the Daedra, I must present an offering of a lion pelt to the statue. [You must be level 17 to begin this quest.]
20			Molag Bal has spoken to me, and wishes me to help him corrupt Melus Petilius, by forcing him to kill me with the Cursed Mace. I should travel to Brindle Home and see what I can find.
30			I have spoken to a resident of Brindle Home, who tells me that Petilius has lived in a small house outside of town since the death of his wife.
40			I have learned that Petilius visits the grave of his wife every day.
50			Although I tried to goad Petilius into fighting me, he would not. Perhaps I will have to try when he is in a different state of mind.
60			I have goaded Melus Petilius into attacking me with the Cursed Mace. I have been transported back to the Shrine of Molag Bal. (If Melus used the Cursed Mace) or I have goaded Melus Petilus into attacking me, but not with the Cursed Mace. I have been transported back to Molag Bal's shrine. (If Melus did not use the Cursed Mace)
100	✔		Molag Bal was pleased that I was able to corrupt the paladin. He has rewarded me with the Mace of Molag Bal.
105	✔		I allowed Petilius to kill me, but he did not use the Cursed Mace. I have failed in the task given to me by Molag Bal.
110	✔		Melus Petilius is dead, so I cannot complete the task given to me by Molag Bal.