1. Introduction
2. Equipment and Abilities
3. Efficient Travel
4. Acknowledgements
5. Version information
6. Contact Information
7. Copyright Information
1. Introduction
---------------
A first-time player of Morrowind usually is overwhelmed by the vast size of the
game world. Taking a first trip into the wilderness, getting lost, finding the
goal only after searching for half an hour, all contribute to the feeling that
this world is absolutely HUGE.
Well, it's bigger than most games offer (exceptions being other Bethesda games),
but it is definitely not huge. It's not even large. It's just not TINY. "Small"
is how I would characterize it.
Why, then, does it feel so big to first-time players? Simply because they
haven't yet found efficient means of travel. Much of the game's "emotional
size" comes from the fact that the roads between neighbouring cities are long
and windy, even when the cities are fairly close to each other.
Judging other guides to Morrowind, even experienced players sometimes have
problems finding efficient means of travelling. When I found I was able to
reach even far-out places of the Morrowind world quickly, I felt it could be
useful to other players to share my experiences.
This guide describes how to travel through Vvrardenfell efficiently. I think
many experienced players will have discovered most if not all of the tactics
described here. They may even know some tactics I haven't covered yet here. If
so, I would appreciate hearing them. Contact information is found at the end of
this guide.
2. Equipment and Abilities
--------------------------
You need some equipment and abilities to perform the fast travelling
described in this guide. Specifically, you need the following:
- Boots of Blinding Speed
- 100% Magic Resistance
- Constant 3 points Restore Fatigue
- Constant 1 point Levitate ring or amulet
- Master Propylon index
- Mark and Recall spells
- Divine and Almsivi Intervention spells
- The Vvardenfell map
- An interactive map
The following sections are dedicated to those items of equipment, how to get
them, and alternatives in case you don't have them yet (in the early game
stages, for instance).
2.1 Boots of Blinding Speed
---------------------------
The Boots of Blinding Speed are found on Pemenie the Trader, who is found on
the road from Caldera to Ald'Ruhn. She is close to the spot where you meet
the naked barbarian who is seeking the witch that stole his magic axe. You can
kill Pemenie to get the boots, or do a small quest for her and receive them as
a reward. Killing her is not such a big deal, since there is a bounty on her
head anyway (though she might prove to be a tough opponent for low-level
characters).
The Boots of Blinding Speed have the following constant effects: 100% Blind on
Self and Fortify Speed 200 points on Self. The speed increase makes travel on
foot a breeze, even in walking mode, let alone in running mode. However, 100%
Blind makes you do this in complete darkness. Unless you have...
100% Magic Resistance makes you forego the bad effects of spells, potions,
ingredients and magic items for 100%. That means, if you put on the Boots of
Blinding Speed while you have 100% Magic Resistance, you get the 200 points
Speed Increase without any of the Blinding effect! Even when the Magic
Resistance wears off, as long as you keep the boots on, you won't be blinded. I
put them on once and never took them off again.
Best is to have 100% Magic Restance at all times. For instance, if you play a
Breton (a popular choice) you already have 50% natural Magic Restance. Get the
Cuirass of the Savior's Hide (in Tel Fyr, in a locked chest in the room of
Divayth Fyr) for another 60%.
If you don't have 100% constant Magic Resistance, spells or potions can give
you the resistance for the short time it is needed. Or, if you can only get,
for instance, 50% magic resistance, you can spend your time partly in the dark
while you are travelling.
Notice that, while the effect of potions stacks, you cannot cast the same spell
several times to stack an effect (neither from memory nor from an enchanted
item). So if you have a 5 second 50% Magic Resistance spell, you cannot cast it
twice to get 100%. However, you can create a second spell with a different name
with the same effect, and these two spells WILL stack. So, as soon as you have
bought a spell that gives Magic Resistance, go to a spellmaker and create
several Magic Resistance spells which you are able to cast with reasonable
success. You can skimp on duration, as long as the magnitude is big enough.
When you wear an item that restores your fatigue constantly for about 3 points,
you can run everywhere without getting tired. This makes the Boots of Blinding
Speed even more useful. I enchanted a Glass Helm for these 3 points, but there
are many other possibilities.
If you don't have such an item, don't worry, it's not absolutely needed and you
will probably get something like it later in the game. Just make sure you
interchange walking with running, so your Fatigue level will always be over
50%, or carry Restore Fatigue potions with you. If you are an accomplished
alchemist, these potions are cheap and easy to make.
2.4 Constant 1 Point Levitate Ring or Amulet
--------------------------------------------
While running with a 200 point Speed Increase is a pretty fast way to get
around, having to go AROUND mountains that are too steep to climb takes
excessively long. Just fly over them! An expensive ring can be enchanted with a
constant 1 point Levitate. This allows you to fly over all obstacles, avoid
enemies (except those annoying Cliff Racers), avoid the need for swimming or
water walking, and is a great way to scout.
I recommend enchanting a ring or amulet with this effect and not your armour,
because you don't want to fly always. Flying inside buildings often gets you
stuck, and you cannot sneak while flying. A ring or amulet is easily taken off,
while you usually want to keep your armour on.
You can enchant an exquisite ring for a constant 8 points Levitate, but
frankly, I don't notice any difference between a constant 1 point or 8 points
Levitate, and 8 points is a lot more expensive. I believe 8 points Levitate
lets you fly faster than 1 point, but wearing the Boots of Blinding Speed
increases your speed significantly more.
As long as you don't have the money or the Golden Saint soul to create a
constant effect item, you can enchant an expensive ring with 106 seconds of 1
point Levitate. This will be enough to do most trips, and is easily recast if
the trip takes longer.
If a 106 second Levitate is too expensive for you, make it a 10 second 1 point
Levitate. It's cheap, and at least it'll get you over the mountains. Such a
short Levitate is a good thing to keep alongside the long Levitate anyway,
because there are many moments in the game where you want to levitate for only
a few seconds, for instance to cross a chasm, after which you want to sneak
again and thus must get rid of the levitation effect. A constant effect
Levitate you can just take off, but a timed Levitate has to wear off, which can
be a bore.
2.5 Master Propylon Index
-------------------------
The Master Propylon Index was introduced in an official plug-in by Bethesda
(www.morrowind.com). While the ten propylon indexes already existed in the
game, the Master index combines them into one coherent whole (not for the
XBox, obviously, but that's what you get when you go for console gaming).
The ten propylon indexes allow you to travel between the Propylon chambers of
ten Dunmer strongholds. Each chamber links to two of the other chambers. With
ten indexes, this allows you to travel to any of the strongholds if you are at
one of them. However, the Master index changes that. With the Master index, you
travel from the Caldera mage's guild to any of the ten Propylon chambers and
from them back again to Caldera. Since without the Master index it's a pain to
reach one of the Propylon chambers by normal travel and since even with all ten
indexes it may take up to five jumps to get to the chamber you wish to reach,
the Master index makes the chambers much more useful. A final advantage of the
Master index is that you don't have to carry the ten pretty heavy separate
indexes around with you.
The Master index is particularly useful to get to several places that are far
away from other fast travel opportunities. For instance, Urshilaku Camp, which
you have to visit quite often during the main quest, is pretty far from the
nearest town, but very close to the Valenvaryon stronghold (note that you have
to fight four big Orcs when you leave the Valenvaryon Propylon chamber, so be
prepared).
To get the Master index, gather the ten propylon indexes and bring them to
Folms Mirel in the Caldera mages guild. He'll give you the Master index, and
becomes a travel agent to the ten Propylon chambers of the Dunmer strongholds.
Gathering the indexes is quite a bit of work. Folms Mirel asks you for them
one at a time, and tells you the location of the next one, but it is easier to
get them in the order of your choice, and deliver the whole bunch to him in
one go. That way, you can also use them for your own purpose until you get all
ten of them.
The indexes are found in the following places:
Andasreth: Owned by Brilnosu Llarys who lives in the dome of the Hlormaren
stronghold. The index lies on a shelf in the dome chamber.
Berandas: Owned by Baladas Demnevanni in the Arvs Drelen Tower of Gnisis. He'll
give it to you if you ask him, or you can steal it off the shelf in his dome.
Falasmaryon: Lying next to the rock shrine in the Temple of Maar Gan. You
cannot buy it, so you must steal it (maybe if your Speechcraft skill is high
enough, you can convince the owner to part with it, but I didn't manage to do
that).
Falensarano: Found in the Lost Galleries of the Maelkashishi Daedric shrine on
the western edge of the mountains west of Maar Gan. There are two entrances in
the shrine, of which the upper one goes immediately into the Lost Galleries. To
get the index without having to bother about fighting high-level enemies, take
the upper entrance, and fly over the chasm to the ledge at the other end. The
index lies next to the corpse found there. Don't forget to take the Daedric Bow
while you're there.
Hlormaren: On the windowstill of Irgola the Pawnbroker in Caldera. You can buy
it from him or steal it.
Indoranyon: Owned by Divayth Fyr, the Master Wizard of Tel Fyr. He'll give it
to you if you ask for it, or you can steal it off the table next to him.
Marandus: In St. Olms Temple in Vivec, lying between two crates in the
storeroom where two rats attack you. Look closely, it's easy to miss. A Light
or Night Eye spell may help to find it.
Rotheran: Carried by Rols Ienith, who lives in the Communal Hut on top of the
Rotheran stronghold. Kill him to get it.
Telasero: Found in Telasero, the Dunmer stronghold between Suran and Molag Mar.
This is the most difficult index to get. To get it without fighting at least a
couple of Dreamers is nigh impossible, but you can try to get by with stealth
or invisibility. Find your way to the lower level and search the right trough
facing from the entrance, which is filled with all kinds of stuff. The index is
there.
Valenvaryon: Owned by Nibani Maesa, the Wise Woman in the Urshilaku Camp. You
can buy it from her or steal it from the table next to her. Do not tick her off
because she is an important NPC for the main quest.
2.6 Mark and Recall Spells
--------------------------
Mark marks a single location in the game. Recall takes you immediately to that
location. You can buy the spells in several locations early in the game (don't
worry, you'll enounter them soon enough), and you can also find Recall amulets
and Mark rings in the game. Get these spells quickly, because they are very
useful.
There are two main uses for these spells.
The first is casting Mark at the place where you store the stuff you do not
currently need and don't want to carry with you. When you are at a point in the
game where you have gathered so much stuff that you cannot move with it anymore
(which happens quite often in the middle game stages), cast Recall and you land
at that spot. Empty your inventory and continue questing.
The second use is casting Mark when you are in a far away place when you want
to take a break and go back to town. After casting Mark, use an Intervention
spell to go to a nearby city, and after being healed and having repaired your
armour, return to continue the interrupted quest by using Recall.
My main regret about Morrowind is that you cannot Mark at least TWO places, so
you can combine these two uses.
2.7 Divine and Almsivi Intervention Spells
------------------------------------------
Divine Intervention takes you immediately to the nearest Imperial Cult Temple,
and Almsivi Intervention takes you immediately to the nearest Tribunal Temple.
These are very useful spells, that can be cast from memory, from scrolls or
by using enchanted items. It's quite expensive to enchant an item with one of
these spells, but there are several amulets found in the game that have them.
Since they are fairly cheap to cast from memory, I prefer to do that. Until
you can afford that, carry a scroll with you.
A problem with these spells is that you usually don't know where you are going
to end up when you cast them. But you DO know it's at a civilized place, and
that's what matters.
After a while, you may find that the Intervention spells become a preferred
means of travel to certain spots. For instance, travelling to Ebonheart, at
first you usually pick a guild guide to travel to the Vivec mage's guild, then
either take the boat from there or walk or fly the rest of the way. However,
if you cast Divine Intervention when you arrive in Vivec, you immediately
materialize next to the Ebonheart Temple (where incidentally a lot of quests
start from).
2.8 The Vvardenfell Map
-----------------------
The map of Vvardenfell, delivered with the game, is the most important item in
the traveler's backpack. It shows how the main sites are lying relative to each
other. Road signs only show how roads lead to various cities and sites, and
descriptions by citizens of Vvardenfell usually only tell you how to walk
somewhere. The map shows you potential shortcuts. Going from Seyda Neen to
Pelagiad, following the road signs, awards you with a half-hour scenic trip
through the Bitter Coast region, but for reasons of efficieny, you better fly
over the mountains directly north of Seyda Neen to land in Pelagiad centre in
90 seconds time. And when Sul-Matuul describes how you get to the Cave
Incarnate from Urshilaku Camp, you can follow his directions to the letter and
hike across the whole of Northern Vvardenfell, but looking at the map you see
that you better take the boat to Tel Mora and fly over the mountains west of
Vos, to reach the Cave in a few minutes time. That's planning, baby.
2.9 An Interactive Map
----------------------
An interactive map of Vvardenfell lets you search for locations in a separate
program. This can be very useful for finding hard-to-spot hidden locations. You
won't need it very often, but it will be useful. You can find such a program at
http://lechmarch.mailru.com/. If that site is no longer in operation, search on
Google for "morrowind interactive map".
3. Efficient Travel
-------------------
3.1 Home Base
-------------
You will probably have a home base for your operations in Vvardenfell. It's the
place where you leave the stuff which you do not want to bother carrying with
you (such as alchemy equipment, spare weapons, books and stacks of potions,
scrolls and thieving tools). You would be wise to have your home base located
in Balmora, Caldera, Ald'ruhn or Vivec, close to or in the Mage's guild. Why?
Because all those places offer several means of travel to distant spots. They
all have a guild guide, Caldera excepting they have a silt strider nearby,
Vivec has a boat and Caldera has Folms Mirel the Propylon travel agent.
Personally I prefer Balmora because many of the early game quests start and end
there. It's easy to travel between these four places using the guild guide.
You may be tempted to turn your stronghold into your home base. Don't. The
strongholds are too far away from good travel opportunities. It's a pity, and
in my opinion one of the few weak elements of the game. Bethesda should have
provided the stronghold with a magic item that transports you there instantly.
3.2 Fast Travel options
-----------------------
While most players will have discovered the fast travel options of Morrowind,
for completeness I list them here.
Guild guides allow you to travel between the mage's guilds of Ald'ruhn, Balmora,
Caldera, Sadrith Mora (Wolverine Hall) and Vivec.
Silt striders are the huge fleas outside Ald'ruhn, Balmora, Gnisis, Khuul,
Maar Gan, Molag Mar, Seyda Neen, Suran and Vivec.
Boats are located in the harbours of Dagon Fel, Ebonheart, Gnaar Mok, Hla Oad,
Khuul, Molag Mar, Sadrith Mora, Tel Aruhn, Tel Branora, Tel Mora, Vivec and Vos.
Vivec has several boats that travel between Vivec cantons, but also a boat that
takes you to other cities. This is not one of the boats dedicated to Vivec, but
the boat immediately south of the silt strider.
While the guild guides let you travel between all five of the mage's guilds,
the silt striders and boats all take you to at most four other places.
The following chart gives an overview of the fast travel opportunities between
the places that offer them. The rows show the places you start from and the
columns the places you end up in. A "B" indicates a boat connection, a "G"
indicates a guild guide connection, and an "S" indicates a silt strider
connection. This chart is almost diagonally mirror-imaged. The only exception
is the connection between Vos and Sadrith Mora, which is one-way only.
Note that there are no fast travel connections to Ald Velothi (closest is
Gnisis), Ghostgate (closest is Ald'ruhn), Pelagiad (closest is Seyda Neen), Tel
Fyr (closest is Sadrith Mora, arriving at Wolverine Hall with a guild guide)
and Tel Vos (but Vos is next door).
3.3 Getting There From Your Home Base
-------------------------------------
I assume you want to reach a certain spot starting from your home base in one
of the four locations I mentioned earlier in the guide. If your home base is in
another location, or you start out from another location, usually the first
part of your trip will be using a guild guide, and since guild guides are
available in the four locations I find most suitable for a home base, you can
still use the list.
Of course, once you have a bit of experience with the game, you can determine
your own efficient route by using the Vvardenfell map and the list of Fast
Travel Options from the previous paragraph. For instance, if you are in
Ebonheart and want to travel to Vos, you can use a boat for the whole trip;
there is no need to use a guild guide first. But most of the time you will be
travelling starting from your home base, and that's when this list will come in
handy.
The fastest way to reach other game locations, starting at your home base in
Ald'ruhn, Balmora, Caldera or Vivec, according to my experience, is described
below. The list is in alphabetical order and I let the items refer to each
other. For instance, the description for Ahemmusa Camp says "Go to Vos and fly
north". Look up "Vos" to find the best way to reach that location.
Ahemmusa Camp: Go to Vos and fly north.
Ald Velothi: Go to Gnisis and fly north.
Ald'ruhn: Use the guild guide to travel to the Ald'ruhn mage's guild.
Bal Isra: Go to Maar Gan and fly south-west.
Balmora: Use the guild guide to travel to the Balmora mage's guild.
Caldera: Use the guild guide to travel to the Caldera mage's guild.
Cave Incarnate: Go to Vos, fly west over the mountains, follow the foyada south
and find the cave where the foyada turns north. Alternatively, use propylon
travel to go to Rotheran and fly south to the entrance of the foyada which
leads to the cave.
Dagon Fel: Go to Sadrith Mora and take the boat.
Dagoth Ur: Go to Ghostgate and fly north.
Dren Plantation: Go to Vivec (north) and fly north-north-west.
Ebonheart: Go to Vivec (north) and cast Divine Intervention or take the boat.
Erabenimsum Camp: Go to Tel Fyr and fly south-west.
Fort Buckmoth: Go to Ald'ruhn or Caldera and cast Divine Intervention, or go
to Ald'ruhn and fly south.
Fort Moonmoth: Go to Balmora and cast Divine Intervention or fly east.
Ghostgate: Go to Ald'ruhn and fly east, following the ghostfence.
Gnaar Mok: Go to Hla Oad or Khuul and take the boat.
Gnisis: Go to Ald'ruhn and take the silt strider.
Hla Oad: Go to Ebonheart or Vivec (north) and take the boat.
Holamayan: Go to Ebonheart and take the second boat (when you are at a certain
stage in the game).
Khuul: Go to Ald'ruhn and take the silt strider.
Kogoruhn: Use propylon travel to go to Falasmaryon and fly east.
Maar Gan: Go to Ald'ruhn and take the silt strider.
Molag Mar: Go to Wolverine Hall and cast Almsivi Intervention, or go to Vivec
(north) and take the silt strider.
Odai Plateau: Go to Hla Oad and fly east.
Pelagiad: Go to Seyda Neen and fly over the mountains to the north.
Sadrith Mora: Go to Wolverine Hall, leave the fort through the door one storey
below the mage's guild and fly north.
Seyda Neen: Go to Balmora and take the silt strider.
Suran: Go to Balmora or Vivec (north) and take the silt strider.
Tel Aruhn: Go to Sadrith Mora and take the boat.
Tel Branora: Go to Sadrith Mora and take the boat.
Tel Fyr: Go to Wolverine Hall and fly west-south-west.
Tel Mora: Go to Sadrith Mora and take the boat.
Tel Vos: Go to Vos and fly west.
Urshilaku Camp: Use propylon travel to go to Valenvaryon and fly west. Since
the required propylon index is found in the camp itself, the first time you
go there, you have to take a longer route. I recommend going to Khuul and
flying east from there.
Uvirith's Grave: Go to Tel Fyr and fly west, or go to Sadrith Mora and fly
south-west.
Vivec (north): Use the guild guide to travel to the Vivec mage's guild.
Vivec (south): Go to Vivec (north) and cast Almsivi Intervention.
Vos: Go to Tel Mora and fly west.
Wolverine Hall: Use the guild guide to travel to the Sadrith Mora mage's guild.
Zainab Camp: Go to Vos and fly south-south-west, or use propylon travel to go
to Indoranyon and fly west.
3.4 Vampires
------------
Vampires cannot use the regular fast travel methods. Therefore, they have to
fly everywhere they go or use magic. The only extra option they have is using
propylon travel. Vampires can use the Master propylon index, because members of
the mage's guilds will talk to them (but not sell anything), and propylon
travel is not sold, but simply selected as an option when talking to Folms
Mirel. Propylon travel makes the life of a vampire much easier, so my advice is
that you gain the Master index before you let yourself be bitten. Obviously,
this makes Caldera the best location for the home base of a vampire.
3.5 Travelling with Companions
------------------------------
When you are travelling with a companion, such as an escaped slave you are
taking to the Argonian mission in Ebonheart, you can take this companion with
you while travelling with silt striders, boats or guild guides, but not while
travelling by magic (I am assuming here that you also cannot use propylon
travel while with a companion without losing him or her, but I might be
mistaken in that). Also, you may cast Levitate on this companion, but he or she
will never attempt to fly. That means that you are stuck with travelling by
foot or by swimming (they WILL swim or water walk) until you reach a city. Take
that into account when you pick up a companion in the middle of nowhere.
4. Acknowledgements
-------------------
Thanks to Naar for updating my information on vampires using propylon travel.
5. Version Information
----------------------
Version 1.0: First release.
Version 1.1: Updated the information on vampires. Added directions to Ald
Velothi.
6. Contact Information
----------------------
Email me at scarlet_herring@yahoo.com. Make sure you have a meaningful subject
line because this is my spam catcher. I have very little time so don't use this
to ask detailed questions about the game ("Can you tell me how to get to
Sulipund?"), which I will ignore (I'm sorry, but I'm a month behind answering
my emails at the moment), but if you have comments or additions, I'll gladly
receive and discuss them. If you have additions for me to include in the guide,
add a name by which I can acknowledge you.
7. Copyright Information
------------------------
All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.
