The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim FAQ / Walkthrough [Guide]

Five years ago, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was released. The game was the
most successful Elder Scrolls game to date, generating massive critical and
commercial success. Five long years later, Bethesda has finally released The
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, to much hype and anticipation by starving Elder
Scrolls fans. It’s one of the grandest adventures ever created in gaming, so be
ready to enter a fantasy world full of excitement…but don’t go unprepared!
Use this guide to help you complete all the quests in the game and much more!

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Written by Dalton “Horror Spooky” Cooper
Copyright 2011 Cheat Masters

Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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1. Introduction and Controls
2. Character Creation
3. Main Quest
A. Unbound
B. Before the Storm
C. Bleak Falls Barrow
D. Dragon Rising
E. The Way of the Voice
F. The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller
G. A Blade in the Dark
H. Diplomatic Immunity
I. A Cornered Rat
J. Alduin’s Wall
K. The Throat of the World
L. Elder Knowledge
M. Alduin’s Bane
N. The Fallen
O. Season Unending
P. Paarthurnax
Q. The World-Eater’s Eyrie
R. Sovngarde
S. Dragonslayer
4. Side Quests
5. Misc. Quests
6. Guild Quests
7. Civil War
8. Daedric Quests
9. Dawnguard
A. Dawnguard Walkthrough
B. Dawnguard Achievements

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1. Introduction and Controls
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Hundreds of years after the conclusion of Oblivion, the focus of the series has
shifted from the imperial lands of Cyrodiil to the northern-most region of
Tamriel, Skyrim. In Skyrim, the land is quickly falling into chaos as a war for
control of Tamriel is brewing, and dragons have suddenly returned to the world,
deadlier and more dangerous than ever before. Luckily there is one person that
the people of Skyrim can count on to fight these dragons…a dragonborn…you.

Your adventure starts now.

LT – Left Hand
RT – Right Hand
A – Activate
X – Ready/Sheathe
Start – Journal
B – Character Menu
RS – Toggle POV
Y – Jump
LB – Sprint
RB – Shout/Power
LS – Sneak
Back – Wait

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2. Character Creation
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“A different person in a different world.”

It’s time to create your character that you will use during your grand adventures in Skyrim.

However, there is a ton of information to digest in regards to the character creation process. So for your convenience, click here for all the information about character creating in Skyrim:

Character Creation Guide

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3. Main Quest Walkthrough
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A. UNBOUND
==========
Following the beginning cut-scene and the creation of your character, all hell
will break loose in Helgen. Heh. Hell, Helgen. But yeah, a dragon totally
attacks the village, bringing hellfire and brimstone with him. The game will
use this opportunity to teach you how to walk around, so do so. Specifically,
walk straight ahead into the nearby tower, following Hadvar, the man that was
kind of nice to you (before being witness to your near-decapitation, of
course).

Once inside, the survivors of the attack will talk about the OMGWTF moment that
has just occurred, and afterwards, run up the nearby staircase. The dragon will
destroy the wall and spew flames in your face. You’ll take damage, but you can
probably step out of the way if you are quick enough. The dragon will back off
when he’s done being a hothead (I’m still high on puns after that Arkham City
guide). Exit the tower by jumping out of the hole the dragon created and
through the roof of the nearby building.

Once you land, push your way out of the house. Keep following the objective
marker that is on the top of the screen. You’ll be lead through the village,
encounter a child that is nearly burnt to a crisp, and you’ll also run by a few
magic users that attempt to take the dragon out with fire spells, but their
efforts prove futile. You’ll then run into Ralof, the dude in blue that was
chilling with you on your nice and comfy wagon ride to Helgen. Ralof and Hadvar
will each head to a different door at the nearby Keep, and you get to choose
which man you wish to follow.

I am not 100% certain if there are any substantial differences depending on who
you decide to follow. In my initial walkthrough, I chose to follow Hadvar, but
I will go back through and choose to follow Ralof to see if there’s any major
differences that need to be addressed in the guide. Feel free to leave me a
comment below if you chose Ralof so you can give me the skinny on that
situation, and I can update the guide immediately.

Upon entering the Keep, approach the man you followed and they will free you
from the ties that bind…your hands together. With your hands free, scour the
room for equipment. There is a chest containing swords and armor that I highly
suggest you loot, plus there are other weapons on the walls and more equipment
lying around here and there. Load up, then continue through the Keep. You will
face off against a couple adversaries in your first combat encounter, but your
buddy will help you and you can defeat them extremely easy. They aren’t well-
armed and they don’t have good armor, so it’s a cake walk when it comes to
defeating the suckers.

Loot their dead bodies if you wish, but otherwise keep making your way through
the Keep. Take care of any opposition that steps in your path using your spiffy
new weapons of minor destruction and you’ll make your way to the dungeons of
the Keep. There will be an optional objective to search a barrel for potions,
so do that if you wish.

In the actual dungeons, there is a table that has more potions on it, as well
as a book, some gold, and a sack nailed to the nearby post. Loot the sack for
lockpicks. Your companion will give you more lockpicks to unlock the nearby
cells so you can loot them as well, though this is another optional objective.
Do this if you wish. Lockpicking works exactly like in Fallout 3, by the way.
You simply rotate the left analog stick, then move the right analog stick when
you think the lockpick is in the correct position. If it is not in the correct
position, then the lock will jiggle. If you try to force it, your lockpick will
snap.

When you’re done in the dungeon area, follow your companion through the nearby
secret tunnels. You’ll have to pull a lever to gain access. You’ll come across
more enemies, so deal with them, then keep pushing through the caverns. There
will be a room with a bunch of poisonous spiders that need to be defeated, so
kill them all. You can knock the webbed bodies off the ceiling for loot.
Otherwise, just keep following the objective marker on your compass on the top
of the screen to make your way out of this dark tunnel area.

At a certain point, your companion will notice a large bear. The bear will walk
around in a tired manner and then curl up in a ball on the ground to go to
sleep. This is where the game decides to teach you about sneaking. Click on the
left analog stick to crouch, and then slowly tilt the analog stick to avoid
detection. You can choose to fight this bear if you wish to have your ass
kicked. I doubt this is something high on your to-do list, so just quietly make
your way past it.

The objective marker and the compass on the top of the screen is most certainly
your friend. Use it to lead you and your companion out of the cave and into the
wondrous land of Skyrim. Take a minute to take in the beautiful scenery and
then watch in horror as the dragon flies by overhead. You and your companion
will split up.

Your adventure begins…now.

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B. BEFORE THE STORM
===================
This quest is extremely straight-forward and quite simple in nature. Head to
Riverwood when you get the chance. Once you arrive, seek out Alvor the
blacksmith. Speak with him, and then he will give you instructions to head to
Whiterun and ask Jarl to send help to Riverwood in case the dragon decides to
destroy their little city.

Start making your way towards Whiterun. When you reach the city gates, a guard
will stop you. You will have many conversation options to get past the guard,
and really the choice is yours as to what you decide to do in order to get
access into the city. You can simply tell him that the matter is urgent and
involves Riverwood if you’d like, by the way. This doesn’t require any speech
abilities or anything of that sort.

Upon entering the city, head to Jarl. You’ll find him sitting on his throne,
speaking to his subordinates. Interrupt their conversation and tell Jarl the
news about Riverwood. A couple of his subordinates will argue about the course
of action that should be taken next. Jarl will issue his orders to them, and
then he will resume speaking with you about the urgent matter of the dragon that
has suddenly appeared in Skyrim.

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C. BLEAK FALLS BARROW
=====================
Follow the Jarl to his resident wizard Farengar, who has conveniently been
conducting research about dragons lately. Jarl will say that you are just the
guy to help Farengar obtain the Dragonstone, a tablet found in Bleak Falls
Barrow. Head there and complete the dungeon. For more information on how to
successfully traverse through the dungeon, please refer to the Side Quests
section in the guide, specifically the quest called “The Golden Claw”. In fact,
you should probably do that entire quest as well while you’re at it.

With the Dragonstone in your possession, return to Farengar. Give him the
Dragonstone to complete this quest.

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D. DRAGON RISING
================
After handing the Dragonstone over to Farengard, Jarl Balgruuf’s military gal
Irileth will rush in and announce that the dragon has been spotted. Follow her
to the Jarl upstairs. They will talk amongst themselves, and then you will be
instructed to accompany Irileth to the Western Watchtower where the Dragon was
spotted.

Just head to the Western Watchtower immediately. Don’t bother following Irileth
as she, like other NPCs, are pretty useless when it comes to getting anywhere
fast. Upon reaching the designated objective marker location, wait for any
amount of time by pressing the back button, and then Irileth and a bunch of
Whiterun soldiers will appear. Irileth will give you your orders, which is to
go investigate the Western Watchtower nearby and search for survivors that may
know something.

Go inside the tower and then climb the stairs to the top. The dragon will then
appear and start spewing fire at you. Ignore it and run back down the stairs.
Head outside, and then the dragon will land. It will attack everyone around, so
nail it with ranged attacks, like with a bow and arrow, or blast it with magic
if you have any. You can always get close and hack and slash the beast if you
have the guts, but be sure to have your healing spell equipped and ready if you
take this route.

When the dragon is dead, loot its body. Its body will then begin to dissolve,
and you will absorb its soul. You can then complete an optional objective by
pressing RB and unleashing your Dragonshout ability. Fast-travel back to
Whiterun and go speak with Balgruuf. Tell him about what happened at the
Western Watchtower. The conversation will unlock your next quest, but you will
have to speak with him again to receive your rewards for completing this quest
and to wrap it up.

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E. THE WAY OF THE VOICE
=======================
The Jarl of Whiterun will give you news that the Greybeards have summoned you
to High Hrothgar. This journey will be a long one, featuring a very long walk
through woods and mountains and rivers. You’ll encounter wildlife, some deadly
and some not, as well as bandits and other enemies along the way.

As you follow the objective marker on your compass on the top of the screen,
you will come across a village. Mess around in this village, known as
Ivatarstead if you wish, and when you’re ready, continue your journey up the
mountain.

A Frost Troll, aka a yeti, will attack you at some ponit during your journey.
If you are low level in the game, I highly recommend not fighting these things
as they have a ridiculous amount of health (plus it regenerates) and deal an
absurd amount of damage. Regardless of whether you run from the yeti or stand
and fight it, just keep working your way up the mountain. Remember not to stray
off the beaten path, and follow the ruins of stairs that are builti into the
mountainsides. There are also little pedastals with red flages blowing from
them that will also help you traverse the mountain.

When you finally reach Hrothgar, head inside. You will be approached by
Arngeir, the leader of the Greaybeards. He will ask you to prove if you are
Dragonborn or not by using your Shout ability. Use it on one of the monks to
knock them down and make them all believe. They will then teach you that each
Shout actually has three words to it. If you say all three of the words, then
the Shout becomes stronger.

The monk named Einarth will teach you the second word in the Word of Power
Shout, the “Unrelenting Force”. He will create some holograms in the center of
the place, and you have to use your charged Shout to get rid of the hologram.
Repeat this process a total of three times, and then it will be time to learn a
brand new shout.

The Greybeard named Borri will head outside. The other Greybeards will follow
and you should as well. They will stand in a circle around some words that are
etched on the ground. Look at the words and you will learn a new shout called
the Whirlwind Sprint. The Greybeards will give you the power to use your new
ability, and then they will walk off to give a demonstration.

Borri will use this shout to burst through gates while they remain open. When
this is accomplished, stand next to Arngeir and face the gates. Equip the Shout
(I recommend using the Favorite function for all the Shouts for ease of use)
and then use it as the gates open. I discovered that you acutally don’t need to
really use the Shout; if you have enough stamina you can just run through the
gate and it will count.

Upon displaying your mighty abilities to the Greybeards, speak with Arngeir
again and he will fil you in on Jurgen the Windcaller and his legendary horn.
Your training is not yet complete!

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F. THE HORN OF JURGEN WINDCALLER
================================
The Greybeards want you to receive the titular item of this quest. It is
located in a dungeon nestled deep in the mountains called Ustengrav. Head there
immediately. There will be some people on the outside that you will have to
deal with, and once inside,  there will be magic users to deal with as well as
undead.

This dungeon is easily traversed. Just bring up your map if you get lost, but
you shouldn’t have much trouble. Like most dungeons in this game, the path
through it is very linear, with the only things you need to worry about is
zombies and magic users.

Eventually you will come across three tablets. Located behind the tablets are a
trio of gates. If you walk by a tablet, one of the gates will rise. Make sure
you have the Whirlwind Sprint Shout equipped. Face the gates, behind the
tablets. Sprint forward by holding the left bumper. As soon as you activate the
three tablets, blast forward with the Whirlwind Sprint to get through all the
three gates before they close again.

Just keep going through the dungeon, fighting what gets in your way, looting
chests that you see, until you come across a winding path with tiles with
little holes on it. DO NOT step on these tiles until your stamina bar is filled
up. When it is full, sprint through this area. You see, as soon as you step on
each tile, flames will spew from the ground. Keep on running through the area
until you have bypassed all the fire traps.

At the end of the dungeon, you will find an altar, with three hands sticking
out of it. This room is also filled with magic users, so be prepared to ice
them all, and then when you go to the altar (where your objective marker is
pointing), you will discover that the horn is missing. However, there is a note
telling you to visit the inn in Riverwood and rent the attic room. Okiedokie.

Your compass will lead you through a tunnel similarly to how you exit most of
the dungeons in the game. At the end of the tunnel you will find a rock wall.
Pull the lever next to the wall. The wall will rise, leading you to the
beginning area of the dungeon. Exit the dungeon then open your map. Fast-travel
to Riverwood.

Upon fast-traveling to Riverwood, your objective marker and compass will point
you to the inn. It should be the building directly to your right after you
arrive from fast-traveling. Head inside the inn and speak with the owner of the
inn, Delphine. Ask to rent a room at the attic, which costs 10 gold coins, and
she will then say that there is no attic room to rent. However, you can have
the nearby room on the left.

Go into your rented room and chill out. Delphine will be in shortly and she
will ask you to follow her. This actually starts up the next quest. Refer to
the information in the next quest, entitled “A Blade in the Dark” for more
information.

Back to this quest, though. Delphine will give you the horn that you need to
give to the Greybeards. They will teach you the last part of the Unrelenting
Force Shout, so it is at full power. Return to the Greybeards. They will still
be in the outside area, so approach Arngeir and give him the horn. He will then
tell you to follow Wulfgar, who will teach you the final part of the word.

Follow Wulfgar back inside. He will lead you to the center area where you
attacked the hologram things earlier. He will teach you the final part of the
word and then give you the power needed to use it. He will then ask for a
demonstration, so hold RB. A cut-scene of sorts will then play and you won’t be
able to move or anything, but when it concludes, an achievement will unlock and
this little part of the main quest will have been sufficiently tackled.

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======================
G. A BLADE IN THE DARK
======================
This quest actually starts at the end of the previous quest. Delphine, the
owner of the inn that nabbed the horn the Greybeards had you chasing after,
will lead you out of the room you’ve rented and into a different room in the
inn. Once in this new room, she will lead you to a closet. This is actually a
secret passageway, so follow her through.

Once in the basement, Delphine will fill you in. She is part of an organization
that has been looking for the Dragonborn, as dragons that were once dead have
risen from their ancient burial sites and are beginning to wreak havoc across
the realm of Skyrim. She wants you to come with her to kill a dragon, as they
have pinpointed where the next one will be resurrected.

I recommend to tell Delphine to go on without you if you haven’t finished up
with the Greybeard quest that comes before this one. She will run off to the
location of the dragon and you can meet her there later. However, be sure to
snag the map off her desk that has a map of all the dragon burial sites in
Skyrim, and there’s also an interesting book on the table about Dragonborn.

When you’re ready, head to the dragon burial site detailed on your map by
Delphine. Once you arrive, you’ll discover Delphine isn’t there yet (unless you
went with her there to begin with). The tomb of the dragon is swirling with
energy, and it seems a very large dragon hovering above it is resurrecting the
dragon inside with a Shout. Watch this spectacle; the big dragon will leave as
the other one rises from the dead and its flesh is placed back onto its bones.

This dragon is called Sahloknir. As soon as it rises, Delphine will show up,
and the fight will be one. Sahloknir breathes ice, but otherwise acts like any
other dragon in the game. I recommend using fire-based spells, Shouts, or
weapons against him to deal the most damage. If not, just hack and slash the
sucker when he lands and keep an eye on your health bar as the battle ensues.
When Sahloknir is dead, EPIC LOOTS time, so loot his dead body for valuable
goodies. Then speak with Delphine.

Delphine is convinced that the Thalmor are responsible for the dragons
returning to Skyrim. However, she needs hard evidence to prove this. She also
reveals that she is part of the Blades, the order of guard that once protected
Tiber Septim VII in The Elder Scrolls IV (apparently that sucka was a
Dragonborn as well). Sweet beans.

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======================
H. DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY
======================
Delphine will walk away from you and leave you at the dragon burial site. She
requests that you return to Riverwood to further speak with her. Fast-travel to
Riverwood using your map. Speak with her in her basement again, and she will
tell you the plan. It seems that the Thalmor is having a party at its embassy
in Solitude, and you’re totally going to crash it. Huzzah!

But first you need to meet up with Delphine’s Thalmor spy. Mark your map for
Solitude and start heading there. It will be a somewhat long journey, but the
scenery is a bit of a change from the usual snowy mountains you’ve been seeing
so far in the game. Upon arriving in Solitude, stick around and enjoy the
friendly neighborhood execution, and then head into the nearby tavern.

Malborn will be seated on a far wall in the tavern, by himself. He’s a Dark Elf
with facial features that lean a little towards the feminine side of the coin.
Speak with him. He says he will smuggle gear into the Embassy for you after you
crash the party. Give him your best armor and your favorite weapon. Also be
sure to give him any health potions that you have.

When you’re done giving your life savings to Malborn, leave the tavern.
Delphine will be at a rural farmhouse called Katla that is near Solitude. Head
there. You’ll find Delphine sitting on a rock, drinking mead (I can only
assume–she strikes me as someone that drinks mead out of a goblet while
sitting on a rock at a farmhouse). Speak with her to obtain your party clothes.

Go to the Items menu and equip the party clothes. You can keep any jewelry that
you have equipped as well. Then speak with Delphine again to give her all of
your other gear. Then when you’re ready, speak with her again, and she will
summon a carriage to deliver you to the snazzy party at the Embassy. When you
exit your carriage, head over to the guard chilling out in front of the
building and speak with her to show her your invitation. Once she gives the
go-ahead, open the front doors and walk into the Embassy.

You’ll be greeted by the hostess immediately. She will keep asking you
questions, but luckily Malborn will save you from giving yourself away by
distracting her. She will walk off, and then you need to go speak with Malborn.
He will tell you to create a distraction so he can lead you into the kitchen,
grab your gear, and then you will be able to infiltrate the rest of the Embassy
and get the proof you need that the Thalmors are somehow involved with the
return of dragons to the land!

There are probably multiple ways to complete this next objective, but one very
easy way is to talk to the drunk guy sitting on the bench next to the
fireplace. After speaking with him, catch the ear of the waitress. You’ll
recognize her because she’ll be the poorly-dressed gal carrying around the
silver platter of goblets. Speak with her and order a drink. Once you have the
drink, return to the drunk and give it to him. In exchange, you can ask him to
cause a scene, so do that.

When he gets up and starts screaming sexual secrets and hurling insults at the
hostess, head back to Malborn. He will lead you into the kitchen area. After
lying to his cowork, he will lead you into a backroom. You will be able to get
your smuggled gear out of a chest in this area. Once you have your stuff, go
through the next door so Malborn can lock the door behind you.

Now, there are many, many different ways to handle the upcoming task. I
personally just hacked and slashed my way through the competition (as I wanted
their maces and armor), but it’s also possible to sneak through the area. There
will be an open door nearby, and inside will be a Wizard as well as a couple of
armored Thalmos guards. You can run in there and kill them all, which isn’t too
hard actually, or you can wait for their conversation to be over. When it
concludes, they’ll all wander off, allowing you to sneak through the room and
get to a door that will lead you outside.

Once outside the Embassy building, if you are still crouched, you won’t be
noticed by the Wizard that is walking around outside. If not, he will probably
spot you, but he is also pretty easy to get rid of. You can sneak by him to
get to the next door that leads back inside the Embassy, but be weary that
there is another Wizard out and about outside as well.

Upon returning to the inside of the Embassy, you’ll hear a conversation going on
nearby. There are multiple enemies in this area, but you can very easily sneak
by them to reach the objective marker. They will probably spot you regardless
after you start snooping around, but seriously don’t worry about them. Even
though they have actual names (which in Skyrim can be pretty intimidating),
they aren’t too much of a headache. I have a feeling that Bethesda wanted this
quest to be all sneaky and such, but the low health and attack powers of the
enemies in this area makes it very difficult not to just blow through it like a
madman.

Anyway, head to the objective marker, which is in this room. You will be lead
to a chest. Open the chest and examine all the documents you find inside. This
will reveal that the Thalmors actually don’t know jack crap about where the
dragons came from and are actually blaming the Blades. Heh. Go down the nearby
staircase (the one closest to the chest you just looted), and then go through
the door down there to reach the dungeon of the Embassy.

The objective marker will lead you to another chest which contains a document
that gives you a new lead. It seems that the Thalmors were searching in Riften
for a Blade member named Esbern. After obtaining this document, some Thalmor
guards will come into the room with Malborn in tow. Malborn will likely die in
this situation as he has very low health, but if you are quickly enough, you
can defeat the guards without Malborn dying.

It doesn’t really matter if he lives or dies, but regardless, the guards must
die. Kill them both, then loot both their dead bodies. One of them will be
carrying the key that you can use to unlock the nearby trapdoor. This trapdoor
will open up into a snowy cave that houses a Frost Troll. Once again, I don’t
recommend fighting trolls unless you feel you are totally capable. Their health
regenerates and they deal a devastating amount of damage with each melee attack
of theirs that lands. I would hightail it from this sucker and exit the cave
immediately.

Once back outside in the grand old land of Skyrim, fast-travel back to
Riverwood. Return to the Sleeping Giant Inn, and then go speak with Delphine
once again. Fill her in on all you discovered during your wild party days at
the Thalmos Embassy.

Oh, and if you want to know where your equipment is, go to the Misc. Quests
list. One of the quests will be to recover your equipment, so make that your
active quest and go get all of your stuff!

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=================
I. A CORNERED RAT
=================
Travel to Riften. When you arrive, you will be greeted by Brynjolf, who can
help you find Esbern in the Ratway sewer system underneath Riften. However,
Brynjolf wants you to complete a task for him first. This is actually the first
quest in the Thieves’ Guild. For a detailed description of the task you need to
complete for Brynjolf, please refer to the Guild Quests section in the guide,
specifically the quest entitled “A Chance Arrangement”.

Once you have finished this, speak with Brynjolf again. Then the objective
marker will lead you to the entrance of the Ratway sewer system. There will be
some thugs to kill in the early stages of the Ratway, but they are all poorly
armed. After you have went through the first part of the Ratway, you will come
to a door that opens up into a large pool of water. Wade across to the other
side to speak to the gentleman behind the counter (oh, and talk to Brynjolf
again if you’re into that Thieves’ Guild jazz).

Speaking to the man behind the counter will yield more information on the
whereabouts of Esbern within the sewers. The objective marker will lead you to
a door that opens into the Ratway Vaults, so head there. Also, you might want
to dual wield with a torch since these places can get quite dark, to the point
that it’s bothersome.

In the Ratway Vaults, you will have to fight Thalmor guards. While they still
don’t pose much of a threat, there are quite a few of them. Try to trick them
into following you through a narrow hall so you can just kill them one-by-one,
if they give you enough trouble to warrant a retreat, that is. Once they’re all
dead, continue following your compass to the Ratway. You will be lead to a
heavily locked door.

Interacting with the door will begin a conversation with Esbern. Speak with
him a little bit, and then he will start unlocking the doors. Just sit around
and wait for him to finish with all the locks, then when he swings the door
open, head inside. Talk with him some more, and he will reveal a few key plot
points.

For one, the dragon that has been flying around resurrecting the other dragons
is named Alduin. This hulking monstrosity of doom is apparently in a prophesy
that fortells the end of the very world. Esbern will be filled with hope,
however, once he realizes that you’re Dragonborn.

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================
J. ALDUIN’S WALL
================
Esbern takes a while to gather his things, but when he’s ready, get ready for
the most unfun backtracking ever! Just work your way backwards through Ratway,
except there will be more Thalmor thugs to deal with. Kill them all with
Esbern, a man that is packing some serious heat when it comes to magic, and
otherwise just keep using your compass and local map to snake your way back
through the dark sewers.

You won’t encounter anything new, with the exception of a couple of traps.
Beware of tripwire; you will see it very clearly blocking off one tunnel, so
approach it and press A to disable to the trap. Then continue. The next thing
you will have to deal with that was foreign to your initial runthrough of the
Ratway is a bridge that is up, limiting your progress.

To get the bridge down, you need to pull the lever on the wall next to it. This
lever is VERY hard to see if you aren’t carrying a torch. Pull the lever to
lower the bridge, then walk across. Then continue until you are completely out
of the Ratway. Once outside, fast-travel to Riverwood once again.

Head to the inn. Esbern and Delphine will start talking, and then they will
head to their secret basement headquarters. Go there with them and just listen
in on their conversation. When the game prompts you to do so, speak with Esbern
and he will instruct you to get to Sky Haven Temple in order to look at the
legendary “Aludin’s Wall” which just may hold the secret to defeating the
ancient evil. Then Delphine will speak to you. You can choose to go with
Esbern and Delphine to Karthspire, or you can choose to meet up with them
later.

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Regardless of your choice, getting to Karthspire can be a gigantic pain in the
ass. There almost always seems to be a Frost Dragon circling the area, and that
coupled with the aggravating little Forsworn jerks makes it quite a frustrating
area. If you can take all these guys out, then do it. The experience will be
worth it. Otherwise, just head to Karthspire. You can get inside without any
fighting.

Once inside Karthspire, go up the steps to the right. You will find three
pillars that can be rotated. You need to rotate them all until they all show
the symbol of the Dragonborn, which is the symbol that has the outline of a
dragon head, with an arrow pointing down. Rotate all three of them so that a
bridge drops down nearby.

Run across the bridge and make your way into the next room. There will be a
chain on the wall to pull, but as soon as you pull it, go through the open
gate to avoid being pelted with arrows. Then continue until you reach a giant
stone face. Wait for Delphine and Esbern to catch up to you to explain what
needs to be done next.

Stand on the circle on the floor in the middle of the room, in front of the
stone face. Look down on the ground and press A. You will then cut your hand,
opening the stone face on the wall, which will allow you access to Sky Haven
Temple. Once inside Sky Haven Temple, you will be directed to the large wall
that is Alduin’s Wall. The little room across from the wall contains some
badass Blades armor if you are a heavy armor kind of guy.

Wait for Delphine and Esbern to catch up once again. Esbern will analyze the
wall. He will discover that Alduin was originally defeated using a Shout, and
that will be the way to defeat him again. The Shout was evidently able to
knock dragons out of the sky. Damn. Looks like it’s back to the Greybeards for
some more learnin’.

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==========================

K. THE THROAT OF THE WORLD

==========================

Return to the Greybeards. Speak with Arngeir again. He will explain that they
don’t know the Shout that you speak of, as only those that created the Shout
really know the Words of Power associated with it. The Shout you are seeking is
called Dragonrend, but they feel as though you are not ready to learn it.
Regardless, convince Arngeir to help you learn the Shout, and he gives in,
allowing you to go speak with their leader Paarthurnax at the very top of the
mountain.

But before you can do that, you’ll need to learn a Shout that will help you
get rid of the bad weather that will kill you if you try to climb up the
mountain otherwise. Follow Arngeir and the others outside to the courtyard.
They will gather around a fire, and then the three words of the Clear Skies
Shout will appear on the ground. Aim your camera at each word until you have
learned the full Shout.

Make your way to the blizzard that is blocking your path. Use the full power of
the Clear Skies Shout to get rid of the blizzard. Then start making your way up
the mountain. You won’t find any enemies, unless you count some dead goats and
the occasional living goat as an enemy. Whenever you come across a foggy,
blizzard-like patch on the mountain, use Clear Skies to get rid of it.

When you reach the top, a dragon will swoop down and land by you! This dragon,
however, reveals itself to be Paarthurnax! That’s right! The Greybeards’ leader
is a freaking dragon! Well, speak with Paarthurnax. He will teach you the
second word for your Fire Breath Shout by burning the words into a nearby wall
with his fire breath. Obtain the word, then use it on him to help prove that
you are indeed Dragonborn.

Afterwards, get ready for a very lengthy conversation with the dragon. He will
explain a lot of stuff. Apparently, Alduin resurfaced because he was sent into
the future by the ancient people that once rid him of the land. Ancient Nords
used an Elder Scroll to accomplish this. They originally intended to just cast
Alduin adrift in the space-time continuum, but instead sent him into the
future.

Not even Paarthurnax knows the Dragonrend Shout. However, the Nords that
invented it will. It’s time to obtain the Elder Scroll that was used to send
Alduin into the future to learn the only means of stopping the monstrosity.

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==================

L. ELDER KNOWLEDGE

==================

At the start of this quest, you will have option to speak to Esbern or Arngeir
about their ideas of where the Elder Scroll can be found. It doesn’t matter who
you talk to; they will both point you to the College of Winterhold. After
speaking with at least one of them, head to the College of Winterhold yourself.
If you’ve never been to the college before, you will have to complete a little
test that begins the College of Winterhold guild questline. All you have to do
is buy the Healing Hands spell from a wizard or the lady that is guarding the
door to the college. Then use the Healing Hands spell on the woman that won’t
let you pass, and then she will step aside, granting you access to the College
and making you a part of it in the process as well.

Report to the library of the College and speak with the orc there. Ask him
about the Elder Scrolls. He will get you a couple of books on the subject, and
put them on his desk. Take and read both of the books. In doing so, you will
start a Daedric Quest called “Discerning the Transmundane.” Please refer to my
Daedric Quests Guide (a link is at the bottom of this guide, in the section
entitled “Daedric Quests”) for more information regarding that quest.

Anyway, with the two books in hand, inquire with the orc more about someone who
may be able to give you more information. He will point you to a lunatic
scholar living in an ice cave near the College named Septimus Signus. Head
there and speak with him. You may have to make “Discerning the Transmundane”
your active quest for your compass and map to point you in the right direction.
Speaking with Septimus will reveal the location of the Elder Scroll that you
are seeking. It is apparently in a Dwarven ruin called Alftand.

I hope you are
prepared to endure one of the lengthiest and most annoying dungeons in the
history of the series.

Travel to Alftand. There are like five or six different ways you can enter the
place, so just go through whichever door you end up at when you reach it. Rely
on your compass at the top of the screen to guide you, and you shouldn’t have
too many problems. In fact, you shouldn’t have any problems getting around in
this dungeon. There are absolutely no puzzles that you will encounter in the
entire dungeon. You can just move through the entire thing, but be prepared
because it’s a very lengthy journey. A VERY lengthy journey.

In terms of enemies, you will encounter Falmer aplenty, plus Dwarven robot
guards. There is only one Centurion that you have to deal with, so don’t worry
about being taken out by the big guys. The Falmer in this area are much
easier to deal with than before because they don’t swarm you in such large
numbers; rather, you will only have to fight two or three at a time at most.
Defeat any that you come across, as well as any ancient Dwarven automatons
that are ready to squash you, and any giant bugs, like spiders or centipedes,
that also show up.

If this dungeon is anything, it’s varied. You will have to traverse ice
caverns, dwarven ruins, and large, sprawling areas full of lush vegitation
that looks like jellyfish. Yeah, it’s pretty freaking weird. Your compass and
the objective marker will constantly point you in the right direction, and
right to any door that you need to go through or dwarven mechanism that you
need to press A on to reveal a hidden staircase or something of that nature.

In terms of traps, there isn’t much to worry about. The most notable trap I
encountered was when I was going up a flight of stairs, only for a spinning
blade to pop up and slide down the stairs in my direction. Simply back up to
avoid this. When it goes back up the stairs, it will retract, so that’s your
cue to sprint up the steps and avoid the blades. Also, there will be pipes that
extend from the walls in these ruins, and while not deadly, they will make you
have to do a bit of backtracking, so be careful about letting those suckers
knock you off any ledges.

Finally, there was one area that you might get stuck as you are exploring this
dungeon, just because the solution seems so silly. As you explore deeper and
deeper in the ruins, you will find a gate. Behind the gate on the wall is a
lever. There are no levers on your side. You can actually pull the lever that
is on the other side of the gate. No joke. This will raise the gate and allow
you to keep pushing through the dungeon.

You’ll experience many things down here. Khajiit thieves, armored Imperials,
and the Centurion will be your biggest threat. Otherwise, just keep on pushing
through the dungeon, casting spells or hacking and slashing and bashing and
whatever else you do, until you reach the room with the big globe in the floor.
Your compass will lead you to a mechanism near the globe that you will have to
use to solve this little…puzzle, of sorts.

The mechanism on the right allows you to place the Lexicon that Septimus gave
you to transcribe for that Daedric quest. Place it in place, and then start
pressing the two buttons to its immediate left. Just keep pressing the buttons,
and the Lexicon will open and glow blue. At this point, the button to the left
of the centar pillar should open, allowing you to push it as well. Keep pushing
it until the very last button on the far left opens up. Then push that one. The
result will be a device from the ceiling will lower to ground level.

Run over to the device and snag the Elder Scroll!

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================
M. ALDUIN’S BANE
================
After you have obtained the Elder Scroll, use the nearby elevator to return to
the wonderful land of Skryim. Fast-travel back to the “throat of the world”,
and then listen to Paarthurnax. He will tell you to step into the Time-Wound
and read the Elder Scroll, so you can look into the past and learn the Shout
that was used to defeat Alduin all those years before.

Your compass will point you directly to where you need to stand. The air around
the Time-Wound is warped, as it is a rip in the very fabric of space and time.
Dig into your inventory and then go to the Books section. You will find the
Elder Scroll there. Press A on the Elder Scroll to pull it out. Once it has
been opened, a portal through time will allow you to see into the past.

Witness three ancient Nords kill a dragon. Then Alduin will show up to stop
their rebellion. They will all three use Dragonrend simultaneously, bringing
Alduin down. This will allow you to learn the Shout, which evidently latches on
the very soul of a dragon to force them to the ground. The woman Nord will be
killed by Alduin. One of the other people there will use the Elder Scroll to
banish Alduin from reality.

When you return from the vision, you will be attacked by Alduin! Paarthurnax
will help in the battle, but it’s not too hard. The only issue is that Alduin
has lots of health, and while he deals a lot of damage, he doesn’t attack you
very often. Just spam Dragonrend on him to keep him grounded. When he begins to
fly away, immediately use Dragonrend again on him, then keep attacking him in
your most effective way possible.

Alduin’s attacks will usually take you down to about a quarter of health, so be
ready to heal fast. When his health bar has been depleted, Alduin will retreat
from the battle.

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=============
N. THE FALLEN
=============
When Alduin leaves, you will have three choices of people to talk to about your
next move. Similarly to the “Elder Knowledge” quest, it doesn’t really matter
which of the three you speak with. Your choices are Paarthurnax the dragon,
Arngeir the Greybeard, or good ‘ol crazy Esbern from the Ratway. The closest to
your location immediately after the fight with Alduin is Paarthurnax, so have a
chat with him.

Paarthurnax will recommend trapping one of Alduin’s dragon allies as to procure
information from them about Alduin’s whereabouts. He suggests that you use the
Jarl’s palace in Whiterun, Dragonsreach. It seems that Dragonsreach Palace was
originally built for the sole purpose of imprisoning a dragon, so that’s what
will need to be used to trap another one.

Travel to Whiterun and speak with the Jarl. The Jarl will flat-out refuse to
let you use Dragonsreach to capture a dragon, unless you manage to create a
truce between the Stormcloaks and the Imperials for them to temporarily halt
their Civil War actions until the dragon menance has been dealt with in Skyrim.
At this point, please refer to the quest entitled “Season Unending” below.

Once the events of “Season Unending” are completed, you will need to speak to
Esbern. Esbern will announce that he and Delphine have discovered that the
leader of the Greybeards is a dragon. He then says they will refuse to help you
until you kill Paarthurnax due to crimes Paarthurnax was a part of in the past.
Please refer to the quest known as “Paarthurnax” that is after “Season
Unending” in the guide.

With at least one quest completed within this quest (gameception!), it’s time
to finish this one up. With the shout to call Alduin’s ally Odahviing to you
learned, head to Dragonsreach in Whiterun. Speak with the Jarl to confirm that
the trap is ready, and then head to the large, hangar-like room. Summon
Odahviing using the Shout.

When Odahviing arrives, he will fling some of the Jarl’s men off the top of the
palace and to their death. Wait for him to perch on the roof, then use
Dragonrend to bring him down to you. Don’t bother attacking him, as you won’t
do any damage. Just make him follow you backwards deeper into Dragonsreach. The
trap will then spring and Odahviing will be trapped.

With him subdued, speak to him to start the interrogation process. Odahviing
reveals that Alduin is at an ancient temple called Skuldafn, and the only way
to get there is through the air. Odahviing offers you passage to Skuldafn,
since the other dragons have started to distrust Alduin’s rule anyways, in
exchange for his freedom.

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==================
O. SEASON UNENDING
==================
This quest begins in the middle of “The Fallen”. The Jarl of Whiterun will not
let you use Dragonsreach to capture a dragon until there is a temporary truce
between the two warring factions of Skyrim, to ensure that Whiterun is not
attacked by either side. First, speak with Anrgeir of the Greybeards and ask
him to hold a peace conference between the two factions.

Then you have to visit Ulfric Stormcloak and General Tullius. Ulfric can be
found at Windhelm while Tullius is at Solitude. After you have convinced both
of them to take part in the peace conference, return to High Hrothgar and speak
with Arngeir again. Delphine and Esbern will push their way into the conference
as well, using the fact that they have been helping you this entire time as
leverage against the Greybeards.

Take your seat in the dining hall to begin the very long peace talks between
the two sides. It doesn’t seems to matter what you say to either side, just
keep choosing dialogue options until the truce is called.

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==============
P. PAARTHURNAX
==============
This quest is entirely optional. Esbern will say that he and Delphine won’t
help you any longer until you kill Paarthurnax, but simply talking to Esbern
again will get the Shout you need. So, you have the option to either kill
Paarthurnax, or just ignore the quest entirely and keep about your business

There are two outcomes to this quest:

A) Kill Paarthurnax. By killing Paarthurnax, the Greybeards will hate you and
they won’t give you the ability to see where the rest of the Shouts in the game
are on your map.

B) Leave Paarthurnax alone. The Blades will hate you, and the perk to see where
the other dragons are in the world to kill will not be yours.

Basically, you have to choose between the Blades or the Greybeards. You can
find Paarthurnax chilling out on his wall at the Throat of the World like
usual if you choose to kill him.

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==========================
Q. THE WORLD-EATER’S EYRIE
==========================
Speak with one of the Whiterun guards to set Odahviing free. Once he is free,
walk over to the edge of the balcony. He will shuffle to your position. Talk
with Odahviing to have him fly you to Skuldafn. Upon arriving, start killing
your way through the zombies here, and also fight the dragon that shows up if
you’d like.

Once you reach the actual temple, you will find more zombies inside. It’s a
pretty straight-forward place until you reach a room with, you guessed it,
rotating pillars! Oh joy! This pillar puzzle is actually very easy. There are
three pillars. If you are facing forward from where you entered this room, the
pillar on the left should be in the position to show a whale. You can know this
by looking above the pillar and on the wall directly across from it. The pillar
on the right needs to show a snake.

Now, turn your attention to the end of the room. You will see two gates. One
gate will have a snake picture above it, and the other an eagle. To get a chest
with a little gold and helpful potions, turn the middle pillar so that it shows
a picture of an eagle. Then pull the lever in the center of the room. To
actually continue on your quest, make the middle pillar represent a snake, and
then pull the lever.

Continue through, killing any spiders or zombies that you come across. You will
then reach another puzzle room, with more rotating pillars. To start, turn the
pillar right in front of you to show a snake picture. Then climb up the stairs.
The next two pillars are to the right and to the left. If you look on the walls
above them, you will see which animal you need to rotate them to. The one on
the left needs to show an eagle, and the one on the right, a whale. After
rotating the pillars into position, pull the lever in the middle of the room to
lower the bridge. Go across the bridge and through the door.

Keep trekking on through the dungeon until you reach a room with a locked gate.
Simply turn around to discover an iron door. Open the door, and then use fire
on the oil slick to set the zombies ablaze, killing them without too much of a
headache. Go into this little room to find a lever that will open the gate. Go
through the gate and then sprint through the next area to avoid an oil/fire
trap that deals a devastating amount of damage and covers a very wide area of
the floor.

You will then find one of those puzzle doors that require a Claw to open it.
Luckily for you, the zombie king of this area has it. He will rise from the
dead and start attacking you. This guy will disarm you, which can be kind of
annoying, but just put up with it until he’s dead. Then grab all of your
weapons off the ground and loot his body for the Diamond Claw.

If you examine the palm of the claw, you will discover that the answer to the
puzzle is as follows:

Outer ring – Wolf
Middle ring – Butterfly
Inner ring – Dragon

When the correct sequence is displayed on the door, interact with the keyhole
to place the Diamon Claw inside and open the door. This will lead you to an
outside area, with a ton of zombies. With the portal to Sonvgarde in sight, run
to it. However, an undead dragon priest thing will steal the staff that is
opening the portal. Get ready for an extremely tough

*************
BOSS FIGHT!!!
Oh wait, I don’t do that for this guide. Ignore that!

Anyway, this dude is very, very tough IF there are zombies around to help him.
You need to kill all the zombies that are helping him first. You can hide from
him and his powerful fireball attacks pretty easily and pick off the zombies
from afar using Shouts and magical spells. After they are all dead, he is a
much easier foe, assuming you are able to dodge his attacks fast enough.

Just move left to right and left to right over and over again as you attack
him. Don’t bother hitting him with power attacks as this will just leave you
open for a devastating fireball blast. Keep wailing on him with small attacks,
but if he gives you an opening to knock him off a ledge, do so. When he’s dead,
loot his body and take the staff off him. Then return the staff to its rightful
place to re-open the portal.

Jump into the portal to enter Sovngarde.

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============
R. SOVNGARDE
============
Upon arriving at Sovngarde, run into the nearby purple fog. You will come
across a traveler, generally someone from the Stormcloak Rebellion or the
Imperial Legion. They will explain that this mist is what Alduin uses to cloak
himself, and that he is feeding on their souls. This person will also tell you
to go to the Hall of Valor to learn how to defeat Alduin.

As you continue pushing through the mist, you will see some familiar, but dead,
faces. Depending on the Side Quests and Guild Quests you’ve completed in the
game so far, you will see various characters from those quests that were
killed during your adventure in Skyrim. Keep pushing through the mist until it
clears up a bit, and a bridge made out of a giant skeleton is in plani view.

Guarding the bridge is a man named Tsun. He will grant you access to the Hall
of Valor, but you have to prove yourself to him first. Just fight with Tsun
until you take away about 25% of his health. He will then heal himself and
grant you access to the hall of Valor.

Run across the bridge to enter the Hall. Once inside, Ysgramor will speak with
you. He will then tell you to talk to the heroes of Sovngarde, all former
Dragonborn that have since died. Go over to the three of them and listen to
their battle plan.

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===============
S. DRAGONSLAYER
===============
Follow the heroes outside and face the mist. Use the Clear Skies Shout along
with them to dispel the mist. Do this a total of three times and the mist will
be gone for good. Now it’s time to fight Alduin.

Equip the Dragonrend Shout and watch as Alduin flies around in the skies above.
He will blast fire at you. Keep your cursor trained on Alduin, then use
Dragonrend on him to make him come to the ground. The three heroes will then
run to Alduin and start attacking him, and that’s your cue to do so as well. Go
beat the hell out of Alduin until his health bar is completely depleted.

Alduin will die in a glorious fashion. Achievement unlocked, quest complete,
you just finished the Main Quest for Skyrim. Speak with Tsun to return to
Skryim–because in dragon land, the adventure ends!

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4. Side Quests
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Due to the extraordinary amount of content pertaining to Side Quests in the game, we have decided to move the Side Quests over to their own personal guide! For all the info you need to complete any and all Side Quests in the game, please refer to this killer guide:

http://www.cheatmasters.com/blog/2011/11/23/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-side-quests-guide-2/

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5. Misc. Quests
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
You can never complete all the quests in Skyrim. Want to know why? They are
infinite. Never-ending. The game will constantly generate more quests for you
to complete. These never-ending line of quests are stuffed into a category in
the game called Miscellaneous Quests.

Because of their infinite nature, it would be a daunting and impossible task to
try to cover every single one in this guide. However, there are some Misc.
Quests that directly lead into full-fledged Side Quests or Guild Quests. This
is because there are often multiple ways to discover a quest or discover a
Guild to join. In the Guild Quests section of the guide, I will try to cover
the different ways you can join or discover the existence of a Guild.

If you have a specific Miscellaneous Quest that you need help with, you can
leave a comment below and I will try to help you out. You can also e-mail me
if you’d like, and I would be happy to help you out!

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6. Guild Quests
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
There are four guilds in Skyrim, and all of them have a very complex and long questline. On top of that, many of the guilds feature “endgame” quests that take place after the primary story surrounding that guild has reached its conclusion. Here is a guide to help you out on anything guild-related in Skyrim, courtesy of Cheat Masters!:

http://www.cheatmasters.com/blog/2011/11/23/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-guild-quests-guide/

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7. Civil War
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

A civil war is raging across Skyrim. Whose side are you on? Check out this guide that will help you complete the Civil War storyline in Skyrim:

Skyrim Civil War Guide

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8. Daedric Quests

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -
Just like in Oblivion, there are various Daedric Quests that can yield fantastic rewards. These quests involve dealing with evil Daedric deities that reside in the realm of Oblivion. I felt as though these quests deserved their own attention and guide, so for information on the quests and the Artifacts that can be uncovered, please refer to this guide:

http://www.cheatmasters.com/blog/2011/11/15/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-daedric-quests-guide/

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9. Dawnguard
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==========================
A. DAWNGUARD WALKTHROUGH
==========================

The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard is the first major DLC expansion pack for Skyrim. This guide will help you complete all the main quests and side quests offered in Dawnguard:

The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard Walkthrough

==========================
B. DAWNGUARD ACHIEVEMENTS
==========================

The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard adds 10 new achievements to the game. Please refer to this guide made specifically for those looking to unlock all the new achievements added in Dawnguard:

The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard – Achievement Guide

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