Sword of the Crusader

You have to do several things in this quest. They sound simple, but they can be quite a challenge depending upon your level and skills. You need to find Sir Roderic's corpse in Underpall Cave, fight the Wraith of Lord Vlindrel (and win) to get the Sword of the Crusader, reconsecrate the Sword at the Chapel of Arkay in Cheydinhal, and return to the Priory of the Nine.

Underpall Cave has five sections. While you can explore all of them, you only need to go through three of them in order to get to Lord Vlindrel's wraith. The other two loop around and connect back to other sections, though there might be some decent loot depending upon your luck and level. Sir Lathon may or may not be accompanying you, depending upon your earlier choices at the Priory.

Underpall Cave is inhabited by leveled undeads (like those Skeletons on the cliffs above you when you enter, who are most likely trying to make pincushions out of you and anyone else with you). The "Turn Undead" effect on the Mace won't do you much good here, so either return fire, sling some spells, or move quickly to get out of the line of fire (sneaking works, too, but Sir Lathon is a lousy sneak). For the rest, just run up and smack 'em.

Once you're into the tower portion and enter the room with the big square platform in the middle, you'll need to go to your left to get to the proper section. There are a couple of leveled Skeletons right around the point where the ceiling will collapse on you (ouch).

Once into the proper section of the dungeon, you'll have a passageway branching off to the left and another one going straight ahead. If you take the left path, you'll run into Sir Roderic's body and be on the shortest path to Lord Vlindrel/Sir Berich. If you go right, it's a somewhat longer route with fewer enemeies. While you'll initially bypass Sir Roderic's body, it lets you make a flank attack on Lord Vlindrel at range, which might make for a somewhat easier fight if you can shoot and dodge spells at the same time.

Once you have defeated the Wraith of Lord Vlindrel and retrieved the Sword of the Crusader, whatever you do, don't equip it. Until the Sword has been reconsecrated, you'll be afflicted with Lord Vlindrel's Curse (no Magicka regeneration and 100% weakeness to Fire, Frost, Shock and Poison). So hightail it over to the Chapel of Arkay in Cheydinhal to reconsecrate the sword.

When you enter the Chapel, you will find that it, too, is under attack by Aurorans (a good reason to not get hit with Lord Vlindrel's Curse since they have a Shock-based attack). Ohtesse, the Advanced Trainer in Restoration and the last person who can point you to the Master Trainer, always seems to die in this attack. The others may or may not survive, depending upon how good you are at beating up Aurorans in a confined space. Collect your Daedra Hearts, miscellaneous goodies and Ayleid Axes, then pray at the altar to reconsecrate the Sword. You now have all of the Relics of the Crusader.

When you return to the Priory, you'll be greeted by Sir Thedret, which completes this quest and launches the next one.

On a side note, if you visit the Undercroft of the Priory after completing this quest, you'll find Sir Berich's ghost down there. The original nine are nine once more. He takes the blame for the destruction of the original Knights of the Nine and thanks you for making it possible for him to go to the hereafter with his old companions.