where spirits have lease stuck
"Where Spirits Have Lease" is a classic quest in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (and its recent remaster) where players investigate a haunted manor in Anvil, uncovering ghostly secrets tied to its former owners. Players often get "stuck" due to a notoriously hard-to-spot note that spawns after defeating initial ghosts and breaking a jar downstairs, leaving many frustrated across forums for years.
Common Bug Explained
The core issue stems from a tiny, camouflaged note (often just a small scrap of paper) that blends seamlessly with the floor tiles or nearby furniture after the jar shatters.
- It's frequently described as "the smallest note in history" or invisible without close inspection, leading to endless reloads and searches.
- This persists even in the 2025 remaster, with fresh Reddit threads popping up as late as December 2025.
"After killing the ghosts... the jar smashes downstairs but there's only a skeletal hand and no note." – Original poster on r/oblivion, echoing a 20-year glitch.
Where to Find the Note
Search meticulously around the broken jar in the manor's living room or basement area—here's a step-by-step from forum veterans:
- Check directly by the jar : Hover your cursor over the shattered pot lid or right in front; the note often sits atop debris, matching the tile color perfectly.
- Scan nearby furniture : Look next to the broken bookcase south of the jar, under the coffee table, or by the chair and tall candle holder near the front entrance.
- Edge spots : Along baseboards left of the door, between wall and candle holder leg, or even randomly dropped if you accidentally "close" instead of "take."
- Pro tips : Cast a light spell like Starlight for visibility, rotate camera angles obsessively, or mouse-over every inch—patience pays off.
Users report success after 20+ minutes of hunting, with one calling their finder a "hero" for sharing screenshots.
Other "Stuck" Issues
Beyond the note, pathing bugs plague the quest:
- Velwyn Benirus glitches : Your quest partner gets trapped looping into walls near the sealed basement door, repeating "let's go" without progress—common in remaster.
- Ghost despawn fails : Initial haunts don't fully clear, halting advancement; reload pre-sleep save in manor.
- Workarounds include talking exhaustively to Velwyn first, waiting game hours, or console commands (PC only) like
setstage MS10 20to force note pickup.
Issue| Frequency (Forum Mentions)| Quick Fix
---|---|---
Missing Note| Very High (64+ comments in one thread) 1| Zoom + light spell
near jar/table
Velwyn Stuck| Medium (Recent remaster spike) 5| Wait 24h or re-talk all topics
Ghost Loop| Low| Reload early manor save 6
Trending Context (2025-2026)
With Oblivion Remastered surging on Steam (post-April 2025 release), "spirits lease stuck" spiked in searches—r/oblivion threads from May-June 2025 alone show dozens affected, blending nostalgia with modern frustration.
It's a rite of passage now: Veterans chuckle at newbies while sharing decade- old tips, proving Bethesda bugs endure.
As of February 2026, no official patch fully squashes it, so community hacks rule. TL;DR : The note hides like a ninja by the broken jar—light it up, crouch, and grab it to unstuck. Velwyn bugs? Wait or reload. Classic Oblivion charm!
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.