Oblivion:Sideways Cave

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OB-mapicon-Cave.png
 Cave:
Sideways Cave
(view on map) (lore page)
# of Zones 3
Occupants
Monster Enemies
(2 boss-level Monsters)
Important Treasure
1 boss-level Ayleid Coffer
1 boss-level Ayleid Reliquary
Console Location Code(s)
SidewaysCaveExterior, SidewaysCaveNEW, SidewaysCaveNew02, SidewaysCaveNew03
Region
Heartlands
Location
Northeast of the Imperial City, on City Isle near the shore of Lake Rumare
Sideways Cave

Sideways Cave is a medium-sized cave northeast of the Imperial City containing monsters. It contains three zones: Sideways Cave, Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake, and Sideways Cave - Lost Abagarlas.

Notes[edit]

An Ayleid tablet
  • In the second and third zones are Ayleid tablets which suggest the buried Ayleid city of Abagarlas was destroyed by a "child of Meridia", likely referencing the flooding and extraordinary plant growth evident in and around the city. At the end of the cave in the Abagarlas throne room is the corpse of the recently deceased Altmer scholar who presumably wrote the tablets. Picking up each tablet causes a message to appear indicating "A hasty translation is scrawled here". The three translations are:
    • "Stone-Settlers (builders?) not rest (wake?) Meridia. Terror of the Most Terror. Haste to safehome."
    • "Fourth Star Hour (time?) Terror-of-the-Most-Terror of Meridia come (came?)."
    • "Meridia-child, Earth root power, sea wave like (earth like a flood?). People-out (escape? present tense? imperative?)."
  • In the second zone is a partly buried statue of Meridia.
  • Throughout the cave are the remains of previous explorers.
  • The official Prima Oblivion game guide lists Sideways Cave in its "Freeform Quests" section as one of the more interesting dungeons, noting the following about the tablets: "Can you put it all together? The big picture is that, long ago, Ayleid settlers stumbled onto this grotto. They made it their own--in the end, too much their own. In doing so, they uncovered a forgotten shrine to the Daedra lord Meridia. Meridia's vengeance for this violation was swift: She crushed Abargarlas [sic] with her stone roots and, incensed that some survivors escaped, buried the grotto almost entirely."
  • This cave was apparently remade at some point, as the internal names of the cells are all suffixed with "New". Two of the original cells still exist in the game files: "Sideways Cave", known internally as "SidewaysCave", and "Sideways Cave - Muttering Pool", known internally as "SidewaysCave02". The third cell actually used in the game is also called "New", but no earlier iteration of that cell is to be found.
  • This cave contains 3 Cairn Bolete plants and 19 Wisp Stalk plants.
  • "Abagarlas" translates as "Forbidden Cavern" in Ayleidoon.
  • Abagarlas also appears in ESO.

Exterior[edit]

Key to Maps
Sideways Cave, Exterior
  • The exterior is located at coordinates: Tamriel 12, 19
  • This location's map marker (M on map) is named Sideways Cave (editor name SidewaysCaveMapMarker). The entrance door is SSE of the marker, 50 feet away.
  • 0-1 Monster is near the entrance
  • 0-2 Mud Crabs are near the entrance
  • 1 Wilderness Creature (Plains variety) is near the entrance
  • The following plants can be found near the entrance: 1 Foxglove plant

Zone 1: Sideways Cave[edit]

Sideways Cave
Sideways Cave

This cave resembles any other in its first zone, with the entry passage leading to a chamber with a large chasm. The ledge on the far side of the chasm can be reached by descending into the chasm (either by jumping below or walking down a formation of rocks). From there, a tunnel to the northwest leads to a room with a pair of Cave In traps (T) in a dead end to the west. The short passage on the northern side of the room leads to a dead deer, while the path to the east splits into two more passages. The southern passage leads to the ledge in the first chamber, and the northern passage ends at door C to Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake (four rock walls retract to reveal the door as you approach). Follow the path to the ledge to find the corpse of a dead treasure hunter (J) on the way. The ledge features a minor loot chest to the south buried beneath a heap of skeletons. Finally, proceed to Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake.

Occupants:

Treasure:

Traps:

  • 2 Cave In traps at locations T on map

Doors and Gates:

  • There are two doors in/out of this zone
  • 4 Rock Walls (opened remotely) at F, G, H, and I

Other:

Zone 2: Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake[edit]

Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake
Meridia statue
Abagarlas entrance

While the previous zone was unremarkable, this area opens into a narrow chasm flooded with shallow water. Broken boats and remnants of an Ayleid ruin litter the path. The chasm soon widens into a large cavern with Ayleid arches and more ruins. On a large stone ring near the southern wall of the cavern is a minor loot cask and two dead skeletons (one of them underwater). A boss reliquary (B) is in the middle of the cavern, and another (partially submerged) minor loot cask is in the far northwestern corner; an Ayleid tablet (F) and a partly buried statue of Meridia are just south of the cask. The plateaus above are not meant to be reached and contain nothing of interest, but it is possible to access them by way of a long root near the southwestern door (E) to Sideways Cave - Lost Abagarlas (though high acrobatics might be necessary). A boss-level monster (A) guards the door. Another door (D) on a ledge overlooking the middle section of the chasm serves as an exit from Sideways Cave - Lost Abagarlas.

Occupants:

  • 1 boss-level Monster at location A on map
  • 3 Monsters

Treasure:

Doors and Gates:

Other:

  • First Ayleid Tablet at location F on map: "[A hasty translation is scrawled here...] Meridia-child, Earth root power, sea wave like (earth like a flood?). People-out (escape? present tense? imperative?)."

Zone 3: Sideways Cave - Lost Abagarlas[edit]

Sideways Cave - Lost Abagarlas
Lost Abagarlas

The southwestern door from Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake opens into a partly destroyed passage, where a second Ayleid tablet (J) lies on the ground near a dead skeleton. The passage then splits into two. The room to the south holds two potions, but a Cave In trap (T) prevents anyone with low acrobatics from ascending the stairs. The room to the north holds enemies and leads downstairs to a pathway destroyed by roots. The path continues to the east, with stairs ascending to the south to a room which connects to the room with the Cave In trap. The passage to the east, guarded by iron gates that open as you approach, leads to the final room, where a boss-level monster (A), a boss coffer (B), a minor loot cask, the third Ayleid tablet (L), a dead scholar (K), and five bedrolls (b) can be found. A short passage at the back of the room ends at door D, which leads to a ledge overlooking the chasm in Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake.

Occupants:

  • 1 boss-level Monster at location A on map
  • 2 Imps
  • 2-5 Monster Enemies (each 80% probability Monster, 20% Rat)

Treasure:

Traps:

  • 1 Cave In trap at location T on map

Doors and Gates:

  • There are two doors (at E and D) in/out of this zone, both leading to the zone Sideways Cave - Hidden Lake
  • 4 Iron Gates (opened remotely) at F, G, H, and I

Other:

  • Second Ayleid Tablet at location J on map: "[A hasty translation is scrawled here...] Fourth Star Hour (time?) Terror-of-the-Most-Terror of Meridia come (came?)."
  • Third Ayleid Tablet at L: "[A hasty translation is scrawled here...] Stone-Settlers (builders?) not rest (wake?) Meridia. Terror of the Most Terror. Haste to safehome."
  • 1 Dead Scholar at K
  • 5 bedrolls at b
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