Darkfall Cave

The cave is located in the Reach, north of Markarth. It is inhabited by Frostbite Spiders and Trolls.

As part of the questline in the quest Touching the Sky, the Dragonborn must enter this cave to search for Auriel's Bow after learning its location from the Elder Scroll. At the end of the cave, they find one of the last remaining Snow Elves, Knight-Paladin Gelebor if the relevant quest has been started. The cave itself is moderately sized, and contains some water-filled areas, including one part where the player can be briefly completely submerged. The cave is poorly lit in some areas. If the cave is accessed when the quest Touching the Sky is active, it leads to Darkfall Passage.

Walkthrough
Inside the entrance there is a winding passage and a Frostbite Spider. The passage directly behind the spider, (it will be covered in webs, and can be cleared using any weapon/destruction magic), can be accessed further into the cave, and acts as an exit path, allowing the player to leave from the furthest reaches of the initial cave. At the end of the short tunnel past the spider is a bridge over a dark chasm, leading to a dead end with a table, a pickaxe, and a Moonstone Ore vein.

After reaching this point there is no turning back, as crossing the bridge again will cause it to collapse, sending the player, (and any followers they might have who are on the bridge), plunging into a rapidly flowing stream below. The stream swiftly carries the player deeper into the cave system, eventually bringing the player into a Frostbite Spider den. The player should head north from here (killing or sneaking past any Frostbite Spiders which may appear), eventually reaching a slope to the north, which leads to a path further into the cave, and a bridge across the stream to the east which leads to a Giant Frostbite Spider lair and a chest containing random loot.

Proceed along the northwards path further into the cave, which immediately forks, providing two parallel paths. The player can take either path, as they merge into one a short distance later. Further along the path, there is a camp, occupied by a dead Breton, who has the Darkfall Cave Note, which details a massacre that occurred in the cave, and the presence of trolls further in to the cave network. In the back (north) of the camp there is a bed, and behind that is a pull-chain which opens a path directly to the end of the initial cave and the Chantry of Auri-El, in which Knight-Paladin Gelebor can be found if the quest Touching the Sky has been started. The path leading west from the camp is an exit path, leading to a small passageway and a spiral staircase that leads to a pull-chain activated door which brings the player to the beginning of the dungeon, where the first Frostbite Spider is located. Finally, the path leading east from the camp leads down a passageway, with a trip wire which triggers a rock slide trap. Further along, the path forks, and either path can be taken. The paths rejoin a short distance later at a large water-filled cavern, containing two trolls and a chest containing random loot to the north. The player can kill or sneak past the trolls to the west, leading to Knight-Paladin Gelebor (if the relevant quest has been started).

Knight-Paladin Gelebor, potentially one of the last Snow Elves remaining in the Skyrim, can be found at the very end of the initial cave, within the Chantry of Auri-El if the quest Touching the Sky has been started. If the quest wasn't started before the player entered the cave, Knight-Paladin Gelebor will not appear, and the player can take a passageway opened with a pull chain in the south of the camp, (the same pull-chain activated doorway in the Breton Camp), and from there take the westward path that leads to the exit.

Notable Loot

 * An ample amount of Glowing Mushrooms and Frostbite Venom.
 * Darkfall Cave Note - after traversing the waterways and making it past the Frostbite Spiders, there is a small camp (Serana will make a comment) with a deceased Breton. The note can be found on the Breton.
 * Next to the aforementioned camp is a chest containing Glowing Mushrooms, Spider Eggs, Troll Fat, torches, and other valuables. And next to the chest is a night stand with Fire Resistance potions and a few Spider Eggs.
 * 2 Moonstone Ore Veins - in the first chamber, shortly after entering from Skyrim.
 * Though not loot, at the end of the caves where you meet Gelebor, there is a Shrine of Auriel.

Trivia

 * If one uses Whirlwind Sprint when crossing the bridge for the second time, it is possible to reach the other side before it collapses.

Bugs

 * Should one use mods that changes the lighting in any way, it is possible that the game will crash after spending unspecified time inside the cave.
 * Upon entering Darkfall cave the game may crash constantly. Re-installing the Skyrim may fix this.
 * In the quest "Touching the Sky", if the Dragonborn enters Darkfall Cave for the first time with a follower other than Serana, she will come in and dismiss the follower. However, she might be stuck there and won't follow the Dragonborn as he/she goes further down, even if the Dragonborn goes out of the cave she doesn't follow out. For any quest scene that requires her dialogue, however, she will be present without delay.

​Appearances


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