Skyrim: A Comprehensive Guide to Completing the Elder Knowledge Quest
The Elder Knowledge quest is a pivotal point in Skyrim’s main storyline, forcing you to delve deep into the history of the Dragonborn and the threat posed by Alduin. This quest requires careful planning and execution. This comprehensive guide will walk you through each step, providing detailed instructions, helpful tips, and potential pitfalls to avoid, ensuring a smooth and successful completion.
## Prerequisites and Preparation
Before embarking on the Elder Knowledge quest, ensure you’ve completed the following:
* **The Throat of the World:** This main quest involves meeting Paarthurnax atop the Throat of the World and learning about the Dragonrend shout. Progressing this far is absolutely essential, as the Elder Knowledge quest follows directly after.
* **Read ‘Discerning the Transmundane’ (Optional but Recommended):** While not strictly required, reading this book provides valuable insight into the Elder Scrolls and Hermaeus Mora’s influence. You can find it in Septimus Signus’s Outpost, the same location where you’ll begin the Elder Knowledge quest. Reading it beforehand will give you more context.
Additionally, consider these preparations:
* **Level:** A level of 15 or higher is recommended, though experienced players can tackle it at lower levels. Be prepared for potentially challenging combat encounters.
* **Gear:** Equip yourself with decent armor and weapons. Magic users should stock up on potions. Consider carrying a variety of weapon types to exploit enemy weaknesses (e.g., silver weapons for undead).
* **Potions:** Carry health potions, magicka potions (if you’re a magic user), and stamina potions. Resistance potions (fire, frost, shock) can also be helpful, especially against Dwemer constructs.
* **Follower:** A strong follower can be invaluable for this quest. Lydia (if she’s still with you), a Housecarl from one of your purchased homes, or a mercenary from a tavern are all good choices. Make sure your follower has good armor and weapons.
* **Lockpicks:** You might encounter a few locked chests or doors. Having lockpicks on hand can allow you to access extra loot.
* **Compass/Map Markers:** Ensure your compass is enabled and pay attention to map markers to avoid getting lost.
## Starting the Quest: Septimus Signus’s Outpost
After completing “The Throat of the World,” you’ll be directed to find information about the Elder Scroll. This leads you to Septimus Signus, a scholar obsessed with the Dwemer and the Elder Scrolls. His outpost is located far north of Winterhold, nestled in the icy wastes.
1. **Travel to Septimus Signus’s Outpost:** Fast travel to Winterhold and head directly north. The journey is arduous and you will need to traverse through snowy areas filled with dangers such as wolves, ice wraiths, and possibly even a dragon. Use your compass to navigate. You’ll recognize the outpost by its small size and its location amidst the snow and ice.
2. **Enter the Outpost:** Approach the small, icy structure and enter through the door. Inside, you’ll find Septimus Signus, hunched over his work in a dimly lit room.
3. **Speak with Septimus Signus:** Initiate a conversation with Septimus. He’ll speak in riddles and ramblings about the Elder Scroll, the Dwemer, and his research. Persist with the conversation, and he’ll eventually reveal that he needs your help to unlock a Dwemer mechanism that will lead to the Elder Scroll.
4. **Receive the “Discerning the Transmundane” Quest (If You Haven’t Already):** If you haven’t read the book of the same name, Septimus will give you the quest to retrieve it. It’s right there in his outpost, so simply pick it up from the table.
5. **Accept the “Elder Knowledge” Quest:** Continue talking to Septimus. He will task you with finding the Elder Scroll by using a Lexicon and entering the ancient Dwemer ruin of Alftand. Accepting this task formally initiates the “Elder Knowledge” quest.
## Journey to Alftand
Alftand is a sprawling Dwemer ruin located southwest of Winterhold. The journey there is long and potentially dangerous.
1. **Fast Travel to Winterhold:** To save time, fast travel back to Winterhold.
2. **Head Southwest:** From Winterhold, begin heading southwest. Use your map to guide you. You’ll pass through snowy plains and mountainous regions. Be prepared for encounters with wild animals, bandits, and potentially stronger creatures like trolls.
3. **Navigate the Terrain:** The terrain can be challenging. Stick to established paths whenever possible. Be wary of cliffs and steep slopes. Stamina management is crucial, especially if you’re carrying a heavy load.
4. **Alftand’s Location:** Alftand is located in a mountainous area, marked clearly on your map once the quest is active. Look for a large, imposing Dwemer structure embedded in the mountainside.
## Exploring Alftand
Alftand is divided into three sections: Alftand Glacial Ruins, Alftand Animonculory, and Alftand Cathedral. Each section is filled with Dwemer automatons, traps, and puzzles.
### Alftand Glacial Ruins
This is the first section of Alftand. It’s mostly linear but still contains dangers.
1. **Enter Alftand Glacial Ruins:** Approach the entrance to Alftand Glacial Ruins and enter.
2. **Combat Encounters:** Be prepared for immediate combat. You’ll encounter Dwemer spiders and spheres. Use ranged attacks whenever possible to avoid getting swarmed. Fire magic and shock magic are particularly effective against Dwemer automatons.
3. **Navigate the Passages:** Follow the corridors, being mindful of traps. Pressure plates that trigger darts or swinging blades are common.
4. **Looting:** Search containers for useful items, including gold, potions, and soul gems. Soul gems are essential for recharging enchanted weapons.
5. **More Automations:** Continue progressing through the ruins, defeating more Dwemer spiders and spheres. Use cover to your advantage.
6. **Final Chamber:** You’ll eventually reach a larger chamber with a ramp leading down. Prepare for a tougher fight.
7. **Boss Fight (Optional):** In this chamber, you may encounter a stronger Dwemer automaton, such as a Centurion. Use your best weapons and abilities. Focus fire if you have a follower.
8. **Proceed to Alftand Animonculory:** Locate the door leading to the next section, Alftand Animonculory. It’s usually located at the far end of the chamber.
### Alftand Animonculory
This section introduces more complex puzzles and tougher enemies.
1. **Enter Alftand Animonculory:** Proceed through the door into Alftand Animonculory.
2. **Initial Descent:** The initial area involves descending deeper into the ruin. Be cautious of falling and enemies spawning below.
3. **Steam Traps:** Watch out for steam vents that can inflict damage. Time your movements carefully to avoid getting hit.
4. **Locked Doors:** You may encounter locked doors. Use lockpicks to open them, or search for keys on nearby enemies or in containers.
5. **Falmer Encounter:** You will encounter Falmer in this area, they are blind but their other senses are extremely sharp. You’ll also be in an area filled with Chaurus, insects that can poison you. Fire is very effective against them, so use flames whenever possible. Keep your distance and prioritize taking them down quickly.
6. **The Puzzle Room:** At some point, you’ll enter a room with multiple pillars and rotating mechanisms. This is a puzzle that must be solved to proceed.
* **Puzzle Solution:** The solution involves activating the pillars in the correct sequence to open a gate. The exact sequence may vary, but the general approach is to observe the patterns on the walls and the symbols on the pillars. Experiment with the pillars until you hear a click, indicating that a section of the gate has opened. Continue until the entire gate is unlocked.
7. **More Automations:** After solving the puzzle, you’ll face more Dwemer spiders and spheres. Use the environment to your advantage, creating choke points and using cover.
8. **Hall of Blades:** Be wary of narrow corridors with swinging blades. Time your movements carefully to avoid getting hit.
9. **Proceed to Alftand Cathedral:** Locate the door leading to the final section, Alftand Cathedral. It’s usually located at the end of a long corridor or in a large chamber.
### Alftand Cathedral
This is the final and most challenging section of Alftand. It culminates in a boss fight and the retrieval of the Elder Scroll.
1. **Enter Alftand Cathedral:** Proceed through the door into Alftand Cathedral.
2. **The Grand Chamber:** You’ll enter a large, impressive chamber with towering Dwemer architecture.
3. **Sulla Trebatius and Umana:** As you explore the chamber, you’ll encounter two adventurers, Sulla Trebatius and Umana, arguing. They’re both after the Elder Scroll.
4. **The Boss Fight:** Regardless of your dialogue choices, Sulla and Umana will eventually turn hostile. This initiates a boss fight.
* **Strategy:** Focus on taking down one enemy at a time. Use your best weapons and abilities. If you have a follower, have them focus on one enemy while you focus on the other. Sulla is a mage who uses shock spells, while Umana is a warrior. Consider using shock resistance potions against Sulla. Umana will use heavy attacks, so keep your distance and dodge when possible.
5. **Retrieve the Lexicon:** After defeating Sulla and Umana, loot their bodies. One of them will have the Blank Lexicon.
6. **The Oculory:** In the center of the chamber, you’ll find a large Dwemer device called the Oculory. This is where you’ll insert the Blank Lexicon.
7. **Insert the Lexicon:** Approach the Oculory and interact with it to insert the Blank Lexicon.
8. **Activate the Oculory:** After inserting the Lexicon, a series of crystals will appear. You need to activate these crystals in the correct sequence to transcribe the Lexicon. Septimus Signus will have given you information about the sequence. The controls might be confusing so it’s important to pay attention.
### How to Actuate the Oculory
1. Look at the lenses on the Oculory; there are three of them. You need to use the buttons or levers to focus light through them.
2. Activate the buttons near the lenses in the Oculory one by one.
3. After each activation, watch the lenses carefully; they need to be correctly aligned to reflect the light properly.
4. Once aligned, proceed to the next button. Continue until all the lenses are aligned.
5. Upon complete actuation, the Lexicon will get filled.
**If the Lexicon is filled, you can remove the Filled Lexicon**
## Returning to Septimus Signus
With the Filled Lexicon in hand, it’s time to return to Septimus Signus’s Outpost.
1. **Fast Travel to Winterhold:** Fast travel back to Winterhold to save time.
2. **Head North:** From Winterhold, head north to Septimus Signus’s Outpost.
3. **Speak with Septimus Signus:** Enter the Outpost and speak with Septimus Signus.
4. **Give Him the Lexicon:** Give Septimus the Filled Lexicon. He will be overjoyed and begin working on the Dwemer mechanism.
5. **Wait:** Septimus will instruct you to wait. He’ll spend some time tinkering with the mechanism.
6. **The Dwemer Lockbox:** Septimus will eventually unlock the Dwemer Lockbox. He’ll then ask you to inscribe it.
## Inscribing the Lexicon
Septimus will tell you that the Lockbox requires the essence of different races to be inscribed. This is a more dark section in the questline.
1. **Obtain Samples:** You need to obtain samples of blood from different races.
* **High Elf (Altmer)**
* **Dark Elf (Dunmer)**
* **Wood Elf (Bosmer)**
* **Orc (Orsimer)**
* **Falmer**
2. **Collecting the Blood:** The easiest way to collect blood is by killing members of these races. Bandits and hostile NPCs are readily available.
* **Locate Suitable Targets:** Travel to locations where you can find members of these races. Bandit camps, forts, and dungeons are good places to start. The easiest Falmer to find will be in the many dungeons around Skyrim.
* **Kill and Collect:** Kill a member of each race and collect their blood. You only need one sample from each race.
3. **Return to Septimus:** Once you have all the blood samples, return to Septimus Signus’s Outpost.
4. **Give the Blood:** Give Septimus the blood samples. He will use them to inscribe the Lexicon.
## Retrieving the Elder Scroll
With the Lexicon inscribed, Septimus will unlock the path to the Elder Scroll. This part of the questline can get a bit buggy, so be prepared for a few potential issues.
1. **Witness the Opening:** Watch as Septimus unlocks the Dwemer mechanism. The large door will open, revealing a pathway.
2. **Enter the Chamber:** Enter the newly opened chamber. You’ll find yourself in a mysterious and otherworldly location.
3. **Retrieve the Elder Scroll (Dragon):** At the end of the pathway, you’ll find the Elder Scroll (Dragon). Interact with it to retrieve it.
## Quest Completion and Septimus’s Fate
With the Elder Scroll in your possession, the Elder Knowledge quest is technically complete.
1. **Speak to Septimus (Optional):** You can return to Septimus Signus to inform him of your success. However, he’ll likely be driven mad by the knowledge he’s gained.
2. **Septimus’s Death:** Shortly after retrieving the Elder Scroll, Septimus will die. His body will disappear, leaving behind a few items.
3. **Reward: Oghma Infinium:** When you return to Septimus, his body is gone, and you will find a book called Oghma Infinium. The Oghma Infinium is a Daedric artifact and a powerful reward. Reading it allows you to choose one of three paths:
* **Path of Might:** Grants a permanent bonus to combat skills.
* **Path of Shadow:** Grants a permanent bonus to stealth skills.
* **Path of Magic:** Grants a permanent bonus to magic skills.
Choose the path that best suits your playstyle. Be careful, you can only use this book once. Once you have decided, read the book again to apply the permanent bonus to your skills.
## Potential Issues and Troubleshooting
* **Getting Lost in Alftand:** Alftand is a large and complex ruin. Use your map and compass carefully. If you get completely lost, try retracing your steps or using the Clairvoyance spell (if you have it) to guide you.
* **Bugged Puzzle:** The pillar puzzle in Alftand Animonculory can sometimes be bugged. If the pillars don’t seem to be working correctly, try reloading an earlier save.
* **Septimus Not Unlocking the Lockbox:** This is a common bug. Ensure you have the Filled Lexicon in your inventory. If Septimus still won’t unlock the Lockbox, try reloading an earlier save or leaving the Outpost and returning later.
* **Missing Blood Samples:** Double-check that you have blood samples from all five races. If you’re missing one, return to the appropriate location and collect another sample.
* **Oghma Infinium Bug:** Some players have reported issues with the Oghma Infinium disappearing after reading it. To avoid this, make sure you have enough free inventory space before reading the book. Also, try saving the game immediately after reading it.
## Conclusion
The Elder Knowledge quest is a challenging but rewarding experience in Skyrim. By following this comprehensive guide, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the dangers of Alftand, retrieve the Elder Scroll, and claim the Oghma Infinium. Remember to be patient, be prepared for potential issues, and enjoy the journey through Skyrim’s rich lore and intricate dungeons.
