Skyrim:Black Book: The Winds of Change (quest)

Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge. Quest Giver: The Black Book The Winds of Change Location(s): Raven Rock Mine, Apocrypha‎ Prerequisite Quest: Start The Final Descent Reward: Companion's Insight, Lover's Insight, or Scholar's Insight ability ID: DLC2BlackBook04Quest

The Black Book, located in the depths of Raven Rock Mine

Quick Walkthrough

1. Read the Black Book The Winds of Change in Raven Rock Mine.
2. Make your way through Apocrypha‎.
3. Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
4. Choose your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

After reading the black book, you'll find yourself on a low path surrounded by water. Walk forward quickly to avoid the tentacles on either side. Up the stairs, you'll encounter a Seeker. If you take too long, or fight too far forward, you may attract the attention of another Seeker farther ahead. At the top of the stairs is a pool of poisonous water, which contains another tentacle, a Font of Stamina, and a Scrye. If your Conjuration skill is above 40, you will also find a spell tome for the Conjure Seeker spell here.

Activating the Scrye will open a gate to your left, into a series of tunnels with fenced walls. Here there are two tables with soul gems, and a pod filled with loot. You will come to a second Scrye by one of these tables and a Font of Stamina. Activate it and a gate will open to the next chamber, which has a pool with a tentacle and another Seeker (if you did not have to fight it before). This small room contains a third Scrye, which opens up a larger room containing some green fog.

Entering the fog will cause a leveled Lurker to emerge from a pool in the center of this room. Defeat it, then climb the ramp to find a table and two pedestals with soul gems, scrolls, and the two-handed skill book Words and Philosophy, as well as the fourth Scrye. If you haven't read the skill book already, you may want to get Scholar's Insight before doing so. Activate the Scrye to open the final door, then return down the ramp and activate the final Scrye on your left, which will extend a staircase leading to the door you just opened.

Ascend the stairs to find a loot-filled vessel and the Black Book: Winds of Change. You may pick one reward, and after that, read the book again to return to Solstheim.

Rewards

Your choice of one of three abilities:

• Companion's Insight — Your attacks, shouts, and Destruction spells do no damage to your followers when in combat.
• Lover's Insight — Do 10% more damage [sic] and get 10% better prices from people of the opposite sex.
• Scholar's Insight — Reading skill books gives you an extra skill point.

Achievements

One achievement is related to this quest:

• Hidden Knowledge (40 points/Bronze)

Notes

• You can change the reward at any time by traveling to Solstheim and re-reading the book. This will transport you to Apocrypha near the reward location and you can select a different one.
• Companion's Insight does not apply to your mount, summoned Atronachs, or vampire followers.
• Companion's Insight does not affect area effects like Fireball and Chain Lightning.

Bugs

• You may be unable to go back to Solstheim using the activator at the end, instead receiving the message "You are unable to concentrate on what you're reading."
  • Step into the black water in Apocrypha. When you lose all your health in the game, you'll be transported out of the book.
  • Use the coc command to another location, (e.g., coc WindhelmDocksExterior01).
  • Any mods that interfere with fast travel have been known to trigger this. Disabling them may allow you to return.

Quest Stages

Black Book: The Winds of Change (DLC2BlackBook04Quest)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		I read the Black Book called "The Winds of Change", and found myself in Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha. I should uncover the knowledge hidden here, or read the book again to escape. Objective 10: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge
20	Finishes quest	I uncovered the hidden knowledge contained in the Black Book "The Winds of Change".

Notes

• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage DLC2BlackBook04Quest stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest DLC2BlackBook04Quest.