Skuldafn (Skyrim)

 is an ancient Nordic temple in which that serves as Alduin's base of operations. It was located on the very eastern edge of the map. It cannot be reached by conventional means and can only be accessed during the main quest, The World-Eater's Eyrie.

Unique features
It's the only known location in Skyrim that houses a portal that leads to Sovngarde. The portal is guarded by the Dragon Priest, Nahkriin, while Draugr and Dragons guard the temple. It's also the location of a Word Wall, where a Word of Power for Storm Call can be learned. Even if it should be possible to climb up the Velothi Mountains, Skuldafn is located in a separate cell of the game and cannot be reached by any means aside for the Main Quest, other than using mods or console commands on the PC. That can easy be noticed when saving the game in the courtyard. The game files say "Skuldafn" instead of "Skyrim" as usual when outside all interior cells, including cities.

Puzzles
There are two turn-stone puzzles and a puzzle door inside the temple.


 * For the first turn-stone puzzle, the outside stones must match the key stones they face. The center stone selects which of the two doors is opened by matching the key stone above that door. The eagle door must be opened first and then closed back in order to open the snake door.
 * Puzzles in frontwise: eagle, eagle, eagle and eagle, snake, eagle.
 * For the second turn-stone puzzle, the two turn-stones on the upper level must match the key stones directly above while the one stone on the lower level must match the key stone on the opposing wall.
 * Puzzle in frontwise: whale, snake, eagle.
 * The second puzzle can be skipped altogether, using Whirlwind Sprint, if the player stands on the central platform and aims at either side of the destination entrance near the torches. (It is also possible, though most likely harder, to do this with a normal jump, if timed correctly.)
 * The door puzzle is a combination door requiring the Diamond Claw. The combination on the palm of the claw is, from top to bottom: Fox, Moth, Dragon.

Notable Items

 * Dragon Priest Staff (Wall of Lightning) - Off of Nahkriin (Placed on seal to re-open the portal to Sovngarde, can be taken if you follow this exploit.
 * Dragon Priest Mask - Nahkriin (On top of Skuldafn Temple)
 * Word Wall - Storm Call (In second section of Skuldafn Temple)
 * Diamond Claw - Found on the Draugr Overlord right in front of the door on which it's used.
 * A Flawless Diamond, Flawless Amethyst and Flawless Emerald can be found at the exit of the Temple in the side room with the dead Draugr on the table, under a Linen Wrap in a bowl.

Skuldafn

 * Alchemy ingredients:
 * Abecean Longfin - 1
 * Blue Mountain Flower - 3
 * Cyrodilic Spadetail - 1
 * Histcarp - 1
 * Mora Tapinella - 1
 * Purple Mountain Flower - 5
 * Red Mountain Flower - 2
 * River Betty - 1
 * Silverside Perch - 1
 * Snowberries - 2
 * Thistle Branch - 3

Containers and chests

 * ​Chest - Going up the stairs near Skuldafn South Tower (which is pretty close to where you encounter the 2nd Dragon), there is a doorway to your left. The chest is up the ramp inside this ruined tower.
 * Chest - Heading up the stairs leading to Skuldafn Temple, instead go east once you get to the top, and follow the pathway around. Just past the entrance to Skuldafn North Tower, you will see a staircase with several Draugr walking around (and one at the top of the stairs). The chest is on the table at the top of the stairs.
 * Chest - Facing the door to Skuldafn Temple, go to the left around the ledge towards the tower on the western side of the temple. Don't leave the ledge you're on, the chest will be on the ground around where the tower meets the ledge, surrounded by some rubble and a potion on the ground.
 * Urn - After going through the Skuldafn Temple area and coming back out into this area on top of the temple, cross the wooden bridge in front of you into the tower off the side of the complex. It's on the first landing of the tower.
 * Urn - Continue down the ramp through the door on this level of the tower to get to the next level down. It'll stare you in the face after going through the doorway.
 * Chest - Going down the stairs next to the previous urn, you'll see this chest in the alcove to your right.

Skuldafn North Tower

 * Containers/Chests:
 * Chest - On the ground with a Draugr patrolling around it, in the room after you go to the top of the spiral ramp in the entrance room.
 * Chest - Exit out of Skuldafn North Tower from the door in the upper level, go to the other side of the ledge you come out on and enter the other door back inside. It's the only thing in this part that was blocked off by a cave-in.

Skuldafn South Tower

 * Containers/Chests:
 * Urn - The small room to your right as soon as you enter.
 * Chest - In middle of the room at the top of the spiral ramp in the entryway.
 * Urn - On the west side of the same room the previous chest is in.

Skuldafn Temple

 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Salt Pile - 1
 * Spider Egg - 4
 * Flawless Garnet - In the second area of the temple, after coming to the room with the spiral staircase in the middle...this is on the table just to the left of the doorway upon entering the room. It is attached to the skull.
 * There's a side room off to the right at the T just before you leave the 2nd area back to Skuldafn itself that has the following items (some of these might have some variance to them):
 * Dwarven War Axe
 * 2 Healing Potions
 * Imperial Helmet
 * 3 gems under some Linen Wraps in a pot on the bookshelf: Flawless Amethyst, Flawless Diamond, Flawless Emerald

Containers and chests

 * Urn - Straight ahead against the platform with the torches right at the entrance.
 * Urn - Right at the entrance, on the west side of the room, on a small platform with short steps onto it.
 * Chest - Take the path on the east side of the room, and it is just past the small set of stairs, between the set of stairs back down, and some rubble.
 * 6 Burial Urns - Regardless of the path you take, you will enter a doorway which opens up into a small room with 2 pillars on each side (and 2 more doorways on the other side). In between the pillars there's a table. There are 2 Burial Urns on the table, and then two on each side of the table.
 * Chest - In the room with the puzzle, there's a 2 gates. One on the east side and one on the west side. This chest is behind the one on the east side with the Hawk picture over top of it.
 * Urn - Just before you go through the western gate in the puzzle room.
 * Chest - Continuing through the temple past the puzzle room, when you get to the room with the two wooden ramps leading down to the lower area (you come in on the upper ledge), the chest will be between the ramps on a platform, in front of the statue that is between the two ledges.
 * 3 Burial Urns - In front of the previous chest, on the table that the Draugr is standing in front of as you walk in. There is also a Draugr corpse on the table amongst the urns, as well.
 * Chest - After entering the area with all the spiders in it, this chest is in the alcove to your right when you come face to face with the iron door. It is buried under some spider webs that you can (but don't have to, it seems) clear out to get to it.
 * Urn - After going through the Iron Door (which leads to another area altogether) mentioned in the previous chest's location, take the northern path around the platform in the middle of the room (go left if looking at the pillar for the puzzle that's there).
 * Chest - Continue around to the backside of the platform from the location of the previous Urn, and this chest is in front of the statue that has the Snake icon on it (in an alcove on the backside of the mentioned platform).
 * 2 Urns - They are on either side of the drawbridge that drops down after solving the second puzzle.
 * Chest - This chest is on the table in the first room you come to after going through the door across the drawbridge mentioned previously.
 * Burial Urn - When entering the room with the spiral staircase in the center, this is on a table just to the left of the doorway.
 * Urn - Basically right next to the previous Burial Urn
 * Burial Urn - On the other side of the spiral staircase, right beside the bookshelf.
 * Chest - At the top of the spiral staircase, go through the doorway on the south side and it's in the alcove to your right.
 * Urn - On your left, just through the gate at the top of the spiral staircase mentioned previously.
 * Chest - On the right side of the wide and long hallway as you continue on past the previous Urn.
 * Urn - Just before you get to the combination door for the Diamond Claw, this is on the left side of the passage.
 * 5 Burial Urns, 1 dead Draugr, 1 Urn - Just as you approach the door to leave this area, turn right at the T and all of these are inside of this room.

Trivia

 * The name Skuldafn may be a reference to Skuld the Norn. In Norse mythology, the Norns dictated the destinies of gods and men. In some poems Skuld is also referred to as a Valkyrie, one who chooses who will die and who will live in battle. These Valkyrie then take the slain warriors to Valhalla, which is very similar to the Hall of Valor.
 * Skuldafn is only accessible once during The World-Eater's Eyrie. Thus a player has only one chance to legitimately learn Storm Call and obtain Nahkriin's Mask.
 * It is possible to travel to Skuldafn using the console command: coc skuldafn01 (skuldafn02, skuldafn04, skuldafn05 and skuldafn06 will move the player to different areas).
 * The portal to Sovngarde is the only exit from Skuldafn and fast travel is not possible.
 * A possibility to leave Skuldafn is to use the console again, e.g. typing "coc WhiterunOrigin" which will teleport you back home inside the safe walls of Whiterun.
 * If you choose to climb the cliff behind upon arrival, it is possible to avoid going through Skuldafn's innards altogether. By scaling the mountains surrounding the area, you can reach the Sovngarde portal. However, if you want to access the Storm Call shout you must backtrack a short distance through the ruins.
 * Although part of Skyrim, Skuldafn actually lies in the western edge of the Velothi Mountains, which is a part of Morrowind. In the Journal entry however, it is located in the Jerall Mountains.
 * If you have the quest The World-Eater's Eyrie in your journal but haven't gone to Skuldafn, when you fight dragons, they will say, "Skuldafn fen kos dinok," meaning, "Skuldafn will be death." The 2-4 dragons encountered at Skuldafn will say this regardless.
 * Skuldafn is one of the locations that will not unlock for fast travel when the console command: "TMM 1" is used.
 * At higher levels, the only Draugr encountered may be Deathlords. This makes preparation key; rushing off to Skuldafn unprepared may make for an extremely difficult, if not impossible battle. It is recommended to use Dawnbreaker or Auriel's Bow.
 * The dragon shout Bend Will won't work on the dragons encountered at Skuldafn.
 * Skuldafn has been confirmed as one of the locations the player will be able to visit in.

Bugs

 * The Diamond Claw Door Puzzle's rings in the second section of the Skuldafn Temple might not be able to be moved. - Solution: reload save or exit and enter area.
 * If you have the Sapphire Claw and have not used it to explore Shroud Hearth Barrow, you will not be able to open the Skuldafn Temple door. - Solution: reload to a previous save, explore Shroud Hearth Barrow, then return to Skuldafn.