Prerequisites: Completion of the quest "Chasing Echoes" Quest Giver: Serana Region: Soul Cairn Reward: Elder Scroll (Blood), Dragon Shout 'Summon Durnehviir', extensive items and random loot possible
Summary: Valerica must be found and freed in the Soul Cairn. Various undead enemies and a dragon try to prevent it. Afterwards, the sought-after Elder Scroll is obtained and a new Dragon Shout is learned.
Completing this quest is considered an achievement
Quest Description
Find Valerica
One has just arrived in the Soul Cairn together with Serana and overlooks the gloomy, foul-smelling, misty landscape. There are dark, half-ruined buildings here and there, the earth is dry and furrowed, the vegetation dead, the sky menacingly overcast. Lightnings strike repeatedly, ghostly glowing phenomena wander through the twilight, and black undead emerge from the ground and attack. Many stray, lost souls are encountered, some sad and confused, some anxious and desperate. Some tell the story of their death, some do not understand what happened, some remain silent.
The bleak, desolate world of the Soul Cairn.
On the horizon, a long wall is visible, behind which high towers stand out, their parts appearing to float in the ghostly light. A path winds into the distance between piles of bones and fissures in the ground. To find Valerica, one should stay on it. Straying far from the path and getting lost, one can use the glowing towers on the horizon for orientation (and naturally the quest marker).
Optional Exploration of the Soul Cairn
The rugged and confusing landscape is divided by a long wall with a passageway. On the way to Valerica, even before the wall, one is approached by a soul desperately searching for his loyal horse, Arvak. Offering assistance starts a side quest, which can be seen as an invitation to explore the Soul Cairn. The ghostly horse itself appears here and there, but the objective is to find its skull. Searching for it, treasure chests can be found in several buildings, mostly guarded by the undead. Some treasures are guarded by strange, floating, glowing giant crystals that drain life force upon approach. Some buildings can only be entered after solving small riddles, and some floors are reached by jumping into a teleporter basin. A merchant soul is also found, with whom superfluous items can be traded. Unique spell tomes lie on some (naturally guarded) pedestals, and gems, weapons, and armor can be found at some shrine-like locations. And relatively many soul gems are everywhere. At some places, strange lightning attractors are found, where Greater and Grand Soul Gems can be transformed into Black ones. A special adventure is Jiub, whose soul can be encountered far behind the wall. He has lost pages of his manuscript and one can go look for them for him, providing an additional reason for exploration. At three especially well-guarded locations (near Valerica's keepers), the rare Reaper Gem Fragments are found, among other things, which can be used in the Reaper's Lair. In total, more valuables and useful items can be found than two people can carry.
Staying on the path, the wall is soon reached and almost half of the direct way is completed. Valerica's prison is marked by the glowing twin towers, making it easy to use for orientation. She is trapped behind a force field that must be deactivated later. Approaching closer, one witnesses the reunion of mother and daughter and the conversation, during which some vague matters from the past are clarified.
Speak with Valerica
After Serana assures her that Harkon knows nothing of the Soul Cairn and is unable to decipher the prophecy, Valerica must be convinced that one is not here to harm her or Serana. Then, Valerica explains that the scrolls are only a means to an end, and the true key to the Tyranny of the Sun is her or Serana's blood. To prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled and a war against vampires from breaking out across Tamriel, she locked her daughter away in Dimhollow Crypt and fled here herself. She is of the opinion that vampires can only survive in the shadows without attracting attention. To prevent Harkon from fulfilling the prophecy, she took the two Elder Scrolls from Castle Volkihar back then. Her mistrust is great, but Serana trusts the player and explains that they intend to stop her father together. And for this, Valerica's Elder Scroll is also required. She then agrees to hand over the scroll, but first, the barrier surrounding her prison ruins must be deactivated. For this purpose, the keepers of three towers maintaining the barrier around the ruin must be defeated.
She also warns of the dragon Durnehviir, who roams the Soul Cairn and was entrusted with guarding the keepers.
The Soul Cairn. Backgrounds.
The Soul Cairn is a lifeless dimensional plane of Oblivion ruled by mysterious, powerful beings called the Ideal Masters. Beyond that, only the undead and the souls themselves exist there.
Valerica is of the opinion that souls trapped in soul gems using Soul Trap do not simply vanish upon consumption (e.g., recharging enchanted weapons). Rather, their remnants are said to end up in the Soul Cairn, where they are consumed by the Ideal Masters. Necromancers have been funneling additional souls to them for millennia, receiving special powers in exchange. Some believe that the souls do not serve as nourishment, but as a kind of currency, as payment for an even more powerful entity.
Nobody knows exactly what the Ideal Masters are. This is presumably due to the fact that so far, nobody has managed to return to Tamriel to report on them. From Valerica, it is learned that they are mystical entities controlling the Soul Cairn down to the smallest detail. Some believe that the floating crystalline structures are the Masters themselves. However, Valerica believes that they require no physical form and are rather incorporeal beings. The crystals would merely be channels of communication through which they converse and feast on their victims.
The hunger for souls is the only weakness of the Ideal Masters and the reason for the existence of the Soul Cairn. Allegedly, there have been necromancers who managed to communicate with them. Presumably, this involved bartering - souls in exchange for the power to summon undead guardians, such as atronachs or Daedra. Most necromancers merely reanimate corpses nearby, which does not require great skill. However, summoning something from the Soul Cairn itself brings forth something much more powerful. Nonetheless, the Ideal Masters are said to be intent on their own advantage, so such bargains usually end with the death (or worse) of the conjurers.
Valerica intended to use the Soul Cairn as a sanctuary and offered souls, which they so desperately need, to the Ideal Masters. However, the Masters decided to claim Valerica's soul itself and sent their keepers to destroy her. She was able to fend them off, however, and retreated into a ruin. The keepers subsequently enclosed her there with an insurmountable barrier. That was eons ago; for Valerica and for the Ideal Masters, time plays no role.
Defeat the Boneyard Keepers
After the conversation with Valerica and the detailed discussions between mother and daughter, it is possible to talk further with Serana about her family issues along the way. Much is learned about the obsession of both parents and Serana's feelings regarding this. It can also be left alone.
The keepers are to be found in front of, inside, or on top of three of the highest towers. If one does not want to explore everything, the quest marker can be relied upon. Depending on the set difficulty level, one should prepare for tough fights, even though intensive support is provided by Serana. The keepers are giant bone constructs and fittingly fight with dragonbone weapons. Once all three have been defeated, the barrier around Valerica disappears.
Speak with Valerica Follow Valerica Retrieve the Elder Scroll
Valerica is impressed that the keepers could be eliminated. She requests to follow her and warns once more of Durnehviir, who has certainly noticed the absence of the barrier. The courtyard of the ruin is entered together, which turns out to be an old graveyard. Valerica has her workspace in a niche. However, that area is not reached initially - Durnehviir attacks.
Valerica charges forward fearlessly.
Defeat Durnehviir
Black skeletons rise from their graves as if on command, while others are summoned by the dragon. Suddenly, one has to deal with many (including strong) enemies, who can temporarily gain the upper hand. However, with combined efforts, one manages to defeat Durnehviir and his minions. Simultaneously with the triumph over the dragon, all remaining fighting undead collapse.
Speak with Valerica Follow Valerica Retrieve the Elder Scroll
Valerica is astonished by the victory, as Durnehviir allegedly cannot be destroyed by normal means. She therefore suspects that only his physical form has been dissipated while he regenerates.
Valerica then heads to her workspace, where the Elder Scroll is kept in an ornate case. Apart from the scroll, many valuable potions are located there, which can also be taken.
Speak with Valerica
Before leaving the graveyard, Valerica should be spoken to once more - especially as a non-vampire. Among other things, she will reveal how to regain the missing life essence that was surrendered to the Ideal Masters as payment upon entering the Cairn. For this, the objective "Retrieve the Soul Essence Gem" is activated. Once the soul gem filled with a part of one's own soul has been found and touched, the essence of the soul is restored.
Valerica requests that care be taken of her daughter, and farewells are exchanged.
Upon leaving the graveyard, Valerica's apprehension comes true: the regenerated Durnehviir rematerializes before the player's eyes.
The newly regenerated dragon Durnehviir awaits the Dovahkiin.
Upon approaching, Durnehviir addresses the player and asks for a conversation. One is respectfully called Qahnaarin (Vanquisher), and after sharing some details about his past, he respectfully asks for a favor. The skies of Tamriel used to be his home, and Durnehviir would like to see them again. However, he cannot simply leave this world and asks to be summoned from the Soul Cairn while in Tamriel. For this purpose, he entrusts his name - thus teaching the shout to call him. If honored with the summoning, he promises to fight as an ally by the player's side. To ensure it is not forgotten after the return, a corresponding objective is entered into the journal.
Backgrounds on Durnehviir.
Like most dragons, Durnehviir was a ruler of the skies during the Merethic Era and was occupied with enforcing his territorial claims against other dragons. Although Durnehviir was never defeated once on the battlefield, he attempted to maintain his superiority through unusual means. He explored the ancient art of necromancy and also sought answers in the Soul Cairn. The Ideal Masters promised him outstanding abilities to raise legions of the undead. In return, he had to commit to serving as a guardian in the Soul Cairn until Valerica's death. The Ideal Masters thus deceived Durnehviir, as they concealed that Valerica, being a vampire, is not mortal.
The Ideal Masters refused to release him from his obligation, and so he has roamed the Soul Cairn for eons - cursed and trapped between life and death. The attack on the player was a necessity because he is bound by his oath as a guardian. After such a long time, the Soul Cairn has become part of him, and he can never fully call Tamriel his home again. If he were to venture too far from this lifeless world, it would mean his death over time. Therefore, he turns to the player with the request to summon him in Tamriel, thus granting him precious moments.
As an incentive to do this for him, the dragon promises to teach his Thu'um - RII VAAZ ZOL. "Soul Tear" is a particularly powerful and practical Dragon Shout, and the three words are learned in exchange for the first three summonings of Durnehviir.
Summoning Durnehviir with his name - DUR NEH VIIR - is similar in outcome to calling Odahviing, but works more like a conjuration. This means that Durnehviir does not fly in from afar, but materializes at a nearby spot that was aimed at. This has the great advantage that he can also provide helpful assistance in enclosed areas. He can be summoned in large caverns like Blackreach, special locations like Skuldafn or areas unreachable for Odahviing such as the Forgotten Vale, Solstheim or Sovngarde. In open terrain, both dragons can be called.
Durnehviir always expresses his gratitude first upon appearing and then defends the player. It is a permanent conjuration - if no enemies are left, he accompanies the player by circling above. If it becomes tight in some caves, he also fights while crawling. If it is too confined for him, he returns to the Soul Cairn on his own. He can also be dismissed manually by conjuring something else.
In addition to the obligatory Frost Breath, Durnehviir utilizes the shout "Drain Vitality" in combat, always audibly calling out the words GAAN LAH HAAS. Unlike the Dovahkiin, he does not drain 5, but 10 Health, Magicka, and Stamina per second (just like Revered and Legendary Dragons do). He also utilizes a special shout that only he commands: "Soul Cairn Summon". With this, he summons three helpers on the ground for 60 seconds: a Boneman, a Mistman, and a Wrathman - visible at 2:38 in this video.
Return to Tamriel
If one does not wish to fight again, there is no need to retrieve the remnants of the life essence. Upon leaving the Soul Cairn, one is back at full strength. Only if one were to return here would one be weakened again.
If one has not had enough of the Soul Cairn, the extensive landscape can be explored on the way back. Otherwise, the main path leads back to the portal to Tamriel. The quest ends in Valerica's study in Castle Volkihar. There is no direct follow-up quest.
If the Elder Scroll (Dragon) is not yet in possession, the active quest "Scroll Scouting" (or the Daedric quest building upon it) must now be pursued.
If both Elder Scrolls have been obtained, the active quest "Seeking Disclosure" must be brought to an end.
Known Bugs
Learning one, sometimes two words from DUR NEH VIIR is displayed. This is a timing issue during the conversation. Internally, all three words have been learned.
Sometimes one is teleported onto roofs, materializing on a grate. Some grates are so coarse-meshed that one can fall through and die.
It is highly recommended not to attempt traversing the portal to Tamriel while riding Arvak. One is forced to dismount and the screen turns permanently black. The game must be restarted.
Tips & Notes
When was Valerica imprisoned? At a time when dragons ruled the skies and vied for their territories, she was already confined in the Soul Cairn. The dragon Durnehviir was given the task to serve as a guardian for the Ideal Masters back then. This means that Serana was locked away even earlier - at least 5,000 years ago (6,000 is also conceivable). Mathematically speaking, this would imply that this family belonged to the first Nord settlers in Skyrim and possibly knew Ysgramor personally (see also detailed considerations of the chronology (spoiler)). However, it is likely that Bethesda made an anachronistic logic error here, as Serana demonstrably knows the College of Winterhold. Such things are disappointing, but it gets even better... more annoying in further quests.
Valerica's explanations of the backgrounds (and later also those of Vyrthur) do not appear entirely conclusive. The secret is allegedly that the blood of a Daughter of Coldharbour in conjunction with Auriel's Bow ends the Tyranny of the Sun. This refers to the blood of a pure-blood vampire. However, Harkon also possesses this, and he knows the prophecy. Why must the women fear for their lives? Conceptually not well-rounded and questionable.
It is possible to fight the keepers even before meeting Valerica if they are encountered by chance while exploring.
It is not always possible to obtain the dragonbone weapons of the keepers after the fight.
The three conjuration spell tomes for Boneman, Mistman, and Wrathman can only be found in the Soul Cairn.
Durnehviir knows how successful one is as a dragon slayer (none yet / at least one / Alduin destroyed) and answers the question about Qahnaarin accordingly.
In a building next to Valerica's prison stands an inactive Word Wall with a large chest and loose items in front of it.
Upon leaving the graveyard, it is possible to attack Durnehviir before he begins the conversation. He will then become hostile and the opportunity to learn two good Dragon Shouts is lost. There is no reason to do such a thing, and it is mentioned here solely for the sake of completeness.
, extensive items and random loot possible
stand out, their parts appearing to float in the ghostly light. A path winds into the distance between piles of bones and fissures in the ground. To find Valerica, one should stay on it. Straying far from the path and getting lost, one can use the glowing towers on the horizon for orientation (and naturally the quest marker).
is soon reached and almost half of the direct way is completed. Valerica's prison is marked by the glowing twin towers
, making it easy to use for orientation. She
is trapped behind a force field
that must be deactivated later. Approaching closer, one witnesses the reunion of mother and daughter and the conversation, during which some vague matters from the past are clarified.
of three towers maintaining the barrier around the ruin must be defeated.
with Serana about her family issues along the way. Much is learned about the obsession of both parents and Serana's feelings regarding this. It can also be left alone.
, even though intensive support is provided by Serana. The keepers are giant bone constructs and fittingly fight with dragonbone weapons. Once all three have been defeated, the barrier around Valerica disappears.
attacks.
, who can temporarily gain the upper hand
. However, with combined efforts, one manages to defeat Durnehviir and his minions. Simultaneously with the triumph over the dragon, all remaining fighting undead collapse.
is kept in an ornate case. Apart from the scroll, many valuable potions
are located there, which can also be taken.
before the player's eyes.
. The quest ends in Valerica's study in Castle Volkihar. There is no direct follow-up quest.
stand out, their parts appearing to float in the ghostly light. A path winds into the distance between piles of bones and fissures in the ground. To find Valerica, one should stay on it. Straying far from the path and getting lost, one can use the glowing towers on the horizon for orientation (and naturally the quest marker).
itself appears here and there, but the objective is to find its skull
. Searching for it, treasure chests
can be found in several buildings, mostly guarded by the undead. Some treasures are guarded
by strange, floating, glowing giant crystals
that drain life force
upon approach. Some buildings can only be entered after solving small riddles, and some floors are reached by jumping into a teleporter basin. A merchant soul is also found, with whom superfluous items can be traded. Unique spell tomes lie on some (naturally guarded) pedestals, and gems, weapons, and armor can be found at some shrine-like locations. And relatively many soul gems are everywhere. At some places, strange lightning attractors
are found, where Greater and Grand Soul Gems can be transformed into Black ones. A special adventure is Jiub, whose soul
can be encountered far behind the wall. He has lost pages of his manuscript and one can go look for them for him, providing an additional reason for exploration. At three especially well-guarded locations (near Valerica's keepers), the rare Reaper Gem Fragments are found, among other things, which can be used in the Reaper's Lair. In total, more valuables and useful items can be found than two people can carry.
itself appears here and there, but the objective is to find its skull
. Searching for it, treasure chests
can be found in several buildings, mostly guarded by the undead. Some treasures are guarded
by strange, floating, glowing giant crystals
that drain life force
upon approach. Some buildings can only be entered after solving small riddles, and some floors are reached by jumping into a teleporter basin. A merchant soul is also found, with whom superfluous items can be traded. Unique spell tomes lie on some (naturally guarded) pedestals, and gems, weapons, and armor can be found at some shrine-like locations. And relatively many soul gems are everywhere. At some places, strange lightning attractors
are found, where Greater and Grand Soul Gems can be transformed into Black ones. A special adventure is Jiub, whose soul
can be encountered far behind the wall. He has lost pages of his manuscript and one can go look for them for him, providing an additional reason for exploration. At three especially well-guarded locations (near Valerica's keepers), the rare Reaper Gem Fragments are found, among other things, which can be used in the Reaper's Lair. In total, more valuables and useful items can be found than two people can carry.
is soon reached and almost half of the direct way is completed. Valerica's prison is marked by the glowing twin towers
, making it easy to use for orientation. She
is trapped behind a force field
that must be deactivated later. Approaching closer, one witnesses the reunion of mother and daughter and the conversation, during which some vague matters from the past are clarified.
of three towers maintaining the barrier around the ruin must be defeated.
with Serana about her family issues along the way. Much is learned about the obsession of both parents and Serana's feelings regarding this. It can also be left alone.
, even though intensive support is provided by Serana. The keepers are giant bone constructs and fittingly fight with dragonbone weapons. Once all three have been defeated, the barrier around Valerica disappears.
attacks.
, who can temporarily gain the upper hand
. However, with combined efforts, one manages to defeat Durnehviir and his minions. Simultaneously with the triumph over the dragon, all remaining fighting undead collapse.
is kept in an ornate case. Apart from the scroll, many valuable potions
are located there, which can also be taken.
before the player's eyes.
, and he can never fully call Tamriel his home again. If he were to venture too far from this lifeless world, it would mean his death over time. Therefore, he turns to the player with the request to summon him in Tamriel, thus granting him precious moments.
, special locations like Skuldafn
or areas unreachable for Odahviing such as the Forgotten Vale
, Solstheim
or Sovngarde
. In open terrain, both dragons can be called.
, and he can never fully call Tamriel his home again. If he were to venture too far from this lifeless world, it would mean his death over time. Therefore, he turns to the player with the request to summon him in Tamriel, thus granting him precious moments.
, special locations like Skuldafn
or areas unreachable for Odahviing such as the Forgotten Vale
, Solstheim
or Sovngarde
. In open terrain, both dragons can be called.
. The quest ends in Valerica's study in Castle Volkihar. There is no direct follow-up quest.
with a large chest and loose items in front of it.
