You’re wandering through the Great Chapel of Zenithar in Leyawiin. You see it. It’s sitting right there on a pedestal in the undercroft, glowing with that soft, divine light that makes your internal loot-goblin scream. This is the Mace of Zenithar in Oblivion, one of those rare items that feels like it has actual weight in the world's lore. But try to grab it and you get nothing but a prompt saying it’s out of reach. It’s frustrating. It’s classic Bethesda.
The Mace of Zenithar isn't just a hunk of metal with some holy juice. It represents a specific era of DLC design where the developers at Bethesda, specifically those working on the Knights of the Nine expansion, wanted players to prove they were actually "holy" enough to deserve the gear. No more just sneaking in and stealing the crown jewels. You actually have to play the part of a Crusader.
What is the Mace of Zenithar anyway?
Let's get the stats out of the way first. This is an Elven-grade mace, fundamentally. If you're level 100 with Daedric artifacts coming out of your ears, the raw damage might not blow your mind. However, its enchantment is unique. It carries a "Turn Undead" effect and a "Fire Damage" effect. In the early to mid-game, this thing is an absolute monster against the skeletons and zombies cluttering up Cyrodiil’s many, many ruins.
The mace belonged to Saint Kaladas. He built the chapel. He died. He left his shiny stick behind. It’s basically the holy grail for anyone trying to reconstruct the relics of the Divine Crusader. Honestly, though? Most people want it because it's part of the set. You can't be the Divine Crusader with a missing mace. It would look weird.
The Problem: You Can't Just Pick It Up
You've probably tried jumping. You've probably tried using a Telekinesis spell. You might have even tried shooting it with an arrow to knock it off the pedestal. Spoilers: none of that works. The Mace of Zenithar is held in a "void" of sorts. To get it, you need the Boots of the Crusader.
This is where the questing gets a bit tedious for some. You have to travel all the way to Kynareth’s shrine in the Great Forest. You talk to a priestess named Avita Vesnia. She tells you that you have to take a "test of faith." This involves walking across a grove while a giant bear—the Forest Guardian—attacks you.
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Here is the kicker: you cannot fight back. If you hit that bear, you fail. You just have to stand there and take it, or walk past it like you don't care that a half-ton of fur and claws is trying to turn you into lunch. Once you survive, you get the boots.
Why the Boots Matter
Once you have those boots on, the physics of the Zenithar chapel change. You head back to Leyawiin, go down into the undercroft, and stand at the edge of the blue misty floor. Without the boots? You fall. With the boots? A magical bridge of light appears beneath your feet. It’s a cool visual. Very Indiana Jones. You walk across, grab the Mace of Zenithar, and suddenly the ghosts of the old knights show up to give you a thumbs up.
Common Misconceptions About the Mace
A lot of players think the Mace of Zenithar scales with your level forever. It doesn't. Like most items in Oblivion, its power is locked in when you first acquire it. If you grab it at level 5, it’s going to be a level 5 weapon. If you wait until level 25, you get the "best" version.
- Level 1-4 version: 10 Fire Damage, Turn Undead up to level 4.
- Level 25+ version: 25 Fire Damage, Turn Undead up to level 25.
If you care about "best-in-slot" gear, wait. If you just want to roleplay a holy warrior, grab it whenever. Honestly, by the time you're level 25, you could probably enchant a generic mace to be better, but it wouldn't have that sweet gold-and-white aesthetic.
Another big mistake? Forgetting to pray. If you commit a crime—murder, theft, the usual Cyrodiil Saturday night—you lose the ability to wear the Crusader's gear. The mace will literally unequip itself and tell you that you're not worthy. You then have to go do the "Pilgrim's Path" all over again. It’s a massive pain. Don't steal bread while carrying the mace of a god. It’s just bad manners.
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The Lore of Saint Kaladas
Bethesda writers like Kurt Kuhlmann and Bruce Nesmith really leaned into the "fallen knight" trope for Knights of the Nine. Kaladas wasn't just some guy; he was a master craftsman. He spent his whole life building the chapel in Leyawiin. The story goes that he was so devoted to Zenithar (the god of work and commerce) that Zenithar granted him a vision of the mace.
When Kaladas died, he was buried right there. The mace stayed with him, but not in the physical world. It exists in a sort of pocket realm that only those wearing the boots of Kynareth can enter. It's a nice bit of "cross-divine" cooperation. Kynareth provides the way, Zenithar provides the tool.
Technical Glitches to Watch Out For
Oblivion is a beautiful game, but it's held together by digital duct tape and hope. Sometimes, the bridge of light doesn't appear. Even if you're wearing the boots. Even if you're a good person. If this happens, try taking the boots off and putting them back on while standing right at the edge of the pit.
There's also a weird bug where if you drop the mace, it can sometimes clip through the floor. Unlike regular items, the quest items in Knights of the Nine have specific "return" points. If you lose it, check the equipment rack in the Priory of the Nine. It usually teleports back there if the game realizes it’s missing from your inventory.
Is It Actually Good in Combat?
Sort of.
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The Mace of Zenithar is an Elven weapon base. This means it has a decent swing speed. The fire damage is great against Vampires and Liches, which you'll face a lot of in the later stages of the Knights of the Nine questline. The "Turn Undead" effect is more of a nuisance than a help, though. It makes enemies run away. Now you have to chase a skeleton through a dark hallway while it screams. It’s tedious.
However, if you're playing a "Shield and Mace" build, the reach on this thing is surprisingly good. It feels longer than a standard iron or steel mace. Plus, the gold sheen looks incredible when you're standing in the sunlight of the Jerall Mountains.
How to Maximize the Mace of Zenithar
- Wait until level 25: If you want the maximum damage output, avoid starting the quest until you’ve leveled up.
- Keep your Infamy at zero: Check your character sheet. If that Infamy number is anything higher than 0, the mace is just a heavy paperweight.
- Use it for the Umaril fight: The final boss of the DLC is weak to the relics. The mace does extra "narrative" weight here, even if the math doesn't always show it.
- Pair it with the Shield of the Crusader: The set bonuses in Oblivion aren't as explicit as in Skyrim, but having the full kit improves your overall holy "vibe" and specific resistances.
If you’ve been stuck staring at that pedestal in Leyawiin, stop jumping. Go find the boots. The Mace of Zenithar in Oblivion isn't going anywhere, but your sanity might if you keep trying to cheese the physics engine. Go to Kynareth’s shrine, let a bear bite you, and earn your prize properly. It’s what Zenithar would want. He’s the god of hard work, after all.
The next time you're in the Priory, take a look at the tapestry. The attention to detail in this specific DLC remains some of the best in the Elder Scrolls series. It turned a simple "fetch this item" quest into a pilgrimage that defined what it meant to be a hero in the Third Era.
Your Next Steps in Cyrodiil
To ensure you don't lose access to the mace after finding it, you should immediately head to a wayside shrine of any of the Nine Divines to reset your bounty. Even a 1-gold bounty for accidentally picking up a silver spoon can trigger the "unworthy" flag. Once your record is clean, head to the Priory of the Nine and place the mace on its designated stand. This creates a permanent "anchor" for the item, allowing you to swap it out for other weapons without risking it disappearing into the game's physics void. If you are planning to complete the "Umaril the Unfeathered" finale, make sure your Restoration skill is at least 50, as many of the relics, including the mace, provide buffs that scale with your magical proficiency.