How to Find Arvak the Skeleton Horse in Skyrim with Dawnguard: A Comprehensive Guide

The world of Skyrim is vast and brimming with secrets, and the Dawnguard DLC adds a whole new layer of intrigue, including the ability to summon a skeletal steed: Arvak. This spectral horse isn’t just a cool visual upgrade; it’s incredibly useful, allowing you to travel quickly and reliably without worrying about your horse being killed. However, acquiring Arvak isn’t straightforward. It requires a bit of questing and a trip into a challenging area. This guide will walk you through every step needed to obtain Arvak, ensuring you can ride this undead wonder across the snowy peaks and verdant plains of Skyrim.

Why Arvak? The Benefits of a Skeleton Horse

Before we dive into the ‘how,’ let’s explore why you should bother seeking out Arvak. Unlike regular horses in Skyrim, Arvak has some unique advantages:

• Summonable Anywhere: Arvak isn’t tied to a physical location. You can summon him anywhere you need a mount, regardless of where you are or how you got there. This is incredibly convenient when you’re deep in a dungeon or stranded in the wilderness.
• Invincible: Arvak is a summoned entity and cannot be permanently killed. If he takes too much damage, he’ll simply disappear for a moment and can be re-summoned. This is a huge benefit compared to normal horses that can die during encounters with hostile creatures.
• Speed and Agility: Arvak is as fast as a standard horse but feels slightly more agile, making it easier to maneuver in tight spots.
• Unique Aesthetic: Let’s be honest, riding a spectral, glowing horse is incredibly cool. It’s a great way to add a touch of dark fantasy to your gameplay.

Prerequisites: Starting the Dawnguard Questline

To get Arvak, you’ll need to have the Dawnguard DLC installed and you’ll need to progress a reasonable way into the Dawnguard questline. The horse becomes accessible during a quest inside the Soul Cairn. Here’s how to start the Dawnguard questline:

1. Reach Level 10: You’ll need to be at least level 10 to start the Dawnguard questline. If you’re below this level, focus on leveling up by completing other quests, exploring, and fighting enemies.
2. Travel to Fort Dawnguard: Rumors about vampires will start spreading once you reach the required level. These rumors will point you towards Fort Dawnguard, located in the dayspring canyon east of Riften. You can also find Fort Dawnguard on the map by locating the icon, the fort looks like a shield on the map.
3. Speak with Isran: Once you arrive, speak with Isran, the leader of the Dawnguard. He will enlist you in their fight against the vampire threat.
4. Complete ‘Awakening’: Isran will give you the quest “Awakening” which involves recruiting a member of the Dawnguard, Sorine Jurard, and finding Florentius Baenius, a priest. Completing this quest will allow you to begin the subsequent quest, ‘Bloodline,’ which is where you will encounter Serana.
5. Complete ‘Bloodline’ and ‘A New Order’: Follow the story quests, you will be sent to Dimhollow Crypt and encounter Serana, a vampire ancient. Return Serana to Castle Volkihar and then follow the steps of the next quest, ‘A New Order.’ This is where the Dawnguard will get their base in a large fort.
6. Start the ‘Chasing Echoes’ Quest: This is the quest that will lead you into the Soul Cairn. You will begin the quest through speaking with Serana in Fort Dawnguard, she will ask for your help in finding out what her mothers goals are and will want to search her old study, Serana will direct you to the Volkihar library and through there you will be directed to the Soul Cairn.

Entering the Soul Cairn: The Path to Arvak

The Soul Cairn is a desolate plane of Oblivion where the souls of the dead are trapped. This is where you’ll finally find the means to summon Arvak. The ‘Chasing Echoes’ quest leads you into this eerie location. Here’s how to navigate it and find what you need:

1. Travel to the portal: You will need to follow the map marker during the quest ‘Chasing Echoes’ to a place called “Volkihar Balcony”. In this location you will see a portal that Serana will open.
2. Enter the Soul Cairn: When you enter you will be greeted by a large desolate area with purple energy and a large wall surrounding it.
3. Navigate the Soul Cairn: The Soul Cairn is a large, open area. You’ll encounter various enemies, including soul husks and bonemen. These are not particularly difficult but can be dangerous in large groups. Fight your way through them and make your way to the middle of the map and to an area known as the reaper’s ledge.
4. Find Jiub’s Opus: While exploring the Soul Cairn you will find various “lost souls” who you can talk to. Each one has a story to tell, but most of them are not relevant to your quest to find Arvak. Keep moving through and you will be contacted by a soul who is searching for a book called “Jiub’s Opus”. Agree to help him, this is the quest that is required to receive Arvak’s skull.
5. Collect the Ten Pages: Scattered throughout the Soul Cairn are ten lost pages of Jiub’s Opus. The pages can be found in various places throughout the map, they are small and easy to miss so be thorough in your search, many of them are often around the structures or in the corners of buildings.
6. Return to Jiub: After finding all ten pages, return to Jiub near Reaper’s Ledge. He will thank you and give you a small reward.
7. Seek out the Soul near the Bone Yard: After completing the previous quest you must now seek out another lost soul who can be found near the bone yard in the soul cairn, not too far from where Jiub was standing. You will be able to speak with him after completing the Jiub Opus side quest.
8. Speak to the Master: After speaking to the lost soul, he will mention a “Master” who he serves and tells you that they could help you. He also mentions that they would want something in return for their help. Head towards the waypoint that the lost soul has given you and you will find a person wearing a strange mask, they go by the name “Master.”
9. The ‘Soul Horse’ Quest: Speak to the Master, he will tell you about Arvak and how he was once a noble steed. The Master will tell you that Arvak is his to control now and you will need to complete a task in order to receive the summoning skull. You will need to search the nearby area to find Arvak’s skull.
10. Find Arvak’s Skull: Follow the quest marker that is provided, you will find that the skull is being guarded by a few low level enemies. Take them out and retrieve the skull.
11. Return to the Master: Once you have the skull in your inventory head back to the Master and speak to them. They will be surprised that you returned and they will now tell you that they will allow you to summon Arvak for yourself.
12. Receive Arvak’s Summoning Spell: The Master will give you a new spell to summon Arvak. This spell will be added to your powers menu.

Using Arvak: Summoning Your Spectral Steed

Now that you have Arvak’s skull, you can summon him at any time using the spell you received. Here’s how:

1. Equip the Spell: Go into your magic menu, go to the powers section and equip the spell to a favorite or quick key. You will see the spell “Summon Arvak”
2. Use the Spell: Select the power/spell and use it in the open world, after a short casting animation Arvak will spawn in front of you.
3. Ride Arvak: Simply mount Arvak as you would any other horse in the game.
4. Enjoy the Ride: Ride your spectral horse and explore the vast lands of Skyrim. Remember that Arvak is immune to damage and can be summoned anywhere at any time, so you never need to worry about losing him.

Tips and Considerations

• Be Prepared for Combat: The Soul Cairn is full of enemies. Make sure you’re adequately equipped with weapons, armor, potions, and spells to handle the encounters. Having high magic resistances will help in particular.
• Explore the Soul Cairn: The Soul Cairn is a unique and interesting location to explore. There are many hidden items, souls to talk to and other secrets to discover. Take your time to see what you can find.
• Use Arvak in Combat: While Arvak is mostly for travel, he can be used as a distraction during combat. Enemies will sometimes focus their attacks on him, giving you an opportunity to attack or move to safety.
• Use Multiple Saved Games: The Dawnguard questline can be a long one, be sure to save your game frequently in case something goes wrong or you need to backtrack.
• Continue the Dawnguard Questline: The Dawnguard story has much more to offer after obtaining Arvak, so do not stop there, continue with the main quest line to fully experience the Dawnguard DLC.

Conclusion

Acquiring Arvak in Skyrim is a rewarding experience that requires dedication, exploration, and combat prowess. By following this detailed guide, you’ll be able to summon this unique spectral steed and traverse the world with ease and style. Arvak’s ability to be summoned anywhere and his immortality make him an invaluable companion for any adventurer. Happy travels, and may your journeys on the back of Arvak be filled with adventure!