Kesh the Clean is a Khajiit who tends the Shrine to Peryite all on his own. That makes him a devotee of the Daedric Prince of pestilence, yet despite his master’s tastes he shows no sign of being one of the Afflicted, which presumably explains the nickname. He claims to know his way around alchemy and dresses simply in miner’s clothes, boots and an Alik’r hood.
Where to find them
He stays at the Shrine to Peryite, where he greets passers-by as possible pilgrims.
Quests
Kesh is the gateway to The Only Cure. Ask to commune with Peryite and he decides he likes you enough to help, but the ritual needs special incense. For that he wants a deathbell flower, a silver ingot, a flawless ruby and some vampire dust. He helpfully suggests a shop, or the more hands-on route: tundra for the deathbell, a mine for the ruby and silver, and vampires for the dust.
Bring everything back and he lights the brazier and tells you to breathe deep. After Peryite has spoken, Kesh can tell you that Bthardamz is the Dwemer ruin at the foot of the mountain to the west, and that he knew Orchendor, the overseer gathering the Afflicted for Peryite. After the job is done he’ll let you breathe in the fading vapors again.
Personality & relationships
Kesh speaks in the third person and has a charming way with a disgusting idea. He compares Peryite to the pus in a wound, something polite folk wrinkle their noses at but which actually draws out the bad humors, and argues that sometimes disease is the only thing that can cleanse the world.
Good to know
He isn’t essential, but only you can kill him. If he dies after the quest has started, you can still finish it by using the large Dwemer pot at the shrine with the right ingredients. If he dies before you ever speak to him, the quest can only be picked up through a random encounter with the Afflicted.
Quick facts
- Race: Khajiit
- Gender: Male
- Level: levels with you (x1.2)
- Class: Spellsword
- Status: Protected
- Found in: Shrine to Peryite
- Base ID: 00089986
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.