Skyrim:Apocrypha (Epistolary Acumen)

Black Book: Epistolary Acumen
# of Zones	4
Respawn Time	10 days
Level	Min: 25
Occupants
Lurkers, Seekers
Important Treasure
Black Soul Gems Death Blow of Abernanit Fire and Darkness Orsinium and the Orcs
Console Location Code(s)
DLC2Book02DungeonNEW
Location
Apocrypha

The Epistolary Acumen Black Book in Nchardak

Epistolary Acumen is an area of Hermaeus Mora's plane of Oblivion, Apocrypha. There are four zones (or chapters) in the area: Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, and Chapter IV.

The Black Book needed to access Epistolary Acumen is found inside Nchardak. You must complete the quest The Path of Knowledge in order to retrieve the book.

The realm is inhabited by Daedra called Seekers and Lurkers. Tentacles constantly breach the acidic dark waters and sometimes whip at you, causing a significant amount of damage if they manage to hit you. The acidic waters with the tentacles are also corrosive and cause damage if stepped in.

Related Quests

• The Gardener of Men: Travel to the realm of Hermaeus Mora to learn the rest of Bend Will.

Epistolary Acumen

Chapter I

Chapter I opens on a small platform. In the middle of the platform, two fonts of magicka flank a scrye that lowers a bridge to a corridor moving side-to-side ahead to the west. Proceeding to the far end of the corridor and riding it to the far right leads to a platform with a font of stamina and a scrye that lowers another bridge. Remaining at this end of the corridor and riding it most of the way to the left leads to the new bridge and the final platform, with a font of stamina and the book to Chapter II.

• 

  Opening area

• 

  Book to Chapter II

Chapter II

Chapter II starts in a tunnel leading to a scrye. The scrye unfurls the walls of the tunnel, revealing a large room guarded by two seekers and a lurker. To the east is a font of magicka and a scrye that opens the gate to the west. In the southeast corner is a pod. In the southwest corner is a table with two random soul gems. Two fonts of magicka flank the gate. Beyond the gate is a small room with a pod, two fonts of stamina, and the book to Chapter III.

• 

  Opening tunnel

• 

  Room unraveled

• 

  Book to Chapter III

Chapter III

Chapter III starts on a platform in a huge room guarded by two seekers, with one on a platform to the north and the other on a platform to the east. Behind the starting point is a font of stamina. On the platform occupied by the first seeker is a font of magicka in the middle of an acidic pool. At the top of the sets of stairs to the east is another font of magicka in an acidic pool and a moving corridor.

Remaining at the near end of the corridor and riding it partway to the right leads to a platform above a larger platform guarded by a lurker and a seeker. Dropping to the larger platform raises a set of ramps from the floor, allowing access to a pod on a pillar in the middle of the platform. To the south is a font of magicka and a scrye that raises a bridge back to the platform before the moving corridor.

Remaining at the near end of the corridor and riding it to the far right leads to a platform guarded by two seekers. On the platform are two tables, two fonts of magicka, and a pod. On the table to the left are three soul gems (two random and one black). On the table to the right is a copy of the Spell Tome: Conjure Seeker (only if your Conjuration skill is at least level 40) and copies of three skill books for three of the "combat" skills: Fire and Darkness (One-handed), Orsinium and the Orcs (Heavy Armor), and Death Blow of Abernanit (Block).

Returning to the corridor and proceeding to the far end leads to a scrye that opens a pair of gates next to the scrye. Beyond the gates is a corridor leading south guarded by a seeker. Proceeding around a corner to the east in the corridor causes it to move to the left and lower a bridge to another corridor guarded by a lurker. Proceeding to the end of this corridor causes it to move to the left and connect to a platform with a scrye that opens a pair of gates behind the scrye. Beyond the gates is another corridor guarded by a seeker. The corridor passes a font of stamina and a circular room with six empty pedestals, then widens and passes two fonts of magicka, a font of stamina, and three seekers to end at another font of stamina and the book to Chapter IV.

• 

  Opening area

• 

  Chapter III

• 

  Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter IV starts on a platform. Next to the starting point is a table with three soul gems (two random and one black). To the south is a vessel and a scrye that forms a bridge to another platform ahead, where the black book Epistolary Acumen and its secrets await. When the book is activated for the first time, Hermaeus Mora appears and teaches you the second word of the Bend Will shout, also offering a bargain in exchange for the third and final word of the shout. To exit this part of Apocrypha, use the non-circular part of the black book.

The three Abilities offered by this book are:

• Dragonborn Flame — When your Fire Breath shout kills an enemy, a fire wyrm emerges from their corpse to fight for you for 60 seconds.
• Dragonborn Force — Your Unrelenting Force shout does more damage, and using all three words may disintegrate enemies.
• Dragonborn Frost — Your Frost Breath shout encases foes in ice for 15 seconds.

• 

  Opening area

• 

  Bridge

• 

  Black book

Notes

• When you read the Black Book associated with this area of Apocrypha for the first time, Neloth will say, "Oh, good. Be sure to say hello to Hermaeus Mora for me if you see him." He will talk to you again once you return to Solstheim.