Embark on a cerebral journey in Oblivion Remastered with the “Wisdom of the Ages” quest, where ancient puzzles guard the legendary Shield of the Crusader. From deciphering intricate tile sequences to aligning mystical statues within the treacherous Fort Bulwark, players must combine wit and courage to unlock this powerful relic early in the game. Our comprehensive walkthrough guides you step-by-step through every challenge, ensuring you conquer traps, enemies, and enigmas across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms. Dive in and master the wisdom that could turn the tide of your adventure.
Our Oblivion Remastered gives you a full “Wisdom of the Ages” walkthrough, including where to start the quest and how to solve all Fort Bulwark puzzles in order to reach the Shield of the Crusader at the end of it.
How to start ’Wisdom of the Ages’ in Oblivion Remastered
To start the “Wisdom of the Ages” quest in Oblivion Remastered, you must first complete the “Pilgrimage” and “Shrine of the Crusader” quests. After finishing these, the “Priory of the Nine” quest becomes available, during which you meet Sir Henrik. Upon defeating Sir Henrik, he reveals the location of the Shield of the Crusader at Fort Bulwark, unlocking the “Wisdom of the Ages” quest. Fort Bulwark is located in the southeastern part of the map near Blackwood. Selecting the quest in your menu will highlight its location, allowing you to begin your journey to solve the puzzles within and claim the Shield of the Crusader.
To start “Wisdom of the Ages,” you must complete the “Pilgrimage” and “Shrine of the Crusader” quests first. Once those two are complete, you can start the “Priory of the Nine” quest. Partway through “Priory of the Nine,” speak with Sir Henrick after defeating him, and he will give you the location of the Shield of the Crusader, which is in Fort Bulwark. “Wisdom of the Ages” runs concurrently with “Priory of the Nine.”
Fort Bulwark is near the southeast corner of the map near the Blackwood region. In the Quests menu, you can simply highlight “Wisdom of the Ages” and it will mark Fort Bulwark on your map, or you can look at the screenshot above.
’Wisdom of Ages’ walkthrough in Oblivion Remastered
The “Wisdom of the Ages” quest in Oblivion Remastered is a challenging side quest that takes players to Fort Bulwark in search of the Shield of the Crusader. To begin, speak with Sir Henrik at the Priory of the Nine after completing related quests. Inside Fort Bulwark, players must navigate through traps, defeat conjurers, and solve three intricate puzzles: stepping on a specific sequence of tiles, aligning statues to face a central sigil, and correctly placing Rodgar’s items into smaller chests in a set order. Successfully completing these puzzles grants access to the Shield of the Crusader, a valuable early-game reward that embodies the teachings of Julianos. The quest blends combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving, making it a memorable part of the Knights of the Nine DLC experience.
“Wisdom of Ages” consists of three puzzles, all of which are in Fort Bulwark. You’ll start by having to correctly step on a series of tiles. You’ll then need to make rotate statues into a particular order. You’ll finish with a puzzle that requires you to step on certain panels in a particular order to find items in various chests.
Below, we’ll show you how to solve all puzzles in Fort Bulwark so you can complete “Wisdom of Ages.”
Tile order puzzle solution in ’Wisdom of Ages’
After entering Fort Bulwark, make your way to the middle where you’ll see two giant flames while fighting Conjurers along the way. Be careful, as there are some booby traps that’ll shoot arrows out of the walls.
When you come across the room with the two giant flames, make your way across – you’ll then enter an area with two Conjurers. After taking them out, you’ll need to activate a handle at the back of the area to open up a gated door nearby.
Go through the newly opened path and until you come across another handle. Activate it to lower the drawbridge near the two giant flames. Go back to the room with the two flames and cross the drawbridge.
You’ll come across a puzzle with 12 tiles in a 3×4 fashion. You need to step on one tile per row. The correct order is listed below and pictured above:
- Left (first row)
- Middle (second row)
- Right (third row)
- Left (fourth row)
Statue puzzle solution in ’Wisdom of Ages’
That will open up the door to the next area in Fort Bulwark. Upon entering, walk down a bit and you’ll hear a person speaking through a locked cell. This is Sir Therdret. Next to his cell, there’s a handle to set him free – do it.
After setting him free, go further into Fort Bulwark. It’s a simple path with some turning so you shouldn’t get lost. You’ll eventually reach a room with four statues. The solution here is simple: Just turn each of the statues using the crank of their faces so that they face the middle, looking at the icon in the center between them, like so:
There are two Conjurers in this room as well so be sure to take care of them.
When that’s done, the flames in the room will extinguish, and a door at the back of the room will open, and the tunnel leads you to the last area of Fort Bulwark.
Rodgar’s chests puzzle solution in ’Wisdom of Ages’
Good news first: there are no enemies in here. Bad news: you have one more puzzle to solve!
This puzzle is a bit more complicated. You’ll reach a room with a panel and a gold chest in the middle, with eight normal chests around the room. When you step on the panel, one of the eight chests will light up and display an item. The gold chest contains one of Rodgar’s eight items at a time; you have to take it, then match the appropriate item with the chest that lights up. Keep going until you’ve placed all eight items.
For example, Rodgar’s Skull goes into the chest that lights up and displays a skull. You’ll know you put the right item in the correct chest when the area shakes and your controller vibrates.
To make things easier, here’s the correct order in clockwise, from left to right, with your back facing away from the golden chest:
- Rodgar’s Stone
- Rodgar’s Helm
- Rodgar’s Goblet
- Rodgar’s Sword
- Rodgar’s Book
- Rodgar’s Hammer
- Rodgar’s Skull
- Rodgar’s Gem
Once all eight items are placed correctly, the flames will extinguish and you’ll open up the door to the Shield of the Crusader, as well as a few other items, including a few Potions of Insight, Potions of Sorcery, Restore Intelligence scrolls, and Restore Willpower scrolls.
Once the shield is taken the quest is complete and there will be two entrances behind the altar that lead back to the first zone and back to the entrance. “The Priory of the Nine” quest will be updated as well.
What happens if you don’t free Sir Therdret in Oblivion Remastered?
If you don’t free Sir Therdret during the “Wisdom of the Ages” quest in Oblivion Remastered, he will eventually find his own way out of Fort Bulwark. Regardless of whether you free him or not, Sir Therdret will later meet with you during the “Priory of the Nine” quest. However, if you do free him, he will express gratitude and may ask about becoming a knight, adding a bit of character interaction to the quest experience.
If you don’t free Sir Therdret, he will find his own way out. Regardless of your decision, he will meet with you later on during “Priory of the Nine.” However, if you free him, he feels indebted to you and will ask if he can become a knight.
What are the key strategies to solve all Fort Bulwark puzzles in Oblivion Remastered
Key strategies to solve all Fort Bulwark puzzles in Oblivion Remastered during the “Wisdom of the Ages” quest are as follows:
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Tile Sequence Puzzle: Upon entering Fort Bulwark, you will face a 3×4 grid of tiles where you must step on exactly one tile per row in a specific order. The correct sequence is stepping on the Left tile in the first row, Middle tile in the second row, Right tile in the third row, and Left tile in the fourth row. This diagonal stepping pattern unlocks the next area.
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Statue Alignment Puzzle: Later in the fort, you encounter statues that must be rotated to face a specific plate on the floor to open gates. Use levers to turn the statues accordingly. This requires observing which statues correspond to which floor plates and aligning them so all face the correct direction.
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Chest and Item Puzzle: In the final puzzle, you find several chests and statues with icons projected nearby. You must place the correct item from the chests into the corresponding statue’s chest to trigger the statue to rotate and confirm correctness. To identify the correct items, stand on a platform above to see the icon cues that match each statue. If an incorrect item is placed, the puzzle resets, so trial and error combined with icon observation is key.
Additional tips include thoroughly exploring side corridors for loot and levers, carefully managing combat encounters with conjurers, and interacting fully with NPC dialogue to progress the quest. Resting to spend skill points after major steps can also be beneficial.
These strategies ensure smooth progression through Fort Bulwark’s puzzles and ultimately allow you to retrieve the Shield of the Crusader.
What is the correct sequence to step on tiles in the first puzzle of Fort Bulwark
The correct sequence to step on tiles in the first puzzle of Fort Bulwark in Oblivion Remastered is:
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Left tile in the first row
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Middle tile in the second row
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Right tile in the third row
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Left tile in the fourth row
This sequence forms a diagonal pattern and stepping on these tiles in order will open the gate to proceed further into the fort.
