A ranting beggar in Solitude asks you to fetch his boss back from vacation. Sounds like a scam. It is actually one of the quickest Daedric quests in Skyrim, and you walk out with the Wabbajack, the most chaotic staff in the game.
I’m Kratos13, and The Mind of Madness is short, weird and absolutely worth your evening. Here’s the play, from the first chat with Dervenin to the last zap inside an emperor’s head.
Where The Mind of Madness Starts
Everything happens in Solitude. You might hear about a mad beggar from an innkeeper first, but you can also just walk the streets and find him yourself.
| Detail | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| Quest giver | Dervenin, a raving beggar in Solitude |
| Where to find him | The streets between the Bards College and the Blue Palace |
| His “master” | Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness |
| Destination | The Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace |
| Key item | Pelagius’ Hip Bone (Dervenin hands it over) |
| Rewards | The Wabbajack and a set of Fine Clothes |
One rule matters more than anything else in this quest: once you’re inside Pelagius’ mind, your normal gear is off the table. The Wabbajack is your only tool, so walk in with a fresh save behind you.
Getting Into the Pelagius Wing
Step 1: Talk to Dervenin
Find Dervenin and ask what’s wrong. He rambles about his master being on vacation and a calamity coming if he doesn’t return. Ask how to find him and you get Pelagius’ Hip Bone plus a nudge toward the Blue Palace. Don’t think too hard about the bone.
Step 2: Get the key
The Pelagius Wing has been locked up for ages. You have three ways in:
- Falk Firebeard: The Jarl’s steward hands over the key once you’ve done him a favor, such as finishing The Man Who Cried Wolf.
- Erdi or Una: Tell one of the palace maids that Falk wants you to check the wing. It takes a light Speech check, so a very low Speech skill can fail it.
- Plan B: If a persuade fails on one maid, try the other one.
Step 3: Walk in and meet the hosts
Unlock the wing and explore. It’s dusty, empty and full of cobwebs. Keep going up the stairs and forward until the room dissolves and you land in a foggy garden where Sheogorath is having tea with the long dead Emperor Pelagius.
Step 4: Hear Sheogorath out
After Pelagius is whisked off, talk to Sheogorath and go through every line. He is hilarious, and he lays out the deal: fix Pelagius’ troubled mind and he’ll head home to the Shivering Isles. He also hands you the Wabbajack to do it.
Stop Doing This: Don’t skip his dialogue. It’s the best writing in the quest and it tells you exactly what each area wants from you.
The Three Trials, Solved
Three paths, three of Pelagius’ problems. Each one has an objective marker and you can take them in any order. Every solution comes down to aiming the Wabbajack at the right target.
| Trial | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Paranoia | An arena with two creatures fighting and Pelagius watching with two bodyguards | Ignore the fight, hit one of the bodyguards |
| Night Terrors | Pelagius asleep at the end of a path | Hit Pelagius, then keep zapping the nightmare that appears |
| Confidence | A huge soldier called Anger beating a tiny Pelagius called Confidence | Shrink Anger, grow Confidence |
Paranoia
Climb up and look across the arena. The two creatures brawling below are a distraction. Pelagius is in the stands with a bodyguard on each side, so hit one of the guards with the Wabbajack and the trial completes.
Night Terrors
Follow the path to the sleeping Pelagius and zap him. That drags whatever haunts his dreams out into the open. Each zap spawns a new nightmare in turn (a wolf, a bandit chief, a hagraven, a flame atronach and finally a dragon priest). Back up and keep the Wabbajack on each one until it turns harmless, then zap Pelagius again. Don’t stand next to it while you wait for a good roll.
Confidence
Anger is massive and Confidence is tiny. Zap Anger until he shrinks, then zap Confidence until he grows. A couple of rounds and little Pelagius flattens his bully.
The Wabbajack is random by design, so some zaps do something wild before they do something useful. That’s the point. Keep firing.
Rewards and Why the Wabbajack Slaps
Return to Sheogorath once all three trials are done. He declares the job finished, gets ready to leave, and you keep the Wabbajack. You also get a set of Fine Clothes for your trouble.
Why This Slaps: every bolt is a coin flip. An enemy might turn into a harmless critter, catch a fireball, get healed or become something much nastier. It’s not a reliable damage tool, but as a panic button or a party trick it’s unmatched.
- Best use: Breaking up dangerous single targets when you have room to back off.
- Worst use: Tight corridors next to allies, where a bad roll lands in your face.
- Pairs well with: Mage setups that already carry staves. Our mage build and conjuration build both have the Magicka to back it up.
Pro Tips for a Clean Run
- Save in Solitude: A clean save before the wing is your safety net if a trial glitches.
- Do one marker at a time: Order doesn’t matter, but finish each trial before you wander into the next.
- Keep your distance: Wabbajack rolls can create real threats. Range is your friend.
- Bring patience, not potions: You can’t use them inside anyway.
Hunting the rest of the Daedric artifacts? Start from the Skyrim hub, and if you want to see how many people are still running around Tamriel with a Wabbajack, peek at the Skyrim Special Edition player count.
The Mind of Madness FAQ
Where is Dervenin in Solitude?
He wanders the streets between the Bards College and the Blue Palace, ranting at anyone who listens.
How do you get the Pelagius Wing key?
Get it from Falk Firebeard after doing him a favor, or tell a palace maid such as Erdi that Falk sent you to check the wing.
Can you use your own weapons in Pelagius’ mind?
No. Inside the mind the Wabbajack is the only thing you can use, so save before you go in.
What do you get for The Mind of Madness?
The Wabbajack, Sheogorath’s Daedric staff with random effects, plus a set of Fine Clothes.
GG: You just fixed an emperor’s brain with a magic stick. Equip the Wabbajack, find the nearest bandit camp and see what the dice give you. Trust.
