You're walking through the cobblestone streets of Anvil, the sun is setting over the Gold Coast, and you think you’re about to embark on a standard "hero saves the day" mission. Then you meet Arvena Thelas. She doesn't want you to kill dragons or stop a Daedric invasion. She wants you to protect her "babies." Except her babies are giant, fuzzy, hissing rats living in her basement. This is where the Quill Weave rat problem starts, and honestly, it’s one of the most mechanically frustrating—yet memorable—moments in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
It’s been twenty years since Bethesda released this game, and people are still hitting forums because they can’t figure out why their quest log won't update. Or worse, why the rats keep dying even when they’re standing right there. It’s a mess.
What’s Actually Happening in "A Rat Problem"?
Most RPGs have a "kill the rats" quest as the very first tutorial. Oblivion flips that on its head. Arvena loves her rats. Something is killing them. You go downstairs, expecting a predator, and you find a starving mountain lion. That’s the easy part. The real headache begins when you have to track down who is luring these lions into a residential basement in the middle of a port city.
The finger points toward Quill-Weave, a local Argonian hunter and author. The Quill Weave rat problem isn't just a narrative beat; it’s a sequence that frequently breaks because of the game's "Radiant AI" system. In 2006, this tech was revolutionary. NPCs had schedules. They ate, they slept, they wandered. But in this specific quest, if Quill-Weave’s schedule gets interrupted by a stray guard or a physics glitch, she simply won't show up to the scene of the crime. You'll be crouching behind a flowering bush for three days of in-game time, wondering if you missed something.
The Stealth Glitch That Ruins Everything
To progress, you have to tail Quill-Weave at night. The game tells you to watch her house. You’re supposed to catch her sneaking around Arvena’s backyard around 8:00 PM or 11:00 PM.
Here is where it gets wonky.
If you stand too close to her door, the AI logic identifies you as an "intruder" or a "blocking object." She won't come out. She’ll just sit inside her house, staring at the wall until morning. You have to stay back—way back. Most players fail this because they treat it like a modern waypoint-marker quest. In Oblivion, the markers are more like "vague suggestions." If you aren't hidden—actually using the sneak mechanic so your reticle turns into that pale blue eye—she might see you and decide to go for a stroll to the docks instead of dropping the bait.
✨ Don't miss: How to Solve 6x6 Rubik's Cube Without Losing Your Mind
I’ve seen dozens of play-throughs where the player gets frustrated and breaks into her house. Don't do that. It breaks the script. If you talk to her inside, the dialogue options for the quest often won't trigger, and you're stuck with a basement full of dead rats and an angry Dunmer woman yelling at you.
Breaking Down the Motivations (And Why It Matters)
Why is she doing it? Quill-Weave isn't actually a villain. She’s an Argonian who thinks she’s doing the neighborhood a favor. She hates Arvena’s rats. She thinks they’re a menace. Her "plan" was to lure them out with meat so they’d get lost or dealt with, but she accidentally attracted mountain lions instead.
It’s a classic case of unintended consequences.
From a game design perspective, this quest is a masterclass in world-building through mundane tasks. It teaches you that NPCs have rivalries. It shows you that the "monsters" in this world are part of the ecology. Mountain lions live in the hills; they smell meat; they come to the city. It makes Cyrodiil feel like a living place rather than a static map. But that realism comes at a cost: the Quill Weave rat problem is notorious for being "finicky."
The "Faded Peryite" Connection and Other Theories
Some long-time fans of the series have looked deeper into the files. There’s always been a rumor that this quest was originally supposed to be more complex. If you look at the way Quill-Weave interacts with the rest of Anvil, she’s actually one of the more developed NPCs. She’s an author. She’s a member of the community.
Some players have reported a bug where, even after the quest is finished, mountain lions continue to spawn near the city walls. This isn't a feature; it's a lingering script error. If the game doesn't properly "close" the luring trigger, the engine keeps trying to send predators to that coordinate. It can make living in Anvil a bit of a nightmare for low-level characters.
🔗 Read more: How Orc Names in Skyrim Actually Work: It's All About the Bloodline
How to Fix the Quest When It Breaks
If you are currently staring at an empty backyard in Anvil, here is the reality. The AI is likely stuck in a "searching" loop or she's stuck behind a piece of furniture in her house.
First, wait until 8:00 PM. Use the "Wait" command (usually 'T' on PC) in one-hour increments. Stay behind the stone wall near the chapel. You need a clear line of sight to the area behind Arvena Thelas’ house, but you cannot be in the path Quill-Weave takes from her front door.
If she still doesn't appear? You might need to use the console on PC.
SetStage FightersGuildRatHunt 40
This command forces the game to recognize that you've spotted her. It’s a last resort, but for a game as old as Oblivion, it’s often the only way to bypass the janky AI pathing.
The Moral Choice (Or Lack Thereof)
At the end of the day, you have to decide whether to rat her out (pun intended). You can tell Arvena the truth, or you can keep Quill-Weave’s secret.
If you tell the truth:
Arvena gives you a reward, and Quill-Weave hates you. Your Fame goes up.
If you keep the secret:
Quill-Weave offers to give you a free lesson in Acrobatics.
Honestly? Take the Acrobatics boost. In the long run of an Oblivion playthrough, Fame is easy to get. Free skill points in a game where leveling is notoriously difficult? That’s gold. Plus, Quill-Weave is a recurring character in the lore—she’s mentioned in Skyrim via her books. It’s better to be on the good side of a famous author than a lady who keeps pests in her pantry.
💡 You might also like: God of War Saga Games: Why the Greek Era is Still the Best Part of Kratos’ Story
Final Technical Insights for 2026 Players
With modern mods like the "Unofficial Oblivion Patch," the Quill Weave rat problem is much less prevalent than it was on the Xbox 360 back in the day. However, if you’re playing on a vanilla console version through backwards compatibility, the old rules still apply.
- Avoid fast traveling into Anvil at night during this quest. It can mess up the NPC spawn positions.
- Don't kill the mountain lions before the quest tells you to.
- If Arvena's rats die because you're too slow, you fail the quest. Use a "Heal Other" spell on the rats if they’re taking a beating. It sounds ridiculous, but it works.
The beauty of Oblivion is in these weird, buggy, deeply human (or Argonian) stories. Dealing with a neighborhood dispute involving raw meat and mountain lions is exactly why people still talk about this game decades later. It's not about the graphics; it's about the fact that a random woman in a port town has a secret rat basement, and you're the only person who can solve her drama.
Actionable Steps for Success
To ensure you clear this quest without a headache, follow these specific tactical moves:
1. Secure the Perimeter: Before you even talk to Quill-Weave, clear the basement of the first mountain lion immediately. Don't linger. The rats have very low HP and can die in one or two hits.
2. The Observation Post: Position yourself on the balcony of the Flowing Bowl or behind the crates near the abandoned house. You need to be far enough away that the "Sneak" icon remains steady.
3. The Interaction: When you see her drop the meat, wait for the quest update "pop-up" before you approach her. If you jump the gun and talk to her while she's still in her "walking" animation, the script might fail to trigger the confession dialogue.
4. Skill Management: If you want the Acrobatics reward, make sure your Acrobatics skill isn't already at 100. The game won't give you the "reward" if you're already a master, essentially wasting the benefit of the secret path.