the quest is Elder Knowledge, I was at the point where I needed to talk to the orc librarian guy in the College. He didn't have any of the topics I needed, nor the books, and when I tried to skip that step using console commands I couldn't get the info from Septimus either. Resetquest doesn't seem to have any affect on anything. Setstage mq205 jumped it ahead, but without the books or triggers being hit I couldn't progress in the quest. So I read up and saw I needed to finish the mage quests. So I did that. Now the Elder Knowledge quest isn't even in my log book. Nice one, UESP.

So, I've tried setstage mq205 10, 20, 30, etc. I've tried resetstage mq205, and nothing is working. I've gone back to all of the quest starting locations, everyone that was involved, and the quest is completely lost. In other words, my main quest is somehow completely lost. Can anyone help me figure this mess out? Please?

Thanks.

-Giftig

bump

Have you gone to the Tower of Mzark? I'm not sure where you are in the questline, but when I was on that quest Arngeir sent me to the College of Winterhold to talk to the Orc (quest target was there too) so he could tell me where the Elder Scroll was, but since I had already done Septimus' quest the Orc just gave me radiant quests. I ended up having to go directly to the Tower of Mzark and retrieve the scroll.

I'm on PS3 so I don't know about all the commands and their effects.

I don't know anything about the tower of mzark. I have spoken with Septimus before, but I've not done anything that he's sent me to do. And I don't know what the radiant quests are :/

You really shouldn't mess around with quest stages and the console without knowing the consequences.
Also if you ever have a problem, consult the wiki.

Here's what you need: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Elder_Knowledge#Bugs

well with all the messing around on the console you've done it's almost impossible for anyone here to be able to help as you've probably gotten so many scripts fired out of order it may be nigh impossible to get things working correctly at this point (nice run-on sentence huh? ). hopefully you have a save from before you started all that.

also, it's obvious as all get out but when you say he didn't have the conversation topic to start/advance the quest, always remember to scroll down through the conversation list to see if it's at the bottom of the list. yes, some people actually don't know you can scroll down the conversation list.

Do you have the blank Lexicon and the attunement sphere Septimus gave you? You haven't done ANYTHING he told you to do? Instead of messing around with the console, you should've just completed Septimus quest. I always get the Elder Scroll way before I even get asked to do so in the MQ. Next time, check the wiki before you mess around with your 'set.stage' commands.

sounds like you combined quest lines between mages chain and main chain.

you don't have to go to the college about elder scrolls if you don't want to. you can hike north and just east of the college of winterhold and find the mage you need that's next in the chain, if you prefer. the librarian just ticks your map for you so that it's MUCH easier to find.

the danger with console is well... it's dangerous. I hope you can get through this... otherwise, just north and east of the college and wander about a bit... it's a little cave opening and has a boat right outside. I think the descriptive text was something like "north from here as far as the land would take him" or something to that effect.

I had the same problem. No talking option. So I saw 2 books on his desk. When I opened one of them, I unlocked the starting quest. Try...

This is basically from the wikis about Septimus' quest(s):

He will tell you that if you read the Elder Scroll your head will explode (or something like that) so he found a loophole (blank/empty lexicon - looks like the Allspark ). You have to fill it in the Tower of Mzark so the Elder Scroll can be read by mortals. The very first time you have to acess the Tower by going through Alftand then Blackreach. The base of the Tower is in Blackreach (huge area - just poke around) and the top is in Skyrim proper. You can get the Elder Scroll after you fill the Lexicon - maybe even on the same trip. If it takes a second trip you can go straight to the Tower of Mzark from Skyrim so you don't have to trek through Alftand and Blackreach again - just make sure you exit via the elevator in the Tower (don't go back through Blackreach like I did the first time ).

Mmkay. Just to clarify, there are no books and no scrolling option (need I say it? I'm not a moron. But then I know you weren't implying that I was.)

I've taken to just going to trasncribe the Lexicon for Septimus. And playing my new electric guitar.

Yes, one of those above activities should advance the quest line.

Before you leave the large dwarven apparatus (you'll know it when you see it ) try to remove the Elder Scroll from the center of it and make sure you exit to Skyrim from that room (do not go back into Blackreach). This way if/when you need/want to return to Blackreach you won't have to go all the way through Alftand.

He can also activate various elevators around Blackreach, that will take him directly down there, without going through any Dwemer Ruin! LOL

Awesome. Thanks for tips. I'll let you know if it works.

Are you sure? So far every Skyrim surface exit from Blackreach I've come across (3, I think) is locked from the inside.

So I went to Blackreach and grabbed the Elder Scroll and went back to Parthunax (sp) and he doesn't even recognize that I have the scroll.

Any ideas?

I'm out of ideas, but I've only played through once. Did you show it to Esbern in Sky Haven Temple? I don't remember if I had to go back there or not.

I skipped the rest of the quest and started the next with /setstage. It worked, miraculously. Too bad. I missed diologue...which is ironic because the story and lore is the biggest reason why I play the game.

Apparently lore/dialogue are the second biggest reasons lest you would've let that playthrough die off in the interest of the story, right?

I guess. It was a toss up between another 90 hours or some diologue, and I chose to skip the diologue...