Hours 46 - 47: Rising Through the Ranks

I must next retrieve the Necromancers Amulet, which has been stolen by guild members. Upon tracking them to a cave, I speak with their leader, Caranya, who reveals that she is in league with Mannimarco. I kill her with relative ease. I find a book called The Mystery of Princess Talara, Part IV, and read it. It's quite long, in face - about 20 pages or so if I recall correctly. I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled for the other parts of the book. I think having books like this (and in Oblivion, there are well over 200 of them!) adds so much to the game. You can quite easily go through the entire game without reading a book, but knowing they're there to peruse from time to time creates a lot of immersion. Certainly they're not the most astounding pieces of literature, but it's a nice touch all the same.

I then fight my way back out of the cave with the Amulet. The mages / necromancers fall to one, or sometimes two, casts of my 'Immolate' spell. I don't have much need of my Faded Wraith. 

Upon my return, I am promoted to Master Wizard - the highest rank! Unfortunately, I still get this response when talking to the other wizards who bustle past me in the Arcane University (apologies for the massive amount of screen-glare):

It's a little annoying. There's so much depth and so many nice touches in Oblivion that it feels churlish to complain, but when it comes to things like this I'd be so much happier if the responses of NPCs were multi-layered, and they responded to you differently as you rose through the ranks. It's similar in Skyrim, where you can, for example, be a high-ranking member in the Fighters' Guild, but still be sneered and and spoken to like a new-hire ("so you're the newest member, huh? So what do you do, bring the mead?" or something like that). It ruins the immersion a little. Bethesda giveth, and Bethesda taketh away.

As Master Wizard, I am sent on a dangerous assignment - to retrieve an enormous black soul gem from the clutches of the Necromancer cult. If Mannimarco gets his hands on it, all hope is lost. This mission is quite nice as it adds in something a bit different - I meet with three fellow mages and we lie in wait to ambush the group of Necromancers. Based on their preference for magic or combat, I have to decide whether they should wait near to the entrance (closer to the fray) or hang back. Errr... not exactly a complex tactical decision, but it's something different, at least.

After we defeat the first group of Necromancers, however, I am shocked that my comrades instruct me to enter the Necromancer's hideout to find the gem - and then don't come with me! Thanks a lot!? I battle my way through without much trouble (picking up a lot of potions on the way - I love Necromancers) and finally encounter Falcar - the ex-head of the Cheydinhal Mages Guild, who tried to have me drowned during my initiation! He's a pushover, though, and I nab the soul gem.

I return the gem to Archmage Traven, who explains that it will protect me against Mannimarco's influence. He then kills himself and his soul is transferred into the gem! Noooo!

I strip him of his robes to add them to my collection. Since, as per Traven's final instructions, I am Archmage now (!) I want to look the part. Unfortunately, his robes aren't enchanted or anything. He looks a bit too ripped for an old wizard, don't you think? He has a six-pack! Then again, I suppose wizards would just use alteration on themselves.

I settle into my new quarters. Traven's room is nice, with it's own altar of spellmaking and enchanting, a large double bed, and a teleporter to reach the mages' lobby. I then flounce around town for a bit - many of the mages now recognise me and call me Archmage (hooray!) and sell off my wares for a pretty penny, before readying myself for the final battle against Mannimarco - 'The King of Worms' (gross!)...