Oblivion Black Soul Gem Question

[Tempest]

I'm in need of a Black Soul gem to finish a question (one of the shrine quests). I can either find one, or make one (interestingly my colossal doesn't seem to count). Where are the best places to find one?

 

I know *how* to make one, but I don't have the soul trap spell to do it. That brings up another question, where the &*$%@ are the scroll sellers? I've found several people who sell *spells* but not *scrolls*. A soul trap scroll would solve my problem because I don't have the mysticism skill to cast it myself.

 

Tempest

[moycon]

I'm in need of a Black Soul gem to finish a question (one of the shrine quests). I can either find one, or make one (interestingly my colossal doesn't seem to count). Where are the best places to find one?

 

I know *how* to make one, but I don't have the soul trap spell to do it. That brings up another question, where the &*$%@ are the scroll sellers? I've found several people who sell *spells* but not *scrolls*. A soul trap scroll would solve my problem because I don't have the mysticism skill to cast it myself.

 

Tempest

 

Ya know one of the very very few quests I had left on my original game needed that gem as well (probably the same quest) and even knowing how to make one, and being perfectly capable since I was a mage and trying to do it from guides posted online, I don't think I ever could. I don't know where to get one otherwise. I need to boot that back up and see if I was ever able to clear that quest.

[moycon]

Got it. It works. (I made 8 of em) Here's the thing. Don't stand too close to an alter when you are waiting. Kind of back away until you can see the alter and a bit of the skyline. The purple light is fairly dim. You might miss that it's on if you are too close.

 

I don't know that there is any set places to find stuff, you might be able get a scroll in the Mystic Eporium in the Imperial City in the Market District. He has a bunch of scrolls.

 

It may be possible to do this using a staff enchanted with Soul Trap. (If non-mages can use them.) I've come across several of those as well. Maybe try Staff seller in the Market Place as well. (I can't guarentee that works tho and I used up all my empty Grand Gems)

Edited August 14, 2007 by moycon

[SeaGtGruff]

Got it. It works. (I made 8 of em) Here's the thing. Don't stand too close to an alter when you are waiting. Kind of back away until you can see the alter and a bit of the skyline. The purple light is fairly dim. You might miss that it's on if you are too close.

 

I don't know that there is any set places to find stuff, you might be able get a scroll in the Mystic Eporium in the Imperial City in the Market District. He has a bunch of scrolls.

 

It may be possible to do this using a staff enchanted with Soul Trap. (If non-mages can use them.) I've come across several of those as well. Maybe try Staff seller in the Market Place as well. (I can't guarentee that works tho and I used up all my empty Grand Gems)

I don't know if you really have to be a certain distance away from the altar-- you just have to "open" it up, put your soul gem in, and "close" it, at least that's how I remember it.

 

But here's the thing I did find to be true-- it can't be just any soul gem. I don't remember the specifics (it's been a little while), but I think it has to be an "empty" soul gem, I don't remember if it has to be a particular kind (e.g., an empty grand soul gem).

 

Also, I presume that the beam of light needs to be shining on the altar. As I said, it's been a while, so I don't remember for sure, but I don't think I saw the beam of light in the earlier part of the game-- and it would have been pretty obvious if it *were* there, plus the game mentions a certain celestial event. I never tried to make a black soul gem at that time, so I don't know if it would have worked or not, but I presume not. Much later in the game, I was trucking through the countryside and noticed this beam of light from very far off, so I went to investigate, and found an altar (which I'd also been to much earlier in the game, but I don't remember any light back then, and this beam of light was even visible in the daytime). So I put a soul gem in the altar, and at first nothing happened. So I think I put a few soul gems in at the same time, and if I remember correctly, only the empty soul gems turned black.

 

Michael

[Hyper_Eye]

It has to be a grand soul gem but it does not have to be empty:

 

Any Grand Soul Gem already containing a soul (of any type) can also be converted, but it must be one that you have filled yourself.

 

The Oblivion Wiki is pretty awesome:

 

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Black_Soul_Gem

 

During the Necromancer's Moon quest, you will be sent to Dark Fissure specifically. At 1 AM on the night of the Shade of the Revenant, a necromancer will arrive to create a Black Soul Gem. Afterwards, you can steal his new Black Soul Gem from inside the altar, and use it to trap his soul. Sort of ironic justice. You can also return to the altar every eight days thereafter to steal yet another Black Soul Gem.

 

Starting at least at level 5 you can find Black Soul Gems in the random loot of boss-level Necromancers (a great place to search is Fort Linchal with an altar in front of it and a boss-level Necromancer and Chest inside, in Hall of Knights - just right on the first fork).

Edited August 14, 2007 by Hyper_Eye

[SeaGtGruff]

It has to be a grand soul gem but it does not have to be empty:

 

Any Grand Soul Gem already containing a soul (of any type) can also be converted, but it must be one that you have filled yourself.

Well, since I've never filled any soul gems, the only ones that got turned black were the ones that were empty. Hmm, I wonder if the gem has to have started out empty? I mean, if you have a pre-filled gem and then use up the soul in it, and then fill it back up yourself, does that count too, or does Oblivion "know"?

 

I thought it was supposed to be a Grand Soul Gem, but I couldn't remember for sure.

 

The Oblivion Wiki is pretty awesome:

 

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Black_Soul_Gem

Wow, I'll have to bookmark that site. The printed guide is pretty good, too, but I think the index could stand to be a whole lot better. For example, when someone mentioned the skeleton key, I got out the guide and turned to the index-- but no, they don't list it in there! On the other hand, if you look in the book itself, in the part about the shrine quests, it does list it there. Similarly with certain characters-- try to look them up in the index, and they aren't listed, but they're discussed in the guide if you know where to look. So the guide has a lot of good information, but the lack of a decent index makes it tough to quickly find what you're looking for-- especially if you aren't sure what section of the guide you need to be looking in.

 

Michael

[moycon]

I don't know if you really have to be a certain distance away from the altar-- you just have to "open" it up, put your soul gem in, and "close" it, at least that's how I remember it.

 

Indeed, but you can only do it when a purple light is shining on the altar. If you are standing too close to the alter when it comes you might not realize it is shining because it is very dim if you are standing next to the alter when it occurs. If you back up and get part of the sky in the view, it's very easy to tell when the purple light is shining. Once that is verified, you're good to go.

[Hyper_Eye]

Well, since I've never filled any soul gems, the only ones that got turned black were the ones that were empty. Hmm, I wonder if the gem has to have started out empty? I mean, if you have a pre-filled gem and then use up the soul in it, and then fill it back up yourself, does that count too, or does Oblivion "know"?

 

I thought it was supposed to be a Grand Soul Gem, but I couldn't remember for sure.

 

When you use a gem it is "used" and disappears. The only refillable soul gem is Azura's Star but it cannot be turned into a black soul gem.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Hyper_Eye

[SeaGtGruff]

When you use a gem it is "used" and disappears. The only refillable soul gem is Azura's Star but it cannot be turned into a black soul gem.

Hmm, then I guess you can tell by my question that I have never even used a soul gem. That was one aspect of the game that I never bothered to learn yet-- how to recharge magical items, how to create magical items (I think you can do that, right?), etc. In fact, there are a lot of spells that I have never tried to cast yet, simply because I tend to use a few select spells depending on the situation. I don't even know why I bothered to go around buying all the spells I could, when I just ignore most of them, anyway.

 

Michael

[Hyper_Eye]

If you haven't done much with enchanted weapons and armor then you are missing out on the most powerful gear in the game. This is stuff that makes the best non-enchanted gear look like toys. Have you never even used one of the sigal stones from Oblivion?

Edited August 15, 2007 by Hyper_Eye