Atreyu’s Photo Diary – Skyrim Part 38

Part 37 Here
Chapter List Here

WARNING: ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM SPOILERS!

Unburying the Dead

With little else to do now, I thought I may as well go explore the ruin I could unlock using the key among the Deathbrand armour.
I set off for the small island where the place could be found which was not all that far from the Skaal village.

I came onto the shore on the opposite side of the island where I found a diary of someone named Saden.

Some savage creatures had slaughtered a crew of men. I could only assume they were still nearby, whatever they were.
All I could see were horkers.

Could these be the monsters mentioned?

I ignored the horkers and looked around I was surprised to met by one giant one.

The horker leader (dubbed Lord Tusk) attacked me without provocation and in that moment, the rest of his herd came to help him.

Alone, I had to defeat them all.

I wondered how anyone who wasn’t me ever survived in this country.

Around the corner at Gyldenhul Barrow, I was met by a couple of bandits who seemed to be claiming the ruin as their own.

Seeing to them swiftly, I went inside to seek out the mysteries of Deathbrand.

An already deceased adventurer in the first cavern carried on him a page from his diary.

There were two stalhrim veins embedded in coffins at either side of the room and as the note had said, I sensed that there was more to this place than just this small room.

Taking the opportunity to grab some of the rare material while I was here I uncovered a long dead draugr…

..and as I suspected, an opening to more of the ruin.


I passed through the gap and found myself in a hall full of riches.

I had never seen so much in one place. This was the sort of reward I should be getting for my services to the world. I decided to start helping myself.
As soon as I touched a gold piece, the gate behind me slammed down, closing me in.

I was trapped.
So I took all of the treasure for good measure.

My only option now was to go deeper into the ruin and look for an alternate way out.
The treasure trove opened into a huge hall.

This was the tomb of Haknir Death-Brand himself.

By his body lay his very own sword: Bloodscythe. I fancied it might make a suitable replacement for my own scimitar.

Again, touching the pirate’s property seemed to cause me problems. The ghost of Haknir rose and challenged me.


When he found that I was a match for him, he called upon his sizable ghost crew to help him.


Defending myself from all angles, the tough battle was an outstanding victory for me.

The ghost of Haknir, carried another scimitar: Soulrender, a sister to the first.

With the guardians of the barrow defeated, the way behind opened to me, allowing me freedom.
Back outside, I passed by the corpses of the horkers, where I also noticed the body of Saden himself, whom I had somehow overlooked before.

By his body was a weapon that should have helped in his situation. It showed me again that no one but me should be travelling outside of high walled areas.

I made my way back to Raven Rock where my tribe-kin rejoined me. I had wondered where he had got to.

I went to give Glover the recipe he had asked for.

As thanks he gave me the key to his house and said I could help myself to the things in the basement.
I went down to have a look.
One of the things I found was an East Empire Pendant.

More interestingly, was his unique enchanted Thieves Guild Blackguard armour.

Yet more curious was a letter revealing that he was father to Sapphire of the guild.

I took it. He had not sent it, but perhaps I would deliver it for him.

I stopped by my Solstheim home and did a little decorating.

Having run out of things to do, I decided that it might be a good idea to locate the rest of the Black Books. I recalled Neloth saying that he may know how to do so, so I started making my way to his home.
On the way, a stone’s throw from Raven Rock I met a mer muttering to himself named Ralis Sedarys.

He told me that he had been sent to find the relics of Ahzidal.

Kolbjorn Barrow was buried underneath ash beneath our feet and was home to the treasures.
He was concerned that he may never find them on his own and was looking for funding to excavate the ruin.
With my recently found wealth, I offered the money he needed: a full 1,000 gold.
Pleased to make me his partner, he informed me that he would hire some miners and begin the work. All I had to do was wait for a message from him.

I bid him farewell and went on.
Shortly afterwards I was assaulted by some Morag Tong assassins, clearly out for revenge.

The list of people who wanted me dead seemed to be growing faster than it was shrinking…

Another person I had kept waiting was near enough on the route to Neloth’s home, so I stopped by to help Tharstan with his exploration of Vahlok’s Tomb.

I entered and he came dashing towards me. I could only assume there was trouble.

It seemed that the dash was more from excitement than danger.
The first room of the tomb was a large open area, but Tharstan had not discovered a way to go any further in.

A plaque read ‘A sacrifice will bring you closer to that which you seek’.
In front of it was a pit, which I imagined could be opened.

Below the cage, burned hot flames. I deduced that the sacrifice should go here.
About the place lay a number of already dead draugr. Hopefully one of these would do. I dragged one over to the grate.

It did nothing.
I realised that the weight of the body alone would not activate the grating, so I looked about for a switch or lever.
Just by the sacrificial pit was a gate which at first I thought would be opened by solving this puzzle.

However, at either side was a place for the dragon claw keys I had found a number of across Skyrim.
I looked about some more.

Someone had left a coin purse in this unusual vantage point, but there was little else of use here.
I tried dropping one of the draugrs weapons through the gaps in the cage, but that too failed.

Feeling foolish, I found the handle on the same stand where the original clue was written.

As I had already surmised, as the body fell into the flames, the gate ahead of it did not open.
However, two other gates at either side of the hall did.

This was similar to some other ruins I had visited. One half of the claw would be on one side, the other on the other.
I went left first.
More puzzles coupled with traps.

The clue here read ‘Continue along the path, don’t tread where you’ve been.’
It seemed unusual for these ancients to use abbreviations.
The puzzle was simple. Step on each square without doing so more than once.
The path opened.
On the other side of the bars was a word wall and deadly draugr.

Their leader carried the claw piece.

The word wall had the word ‘loyal’ for a new shout ‘Battle Fury’, which would imbue my allies with extra speed.

Back through the first hall and to the other side we went to seek the other piece.
Here was another puzzle.

The clue cryptically read ‘All men must die, often by their own means’.
Below us, row upon row of coffins went further than the eye could see.

In the centre, a pillar with markings on it and a bow laid on one stand.

On the ground a couple of other weapons.

I replaced them on the stands they belonged.

Nothing happened.
I then noticed the smaller pillars around the room. Realising my mistake, I set about correctly solving the puzzle. I had to strike each small pillar with the corresponding weapon type.
First a blade.

Next magic.

Last a bow.

The next room open to me, we were faced with a similar situation as on the other side of the ruin.

I won the second half of the dragon claw key

and the word ‘Valor’ for the new shout.

We returned the entry hall and I used the keys to open the locked gate.

In here, we found another clue ‘Stay your course. To idle is to die.’
Ahead was nothing. A long drop into water below.
A handle on the stand may reveal what was to be done.

Magical platforms appeared forming a bridge allowing me to cross the water.

Not taking care to heed the warning, I stopped to look at the bridge while on it.

I did not stop long as I learned what the clue meant. The blocks of bridge did not last long and faded as quickly as they appeared, meaning I would have to keep moving in order to keep something solid below my feet.

Reaching the other end caused the bridge to reform permanently, giving me a route back, and also a way for Tharstan and my tribe-kin to follow me.

We carried on through the passage we had reached and came to another similar drop. At the bottom we could make out shades who seemed to be waiting for victims to slaughter.

The way across was the similar to before, but now the blocks disappeared faster.


Below, I dropped Kenny the Dremora to deal with the restless shades.

At the end of a series of these magic bridges, we came to a room locked by one of the doors I had seen so many of before.

This time however, my claw key did not show the combination required to unlock it.
Tharstan looked on the wall carvings to find any clues.

Fortunately he was able to decipher the symbols needed and we were able to get through.
This was it: Vahlok’s Tomb.

We walked in and I foolishly didn’t notice that almost every inch of path was covered with flame traps.

I jumped into the water, which was safer. As I did so, the Dragon Priest Vahlok rose from his coffin to face us.


He retreated to a corner where he hovered over some water, meaning that I could only use ranged attacks against him.

I was able to get in close by climbing onto the ledge beside him and could use my full melee strength against him.

Tharstan attacked from the front but was knocked into the water.

Having taken the high ground, I was able to defeat Vahlok the Jailer.

Tharstan was grateful for my assistance and gave me 1,000 gold. I had already earned my money back from my earlier investment.
The room held the last word wall for my newest shout teaching me the Dov for ‘Inspire’.

Tharstan said that he would stay and study the tomb, but he wouldn’t require me to stick around. So I said my goodbye and began heading back.
Some tribe-kin had arrived but were loitering in a corridor, clearly too late to have been any help in the fight.

It wasn’t much further to Tel Mithryn. I could finally go to meet Neloth and ask him about the books.
Before stopping I grabbed a power from the Sun Stone.

Part 39 Here
Chapter List Here