Blackreach (Skyrim)

Description
Blackreach is a colossal underground cavern found under the Tower of Mzark, filled with glowing mushrooms and Falmer. The cavern encompasses the area between all three Dwemer cities, Alftand, Mzinchaleft, and Raldbthar, and connects them as well.

Blackreach was originally a Dwemer city, but like all the other Dwemer cities, it now lies in ruin, taken over by the Falmer and overrun by Chaurus and glowing mushrooms.

Players normally first encounter this massive location as part of the Elder Knowledge quest, although it is possible to discover it beforehand.

Items of Interest
PLEASE NOTE: because of the vast size of Blackreach, these figures may not be exhaustive.

Blackreach

 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Bleeding Crown - 10
 * Blisterwort - 17
 * Chaurus Eggs - 32+ (Can drop from the Chaurus in the area)
 * Crimson Nirnroot - 39
 * Dwarven Oil - 0+ (Drops from the Dwarven machines throughout the area)
 * Falmer Ear - 0+ (Drops from Falmer in the area)
 * Fly Amanita - 2
 * Giant's Toe - 0-1 (Drops from giant in the area, not sure if guaranteed, but they are pretty common, at the very least)
 * Glow Dust - 4
 * Imp Stool - 3
 * Namira's Rot - 5
 * Spider Egg - 2
 * Troll Fat - 2
 * White Cap - 4
 * Wisp Wrappings - 1
 * Ore Veins:
 * Corundum Ore Veins - 14
 * Ebony Ore Veins - 5
 * One between the Pumping Station and two Falmer huts, almost directly under the balcony from the pumping station, by the Wispmother.
 * One to the far south of the Debate Hall and slightly due east of the Derelict Pumphouse behind the edge of the waterfall that splits on either side of the rock that has a Crimson Nirnroot sitting on the very tip.
 * Next to Sinderion's Field Laboratory.
 * North East of the Tower of Mzark, on a small island (it's not too far from the tower's structure).
 * Far to the south of Debate Hall and east of the Tower of Mzark (try imagining a line from those two points, and right were they meet should be the Ebony Vein).
 * Geode Veins - 30
 * Gold Ore Veins - 2
 * Moonstone Ore Veins - 2
 * Orichalcum Ore Veins - 3
 * Quicksilver Ore Veins - 3
 * Book - 2920, MidYear, v6 (Skill Book - Heavy Armor) - On a table west of the War Quarters building. Table is at the top of the short set of stairs near the lever that triggers the blade trap
 * Other Items:
 * Falmer Armor - in a Falmer hut to the west of the entrance leading to Raldbthar Deep Market
 * Novice level locked gate into a room with the following items: 1 Greater Soul Gem, 2 Corundum Ore, 1 Iron Ore, 1 Gold Ore
 * Go east from bottom of Tower of Mzark's staircase along the river, on a table in a small alcove of a dwarven ruin are the following: 1 Dwarven Metal Ingot, 1 Dwarven Dagger, a couple of potions
 * Containers/Chests:
 * Chest - Follow gold road south-ish from Sinderion's Field Laboratory, down the hill...it's on the side of the dwemer building, on ground level, in a cubby.
 * Chest - On top level of the building that has the cubby for the previous chest. There's a ramp if you continue around past this alcove that leads inside.
 * Adept level locked chest - Inside novice locked gate/room just to the west of the Raldbthar Deep Market entrance.
 * Master level locked chest - Just to the right of the Raldbthar Deep Market entrance on the wall, facing out into Blackreach.
 * Chest - Going down the stairs from the door leading to the Tower of Mzark elevator, it's in an alcove to your right.
 * Chest - At the Falmer camp when you go down the stairs at the Tower of Mzark area and cross the body of water to the campfire on the other side.
 * Chest - At the same Falmer camp as the previous one, this one is inside a tent when you go through the opening to the right of the previous chest..
 * Chest - From the Mzinchaleft Gatehouse entrance, follow the Dwemer building around to the right and go up the hill, this is on the ground right next to the roof of the entrance's structure.
 * Chest - From the entrance to Silent Ruin, go east through a narrow passage, past a Corundum Ore vein...it's in the rubble beside a pillar, near where you encounter the Wispmother.

Debate Hall

 * Book - A Dance in Fire, v6 (Skill Book - Speech ) - In the gated room, on a table next to the skeleton. It is near the exit to Blackreach that leads to an overpass to the Pumping Station.

Derelict Pumphouse

 * Crimson Nirnroot - 1 (under the entrance walkway, where the chest under the water is)
 * Adept level locked chest  - on wall to the left right after entering
 * Chest - Under the water in the entrance room. Go into the water on the right side, hit the valve to open the gate and it's on the wall there. Hit the other valve to open other gate to get to the other side and to the ramp

Farm Overseer's House

 * Glowing Mushroom - 4
 * Skeever Tail - 2
 * Falmer Bow
 * Adept level locked chest
 * Novice level locked chest

Hall of Rumination

 * 2 Garnets - After opening the gate at the bottom of the stairs in the entry room using the lever...go through the next gate, and then take the path to the left. They'll be on the table just underneath of the chest on the wall in the corner.
 * Chest - Go up the stairs in the entry room (not the ones with the closed gate in front of them), and then go straight east. It's on the wall in the room with 2 Falmer Servants
 * Chest - After opening the gate at the bottom of the stairs using the lever...go through the next gate, and then take the path to the left. It'll be on the floor right in front of you.
 * Chest - Continue down the same path that the previous chest is on to see a chest on the wall in a corner.

Pumping Station

 * Chest - Behind a gate on the western side of the area.

Reeking Tower

 * Spider Egg - 7
 * Chest - When you approach the elevator room, there will be a T crossroad that has a spider web covering the caved in passage. The chest is just on the other side of the web, you can't tear the web (at least I couldn't) down but you CAN open the chest anyway.

Silent City Catacombs

 * Chaurus Eggs - 2
 * Falmer Ear - 0+ (Dropped from Falmer)
 * Glowing Mushroom - 2
 * Geode Vein - 2
 * Chest - In corner in first hallway after entrance room
 * Chest - Once you get to the section with the grate on the floor...drop into a hole in the grate and backtrack to the east. It's on the floor
 * 2 Chests - Once you get to the section with the grate on the floor...drop into a hole in the grate and go west. There are 2 side by side on this end of the underwater section.

Silent Ruin

 * Crimson Nirnroot - 1
 * Book - Warrior (Skill Book - Block ) - On chair with the trap trigger on the floor right in front of it.
 * Chest - On the left side of the room.

Sinderion's Field Laboratory

 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Bear Claws - 1
 * Blisterwort - 2
 * Blue Dartwing - 1
 * Blue Mountain Flower - 3
 * Bone Meal - 1-2 (got one from Sinderion's corpse in Sinderion's Field Laboratory, but not sure if it's guaranteed to be there, or not)
 * Briar Heart - 1
 * Butterfly Wing - 1
 * Canis Root - 1
 * Charred Skeever Hide - 1
 * Chaurus Eggs - 1
 * Crimson Nirnroot - 1
 * Daedra Heart - 1
 * Deathbell - 1
 * Ectoplasm - 1
 * Eye of Sabre Cat - 1
 * Falmer Ear - 2
 * Fire Salts - 1
 * Fly Amanita - 1
 * Frost Salts - 1
 * Hawk Beak - 0-1 (Apothecary Satchel in Sinderion's Field Laboratory, may not be guaranteed to be there )
 * Honeycomb - 1
 * Ice Wraith Teeth - 1
 * Luna Moth Wing - 1
 * Moon Sugar - 1
 * Mora Tapinella - 1
 * Mudcrab Chitin - 1-2 (Apothecary Satchel in Sinderion's Field Laboratory, may not be guaranteed to be there )
 * Nightshade - 1
 * Nirnroot - 2
 * Purple Mountain Flower - 3
 * Red Mountain Flower - 3
 * Sabre Cat Tooth - 1
 * Torchbug Thorax - 1
 * Vampire Dust - 0-1 ((Apothecary Satchel in Sinderion's Field Laboratory, may not be guaranteed to be there)
 * Books:
 * De Rerum Dirennis (Skill Book - Alchemy)
 * Sinderion's Field Journal (for quest A Return to Your Roots)
 * Other Items:
 * Attunement Sphere
 * 1 Dwarven Dagger
 * 1 Grand Soul Gem
 * 1 Greater Soul Gem
 * 1 Lesser Soul Gem
 * 2 Chests
 * Amenities:
 * Workbench
 * Alchemy Lab
 * Arcane Enchanter
 * Cooking Pot

Tower of Mzark

 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Charred Skeever Hide - 2
 * Glowing Mushroom - 1
 * Grass Pod - 0-1 (In Apothecary's Satchel in entry room, so may or may not actually be there)
 * Jazbay Grapes - 0-1 (In Apothecary's Satchel in entry room, so may or may not actually be ​ there )
 * Pine Thrush Egg - 2
 * Snowberries - 0-1 (In Apothecary's Satchel in entry room, so may or may not actually be ​ there )
 * Spriggan Sap - 1
 * Thistle Branch - 1
 * Books:
 * The Armorer's Challenge (Skill Book - Smithing) - On the table in the western corner of the first room
 * Journal of Drokt - On floor next to Drokt's skeleton in the chamber you scribe the lexicon in.
 * Other Items:
 * Grand Soul Gem - On table to your left as you enter the tower
 * Dwarven Helmet - On the shelves to your right just as you enter the tower
 * Elixir of Strength - On the table in the southern corner of the first room
 * Iron Dagger, Iron Sword, Iron Gauntlets - on table in tent outside of Tower of Mzark when you exit via the lift to the surface
 * Containers/Chests:
 * Novice level locked chest - On the shelves to your right just as you enter the tower
 * Chest - On the shelves to your right just as you enter the tower
 * Knapsack - By the bedroll in the entry room just as you enter the tower
 * Novice level locked chest - On the shelves to the left, right beside the door exiting the first room you enter the tower into.
 * Apothecary's Satchel - On the table in the southern corner of the first room
 * Chest - Outside of the Tower of Mzark in the camp once you take the lift out.

War Quarters

 * Chest - Follow the path around, the chest is on the ledge you come out at back at the entrance to this building.
 * Chest - Follow the path around, the chest is on the ledge you come out at back at the entrance to this building.

Enemies

 * Chaurus
 * Chaurus Reaper
 * Dwarven Centurion
 * Dwarven Sphere
 * Falmer
 * Falmer Servant
 * Frost Troll
 * Frostbite Spider
 * Giant
 * Vulthuryol
 * Wisp
 * Wispmother
 * Somewhere in blackreach, there is a ghostly dragon priest. When he is killed, he may either fly upward and never stop, or slam into the ground and loot his items, including a dragon priests mask and a random mages staff. Note: You may have to go through blackreach multiple times before he appears.

Blackreach Entrances and Exits
Although all of the locations above are easy exits from Blackreach, these locations need to be "unlocked" as entrances. This can be accomplished, in some cases, by clearing said location and reaching a mechanism to open the entrance. In other cases the entrance must be "unlocked" by first using it as an exit out of Blackreach, after which time the entrance will be accessible for the rest of the game—some (the Great Lifts) will even appear on the map for fast travel.
 * Tower of Mzark - This is the initial point of entry into Blackreach, and is the only one available until players engage in the Elder Knowledge quest.
 * Alftand - Once cleared, the Alftand Cathedral contains an entrance to and exit from the far northeast end of Blackreach.
 * Great Lift at Alftand - Becomes accessible and appears on the world map after it has been used for the first time to exit Blackreach.
 * Mzinchaleft - Once cleared, the Mzinchaleft Gatehouse contains a Dwarven Mechanism that, once activated, opens a spiral staircase in the floor around the mechanism. You will need the Attunement Sphere to activate the Dwarven Mechanism, which can be obtained from Septimus Signus at Septimus Signus's Outpost which is north of the College of Winterhold . This leads directly to a door to Blackreach. Because the Mzinchaleft Gatehouse can be accessed quickly (once cleared) from Skyrim, using an unlocked elevator (the entrance is located on the road just northwest of Mzinchaleft), this is a fast, straightforward access point to Blackreach for returning players. You can also find another Attunement Sphere inside of Sinderion's Field Laboratory, though it kind of defeats the purpose since you need one to get into Blackreach to begin with..
 * Great Lift at Mzinchaleft - Located just south of Mzinchaleft. Becomes accessible and appears on the world map after it has been used for the first time to exit Blackreach.
 * Raldbthar-Located on the peak near Shearpoint (where you fight Krosis). Once cleared this also requires the Attunement Sphere to enter.
 * Great Lift at Raldbthar - Becomes accessible and appears on the world map after it has been used for the first time to exit Blackreach.

Locations in Blackreach
From Blackreach one can reach the following areas:
 * Alftand Cathedral
 * Raldbthar Deep Market
 * Mzinchaleft Gatehouse
 * Tower of Mzark
 * Great Lift at Mzinchaleft
 * Great Lift at Raldbthar
 * Great Lift at Alftand
 * Hall of Rumination
 * Debate Hall
 * Pumping Station (Silent City)
 * Derelict Pumphouse
 * Silent City Catacombs
 * Farm Overseer's House
 * Silent Ruin
 * War Quarters
 * Reeking Tower
 * Sinderion's Field Laboratory

During the main quest, you need to retrieve an Elder Scroll in order to go back in time to learn the long lost Dragonrend Thu'um, created by the Nords to defeat Alduin. The Tower of Mzark at the end of Blackreach contains the Elder Scroll. The tower does not have any enemies although there is a simple puzzle to get the Elder Scroll off the ceiling in order to grab it. When you exit the tower through the alternate exit behind the puzzle room, you'll appear out just southwest of the Dwemer fort entrance.

There seems to be a bug in Blackreach when the main quest line gets to this point (on the PC version). The marker indicates an apparently impossible-to-reach second floor door in the corner of the central city of the zone, but that's not where the quest item is. You actually need to go pretty far from that marker and up one of the several elevator lifts throughout the zone. It's the elevator lift just past the giant waterfalls area. (The Tower of Mzark)

Lifts to the surface can occasionally cause the game to effectively freeze on the loading screen, barring all actions apart from quick-loading. It can be fixed by pressing tilde and waiting 5-10 sec, then press tilde again to close console. (on xbox360 if you disable auto-save before using the lift, it should fix this problem, and keep it from freezing).