The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition (PlayStation 5) — Base-game Main Quest Walkthrough

Verify that the installed product is Special Edition

On the PS5 home screen, highlight Skyrim and press the Options button. Open the product, information, or installed-content screens available for your copy. The official PlayStation listing identifies the product as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition - PS5 & PS4 and lists separate Special Edition and Anniversary Edition products. Select the Special Edition product or the PS5 version associated with it, not the Anniversary Edition listing.

Do not identify the edition solely from the fact that the game runs on PS5. Bethesda provided a next-generation upgrade for Special Edition owners, so a PS5 installation can still be Special Edition without being the Anniversary Edition. Conversely, an Anniversary purchase can use the same underlying Special Edition game and the same console generation. Check the edition name and installed add-ons instead of relying on the console or title-screen appearance.

• The product information identifies Skyrim Special Edition or the Special Edition PS4/PS5 product.
• The installed add-ons do not show the Anniversary Upgrade unless you intentionally want that content.
• You understand that the PS5 version is a platform version, not proof that Anniversary Edition is installed.

Understand what this walkthrough includes and excludes

Skyrim Special Edition is sold with the core game and its official add-ons in some product packages. This walkthrough nevertheless follows only the base Skyrim main quest: Unbound, the Whiterun and Greybeard sequence, the Blades investigation, the Elder Scroll and Alduin missions, Sovngarde, and Dragonslayer. Do not begin Dawnguard, Hearthfire, or Dragonborn objectives while following the planned route.

Anniversary Edition bundles Special Edition with additional Creation Club material. Bethesda also made some Creations available to Special Edition owners, so a current installation may show Creation-related menus or a small amount of free Creation content even without the Anniversary Upgrade. For a strict run, do not purchase the Anniversary Upgrade, do not download optional Creations, and do not follow quests introduced by those additions. The presence of a Creations menu by itself does not prove that Anniversary Edition is installed.

• Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn remain outside this chapter and the campaign route.
• The Anniversary Upgrade is not purchased or activated for this restricted run.
• No optional Creation is downloaded for the character if strict separation matters.

Update the game before starting the character

With Skyrim highlighted on the PS5 home screen, press Options and choose Check for Update if that command is available. Install the offered game update and restart the application when requested. Also install any required PS5 system-software update. Do not infer a specific patch number from an old guide; the useful check is whether the console reports that the installed game is current.

An update is not the same thing as purchasing the Anniversary Upgrade. If the game presents an Anniversary offer, leave it unopened and do not confirm the purchase. If your copy is a disc, allow the base game and its required updates to finish installing before beginning the character, and confirm that the correct PS5/PS4 entitlement is being used.

• The PS5 has completed the available Skyrim update.
• The game reaches the main menu without an installation or missing-content warning.
• No Anniversary purchase or optional Creation download was accepted accidentally.

Create recovery saves during the opening

Start a new character and create a manual save as soon as the game allows saving after character creation. During Unbound, do not overwrite that file. After escaping Helgen and reaching the outside road, create a second manual save. These two points provide recovery options if the opening sequence or an early quest state becomes unusable.

Use several rotating manual-save slots for major quest transitions. Autosaves are useful, but they can be replaced by later area changes, waiting, sleeping, or scripted events. Open the in-game System and Gameplay settings and confirm that the available autosave options are enabled. The exact labels can vary with the installed version, so verify the settings shown on your console rather than relying on a fixed menu description.

• A manual save exists after character creation.
• A separate manual save exists after the Helgen escape.
• Several rotating manual-save slots are reserved for important progression points.

Confirm the clean starting state

Load the post-Helgen manual save before proceeding. Your character should be outside Helgen, able to travel through Skyrim, and ready to follow the road toward Riverwood. Check the journal for the opening main-quest objective and make sure no missing-content warning appears.

If the save reports that it depends on missing content, do not use it for this walkthrough. Close the game and determine whether the missing files came from a removed Creation, a different edition, or an incomplete installation. On PlayStation, Bethesda states that Anniversary Upgrade content cannot be uninstalled in the same way as on PC; removing unwanted content may require uninstalling and reinstalling the game and then selecting only the content appropriate to the edition. Do not delete save data casually. Preserve the clean manual save or start a new character after reinstalling.

• The post-Helgen save loads outside Helgen without a missing-content warning.
• The journal shows the opening main-quest objective.
• The save is clearly identifiable and is not dependent on removed Creations.

1. Finish character creation and move when Alduin attacks

The opening carriage ride and execution scene are linear. When the game gives you control, choose your race, appearance, name, and other character options. You cannot fight during the execution setup, so do not spend time looking for equipment or trying to leave the area.

Alduin’s attack interrupts the execution. Follow the survivors toward the tower and keep moving when fire or falling debris blocks the route. The attack is scripted, but you can still take damage or die if you remain in danger, wander away from the escape path, or fall from the ruins. Use the objective direction and the nearby characters as your landmarks.

• Complete character creation.
• Follow the survivors after Alduin appears.
• Reach the tower rather than remaining in the execution area.

2. Cross the damaged tower and reach the keep entrance

Inside the tower, climb the stairs with the group. Alduin will break through the structure and attack through the opening. When the escape route opens, jump through the damaged section toward the wooden platform below. Continue through the burning buildings and ruined streets after landing.

The route takes you toward the entrance to Helgen Keep. Hadvar and Ralof will be nearby as the Imperial and Stormcloak groups attempt to survive the attack. Do not try to return to the execution yard or explore every burning building. The keep entrance is the next required landmark.

• Climb the tower stairs.
• Use the damaged opening to reach the lower platform.
• Cross the burning settlement.
• Reach the Helgen Keep entrance.

3. Choose Hadvar or Ralof

At the keep entrance, choose which survivor to follow. Hadvar is the Imperial soldier; Ralof is the Stormcloak rebel. Enter Helgen Keep with your chosen companion. The two routes have different dialogue, enemy arrangements, and early equipment opportunities, but both lead through the same broad escape objective.

This choice is not the same as joining a Civil War faction. You may later join the Imperial Legion, join the Stormcloaks, or leave the Civil War questline unfinished. Choosing Hadvar may suit a later Imperial role-play, and choosing Ralof may suit a later Stormcloak role-play, but neither option is required for the base-game main quest.

• Choose Hadvar or Ralof at the keep entrance.
• Enter Helgen Keep with that character.
• Do not treat the choice as a permanent Civil War decision.

4. Recover your equipment after the bindings are removed

Follow your chosen companion until the scripted scene removes your bindings. Once you can use the inventory, search the nearby body, chest, or equipment area indicated by the companion. Equip at least one usable weapon and basic armor before continuing.

Take healing potions and ammunition if you plan to use a bow. You can also collect a shield, spellbook, or alternate weapon if it matches your build, but carrying every item is unnecessary. Skyrim Special Edition does not use weapon durability, so there is no condition meter to maintain; focus instead on having a suitable weapon, enough health, and room in your inventory.

• Wait for the bindings to be removed.
• Search the nearby equipment area.
• Equip a weapon and basic armor.
• Take useful healing supplies and ammunition.

5. Advance through the keep and use your companion effectively

Continue through the rooms with Hadvar or Ralof. The route introduces melee attacks, blocking, sneaking, ranged attacks, looting, and basic spell use. You do not need to master every mechanic during this escape, but use doorways and narrow passages to limit how many enemies can attack at once.

Let your companion draw enemy attention when possible, then attack from the side or from behind. If your health becomes low, retreat a short distance, use a healing potion or healing spell, and allow the companion to re-engage. Search defeated enemies for potions, arrows, and a better weapon, but leave low-value heavy equipment behind if your inventory becomes full.

• Stay with your chosen guide.
• Defeat or bypass the enemies blocking the route.
• Use healing before your health becomes critical.
• Keep only practical supplies.

6. Follow the underground route to the cave exit

The keep eventually leads into storage rooms, a torture area, tunnels, and natural caves. Continue forward through each section rather than returning toward the entrance. Depending on your chosen route, you will encounter faction soldiers, spiders, and other hazards. The game allows combat, stealth, and ranged tactics; use whichever approach fits your character and current equipment.

A large frostbite spider blocks part of the route, followed later by a bear in the caves. You can fight directly, use a bow or spell, or let your companion take the first attacks while you reposition. The bear is close to the exit path, so do not turn back after dealing with it. Continue through the passage until you reach the cave mouth and the exit interaction.

• Pass through the interior rooms and tunnels.
• Handle the spider encounter.
• Get past the bear in the final cave section.
• Reach the Helgen escape exit.

7. Leave Helgen and secure the completed opening

Activate the cave exit and step into Skyrim. This completes Unbound and starts the next main-quest stage, Before the Storm. Hadvar’s route points you toward Riverwood and his relative Alvor; Ralof’s route points you toward Riverwood and his sister Gerdur. You do not need to speak with either contact to complete Unbound, but that conversation is the intended next step.

Make a manual save after emerging. Confirm in the quest journal that Unbound is complete or no longer has an active objective and that Before the Storm is available. You may inspect the nearby Guardian Stones or begin walking toward Riverwood, but avoid a long detour if you want to continue the main quest immediately.

• Exit the Helgen cave into Skyrim.
• Confirm that Before the Storm is active or available.
• Make a manual save outside Helgen.
• Note whether Alvor or Gerdur is your intended Riverwood contact.

Leave Helgen and reach Riverwood

After the Unbound escape cave places you outside Helgen, follow the road toward Riverwood. Riverwood is north-northeast of Helgen, and Hadvar or Ralof may travel in that direction depending on whom you followed through Helgen Keep. You are free to leave the companion and travel independently, but following the road is the simplest route for a new character.

The road passes the Guardian Stones. These three standing stones offer the Warrior, Mage, and Thief blessings, each improving the rate at which its associated skill group advances. Activate one only if its skill bonus suits your planned character; changing your mind later is possible by activating another standing stone. Embershard Mine is near this route, but it is optional and should be skipped if you are trying to stay on the main-quest path.

Continue along the road until you cross the river and enter Riverwood. Wolves may appear outside town. Fight them if they block the road, or keep moving toward the houses and mill. Create a manual save once you arrive so you have a safe restart point before the next conversations.

• Exit the Helgen escape cave.
• Follow the road toward Riverwood.
• Choose a Guardian Stone only if you want its skill-growth blessing.
• Make a manual save in or near Riverwood.

Speak with Alvor or Gerdur

Your preferred Helgen companion determines the most direct Riverwood contact. If you followed Hadvar, find Alvor near the blacksmith’s forge or in his nearby home. If you followed Ralof, find Gerdur at the lumber mill or in the house she shares with Hod. Speak with the appropriate NPC about the dragon attack and continue through the conversation until the request to warn Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun is presented.

Alvor or Gerdur can offer basic supplies and permission to use some local resources. Take only items that are clearly given or unowned; do not empty containers marked as owned or take equipment that will be reported stolen. You do not need to complete a Riverwood side quest for the main story.

The Riverwood Trader is available if you need to sell unwanted equipment. Speaking with Lucan Valerius can start The Golden Claw, which later leads to Bleak Falls Barrow, but that side quest is not required to complete Before the Storm. If you accept it, you may eventually combine it with Farengar’s dungeon request; otherwise, leave it for later.

If Alvor or Gerdur is unavailable, or if you simply want to proceed quickly, travel directly to Whiterun. The main quest can advance when you report the Helgen attack to Balgruuf even if the Riverwood conversation was skipped.

• Speak with Alvor if you followed Hadvar, or Gerdur if you followed Ralof.
• Continue the conversation until the Whiterun warning is established.
• Use the Riverwood Trader only for optional selling or supplies.
• Remember that Riverwood can be bypassed if necessary.

Travel from Riverwood to Whiterun

Leave Riverwood by the road leading away from the village and follow it toward Whiterun. The route crosses open fields and eventually approaches the city’s farms and stables. Wolves are the main routine hazard on this stretch. Stay on the road and do not pursue enemies into distant terrain unless you are prepared for an unnecessary fight.

Near Whiterun, you may see members of the Companions fighting a giant. This is an optional encounter, not a main-quest requirement. A new character should keep clear of the giant’s attacks and continue toward the city gate. You can later investigate the Companions and their headquarters if you want that faction’s questline.

At the Whiterun gate, speak with the guard and choose the dialogue explaining that you have news about the dragon attack at Helgen. Avoid choosing an intimidation response if you want the straightforward entry. Once inside, follow the main street uphill through the market district. Dragonsreach is the large keep at the highest part of the city; enter it to deliver the warning.

• Follow the road from Riverwood toward Whiterun.
• Treat the giant encounter as optional and avoid it if under-equipped.
• Enter Whiterun by explaining that you have news about the dragon attack.
• Reach Dragonsreach at the top of the city.

Report to Jarl Balgruuf and meet Farengar

Inside Dragonsreach, approach the throne room. Irileth may stop you before you reach the Jarl. Explain that you are reporting a dragon attack, then speak with Jarl Balgruuf the Greater. Choose the dialogue concerning Helgen and, if available, Riverwood’s danger. If you came directly from Helgen without speaking to Alvor or Gerdur, report the attack from Helgen instead; the quest can still progress.

Balgruuf orders aid for Riverwood and gives you a leveled armor reward. He then directs you to Farengar Secret-Fire, the court wizard, who is in the same keep near the research tables. Speak with Farengar and continue his dialogue about dragons and the Dragonstone. This activates Bleak Falls Barrow, the next main-quest step.

Do not assume that reaching Dragonsreach alone completes the handoff. If the journal has not added Bleak Falls Barrow, speak to Farengar again and finish the available conversation. When the new objective appears, make a manual save before leaving Whiterun. You are then ready to travel to Bleak Falls Barrow and retrieve the Dragonstone.

• Tell Jarl Balgruuf about the dragon attack.
• Receive the leveled armor reward and his instructions.
• Speak with Farengar Secret-Fire about the Dragonstone.
• Confirm that Bleak Falls Barrow is active in the journal.
• Make a manual save before beginning the dungeon route.

Accept the objective and prepare in Whiterun

After completing Before the Storm, speak with Farengar Secret-Fire in Dragonsreach. He explains that the Dragonstone may identify ancient dragon burial sites and asks you to retrieve it from Bleak Falls Barrow. Make a manual save before leaving Whiterun. Bring healing supplies and use a weapon or spell you can manage reliably in narrow rooms. A bow or another ranged option is useful, but it is not mandatory. Leave enough inventory space for quest items and any equipment you want to keep.

The quest marker identifies the ruin. You can travel there from Whiterun or fast-travel to Riverwood first and follow the road and mountain trail toward the barrow. Bandits guard parts of the approach, but clearing every outdoor enemy is unnecessary. Reach the entrance, save, and enter Bleak Falls Temple.

• Speak with Farengar and accept the Dragonstone objective.
• Make a manual save before leaving Whiterun.
• Carry healing supplies and leave room for the Dragonstone.

Reach the first puzzle and open the gate

The opening chambers contain bandits, skeevers, simple loot and several traps. Watch for pressure plates, tripwires and swinging blades. Move through the rooms carefully rather than sprinting into an unfamiliar corridor. If an enemy group is larger than expected, retreat through a doorway and make the enemies approach one at a time.

In the room with the three rotating stone pillars, inspect the symbols around the chamber. One of the clues is visible above the gate, while another symbol can be found on a fallen pillar at floor level. Set the pillars from left to right to snake, snake, whale, then pull the handle. A wrong arrangement activates the dart trap. Once the gate opens, continue deeper into the ruin.

• Look for pressure plates and tripwires.
• Set the first pillars left-to-right as snake, snake, whale.
• Heal before continuing if the dart trap or earlier fights reduced your health.

Defeat the frostbite spider and take the Golden Claw

Continue through the passage until you reach the web-filled chamber. A large frostbite spider attacks near the trapped thief, Arvel the Swift. Keep moving while fighting because its poison attack and melee strikes can quickly combine for heavy damage. Fire, ranged attacks and short attacks followed by retreating are all effective approaches. Do not enter the chamber with critically low health.

After the spider dies, cut Arvel free. He runs farther into the ruin and is soon killed by draugr. Search his body for the Golden Claw and Arvel’s Journal. The Golden Claw begins the optional The Golden Claw quest, but it is also the key used at the circular door later in this dungeon. Keep it until that door has opened. You can deal with the Riverwood side quest after completing the main objective.

• Defeat the frostbite spider before freeing Arvel.
• Take the Golden Claw and Arvel’s Journal from Arvel’s body.
• Do not return or discard the claw before opening the circular door.

Fight through Bleak Falls Temple and the crypt

Beyond the spider chamber, draugr begin to rise from their wall coffins. Use the corridors and doorways to prevent several enemies from surrounding you. Draugr archers can be handled by closing distance or retreating behind cover, while melee draugr are easier to defeat when you keep space between yourself and their power attacks.

The ruin contains more swinging blades, pressure plates and other hazards. Look at the floor before crossing narrow passages, and search bodies only after the room is safe. You do not need to collect every item. Preserve healing supplies and carrying capacity for the final chamber. Before crossing the bridge toward the circular door, make a manual save if you have not saved recently.

• Use doorways and corridors to separate draugr.
• Watch the floor around traps and pressure plates.
• Save before the circular claw door.

Open the Golden Claw door

At the circular door, examine the Golden Claw in your inventory if you need the solution. The three symbols are engraved on the claw. Align the rings from the outer ring to the inner ring as bear, moth, owl. After the symbols are positioned, activate the keyhole in the center and use the Golden Claw. The door opens without requiring a lockpick.

If the rings are misaligned, adjust them before activating the keyhole again. Once the door opens, make another save and proceed into the final burial chamber. The Golden Claw remains in your inventory until you later return it to Lucan in Riverwood, if you choose to complete The Golden Claw.

• Set the rings outer-to-inner as bear, moth, owl.
• Use the Golden Claw at the center keyhole.
• Save after the door opens.

Learn the Word Wall power and defeat the final draugr

In the burial chamber, approach the glowing Word Wall to learn the first word of Unrelenting Force. The game teaches the word when you stand near the wall. This does not immediately make the shout usable: you need a dragon soul later to unlock the word in the Magic menu.

When you approach the nearby sarcophagus, a powerful draugr rises. Fight from the edge of the room and use the stairs, doorway or pillars to keep it from trapping you against a wall. Ranged attacks, blocking, restoration magic and healing potions can all help. If the draugr advances too quickly, retreat through the entrance corridor and re-engage after recovering.

Search the defeated draugr and take the Dragonstone. It is the required main-quest item. Also check the nearby chest if you have sufficient carrying capacity, but the chest loot is optional.

• Touch the Word Wall to learn the first Unrelenting Force word.
• Defeat the draugr that emerges from the sarcophagus.
• Take the Dragonstone from its body.

Leave through the shortcut and deliver the Dragonstone

After taking the Dragonstone, look for the handle in the rear of the burial chamber. Activate it to open the shortcut out of the dungeon. Follow the passage to the exterior overlook rather than retracing the entire ruin. Once outside, fast-travel to Whiterun if the map allows it. If you need to return to Riverwood first, do so only after confirming that the Dragonstone is in your inventory.

Enter Dragonsreach and speak with Farengar. Continue the conversation until you hand over the Dragonstone. The Bleak Falls Barrow objective completes, and the next main quest, Dragon Rising, begins when Irileth brings news of a dragon near Whiterun. If you want the Golden Claw reward, return to Riverwood and speak with Lucan after the dungeon; doing so is optional and does not replace the main-quest delivery to Farengar.

• Use the rear handle and exit through the shortcut.
• Confirm the Dragonstone is in your inventory before leaving.
• Give the Dragonstone to Farengar in Dragonsreach.
• Make a manual save after Dragon Rising appears.

1. Begin Dragon Rising in Dragonsreach

Return to Dragonsreach after completing Bleak Falls Barrow and give the Dragonstone to Farengar Secret-Fire. During or immediately after the conversation, Irileth reports that a dragon has been seen near Whiterun. Move to Jarl Balgruuf’s position in Dragonsreach and listen to the report. Balgruuf then orders Irileth to take soldiers to the Western Watchtower.

Make a manual save before leaving Whiterun. Equip the weapons or spells you use most reliably, and carry healing potions. A ranged weapon or offensive spell is useful because Mirmulnir spends part of the battle flying, but melee characters can complete the encounter by waiting for safe landings. You do not need to recruit a separate follower for this quest; Irileth and the Whiterun guards provide the intended support.

• Dragon Rising is active in the quest journal.
• You have spoken with Jarl Balgruuf after the dragon report.
• You have healing supplies and at least one reliable way to attack from range.

2. Follow Irileth to the Western Watchtower

Leave Whiterun through the main gate and follow the quest marker toward the Western Watchtower, southwest of the city. Irileth and the guards travel ahead of you. You may follow the group or move directly to the marked location, but do not wander far from the objective before the encounter begins.

The tower is damaged and burning when you arrive. Stay near Irileth and the guards while they inspect the site. The attack begins after the group reaches the tower area and the scripted conversation has progressed. If the dragon is not visible immediately, remain in the vicinity rather than leaving or fast-traveling away.

• You have reached the Western Watchtower.
• Irileth and the Whiterun guards are present.
• The dragon attack has begun or the objective has advanced to killing the dragon.

3. Fight Mirmulnir safely

Mirmulnir circles and makes passes over the watchtower before landing. When he is airborne, use a bow, crossbow, destruction spell, or another ranged attack if you have a clear shot. When he turns toward you and prepares a breath attack, move behind the tower ruins, a wall, or another piece of terrain. Do not remain exposed simply to finish one more attack.

When Mirmulnir lands near the guards, attack from the side or rear while he is focused on them. A melee character should strike briefly, then move away when the dragon turns or begins breathing fire. The guards can absorb some of the dragon’s attention, so keep the fight near them instead of drawing Mirmulnir across the open field. If your health falls low, retreat behind cover, heal, and rejoin the battle after the breath attack ends.

Fire resistance is helpful but not required. Potions, blocking, and healing spells are more important than trying to maximize damage. The battle ends only when Mirmulnir’s health is depleted, so continue attacking during later flight and landing cycles.

• You use terrain to break line of sight during breath attacks.
• You attack Mirmulnir while he is grounded or when a ranged attack has a clear path.
• You remain close enough to the Whiterun guards for them to support you.

4. Approach the corpse and absorb the dragon soul

After Mirmulnir dies, approach the dragon’s corpse. The body will burn away and the dragon soul will be absorbed automatically when you are close enough. Do not leave the watchtower area before this animation and objective update occur. The bones and scales are optional loot; they are heavy, so take them only if your carrying capacity allows it.

The absorbed soul is needed to unlock Words of Power. Open the Magic menu, select Shouts, and use the newly available dragon soul to unlock Unrelenting Force if the game has not already done so automatically. The optional shout objective is not required to win the battle, but spending the soul confirms that the absorption registered.

• Mirmulnir is dead.
• The dragon soul absorption effect has occurred.
• The objective has updated from killing or investigating the dragon.

5. Report to Jarl Balgruuf

Return to Dragonsreach after the soul has been absorbed. Speak with Jarl Balgruuf and report that the dragon has been killed. Complete the conversation rather than leaving after the first line, because the quest rewards and next main-quest transition occur during this report.

Balgruuf awards the Axe of Whiterun and grants you the title of Thane of Whiterun. Lydia is then assigned as your housecarl and can become an optional follower. These rewards are not required for the main quest. You do not need to purchase Breezehome, join the Companions, begin the Civil War, or start any downloadable-content quest to continue.

• You have completed the report to Jarl Balgruuf.
• The Axe of Whiterun and Thane dialogue have been awarded.
• Lydia is available as a housecarl, if you want to use her.

6. Confirm The Way of the Voice

After the report, Dragon Rising should complete and The Way of the Voice should become the active main-quest objective. The Greybeards’ summons from High Hrothgar establishes your next destination. Open the quest journal and select The Way of the Voice to confirm that the objective directs you to visit the Greybeards.

If Dragon Rising remains incomplete, return to the Western Watchtower and check the dragon’s former location, then approach the corpse area again if necessary. If the objective still does not update, reload the manual save made before the battle and repeat the encounter without leaving the area before the soul absorption. Do not begin a different major quest until the journal confirms that The Way of the Voice is active.

• Dragon Rising is marked complete.
• The Way of the Voice appears in the journal.
• The next objective directs you to High Hrothgar and the Greybeards.

1. Activate the Greybeards’ summons in Whiterun

After completing Dragon Rising, return to Dragonsreach and speak with Jarl Balgruuf. Ask about the summons if necessary and continue the conversation until The Way of the Voice becomes active. The objective directs you toward High Hrothgar, the Greybeards’ monastery on the Throat of the World.

Before leaving Whiterun, equip the Unrelenting Force shout from the Magic menu and make a manual save. Carry healing potions and usable combat equipment. A follower is optional; the quest does not require a particular race, skill build, faction allegiance, or level.

• The Way of the Voice is active in the quest journal.
• Unrelenting Force is available in the Shouts menu.
• A manual save exists before the trip to Ivarstead.

2. Travel from Whiterun to Ivarstead

Follow the road east from Whiterun, passing near Honningbrew Meadery and continuing toward the mountain roads. Use road signs and the active quest marker if the route becomes unclear. Ivarstead is at the foot of the climb to High Hrothgar, so do not try to reach the monastery by scaling the mountain directly from Whiterun.

Wild animals and other level-scaled encounters can appear on the road. Fight only what blocks your route, recover after combat, and avoid entering unrelated caves or camps if you are keeping this run focused on the main quest. If you already have access to fast travel, you may use any discovered location that brings you closer, but Ivarstead itself must be reached before the 7,000 Steps route becomes relevant.

• You have reached Ivarstead.
• You have kept the quest marker on The Way of the Voice.
• You have saved before starting the mountain ascent.

3. Optional: accept and deliver Klimmek’s supplies

Near the bridge on the north side of Ivarstead, speak with Klimmek if you want to take his optional favor. Accepting it adds Klimmek’s supplies to your inventory. This task is not a prerequisite for The Way of the Voice and can be ignored without affecting the main quest.

If you accepted the supplies, cross the bridge and climb with them. At the top, place them in the large chest outside High Hrothgar. The chest is outside the monastery entrance, so complete the delivery before entering the building. You can later return to Ivarstead to receive Klimmek’s reward, but that reward is not needed for progression.

• Optional: Klimmek’s supplies are in your inventory.
• Optional: The supplies have been placed in the chest outside High Hrothgar.
• You are ready to enter through the monastery’s normal front entrance.

4. Climb the 7,000 Steps

From the bridge north of Ivarstead, follow the obvious stone stairway and winding pilgrimage trail upward. The route is marked by stone tablets describing the history of dragons, men, and the Voice. Keep to the established path instead of cutting across steep slopes, where falls or awkward terrain can leave you exposed.

Expect several animal encounters and be prepared for a frost troll on the upper section of the climb. You may defeat it, sneak around it, or run past it if your character is still weak. Ranged attacks, fire-based spells, and healing supplies are useful, but killing the troll is not required. Continue until High Hrothgar is visible and enter through the front door.

• You have followed the marked trail from Ivarstead.
• You have passed the mountain shrines and upper snowy path.
• High Hrothgar has been entered.

5. Demonstrate Unrelenting Force to Arngeir

Inside High Hrothgar, speak with Arngeir. Continue through the conversation until he asks you to demonstrate that you are Dragonborn. Equip Unrelenting Force if needed, face Arngeir, and use the shout. The Greybeards will not become hostile during this required demonstration.

After the conversation, remain inside the main hall and wait for the next objective. The training sequence advances through dialogue and scripted lessons, so do not leave High Hrothgar to pursue another objective before the Greybeards finish addressing you.

• Arngeir has accepted the Unrelenting Force demonstration.
• The quest has advanced to the Greybeards’ training sequence.
• No Greybeard has been attacked.

6. Learn the second word of Unrelenting Force

Einarth teaches you the next word of Unrelenting Force. Stand on the glowing word of power when the lesson begins. This training unlocks the word automatically; do not spend a dragon soul on it. The newly expanded shout is stronger because it now contains two words.

Arngeir then directs you to demonstrate the shout against three summoned targets. Select Unrelenting Force and hold the shout input long enough to release both available words. Hit each target as it appears. If you release only the first word, the demonstration may not register correctly, so use the longer charge for every target.

• The second word of Unrelenting Force has been learned.
• All three summoned targets have been hit.
• The next objective sends you outside with Borri.

7. Learn Whirlwind Sprint and finish the quest

Follow Borri from the hall into High Hrothgar’s courtyard. Stand on the glowing word of power to learn the required word of Whirlwind Sprint. In a normal run where no Whirlwind Sprint word has been learned elsewhere, this is Wuld, the first word; if you already know a word, the training can grant the next applicable word instead.

Equip Whirlwind Sprint and face the open training gate. Stand in line with the passage, use the shout when the gate opens, and cross before it closes. The exact controller button depends on your current PlayStation control settings, so use the button shown for Shout in your settings rather than relying on a fixed mapping.

Return to Arngeir after crossing the gate. Continue the conversation until he assigns The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller and marks Ustengrav as the next destination. Make a manual save once that objective appears.

• The required Whirlwind Sprint word has been learned.
• You have crossed the training gate.
• Arngeir has assigned The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.
• The Way of the Voice is marked complete in the journal.
• A manual save exists with Ustengrav as the next main-quest objective.

1. Confirm the quest and prepare for Ustengrav

After completing The Way of the Voice, speak with Arngeir at High Hrothgar and accept The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Activate the quest in your journal so the map marker points to Ustengrav. The ruin lies in Hjaalmarch, northeast of Morthal. If Morthal is already discovered, use its carriage service or fast travel there, then follow the marker across the marsh.

Bring healing potions and a reliable weapon or ranged option. A torch, Candlelight, or another light source helps in the darker chambers. Leave room for useful loot, but do not make carrying capacity a priority over survival. Lockpicks are optional: they can open side containers, but no lockpick is required to complete the main route. Create a manual save before entering the ruin.

• The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller is active in the journal.
• Ustengrav is marked on the map.
• Healing supplies and a usable weapon are ready.

2. Enter Ustengrav and let hostile groups thin themselves

Deal with the enemies outside the entrance, then enter the ruin. The opening chambers can contain bandits, spellcasters, draugr, and other undead fighting one another. If you are underlevelled or playing at high difficulty, stay near the entrance to the chamber and let the hostile groups weaken each other before attacking the survivors.

Prioritize spellcasters when they detect you, especially enemies using frost magic that slows movement. Use pillars and doorways as cover, or allow a follower to draw attention while you attack from range. Search only nearby corpses and containers. The dungeon is long, and filling your inventory with low-value weapons can force an unnecessary return trip.

• The entrance area is clear or safely bypassed.
• Spellcasters have been handled before they can control the fight.
• You still have space for important items.

3. Follow the main passage through the burial chambers

Continue through the ruin toward the quest marker. Fight or bypass draugr and skeletons as the passage descends. Side rooms contain optional chests, urns, and supplies; search them only if you can do so without losing the main route. When the path branches, use the quest marker and the descending corridors as your guide.

Watch for pressure plates, swinging blades, and flame traps. Move across suspicious floors rather than standing on them, and retreat through a doorway if several enemies attack at once. A doorway or stair landing is safer than fighting in the middle of a trapped chamber. Heal before entering the large cavern that leads to Ustengrav Depths.

• You have reached the deeper burial chambers.
• You can identify the route leading toward Ustengrav Depths.
• Your health is restored before the cavern section.

4. Enter Ustengrav Depths and collect the optional Word Wall

Open the route into Ustengrav Depths and descend into the large cavern. Draugr and skeletons occupy the walkways and lower areas. Use stairs and narrow bridges as chokepoints so enemies cannot surround you. Ranged attacks are useful against undead on platforms or across the cavern.

The cavern contains a Word Wall for Become Ethereal. It is optional for completing the quest, but it is on or near the main lower route and can be read if you want the shout word. Clear nearby enemies first, then approach the wall and absorb the word. Before moving on, make a manual save near the three-stone gate puzzle.

• The location name shows Ustengrav Depths.
• The lower cavern is safe enough to cross.
• Become Ethereal has been learned if you chose to read the Word Wall.

5. Pass the three stones and timed gates

The puzzle has three standing stones followed by three gates. Each stone opens its corresponding gate only while the stone remains activated. Equip Whirlwind Sprint before approaching. Face the stones and gates, begin sprinting, and pass the stones in sequence so they light as you move. Once you have passed the third stone, activate Whirlwind Sprint to cover the remaining distance before the gates close.

The exact timing depends on your movement and shout cooldown. If the one-word version does not carry you through all the gates, use it again when available rather than trying to jump over the barriers. A pull chain between the gates provides a reset or retry route after a failed attempt. Do not waste healing items trying to force your way through the closed gates.

• Whirlwind Sprint is equipped.
• All three stones have been activated in one forward run.
• You have crossed the gates, or used the pull chain to reset for another attempt.

6. Cross the flame traps and clear the spider chamber

Beyond the gates, continue toward the ceremonial section. A chamber contains floor flame traps; stay near the edges and move between safe sections instead of stopping in the center. Past this area, frostbite spiders guard a passage blocked by webs. Attack from range if possible, and avoid standing on the flames while fighting.

Burn or cut through the webs blocking the doorway. After entering the next room, pull the chain to retract the portcullis. Heal before entering the final chamber. Chests and burial urns near the shrine are optional, so leave them if your inventory is close to full.

• The timed gates are behind you.
• The flame-trap room has been crossed.
• The spiders and web blockage are cleared and the portcullis is open.

7. Take the Mysterious Note and meet Delphine

At the final shrine, activate the pedestal. The Horn is missing; take the Mysterious Note instead. This is the intended outcome of the quest and is not a failed dungeon objective. The note directs you to rent the attic room at the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.

Leave Ustengrav through the exit behind the shrine and travel to Riverwood. Speak with Delphine at the Sleeping Giant Inn and ask to rent the attic room. She will explain that the inn has no attic room and direct you to another room. Enter that room and wait briefly if Delphine does not follow immediately. Continue speaking with her until she reveals that she took the Horn, gives it to you, and starts A Blade in the Dark. If the conversation stalls, leave the room, wait for a short period, and return; do not abandon the quest marker.

• The Mysterious Note has been taken.
• You have asked Delphine about renting the attic room.
• Delphine has handed over the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller.
• A Blade in the Dark is active or available in the journal.

8. Return the Horn to High Hrothgar

Travel back to High Hrothgar and give the Horn to Arngeir. Follow the Greybeards into the main hall when directed. Wulfgar will teach you the final word of Unrelenting Force. Remain in the hall through the Greybeards’ formal recognition ceremony; the quest does not finish merely because the Horn is in your inventory.

After the ceremony, create a manual save. The Horn quest is complete when Arngeir has accepted the Horn, Wulfgar has taught the final word, and the Greybeards have formally recognized you as Dragonborn. A Blade in the Dark began during the Riverwood meeting and is the next main-quest objective.

• Arngeir has received the Horn.
• The final word of Unrelenting Force has been learned from Wulfgar.
• The Greybeards’ recognition ceremony has finished.
• A Blade in the Dark is the next active main-quest step.

Meet Delphine at the Sleeping Giant Inn

Return to Riverwood after completing The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller and enter the Sleeping Giant Inn. Speak with Delphine and choose the dialogue option to rent the attic room when she directs you there. This is a staged meeting rather than an ordinary lodging task. After the conversation begins, follow Delphine into her room and watch her open the concealed doorway in the wardrobe. Enter the basement to continue the quest.

In the basement, Delphine explains that the dragons are not merely appearing; they are being brought back to life at old burial mounds. She has used the Dragonstone recovered from Bleak Falls Barrow to identify the next likely site. Continue the conversation until the objective changes to locating the dragon burial site near Kynesgrove.

• The quest objective instructs you to locate the dragon burial site.
• Delphine opens the concealed passage into her basement.
• The destination is Kynesgrove, not Riften or the Thalmor Embassy.

Travel to Kynesgrove

Kynesgrove is in Eastmarch, south of Windhelm. You may follow Delphine from Riverwood, or travel independently and meet her near the burial mound. If you use fast travel, Windhelm is a practical nearby destination, but the quest can also be completed by following the road from elsewhere in Skyrim. The marked objective leads beyond the settlement to the ancient dragon mound.

Prepare before approaching the mound. Bring healing supplies and at least one reliable way to damage a flying target, such as a bow, crossbow, destruction spell, or another ranged attack. A follower is useful but not required. Make a manual save before entering the burial-ground area so you can retry the scripted encounter if the quest fails to update.

• You have reached Kynesgrove or the marked burial mound.
• You have a ranged attack or another method of striking Sahloknir while airborne.
• A manual save exists before the resurrection scene.

Watch Alduin resurrect Sahloknir

Approach the burial mound and remain in the marked area. Alduin appears above the mound and uses his Thu'um to resurrect the dragon Sahloknir. This scene is part of the quest progression. Alduin is not the required target here, and attacking him does not replace the objective to kill Sahloknir. Wait for the resurrection sequence to finish and for Alduin to leave.

Once Sahloknir is alive, the quest objective changes to killing him. Keep your weapons ready, but do not run away from the mound during the transition. If Delphine is present, she joins the fight. If you arrived before her, wait for her to reach the burial site rather than beginning a separate journey.

• Alduin completes the resurrection.
• Sahloknir becomes the active combat target.
• The objective changes to kill Sahloknir.

Defeat Sahloknir

Fight Sahloknir in the open ground around the mound. When he takes flight, use your ranged weapon or spell and keep moving so his breath attack does not catch you standing still. When he lands, attack from the side or rear rather than remaining directly in front of his head. Rocks, trees, and uneven ground can provide brief cover while you recover health or wait for an opening.

Dragonrend is not required for this battle; it is learned much later in the main quest. Melee characters should retreat when Sahloknir turns toward them or begins a breath attack, then close in again after he lands. Ranged characters should continue changing position between attacks. A follower or Delphine can draw attention away from you, but do not rely on them to finish the fight.

After Sahloknir dies, remain at the burial ground. The important progression event is the Dragonborn absorbing his dragon soul. Do not fast-travel away immediately, and do not assume the quest is complete merely because the body has fallen.

• Sahloknir has been defeated.
• The Dragonborn absorbs Sahloknir’s dragon soul.
• The quest objective changes to returning or speaking with Delphine.

Hear Delphine’s Blades revelation

Speak with Delphine after the soul absorption. Seeing the Dragonborn permanently defeat Sahloknir and absorb his soul convinces her that you are truly Dragonborn. She then reveals that she is one of the last surviving members of the Blades, an organization connected to protecting the Dragonborn and opposing dragons.

Continue through the conversation about the returning dragons and the Thalmor. Delphine suspects the Thalmor may know something about the attacks, but this dialogue establishes a lead rather than proving that the Thalmor are responsible. She proposes investigating the Thalmor Embassy and tells you to meet her back in Riverwood after she has prepared the next part of the plan.

• Delphine identifies herself as a surviving Blade.
• The Thalmor Embassy becomes the next major lead.
• Delphine instructs you to meet her in Riverwood for the following stage.

Confirm completion and begin Diplomatic Immunity

Make a manual save after the conversation. A Blade in the Dark is complete once Sahloknir is dead, his soul has been absorbed, and Delphine has finished the follow-up dialogue. The next main-quest stage is Diplomatic Immunity. Meet Delphine in Riverwood when the quest instructs you to do so; she will explain the embassy infiltration plan and direct you to Malborn.

Do not begin the next stage by searching Riften for Esbern. A Cornered Rat occurs later, after the Thalmor Embassy investigation. Likewise, the Sky Haven Temple and Alduin’s Wall sequence is several quests beyond the embassy. Delphine must remain available for these later objectives, so do not attack her or treat the Blades conversation as optional flavor.

• A Blade in the Dark is marked complete.
• Diplomatic Immunity is active or ready to begin.
• The next meeting is with Delphine in Riverwood.
• The Riften search for Esbern has not yet begun.

1. Meet Delphine and prepare the equipment shipment

Return to the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood and speak with Delphine. Follow her into the basement room and agree to investigate the Thalmor Embassy. She sends you to Solitude to meet Malborn, her contact inside the embassy. Travel to Solitude and enter the Winking Skeever; Malborn is seated inside and will open an item-transfer menu when you speak with him.

Give Malborn every normal item you expect to use after entering the embassy. A practical loadout includes your preferred weapon, armor, healing potions, poisons if you use them, food or stamina recovery, and several lockpicks. These are the items he can place inside the embassy. Keep your total shipment manageable because you will want spare carrying capacity for equipment taken from defeated Thalmor. Quest items are not part of the normal equipment transfer and remain with you.

• Speak with Delphine in the Sleeping Giant Inn.
• Meet Malborn in the Winking Skeever in Solitude.
• Give Malborn your essential weapon, armor, healing supplies and lockpicks.
• Create a manual save before traveling to Delphine at the stables.

2. Meet Delphine at the Solitude stables and enter the party

Leave Solitude and travel to Katla’s Farm, the stable area outside the city. Delphine gives you Party Clothes, Party Boots and an invitation to Elenwen’s reception. Equip the party clothes and boots, then speak with Delphine when you are ready to depart. She stores the rest of your ordinary inventory for the duration of the infiltration and takes you to the embassy by carriage.

At the embassy entrance, present the invitation to the guard. You enter without your usual weapons and armor, so do not expect to fight immediately. Elenwen begins a conversation inside the reception. Malborn interrupts and then returns to his position behind the bar. Wait until you can speak with him before trying to leave the public reception area.

• Travel to Katla’s Farm outside Solitude.
• Equip Party Clothes and Party Boots.
• Carry the invitation into the embassy.
• Do not begin a fight during the initial reception conversation.

3. Use the reception distraction and recover your gear

Speak with Malborn behind the bar. He explains that he needs a distraction to move you through the kitchen. The dependable route is to accept a drink from Brelas or another serving NPC, then give the drink to Razelan, the intoxicated guest near the bar. Ask Razelan to cause a scene. When he begins attracting attention, return to Malborn and follow him through the kitchen.

Malborn takes you into the larder. Open the chest there to recover the items you gave him in Solitude. Equip your armor, weapon and supplies before opening the next door. Once you enter the embassy interior, you may use stealth, direct combat or both. The quest does not require you to remain undetected after leaving the reception, so choose the method that suits your build.

• Speak with Malborn after entering the reception.
• Give a drink to Razelan and ask him to create a distraction.
• Follow Malborn through the kitchen.
• Recover and equip your smuggled equipment from the larder chest.

4. Cross the embassy interior and search Elenwen’s Solar

Move from the kitchen through the embassy interior toward the courtyard. Thalmor soldiers and a mage may patrol the route. Sneak past them if your character is built for stealth, or fight through them using doorways and narrow rooms to avoid being surrounded. If several enemies engage at once, retreat through the entrance you used, heal, and draw them into a confined space rather than standing in the courtyard.

Continue through the courtyard and enter Elenwen’s Solar. Search the marked chest inside. It contains Dragon Investigation: Current Status, Thalmor Dossier: Delphine, Thalmor Dossier: Ulfric Stormcloak and the Interrogation Chamber Key. Take the key and the investigation material before leaving. Reading the documents is optional, but the evidence advances the investigation and the key opens the route to the dungeon.

• Reach the courtyard beyond the embassy interior.
• Enter Elenwen’s Solar.
• Take Dragon Investigation: Current Status.
• Take the Thalmor dossiers concerning Delphine and Ulfric.
• Take the Interrogation Chamber Key.

5. Enter the dungeon and obtain the Esbern evidence

Use the Interrogation Chamber Key to enter the dungeon below the Solar. Proceed carefully because guards and a mage are stationed near the cells. Search the dungeon chest to obtain Thalmor Dossier: Esbern. Speaking with Etienne Rarnis, the prisoner in the interrogation area, also supplies information about the Thalmor search for Esbern and advances the relevant objective.

After the evidence is obtained, guards arrive with Malborn. Defeat them and take the Trap Door Key from one of their bodies. Free Etienne and Malborn if you can. Their survival is not required to complete Diplomatic Immunity, but freeing them preserves the intended escape sequence and avoids losing Malborn during the mission. Do not search for a route back through the reception; the embassy exit is through the trap door near the cells.

• Use the Interrogation Chamber Key to enter the dungeon.
• Take Thalmor Dossier: Esbern from the dungeon chest.
• Speak with Etienne Rarnis or read the Esbern dossier.
• Defeat the guards who bring Malborn into the dungeon.
• Take the Trap Door Key.
• Free Etienne and Malborn if possible.

6. Escape through the Reeking Cave and report to Delphine

Unlock the trap door near the cells and enter the Reeking Cave. A frost troll occupies the cave route. Defeat it with ranged attacks, fire, blocking and healing, or sprint past it if your character can reach the exit safely. If you are protecting Etienne or Malborn, watch their health before rushing ahead. Optional loot in the cave includes a Stone of Barenziah and other items, but none of it is required for Diplomatic Immunity.

Leave the cave through its Skyrim exit and return to the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood. Speak with Delphine and report what you found. The documents show that the Thalmor are also looking for Esbern, directing the main quest toward Riften. The quest advances to A Cornered Rat. Your remaining belongings are stored in the chest in Delphine’s basement room, so collect them before continuing if you want your normal equipment back.

• Use the Trap Door Key and enter the Reeking Cave.
• Defeat or bypass the frost troll.
• Exit the cave to Skyrim.
• Return to Delphine in Riverwood.
• Report the embassy findings and receive A Cornered Rat.
• Recover your stored belongings from the chest in Delphine’s basement room.

1. Travel to Riften and make preparations

Set A Cornered Rat as the active quest and travel to Riften. If the city is undiscovered, use a carriage from a major settlement. After entering Riften, make a manual save before going below the city. Carry healing potions, keep a serviceable weapon equipped, and leave some inventory space for equipment found in the Ratway.

The quest does not require joining the Thieves Guild. If you want directions, speak with Keerava in the Bee and Barb, Brynjolf in the market or Ragged Flagon, or Vekel the Man and other contacts in the Ragged Flagon. Their dialogue can point you toward Esbern, but you may skip these conversations and proceed straight to the Ratway entrance.

• A Cornered Rat is active in the journal.
• You have saved before entering the Ratway.
• You have healing supplies and enough carrying capacity.

2. Enter the Ratway and cross the first section

The Ratway entrance is on the lower level beneath Riften’s market area. Look for the metal gate leading into the sewer tunnels. Enter, follow the passage, and deal with the hostile residents who block the route. You do not need to clear every room or collect every item.

Move carefully through the early chambers. The Ratway includes bear traps, a trapped doorway, pressure plates, and a battering-ram trap on a stairway. Watch the floor and doorways before advancing, and fight from positions where you can retreat if several enemies attack together. The path eventually reaches a lever and a wooden bridge near the Ragged Flagon.

• You are inside the Ratway rather than the open streets of Riften.
• You have passed the initial traps and hostile residents.
• The quest marker continues toward the Ragged Flagon or Ratway Vaults.

3. Use the Ragged Flagon as a route landmark

Continue until you enter the Ragged Flagon. This is the Thieves Guild’s underground tavern and a useful landmark, but it is not a required faction location for the main quest. If you have not already obtained directions, talk to Vekel the Man, Brynjolf, or another available contact and use dialogue that asks about Esbern. A persuasion or bribe option may be available depending on the speaker and your character’s skills.

When you are ready to continue, leave the tavern through the doorway leading to the Ratway Vaults. Do not switch to a Thieves Guild objective if the journal offers one. Keep A Cornered Rat selected so the marker continues to guide you toward Esbern.

• You have reached the Ragged Flagon.
• You understand that the Thieves Guild questline is optional.
• You have entered or are ready to enter the Ratway Vaults.

4. Cross the Ratway Vaults and enter the Warrens

The Ratway Vaults contain Thalmor agents searching for Esbern. You can defeat them, sneak around them, or retreat through the passages if a fight becomes dangerous. The Thalmor are hostile, but defeating every search party is not a separate requirement for completing the quest.

Follow the passages through the vaults and continue toward the lower route. The doorway to the Ratway Warrens is beyond the vaults. After entering the Warrens, follow the compass marker through the corridors and stairways toward Esbern’s room. Several residents may attack if approached or spoken to, so avoid unnecessary conversations when you only need to reach the marked door.

• You have passed through the Ratway Vaults.
• You have entered the Ratway Warrens.
• The objective marker is pointing toward Esbern’s locked door.

5. Convince Esbern to open the door

Interact with Esbern’s locked door to begin the conversation. The most dependable response is Delphine’s identifying phrase: “Remember the 30th of Frostfall.” This tells Esbern that Delphine sent you. Depending on the available dialogue, persuasion or identifying yourself as the Dragonborn may also allow the conversation to proceed, but the phrase avoids relying on a speech check.

Remain at the door while Esbern finishes speaking and unlocks it. Once inside, tell him that you are the Dragonborn when the conversation reaches that subject. Esbern recognizes that Alduin’s return is connected to the threat he feared and agrees to leave his hiding place. Wait for the objective to update before moving away from the room.

• Esbern has opened the door.
• You used the Frostfall identifying phrase or another successful dialogue option.
• You told Esbern that you are the Dragonborn.
• Esbern has agreed to go to Riverwood.

6. Escort Esbern to Delphine in Riverwood

Lead Esbern back through the Ratway using the route you came through. Thalmor agents can appear during the escape, and other enemies may join the fight. Deal with enemies blocking the route, but do not use wide-area attacks carelessly near Esbern. You do not need to stop and clear every chamber or loot the vaults.

After leaving the Ratway, travel to Riverwood and go to the Sleeping Giant Inn. Speak with Delphine and follow the conversation involving Esbern. Esbern identifies Sky Haven Temple and Alduin’s Wall as the next lead. Allow the dialogue to finish, then check the journal before leaving the inn. Alduin’s Wall should be available as the next main-quest objective.

• Esbern has left the Ratway with you.
• You have reached the Sleeping Giant Inn in Riverwood.
• Esbern and Delphine have discussed Sky Haven Temple.
• Alduin’s Wall is active or available as the next main-quest stage.

1. Reunite Esbern and Delphine in Riverwood

Once A Cornered Rat has brought Esbern out of the Ratway, travel to Riverwood. Fast travel is acceptable if Riverwood is available on your map; Esbern can accompany you or wait near the settlement. Enter the Sleeping Giant Inn and speak with Delphine. Let the conversation with Esbern finish before leaving the inn.

This meeting starts Alduin’s Wall and establishes Sky Haven Temple as the destination. Do not treat Karthspire as the first required objective if the Riverwood conversation has not occurred. If the quest marker or dialogue has not advanced, return to the inn and speak with Delphine and Esbern again before traveling onward.

• Esbern has reached Riverwood.
• The conversation at the Sleeping Giant Inn has completed.
• Alduin’s Wall is active in the quest journal.

2. Travel to Karthspire

Follow the quest marker toward Karthspire in the Reach, near the route to Sky Haven Temple east of Markarth. You may travel with Delphine and Esbern or reach the destination independently; the companions will join the sequence at the site. Forsworn defend the approach and may include a Briarheart, so use ranged attacks, elevation, or cover if a direct assault is unsafe.

Enter the Karthspire cavern rather than searching for a separate exterior entrance. Make a manual save before the first puzzle. The chest on the approach is optional, and no optional loot is needed to complete the quest.

• The Karthspire entrance has been reached.
• The Forsworn blocking the route have been defeated or bypassed.
• A manual save exists before the rotating pillars.

3. Lower the bridge with the three pillars

Inside the cavern, climb to the platform with three rotating stone pillars overlooking a gap. Each pillar displays several symbols, including warrior, king, and Dragonborn. Activate each pillar until the Dragonborn symbol faces forward. The correct mark is the downward-pointing, dragon-shaped symbol; guides also describe its appearance as resembling an apple-like emblem.

When all three pillars show the Dragonborn symbol, the stone bridge lowers across the gap. If it does not descend, inspect the three faces again and rotate any pillar that still shows warrior or king. Cross only after the bridge has fully lowered, then allow the companions to follow.

• All three pillars show the Dragonborn symbol.
• The stone bridge has lowered.
• The route beyond the bridge is open.

4. Cross the pressure-plate room

The next chamber contains a floor covered with marked pressure plates. Step only on plates bearing the same Dragonborn symbol used in the pillar puzzle. Move slowly and keep the camera angled toward the floor so you can identify the next safe plate before walking forward. An incorrect plate triggers a fireball trap, so do not sprint directly across the room.

Continue across the matching plates until you reach the pull chain on the far side. Activate the chain to disable the trap. Once the mechanism is off, Delphine and Esbern can cross without being exposed to the plates. Heal and save after pulling the chain, especially if an incorrect step caused damage.

• The pressure-plate room was crossed using matching Dragonborn symbols.
• The pull chain has been activated.
• The fireball trap is disabled.

5. Activate the blood seal

Continue through the cavern, across the bridges, and into the large chamber containing the circular blood seal. Esbern explains that the entrance requires blood from a Dragonborn. Stand on the central seal and activate it. The game handles the cutting and blood offering automatically; you do not need to equip a dagger or provide a separate item.

The sealed entrance opens into Sky Haven Temple. Enter after the door opens and wait for Delphine and Esbern to move through the passage. If the interaction does not register, step back from the seal, approach the marked center again, and activate it when the prompt appears.

• The central blood seal has been activated.
• The entrance into Sky Haven Temple has opened.
• The companions can proceed into the temple.

6. Reach Alduin’s Wall

Inside Sky Haven Temple, follow the stairs and corridors toward the large carved mural. Optional rooms contain equipment and chests, but they are not required. The Blades equipment, Dragonbane, and the Mace Etiquette skill book can be collected later if desired without affecting the main objective.

Continue to the mural and wait for Esbern to reach it. He must begin his interpretation before the objective completes, so do not leave the temple or rush into unrelated rooms while the companions are still moving. Esbern’s explanation covers the ancient Dragon War and identifies a powerful Shout as the key to bringing Alduin down.

• Alduin’s Wall has been reached.
• Esbern has arrived at the mural.
• Esbern’s interpretation has begun and finished.

7. Finish the quest and continue to High Hrothgar

After Esbern finishes explaining the wall, Delphine and Esbern direct you back to the Greybeards. Check the journal and confirm that Alduin’s Wall is complete and that The Throat of the World is the following main quest. The immediate destination is High Hrothgar, where you should speak with Arngeir.

If the scene does not advance, remain near the mural while Esbern and Delphine finish their dialogue. Do not attack either companion or leave before the conversation ends. If they remain stuck, reload the manual save made before entering the puzzle route and repeat the final approach, making sure the pressure-plate chain and blood seal were activated normally.

• Alduin’s Wall is marked completed.
• The next main-quest objective directs you to High Hrothgar or Arngeir.
• Esbern has explained that a Shout was used against Alduin.

Return to High Hrothgar and speak with Arngeir

Travel to High Hrothgar, either by fast travel if the location is already unlocked or by following the Seven Thousand Steps from Ivarstead. Enter the monastery and find Arngeir. Ask him about the Shout used against Alduin and continue the conversation until he explains that the Greybeards do not know the required Shout. Arngeir then identifies Paarthurnax, the master of the Greybeards, as the person who may be able to help.

Follow Arngeir and the other Greybeards into the courtyard when they move outside. Make a manual save before approaching the Words of Power. This is a useful recovery point because the quest requires several scripted interactions in sequence, and the mountain route can also expose a low-level character to dangerous enemies. The quest prerequisite is Alduin’s Wall; no faction quest, DLC quest, or Creation Club quest is required.

• Alduin’s Wall has been completed.
• Arngeir has directed you to Paarthurnax.
• You are in the High Hrothgar courtyard with a manual save available.

Learn the complete Clear Skies Shout

Remain in the courtyard and wait for the Greybeards to perform their demonstration. Three Words of Power appear on the ground one after another. Walk to each word as it appears and allow the game to register the learning effect. The Greybeards grant Clear Skies through the quest, so you do not need to spend a dragon soul to unlock these words.

Open the Magic menu and check the Shouts section. Confirm that Clear Skies is available, then equip it before leaving the courtyard. Learning the complete Shout is the intended route for this quest and makes the mountain ascent much safer than trying to endure the storm directly.

• All three Words of Power for Clear Skies have been learned.
• Clear Skies is visible in the Shouts menu.
• Clear Skies is equipped before beginning the ascent.

Cross the storm on the mountain path

Leave the courtyard by the uphill route toward the summit. The path is covered by a powerful storm that damages you and obstructs the way. Use Clear Skies whenever the storm blocks the trail, then advance during the temporary clear interval. The Shout has a cooldown, so do not remain in the exposed mist waiting for it to return; move toward the next visible section of stone path as soon as the weather opens.

The trail can contain Ice Wraiths and may also produce a Frost Troll. Fight from a distance when possible, use fire-based attacks against Ice Wraiths, and retreat downhill if your health falls too quickly. Healing in a clear section is safer than trying to force your way through the storm. Continue using Clear Skies at each blocked section until you reach the summit platform and the word wall where Paarthurnax is waiting. The exact number of uses can vary with your route and movement, so follow the weather and quest marker rather than relying on a fixed count.

• The storm has been cleared at each obstructed section.
• You have reached the summit of the Throat of the World.
• Paarthurnax is present and the objective to speak with him is active.

Meet Paarthurnax and activate the Fire Breath word wall

Approach Paarthurnax without attacking. Let the opening conversation continue until the subject turns to the Shout that defeated Alduin. Paarthurnax explains that Dragonrend was created by mortals and that he does not know it. He then directs you to the nearby Word Wall and demonstrates Fire Breath against the ice covering it.

Wait for the ice to clear and approach the exposed Word Wall. Absorb the Word of Power when the game presents the opportunity. The exact Fire Breath word taught can depend on which Fire Breath words you already know, so do not assume that this visit must always provide the same numbered word. The important requirement is to learn the new word from the wall and allow the quest objective to update.

• Paarthurnax has explained that Dragonrend is unknown to him.
• The nearby Fire Breath Word Wall has been exposed.
• The new Fire Breath Word of Power has been absorbed.

Use Fire Breath on Paarthurnax

After learning the word, equip Fire Breath from the Shouts menu. Face Paarthurnax and use the Shout once when the objective asks you to demonstrate it. This is a scripted test, not a combat encounter. Do not strike him with weapons or spells, and do not leave the summit while the game is waiting for this demonstration.

Do not fast-travel away before Paarthurnax has finished the word-wall and demonstration sequence. Bethesda’s support guidance specifically warns that leaving too early can prevent the Word of Power from being learned correctly. If the objective fails to update, load the manual save made before the ascent or before the summit sequence and repeat the scene without fast travel.

• Fire Breath is equipped.
• The Shout has been used on Paarthurnax as requested.
• The objective has advanced beyond the demonstration.

Finish the Dragonrend and Elder Scroll conversation

Speak with Paarthurnax again after the demonstration. Continue the dialogue about Dragonrend and the Elder Scroll until he explains that the ancient event may be viewed through the Elder Scroll. This establishes the reason for the next quest and sends you toward Elder Knowledge.

Paarthurnax may also offer meditation on a Word of Power after the required conversation. Meditation is optional and does not replace the Dragonrend discussion. You do not need to choose a meditation option to complete The Throat of the World or advance the main quest. Leave only after the objective changes and the journal points you toward the Elder Scroll.

• Paarthurnax has explained how the Elder Scroll can reveal Dragonrend.
• The journal has advanced to Elder Knowledge or its Elder Scroll objective.
• The summit conversation is no longer waiting for a required response.

Completion check and safe departure

Open the quest journal before leaving the summit. The Throat of the World should be marked complete, or the next main quest, Elder Knowledge, should be active. Confirm that Clear Skies and Fire Breath remain available in the Shouts menu. Create a new manual save after the quest updates, then begin the Elder Scroll search from that save.

Keep Paarthurnax and the Greybeards alive for this chapter. The later Paarthurnax-related decision is separate from the required progression here, and attacking him now can remove dialogue needed for the main quest. If Paarthurnax is missing, the Fire Breath wall has not activated, or the objective will not update, return to the pre-ascent save and replay the summit sequence without fast-traveling away.

• The Throat of the World is complete or Elder Knowledge is active.
• Clear Skies and Fire Breath are available.
• Paarthurnax and the Greybeards remain non-hostile.
• A manual save exists after the summit dialogue.

1. Obtain the Attunement Sphere and Blank Lexicon

Begin after The Throat of the World has directed you to find an Elder Scroll. Speak with Arngeir at High Hrothgar or Esbern at Sky Haven Temple if either is offered as an information source. Their instructions lead you toward the College of Winterhold and its Arcanaeum, the library inside the College.

Speak with Urag gro-Shub in the Arcanaeum and ask about the Elder Scrolls. Examine the information he provides until the objective sends you to Septimus Signus’s outpost on the northern ice coast. If the College is not yet accessible, speak with Faralda at the bridge and complete the entry test. You do not need to complete the College questline.

At the outpost, speak with Septimus Signus and accept the Attunement Sphere and Blank Lexicon. The Blank Lexicon is needed for the Tower of Mzark mechanism. The Attunement Sphere is used at the rear of Alftand Cathedral to open the intended route into Blackreach. Make a manual save before entering Alftand.

• Speak with Arngeir or Esbern if the current objective offers either NPC.
• Ask Urag gro-Shub about the Elder Scrolls.
• Receive the Attunement Sphere and Blank Lexicon from Septimus Signus.
• Make a manual save before entering Alftand.

2. Fight through Alftand to the Cathedral

Enter Alftand and follow the connected route through the Glacial Ruins and Animonculory. The ruin contains Dwarven Spiders, Dwarven Spheres, Falmer and other hazards. Use doorways, stairs and narrow passages to separate enemies instead of fighting several machines in an open area. A ranged weapon or offensive spell is useful against enemies positioned on ledges.

Continue until you reach Alftand Cathedral. You do not need to clear every side room. Save before the final Cathedral area because the enemies there are stronger and a Dwarven Centurion may be present near the mechanism. Retreat down the passage if you need time to heal or recover stamina.

At the rear of the Cathedral, locate the Dwemer receptacle designed for the Attunement Sphere. Activate it while carrying the sphere. The mechanism opens a staircase leading down into Blackreach. Follow that staircase rather than leaving Alftand through an unrelated exit.

• Pass through the Glacial Ruins and Animonculory.
• Reach Alftand Cathedral.
• Use the Attunement Sphere at the rear mechanism.
• Take the opened stairs into Blackreach.

3. Cross Blackreach and reach the Tower of Mzark

Blackreach is a broad cavern with several structures and routes, so keep Elder Knowledge selected and use the quest marker to stay oriented. From the Alftand entrance, travel across the cavern toward the Tower of Mzark. Follow roads, bridges and Dwemer platforms, using cover when Falmer, Chaurus or automatons attack.

You can bypass some enemies if the route is clear. Avoid spending time at unrelated towers or the giant central orb unless you are deliberately exploring. The orb is not where the main-quest Elder Scroll is stored. The required destination is the Tower of Mzark, a prominent Dwemer tower reached across the cavern.

Enter the tower and use its lift to reach the upper interior. Follow the winding path upward until you reach the Oculory control room. Save before operating the controls. The Blank Lexicon must be placed in the receptacle beside the buttons before the sequence becomes active.

• Keep the Elder Knowledge quest selected while crossing Blackreach.
• Follow the marker to the Tower of Mzark.
• Use the tower’s interior route to reach the Oculory.
• Save before placing the Blank Lexicon.

4. Operate the Oculory in the correct order

Place the Blank Lexicon in the Lexicon receptacle. Several controls are arranged around the mechanism. Identify them by their positions from left to right rather than by changing names or visual states.

Press the second button from the right four times. After each activation, wait for the Dwemer mechanism to finish moving before pressing the same button again. When the fourth activation is complete, the second button from the left becomes available.

Press the second button from the left twice, again waiting for the mechanism to finish moving after each activation. The leftmost button then becomes available. Press the leftmost button once and wait for the Oculory to complete its final movement.

The central container opens and reveals the Elder Scroll Dragon. Move down to the opened container and take the item named Elder Scroll Dragon. The completed Lexicon is now called the Runed Lexicon. It is separate from the Elder Scroll and is not the item needed to learn Dragonrend.

• Place the Blank Lexicon in the receptacle.
• Press the second button from the right four times.
• Press the second button from the left twice.
• Press the leftmost button once.
• Wait for every mechanism movement to finish.
• Take Elder Scroll Dragon from the opened container.

5. Leave the Tower of Mzark and recover from mistakes

After taking the Elder Scroll Dragon, use the nearby lift to return to Skyrim. Do not leave the tower before checking that the scroll is in your inventory. Acquiring the scroll completes Elder Knowledge and advances the main quest to Alduin’s Bane.

If the buttons do not respond, confirm that the Blank Lexicon is installed and wait until the previous ring movement has completely stopped. Do not press random controls repeatedly. If the left-side sequence was entered incorrectly, reload the manual save made before operating the Oculory. Some versions can reset the mechanism after an incorrect input, but reloading is the safer recovery method.

If you leave without taking the scroll, return to the Tower of Mzark through Blackreach or through the tower’s surface entrance and collect it from the opened container. If the Elder Scroll Dragon was obtained earlier through another quest, the main quest may advance automatically when Elder Knowledge becomes active. Check the journal before returning to the tower.

• Use the Tower of Mzark lift to return to Skyrim.
• Confirm Elder Scroll Dragon is in your inventory.
• Reload the pre-puzzle save if the controls become unresponsive.
• Return to the tower if you left the scroll behind.
• Check the journal if the scroll was acquired before this quest.

6. Read the scroll at the Time Wound

Once Alduin’s Bane is active, travel to the Throat of the World and climb to the summit. Follow the objective marker to the Time Wound where Paarthurnax waits. Save before activating the Elder Scroll so you can retry the sequence if you need to recover from a failed or interrupted scene.

Open the inventory, choose Books and activate Elder Scroll Dragon at the marked location. The game plays a vision of the ancient Nords using Dragonrend against Alduin. Remain in the scene until the vision ends. Dragonrend is learned automatically as the sequence concludes.

The summit confrontation with Alduin begins after the vision. At that point, Elder Knowledge is complete and this chapter’s objective is finished. Continue with Alduin’s Bane rather than returning to Septimus Signus. Returning the Runed Lexicon to Septimus is optional and belongs to Discerning the Transmundane, not the main-quest requirement.

• Travel to the marked Time Wound at the Throat of the World.
• Activate Elder Scroll Dragon from the Books inventory category.
• Wait for the vision to finish.
• Learn Dragonrend.
• Continue into Alduin’s Bane.

1. Return to Paarthurnax and prepare at the summit

After completing Elder Knowledge and obtaining the Elder Scroll, travel to the Throat of the World. Follow the quest marker up the mountain to the summit, where Paarthurnax waits beside the Time-Wound. Speak with him before attempting to read the scroll. The quest does not require a particular faction, follower or equipment set, so any follower you normally use is optional rather than part of the progression trigger.

Make a manual save before activating the Elder Scroll. This is the safest recovery point if you die during the dragon battle or if a scripted event fails to advance. Equip your strongest usable weapon or spell, keep healing potions available, and carry fire resistance if you have it. A ranged attack is useful when Alduin is circling, but the essential tool is the Dragonrend shout that the vision will provide.

• Elder Scroll is in your inventory.
• You have spoken with Paarthurnax at the summit.
• A manual save exists before activating the scroll.
• Healing supplies and a dependable attack are ready.

2. Activate the Elder Scroll at the Time-Wound

Stand at the quest-marked Time-Wound in the center of the summit and activate the Elder Scroll there. Do not read it from the normal inventory screen while standing elsewhere; the required vision begins through the interaction at the Time-Wound. The game transitions into a scripted scene showing Felldir, Gormlaith and Hakon confronting Alduin in the distant past.

You do not need to fight, select a dialogue response or move through a separate area during the vision. Let the scene continue until the ancient heroes use Dragonrend and Felldir uses the Elder Scroll to send Alduin forward through time. When control returns, open the Magic menu if necessary and confirm that Dragonrend is listed under Shouts. All three words are learned as part of this quest sequence; no separate word wall or dragon soul is required.

• The Time-Wound vision has started.
• The ancient Nord heroes have used Dragonrend.
• Dragonrend is available in the Shouts menu after the vision.
• You remain at the summit for the transition into the battle.

3. Survive Alduin’s arrival and keep the fight on the summit

When the vision ends, Alduin appears at the Throat of the World and the present-day battle begins. Remain on the summit instead of fast-traveling, jumping down the mountain or pursuing him away from the quest area. Paarthurnax participates in the encounter, but the fight is completed by the player’s use of Dragonrend and direct damage, not by waiting for Paarthurnax to defeat Alduin.

Move laterally when Alduin faces you and avoid standing directly in front of his mouth. His fire breath and close-range attacks can quickly overwhelm a lightly protected character. Heal before reaching critical health, and use fire resistance or defensive spells when available. If Alduin starts the meteor storm, use Clear Skies to disperse the dangerous weather effect, then resume watching his flight path.

• Alduin has appeared in the present.
• You remain within the Throat of the World battle area.
• Dragonrend is selected or easily accessible.
• You are ready to heal and respond to fire attacks.

4. Use Dragonrend to create damage windows

Aim at Alduin while he is flying toward or over the summit and use Dragonrend. A successful hit forces him to land and makes him vulnerable for a limited period. If the shout misses, do not chase him down the slope; wait for another pass and use Dragonrend again after its cooldown. Ordinary attacks are far less useful while Alduin remains airborne, so save stamina and magicka for the grounded window whenever possible.

Once Alduin lands, attack with your strongest available weapon, spell or offensive shout. Stay to his side or behind him when practical, keep moving away from fire impact areas, and continue dealing damage until he takes off again. Repeat the cycle: Dragonrend during flight, attack while grounded, heal and reposition during the cooldown, then use the shout again. A follower can provide extra damage or draw attention, but is not required for the quest to advance.

• Dragonrend has struck Alduin.
• Alduin is grounded and taking damage.
• You repeat the shout after its cooldown when he resumes flight.
• Alduin’s health is steadily decreasing.

5. Complete the confrontation and verify the next quest

Continue the Dragonrend-and-damage cycle until Alduin’s health is depleted. The result is not the permanent end of Alduin. The scripted conclusion has him acknowledge that he cannot be slain in this confrontation and fly away from the summit. Do not treat the absence of a corpse or loot as a failed objective; his escape is the intended outcome of Alduin’s Bane.

Remain in the area long enough for the dialogue and quest update to finish. When Alduin has fled, check the journal. Alduin’s Bane should be marked complete and The Fallen should become the next main-quest stage, directing you toward the endgame preparation sequence. Make another manual save after the update. If you die, reload the pre-scroll save and repeat the encounter. If the battle does not advance after Alduin’s health is depleted, reload that save rather than leaving the summit or attempting to damage Paarthurnax.

• Alduin’s health reaches zero.
• Alduin escapes instead of leaving a lootable corpse.
• Alduin’s Bane is completed in the journal.
• The Fallen becomes the next main-quest objective.
• A post-battle manual save has been created.

1. Start The Fallen and determine whether Season Unending is required

After the first confrontation with Alduin in Alduin’s Bane, speak with the person named by the active objective. Depending on your quest state, this can be Paarthurnax at the Throat of the World, Arngeir at High Hrothgar, or Esbern at Sky Haven Temple. Continue the conversation until The Fallen sends you to Whiterun to arrange a dragon trap.

In Whiterun, speak with Jarl Balgruuf if he still rules the city. If Civil War progress has replaced him, speak with the current jarl instead. Ask for permission to use Dragonsreach to trap a dragon. The jarl may agree immediately, or may refuse because the unresolved Civil War leaves Whiterun vulnerable to attack.

If the jarl refuses, the active objective points you toward Season Unending. This is a conditional main-quest detour, not a quest that must appear in every playthrough. Completing the Imperial or Stormcloak Civil War campaign beforehand can remove the need for the conference, and some quest states allow The Fallen to continue without it. Do not search for Season Unending separately unless The Fallen actually directs you to arrange the truce.

• Complete Alduin’s Bane.
• Speak with the NPC named by The Fallen.
• Ask the current Whiterun jarl to authorize the dragon trap.
• Check whether the jarl accepts or sends you to Season Unending.

2. Invite both Civil War leaders to the truce conference

If Season Unending becomes active, travel to High Hrothgar and speak with Arngeir. Select the dialogue about arranging a peace conference. Arngeir then sends you to invite General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak to the Greybeards’ council.

Travel to Castle Dour in Solitude and speak with General Tullius. Use the dialogue option concerning Arngeir’s council and deliver the invitation. Then travel to the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm and speak with Ulfric Stormcloak. Give him the same invitation. The order is not important.

If either leader offers only ordinary Civil War dialogue, check the journal to confirm that Season Unending is active and that the corresponding invitation objective is incomplete. An active Civil War operation can temporarily occupy a faction leader. Follow the journal’s blocking objective rather than attacking, abandoning the main quest, or trying to force the invitation through unrelated dialogue.

• Ask Arngeir to host the peace conference.
• Invite General Tullius at Castle Dour.
• Invite Ulfric Stormcloak at the Palace of the Kings.
• Confirm both invitation objectives are complete.

3. Finish the council at High Hrothgar

Return to High Hrothgar and speak with Arngeir. Enter the council chamber, approach the table, and take the available seat when prompted. Remain in the chamber while the delegates negotiate and wait for the journal to update.

The discussion can include whether Elenwen may attend and which holds change temporary control. The precise concessions depend on Civil War progress and previous choices, so do not use a fixed settlement list as though every playthrough has the same negotiation. Choose your preferred responses and continue through every exchange.

The required result is a temporary ceasefire that allows Whiterun to prepare for the dragon trap. Season Unending pauses the Civil War; it does not award a final victory to either faction. Do not leave after one conversation. Wait for the closing dialogue and for Season Unending to complete or The Fallen to receive its next objective.

• Take your seat at the council table.
• Allow the negotiations and closing dialogue to finish.
• Wait for the journal to update.
• Confirm that The Fallen resumes.

4. Learn all three words of Call Dragon from the instructed NPC

After the jarl has agreed to the dragon trap, read the active objective before travelling anywhere. The game now directs you to the NPC who will teach Call Dragon. After Season Unending, this is normally Esbern at Sky Haven Temple. If the Civil War was already resolved or the quest state differs, the objective may direct you to Esbern or Paarthurnax instead.

Travel to the named NPC and continue the conversation until the teaching sequence is complete. Call Dragon has three words: Snow, Hunter, and Wing. The words are awarded as part of The Fallen’s quest progression. You do not need to spend dragon souls to unlock them, and you should not treat the shout as a normal discovered shout requiring soul expenditure.

Open the Magic menu, select Shouts, locate Call Dragon, and equip it. Confirm that all three words are present before returning to Whiterun. If the shout does not appear, the teaching dialogue has not finished or the wrong NPC was followed; use the active objective to identify the correct contact.

• Follow the active objective after the jarl agrees.
• Speak with Esbern or Paarthurnax as directed.
• Complete the dialogue that teaches all three words of Call Dragon.
• Equip Call Dragon from the Shouts menu.

5. Return to Whiterun and complete Dragonsreach preparation

Return to Whiterun after Call Dragon appears in the Shouts menu and is equipped. Speak with Balgruuf or the current jarl and select the dialogue confirming that you are ready to proceed. Complete every remaining preparation objective shown by The Fallen, including any required conversation with Farengar or another Dragonsreach NPC.

Do not go to the Great Porch merely because the jarl has agreed. The required order is to learn Call Dragon, equip it, return to the jarl, and finish the Dragonsreach preparation. If the journal still directs you to speak with someone inside Dragonsreach, complete that step before attempting the summon.

When The Fallen specifically directs you to summon the dragon, go through Dragonsreach to the Great Porch. Use Call Dragon there. The shout summons Odahviing and begins the trap sequence that leads into The World-Eater’s Eyrie. The next chapter covers the fight, interrogation, and journey to Skuldafn.

• Return to the current Whiterun jarl.
• Complete all remaining Dragonsreach preparation objectives.
• Confirm Call Dragon is equipped.
• Wait until The Fallen directs you to the Great Porch.
• Use Call Dragon only after the preparation is complete.

6. Recover from a stalled Season Unending or Call Dragon handoff

Keep a manual save before asking the jarl to authorize the trap, before speaking with Arngeir, and before beginning the council. These saves let you retry dialogue scenes without repeating the entire main-quest sequence.

If Tullius or Ulfric lacks the invitation option, confirm that Season Unending is active, that the correct invitation objective is incomplete, and that no Civil War operation is occupying the leader. Follow and resolve the active blocking objective indicated by the journal, then leave the area and return during the leader’s normal schedule.

If the council does not begin, select Season Unending in the journal, speak with Arngeir again, and approach the table only when the objective points there. If the meeting starts, remain in the chamber through its final dialogue. Reload the pre-council save if the quest never updates.

If The Fallen tells you to learn Call Dragon but the shout is absent, do not spend dragon souls and do not go to the Great Porch. Return to the NPC named by the active objective—normally Esbern after Season Unending, or Esbern or Paarthurnax in another Civil War state—and continue the conversation until all three words are taught. Then equip Call Dragon, return to the current jarl, and complete the Dragonsreach preparation before attempting the summon.

• Keep a pre-council and pre-handoff manual save.
• Check the journal for an active Civil War blocker.
• Allow the entire council scene to finish.
• Verify that all three Call Dragon words were taught by the instructed NPC.
• Equip Call Dragon and complete the jarl’s Dragonsreach preparation.
• Do not summon Odahviing until The Fallen directs you to the Great Porch.

Prepare for The Fallen and verify Call Dragon

Open the Magic menu, choose Shouts and confirm that Call Dragon is listed with all three words learned. Equip the shout. The words are taught during The Fallen and are not unlocked by spending dragon souls. If Call Dragon is absent or incomplete, follow the active objective to the named instructor. Depending on the state of the Civil War and Season Unending, the instructor may be Esbern or Paarthurnax. Finish that conversation or training step, then return to Whiterun.

Make a manual save before beginning the dragon trap. Complete shopping, healing, equipment and inventory preparation first. Odahviing's flight takes you to Skuldafn, and you normally cannot return to Skyrim until the remaining main-quest sequence is finished. Bring healing supplies and equipment suitable for dragons, draugr and a strong destruction-magic opponent. Any follower accompanying you remains behind when Odahviing carries you away.

• Call Dragon has all three quest-taught words.
• Call Dragon is equipped in the Shouts menu.
• The required Esbern or Paarthurnax instruction is complete if the shout was missing.
• A manual save exists before summoning Odahviing.

Capture Odahviing at Dragonsreach

Go to the Great Porch behind the Jarl's throne and use Call Dragon. Odahviing circles and attacks. Use Dragonrend when he comes within range, then damage him while he is grounded. Let the Whiterun guards help drive him toward the wooden trap, using the surrounding structures as cover if his fire becomes dangerous.

Do not kill Odahviing. When he is restrained, speak with him and learn that Alduin is using Skuldafn as the route to Sovngarde. Go up to the guard position and use the guard interaction to release him. Speak with Odahviing again and accept his offer to carry you to Skuldafn. The flight begins immediately and starts The World-Eater's Eyrie.

• Odahviing is restrained rather than dead.
• You questioned Odahviing while he was trapped.
• A guard released Odahviing.
• You accepted the flight to Skuldafn.

Cross Skuldafn and solve the temple puzzles

After landing, follow the main route through the ruins toward Skuldafn Temple. Draugr and dragons guard the approach. Use the stone structures for cover and Dragonrend when a dragon must be grounded. The South Tower and other side routes are optional; continue toward the large temple entrance to keep the main route moving.

Inside the temple, reach the first ritual chamber with three rotating pillars, a lever and two portcullises. Face the two gates so you can use the carvings above them as orientation points. Rotate each outer pillar until its symbol matches the adjacent wall clue beside that pillar. From the lever side, rotate the center pillar to the bird or hawk symbol associated with the side gate, then pull the lever to open that gate. Loot or pass through it as appropriate. Return to the lever, rotate the center pillar to the snake symbol associated with the onward route gate and pull the lever again. The route gate is the one that leads deeper into the temple; do not treat the two gate settings as one fixed three-symbol row.

Continue through the opened onward gate, fighting draugr and clearing the spider-filled passages. In the next large chamber, find the separate bridge puzzle. Match the two upper pillars to the symbols shown by their nearby wall clues: one is the hawk or bird symbol and the other is the whale symbol. Leave the lower pillar set to the symbol indicated by the clue on the opposite wall below the bridge. When all three pillars mirror their landmarks, pull the central lever to lower the bridge. Cross it and continue upward, watching for pressure plates, oil hazards and powerful draugr.

Near the temple exit, defeat the draugr guarding the claw door and loot the Diamond Claw from its remains. Inspect the claw in your inventory. Set the door rings to fox on the outer ring, moth on the middle ring and dragon on the inner ring, then activate the keyhole with the claw. The Storm Call word wall beyond the door is optional. Continue through the temple and reach the upper courtyard outside.

• The first puzzle's outer pillars match their adjacent wall symbols.
• The center pillar was used first for the bird or hawk gate and then for the snake route gate.
• The second puzzle's upper pillars match their hawk or bird and whale clues.
• The lower pillar matches its opposite-wall clue and the central lever lowers the bridge.
• The Diamond Claw is in your inventory.
• The claw door is set to fox, moth, dragon from outer to inner ring.
• You exited the temple and reached the upper courtyard.

Defeat Nahkriin and reopen the portal

In the upper courtyard, move toward the vertical energy column and the Dragon Seal. Nahkriin will take the Dragon Priest Staff from the seal, which closes the portal, and then attack. Use the surrounding stonework for cover against his ranged magic, and defeat him before attempting to enter the portal.

Loot Nahkriin and take the Dragon Priest Staff. The Nahkriin mask is optional. Return to the Dragon Seal and activate it while carrying the staff. This restores the portal. Enter the reopened energy field to complete The World-Eater's Eyrie and begin the Sovngarde sequence. Do not leave the area expecting to travel back to Skyrim; the normal route continues forward.

• Nahkriin is defeated.
• The Dragon Priest Staff is in your inventory.
• The staff has been returned to the Dragon Seal.
• You entered the restored portal to Sovngarde.

Reach the Hall of Valor

After arriving in Sovngarde, follow the main road through the fog. When the Nord warrior directs you to clear the mist, equip Clear Skies and use it toward the fog. Continue along the visible road and repeat the shout when the mist returns. Three uses are required before the route is clear.

At the whale-bone bridge, speak with Tsun and accept his challenge. Defeat him in the test of strength; blocking, moving and healing are safer than standing in his attacks. When he permits passage, cross the bridge into the Hall of Valor.

Inside the hall, speak with the assembled heroes and follow them outside when directed. They are scripted allies for the final confrontation and should not be attacked.

• Clear Skies was used three times during the approach.
• Tsun's entrance challenge is complete.
• You entered the Hall of Valor.
• You met the assembled heroes and followed the endgame instructions.

Complete Dragonslayer and defeat Alduin

Stand with the heroes outside the Hall of Valor. Use Clear Skies when prompted, waiting for the group to be ready between uses. After the third use, the battlefield clears and Alduin appears. Equip Dragonrend and shout at Alduin while he is airborne. When the shout connects, attack during the grounded opening. Reapply Dragonrend whenever he takes flight again.

Alduin uses fire attacks and a meteor storm. Keep moving away from burning impact areas, use healing and resistance where available, and avoid standing beneath the falling meteors. The heroes assist, but you must continue grounding Alduin and damaging him during the available openings.

If Dragonrend connects but Alduin refuses to land, reload an earlier save and retry the sequence. On a modded installation, remove or disable mods that may interfere with the encounter, following Bethesda's troubleshooting guidance. When Alduin's health is depleted, remain in the arena while the finishing sequence plays. Do not attack the allied heroes or quit before control returns.

• The fog was cleared and Alduin appeared.
• Dragonrend brought Alduin down.
• Alduin was damaged during grounded openings.
• The finishing sequence began with the allied heroes alive.

Finish the epilogue and verify completion

After Alduin is defeated, speak with Tsun. He teaches Call of Valor and opens the route back to Skyrim. Allow the transition to finish instead of immediately quitting or reloading.

You return near the Throat of the World. Remain in the area through the post-battle dragon gathering and dialogue until control fully returns. Make a new manual save after returning to Skyrim.

Open the journal and confirm that Dragonslayer is marked complete. The open world remains available after the main quest, so side quests, faction questlines and the excluded Dawnguard, Hearthfire, Dragonborn and Creation Club content are not required for this chapter.

• Tsun taught Call of Valor.
• You returned from Sovngarde to Skyrim.
• The post-Alduin sequence finished.
• Dragonslayer is marked complete.
• A post-return manual save loads with the base-game main quest finished.