So, you’re wandering around Chorrol in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, minding your own business, when Teekeewa mentions Earana. She’s standing near the Great Oak, looking suspicious, and suddenly you’re roped into a family feud over a book. That’s how Fingers of the Mountain starts. It seems like a standard "fetch and return" quest. It isn't.
Most players remember this quest because it’s one of the first times Oblivion feels genuinely mean-spirited. You’ve got the Mages Guild on one side, represented by the somewhat prickly Teekeewa, and a "renegade" researcher on the other. Earana wants the book to stick it to the Guild. The Guild wants the book because, well, they're the Guild.
But there is a catch. A big one.
The Cloud Top Mystery and Why You’ll Probably Die
Once you actually find the book at Cloud Top—which is basically a scorched ruin guarded by a thin atmosphere and some lackluster scenery—you have a choice. If you give the book to Earana, she gives you a note. This note tells you how to get a "super powerful" spell. It sounds awesome. You need a Welkynd Stone, and you need to go back to the pillar at Cloud Top.
Then you get blasted.
Basically, the game expects you to stand there and take a massive hit of shock damage. If your health is low or your level is high, this part of Fingers of the Mountain can straight-up kill you. It’s a literal lightning strike from the heavens. If you survive, you get the spell.
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Here’s the thing: the spell is kind of a trap.
The Math Behind the Lightning
The spell you receive—also called Fingers of the Mountain—is notoriously broken in the game's backend. Because of how Oblivion scales spell costs, the version you get at higher levels is virtually uncastable.
If you do this quest at level 1, the spell costs about 60 Magicka and does a decent bit of shock damage. It's fine. But if you wait until level 25? The spell scales up. It ends up costing over 3,000 Magicka. Your character will never have 3,000 Magicka. Even with the best gear in the game, you’re looking at a spell that sits in your inventory as a permanent reminder of your wasted time.
It’s one of the few instances where "leveling up" actually makes your reward worse.
How to Play Both Sides (The Earana vs. Teekeewa Dilemma)
You don’t actually have to choose, though the game sort of implies you do. You can have your cake and eat it too, provided you're okay with being a bit of a thief.
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- Give the book to Earana first.
- Wait for her to translate it (usually 24 hours).
- Get the instructions for the spell.
- Steal the book back from her chest in the Grey Mare inn.
- Hand the book to Teekeewa to finish your Mages Guild recommendation.
Teekeewa will be mad if you gave it to Earana first, but she’ll still take it. You get your recommendation, you get the (admittedly terrible) spell, and you get the XP. It’s the "meta" way to handle the quest, even if it feels a little greasy.
Honestly, the Mages Guild in Oblivion is full of bureaucrats anyway. Teekeewa is obsessed with the rules, and Earana is obsessed with revenge. You’re just the middleman trying to get into the Arcane University so you can finally make your own spells that actually work.
The Lore You Might Have Missed
The book itself isn't just a random prop. It’s a piece of ancient Ayleid research. The Ayleids—the "Wild Elves"—were obsessed with starlight and weather manipulation. Cloud Top was clearly one of their observatories or ritual sites.
When you use the Welkynd Stone on the pillar, you aren't just "learning" a spell. You are completing a circuit. You are making yourself a lightning rod for ancient, magical energy that wasn't designed for a human (or Orc, or Argonian) body to channel. That’s why it hurts. That’s why it’s so inefficient. You’re trying to brute-force a piece of prehistoric technology using your own Magicka as a bridge.
Common Pitfalls and Technical Quirks
If you’re playing on PC, there are mods that fix the scaling for Fingers of the Mountain. If you’re on console? You’re stuck with the vanilla math.
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- The Welkynd Stone: Don't forget it. If you go to Cloud Top without one, nothing happens. You can find these in almost any Ayleid ruin (like Vilverin, the one right across from where you exit the tutorial sewers).
- Shock Resistance: If you’re an Altmer (High Elf), you have a weakness to shock. This quest can be a nightmare for you. Drink a potion of reflect spell or shock shield before you touch that pillar.
- The Recommendation: If your goal is just to get into the Mages Guild, ignore the spell entirely. Just give the book to Teekeewa immediately. You’ll save yourself the headache.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough
If you are currently looking at that pillar at Cloud Top, here is what you should actually do:
Check your level first. If you are above level 15, the spell you are about to get is likely going to be a burden on your Magicka bar. If you really want it for completionist reasons, make sure your health is topped off.
Cast a "Resist Shock" spell if you have one.
Touch the pillar with a Welkynd Stone in your inventory. Once the flash clears, check your spellbook. If the cost is higher than your total Magicka, don't bother trying to use it. Instead, focus on the "Shock Damage" effect at an Altar of Spellmaking inside the Arcane University. You can create a custom version of the spell that does similar damage but costs a fraction of the Magicka.
The real reward for Fingers of the Mountain isn't the magic; it's the access it grants you to the University. That's where the real power is.