Black Book: Filament and Filigree is one of the Black Book quests of the Dragonborn DLC, and the one where a humble torch suddenly becomes your best friend. Reading the tome pulls you into Apocrypha, the library-realm of Hermaeus Mora, where the darkness itself burns and the only way forward is to stick to the light. At the end waits a pedestal of forbidden knowledge and a choice between three powers.
How to start
- The book lies at the very end of Kolbjorn Barrow on Solstheim, and only becomes reachable once Ahzidal has been beaten at the end of Unearthed.
- Activate the Black Book to be transported into Apocrypha. The quest starts immediately.
Walkthrough
Mind the shadows
The opening platform has no enemies, but it introduces this realm’s gimmick: standing in shadow drains your health quickly. Stay inside lit areas, follow the floating lights, or bring your own light. Candlelight and Magelight both work, as does Stendarr’s Aura, and an ordinary torch is enough if you have no light spells. Keep one active through every fight here.
The scrye and the gate
Straight ahead (roughly south-southwest) is a table holding some soul gems and the Sneak skill book Three Thieves. Circle left around the stack of books to find a staircase, with a loot pod beside it. At the top is a closed gate; there is another pod on its left and a scrye on its right. Use the scrye to open the gate.
The bridge
Beyond the gate a bridge lined with floating lights leads south. It is guarded by several Seekers and Lurkers. While fighting, avoid the little pools with tentacles; either keep moving steadily along the walkway or hug the book stacks.
The final guardian
Climbing the first set of steps at the end of the bridge makes a last Lurker burst out of the pool on the platform. Depending on your level it is either a Lurker Sentinel or a Lurker Vindicator. Once it is dead, another staircase leads to the top platform with the Black Book, a small vessel with loot and a table holding spell tomes, soul gems and scrolls. Read the book to finish the quest, then read it once more to return to Solstheim.
Choices and consequences
Reading the book at the end lets you pick one of three Secrets. You can only hold one at a time, but you can swap later by reading Filament and Filigree again, which drops you back at the end of the realm to choose anew.
Rewards
- Secret of Strength: power attacks use no stamina for 30 seconds.
- Secret of Arcana: spells use no magicka for 30 seconds.
- Secret of Protection: you take only half damage for 30 seconds.
- Loot along the way: soul gems, Three Thieves, the pods and the final vessel, plus the spell tomes and scrolls by the book.
Tips and notes
- A light source is the single most important preparation; with one active the shadow damage simply does not happen.
- Arcana is the natural pick for mages, Strength for melee builds that rely on power attacks, and Protection is a solid all-round panic button.
- Bringing the book to Neloth can count toward Lost Knowledge, if he has pointed you to it.
- Other Black Book realms: The Sallow Regent, The Winds of Change, Untold Legends and The Hidden Twilight.
