Forbidden Legend

The quest details the investigation of the Gauldur legend, and the finding and forging of the long lost, ancient Gauldur Amulet.

The quest has the Dragonborn adventuring across Skyrim, exploring the Nordic Tombs of Folgunthur, Geirmund's Hall, Saarthal, and Reachwater Rock.

Background
"Long ago, the Archmage Gauldur was murdered by his three sons, who stole his amulet of power and divided it among themselves."

When the three sons divided the amulet amongst themselves, they immediately began a rampage around Skyrim. This attracted the attention of the High King Harald of Skyrim, which caused him to send his best warriors and his personal battlemage Lord Geirmund.

A great chase ensued, from the wilds of the Reach to the glacial north. One brother is said to have perished in the ruins of Folgunthur, at the Foot of Solitude. The others were run to ground soon thereafter. And once it was done, King Harald ordered every record of their murders destroyed, and Gauldur's name and deeds were struck from the rolls of history.

Objectives

 * Investigate the cryptic message
 * Investigate the Gauldur legend
 * Learn the truth from Daynas Valen
 * Read Daynas Valen's notes
 * Find the Gauldur Amulet fragment in Saarthal
 * Find the Gauldur Amulet fragment in Folgunthur
 * Find the Gauldur Amulet fragment in Geirmund's Hall
 * Reforge the Gauldur Amulet
 * Take the Gauldur Amulet

Walkthrough
This quest can be started by reading the book "Lost Legends" found throughout Skyrim. The article Lost Legends locations has more information on their locations. A copy can be found on a dead adventurer's body in Reachwater Rock where part of this quest takes place. The quest can also be activated by reading a Writ of Sealing in any of the burial locations.

Investigate the Galdur Legend
The main quest begins in Folgunthur by reading the journal of Daynas Valen in the camp outside the cave. The journal tells of his travels with the Ivory Dragon Claw. He traveled to Folgunthur looking for the Amulet.

Learn the truth from Daynas Valen
Inside, past one claw keyhole is a room with puzzle pillars and another claw keyhole (all are already opened), then the corpses of draugr and Valen's compatriots. There are also spike and fire traps, and at least one live draugr. In the next large room, there are 5 draugr and draugr wight waiting to rise from their crypts. In the northeast corner of the room is a spiral staircase with a trap door in front of it. The trap door can be closed by activating the lever on the right wall of the staircase. Across the bridge at the top of the stairs, he will be lying on another claw keyhole. The Claw and his notes are on his corpse. Reading the notes activates the next three parts of the quest.

Find the Galdur Amulet Fragment in Folgunthur
The bridge can be crossed by activating the keyhole. Once across and having avoided the traps and draugr, the Dragonborn will come to a gate with four levers. The path can be opened by activating the two on the right starting with the one nearest the gate, then the lever on the left furthest from KEVIN STINKS AND DOESNT LIKE DOCTOR WHO the gate, the left lever closest to the gate, then finally the one on the right closest to the gate again. Past the gates, the path goes down stairs, then northeast across a set of stairs where there is a falling boulder trap.

The path continues to a room with two thrones. The lever to the left of the leftmost throne opens the door to the room with pillars to unlock the grille covering a staircase (from the left, eagle-whale-snake) plus a soul gem trap. The chain pull in the previous room finishes the job. Down the stairs are two Frostbite Spiders. Ahead will be a dragon claw puzzle door, but there will be several draugr in crypts on either side. The combination to the puzzle, top to bottom, is Eagle-Eagle-Dragon. Inside is a door to Folgunthur Crypt.

Beyond that door is Mikrul Gauldurson, one of the easier Gauldur brothers as he has no special skills that separate him from a regular leveled draugr. However, he does have a small contingent of leveled draugr thralls who will attack the Dragonborn upon Mikrul's awakening. They all die, though, as soon as he is killed. A Gauldur Amulet Fragment and enchanted sword, Gauldur Blackblade, are on his corpse. Afterwards, the claw can be used to gain access to the two rooms on the back wall. The one to the left has a chest with leveled loot and a Word Wall for Frost Breath. A door to the right of the word wall provides an exit back to Folgunthur.

Find the Galdur Amulet Fragment in Saarthal
In order to gain access to the excavation site, the Dragonborn must first begin the quest Under Saarthal. This quest is attained by joining the College of Winterhold. If the Dragonborn is not skilled with magic it may be best to not join until prompted by the quest Elder Knowledge as this will only require a demonstration of the Voice to join the college (after asking her if an exception may be made for being dragonborn). After completing the very short quest First Lesson, Tolfdir will give the quest Under Saarthal.

At this point, the Under Saarthal quest should be followed. Tolfdir should be followed into the excavation site. He will be available for most of the dungeon. He will be missing for a short stretch where he leaves after defeating a room full of draugr, but will return right before Dragonborn discovers the antechamber with Jyrik and The Eye of Magnus inside. Jyrik, who is in Saarthal by the orb, should be defeated and his Writ of Sealing and Gauldur Amulet Fragment taken.

A mage can defeat him by watching the elemental cloud around him as it changes randomly between storm, frost, and fire, and not using the element that is cloaking him as he will resist the attack. Warriors may treat him like a draugr scourge lord, or another draugr mage. Reading the writ will start the next quest point. The next clue about the origin of the Gauldur Amulet Fragment (if needed) can be found in the Arcaneum by reading the book Lost Legends (on a small table on the right hand side of the room, behind the pillars not in the middle, as the room is entered).

Find the Galdur Amulet Fragment in Geirmund's Hall
Geirmund's Hall is a dungeon close to Ivarstead, grave of the hero Geirmund. There is a large hole in the ground against the eastern wall. At the bottom is an underwater alcove, with a chest and a Potion of Waterbreathing at the southern end. Up the wooden ramp is an iron door. Behind it are two frostbite spiders and an adept-locked door with leveled loot behind it. To south and then west, check behind you for a chest. Before opening, disarm the trap or stand to the side of the chest to avoid the fire. Continuing, you will find a set of steps that lead down to a water-filled room with a pillar puzzle and some draugr. To unlock the puzzle, the order of the pillars starting from the first is eagle, whale, snake, whale. Halfway down the water room is a table with a soul gem - taking it releases a swinging mammoth skull trap. Once the pillars are in place, the lever by the gate opens the door.

The next room contains several more draugr. After climbing the wooden ramp, immediately to the right is an altar with the body of Geirmund holding a key. The door opposite Geirmund's resting place leads to an Arcane Enchanter plus a draugr and a frostbite spider. There are stairs up to the right, but they lead to a blocked path. The path to the left leads to a strong leveled draugr. After that is a dead end and a lever on the ground which will trigger a trap if activated. However, up and to the right from that lever is another lever on the wall. Activating that one will cause the drawbridge to drop.

Across it is another lever that will drop another drawbridge with draugr on the other side. Next is a swinging pendulum trap with a draugr on the other side, who can be dispatched by shooting him with an arrow through the pendulums - he will attempt to come through the pendulums, and will be killed.

The final room is water-filed, with wooden ramps leading to the crypt for Sigdis Gauldurson, arguably the hardest of the three sons to kill. There are four sigils on the ground in the cave. He will frequently teleport to whichever one is farthest from the Dragonborn and make two copies of himself. All three will attack the Dragonborn, including using Shouts like Unrelenting Force (which will knock the Dragonborn over whether or not any bonuses for the Unrelenting Force shout are active) and, at higher levels, Disarm. The easiest way to attack him is with stealth and ranged attacks.

If one of the clones is attacked, it will dissipate after one hit; after both clones have died, Sigdis will teleport away again. It is possible to tell Sigdis apart from his clones because he is the only one with the true health amount (the clones will have full health), and also by the fact that his clones will be surrounded by a bluish glow. In addition, the "real" Sigdis can be identified by being the only one wearing an Ancient Nord Helmet. His helm's decorative horns curl downwards; the horns on his clones' helmets will be curled upward. Sigdis also carries the Gauldur Blackbow. After he has been killed, the Gauldur Amulet Fragment can be looted from his corpse. Exit through the cave behind Sigdis's coffin.

Reforge the Gauldur Amulet
After all of the fragments have been collected, the quest continues in Reachwater Rock, near Karthspire. Inside, there is a dead Adventurer near the Emerald Dragon Claw, on a pedestal along with a note warning would-be explorers away from the site. Further up the path is a claw door, which can be unlocked using the combination inscribed on the palm of the Emerald Claw: Bear, Whale, Snake (from the top down). Inside is yet another claw door, this time using the combination of the Ivory Dragon Claw: Eagle, Eagle, Dragon (again, from the top down).

Further inside will be a large room with a table with three amulet pedestals. Placing the three amulet fragments on each of the pedestals will make the ghosts of each son appear, each of whom the Dragonborn will have to fight in turn.

First will be Mikrul, who again can be faced as a leveled draugr with a small horde. The draugr he commands will not stop attacking until Mikrul is defeated

Sigdis will use the same tactics as before, disappearing and reappearing to shoot arrows at the Dragonborn, using four out of the six possible locations, and using shouts occasionally. Every time he teleports, the battle temporarily stops, which allows restoration of health and saving the game. The real Sigdis has a slightly different helmet model (iron helmet) than his clones, and his clones will always have full health, and be surrounded by a slightly bluish glow.

After Sigdis, Jyrik will appear, occasionally teleporting around the room.

Once all three sons have been defeated, they will reappear as ghosts above the pedestal. As they look to take the Dragonborn on three against one, their father appears and banishes them. Archmage Gauldur will then reforge the Gauldur Amulet Fragments into The Gauldur Amulet, a necklace that grants +30 to health, magicka, and stamina.

Gauldur's skeleton, in the crypt behind the table with the pedestals, holds a decent amount of money. Additionally, the Ghosts' use of Unrelenting Force may cause one to get stuck on the platform that the Ghosts who haven't yet fought are on - this may cause them to not be able to get back down.

Notable items

 * The Gauldur Amulet
 * Staff of Jyrik Gauldurson
 * Gauldur Blackblade
 * Gauldur Blackbow
 * There is a treasure chest at the bottom of the pool when you first enter the cavern located just below the dead Adventurer.
 * There are some good chests/loot to be found when exiting the cave. The locations are:
 * At the entrance to Gauldur's grave, there is a false wall which leads to some leveled loot. The wall should automatically unveil itself upon clearing the dungeon.
 * There is an adept-locked chest containing leveled loot and potions in the chamber where the Emerald Dragon Claw was found. The chest is on top of a pillar. Using the Whirlwind Sprint Thu'um may be necessary in order to reach the platform.
 * There is also a Giant floating in Arriva's bog and an Iron Shield in the water, just under a floating skeleton.
 * There is also another adept-locked chest in the water below the pillar in Reachwater Rock.

Trivia

 * If the Dragonborn has a healthy supply of empty petty soul gems, a bow with soul trap and good sneak skill, the clones can be farmed to gather a good number of souls.
 * Falling down the hole again while exiting the dungeon will require going through the entire dungeon again to escape.
 * This quest can only be completed if the Dragonborn joins the College of Winterhold.
 * At the end of the quest, when Gauldur's coffin opens, Jyrik will turn around and face the coffin and whisper "Gauldur!" before being banished along with his brothers.

Bugs
Die verbotene Legende Leyenda prohibida Запретная легенда (Квест)