The Lonely Wanderer Walkthrough in Oblivion Remastered

After joining the Dark Brotherhood in Oblivion Remastered, players begin their deadly journey with the help of Vicente Valtieri, the vampire slayer who introduces new members to their first contracts. After you've shown your dedication and skill with his initial set of quests, however, Valtieri instructs you to introduce yourself to Ocheeva, an Argonian assassin and one of the Dark Brotherhood's highest-ranking members in Cheydinhal. It’s from her that you’ll receive the infamous “The Lonely Wanderer” assignment, a seemingly straightforward assassination that, like most things in the Dark Brotherhood, hides a layer of moral and narrative complexity beneath its surface.

The Oblivion Remastered The Lonely Wanderer quest is one of the most memorable of the original Dark Brotherhood contracts because it not only asks you to kill your victim, but to find him in the first place, and witness the strange, broken life he now leads. Under the shadows of the Imperial City is the tragic tale of a once proud High Elf, Faelian, a Skooma addict who is hopeless and desperate. Whether you want to kill him off immediately or role-play through his hallucinations for the Brotherhood bonus reward is your choice.

How to Start The Lonely Wanderer in Oblivion Remastered

To unlock The Lonely Wanderer quest in Oblivion Remastered, you first need to join the Dark Brotherhood and complete Vicente Valtieri's first four contracts. Those are quests such as "A Watery Grave" and "The Assassinated Man," in which you stage Francois Motierre's death. Finish those, and Valtieri will say your training is complete and point you in the direction of speaking with Ocheeva for more advanced contracts. Ocheeva resides in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary, most often sitting or reading at her desk beside the main hall. Approach her, and she'll give you your next quest, a contract on a High Elf named Faelian, who must be assassinated somewhere in the Imperial City. All she can tell you is that the target is on the move and that you'll gain a special bonus if you murder him in a "safe place," a location with no witnesses. With that cryptic tip, your hunt for the lone traveler in Oblivion Remastered begins.

Finding Faelian in the Imperial City

Your first task is to look for Faelian, who has no address and no obvious association with anyone. Ocheeva's reticence has you search for the Imperial City on your own, starting in the Elven Gardens District. Proceed to the Elves who live or work there and ask if they have heard anything about Faelian. The other will inform you then that he has been at the Tiber Septim Hotel in the Talos Plaza District, a high-class inn for the elite and the wealthy. Head to the Talos Plaza and seek out the Tiber Septim Hotel, which is close to the central fountain of the district. Talk to the innkeeper, who will reveal that Faelian is indeed a guest, though not a full-time one. He comes in late at night with a woman and departs early in the morning. This is your first clue: Faelian has strange hours and does not appear to have a fixed abode. If you spend time in the Talos Plaza District at dawn or dusk, you might be able to spot Faelian walking around. He's not hard to recognize with his deathly pale skin, slender High Elf facial features, and nervous, jittery motions, the telltale signs of someone long gone into addiction.

Finding Faelian's Addiction

By the time you are finally able to sit down with Faelian, it's clear that he is but a shadow of his own former self. Slurring his words, unstable on his feet, and eyes darting back and forth while he talks about his next fix, he is polite but pathetic, asking you if you have any Skooma to spare. His speech, "Do you have any Skooma now? 'Cause. I can be your friend right now."- is stereotypically the deplorable state to which he has descended. You can kill him now and complete your contract, but if you want to get the bonus reward, you'll have to win his trust. Faelian will only lead you to a secluded, "safe" location, one where you can kill him without repercussions, if you offer him Skooma. Your new quest, then, is to find some.

Where to Find Skooma in Oblivion Remastered

There are two consistent ways of acquiring Skooma in Oblivion Remastered. One is to go to Bravil at night and search for a shady Khajiit trader named Nordinor selling Skooma in a dark alley on the city's north side. The costs will fluctuate based on your Mercantile skill level and his disposition, but anticipate paying more than 100 gold per bottle early on in the game. The second, simpler method is to burglarize Lorkmir's House, a residence in the Talos Plaza District Faelian has been employing as his Skooma den. Although locked initially, you can either pickpocket the key from Faelian or break in yourself if you have a high Security skill. Inside are a few bottles of Skooma on a table, and a journal that forewarns you of Faelian's destroyed life and the destiny that overtook Lorkmir. After buying at least a single bottle of Skooma, go back to Faelian at the Tiber Septim Hotel.

Killing Faelian in a Safe Zone

The trick is to murder Faelian so that he will have no witnesses. To accomplish this, wait outside the Tiber Septim Hotel between 3 and 4 in the morning. Faelian will emerge and will proceed to walk the streets. Simply approach him and administer him the Skooma. Delighted, he'll ask you, "Now that we're. We're friends. You want to go with me? To my special place?" Take the invitation, and follow him to Lorkmir's House in the same district. The house will be a free zone with him around, no guards or civilians will enter, and what you do will be nobody's business.". You are now free to finish the Dark Brotherhood contract however you like. A sneaky backstab, a firing of a poisoned arrow, or a single spell, anything is enough. As soon as Faelian is killed, the quest will be completed, ensuring that your work is done.

Rewards for Completing The Lonely Wanderer

Return to Ocheeva in the Cheydinhal Sanctuary and let her know you succeeded. She'll commend you on another clean kill and reward you with some hefty gold. If you murdered Faelian in a safe zone as instructed, however, she'll also reward you with Shadowhunt, an enchanted bow, and one of the first high-damage ranged weapons in the game. Shadowhunt deals Damage Health and Damage Magicka on hit while also applying Weakness to Poison and Turn Undead effects, making it versatile for stealth assassins and archers alike. It’s a reward well worth the extra effort, especially if you’re pursuing a stealth-based build in Oblivion Remastered. Completing this contract also unlocks the next Dark Brotherhood mission, “Bad Medicine,” in which you’ll be tasked with poisoning a warlord’s medicine to stage another silent death.

The Tragedy of The Lonely Wanderer

Aside from the mechanics, the Lonely Wanderer quest in Oblivion Remastered is arguably one of the darkest, most emotionally involving Dark Brotherhood quests. Faelian is not an evil killer or a difficult mark; he's a broken, addicted, solitary man voluntarily waiting for a death he may even seek out. By the time you kill him, you can't help but ask yourself if your sneaky assassination was mercy or murder. "The Lonely Wanderer" is a testament to what it is about Dark Brotherhood that is so memorable: how it deals with morality, with tragedy, with atmosphere. No matter which choice you make, for duty or for compassion, this quest stays with you long after it's finished, another life eliminated in the name of Sithis, another soul sent into the void.