Elder Knowledge

This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry, meaning it relies heavily on colloquialisms and unprofessional verbiage. The perspective may be written from a first- or second- person point of view, when third person indirect is required. See the style sheet and the writing guideline for suggestions.

Elder Knowledge is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Elder Knowledge
Quest Giver	Paarthurnax or Esbern
Location	Alftand Blackreach
Prerequisite	The Throat of the World
Next Quest	Alduin’s Bane
Reward	Elder Scroll (Dragon) Progress in storyline
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ205

Paarthurnax

Talk to Paarthurnax and ask him about the Elder Scroll.

Arngeir/Esbern

To learn more about the Elder Scroll that is needed, visit High Hrothgar and speak to Arngeir or talk to Esbern at Sky Haven Temple. Either choice prompts going to the College of Winterhold.

College of Winterhold

Travel to the College of Winterhold, and you will be met by an Altmer named Faralda. Assuming you have not already joined the College of Winterhold faction, you will be prevented from entering the college. There are several options for getting in to the college:

• Persuade: You can persuade her into letting you in.
• Test: Take Faralda’s test by casting the random spell that she asks you to cast.
• Shout: Tell Faralda that you are Dragonborn and show her a shout.

Do one of the above options and she will let you into the College.

Once you’re in the College you need to find an Orc named Urag gro-Shub, who runs the Arcanaeum inside the College. Ask him about the Elder Scrolls and he will place two books for you on the table. (If they’re not working, check the Notes section). Reading Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls will begin the side quest “Discerning the Transmundane” if it wasn’t started already. After you tell Urag that the Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls are incomprehensible, he will tell you that the book was written by an expert on the Elder Scrolls, Septimus Signus. He gives you the last known location of Septimus.

Alternatively, the player can simply go to Septimus Signus’ Outpost, and avoid joining the College altogether.

Septimus Signus

You must go to Septimus Signus’s Outpost, the northern iceberg where Septimus has made his home. Climb down the ladder to find Septimus working on a Dwemer Box. Ask Septimus about the Elder Scroll, and he will tell you that you must go to Blackreach, a large underground Dwemer city that lies underneath the ruins of Alftand. He will give you the Attunement Sphere and the Blank Lexicon.

Alftand

The next stage of the mission will take you to Alftand, leading on to the underground world of Blackreach. This is a long, hard mission, with lots of Falmer and Dwarven Animunculi. Blackreach itself has many side missions, so you’ll be on-the-road for a while. It’s a good idea to make sure you’ve stocked up on potions, and stowed any unwanted items at home to free up space for your loot.

Alftand is located on the glacial mountains southwest of Winterhold. When you enter Alftand you will need to travel throughout large glacial tunnels, these glacial tunnels were left in a hurry so there are tools laying all over the ground. Follow the tunnel till you reach the Dwemer Ruins. You will come across a door that can be unlocked from the other side, so go to the passage that heads west up a ramp.

Carry on going north, there will be two Dwarven Spheres. Kill or avoid them and head through the gold door and up to a Dwarven Spider–infested passage stretching south. This main passage will lead you east, above the room with the Dwemer Sphere’s in it, but you are now on the ledge above it, and you will have to dodge the pistons. This will lead you to the Alftand Animonculory.

Animonculory

Travel through the Alftand Animonculory, past the spinning blades, and you will find a locked gate – there is a lever on the other side of the gate that you can reach from the far left position. Open the gate and you will come across a massive shaft in the Animonculory. Travel down this shaft and you will come across some Falmer.  Dispatch or sneak by the four Falmer that reside in the shaft. Alternatively you can use the Become Ethereal shout to jump straight to the bottom; however this is not advised as you may become overwhelmed by the number of Falmer at the bottom and you will miss some good loot on the way down.

Mid-way down the shaft one of the ramps has broken, so you have to jump down to the platform below, possibly taking some damage. Try to jump to the center of the pile of rubble to minimize this. At this point you can only return to the levels above by continuing to another exit, and re-entering.

Once you’re at the bottom you will find an entrance to a gold door. This door is guarded by fire jets; get past them. Enter the door – which leads to a Falmer nest (though it is not necessary to walk through the fire jets as on the left side there’s a little gap between the pipes you can walk through without worry of being burned). Go through the nest, dispatching or avoiding the Falmer inside. Go though the golden door on the southwest over a bridge. This will lead to another looping walkway with several Falmer and at least one Frostbite Spider on it.

Alftand Cathedral

Now enter the Alftand Cathedral. Battle or avoid the two Falmer. Travel up the stairs and activate the switch. Then pass through the gate which was once shut. You will find a Dwarven Centurion that you must kill, as he has the key you need to proceed. (An easy way to defeat the Centurion would be to have your partner stand at the front of the gate, activate the Centurion, run up the stairs and close the gate. On the outside of the gate,you can easily defeat the Centurion with a bow and arrows.) Next, go to the gate on the southwest, you will hear an argument of two adventurers, Sulla and Umana. They will fight if you wait in concealment, but you will need to kill the survivor or both of them (or just sneak past them while they’re bickering). Go to the Dwarven Mechanism now, and insert the Attunement Sphere Septimus gave you. The floor parts, revealing stairs down to a hidden gold door and an entrance into the mysterious undercity of Blackreach.

Note: At this point the elevator immediately behind the “Dwarven Mechanism” will take you back to Skyrim. This lift can then be taken back to this point if you are struggling for space with all the loot. Also a useful midway point for returning later to collect the various bits of Dwemer metal for converting to ingots.

Blackreach

You can exit Blackreach using the appropriate Dwarven Elevator just left of your location. There are several Centurion along the road, but they can be avoided. Just take care of the Dwemer sphere and the Falmer (a very easy way to dispose of the sphere is to activate the nearby crossbow before the sphere activates, as this kills it instantly), and follow the cobblestone path southeast to a golden button encased on a Dwarven head pedestal. Press it, and the elevator behind lights up, allowing you to ascend and exit back outside. Open the gate, allowing you to enter from the Great Lift of Alftand.

This is a large city with many enemies and things to loot. Remember to bring a pickaxe as there are many ores to mine. To continue the mission, follow the quest marker to the far southwest corner of the map. This will lead you to the Tower of Mzark, the place where the Scroll resides.

From the lift to the Tower of Mzark, you should see a giant orb of light overhanging a nearby castle. If you use your Unrelenting Force shout on the orb, a dragon named Vulthuryol will come to attack you. It is not necessary to kill or even call forth the dragon to finish the quest, but it’s a way to harvest another dragon soul if you want one. Be aware that the castle has many Falmer and their servitors, who will be alerted by your shout and will attack you. You may want to clear them out before shouting. Also, the dragon may fly away after a pass or two overhead. If so, climb down out of the castle and search the nearby area, as it will likely have landed nearby. (In one case, it was on the ground between the castle and the Tower of Mzark lift.)

Oculory Operation

Once inside the Tower of Mzark, you will come to a room with a number of alchemical ingredients and other items. The Oculory is through the gold door on the other side of the room. Go up the spiral stair case. Near the top is a level area with desks, ruined books, and a door to an elevator to the surface. Near the door is a dead body, that of Drokt. Journal of Drokt is next to his skeletal remains.

Go up the ramp above the elevator door to the controls. The controls consists of a Lexicon Receptacle and four positioning buttons embedded in pedestals.

Activate the Lexicon Receptacle, so the Blank Lexicon rests on top of it. The two pedestals to the Receptacle’s right, the only ones currently active, open and close the Oculory lenses. Press the taller of the two pedestals (right of the pedestal with the lens chart on it in the middle of the buttons) three or four times, until the pedestal with the blue button to the left of the middle one starts to glow. Move to this new pedestal (at this point, the Blank Lexicon may be glowing blue). The two pedestals to the left of the lens chart, the taller of which is now active, control the ceiling lens array. Press the button of the taller, left pedestal twice, until the button on the left of that (the smaller pedestal) begins to glow. Note, if you press the left button too many times, you may have to start over with the farthest right button pedestal (as a reset). Now press that button, and a large set of lens crystals descends from the ceiling and stops. The main crystal rotates and splits apart to reveal a tube-like carrying device, which contains what you’ve come all this way for – the Elder Scroll.

Once you get the scroll, you have completed the quest. Pick up the Lexicon in order to continue the Discerning the Transmundane quest.

Bugs

• If you complete all the quests for The College of Winterhold before having talked with Urag gro-Shub about the Elder Scrolls, you will not get a text option to ask for the books about the location of an Elder Scroll. The proper text option has a slim possibility to appear after all available chat options have been selected. This bug appears if the player has already spoken to Septimus Signus before talking to Urag. If you have already talked to Septimus Signus, you can skip talking to Urag and continue on to the Tower of Mzark
•  360   PS3  Esbern may not talk to the player if you go to Sky Haven Temple. He just stands there and gives generic dialogue, forcing the player to go to Arngeir.
• If you have already completed Septimus Signus’s quest go to Blackreach to the Tower of Mzark and the scroll will be there, inside the center of the large dwarven sphere artifact.
• There is an error showing on the map, on the path finding the Elder Scroll as well.
• If you are in the middle of the Staff of Magnus quest, there will be no text options for Urag, only the generic guard-like talk about the Eye.
• When walking up towards the Tower of Mzark, a door inside will be missing. If you choose to open it, you will not get past the invisible-barrier.
• Sometimes when the quest is finished and the marker appears on the Scroll, it still does not allow you to pick it up. If this occurs, you must go back down the elevator to Blackreach, and then return back to the Scroll chamber.
• While in Blackreach, if you wait your follower may be in a position as if he/she was downed. To fix this, all you have to do is leave the area.
•  PC   360   There is a glitch in Blackreach where, after taking an elevator to the surface, the screen fades to black repeatedly and may erase autosave files, recommended to manually save before activating elevators to the surface.
•  PS3  Even though you can continue the quest as normal, the current objective might not be in your quest log, but will be on the map.
•  PC   If you have completed both the College’s quests and those by Septimus, don’t have the Elder Scroll and Urag doesn’t give you any quest dialog towards the Elder Scroll, you can jump start this quest line by using the console to create the scroll in your inventory. The cube at the Septimus Signus’s Outpost was closed, and the device in the Tower of Mzark can’t be used a second time… leaving the console creation the only option. player.additem 0002D513 1 will place it in your inventory.
•  PC   360   PS3  After obtaining the Elder Scroll and taking the elevator lift to “Open Skyrim”, the gate and enclosure you find yourself in after the loading screen will not allow you to exit and leave the Alftand Ruins. There is no floating marker or any text signifying you can unlock the door/gate. You can fast-travel from this location to escape from the lift cage. This is probably due to the player not picking up the lexicon for Septimus Signus where they had originally placed it. Go back into the ruins, pick up the lexicon and take the lift back up. Your map should now update and a lever should be to your right to open the gate.
•  PS3   Rarely, Umana will attempt to talk to you, and dialogue box will open. As she has nothing to say and no options to give, the game will freeze.
•  PS3   If you use Clairvoyance in the dungeon, it will misguide you back to the entrance of the Dungeon.
•  360   PS3   There is a bug in which the Tower of Mzark or the elevator to the Tower of Mzark does not render. To fix this, simply save your game (make sure it’s a unique save, and not an overwrite) and restart the game. Enter/leaving other areas of the map does not fix this.
• Sometimes, you will not be able to pick up the Elder Scroll after completing the puzzle. Reloading the last save fixes this.
•  PC   Sometimes, Skyrim will close after you speak with Arngeir and finish his dialogue.
•  360   When entering Blackreach, after you have passed the bloodied campsite and start to go on, there will be an invisible barrier, preventing you to continue.
• If you have already talked to Septimus and gotten the Daedric Quest “Discerning the Transmundane”, the marker to talk to Arngeir may not dissappear after learning the location of the Elder Scroll, and the marker will not appear on the Elder Scroll.

Notes

• Faralda will teach you the spell that she asks you to cast if you do not have it.
• The best choice may be to take Faralda’s test, since if you do not know the spell she asks you to use, it can be bought from her for 30 gold, an immense discount that should be taken advantage of.
• You can go to Septimus Signus directly, skipping a portion of the quest.
• If you are in the middle of The Staff Of Magnus quest, it is impossible to talk to Urag gro-Shub. You must complete The Staff of Magnus first.
• If you have already completed Discerning the Transmundane and thus killed Septimus Signus, then to do this quest, simply travel to Blackreach and head back to where you did the puzzle at the end of it- the Scroll should still be there, waiting for you.
• If you read the Scroll anywhere other than the Throat of the World, you will be blinded for several seconds.
• If you have cleared out other Dwemer Ruins such as Mzinchaleft or Raldbthar, they can act as a shortcut to Blackreach. They are all connected as long as you have the Attunement Sphere. This can lead to a faster way to get through for completion of the quest.
• You can skip the entire dungeon and head straight to the observatorium by finding the Tower of Mzark on the map, getting a plate, going to the tower, pressing the plate up against the locked door and sprinting towards the plate. This will cause you to glitch through the locked door. From here you can take the lift down.

Trivia

• When Urag gro-Shub tells you about the Elder Scrolls, he mentions that “All of it is true. Even the falsehoods. Especially the falsehoods. This is very likely a reference to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “The Wire” in which the character Garak says “All of it is true. Even the lies. Especially the lies.” When asked if the answers he gave during questioning were true.

AchievementsEdit

	Elder Knowledge Complete “Elder Knowledge”
Points	20
Trophy

The Throat of the World (Quest)

For the location, see Throat of the World (Location).

The Throat of the World
Quest Giver	Arngeir
Location	Throat of the World
Prerequisite	Alduin’s Wall
Next Quest	Elder Knowledge
Reward	Two new shouts: Clear Skies (all three words) Fire Breath (one or two words) Ability to Meditate on the Words of Power
Faction	Greybeards
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ204

The Throat of the World is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. During this quest the Greybeards teach the Dragonborn all three words of the Clear Skies shout, Lok (Sky), Vah (Spring), and Koor (Summer). They also learn a word of the Fire Breath shout, (the exact word depends on the words, if any, already known).

Background

After learning the Clear Skies shout, the Dragonborn is able to climb the Throat of the World to see Paarthurnax, leader of the legendary Greybeards.

Walkthrough

Find Arngeir in High Hrothgar and speak to him about defeating Alduin. He will become angry that the Blades are involved and if the incorrect dialog option is chosen he will refuse to help. At this point Einarth will speak in a voice that echoes around the building:

This translates to:

Arngeir will apologize and mention Einarth reminded him of his duty. He will teach the Clear Skies shout. From the courtyard, follow the path up the steps. The path will continue into some bad weather; use the Clear Skies Shout to clear the mist and continue to the Throat of the World to meet Paarthurnax. If he is attacked, the Dragonborn will not be able to speak to him. There are also three ice wraiths along the way that attack at once.

Before learning about Dragonrend, Paarthurnax will offer to teach a word of the Fire Breath shout. Paarthurnax will use the Fire Breath shout at the nearby word wall, allowing the Dragonborn to acquire a word of the shout.

While speaking with Paarthurnax, it is learned that no dragon can use Dragonrend, because it was the first Thu’um made by mortals. According to Arngeir, the Shout was made entirely with hatred for dragons – by those who suffered the slavery of Alduin. Learning the word would mean taking in the hatred that created them as well.

In addition, Paarthurnax allows the Dragonborn to Meditate on the Words of Power, adding bonus effects to shouts and the Dragonborn.

Paarthurnax reveals that Alduin was first defeated using the Dragonrend shout, but not without the aid of an Elder Scroll. After Dragonrend was used, the Elder Scroll was used on Alduin to cast him on the tides of time. However, Alduin was simply sent forward. Since that day, Paarthurnax has remained at the point where time was shattered. He stayed there, waiting thousands of years for Alduin to appear once more.

From here the next task is to find an Elder Scroll, though Paarthurnax does not know where it may be. He suggests talking to either Arngeir or Esbern, both of whom will direct the Dragonborn to the College of Winterhold.

Trivia

• The quest is named after the Throat of the World, the tallest mountain in Tamriel and also the quest’s setting.
• The last of the dragon burial sites marked by the Map of Dragon Burials will be opened after this quest and Alduin can be seen resurrecting Viinturuth, if properly timed.
• It is possible to reach the peak of the mountain by climbing around the storms blocking the path, use of a horse on the slope to the right of the main doors into High Hrothgar is the easiest way up the mountain. Paarthurnax will not be present if this method is used to circumvent the quest unlocking the mountain top.
• There are Ebony Ore, Silver Ore, Orichalcum Ore and Malachite Ore veins to mine near the top of the mountain.
• The Notched Pickaxe is also found at the previously mentioned Ebony Ore Vein.
• Paarthurnax will call the Dragonborn “elf” if the Dragonborn is one of the elven races and “mortal” for the other races.
• After being taught the first word of Fire Breath, if a dragon soul is spent on unlocking it instead of receiving Paarthurnax’s knowledge of the word, the second word will be taught and unlocked.

Bugs

• Sometimes, one can not learn the second Clear Skies word because it just disappears. The marker remains over the second word indefinitely. The quest will not be able to be completed from this point.
  • This may be caused by not following Arngeir outside immediately, or by entering conversation with him a second time before going to the courtyard.
  •  360   Solution: Reload a save from before entering High Hrothgar to speak to Arngeir. (Reloading a save from within the courtyard after speaking with Arngeir does not seem to fix the problem.)
  •  360   Solution: Follow Arngeir outside immediately after speaking with him, and watch him whisper the words onto the ground in frame to ensure all words stay lit.
• The Word of Power occasionally does not appear when Paarthurnax uses it on the wall.
• When gaining the Clear Skies shout and trying to use it, it says “more dragon souls needed” fast travel somewhere else and it should be working.
•  360  Sometimes after learning two of the words to clear sky, the third will be visible but not be able to be learned. this bug will not interfere with completing the quest, use rank one or two to continue forth. Can be fixed by reloading an earlier save point.
•  360  Sometimes, when Dragonborn already knows the first two words to Fire Breath and has them unlocked with dragon souls, as Paarthurnax attempts to teach the third word of the shout, the word will not appear. Using Fire Breath on Paarthurnax will proceed to the next part of the quest, but unfortunately, rendering one incapable of learning the third word to Fire Breath.

Alduin’s Wall(Quest)

This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry, meaning it relies heavily on colloquialisms and unprofessional verbiage. The perspective may be written from a first- or second- person point of view, when third person indirect is required. See the style sheet and the writing guideline for suggestions.

Alduin’s Wall
Quest Giver	Esbern
Location	Riverwood Sky Haven Temple
Prerequisite	A Cornered Rat
Next Quest	The Throat of the World
Reward	Dragonbane sword Able to acquire Dragonslayer’s Blessing from Esbern
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ203

Alduin’s Wall is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

For other uses, see Alduin’s Wall.

Objectives

1. Escort Esbern to Riverwood
2. Talk to Esbern
3. Gain entrance to Sky Haven Temple
4. Learn the secrets of Alduin’s Wall

Walkthrough

After the Dragonborn and Esbern arrive at Riverwood, they meet with Delphine at the Sleeping Giant Inn. They say that the Dragonborn must go to Alduin’s Wall, which is in Karthspire, located in Sky Haven Temple. The Dragonborn  may travel with Delphine and Esbern, or meet them at the Karthspire.

Arriving in Karthspire or meeting up at the entrance to the Karthspire camp, the group will encounter a number of leveled Forsworn (who can attack with Ice Spike and Summon Frost Atronach spells) and perhaps Hagravens. Note: The lower wooden bridge continues up the hill to the other side where there are more Forsworn. If they aren’t killed initially, they will attack from above with Ice Spike on the way into Karthspire (Sky Haven Temple).

A dragon may also spawn at the camp, on some occasions, increasing the chaos in the camp. The dragon might attack both the Dragonborn and his allies, as well as the Forsworn.

Upon entering into the caverns, there will be an encounter several more Forsworn. Delphine and Esbern run ahead, so you can look for loot. There’s an iron ore vein in the bottom area of the first section. They stop at the first puzzle that controls a drop-bridge that allows you to continue into the mountain. The puzzle solution, with Esbern’s hint, is to align them so that all three show the “Dragonborn symbol” (Dragon, Dragon, Dragon). The bridges drop, and your group crosses and goes higher into the mountain.

Again, the party stops when Esbern looks ahead and sees danger in a patio area consisting of pressure plates with symbols on them. If applicable, tell your follower to “wait” in order to avoid interference as you carefully walk across the pressure plates. Esbern points out the Dragonborn symbol and, sure enough, walking only on these plates gets you safely across to where you can pull a chain that disarms the trap part of the plates. Immediately, Esbern and Delphine run ahead. If your follower is waiting, go back and tell your follower to “follow” again. If you are unable to tell your follower to “wait,” you can use the Whirlwind Sprint and quickly pull the chain. An easier method it to use the “Become Etheral” shout and simply walk across the plates, taking no damage.If you have opened the drawbridge before Esbern tells you to type turn the pillars you can run ahead and just pull the chain without the pressure plates being activated.

The tunnel opens up into a large room just prior to the Temple. In the wall ahead, there is a very large stone face, and a few feet in front of the face is a circular platform. Esbern thinks the entrance will open if you shed a few drops of Dragonborn blood onto the pressure plate. If you click on the plate, a cut-scene plays showing you cut your hand to dribble some blood on the plate. The face slides up and reveals a doorway. You can see a treasure chest with a quicksilver vein to the right. Note: You cannot click on the plate if you are not doing the quest.

Instead of racing ahead like they have until now, Esbern and Delphine decide you should have the honor of being the first to enter the great Sky Haven Temple. As you come up into a large, open room with a large table and a carved stone frieze, Esbern reverts to historical scholar. As he examines the frieze wall, he explains that it tells the story of Alduin‘s time of dragon rule, the human rebellion led by those who could “shout,” and finally a panel that shows Alduin defeated by a Shout. Esbern fears that only this Shout will defeat Alduin. Delphine isn’t pleased about involving the Greybeards at High Hrothgar but agrees that you will have to return to them and ask to learn that Shout.

After your conversation with Esbern, he offers to give you a Dragonslayer’s Blessing that will increase your chance to gain critical hits against dragons by 10% for 5 days. You can talk to him and get the blessing again, but he advises that you only get it if you are expecting to kill some dragons.

Explore the Temple for a while. You will discover the room to the opposite of Alduin’s Wall(to your left at the top of the stairs) has a complete set of Blade Heavy Armor and the sword Dragonbane. An upper room has a number of beds and chests. Delphine decides the Temple will be the new Blade headquarters. If you have worthy warriors who will drop previous allegiances and swear to the Blades, you may send them to Delphine at the Temple to build up the numbers of Blades.

Rewards

• After completion of this quest, the Dragonborn can speak to Esbern and receive the Dragonslayer’s Blessing effect.
• There is a room that is not on the map, to the west of the northwestern room. In that room are a number of beds and chests with gold and various hides. From the main room, go up the stairs to the left of the floor area with 4 chairs (behind the table). At the first landing (which is only about 12 steps up from the main floor), go to the left (west) side. There is another set of stairs that leads to the sleeping area.

Achievements

	Alduin’s Wall Complete “Alduin’s Wall”
Points	20
Trophy

Gallery

Concept art of Alduin’s Wall Temple.

Cocept art of Alduin’s Wall.

Alduin’s Wall from the trailer.

Trivia

• Alduin’s Wall prophesied the events depicted in Arena, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim.
• This puzzle can be bypassed by jumping onto one of the puzzle pillars and using Whirlwind Sprint to bridge the gap, but, seeing as Delpine and Esbern do not follow you when this method is used, it is far easier to just solve the puzzle.
• To use the blood door, you will always use the weakest knife in your inventory.

Bugs

A Cornered Rat

A Cornered Rat
Quest Giver	Delphine
Location	The Ratway
Prerequisite	Diplomatic Immunity
Next Quest	Alduin’s Wall
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ202

A Cornered Rat is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

During Diplomatic Immunity, the Dragonborn will find out about Esbern, an old friend of Delphine and the only other member of the Blades in Skyrim. Delphine will tell the Dragonborn to go to the Ratway in Riften to find him before the Thalmor do. Thalmor Agents will pop up outside as well, once the Dragonborn has talked to Esbern, the agents will attack.

Walkthrough

Locating Esbern

Esbern is located in the Ratway Warrens behind a barred door with a viewing slot. Access the Ratway Warrens by traveling through several areas, including the Ratway, The Ragged Flagon, and The Ratway Vaults. The Ratway’s main entrance is located on the South end and lower level of Riften .

Brynjolf, if not spoken to already, will be located in town during the day and at the Bee and Barb at night. Talking to Brynjolf at the Bee and Barb will trigger conversation leading to the Thieves Guild quest line. If the Dragonborn has already become a member of the Thieves Guild they can talk to Brynjolf or Vekel the Man inside the Ragged Flagon Cistern to advance to the next part of the quest.

Alternatively, chatting to Keerava, the barmaid of the Bee and Barb, can give the Dragonborn the information without putting the question to Brynjolf, although this will bypass the introduction to the Thieves Guild. In the Ragged Flagon, talk to Vekel about Esbern. He will not give information about Esbern unless the Dragonborn has a high persuasion, 140 or beats him in a Brawl. Then, he will give Esbern’s location and warn of Thalmor looking for him as well.

After meeting with Brynjolf and mentioning Esbern, he will give information that Esbern is in the Ratways, and the quest marker will update accordingly. There have been problems reported with quest advancement if the quest, A Chance Arrangement, has been picked up. A Cornered Rat can progress after completing A Chance Arrangement or after being caught. Brynjolf then will ask the Dragonborn if they want to join the thieves guild (if this hasn’t been done already), and a new quest will start. The slot on Esbern’s door will be closed, and conversation with Esbern is not possible if the quest has not advanced properly.

Ratway

Some events in the Ratway may unfold differently depending on certain events in Diplomatic Immunity.

If this is the first time inside the Ratway, there will be a few enemies to fight through to get to the headquarters of the Thieves Guild. If a member of the Thieves’ Guild, the Dragonborn may enter through the secret entrance in the Riften graveyard.

If in the quest in which the Dragonborn infiltrates to the Thalmor Embassy, if the Dragonborn does not kill a man named Gissur, It is possible to be attacked by him outside the entrance to The Ragged Flagon. Inside, after the attack, Gissur may be identified by Guild members and killed. The Dragonborn can take Gissur’s Note from his body. The note may also be found in the Ratway without the body. If Gissur was killed at the Thalmor Embassy, he will not appear during this quest.

From the Ragged Flagon, head through the Ratway Tunnels to get to the Ratway Warrens. It may be necessary to fight several Thalmor while navigating through the tunnels before locating the entrance. Once in the Warrens, locate a locked door with a viewing slot at the top of a set of steps and activate the door to engage Esbern in conversation. The Dragonborn will then be able to tell Esbern about Delphine and warn him of the Thalmor searching for him. After being convinced, there is an unusually long delay as he gathers his thoughts and unlocks what seems like an absurd number of door locks and bars.

Once inside, the conversation will continue as he gathers his belongings. He will be able to provide some additional background information about the Blades, and the Dragonborn will bring him up to date on current events. There may be more Thalmor to engage while exiting the Ratway with Esbern in tow. These are easier to manage with him fighting alongside. Alternatively, the Dragonborn can just run back into the Ragged Flagon where Esbern should appear, and have members of the Guild take them out.

Exiting the Ratway

When the Dragonborn manages to escape the Ratway along with Esbern, they will both appear in Riften’s lower walkway, and Esbern will soon comment about breathing fresh air. Esbern will follow the Dragonborn, and as they walk to Riften’s gate they will encounter a Thalmor assassin, a female Khajiit wearing normal, casual clothes and an Elven Dagger. After the assassin is dealt with they must travel to Riverwood and report to Delphine.

Bugs

Diplomatic Immunity

Diplomatic Immunity is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Diplomatic Immunity
Quest Giver	Delphine
Location	Thalmor Embassy
Prerequisite	A Blade in the Dark
Next Quest	A Cornered Rat
Reward	Progress in storyline
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ201

Objectives

1. Meet Delphine in Riverwood.
2. Meet Malborn in Solitude.
3. The Dragonborn gives Malborn their equipment.
4. Meet Delphine at Katla’s Farm in Solitude.
5. Create a distraction and get away from the party.
6. (Optional) Retrieve the Dragonborn’s gear.
7. Search for information about the Dragons returning.
8. Escape the Thalmor Embassy.
9. Talk to Delphine.

Journal

It seems that things are worse than even Delphine thought. Dragons aren’t just coming back to life, they’re being resurrected by other dragons. Delphine suspects that the Thalmor might be bringing dragons back for some sinister purpose. She’s going to help me infiltrate the Thalmor ambassador’s manor and find out what they know about the dragons. I should meet with her contact, Malborn, in the Winking Skeever Inn in Solitude.

Walkthrough

Meeting Malborn

Delphine thinks that the Thalmor know something about the dragons’ return to Skyrim. She has a plan to get the Dragonborn into the Thalmor embassy, to gain access to their secret documents in an attempt to find out more about the situation at hand. She will acquire a legitimate invitation to a reception being held by the Thalmor ambassador, Elenwen. Find the Bosmer, Malborn, at the Winking Skeever tavern in Solitude.

When arriving, Malborn will agree to smuggle some equipment into the back-rooms. Malborn can bring an unlimited amount of gear with him, while the only gear the Dragonborn will have during the beginning of the mission will be what has been given to Malborn.

There is only one chance to give him gear. Nothing else can be given him once the trade dialogue closes, and remember nothing else can be taken inside; give it to Malborn. Give him some lockpicks, since there will be locks to pick.

Afterwards, the Dragonborn will meet with Delphine at the Solitude Stables at Katla’s Farm to pick up the invitation and party disguise, and then drop off everything else on hand with Delphine; everything given to her will be stored safely until reclaimed after the mission. Delphine will store the inventory in a chest in her hidden office in the Sleeping Giant Inn, in Riverwood.

Once at the party, the Dragonborn will be approached by ambassador Elenwen and will become engaged in conversation. Malborn interrupts the conversation, causing the ambassador to walk off. The Dragonborn then has the opportunity to speak with Malborn and ask him for a drink.

Distract the Party Guests

Ambassador Elenwen greets the Dragonborn upon entering the Thalmor Embassy. After speaking with her, the Dragonborn will need to create an opening to slip out of the party; tell Malborn when ready, and he’ll wait by the door behind the bar for the Dragonborn’s next move:

• If Razelan is talked to, (he’s on the bench nearest to Malborn) he’ll ask for a drink. Malborn can conveniently provide the Dragonborn with a Colovian Brandy to give to Razelan, who then offers to do the Dragonborn a favor in return. Getting a drink from the Bosmer servant, Brelas, and giving it to Razelan will also work. Tell him to cause a scene, and he will make a grandiose announcement, causing a distraction.
• Alternatively, if the Dragonborn is acquainted with Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone and has previously assisted her, she may be asked to cause a distraction, as “an old woman can get away with anything”. She will then begin harassing Razelan and making a scene, providing the necessary cover.
• Another option is to overhear Erikur trying to flirt with the Bosmer servant Brelas, unsuccessfully. Speaking with Erikur afterward will make him mention his weakness for Bosmer women, and the Dragonborn can therefore offer to speak with her on his behalf. Speaking to Brelas reveals her dislike for guests like Erikur and asks that he be persuaded to leave her alone. Speak to Erikur once again, and any speech option chosen will cause Erikur to lose his temper and causes a scene.
• If on good terms with Ondolemar, the Dragonborn may ask him to make a distraction (after a persuasion check) where he begins accusing Razelan of insulting the Thalmor.
• If the Dragonborn has a higher speechcraft skill and Vittoria Vici is there, she can be persuaded to cause a distraction.
• If the quest for Orthus Endario has been completed, the Dragonborn may ask him to make a distraction, in which he will accuse Razelan of insulting the Thalmor.
• If the Dragonborn has become the leader of the Thieves Guild, then the Dragonborn may request Maven Black-Briar to cause a distraction.
• Other people the Dragonborn has done favors for might be in attendance, including other jarls.  Some might be persuaded to make a distraction.  This distraction, like that caused by Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone, will likely involve making a scene at Razelan’s expense.  This has been observed with Igmund and Elisif the Fair, among others.

Once there’s an opening, go to the door behind the bar and follow Malborn. Go through the kitchen to a pantry, retrieve the smuggled equipment from a chest, and go through a door into the next hallway. Malborn will lock the door behind the Dragonborn, completing this phase of the mission.

Thalmor espionage

As Malborn locks the door, look through a doorway to the left and overhear two Thalmor agents chatting at a bar. Behind the bar are stairs leading up to a Thalmor Wizard. Kill them (or wait for them to move out of the way and sneak past them), and then either go through the ground floor exit or turn left at the top of the stairs. Kill or sneak around the mage, and then turn left again to enter a room with access to a second floor exit. This will open to an exterior area with more enemies to kill or avoid. The two guards can be avoided, but a mage guards the door and will alert the guards if he is attacked. If a general alarm is raised, additional guards will come from the barracks. Once clear, enter the only door into the ambassador’s offices (Elenwen’s Solar).

A Dragonborn that is an Altmer and is wearing hooded Thalmor robes may walk past all the guards without incident. Walking is essential, as immediately running, even as an Altmer and wearing Thalmor robes will cause the guards to become hostile. Even if the Dragonborn is an Altmer, the Thalmor wizard at the door to the Solar will ask why they are not at their post. At this point, the option to persuade the wizard that Elenwyn wants to see them inside becomes available. If this persuasion is successful, the wizard will say to “take his post” and say not to let anyone in, at which point he should leave the area but appears to stay where he is. Either way, once inside the Solar, any disguise will no longer work and everyone inside will become hostile on sight.

Inside, either kill everyone or sneak over to the chest the quest arrow is pointing to, and grab the needed items. Read the documents taken to activate the next arrow. If Rulindil and/or Gissur are not killed, they will have to be fought later (when exiting the Embassy, and in a follow-up quest in the Ratway, respectively).

There are locked display cases in Rulindil’s office, containing two elven daggers, a gold and ruby circlet, and a gold and emerald circlet.

After recovering the quest items from the offices, the quest arrow will lead down into the dungeon, where Etienne Rarnis is being kept captive. If Rulindil was killed in his office, the only other person in the dungeon will be a guard patrolling outside the cells. If Rulindil was allowed to walk down the stairs, he will also be there, sitting at a desk (taking notes) while the guard tortures the prisoner. Information about Esbern is needed to proceed. This can be done in three ways:

• Pretend to be an interrogator and order the prisoner to repeat what he told the Thalmor.
• Release the prisoner and ask if he has any useful information.
• Open the chest and read the documents inside.

Whichever method is used, learning about Esbern triggers a scripted event leading to the next stage of the quest.

The Escape

After the Dragonborn learns about Esbern, two Thalmor guards will enter the dungeon with Malborn in custody; his cover blown. The guards hold the key to the trapdoor, so they have to be killed. If the Dragonborn is an Altmer dressed in full Elven Armor the guards will not be hostile, allowing them to get close enough for melee weapons to be effective.

Once through the trapdoor, a frost troll will be waiting, as well as any followers that might have been left before entering the party. Under the stone ledge is a necromancer’s body, an Illusion Skill Book: Before the Ages of Man, a Stone of Barenziah, and some loot.

• The Stone is only under the ledge in Patch 1.4 or later.

Exiting the cave will allow seeing off anyone that was saved (they don’t seem very interested in talking). Return to Riverwood to reclaim any gear from Delphine’s chest. If Etienne survived, he can later be found in Riften among the Thieves Guild.

Trivia

• It is not possible to go into sneak when the party is first entered. Sneaking becomes possible only after Malbern has opened the door allowing the Dragonborn to leave the party.
• If Malborn escapes, he can later be found in Windhelm, in the Gray Quarter bar. He offers a quest to Find the Thalmor Assassin that the Thalmor sent after him for his treachery.
• If the embassy is returned to following this quest, the gates will be able to be opened through normal lockpicking, whereas before the quest they required a key to open. However, the embassy building itself will be locked and requires a key.
• There are Thalmor robes in a room near the kitchen which will act as a disguise, making it easier to sneak around. Imperials, Bretons, Nords and Redguards can avoid detection at a distance, Dunmer and Bosmer can get closer, and Altmer can stroll around without question. This only works if no weapons, spells, amulets/necklaces, or rings are equipped. It does not work for Khajiit, Orsimer, and Argonians regardless of any other circumstances-they’re just too different from Altmer.
• A dragon may attack the courtyard and be beneficial in distracting the Thalmor soldiers. However, it may appear immediately after exiting the cave, thus adding a considerable challenge in keeping Malborn, Ettienne and Brelas alive (they will attack it unarmed).
• Regardless of race (even if an Altmer), if a vampire, no one will believe the disguise and will attack on sight.
• Characters outside of the quest will talk about the party. At least one will mention “I heard some (the Dovahkiin’s race) ruined the party.”
• If Maven Black-Briar has been talked to previously and is talked to during the party, she will say to refrain from talking to her unless the Dragonborn wants her to blow their cover. (She does this even if she hasn’t been spoken to before.)
• Although Ondolemar is in the party, if the Miscellaneous quest of giving him Ogmund’s Amulet of Talos isn’t completed before the quest, it can’t be completed during the party.
• People who provide distraction options (Aside from Razelan himself and Erikur) will always make a scene about humiliating Razelan.
• A dragon may appear right after giving the Dragonborn’s equipment to Delphine. This may prove a challenge as they will have no weapons or armour – aside from quest items (e.g. Ulfric’s War Axe) and cannot speak to Delphine and board the carriage for the party until the dragon is dealt with.
• It is possible to sneak in a small amount of equipment without Malborn. Before giving Delphine the equipment, go to the Thalmor Embassy and place anything desired on top of the wall next to the main gate (there is an invisible wall preventing throwing it overy). Go to Dephine and board the carriage to the embassy, and the gear should be on the outer wall (be careful with valuable items as they may fall off). Tested on  360  .

Bugs

Achievements

	Diplomatic Immunity Complete “Diplomatic Immunity”
Points	20
Trophy

Elder Scrolls-A Blade in the Dark

A Blade in the Dark
Quest Giver	Delphine (Sleeping Giant Inn)
Location	Kynesgrove Dragon Burial Ground
Prerequisite	The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller
Next Quest	Diplomatic Immunity
Reward	Random Dragon encounters
Faction	Blades
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ106

A Blade in the Dark is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Background

Delphine believes that dragons are coming back to life and the next one will resurrect near the town of Kynesgrove. Once I’ve convinced her that I’m dragonborn by killing the dragon, she promises to explain who she is and what she wants with me.

Quick walkthrough

1. Talk to Delphine
2. Locate the dragon burial site
3. Kill the Dragon, Sahloknir
4. Return to Delphine

Walkthrough

Delphine

Talk to Delphine, she will explain that Dragons are coming back to life. The Dragonborn is then asked to prove that they are indeed Dragonborn by killing a dragon. She believes that the next dragon to come back to life will do so east of the town of Kynesgrove. She will then give the choice to either travel to Kynesgrove together or go there alone.

Sahloknir

Upon reaching Kynesgrove, Alduin will be hovering over the grave. Alduin is performing an act to bring a dragon back to life. Alduin cannot be killed at this time. Once he is finished, the dragon Sahloknir will arise from the grave site. Sahloknir needs to be killed. This will be a tough fight; use ranged attacks when possible, and try to use flank and rear attacks when the dragon lands.

A follower, along with Delphine will be useful for distracting Sahloknir. This fight can be made easier by attacking Sahloknir before he has been fully revived by Alduin. This way his life can be reduced before he’s able to fight back. Sahloknir and Alduin are supposed to engage in a lengthy conversation, even addressing the Dragonborn themselves before combat occurs, and rushing in to combat will cause this dialogue to be skipped.

After killing Sahloknir, loot his body. Then talk to Delphine. The Diplomatic Immunity quest will begin, requiring the Dragonborn to go with her back to the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.

Resurrection dialogue

Alduin: “Sahloknir, ziil gro dovah ulse!” (Sahloknir, I bind your dragon spirit for eternity!)
Alduin: “Slen tiid vo!” (Flesh Time Undo!)
Sahloknir: “Alduin, thuri! Boaan tiid vokriiha suleyksejun kruziik?” (Alduin, my lord! The ancient undead rising again?)
Alduin: “Geh, Sahloknir, kaali mir.” (Yes, Sahloknir, the Allegiance of Champions.)
Alduin: “Ful, losei Dovahkiin? Zu’u koraav nid nol dov do hi.” (So, you’re the Dragonborn? Your voice shines not from Dragonkind, but from yourself)
Alduin: “You do not even know our tongue, do you? Such arrogance, to dare take for yourself the name of Dovah.”
Alduin: “Sahloknir, krii daar joorre.” (Sahloknir, slay the mortals)

Gallery

Delphine watches as Sahloknir is resurrected by Alduin

Delphine and the Dragonborn fight Sahloknir

Add a photo to this gallery

Trivia

• If the Dragonborn does not immediately return to the Sleeping Giant Inn with Delphine, then she will wait in the Bannered Mare in Whiterun until they return to Riverwood.
• The name of this quest may be a reference to the quest A Knife in the Dark from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and a play on those words, or a reference to the eleventh chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring (by JRR Tolkien) “A knife in the dark”.

Bugs

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller (Quest)

For other uses, see The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller
Quest Giver	Arngeir
Location	Ustengrav
Prerequisite	The Way of the Voice
Next Quest	A Blade in the Dark
Reward	Progress in storyline Dah (Final word of Unrelenting Force shout) One word of Become Ethereal
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ105Ustengrav

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Background

After demonstrating my abilities to learn the Words of Power and to Call Upon the Mighty Winds, the Greybeard Arngeir has sent me on a final trial – retrieving the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller from his tomb in Ustengrav, a burial in the marshes of Hjaalmarch.

Walkthrough

First, travel to Ustengrav, which is just northeast of Morthal. Inside are Mages, Necromancers, Draugr, and Conjurers fighting each other. A sneaky enough Dragonborn can let them handle each other and clean up the leftovers. There are four things of note in this tomb: a hard-to-reach room, a word of power for the Shout Become Ethereal, a puzzle room, and a note.

Ustengrav

The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller is easier to do on lower levels.

The Shout

The hard-to-reach room is in Ustengrav Depths. In there the large pillars have collapsed paths along them. Find the rock closest to the first pillar and jump across to it. Whirlwind Sprint is needed to reach the last two pillars. At the end is a room with a dead Draugr, a Soul Gem, and a chest.

There is a waterfall back in the main cavern (the north side) and a path that leads down to it. A Word Wall for the Shout Become Ethereal. There is a level dependent draugr slumbering in a small cave behind the waterfall itself. There is also a chest there.

The puzzle room

There is a puzzle room with three stones that activate three timed doors, use Whirlwind Sprint within distance of the two farthest stones and then immediately sprint through the gates. The stones are proximity sensitive, but only two of the three can be activated from one place, nor will a waiting follower keep them activated. Activate the two furthest from the gates. The third will activate and open its gate as it is passed using Whirlwind Sprint. (Better to sprint to the third stone and then use Whirlwind.) Once you have passed all of the gates, they will stay open, allowing your follower to pass.

The flaming floor

After going through the catacomb-like room, there is a room with a large number of pressure-triggered fire traps on the floor. The curved diamond shapes in the center of each tile are different shades of gray. The lighter tiles are safe to step on, while the darker ones will trigger flame traps. Another solution, besides to use Whirlwind Sprint, is to use the Become Ethereal shout, which will render the flames harmless for as long as the shout is in effect. After passing the pressure plates, there may be one or two regular Frostbite Spiders and one Giant Frostbite Spider. It is also possible to walk on the rocky sides rather than the pressure tiles for most of the trapped hall. Another solution is to shoot the tiles with a spell such as Firebolt or Ice Spike. Flames/Sparks, etc. don’t work. The impact of a bolt or spike is enough to set off the trap if it’s not a safe tile.

After making it past the spiders, there is a doorway blocked by spider webs, which can be cut with a sword. Behind is a wooden door, which leads to a gate activated by a chain. This leads to a room where four statues rise out of the water.

The Unfortunate News

Unfortunately, the horn has been stolen and replaced with a note from Delphine. The note is in the stone hand at the place where the horn should be. The note must be actively taken and read, even though the quest system tells its contents when it announces that the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller quest failed.

The note sends the Dragonborn to the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. Talk to Delphine and ask for the attic room. She will say that they don’t have an attic room, but to take the room on the left. Go into the room. If Delphine does not immediately enter the room, sleep or wait for a few hours. Delphine will then be there. After the conversation, follow her and she will give the Dovahkiin the horn. She will then ask that she be joined on a quest to be proved a Dragonborn. This begins the A Blade in the Dark quest.

Return to the Greybeards

Travel back to High Hrothgar and present the horn to Arngeir. The Greybeards will gather in the main hall where Wulfgar will teach the final word of the shout Unrelenting Force.

Following this the Greybeards will perform a ritual that formally recognizes the Dovahkiin a Dragonborn. The Greybeards shout at once in Dragon language the following:

“Long has the Storm Crown Languished with no worthy brow to sit upon.
By our breath we bestow it now to you in the name of Kyne, in the name of Shor, and in the name of Atmora of old.
You are Ysmir now, the Dragon of the North. Hearken to it.”

Once the ritual is completed, the quest is completed.

Trivia

• If the Dragonborn does not have any money when asking to rent the attic room from Delphine, the room can be rented for free.
• After completing the quest, the Dragonborn can return to Ustengrav and activate the altar where the note was for a free Dragon Soul.
• After presenting the horn to Arngeir, when he performs the ritual that formally recognizes the Dovahkiin as a Dragonborn, a follower that may be there will not die, even hearing the voices of the Greybeards, knowing that even a whisper could kill anyone who is not prepared.

Bugs

• If the Dragonborn skips entering the attic room and talks to Delphine outside, the Dragonborn will not receive the The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller and will not be able to continue on with the rest of the main storyline.
  •  PC   Solution: Enter this command in the console: setstage MQ105Ustengrav 60. Doing so will instantly complete the quest.
  •  360   There is a chance that the shout word Dah will be written on the floor and not be able to be learned.

The Way of the Voice

The Way of the Voice
Quest Giver	Jarl Balgruuf the Greater
Location	High Hrothgar Ivarstead
Prerequisite	Dragon Rising
Next Quest	The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller
Reward	Ro (Second word of Unrelenting Force Shout), Wuld (First word of Whirlwind Sprint shout)
Faction	Greybeards
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ105

The Way of the Voice is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Background

The Greybeards have summoned me to their monastery of High Hrothgar on the slopes of the Throat of the World. They seem to have learned of the mysterious power I gained when I killed the Dragon outside Whiterun.

Walkthrough

The Shout

After the completion of Dragon Rising, a powerful shout will be heard from the mountains close to Whiterun. Upon talking to Jarl Balgruuf, it is revealed that the shout was caused by the Greybeards, summoning the Dragonborn to High Hrothgar. The Jarl (after a heated discussion between Proventus Avenicci and Hrongar) will suggest that the Dragonborn should travel to High Hrothgar, so that the Greybeards can educate them in the way of the voice.

The first stage of this quest is to travel to Ivarstead, in the Rift. The safest way is to travel via a route south from Whiterun, beginning at the destroyed Helgen, staying on the main road and heading east through the mountains. Alternatively, they could follow a route north, around the mountain, but this may present some challenges to low-level players (Valtheim Towers, Wispmother Pass, Trolled Stormcloak Cave).

Once in Ivarstead, cross the bridge and travel up the “7000 steps” to reach High Hrothgar. Before doing so however, talking to some of the villagers can provide some information about High Hrothgar. One in particular, Klimmek, will request that they deliver some supplies to High Hrothgar, by placing them in the offering chest located just outside of the building. Doing so will reward them with a leveled amount of gold.

One should be careful when travelling up the steps, as there is an array of enemies that could be encountered, including a (fixed) Frost Troll and other random leveled enemies such as Ice Wolves, Snow Bears or Ice Wraiths. The Frost Troll can be difficult to defeat for a lower leveled and there are a wide range of different strategies which could be used when confronting it, including:

• Frost Trolls, like any other type of troll, have a weakness to fire. Using weapons which have a fire damage enchantment can give them an advantage, as well as using fire-based destruction spells. The Shout Fire Breath could also be used, as a word for it can be gained early on in the Companions storyline, during the quest Proving Honor. Alternatively, they could summon a Flame Atronach, a spell which can also be learnt early on, which would also expose the Troll’s weakness fire.
• Trolls can deal a substantial amount of damage, but most of it can be avoided by tactically falling back when one see the Troll raising his arms or preparing a power attack. If they need to heal, they can sprint away; the Troll will not generally outrun them. Similarly, using a shield to block the Troll’s attacks can also be effective, but does depend highly on timing.
• Being a Nord, one can use Battle Cry to make the Frost Troll flee for 30 seconds, giving enough time to run to High Hrothgar.
• It is possible to scale the rocks just before the troll, allowing them to use ranged attacks to safely eliminate it (using a bow with a fire enchantment would give a significant advantage, however, they could use ranged destruction spells including Fireball or Firebolt whilst following the same strategy).
• Another strategy is using the Unrelenting Force shout and then sprinting away while the Troll is stunned.

The temporary effect Voice of the Sky can be gained whilst travelling up the steps, by reading the ten etched tablets along the path. A short distance after the troll encounter, is High Hrothgar, and the next stage of the quest.

High Hrothgar

Once the Dragonborn has made it up the 7000 steps you arrive at High Hrothgar. Go inside and they will be approached by four members of the Greybeards, but only one will talk; Arngeir. He will ask the Dragonborn to demonstrate their abilities. Use the Shout on Arngeir, the Shouts cannot hurt them. After speaking to Arngeir, they must demonstrate their newly learned Word of Power on three spectral forms. Then go to the High Hrothgar Courtyard to learn and demonstrate the Whirlwind Sprint shout. After that, Arngeir tells them their training is complete.

Trivia

• The Way of the Voice is a lifestyle practiced by the Greybeards. They spend their entire life meditating and practicing to use power words.
• Apart from the Dragonborn, nobody is born able to easily pick up the Voice.
• There are two Hunters who when asked claim that they climb most of the way up the 7000 steps every couple of years.
• When the Greybeards shout after you kill the dragon, they say “Dovahkiin” which is “Dragonborn” in dragon tongue.

Bugs

• The objective “Speak to Arngeir” may not register as complete. If you have spoken to Arngeir, make sure you exit out of the small door down the stairs in front of Arngeir out into Skyrim. Sometimes when you turn around and exit out the big double doors, it will not register as completed. This can be easily fixed by re-entering the building and using the other exit (some players report this does not work either). Also may not register as complete if you climb the south side of the mountain, and do not enter through the front of the building.
• A similar bug will appear in which the dialogue with Arngeir will progress to the point where Einarth should give the player his “essence,” after learning the word Ro. However, the Greybeards have not gathered, and Einarth will not respond if found by the player. This does not appear to be an issue if a character progresses straight from killing the first dragon in Whiterun to High Hrothgar — the conflict seems to stem from completing a certain quest prior to entering High Hrothgar. In the absence of any documented fixes, players experiencing this bug are advised to use the console command setstage mq105 60 -> 120, incrementing by fives. Talk to Arngeir when necessary to ensure you’re completing the quest objectives.
• There’s also another bug you might encounter right after you’ve learned Ro. When you are going to test it, the greybeards summon targets for you by shouting Fiik Lo Sah. The bug lies in the targets, as they do not appear. To fix this, right after they’ve shouted Fiik Lo Sah, you should open your item menu and close it again. After you close the item menu the target should appear. If that does not work, try to exit the door and re-enter. If you run into these bugs on the PC you can use the console to finish the quest by typing

setstage MQ105 160

which will complete it.

• If you move around in the room while demonstrating your Unrelenting Force shout the targets may not react to it. To solve this stand next to Arngeir and use the shout on the targets.
• If you use Whirlwind Sprint with Master Borri when he passes through the gate, the Dragonborn can walk through it, whether it is open or closed.
• Sometimes, you are unable to learn the word of power from Borri. There is no known solution to this.
• Arngeir and Borri may freeze after demonstrating Whirlwind Spirit. You may still complete the quest and return the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller later on, but it will make completing the next quest impossible.

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (First appearance)

Achievements

	The Way of the Voice Complete “The Way of the Voice”
Points	20
Trophy

Dragon Rising

Dragon Rising is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Dragonborn‘s first battle against a dragon takes place during this quest, culminating with the absorption of their first Dragon Soul and soon gaining the attention of the Greybeards of High Hrothgar, who summon the Dragonborn to their presence.

Dragon Rising
Quest Giver	Jarl Balgruuf
Location	Dragonsreach, The Western Watchtower outside Whiterun
Prerequisite	Bleak Falls Barrow
Next Quest	The Way of the Voice
Reward	Thane of Whiterun Lydia (housecarl) Axe of Whiterun Dragon Shout (Unrelenting Force) Progress in storyline
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ104

Background

A dragon has been sighted at a watchtower near Whiterun. Jarl Balgruuf sends his housecarl Irileth, as well as some soldiers and a newly arrived warrior to kill the dragon.

Walkthrough

Follow Irileth to the Western Watchtower, which was attacked by Mirmulnir. Many men from the Whiterun garrison accompany the Dragonborn and Irileth in battle with the Dragon, equipped with bows and swords.

Use the debris of the wrecked tower for cover, or climb to the tower’s summit. From either location, use ranged weapons or spells to attack Mirmulnir. Once his health drops to below half, he should land, allowing melee attacks against him. Irileth and the guards may be able to distract Mirmulnir, long enough for a melee-oriented Dragonborn to attack from the flank or behind. Beware of his deadly breath.

Aftermath

After Mirmulnir is defeated, the player character absorbs his soul, much to the surprise and astonishment of the soldiers, who proclaim that they must be a legendary “Dragonborn.” Irileth, who is skeptical about the theory, tells the Dragonborn to report back to the Jarl. On the way back, they hear a loud sound. Jarl Balgruuf explains it to be the Greybeards calling them to High Hrothgar, and explains what it means to be a Dragonborn.

After completion of this quest, Dragons will begin appearing in the wild and attacking the Dragonborn at random.

Rewards

The Jarl promotes the Dragonborn to Thane of Whiterun, gives them the Axe of Whiterun, and assigns Lydia as their housecarl.

Trivia

• Waiting to complete this quest until later in the game can be useful to some players. The random dragon attacks can kill non-essential NPCs who still have favor activities or quests, make travel difficult, or simply annoy the player with the frequency of attacks.
• Tor is only mentioned during this quest. He was picked up and eaten by the Dragon. Whiterun guard armor can be found on the Dragon’s corpse, and it is most likely Tor’s armor.
• It’s not necessary to wait for Jarl Balgruuf to make his speech before going to fight Mirmulnir. As soon as Irileth interrupts Farengar, the player can go to the Western Watchtower, and a quest marker will already be there.
• Before starting this quest, the Western Watchtower is an unmarked location and is already destroyed, but without the fire.

Bugs

•  PC   Sometimes Lydia, the housecarl, does not appear and cannot be found. To fix this bug, open the console and type: player.placeatme 000A2C8E
• Sometimes after killing the Dragon, no dialogue is initiated and no shout is performed.
•  360   Sometimes when killing Mirmulnir, instead of saying Dragon Soul absorbed, it says that the first word of Unrelenting Force was learned.
• Sometimes Irileth will not run into Dragonsreach with info on the dragon sighting, preventing the quest from starting. This only seems to happen when talking to Farengar about the Dragonstone BEFORE obtaining it. Obtaining the Dragonstone before the first visit to Dragonsreach prevents this problem, as all the essential NPCs are already inside Dragonsreach. It is unclear if the bug only occurs in modded games (including official DLCs), or whether it is actually a vanilla problem. If the quest does not start, even using the ‘SetStage’ console command will not help start it.
• This quest has a chance of becoming bugged if done at a high level (15 or higher, when Mirmulnir spawns as a Blood Dragon). Mirmulnir will kill the guards in one attack and sometimes kill them faster then they respawn, resulting in no dialogue initiated when the Dragon dies.
• There is a bug where you can not take the soul from Mirmulnir if this happens you can download the Unofficial Dragonborn Patch and that fixes the problem.

Achievements

	Dragon Soul Absorb a dragon soul
Points	10
Trophy

Bleak Falls Barrow

For the location, see Bleak Falls Barrow (Location).

Bleak Falls Barrow
Quest Giver	Farengar Secret-Fire
Location	Bleak Falls Barrow
Prerequisite	Before the Storm
Next Quest	Dragon Rising
Reward	Ability to purchase a house in Whiterun Leveled item
Type	Main Quest
QuestID	MQ103

Bleak Falls Barrow is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Walkthrough

Bleak Falls Barrow

Travel to the Ancient Nordic ruins of Bleak Falls Barrow and enter. There are several bandits outside the entrance. It is advised to save before entering the barrow due to a glitch that may force reverting to the last save.

Once reaching a room with a bandit and a lever, watch him pull the lever, setting off a trap. set the pillars on the left of the entrance. The order, from left to right is: Snake, Snake, Fish.

Arvel the Swift

Travel further through the dungeon to winding stairs that go downwards. There are Skeevers at the bottom, and just around the corner waits a Wounded Frostbite Spider. Kill it and then speak to Arvel the Swift, who is trapped in a spider web. He wants to be freed, which can be done by hitting the spider web with a weapon. As soon as he’s free, Arvel will make a run for it – he is called “the Swift”, after all. Chase him down and kill him, or let the Draugr do the work. When he is released from the web, he recoils and has low health, an easy kill, before he can escape. If he manages to slay the Draugr, he may run over the pressure plate trap near the scene of the battle and get himself impaled on the swinging wall trap.

The Golden Claw

Arvel will have the Golden Claw with him. Continue through a hall where some Draugr wake up and attack. There are pressure plate traps near the entry and exit that will trigger a swinging wall trap. The next obstacle will be a swinging blade trap. The blades can be stopped with a chain pull after passing them. The next room has three more Draugr. Kill or avoid them and follow the path upstairs. At the room with a creek running through it go through the metal gate into the creek. The gate is opened by pulling the chain on the right side.

Next there is a Nordic puzzle door with three movable rings. The Golden Claw is the key here, both literally and figuratively. Align the three rings in a specific pattern, which can be seen when zooming in on the Claw in one’s inventory. The correct combination is on the palm of the Golden Claw (from top to bottom: Bear, Moth, Owl). When the rings have been correctly aligned, use the Claw in the middle of the door to open it.

Word Wall

Past the door lies the real treasure of the crypt: A Word Wall that teaches a word of the Dragon Shout ‘Unrelenting Force‘. Afterwards, a powerful Draugr will emerge from the sarcophagus nearby. Kill it and get the Dragonstone off its corpse, and leave the crypt through the exit nearby. Return the Dragon Stone to Farengar Secret-Fire, the Court Wizard for Jarl Balgruuf the Greater at Dragonsreach in Whiterun.

• At higher levels, the Dragonborn will fight a Dragon Priest instead of a Draugr. This Dragon Priest does not have a mask however.

Return to Dragonsreach and give the Dragonstone to Farengar, (with a stop off at Riverwood to return the Golden Claw to Lucan). Irileth will run in almost immediately and ask Farengar to come quickly to speak to the Jarl, beginning the quest Dragon Rising.

Trivia

• Lower level players can do serious damage to higher level Draugrs in this dungeon by leading them into traps.
• It is possible to find Farengar in conversation with Delphine, who wants his translation of the Dragonstone as soon as possible. Their conversation is informative.
• The player may already have the Dragonstone from The Golden Claw quest. If so, just give it to Farengar.
• There is a locked chest behind the word wall, reachable by following the water stream backwards.
• There is also an unlocked chest next to the waterfall that appears left of the stairs leading towards the exit.
• There is a small ledge that leads up to the exit where it is possible to use a bow to attack the Draugr without being hit. However, it can still use its shout.
• The Draugr at the Word Wall can and will use the Unrelenting Force shout.
• The last Draugr in the dungeon will always have a weapon with a Frost enchantment. It may be either one-handed or two-handed.
• There is a random potion located to the left after exiting the dungeon.
• On the way to Bleak Falls, if you are at a higher level, you may encounter a Frost Troll.
• You may also encounter a Frost Troll instead of a Draugr on the bridge above the waterfall and chest.

Bugs

•  360  There is a bug that occurs when leaving Arvel for the Draugrs, having run off he disappears along with all quest markers making the quest impossible to finish. Loading a previous save or killing him before he runs will fix this.
• The pillars in the puzzle room or the rings on the claw door will not move, exit and re-enter Bleak Falls Barrows. Reloading a previous save may resolve the issue.
• There is bug that makes the last Draugr unable to be looted. Saving and then loading will fix this. The bug occurs most often when the Draugr is killed on the bridge leading to the word wall or further away from his coffin, killing the Draugr on the word wall plateau reduces this chance.
•  360   There is a bug that will sometimes cause the rings to not rotate when trying to use the claw. Saving and reloading the save should resolve the issue.
• There is a bug that causes Skyrim to crash upon entering.
• If the Dragonstone is obtained after talking to Farengar about it, when it is given to him, he will take the stone, and will tell the Dragonborn to talk to the Jarl or steward, however, nothing will happen and the next quest will not start. The only way around this bug is to re-load a save from before going to Dragonsreach, get the Dragonstone, then go to Dragonsreach with the stone, this way one can give it directly to Farengar and the quest will progress as normal, the only problem with this method is that some dialogue between a hooded Delphine and Farengar will be missed. This bug has been reported in both standard and modded versions of Skyrim.
•  PS3   If you do not immediately speak to Farengar straight away and decide to do faction quests (such as for the College of Winterhold), the quest might bug and stop you from progressing. Farengar will only say that the Jarl will be in the throne room, even though he is standing right next to him.

Achievements

	Bleak Falls Barrow Complete “Bleak Falls Barrow”
Points	10
Trophy