You’re standing in Alftand. It’s freezing, the Dwemer machinery is humming a low, vibrating tone that rattles your teeth, and your inventory is probably full of heavy Dwarven metal you don’t actually need. If you're here, you're likely working on "Discerning the Transmundane," one of the weirdest and most rewarding quests in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. You’ve met Septimus Signus—a man who has spent way too much time staring at an oversized box—and he’s tasked you to transcribe the lexicon in Skyrim. It sounds like a simple clerical task. It isn't.
Actually, it's a massive puzzle involving ancient tonal architecture and a giant brass machine that looks like it was designed by a madman. Most players get stuck here because the game doesn't give you a manual. There are no waypoints on the buttons. You just have a cube, some glowing lenses, and a whole lot of frustration.
Finding the Oghma Infinium's Gatekeeper
Septimus Signus is a trip. Living in a hollowed-out iceberg north of the College of Winterhold, he’s the classic "driven mad by Elder Scrolls" archetype. He gives you the Blank Lexicon. This is the physical object you need to "program" with the knowledge of an Elder Scroll. You can't just read the scroll; you have to use Dwemer technology to download its data onto this cube.
To do this, you have to delve into Blackreach. If you haven't been there yet, buckle up. It’s a massive underground cavern filled with giant glowing mushrooms and Falmer who want to wear your skin as a coat. You’re looking for the Tower of Mzark. This is where the Great Lift is located, and more importantly, where the Oculory sits.
I remember the first time I did this back in 2011; I spent forty minutes just jumping on the buttons hoping something would click. Don't do that. There is a logic to the madness, even if the Dwemer were arguably the most over-engineered civilization in Tamrielic history.
The Tower of Mzark: Where You Transcribe the Lexicon
Once you reach the Tower of Mzark, you’ll see a massive brass structure in the center of the room. This is the Oculory. Walk up the ramps to the control console. You’ll see four pedestals with buttons and a central stand.
- First, place the Blank Lexicon on the receptacle on the far right. This is the most important part. If you don't put the cube in, the buttons won't even unlock.
- Once the Lexicon is seated, the two buttons on the right side of the console will light up.
- Your goal is to align the lenses above so the light beams hit the central pedestal.
Press the taller button on the right four times. You'll see the Lexicon start to glow and rotate. The ceiling panels will shift. Keep going until the Lexicon opens up and turns blue. This triggers the next set of buttons to the left. Honestly, the sound design here is incredible—you can hear the steam hissing and the gears grinding as the machine wakes up.
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Now that the second set of buttons is active, move to the one immediately to the left of the Lexicon. Press this twice. This aligns the overhead lenses. Finally, the button on the far left will become active. Press it once. If you did it right, the massive Elder Scroll will descend from the ceiling in a protective casing.
Why the Lexicon Matters for Your Build
Completing the task to transcribe the lexicon in Skyrim isn't just a hurdle to finish a quest. It’s the gateway to the Oghma Infinium, which is arguably the best skill-boosting item in the entire game. Septimus wants the data, but Hermaeus Mora—the Daedric Prince of Knowledge—wants you.
When you bring the inscribed Lexicon back to Septimus, he realizes he needs the blood of the different elven races to open the lockbox. This leads to a bit of a scavenger hunt across Skyrim. You'll need blood from an Altmer, Bosmer, Dunmer, Falmer, and Orsimer. Pro tip: Don't go hunting for innocent NPCs. Just head to Liar’s Retreat or any bandit camp that has a mix of races. You can harvest the blood from corpses. It’s grim, sure, but it’s faster than trying to find a friendly Orc who’s willing to donate to your Daedric science project.
Common Glitches to Watch Out For
Skyrim is Skyrim. Sometimes the buttons won't light up. Sometimes the Lexicon won't seat properly. If you find yourself hitting buttons and nothing is moving, try taking the Lexicon out and putting it back in. If that fails, a quick save and reload usually resets the script for the Oculory. Also, make sure you actually grab the Elder Scroll (Dragon) once it descends. You need it for the main questline later anyway, and it weighs nothing (it's a quest item), so there's no reason to leave it behind in the tower.
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The Rewards of the Oghma Infinium
Once the box is open and Septimus... well, let's just say he's no longer an issue... you get the book. Reading the Oghma Infinium allows you to choose one of three paths:
- Path of Might: Increases Combat skills (Smithing, Heavy Armor, Block, Two-Handed, One-Handed, Archery) by 5 levels each.
- Path of Shadow: Increases Stealth skills (Light Armor, Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Speech, Alchemy) by 5 levels each.
- Path of Magic: Increases Magic skills (Illusion, Conjuration, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, Enchanting) by 5 levels each.
This is a massive power spike. If you're level 50 and struggling to bridge the gap to level 80 for the Ebony Warrior, this is the most efficient way to do it. Just be aware that back in the day, there was a "bookshelf glitch" that let you use the book infinitely. Bethesda patched that years ago in the Special Edition and Anniversary Edition, so don't count on it unless you're playing an unpatched version on an old Xbox 360.
Moving Forward After the Lexicon
After you've successfully managed to transcribe the lexicon in Skyrim, your journey with Hermaeus Mora is really just beginning. If you have the Dragonborn DLC, you’ll see the seeds of the Solstheim plot planted right here. Mora is a patient deity. He uses people like Septimus until they are hollowed out, and he’ll do the same to you if you aren't careful.
Next Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Collect the Blood Samples: Head to Liar's Retreat (Southwest of Solitude) to find almost all the blood types you need in one location.
- Grab the Elder Scroll: Don't leave the Tower of Mzark without the Elder Scroll (Dragon). You’ll need it to learn Dragonrend later in the main quest.
- Level Up First: Wait until your skills are in the 80s or 90s before reading the Oghma Infinium. It's much harder to level from 95 to 100 than it is from 15 to 20, so maximize the "free" levels the book gives you.
- Visit the College of Winterhold: Talk to Urag gro-Shub. He has unique dialogue if you have the Elder Scroll in your possession, and he can help you "dispose" of it later so it doesn't take up space in your quest log.
The Dwemer puzzles are meant to be confusing. They represent a culture that valued logic over emotion, and the Oculory is the pinnacle of that design. Once you understand the "pattern of presses" (4-2-1), the mystery vanishes, leaving you with the most powerful artifact in the frozen North.