Few RPGs craft side quests as unforgettable as those in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, and the remaster released earlier this year served as a perfect excuse to revisit some of its most iconic stories. While the main quest in Oblivion sends players on an epic mission to save Tamriel from the Daedric invasion, the game’s soul has always been in its side content. From morally gray choices to tragic tales hidden in dusty corners of Cyrodiil, these quests are where the Elder Scrolls series truly shines.
When Oblivion Remastered was shadow-dropped, fans immediately began reminiscing about their favorite moments: infiltrating the Thieves Guild, climbing the ranks of the Dark Brotherhood, and stumbling upon the countless narrative gems scattered across the map. Among these, one quest often stands out. Not because it promises vast riches or game-breaking rewards, but because it delivers something rarer: a haunting story that lingers long after you put down the controller. That quest is Tears of the Savior: a seemingly simple fetch quest that transforms into a poignant tale of sacrifice, perseverance, and divine mercy. It’s everything an Elder Scrolls side quest should be: immersive, mysterious, and steeped in lore that makes the world feel alive.
Players will begin the Tears of the Savior quest in the Leyawiin Mage’s Guild by speaking with S’drassa, a Khajiit who will be more than happy to recruit the player for her cause. She will enthusiastically ask the player to seek out and find Garridan’s Tears, the magically frozen tears of a knight on a quest. To complete the quest, players will travel from Leyawiin to the Imperial City to research clues, then locate the Tears in a cave farther north.
The Tears are difficult to acquire. Players will have to defeat a Frost Atronach at their level, and the whole area the Tears are in is covered in a mist that deals heavy frost damage. Luckily, players can use a variety of solutions to get around this. There are potions which can reduce frost damage, players can heal through the damage with magic, or they can even use the Telekinesis, Night-Eye, and other Oblivion spells to move the Tears out of the mist and make them easier to spot, respectively.
On the surface, S’drassa sends the Hero of Kvatch on a fetch-quest to recover an artifact in another part of Cyrodiil. However, players who slow down to engage with the world of Oblivion a little more deeply will be rewarded.
The Story Beneath the Story
S’drassa only has one lead to give the player. Namely, that a researcher, Julienne Fanis, at the Arcane University in the Imperial City may know more. Julienne can recount the basics of Garridan’s backstory, but will direct the player to purchase a copy of Knightfall, a book with more details.
Garridan was a knight many years ago whose people suffered a months-long drought. In search of a solution, a sage directed Garridan to an artifact called the Everflow Ewer. The Ewer, a crystal vessel of some kind, was a never-ending source of water. Unfortunately, in the battle with a Frost Atronach guarding the Ewer, the Ewer was broken. The water from it soon enveloped both Garridan and the Frost Atronach, freezing both in the moment of Garridan’s defeat.
The player will actually find Garridan and the Frost Atronach in the Frostfire Glade, still frozen in a block of solid ice. The tears that Garridan shed in his last moments, according to Julienne, moved the goddess Mara, and at the very moment of his defeat, the drought in Garridan’s town was broken by heaven-sent rain.
This quest has that special something that made Oblivion such a memorable experience years ago: it sends players on a wild goose chase across the map, unearthing a heartbreaking story hidden in the quest’s backstory, and rewarding them for creative problem-solving in the Frostfire Glade. These aspects are some of what make the Elder Scrolls games so memorable beyond just their expansive open worlds and epic main story lines. Side quests are the lifeblood of this line of games, and do a lot of heavy lifting in fleshing out the world, whether players find themselves in Morrowind, Cyrodiil, or Skyrim.
What Sets Oblivion Side Quests Apart
Among the Elder Scrolls games, Oblivion in particular is well-known for its side content. Oblivion quests like Paranoia, The Collector, and The Killing Field add texture to Cyrodiil’s world, while longer questlines like The Gray Prince or the infamous Whodunit from the Dark Brotherhood turn moral choices and player agency into unforgettable storytelling moments. What makes these quests stand out isn’t just the mechanics; it’s the depth of lore, the unique characters, and the sense that every corner of the map hides another story waiting to be discovered.
A Fully Fleshed Out World, History, and Lore
Tears of the Savior doesn’t exist in isolation, but rather it ties into the greater mythos of Tamriel. From Garridan’s devotion and tragedy to the divine intervention of Mara, this quest underscores one of Oblivion’s greatest strengths: a world that feels ancient, layered, and lived-in. Every book, NPC, and dungeon connects back to a history that players can either rush past or fully immerse themselves in. For those who choose the latter, quests like this aren’t just side content—they’re the heart of the experience.
