If you’ve spent any significant time in the Shivering Isles, you know things get weird. Fast. But there is a specific kind of "weird" that sticks with you, and for many The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion fans, Oblivion The Cold Flame of Agnon is exactly that. It isn't just a fetch quest. Honestly, it’s a bizarre litmus test for how you choose to play Sheogorath's champion.
You're standing in Cylarne. It’s cold. It's ancient. And you are stuck right in the middle of a literal ideological war between the Golden Saints and the Dark Seducers.
Most players stumble into this because they want to light the Great Torch in New Sheoth. Simple enough, right? Wrong. This quest is basically a lesson in how messy Daedric politics can get when you add fire—specifically, a cold one—into the mix.
The Messy Reality of Cylarne
Cylarne is the oldest ruin in the Shivering Isles. It's grand, decaying, and currently a total disaster zone. When you arrive during the Oblivion The Cold Flame of Agnon quest, you find two factions who absolutely loathe each other. The Golden Saints (Aureals) hold the Altar of Despair. The Dark Seducers (Mazken) hold the Altar of Pleasure.
They are fighting over the Flame of Agnon.
The Flame is essential. Without it, you aren't lighting that torch in the capital, and you aren't progressing the main DLC plot. But here is the kicker: the Flame won't light until one side wipes out the other.
You have to pick.
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It’s not a moral choice, really. It’s a tactical one. Or a "who do I find less annoying" choice. Kaneh leads the Saints, and Ulri is the commander for the Seducers. Both are stubborn. Both are convinced their way is the only way to hold the ruin. If you talk to them, you’ll realize the Saints want a frontal assault—typical—while the Seducers are trying to hold their ground with a bit more subtlety.
How the Battle Actually Plays Out
You can’t just walk in and click a button. You have to participate in the siege.
If you side with the Golden Saints, you’re looking at a bloodbath in the Underdwell. You basically act as a scout or a blunt instrument. If you tell Kaneh about the Seducers' positions, the Saints will charge. It's loud, it's chaotic, and if you aren't careful, you'll take a stray arrow to the face from your own "allies."
Siding with the Dark Seducers feels a bit more calculated. They want you to lure the Saints into a trap. It's arguably the more "Seducer" way to handle things. You've got to use the environment, specifically the Underdwell's narrow corridors, to funnel the Saints into a killing zone.
What’s fascinating about the design here is that Bethesda didn’t make one side objectively "better" for the player. The reward is the same. The result—a pile of Daedric bodies—is the same. But the vibe? Totally different.
Lighting the Flame: The Part People Mess Up
Once the dust settles and one side is dead, you finally get to the ritual. This is where the quest title, Oblivion The Cold Flame of Agnon, actually makes sense. You have to step into the fire.
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Don't panic. It doesn't kill you.
Well, it hurts. You take some fire damage while standing in the brazier at the Altar of Despair or Pleasure (whichever one is now held by the victors). You essentially become a human—or Elf, or Khajiit—torch. You are carrying the "Cold Flame" on your person.
The most common mistake? Fast traveling immediately or getting distracted.
You need to run that flame over to the main map's centerpiece. If you're playing on an older console or a heavily modded PC, this is usually where the game might get twitchy. The visual effect of the flame on your character is cool, but it’s technically a scripted magical effect that can sometimes behave weirdly if you try to "game" the system.
The Walk to New Sheoth
There is something strangely peaceful about walking through the Shivering Isles while literally being on fire. Since you need to bring the Flame of Agnon to the Sacellum Arden-Sul, you have to make a choice.
Who gets the light?
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- The Mania Side: If you light the brazier for Mania, you’re siding with the vibrant, drug-fueled, manic half of the city.
- The Dementia Side: Lighting the Dementia brazier aligns you with the paranoid, grim, and depressed side.
This choice is actually more important than the fight in Cylarne. It dictates which "Great House" likes you more and influences the ritual you'll eventually perform to become a Duke or Duchess. It’s one of those classic Oblivion moments where a single quest has ripples that last for another ten hours of gameplay.
Why This Quest Still Holds Up in 2026
Honestly, looking back at Oblivion The Cold Flame of Agnon, it represents Bethesda at their peak world-building. It isn't just about the combat. It’s about the fact that even the "fire" in this world is backwards. It’s a "Cold Flame."
It’s also one of the few times in the game where you see the Golden Saints and Dark Seducers acting like actual military units instead of just generic guards standing outside a palace. You see their rivalry. You see their disdain for one another.
The lore suggests that this battle has been happening for ages. Cylarne is a cycle of death and rebirth, much like the Isles themselves. By participating, you aren't ending a war; you're just finishing one specific "round" of it so you can get what you want. It’s peak Sheogorath logic.
Technical Tips for Modern Players
If you're running this on a modern rig or through an emulator, a few things to keep in mind:
- Script Lags: Sometimes the NPC commanders (Kaneh or Ulri) won't trigger the "attack" dialogue. If this happens, wait 1 hour in-game. Usually resets their AI packages.
- The Flame Effect: If the flame effect doesn't appear on your character after stepping in the fire, you can't light the torch. You might need to reload a save from right before the battle ended.
- Friendly Fire: Seriously. The Saints are aggressive. If you accidentally hit one during the siege, the whole army turns on you. In a cramped ruin like Cylarne, that’s a quick way to see a "Loading" screen.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
If you're currently staring at the gates of Cylarne, here is how to handle Oblivion The Cold Flame of Agnon like a pro:
- Check your resistances. Even though it's called a "Cold Flame," it deals fire damage. If you're a Vampire or have a weakness to fire, that ritual step is going to hurt significantly more. Pop a potion first.
- Pick based on your build. If you're a stealth-heavy character, siding with the Dark Seducers and using the Underdwell traps is way more satisfying. If you're a tank, go with the Saints and just smash through the front door.
- Save BEFORE the final choice in New Sheoth. The choice between Mania and Dementia isn't just cosmetic; it changes the questline for the Duchy later on. If you want to see both endings, this is your primary anchor point.
- Loot the corpses. Dark Seducer and Golden Saint armor/weapons are some of the best-looking gear in the game. Since a lot of them are about to die anyway, you might as well grab the spoils.
Ultimately, the quest is a reminder of why Oblivion remains a fan favorite. It takes a simple concept—lighting a fire—and turns it into a multi-layered conflict involving ancient ruins, petty Daedric officers, and a literal walk through the flames.
Go to Cylarne. Pick a side. Try not to get toasted.