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What the Key Opens (questline step)

What the Key Opens is a step of The Covens’ Hoard.

Requirements

Requirement	Value
Questline	The Covens’ Hoard
Previous step	The Lieutenant
Wait after previous step	At least one game hour
Prerequisite line	The Burning Doors is finished
Play mode	Online
Account	Registered account required
Offered by	Ysolde Marnhel, Master Conjurer of the Mages Guild of Wayrest Map

Objectives

Use the location names in your quest journal. Follow map markers when they are available.

Step	Objective	Optional
1	Meet Ysolde Marnhel at the quest hall in the named town	No
2	Decide the Weir Key's fate: keep it, or let the Order of the Hour seal it away	No

Choices

Decision	Choice
The Guild gives a house one Weir Key. Keep it, or let the Order of the Hour seal it away?	Keep it, for a key is meant to be turned
The Guild gives a house one Weir Key. Keep it, or let the Order of the Hour seal it away?	Give it to the Order of the Hour to be sealed

Outcomes

Added gear requires a successful quest payment and a qualifying outcome. Quest mail alone does not count as payment.

Outcome	Gold multiplier	Gear choice
You kept the Weir Key for your house and took the Guild's fee. A house is given that key only once, and its road leads to the Spire's torn halls.	100%	Yes
The Order of the Hour sealed the Weir Key away in Akatosh's keeping, and will remember who gave it.	125%	Yes; one reward tier higher
Ysolde Marnhel stopped waiting for your answer, and the Weir Key stayed in the Guild's vault.	No added payment	No

Outcome	Change type	Target	Change
The Order of the Hour sealed the Weir Key away in Akatosh's keeping, and will remember who gave it.	Faction reputation	The Order of the Hour	+5

Named gear

Outcome	Item	Base item
The Order of the Hour sealed the Weir Key away in Akatosh's keeping, and will remember who gave it.	Hourkeeper's Linen Signet	Ring

A named reward uses its listed base only if your class can equip it; otherwise the fitted reward has a different base and no special name.

With Questlines enabled, these outcomes control the added rewards. Gold multipliers apply only to gold the quest actually pays. A gear choice offers a weapon, armour and jewellery; keep one. See Quest rewards and loot for rarity, payment and online reward rules.

Previous step: The Lieutenant.

Online, a failed outcome does not apply its faction-reputation penalties. Legal-standing changes and choices made during the quest are separate.

Scripted gold

Payment	Base amount (gold)
Gold payment	300–600

These are the script’s unscaled payment ranges, before the outcome multiplier and any party split. A payment still requires its quest objective or branch; the listed payments are not automatically awarded together.

Sources (15)