Skyrim talk:Keening

Mortal Wound

It's not mentioned anywhere on the page, but when I equipped Keening I got the message "Mortal Wound Added". It seemed to have a Drain effect on my health, which was lowered by 5 points. To be more specific, my health as listed in the Skills menu went from 340/340 to 335/335. It seems to me that it should rather be a constant damage, to simulate its effect in Morrowind, but of course I can't be sure. --DKong27 ^{Tk Ctr Em} 16:57, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

I cant get this to happen in my game. All my stats are the same and nothing shows up in my Active Effects. Did you finish the quest yet? — Kimi the Elf ^{(talk | contribs)} 17:05, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

I can't reproduce it with my regular character too (already finished the associated quest). But adding the item via console to a level 1 character I get the message and effect when equipping Keening. Doesn't show up as active effect though. --Alfwyn 17:11, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

It was after the quest. It did not show on my Active Effects page either. I'll see if I can check again...if I can remember which house I stored it in...--DKong27 ^{Tk Ctr Em} 17:57, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Edit: Huh, it didn't happen anymore. I'm afraid I don't have time for more testing at the moment. Later today I can, but now I have a dentist appointment. I have a hypothesis though: Perhaps it only applies that the first time it is equipped? Probably a script effect on it, which cannot be seen well until the Creation Kit comes out. This would explain why a new character would be affected and one already done with the quest not. --DKong27 ^{Tk Ctr Em} 18:10, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Looking at the script and testing with console commands, it looks like Keening loses the "Mortal Wound" ability, once MGRArniel04 is finished. --Alfwyn 19:43, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Hmm...I equipped it after, when I picked it back up after he disappeared. It may have been before the quest updated though, but I can't guarantee either way. --DKong27 ^{Tk Ctr Em} 18:57, 18 January 2012 (UTC)

Console Fixing Keening

You can console fix Keening by using this command: playerenchantobject 0006a13c 000AA157, however, this will make a copy of the dagger but with full charge.Blashyrkh 16:49, 26 January 2012 (UTC)

Using Keening's Sting

My character uses a set of equipment to reduce the cost of Destruction magic by 105%, primarily to make my weapon enchantments not draw a charge. This also works for Keening, because absorbs are all from the Destruction school. So, even though Keening has no charge, if the effect is made cost free it will work; there is no need for Keening to have any charge at all.

I initially thought I would need the full 100%+ cost reduction for Keening to function, but actually "Keening's Sting" will still proc with just a single ring equipped for a 29% reduction in Destruction costs. In other words, I don't know where the exact break point is to make Keening work, but it's not 100% and 29% is high enough... at least it is with 100 skill in Destruction. Destruction skill also reduces the charge cost, so I imagine both of these work together to influence the final cost of the Keening's Sting effect.

I know the name of the effect "Keening's Sting" from hitting my 100% magic resistant follower, which results in a message that Keening's Sting has been resisted.

Also, the effect is quite pretty. That is all! - Cirian. (no account) 79.87.202.89 15:27, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

I just got it, saved, and quit. Earlier when I did that, I tried it out and it appeared to have a purplish aura effect on the person I hit with it. Now it just says it has insufficient charge, even though I'm casting destruction spells for free with my armor enchantments! What is going on with this thing?--Playerseekingbugs 05:45, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Never mind. This thing is definitely buggy. I have some items that reduce my destruction spell cost by 36% each. I'm at 100 destruction, but if I remove one of the items spells start having a cost again. And if I remove one item and try Keening, the effect appears on the first hit, then it says it's depleted, even if I re-equip that piece of equipment. My Keening has a charge, but of course I cannot recharge it if I lose the charge. It should be noted on the article that this can happen.--Playerseekingbugs 05:53, 27 July 2012 (UTC)

Improving

Is it's inability to be sharpened a glitch, or intentional? Was just wondering if it was a glitch akin to the Ebony Blade. I ask because it's a shame, at 100 One-Handed skill (Or near to) with around 60% buffing equipment and my daedric daggers do around 85 damage (150+ on certain swords). While Keening remains an unimpressive 25, 35 including the enchantment.
Pretty pathetic without the ability to improve it. I was quite disappointed on recieving such an artifact, and it's barely worth using..-Zydrate[][] 00:21, 7 March 2012 (UTC)

It is a bug bt what you mention about the ebony blade is not true because the ebony blade is charge is 0/0 that means infinite charges and keening is 0/1 — Unsigned comment by 77.166.160.62 (talk) on 6 May 2012

I don't think it's a bug, considering Keening's unique nature and value it would perhaps be impossible/unwise/dangerous to try and sharpen the blade, possibly due to lack of materials (I have no idea what the blade itself is forged from) or perhaps something more arcane? Ess-Tee 15:20, 8 May 2012 (UTC)

Perhaps a rare material, inserted somewhere in a dwarven ruin perhaps. At least replenish-able, as people might improve it a few times as their smithing gets better.-Zydrate[][] 17:56, 13 May 2012 (UTC)

Keening, like the Ebony Blade, is a weapon. And as one of the load screens I've witnessed dictates: all weapons (and armor if I'm not mistaken) can be improved. The developers may as well have said: "If you can't temper it, then it's bugged" when they put that load screen text in. There are a lot of holes in using lore to explain unusual behavior from items. There are items that work perfectly, yet the lore on them would easily have excused them being bugged, or even demanded they be so. --75.249.99.58 07:43, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

Bugged

If anything in the game can be taken as a direct nod from Bethesda as to how things should work, it would probably be the loading screens. Therefore, I think loading screen SmithingImproving2 has bearing on this. It says: "Any weapon or piece of armor can be improved at a smithy, regardless of the material type or the smith's skill or perks. Smithing perks increase how much the item is improved." I am not a member of this site yet, and I would rather someone with more knowledge about that do this, but the fact that it cannot be tempered has to be a bug.--75.205.187.202 18:38, 25 June 2012 (UTC)

Keening and weapon plaques/racks and display cases

I'd love to put Keening into a display case or weapon rack, but every time I equip and try to interact with one of the mentioned things, Keening simply drops onto the ground. Did anyone else experience the same thing? And has anyone an idea whether this can be fixed? — Unsigned comment by 84.62.93.121 (talk) at 19:19 on 15 July 2012

Yeah I'm seeing the same thing on 360. A few patches ago and with a different character, I had a different issue with Keening and weapon racks, namely that it disappears forever when I leave it in the display and come back. So I guess this is better, but still REALLY irritating. I also used to have an issue with Keening (and some other items as well) "walking" when left sitting out on a table or shelf. I would leave and come back, and it would have shifted position just slightly, and this would happen over and over again. Haven't tried it on my new character, but I'm doubting that issue is fixed either. Very disappointing. username12345 19:22, 15 August 2012 (UTC)

Yep. I get this with several items, the Skull of Corruption being by far the worst offender. But have just been having a quick play with this tonight and noticed that when placing Keening in a low down display case in my Hearthfire home that this didn't happen. Subsequently have noticed that if you jump up onto the case so you are looking down on it, this weird clipping issue doesn't seem to happen and it lands in the case as normal.

Soul Siphon

Obviously you can't charge Keening traditionally, but does anyone know if the soul siphon perk charges it? I'd hate to invest in perks I don't need just to not have it work. Rouxez (talk) 04:06, 14 April 2013 (GMT)

I'm not sure if it's due to a recent patch or I just never noticed, but Keening lacks the little enchantment charge gauge, so I don't think you can charge it even with Soul Siphon. -- Elakyn (talk) 19:19, 14 April 2013 (GMT)