Quests 435

Now that you know that the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller has been pilfered from Ustengrav, follow the instructions in the mysterious note left in its place. This will lead you to Riverwood and the Sleeping Giant Inn. Speak with the innkeeper, Delphine, about renting the attic room. She will tell you that there is no such room, but you can take the room on the left. Delphine will follow you to the sparse room she indicated, where she will address you as Dragonborn and give you the Horn. She cryptically tells you that you and she need to talk and asks you to follow her.

After infiltrating the Thalmor Embassy, return to Riverwood and inform Delphine of what you learned from the Thalmor records. Delphine is surprised to know her old colleague and fellow Blade, Esbern, is reportedly still alive. She tasks you with finding the archivist from his hiding place in Riften. Due to the clandestine nature of the Blades, Delphine gives you a secret phrase to deliver to Esbern to secure his trust when you locate him. Depending on your standing with the Thieves Guild, the journal will direct you to talk to Brynjolf, or search the Ratway for Esbern. If you are directed to find Brynjolf, you may speak to him, Dirge, or Vekel the Man inside the Ragged Flagon. All three have an option to persuade or bribe them for information on Esbern's location.

As soon as you claim the Elder Scroll from the Tower of Mzark, this quest starts and points you back to the Throat of the World where Paarthurnax awaits. Exit the tower by using the lift to the east and pull the handle on the surface, thus providing yet another shortcut to Blackreach. You will find yourself a long way from Alftand where you initially entered and may wish to loot the abandoned camp just outside the tower entrance. Travel back to the Throat of the World and Paarthurnax will be quite impressed with your efforts: "You have it. The Kel - the Elder Scroll. Tiid kreh... qalos. Time shudders at its touch. There is no question. You are doom-driven. Kogaan Akatosh. The very bones of the earths are at your disposal. Go then. Fulfill your destiny. Take the Scroll to the Time-Wound. Do not delay. Alduin will be coming. He cannot miss the signs."

From The Ratway in Riften, you need to travel with Esbern back to Riverwood so he can meet with Delphine. Make your way out of the Ratway by backtracking the way you came in, avoiding or defeating the Thalmor agents and various underworld criminals you may encounter along the way. The Esbern dialogue option "Do you know the way out of here?" will cause Esbern to lead the way through the Ratway rather than follow you (however, this can be glitched). Once outside, travel back to Riverwood and into the Sleeping Giant Inn.

As you head out from the dungeon with either Hadvar or Ralof, the dragon that attacked Helgen will travel over your head. Hadvar or Ralof will advise you to get down, but you're free to stand up and watch the dragon fly away. Hadvar or Ralof will comment on the dragon and continue on the path. You can now explore the area and advance to Riverwood at your own pace or follow whoever is accompanying you down the path. Following Hadvar or Ralof does not grant any special bonuses, but you do get to listen to your companion comment on the world around you, and they will point out the Guardian Stones and let you pick one that suits you. He will comment differently depending which stone you choose.

This article is about the quest. For the place, see Bleak Falls Barrow (place).

Travel to Riverwood. If you choose to travel with Delphine, and come close to her, she will stop and explain the complex background story about the Blades and how the Aldmeri Dominion wiped out all Blades during the Great War. While her memory of past events seems checkered at best, she at least provides some background information behind her hatred towards the Thalmor and a valid reason on why she suspects them for being responsible for the dragon attacks.

Shortly after you return the Dragonstone to Farengar, Irileth will approach to inform him that there has been a sighting of a dragon at Whiterun's Western Watchtower not far west of the city. Irileth will then ask Farengar and you to meet with Jarl Balgruuf. Follow them there, where a somewhat unnerved Whiterun guard will recount seeing a dragon flying over the watchtower. Balgruuf will ask you to accompany Irileth, as she goes to investigate and, if necessary, do battle. She will recruit several Whiterun Guards along the way.

Leave the Hall of Valor and cross the Whalebone Bridge to the edge of the Shadowed Vale, where your Nord brethren are gathered. They are as eager to slay Alduin as you are. When the three heroes have assembled, you will take your place by their sides. Once you have done so, one of them will suggest that you all use the Clear Skies Shout together to blow away the mist. Your companions will wait for you to Shout then use their Thu'um as well. You need to do this three times when requested, as Alduin recovers the field in mist the first two times you clear it away. After your third Shout, the mist dissipates, Alduin becomes enraged and flies towards you and the final battle is joined.

Alduin's Wall documents how the ancient Nords of the First Era used a special shout to help them dispose of Alduin. Your search for this particular shout takes you to High Hrothgar and eventually to the leader of the Greybeards, the dragon Paarthurnax. He reveals that the Throat of the World was indeed the battleground where the ancient Nords fought Alduin and ended the Dragon War. He also reveals that the Dragonrend shout was not enough to truly defeat Alduin, in reality merely crippling him. In a final attempt to banish Alduin, the Nords were forced to use an Elder Scroll to send their foe forward in time, postponing the threat, but not ending it. The event created a rift in time itself atop the mountain, known as the Time-Wound. Paarthurnax believes that, in order to learn the Dragonrend shout, you will have to locate the Elder Scroll, then use it to open the Time-Wound and learn the shout from the ancient Nords that created it. To begin your lengthy quest for the legendary Scroll, you will need to talk to either Arngeir or Esbern.

This article is about the quest. For the dragon, see Paarthurnax (dragon).

This quest starts early in the concurrent quest, The Fallen, but only if the Jarl of Whiterun (Balgruuf or Vignar) insists that a truce must be negotiated before allowing Dragonsreach to be used to capture a dragon. If either side of the Civil War controls at least eight of the nine holds of Skyrim, a truce can no longer be negotiated, and this quest will automatically be bypassed.

You are transported to a misty realm filled with statues of Nord warriors. The mist has no noticeable effect on you and can be temporarily cleared with the Clear Skies shout, but it quickly rematerializes. Upon continuing down the stone steps, you may be stopped by a Stormcloak soldier who says that the mist is extremely dangerous and that you should not go into it. He died fighting the Imperial Legion, and all his companions have been swallowed up by the mist, where he says Alduin lurks, devouring souls. He also tells you that at the end of the valley of mist lies Shor's Hall, where the heroes of Sovngarde gather. He begs you to allow him to follow you.

When you have defeated Alduin, he will fly off. You must track down one of his minions to find Alduin again. Speak with Paarthurnax, Arngeir, or Esbern to proceed. When the topic is discussed, they will all tell you that Dragonsreach was once used to capture a dragon. If you decide to speak with Esbern, you will start the optional quest Paarthurnax. Go to Whiterun and speak with the Jarl of Whiterun. Depending on your progress in the civil war, there are several options for what can happen next:

After completing The Way of the Voice, Arngeir will assign you one last task to prove you are Dragonborn: retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, so named after the founder of the Greybeards. The Horn is located in the ruin of Ustengrav, which Arngeir marks on your map.

With the information about Alduin's defeat learned at Sky Haven Temple, travel to High Hrothgar to meet with the Greybeards.

After you're finished in Whiterun, you'll want to head to Ivarstead, as it is located at the foot of the 7,000 Steps leading up to High Hrothgar. Once you get there and get close to the bridge, you'll hear a conversation. Talk to one of the men, Klimmek, and learn about what dangers are lurking ahead. You can take an optional quest from him to deliver supplies to the Greybeards. You may also ask people there to tell you some information about High Hrothgar:

You cannot take any followers with you on the final two quests, so not only can they not fight alongside you, they cannot carry your burdens. Also, you can never come back here, so you need to take anything you want (particularly the unique items) in your one visit, making carrying space a concern. You will likely be of a high level when completing this quest, resulting in the loot being of higher quality, but better quality is penalized with higher weights.

You begin the game to find yourself bound at the wrists and under Imperial guard custody in a prisoner caravan. In the carriage with you is Ralof (a Stormcloak soldier), Lokir (a horse thief), and Ulfric Stormcloak (leader of the Stormcloak rebellion and Jarl of Windhelm). Ralof sits across from you, with Lokir next to him and Ulfric to your right. Hadvar, an Imperial Soldier, is riding a horse behind your cart, while General Tullius, is riding a horse in front of the first cart.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from any of the following six people. The person to whom you must talk is uniquely determined by the quest giver.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from any of the following people.

When you visit the small town of Riverwood, the local beauty, Camilla Valerius, has sparked the interest of two bachelors in town. The local bard, Sven, and the Wood Elf hunter Faendal, are both vying for Camilla's favor; and will resort to slander and libel to win it.

Kharjo is a Khajiit caravan guard traveling with Ahkari. Due to the roving nature of his occupation he can be difficult to track down, but keep in mind that Ahkari's caravan makes stops just outside of Dawnstar and Riften.

Whiterun's Hall of the Dead is overseen by Andurs, priest of Arkay. When you first meet Andurs he will ask if you believe in Arkay and his sway over life and death. This is an opening gambit which he uses to determine how best to persuade you to retrieve his amulet, which he left behind in the catacombs. Andurs assures you that he would get it himself, however, strange noises are now coming from the catacombs and he fears the restless dead.

After you give Brenuin a gold coin on the streets of Whiterun, the option to ask him if he is always drunk will become available. Ask him, and he will reply "Only if I can help it." He then asks you to bring him a special bottle of ale: "In the Bannered Mare, there's this bottle of Argonian Ale. The good stuff. Get it for me."

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from any of the following people.

Meet Hofgrir Horse-Crusher at the Riften Stables, just to the north of Riften. Talk to him about the dangers of living outside the walls, which will lead to him boasting about being the strongest brawler in Skyrim. Make a 100 gold bet with him that you can beat him. This brawl is like any other, and the usual rules apply: no weapons, and no offensive magic. Beware, as he is much tougher than most other brawlers.

Bothela, an elderly Breton alchemist, can be found in her shop, The Hag's Cure, located in Markarth just west of Cidhna Mine. When asked about her shop, Bothela will say that the people of Markarth will often come to her, secretly, for cures. Bothela will go on to explain that she has a potion for the Jarl's steward, which she asks you to deliver.

Dravin Llanith is a farmer who lives at Merryfair Farm. Talk to him and he will tell you about his stolen family heirloom, a bow. A few days ago, some thieves from Riften broke into his house and stole it. He is quite sure those lowlifes took the bow with them back to The Ratway. If you can head into the Ratway and get his bow back, he would pay you what he can.

Harrald is the son of Jarl Laila Law-Giver and lives in Mistveil Keep in Riften. Take a look at him and you may find something strange. As the son of the jarl, he has only a dagger. If you ask him, he will tell you why: "I was practicing in the yard when the guard I was sparring with feinted when I specifically told him to duck! My blade bit right into the stonework next to the keep and needed serious repairs." He'd like you to fetch his blade from Balimund.

Wander around Whiterun and you may hear Lars Battle-Born being picked on by Braith. Speak to Lars and he'll explain that he's being bullied. He'll also offer you his life savings to deal with the problem: "Yes. Braith bullies me all the time. All the elders think I'm a milk drinker 'cause I can't fight. Nobody understands. If you can get Braith to leave me alone, I'll be your best friend... forever! I'll pay you, too! My whole life's savings - two septims!"

After purchasing a Dwarven item of any kind inside a city, a courier may come to you shortly afterward with a letter from Calcelmo in Markarth, saying that he wants to buy the item from you. Reading the letter triggers this quest.

If you visit Haelga's Bunkhouse in Riften, you may see Svana Far-Shield busy doing some cleaning there. The work is difficult and endless, and she prefers to call it slavery. Ever since her parents died and Haelga took her in, it's been a nightmare. She was surprised to learn that Haelga is such a wretched woman. "So now I'm stuck living here while those pigs she calls customers grope me and say the most awful things." In her opinion, Haelga is disgusting and she takes her worship of Dibella a bit too seriously. According to Svana, Haelga slept with three different men in the last month. Svana would like to see her squirm just once. She happens to know that after Haelga makes love, she gives her partner a token of her affection called a Mark of Dibella. If you collect the marks from Bolli, Indaryn, and Hofgrir (All three men are located in Riften), and confront Haelga with them, it would cause her endless embarrassment. Furthermore, Svana asks that you collect the marks without violence.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from any of the following people.

When you arrive in Ivarstead for the first time, you will find Klimmek and Gwilin having a conversation on the bridge:

Moth gro-Bagol has been ordered to make a special weapon for the Jarl of Markarth. To do so he needs to dip it in the blood of a Daedra. All he needs is a heart though, and would appreciate it if you could bring him one.

After stealing Lod's letter for Dengeir, he'll trust you enough to handle an important matter. It is of great concern and embarrassment to him that his ancestor Vighar is actually a vampire. For years he was magically bound within his grave, but the magic energies weakened and allowed him to escape. When asked, he will tell his family secret: "You may have seen the open grave in our graveyard. Most of the townsfolk think it's the work of a corpse thief. The truth is less pleasant. It is...was, the grave of Vighar, my own ancestor, dead for centuries now. He is also a vampire. My family is entrusted with keeping him buried, but recently someone stole the wardstone, and Vighar escaped." However, he is not interested in the stone, he just wants Vighar destroyed. "No. It's too late for the wardstone. Vighar must be destroyed. If this gets out, my family will suffer great shame." Dengeir has tracked him down to the vampire lair Bloodlet Throne and wants you to head there and destroy him before anyone discovers his family's secret shame.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from each and every one of the following six people. The item you need to deliver and the recipient are uniquely determined by the quest giver.

Hillevi Cruel-Sea has a market stall in Windhelm, selling produce. When asked whether she grows the crops all by herself she will mention that her family owns Hollyfrost Farm outside the city, and, on top of that, also receive payment from Wuunferth the Unliving for every portion of Nightshade they plant. She will ask you to deliver a bottle of Nightshade Extract to the court wizard.

Entering Solitude by the main gate for the first time will trigger an execution, as hinted by the guard outside. The man fated to die is Roggvir, a former friend of Sorex Vinius and a 'traitor to the Empire'. Talking to Sorex after the execution will open up discussion about the leaders of Solitude; continuing the conversation will end with him asking you to bring a delivery of Stros M'Kai Rum to one of those leaders, Falk Firebeard. Falk resides in the Blue Palace and is nearly always found by Elisif the Fair's side in the main room. Upon delivering the rum, he will thank you and reward you with a leveled amount of gold to complete the quest.

Kerah is the owner of the jewelry stall in the Markarth's marketplace. Talk to her and she will share some information about the city and her family with you: "My family came here centuries ago. We've made a good living smithing the silver that flows through the city." If you want to know more about the fancy carvings and stonework, she will recommend that you visit Calcelmo, who knows the history of Markarth better than anyone. At the same time, she has a delivery she needs to make to him. Maybe you can do her a favor.

Brand-Shei is a Dark Elf trader in Riften. He can usually be found at his stall at the market, or in a cell in the Riften Jail if you've helped Brynjolf frame him for theft. As a Dunmer, he has an oddly Argonian name (such as Beem-Ja, Gulum-Ei, Talen-Jei). In fact, he was raised Argonian. "I ended up orphaned then taken in by a kindly Argonian family in Black Marsh." He hopes one day to find out what happened to him and he has got one clue. When he was found by his Argonian father, he was wrapped in a blanket bearing the symbol of House Telvanni, one of the great houses in Morrowind long ago. He'd like you to keep an eye on anything that might provide him with the answers he is looking for in your travels. If you ask him why was he searching in Skyrim, he will tell you something about a matron who had served for House Telvanni and remind you to investigate a ship named "The Pride of Tel Vos".

Olda lives in Dragon Bridge with her husband, Horgeir, who owns the local lumber mill. You will find Olda at Horgeir's House. If you talk to her about her husband, she will complain to you: "He promised me, swore on his ancestors, that he'd give up the mead. And what do I find out? He's been stashing drink in a cave nearby. He even has some wolves guarding it. I swear, I should just cut out his tongue. That would be the end of it." If you are willing to help get her husband's stash for her, she will only ask you to bring her the bottle of Dragon's Breath Mead, Horgeir's favorite.

Dravynea the Stoneweaver is a Dark Elf alteration expert living in Kynesgrove. When she is not working in the Steamscorch Mine, you can find her wandering the town or in the Braidwood Inn. Should you be in the market for some free Alteration training, ask her about her business in Kynesgrove. She will explain that she uses her powers as a mage to keep the mine safe. She is able to make a potion using frost salts to keep the temperature in the mine bearable, but is out of frost salts at the moment. Tell her that you can get some for her. She will off-handedly offer you free training if you actually bring her the salts.

Note: This quest does not appear in your journal.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from either of the following people. The dungeon is randomly determined from the Bandit Camps present in the quest giver's hold.

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from any of the following five people. The dungeon is randomly determined from those in the table, which are based on the hold in which the quest-giver resides.

When asking the Jarl of Winterhold, Korir, for work, you may be asked to find the missing Helm of Winterhold, which was worn by Jarl Hanse in the First Era:

This is a radiant quest which you can receive from Igmund, the Jarl of Markarth.

After you complete The Man Who Cried Wolf, Elisif's goodwill towards you has increased. So much so that she extends a tentative trust in you by making a personal request regarding her late husband, High King Torygg. She will tell you, "When we buried my husband I made offerings to all the gods... except Talos." This is because Talos worship is outlawed in the Empire. She would like you to take Torygg's War Horn and place it at a specific Shrine of Talos. Although she doesn't worship Talos herself, her husband would have wanted a proper Nordic burial done in this fashion.