Quest Information
	Starting Location: Imperial City Arcane University
	Starting NPC: Raminus Polus
	Possible Reward(s): None

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Having brought back the elven artifact at the end of the Vahtacen's Secret quest, Raminus explains that the Council has another predicament. In order to deal with the Necromancers of Cyrodiil, the guild needs all the information they can get. The Mystic Archives have already been consulted about the Black Soul Gems that the Necromancers use (such as the ones you found in Falcar's drawers during the Cheydinhal Recommendation quest), but Raminus explains that they still don't even know where the gems come from or what they do. He wants you to speak with Tar-Meena at the Mystic Archives directly to see if you can gain any further insight into the origin of the gems.

The Mystic Archives are located on the north end of the Arcane University's rear courtyard. Head inside and then speak to Tar-Meena. She'll start ranting about how busy she is trying to research Necromancy for the Council of Mages, and asks you to quiz her about something specific instead of just firing off general Necromancy questions. When you inquire about Black Soul Gems, she tells you that an obscure book called "Necromancer's Moon" references the gems. She also mentions that the book should be around the facility somewhere, unless Falcar never returned it. Lucky for us, the book is simply lying on a small table just to the right of the Mythic Archives' front door.

Glance through the book's three main pages, then talk with Tar-Meena again about its contents. She is unfamiliar with the "Shade of the Revenant" described within the book, but says that you can borrow the book and show it to the council to learn more. Bring it to Raminus Polus next, who promises to make the council aware of its contents. He hasn't heard of the "Shade of the Revenant" either, so directs you to the Orrery caretaker Bothiel, as she might know more.

As it turns out, Bothiel really doesn't know much more, except that she remembers Falcar asking about the same "Shade of the Revenant" as you are. He had a whole sheaf of notes about it, and accidentally dropped one of them during his last visit to the university. Bothiel hands the "Hastily Scrawled Note" to you, in case you can gather any more information from it. The note contains four primary sites on it - The Dark Fissure, Fort Istirius, Fort Linchal, and Wendelbek - along with a cryptic message that proclaims "Altars have been raised; Anchorites have been called. Watch the skies; once a week His Grace shines down on us."

Show the note to Raminus and he'll recognize the first location, The Dark Fissure. Apparently the name describes a cave in the mountains south of Cheydinhal, and if there is an altar there as the note suggests, Raminus wants you to investigate it. He doesn't let you leave without a warning, though, stating that "we are dealing with powerful forces here."

Fast-travel to the Vahtacen ruin you visited in the previous quest, then head toward the southeast to reach the Dark Fissure cave. You won't actually be entering the cave, though. Instead, slowly make your way to the altar with the beaming red light and watch as a Worm Anchorite approaches it to create his own Black Soul Gems. You'll receive a popup message that you should return to Raminus with this information, but feel free to strike the Necromancer down and loot his corpse before you leave.

Raminus seems a little worried when he learns that the altars are infused with the power to create Black Soul Gems. He also believes that the number of Necromancers may be greater than the council first believed. For completing the task, he promotes you to the rank of Magician and then tells you that Arch-Mage Traven has personally requested that you see him for your next assignment. This will trigger the Liberation of Apprehension? quest.