"Canvas the Castle" is one of the most interesting quests that you might stumble across shortly after starting The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered, but it can also be one of the most challenging. As a castle-bound mystery that sets aside combat to focus on investigation, "Canvas the Castle" tasks you with interrogating suspects and finding clues. It's not that hard to work out a culprit, but the accusation won't land unless you acquire each key piece of evidence, which can be much trickier.

The core issue of "Canvas the Castle" focuses on a missing painting, which the countess Arriana Valga suspects has been taken by someone in her employ. The key suspects are an alcoholic named Orgnolf and a court mage named Chanel, but you'll also need to question several other castle figures. If you know what to do, you can knock this quest out quickly, while it might become time-consuming otherwise.

How To Start The Canvas The Castle Quest

Find Arriana Valga In Chorrol

If you're progressing through the main story quest, "Canvas the Castle" isn't far off the beaten path. After reaching Weynon Priory to deliver the Amulet of Kings, you'll be right outside the city of Chorrol. Head into the city and visit the castle during daytime hours, where you'll encounter the countess Arriana Valga in the throne room.

Speak to Valga and select the Investigation option. She'll explain the situation and ask for your help. Agree to assist, and she'll give you keys to open most doors in the castle, avoiding what could otherwise be a long trial of Oblivion's complicated lock-picking. You can then proceed to explore the castle, question all the relevant figures, and find the clues before returning to her with the mystery solved.

How To Question Every Canvas The Castle Suspect

Five Characters To Interrogate

You'll need to question five people in "Canvas the Castle" — Orgnolf, Chanel, Orok-Gro-Ghoth, Laythe Wavrick, and Bittneld The Curse-Bringer. They can all be found in differing locations depending on the time of day, but there are reliable places to check. Some may already in the throne room (most likely Laythe), but if they're not, you can find the castle's private quarters by heading up the stairs and entering any of the three doors on the landing. Check the rooms assigned to suspects, and if they're sleeping, you can just initiate the conversation and wake them up.

Some doors may show up in red, but don't worry, you're allowed to enter.

Orgnolf and Chanel won't leave the castle, but Bittneld and Orok both move in and out of it according to their schedule. The most convenient place to look for Bittneld is the castle barracks, which is where I first found him, but he might also be out on the town. If Orok isn't in his private quarters, you can check the Northern Goods and Trade.

Most of the castle inhabitants are reluctant to provide too much information, so you'll have to use the Persuade mini-game that can be found beneath the dialogue options. It shouldn't be hard to get these to 50 or 60+ once you know how the game works, after which you can return to the conversation and see if they're more willing to answer questions.

How To Find Every Canvas The Castle Clue

Three Locations To Scout

Finding the clues can be a little harder, and Oblivion Remastered's graphical changes actually make one a bit trickier to spot than the original game did. Through discussions with the suspects, both the West Tower and the dining hall to the right of the courtyard emerge as spots of interest, so you'll want to look in both locations. You'll also need to make a stop by Chanel's room.

• The West Tower - You can access the West Tower through the Arch Tower outside or from a door in the living quarters. Inside, a trapdoor is hidden behind some crates. Descend to find an artist's setup and interact with the painting to get one clue.
• Chanel's Room - Inside Chanel's room, open her lectern to find another clue.
• Dining Hall - This clue is the hardest to spot. The rug underneath the table in the center of the room has some paint stains on it, which are a bit easier to miss thanks to Oblivion Remastered's busier rug design. Interact with the stains for the last clue.

If hitting the suspects and clues in a different order is more convenient, any can be checked off the list at any time. Regardless of order, you'll need to do a complete sweep before you can effectively accuse a culprit. While the option will already exist, an accusation without enough evidence won't get you anywhere, and a false accusation will limit your rewards.

Who To Accuse In Canvas The Castle

False Accusations Will Cost You

After speaking to everyone and finding all the clues, it's apparent that Chanel has been hiding a predilection for painting. Go confront Chanel about it and choose the Accuse option. You'll likely need to do a bit more Persuading, as getting a full confession out of her will require an even higher Persuade score of 70. Once you've done so, you can return to the countess to collect your reward.

When presenting your findings, you can either tell her the truth about Chanel or lie to protect her. If you turn her in, the Countess will give you gems and a bounty of gold that depends on your level, and you'll also be rewarded with a fame point. You'll receive significantly less if you accidentally accused Orgnolf before Chanel. Chanel will lose her position and be banished from the castle, but she won't face any harsher fate.

Alternately, you can lie to protect Chanel and say that both she and Ognolf are innocent. You'll receive a minimal amount of gold, but Chanel will later give you a painting that you can sell for 500 gold. If you're fine with losing the fame point and don't need the money immediately, this is also a reasonable reward. Telling the truth about Chanel makes the most sense, but if your heart tells you otherwise, you won't miss out on too much in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered.