Mage Guild Quest - Vahtacen's Secret (Help? Anyone? PLEASE!!??)

[rockerdunmer]

okay..
i'm currently doing that Vacheten (?) quest with a low level character for the Mages Guild storyline thing. I've never done it before with any other characters and I'm having problems. I can't find the right spells!!!! the fortify Magika i found in the chest doesn't work...it just closes the pillar back up and it tries to shock me.
are there any spells you guys reccommend??

[DM8954]

If a pillar backfires and shocks you, it means you fired the wrong spell at the wrong symbol. There are 4 places you're supposed to use the spells. I don't remember if order matters but if it shocks you, you're just doing something wrong. The spells in the chest should work when used properly.

[rockerdunmer]

when i use the fortify magika out of the chest it backfires, are there any different ones i should use??
i'm pretty sure order matters cause i do the fireball, then the snowball, then i try to do the fortify magika and it backfires and it stuffs up again

[DM8954]

Hmm.

Well, be sure that is the right order. ... I looked it up and it sounds like you have the last two switched around.

Since you figured it out 90% of the way, I don't think it's too much of a spoiler to tell you that the proper order is: "Fire Damage, Frost Damage, Damage Magicka, Fortify Magicka"

[Note: I'm going to change the title of this thread so people will know what we're actually giving help about.]

[rockerdunmer]

uhhhhhhhhhh...that might explain it
thanks...i'll try it AFTER i've done homework

[The Khajiits of the nine]

CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS!










quote from UESP

To translate the rest of the phrases, you'll need Denel's help. Give him the book, then speak to him about Translation. You'll find out that the four phrases correspond to:

From Fire, Life or Fire Damage
Frost Damage
Magicka Darkens or Magicka Wanes or Damage Magicka
Magicka Shines or Magicka Waxes or Fortify Magicka
(The order again is based on location in the room; Denel will present them to you in a slightly different order, which can introduce some confusion).

As you might have guessed from the translation you have to cast certain spells at the pillar in order to open it (or whatever it does). These spells have to be cast at the pillar: casting Fortify Magicka on your self won't work; also Drain Magicka can not be substituted for Damage Magicka. The strength of the spells does not matter. Fortunately, if you don't happen to have all these spells, a chest next to Denel has scrolls that provide Fire Damage, Damage Magicka, and Fortify Magicka (only Frost Damage is missing from the chest's scrolls). The scrolls regenerate in the chest after three days if you used them prematurely (you will need to leave Vahtacen for three full days if you want them to regenerate). Enchanted arrows and staves with fire damage, frost damage and damage magicka can also be used. As you cast each of the four spells in sequence (Fire Damage, Frost Damage, Damage Magicka, Fortify Magicka), portions of it lower to reveal a stairway. If you make a mistake, you will indeed get zapped by as many of the Dark Welkynd stones that can take aim at you. If you're worried about being zapped, you can stand out by Denel and take aim with your targeted spells from a safe distance.

Dm may have explained it but I just like contributing and this gives a bit more further info...

[rockerdunmer]

huh... thats weird
i thought the order was in the way he translated it...fire, frost, fortify, damage...but obviously not
that just shows my intiative and intelligence then  

[DM8954]

If I remember right, you have to ask for a translation for each separate phrase, in any order you choose. So, maybe you didn't ask for them in the same order they were listed originally. Oh well, at least you figured it out.

[Young Dragon]

well just save first and try, just to be safe and certain

[rockerdunmer]

asked for a translation and everthing....i just have to get the damage magika right
can you use touch spells or do they have to be target spells
i'm not the sort of person to take risks easily, i mean sure, you can save and reload in case you get killed by a stupid hunk of stone, but i can't be bothered with that sort of thing...too lazy!!!lol
i don't like the idea of being killed numerous times either
but, most important of all I FINISHED MY HOMEWORK, WOO!!!!!

[DM8954]

On touch should work too. As long as the effect hits the stone.

[rockerdunmer]

okay...i'll try it AGAIN!!
i don't get as much time on oblivion anymore cause i've got homework to do...

[Young Dragon]

yeah me too, so much home work, uhggggg junior year defenetly hardest...

[rockerdunmer]

senior's goin to be harder for me...homework EVERY DAY instead of once or twice a week as well as big assingments and stuff

disaster has struck...my character that was doing the quest was deleted and i hadn't finished yet!!!! i got up to the swinging blades, got killed, saved game, didn't play for a while and now she's been deleted!!!! oh well, i've still got my dunmer

[DM8954]

You guys have all sorts of trouble not deleting your characters.

They're only 3MB each, so there's no real reason you have to keep deleting them. I usually just keep cycling through 10 different saves per character. Save over the oldest file for each character and you'll have plenty of options for going back without getting too many files.

In any case, you got the door open, right? Figured out the trick to the magic door?

[rockerdunmer]

yeah i know...i'm pretty bad at that...i'm probably the one who deleted it cause i like to keep it to one save per character...right now we have 6 saves cause there's 6 characters (i've only got 1) i just don't like the idea of our computer slowing up!!!!

and yes, i did the magical door open, thanks to you guys....i got past all the traps except for the swingy blade things, i then gave up for that day and kept playing my other character...oh well...not hard to create another one