For all the emphasis that the Nords of Skyrim place on their mead-swilling ways, getting smashed is not an easy task in the province. While there is no shortage of booze scattered around the cities, bandit hideouts, and caves, you never truly become inebriated.
A mysterious stranger will help sort things out. Appearing at a random inn somewhere in the province, he will challenge you to a drinking game. The rewards for joining his debauchery are as legendary as the mischief you have caused and mercifully forgotten. You must overcome your hangover and discover what had happened just a few hours before.
Updated on December 18th, 2022 by Nicolas Ng: Skyrim still has its secrets to share, and this seemingly innocuous quest might be one of them. This guide has been updated with improved formatting and images to help you recover from your hangover.
Starting A Night To Remember
You start this "quest" by talking to Sam Guevenne, a black-robed stranger appearing at a tavern.
You can only start this quest at level 14. Sam will appear at the first inn you visited when you reached that level.
He'll offer to give you a staff if you win a drinking contest against him, and he'll egg you on throughout the process. Once you've downed the third one, you'll pass out and wake up in Markarth's Temple of Dibella.
The Temple
The Temple will be trashed, and a priestess named Senna will berate you for being a drunkard who made a mess of the temple. She will demand that you clean up your mess. There are more important things to do, of course. You have three options for resolving the situation.
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Clean Up |
If you feel some sort of responsibility and regret, you can pick up your trash. Doing so will get you a Giant's Toe, two bottles of wine, a Hagravens' Feather, and a note from Sam. |
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Bribe Her |
Housework might not be your strong suit, and it might be better for everyone involved if you paid her to clean up instead. |
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Persuade Her |
You can plead with Senna to let you off, provided that you are a smooth talker. If you succeed, you will be let off. |
Regardless of whether you clean up, persuade Senna, or bribe her, she'll tell you that when you came in, you had been blabbering about Rorikstead.
Rorikstead
Make your way to Rorikstead, and you'll be confronted by a Redguard named Ennis, who says you took his goat, Gleda, and sold her to a giant named Grok. He'll basically tell you that you need to retrieve Gleda, or else. Like with Senna, you can weasel your way out.
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Help Him Get Gleda |
You will have to get Gleda away from the giant. Once you get close enough, interact with her to get her to follow you. Grok will try to stop you. |
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Bribe Him |
You can pay him for his goat. It's not like they're hard to find, anyway. |
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Persuade Him |
A simple lie will convince him that you need to find Sam to get his goat. You do not have to return. |
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Intimidate Him |
He's just a goat farmer anyway. Flexing your muscles and giving a threat will get him to back down. |
Should you choose to retrieve Gleda, you'll need to be careful. Grok is located south of where you'll find Ennis, with Gleda nearby. It is possible to sneak up to Gleda, "talk" to her, and get her to follow you without Grok noticing, but this can be difficult.
Grok will not be hostile at first, but will attack when you try to take Gleda. Additionally, your follower may attack him when you're trying to be sneaky. Try casting Calm on Grok if you have a decent Illusion level and the right perks.
Pass any of those challenges or retrieve the goat and Ennis will tell you that you left a note with the phrase "after repaying Ysolda in Whiterun."
Repaying Ysolda
Apparently, you owe Ysolda money for a wedding ring, which may be confusing to you. The wedding was called off though Ysolda wants the ring back now. Once again, you have to decide how to resolve the situation.
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Get The Ring |
You will go to Witchmist Grove to get the ring. |
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Pay Her |
The ring costs a hefty 2,000 gold. She will be satisfied if you pay it off. |
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Persuade Her |
With the power of love, you can compel her to tell you where to go. |
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Intimidate Her |
She is tougher than she looks and is not easy to intimidate. She will back down if you are menacing enough, of course. |
If you succeed at the persuasion, bribe, or intimidation, you can head straight to Morvunskar, where Ysolda tells you the wedding was supposed to be taking place.
Going To Witchmist Grove
However, if you should decide to retrieve the ring, you'll need to head to Witchmist Grove. Your bride-to-be is a Hargraven named Moira. Ask for the ring back, and she'll assume you're going to leave her for another woman named Esmerelda, then she'll attack you.
After the fight, grab the ring and return it to Ysolda, who will tell you that you were meant to be attending the wedding at Morvunskar.
The "Wedding"
No matter how you learn that the ceremony is meant to take place at Morvunskar, head there next. Inside this ruined fort is a few hostile mages that you'll need to deal with. Eventually, you'll find a glowing orb that transports you to Misty Grove, where you'll finally find Sam, standing around a table with a few guests.
It turns out that Sam is actually the Daedric Prince Sanguine, the deity of Debauchery. In exchange for raising hell throughout Skyrim, he gives you the staff, the Sanguine Rose, a Daedric Artifact.
This staff summons a Demora to fight for you for sixty seconds. You can give followers the Sanguine Rose, and they'll be able to successfully use it as well.
After you receive the staff, Sanguine will teleport you back to the tavern where you first met him, ending the quest.