Path of the Mage is not something that will appear in the quest log, but is being used to categorize this section of the questline.
Once the player has been introduced to the Hero Stones inside of the Soul Sanctum, and are given the opportunity to choose one, they can activate it to have the Geode Guardian tell them more about the corresponding Spirit. Activating the stone a second time will open the nearby gate, and lock-in this Spirit as the next one the player will pursue.
Confirming the Mage's stone will give the player the objective to delve the ruins. The Path of the Mage is indicated by the color blue in both lighting and other visual elements. It leads through a doorway to the left of the Sigil Geode.
After the player traverses the hallways past the initial door, they will pass through a load screen.
In this new section, in front of the player will be a barrier blocking their path into the next room, similar to the one that previously blocked them from leaving the Soul Sanctum. There, they'll hear an echoing voice speaking to them from a character they will later see named "Apparition".
The dialogue spoken during this segment will depend on what order the player is pursuing this spirit: first, second, or last.
After the voice finishes, the barrier will lower and allow the player to proceed.
The player can then fight their way through the iced-over Dwemer ruins. Occasionally, the player will run into various enemies and barriers blocking their path. Once the player defeats the enemies, the barriers will be lowered, allowing them to proceed.
Eventually, the player will come across a large underground structure, as if the Mage's College itself were underground. The area will be filled with floating books and various fonts of magical energy.
When the player reaches the structure, they'll find a coffin standing vertical in the center. As they approach, a gate will close and a barrier will rise, trapping them in.
The coffin will open and a corpse will stumble out with a dark glow effect around its skull. The corpse will stand up wielding a unique staff and begin fighting the player.
After defeating the corpse, the player will receive the objective to pick up the Scepter of Infinite Chorus. Once they do, the Apparition will appear and the objective will update to speak to him.
Like the initial voice heard when entering this dungeon, the dialogue spoken during this segment will depend on what order the player is pursuing this spirit: first, second, or last.
After the player has finished speaking to the Mage, they will receive the objective to use the staff.
Near the gate will be a small statuesque column with glowing blue cracks overlaid. The player must use the staff to summon one or more of the motes and arrange for one to explode against this column. They can do so by either hitting the column with the staff's projectile, thus luring summoned motes towards it, or by holding down the staff's charge button so that the motes follow the player to it.
Once the column is struck, a chime will sound and the gate will open.
The player's objective will next point them to pursue a Spirit (that belonging to the person whose corpse the player just fought).
On their way out, the player will find another door blocked by a column that they must use the staff on.
From here, there will be several more enemy encounters - the remaining of which are not tied to barriers and so are optional.
After finding the exit and returning to the Soul Sanctum, the player will find the doorway blocked by vertical bars. Out a window to the right, the player will see one of the pillar activators they used previously and must arrange for one of the staff's motes to make it out the window and connect with the pillar to lower the bars and allow them to proceed.
Crypt of a Learned Mage Playthrough
Crypt of a Learned Mage Hidden Path Playthrough (Dungeon Plus Optional Puzzles)
The player will next need to exit the Soul Sanctum to pursue their objective east of Riften in the Dwemer ruins of Bthunduum.
If this is the first Spirit the player is pursuing, the Geode Guardian will trigger a conversation as they head towards the exit of the Soul Sanctum.
The entrance to Bthunduum looks like a simple mine entrance; inside the player will find several spiders and will quickly encounter an ice wall with the same glowing cracks the columns in the previous dungeon had, signaling to the player they need to use the Scepter of Infinite Chorus to destroy it.
Bthunduum is a new location added by Sigil of the Fallen. The entrance will be present, regardless if the player has done any of the questline, but without the Scepter of Infinite Chorus, the player will not be able to proceed through the entire dungeon.
For a thorough walkthrough, see the videos below.
Once the player reaches the large Dwemer mechanism with the rotating platform, as the player approaches, if the player does not have the Scepter of Infinite Chorus equipped, an objective will remind them to do so.
Once the player has the scepter equipped, the device in the center will begin to glow blue, and a barrier will appear around the room. The Guide Spirit will appear and tell the player to strike the glowing device at its center.
Doing so will trigger the Mage Spirit to appear and will force a conversation with the player.
Regardless of the conversation outcome, the player will have to fight the Spirit, who will be wielding an ethereal version of the Scepter of Infinite Chorus.
Just like the fight with the Mage's corpse, the player will be facing against the Scepter of Infinite Chorus again.
After the player is about to defeat the Mage Spirit, she will teleport herself to a floating magical platform. She will then summon multiple Dremora on the platform to fight for her, while she remains on the platform casting spells or using the Scepter against the player.
Underneath the platform she is standing, the player will notice a beam of energy connecting from the center of the tower device to one of the activators that react to the Scepter of Infinite Chorus orbs, indicated by the blue glowing cracks. The player must hit this activator to dismiss that platform and cause the Mage Spirit to fight close to the player once more.
The player must repeat this three times to defeat her.
After the Mage Spirit is defeated, the player's objective will update to speak to the Spirit. The Spirit will tell the player they may keep the staff.
Finally, the Guide Spirit will speak to the Mage Spirit and absorb it into herself. The Guide will then ask the player to return to the Geode as soon as they can.
Bthunduum Hidden Path Playthrough (Dungeon Plus Optional Puzzles)
Once the player approaches the Sigil Geode next, the Guide Spirit will appear and move towards it. She will bow down before it and an effect will show energy leaving her body towards the Geode.
The Guide will then explain to the player that she can now take on the form of the Mage Spirit; if the player asks after that, she will offer to show them right then. From this moment on, the Guide will have a new dialogue option in her tree to become one of the Hero Spirits. Outside of specific quest moments, the player can make use of this at any time to change her form, or back to her healing Guide Spirit form.
Next, a physical representation of a skill tree will appear and the Guide Spirit will ask the player to follow her to it. She will then explain that providing Ectoplasm will empower the Sigil Geode.
The player is then free to activate the various elements of the Skill Tree - these represent abilities the Guide Spirit will gain while taking on the form of the Mage Spirit.
See the Unlocking Power section for more details on this system.
After the player has invested at least 18 Ectoplasm worth of unlocks, the Guide Spirit will speak to the player and tell them that the Geode stirs. A bluish energy orb will appear near the Geode and the player's objective will update to interact with it.
Upon touching the orb, the player will be brought into a strange pocket-dimension where they will find the Mage Spirit waiting for them.
The Mage Spirit will explain that the player is inside of the Sigil Geode and that empowering it has made some of their memories return.
The player is then tasked with observing these memories with the Spirit and another blue orb will appear near the flame inside the Geode for the player to interact with.
The player will then proceed through a series of memories, each will play out similarly.
Here the player will witness Elyssia discussing her excavation of a Dwemer ruin with the Jarl's steward.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Elyssia's spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
Here the player will witness a hearing where Elyssia is explaining what she believes she's discovered.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Elyssia's spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
Here the player will witness Elyssia floating on a magical platform inside Dwemer Ruins during the aftermath of a battle, arguing with a lone surviving mage.
After the scene, the player will enter a conversation with Elyssia's spirit and can ask several questions. During the conversation, a portal to the next memory will appear; a sound cue will help the player identify where.
During the third memory of each hero, an additional element will appear and play a sound and visual effect. These appear as the player approaches the orb to move on to the next memory. This last element changes depending on the order done. The first hero's vision will have one labeled "Shimmer", the second hero's vision version labeled "Shatter", and the final hero's vision will have one labeled "Shadow". Interacting with any of these will trigger a series of effects or a scene, including a reaction from the Guide Spirit. These are intentionally missable, and offer some foreshadowing to the ending for players who are paying attention.
Here the player will witness the Guide Spirit in human form discovering Elyssia's remains many years later.
The last memory in each sequence does not have any interactive elements.
After the memory sequences are complete, the Spirit will thank the player for helping them and transfer knowledge to the player of the Scepter of Infinite Chorus, increasing the maximum number of motes it can summon and the amount of damage they do.
The player will then be returned to the Soul Sanctum.
The Guide Spirit will tell the player that they should continue to invest Ectoplasm into the Sigil Geode to help the Spirit remember further.
If the player has remaining spirits to pursue, the corresponding stone(s) will become available so the player can start a new path.
If this was the first one the player has done, the quest Something Strange will complete and the quest The Others will start.
If this was the last stone, the quest The Others will complete, and the quest Grave Encounters will begin.