Okay so I am pretty sure this quest is glitchy for nearly everyone. So I'm really hoping you guys can help me out... I had been going on adventures and scaling mountains and stuff and stumbled across one of the four aetherium shards. So then I set out to find the rest of them. But the quest never actually started. That was probably the first mistake I made. Okay well I entered the ruins where you find the ghost lady (can't remember her name right now sorry) and couldn't find her journal either. I looked all over the place. But that's all fine and what ever I just proceeded until I found the last shard. Technically the first one I guess. I figured that would trigger the quest to start. But it didn't. Now I'm at the entrance of the forge and have all four shards but instead of being aetherium they all say Glowing Crystal Shard. And the ghost lady is no where in sight. I can't use the shards to open the forge and I think I messed up royally. So if there is any way to possibly come back from such a complete failure, any and all suggestions are welcome..?

What the Wiki say's is to pick up the shard in the Dwemer store room last.. but as you already have it... ick...

A fix for another problem...may work and is worth the effort to at least try.

* find a copy of The Aentherium Wars ( don't pick it up yet)

* drop all your shards one by one

* Read the book... see what happends ( may start right their may not )

* pick up each shard one by one... the first may start the Quest.

Good Luck...http://en.uesp.net/wiki/File:Fishystick.jpg