Oblivion:Boots of Springheel Jak

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This article is about the quest. For the boots, see Boots of Springheel Jak (item).

 
OB-qico-ThievesGuild.png
 Find out where Springheel Jak is buried and retrieve a pair of magical boots for the Gray Fox.
Quest Giver: Gray Fox at Ganredhel's House in Cheydinhal
Location(s): The Imperial City, Jakben Imbel's House including the Catacombs underneath
Prerequisite Quest: Arrow of Extrication, 800 gold fenced
Next Quest: The Ultimate Heist
Reward: 500 gold
Fame/Infamy: Infamy +2
ID: TG10Boots
 
Springheel Jak's coffin

Quick Walkthrough[edit]

  1. Fence at least 800 gold to receive the quest from Amusei.
  2. Talk to the Gray Fox for further details.
  3. Locate Jakben, Earl of Imbel.
  4. Uncover the truth about Springheel Jak.
  5. Defeat Jakben and retrieve the Boots of Springheel Jak.

Detailed Walkthrough[edit]

The Gray Fox[edit]

After you have fenced 800 gold worth of stolen goods, Thieves Guild messenger Amusei actively seeks you out, reporting that the Gray Fox will be waiting for you at Ganredhel's house in Cheydinhal. The Gray Fox tells the tale of a famous thief, Springheel Jak, who died 300 years ago and was put to rest still wearing his enchanted boots. He then asks you to locate Jak's final resting place and retrieve the boots. The only known descendant of the famous thief is The Earl of Imbel, who goes by the name of Jakben and lives somewhere in the Imperial City. The Gray Fox finally tasks you to locate the Earl and search his house for clues.

Search for the Earl[edit]

Jakben's house in the Imperial City

As always, the eyes and ears of the Gray Fox will help you out and map markers pointing to them will be added to your in-game map. Travel to the Imperial City and speak to any of them who will provide the information you want: "The Earl of Imbel has a home in the Talos Plaza, on the inner wall. He is an odd one. Keeps to himself mostly. Only goes out after dark. A real night owl." A second source is harder to find but is also more informative. On Sundas, Tirdas and Turdas, a man named Gemellus Axius roams around the Market District between 8am and noon. Speak to him and it turns out that he is the Earl's manservant. He will provide the same location info as the beggars but will also provide some suspicious info: "He is a very private man and does not leave his home often. He has a rare skin condition that forces him to sleep during the day." Travel to the Talos Plaza District and locate the large mansion described by the citizens. It is placed between Umbacano Manor and the Tiber Septim Hotel.

Searching the Mansion[edit]

Note: Due to a bug that causes Jakben to skip his sleep during the day, this next section is much more complex than intended.

The front door of the mansion will always be locked with a hard lock and it is difficult to know beforehand when it is safe to enter. Jakben himself will take an evening stroll for four hours at 10pm on Morndas, Middas and Fredas, and manservant Gemellus Axius will go to bed at that time, so that is your cue. At 10pm, watch Jakben leave the house, then pick the lock and enter. The Gray Fox told you to look for clues, so head upstairs and locate the dining area. A staircase will lead you to Jakben's study, so head up there and examine the desk. In there, you will find a book entitled Imbel Genealogy which is the only clue available, but is of no help. You need to face Jakben himself for more information.

Jakben, Earl of Imbel[edit]

Whether or not you found the Imbel Genealogy, you will have to face Jakben and ask him about his ancestors' tomb. At this point it is possible to ask his manservant about the tomb as well, and he will reveal a bit of information about the family crypt: "Only the Earl has a key. I have been warned never to enter it, on pain of death." Time to chat with the Earl himself; with the exception of the above mentioned times, Jakben will be strolling around the second floor of the mansion, at times visiting his study. When you approach him, the esteemed nobleman turns out to be a coward: "What do you want? I'll do anything you ask!" When asked about Springheel Jak's tomb, the scared Earl hands you the key to the crypts with the words: "The family crypts are under the house. They give me the creeps. I have the key. Take it. Just don't hurt me!" The Earl will then seek shelter in his study, wondering why he is still alive.

The Family Crypt

The Catacombs[edit]

With the key in hand and the Earl trembling in his study, it is time to head down into the basement and explore this "creepy" crypt. Before doing so, make sure you have the Skeleton Key or a healthy number of lockpicks in your inventory as you will face a good number of locked doors on your way. Alternatively, you could pick pocket Gemellus while he's sleeping and grab the house key, which will unlock all but two doors. Pick the eastern basement door and head downstairs. Pick another door open and approach the Wood Door to Catacombs with the key given to you by the Earl.

Upon entering, it becomes apparent that something is seriously wrong with the crypt underneath the mansion, as the place is crawling with leveled vampires, who will all attack you on sight. The Crypt, entitled Catacombs on your map, is actually a semi-large cave filled with treasure and leveled enemies and you will have to face a long and exhausting battle before you reach Springheel Jak's Coffin in the far eastern area. The cave itself is fairly linear so just keep heading east and fight any vampire you meet, and wait for them to unlock the doors for you. Keep your eyes on the prize until you reach a wooden door in the far eastern section. Use your lockpicking skills one last time and you will locate Springheel Jak's Coffin in the last room.

Springheel Jak[edit]

Pry open the coffin and search through it, only to find out that there are no boots to be found. Instead, pick up the Diary of Springheel Jak and read it. Oddly, the diary is written by Jakben himself; he claims to be the famous thief who died 300 years ago, but obviously didn't due to vampirism. He also hints at a former friend who dared to steal from Nocturnal. You barely get the chance to close the book, before Jakben comes rushing in, now wearing a fully leveled suit of light armor, attacking you with an equally leveled, and possibly enchanted, long blade. You will have no choice but to fight back. When all is said and done, search Jakben's corpse and find the Boots of Springheel Jak. For some, you may have to travel all the way back to the Dining Room area before Jakben attacks you. You can also charm him and then steal the boots off him without killing him. Time to leave the mansion and return to the Gray Fox.

Capital![edit]

You will find the Gray Fox in his chair back in Cheydinhal, trying his best to avoid Ganredhel's two dogs, Daisy and Luna. When you hand him the boots he will be overwhelmed with joy as he can see his master plan fall into place; "Capital! This may be the last piece of the puzzle." He then hands you 500 gold, hints that he will contact you again and suggest you both leave Ganredhel's house. Finally, the newest edition of the Black Horse Courier reveals that Jakben's manservant Gemellus Axius finally gave in and reported the crimes of his master to the City Watch.

Blood Price[edit]

Killing the following NPC while this quest is active will require you to pay a blood price to Armand or S'Krivva:

Notes[edit]

  • After you complete this quest, a special edition of the Black Horse Courier is published: Vampire Nest in the City!.
  • Amusei will not seek you out and initiate the quest if you are in jail or in Cheydinhal.
  • An alternative method of finishing this quest is by killing Jakben after interrogating him. You can then avoid visiting the crypt and many of the bugs mentioned below. Simply kill him and search his corpse for the Boots, then return to the Gray Fox for the reward.
  • It is possible to pickpocket Jakben's equipment from him while he is crouching in the study: this will make the fight with him a lot easier.

Bugs[edit]

  • Do not steal the Boots of Springheel Jak before the quest, This will cause the quest to update and the Gray Fox to appear in Ganredhel's house. It will also break prerequisite quests in several ways and will prevent you from completing the questline.
  • At the end of the quest, after retrieving the boots, do not discuss the diary entry or the Imbel Family Tree (if you stole it from Jak's desk) with the Gray Fox until after you've turned in the boots for your reward. It will glitch the quest, making it impossible to finish. The Gray Fox will simply stand there saying "Not now. I need to think" when you try and talk to him.
    • On PC You can fix this glitch by typing setstage TG10Boots 50 in the command line, in order for the quest to finish. Once you've fenced 1000 gold, the next and final quest will be enabled.
  • The above glitch can also be caused by talking to the Gray Fox while having a Blood Price. If you give him the boots with the need to pay a Blood Price, you can never start the final Thieves Guild quest. After paying it off, when you talk to the Gray Fox, he will just say he needs time to think and end the conversation.
  • When you accept the quest from the Gray Fox, Jakben will stop sleeping in the crypt between 6am and 6pm. This package was supposed to be reactivated when you have received information from the beggars, but the corresponding Journal Entry (25) is missing from the game. This causes Jakben to stay awake at all times, making your investigation of the house much harder.
  • If you accidentally triggered a serious bug earlier in the game, sometimes Amusei won't arrive as fast as he was intended to. See this section for possible workarounds.
  • If you find the Imbel family genealogy after receiving the tomb key, Jak's diary, or the boots, you will receive a message suggesting you discuss it with the Gray Fox. However, no topic is added.
  • Reading Jakben's Diary will add a topic about Jakben knowing the Gray Fox, but only if it is dropped then read. The topic will not be added if it is read from your inventory.
  • If instead you go to Armand first with the need to pay a Blood Price, you'll get the reward from both him and the Gray Fox and no Blood Price gold will actually be removed (so you will end up 500 gold better off than completing the quest normally). However, when you talk to the Gray Fox, do not choose any dialogue topic but the "Boots" one or the topic may disappear and you will have to reload.
  • Sometimes, after finding/reading the diary, Jakben does not appear, and there is no way to get the boots.
    • On PC You can fix this with the console commands setstage TG10Boots 45 and player.additem 000148D4 1.
    • On PC You can also use prid 00015300 followed by moveto player, which will move Jakben to your location so you can fight him.
    • Dropping the diary and rereading it may fix this.
    • Waiting may also fix this.
  • Sometimes, when you break into Jakben's house, you will be considered trespassing when he sees you. When the diary is read, Jakben will not appear and your journal will not be updated. Instead, an Imperial Guard will be waiting for you at the first floor for trespassing. You must talk to him to pay your fine. When you arrive at the jail, Jakben will be waiting for you and attack you. Allowing you to continue the quest.
  • Sometimes after you have fenced over 800 gold this quest won't appear.
    • On PC To fix this enter the console command setstage TG10Boots 10, which will initiate the quest.
    • You can also go to Ganredhel's house in Cheydinhal and roam around, which should update the fence quest, therefore letting you continue on with the Gray Fox. If that doesn't work, roam around a city for a couple of minutes; hopefully the quest will update. Setting Independent Thievery as your active quest also helps with this.
  • The Imbel Family Crypt Key is a quest-specific item and cannot be removed from your inventory even after the quest is complete.
  • Occasionally, Jakben might equip his armor and weapon and begin attacking you even before you enter the Crypt. This, however, has no negative effect on the quest. You can bring the boots back to Gray Fox without reading the diary and still complete the quest.
  • Giving the boots to the Gray Fox while wearing them is one way of triggering the Permanent Effects glitch.

Journal Entries[edit]

Boots of Springheel Jak (TG10Boots)
Stage Finishes Quest Journal Entry
10 Amusei has given me another message from the Gray Fox. I am to meet him at Ganrendel's house in Cheydinhal.
20 The Gray Fox has asked me to find out where Springheel Jak is buried. This famous thief died 300 years ago. He is rumored to have owned a pair of magical boots. The story also says he was buried in those boots. A relative of his, Jakben, Earl of Imbel, lives somewhere in the Imperial City.
20 There is a descendent [sic] of Springheel Jak living in the Imperial City named Jakben, Earl of Imbel. The Gray Fox has suggested I look there for clues as to where he is buried. Once I know where to look, I am to get the boots and bring them back to the Gray Fox in Ganredhel's house in Cheydinhal.
30 I found a book of Imbel family geneology [sic]. Very interesting reading. I should ask the Gray Fox about this. (This will appear in your journal if you already had the Count tell you where the mausoleum is.) or
I found a book of Imbel family geneology [sic]. No mention of Springheel Jak's burial location. Maybe the Earl himself can tell me, with a little friendly persuasion. (This will appear in your journal if you have not yet questioned the Count.)
35 What luck! The family mausoleum for the Imbels is in the basement of the Jakben's house. The poor Earl was so terrified he told me everything I needed to know. He even gave me the key! Now to find those boots.
37 The boots were not in the tomb of Springheel Jak. I did find a diary though. Maybe it can provide a clue.
40 I have read Jakben Imbel's diary, or should I say Springheel Jak's diary. Now I understand why the boots were not in the tomb. Why bury such a valuable item when you can wear it? Even more shocking, it seems that Springheel Jak may have known the Gray Fox himself! They may have been partners in crime several centuries ago.
45 I have the boots. Now to get back to the Gray Fox in Ganredhel's house in Cheydinhal.
49 The Gray Fox thanked me for getting him the boots. However, I will not get my fee until I pay the blood price for my murders.
50 Finishes quest☑ The Gray Fox thanked me for getting him the boots. He paid me 500 gold coins for my efforts.
55 (Player has left house)
60 Finishes quest☑ I learned that the Gray Fox is not immortal. The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal has been passed from master thief to master thief for close to 300 years now. The original thief that stole it from Nocturnal is long dead. So who is the current Gray Fox? (Does not finish the quest, but makes it impossible to continue.)
Blood Price (TG10BloodPrice)
100 I just killed someone while trying to get the Boots of Springheel Jak. That will cost me my Thieves Guild membership unless I can pay the blood price of 1000 gold for each murder. I can pay Armand.
101 The Gray Fox has revoked my Thieves Guild membership. If I want back in, I'll have to pay 1000 gold for each murder to satisfy the blood price. I can pay Armand.
105 Finishes quest☑ I have been reinstated into the Thieves Guild. The blood price was steep, but worth it.
Notes
  • Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
  • Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in random order.
  • If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
  • On PC It is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage TG10Boots stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages. See SetStage for more information.
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