Labyrinthian (Skyrim)

Labyrinthian is an ancient Nordic ruin in. It can be accessed during the Staff of Magnus quest of the College of Winterhold questline. Labyrinthian is located northeast of Drelas' Cottage and southeast of Morthal. Labyrinthian is in the Hjaalmarch hold and is the location of two different word walls, Dismay and Slow Time. The Headless Horseman also appears near here. Frost trolls inhabit the area.

Merethic Era
"Hail All - Brave City Bromjunaar Forever These Walls Shall Stand May Enemies See Her Majesty May All Quake to Behold Her"

- Etched Tablet in Labyrinthian

The ancient Nordic ruin of Labyrinthian was first constructed by the Dragon Cult as a temple to the dragons. The temple then grew to become the city of Bromjunaar, and it is theorized that the city may have been the capital of Skyrim during the height of the Dragon Cult's power and influence, though few historical records exist to verify this. There are, however, some historical records that prove that Bromjunaar was a center for the Dragon Priests, and many of the highest ranking Dragon Priests met here to discuss important matters.

During the Dragon War, the city went through drastic changes as the forces of the dragons mobilized to fight against the people of Tamriel who were rebelling against them. After the war ended, the city was abandoned and it fell into ruin.

First Era
The name "Labyrinthian" comes from the labyrinth which Arch-Mage Shalidor constructed inside the ruins of Bromjunaar during the First Era to test new Archmages, as he stood at the forefront of a movement to enact higher standards among mages and to discourage magicka usage among the common castes. The name Labyrinthian eventually became synonymous with Bromjunaar and, after some time, the ruins were known as such.

Third Era
In 3E 399, the Eternal Champion retrieved a piece of the Staff of Chaos from inside Labyrinthian to use against the Imperial Battlemage Jagar Tharn

Fourth Era
In the Fourth Era, the city of Labyrinthian was but a memory. Like most ancient Atmoran cities in Skyrim, it had been abandoned and fell into ruin as people migrated and spread across the country. Occasionally, trading caravans will pass through Labyrinthian, but will usually take safer, longer routes due to the freezing cold, snow, wind, and frost trolls in Labyrinthian and across the mountains.

Before becoming Arch-Mage, Savos Aren joined an expedition to Labyrinthian. Led by the Arch-Mage's favorite student Atmah, a group of mages ventured into the ruins, searching for the Staff of Magnus and various other items believed to be within. Shalidor's writings are specifically mentioned as a hoped-for find by one of the ghost-characters, although they are not found in the passages to complete the Labyrinthian quest. Accompanying Savos and Atmah were their fellow mages Takes-In-Light, Hafnar Ice-Fist, Girduin, and Elvali Veren. Half of the group perished in combat. The other three reached the final chamber, where they encountered the ancient Dragon Priest Morokei. Desperate to contain the evil power of the Dragon Priest, Savos killed his two remaining companions and raised them as ghostly thralls, who remained in the chamber to maintain a magical containment ward to prevent Morokei from ever escaping.

Several years later, the Dragonborn visits Labyrinthian and follows in this group's footsteps in order to obtain the Staff of Magnus, needed to stop the machinations of Ancano back at the College of Winterhold. S/he kills these two ghostly thralls in order to destroy Morokei and obtain the staff.

Design and features
This is a very large area composed of many sub-levels, all of which are worth exploring. Upon entering this area, the Dragonborn is greeted by several frost trolls.

Bromjunaar Sanctuary
In the center, there is a large, raised circular area, similar in appearance to the many Dragon Burial Mounds found throughout Skyrim. Beneath this is a strange ruined altar, where can be found a skeleton, the Wooden Mask, and a Hired Thug's Missive. Equipping the Wooden Mask will transport the Dragonborn back to a time when they will find a series of busts in the place of the strange altar. In this time and place, the Dragonborn can place each of the Dragon Priest's Masks found throughout Skyrim. When all eight masks are in place, the dragon's mouth opens, and a ninth mask is revealed: Konahrik.

Shalidor's Maze
There is also a door named Shalidor's Maze, just behind the location. This leads to the maze of the same name, which is home to one daedra.

Upon passing through the door, the next area is a courtyard with a corpse in a circle and the maze just beyond. Approach the corpse, and four staves rise from the ground; one for destruction, one for alteration, one for illusion, and one for restoration. Take all of these, as they help in the maze.

Continue straight to a Sigil of Alteration on the wall at the very entrance. Use the staff of magelight, aimed at the sigil, and the gate to the right will open. Continue through the maze, killing skeevers along the way. Many corners of the maze feature "shutters" which contain random loot, one containing a spell tome for Heal Other). Next will will be a similar Sigil of Destruction. Use the staff of fireballs, this time to open the trapdoor below. Go right, up a staircase, and to the left side of the maze. Go north, (right, if at the top of the staircase), to a word wall for the dragon shout Dismay. From here, turn around, looking south, and enter this side of the maze, which is sealed with a Sigil of Illusion. Use the staff of fear. Continue as last time, this time killing off an ice wraith. At the end, the Sigil of Restoration is displayed, use the staff of repulsion which opens another trap door.

After falling, there will be a large blue globe shimmering in the passageway. This is the portal to fight a dremora of leveled rank and name. He will conjure two atronachs. If he is killed before everyone teleports back to Labyrinthian, the Dragonborn and the atronachs will be teleported out, but not the body of the dremora. The dremora carries the Diadem of the Savant, a circlet which reduces magicka cost for all classes of spells.

Lost Valkygg
The Valkygg is a tunnel based dungeon. It is heavily guarded by draugr. They pop out of coffins in most places, but some roam freely. This area has many gemstones, but other than that, there is little loot other than what the draugr have on them.

Enter through the door which is at the base of the in-ground stairs, as opposed to the door set into the wall face; that is the exit. The area just beyond the entrance door is not overly dangerous, although several draugr may be encountered. Two draugr are lying on a stone slab, which can be killed before they have a chance to rise and attack. Go through the door activated by pressure pads and follow the hallway to a larger room. Fight the four draugr here, then pass through a wooden door. To the left is an apprentice-level locked door to pick; avoid the pressure pad just before the door, as it activates a poison dart trap. (This may have killed the draugr whose body lies on the ground.) Beyond the locked door are a steel horned helmet and two burial urns to loot. Exit this small room and proceed in the opposite direction.

A Draugr Deathlord guards a chest in the next room, near a fairly deep hole. It may use Unrelenting Force to knock the Dragonborn into this hole. Once the Deathlord is defeated, enter the room behind it to find a chest. Drop down the hole, landing on the beams partway down to avoid injury, and at the bottom do battle with another Draugr Deathlord. These two Deathlords carry randomized ebony weapons, such as bows, warhammers, or greatswords, making it possible to obtain powerful weapons at relatively low levels.

Ceremonial Door
This door is only opened during the College of Winterhold's quest to find the Staff of Magnus. The Torc of Labyrinthian must first be received from Mirabelle Ervine. Upon arrival, click on the Ceremonial Door and the Torc will be applied, opening the lock and allowing entry.

A skeletal dragon rests just inside here, along with many skeletons. These may be fought, or the Dragonborn may sneak or sprint past them to get to the next room. The skeletal dragon is only a reanimated skeleton, so the Dragonborn is unable to absorb its soul; however, once it has been defeated, it may be looted for five dragon bones. The Dragonborn must continue to make his/her way through the lost city from here, occasionally seeing the ghosts of Savos Aren and his companions, as s/he works to complete the quest.

Outside Labyrinthian

 * Dragon Priest Mask: Wooden Mask underneath a large, raised circular area. Next to skeleton.
 * Hired Thug's Missive note.
 * Urns containing random loot
 * Chests

Inside Labyrinthian

 * Spell tome for Detect Life, Ironflesh, Waterbreathing, or Telekinesis on the right table when entering the first chamber of the Labyrinthian.
 * Spell tome: Equilibrium, in the room with the arcane enchanter
 * There is an alchemy lab
 * There is a skeletal dragon that drops five dragon bones
 * Special weapons:
 * Drainblood Battleaxe
 * Drainheart Sword
 * Drainspell Bow
 * Ore Deposit: gold ore, in the Labyrinthian Thoroughfare, on the floor in an open chamber with four skeletons just after the passageway turns right. There is a troll to kill in the immediately preceding chamber. There may be a second deposit right near this one, but it cannot be interacted with.
 * Three gold ore:
 * In Labyrinthian Chasm, one, under a Deer Hide inside of a pot, another just northwest of the previous one, amongst the urns and other debris that has accumulated near the stairs down.
 * In Labyrinthian Thoroughfare, in the flowing water through a novice locked gate where one first encountered enemies in this area.
 * Four malachite ore: Turn right at the point where the second set of enemies was encountered, there is a pathway with water running through it. There are four ore pieces scattered in that short pathway.
 * One gold ingot: In the back of the Labyrinthian Thoroughfare area, where there is the option of dropping through the trap floor or going through the doorway to the right, take the doorway. At the end of the hall it is on a bookshelf.
 * Three ebony ingots: Just past the Slow Time word wall, there is a pathway that has an alcove on each side. These three ingots are spread amongst the two alcoves on both sides.
 * All levels of Labyrinthian are good sources of nightshade. This is especially helpful if the Dragonborn has Ingun's Task as a quest objective.

Labyrinthian, Tribune

 * Word wall: Slow Time
 * Unique Weapon: Staff of Magnus
 * Dragon Priest Mask: Morokei
 * Unique Item: Ancient Helmet of the Unburned, as well as a Honed Ancient Nord Greatsword of Scorching and an ebony shield in a room behind an adept locked gate, soon after entering the Tribune.
 * Two malachite ore: One at the top of the tall building that has many barrels inside of it. The other is in the water at the base of said tower.

Shalidor's Maze
While fighting the Dremora, the combatants will be transported back to the entrance of the area, where two atronachs spawn. Each one drops its respective salt (Frost Salts, Void Salts or Fire Salts).
 * Word Wall: Dismay
 * Skill Book (Conjuration): Liminal Bridges, lying on the ground next to a skeleton in an enlarged corner in the maze.
 * Diadem of the Savant: unique enchanted circlet.
 * Alchemy ingredients:
 * Blue Mountain Flower
 * Daedra Heart
 * Deathbell
 * Dragon's Tongue
 * Hanging Moss
 * Ice Wraith Teeth
 * Purple Mountain Flower
 * Red Mountain Flower
 * Skeever Tail

Bromjunaar Sanctuary

 * Dragon Priest Mask: Konahrik (Mask)
 * Skill Book (Pickpocket): Aevar Stone-Singer
 * Elven Boots of Dwindling Shock

Alchemy ingredients

 * Bleeding Crown (four in a barrel in Labyrinthian, Tribune)
 * Blisterwort
 * Bone Meal
 * Canis Root
 * Deathbell
 * Ectoplasm
 * Fire Salts
 * Fly Amanita
 * Giant Lichen
 * Hanging Moss
 * Lavender (in a barrel in Labyrinthian, Tribune)
 * Nightshade
 * Salt Pile
 * Scaly Pholiota
 * Skeever Tail
 * Slaughterfish Egg
 * Slaughterfish Scales
 * Spider Egg (in a barrel in Labyrinthian, Tribune, right near the end of the dungeon, just past Morokei)
 * White Cap (four in a barrel in Labyrinthian, Tribune)
 * Wisp Wrappings

Facilities

 * Alchemy lab - Inside of Labyrinthian, behind a locked door where the spell tome Equilibrium is.
 * Arcane enchanter - Inside of Labyrinthian, behind a locked door where the spell tome Equilibrium is.

Quests

 * Staff of Magnus - In the College of Winterhold's faction questline.

Labyrinthian in

 * Labyrinthian, built by Arch-Mage Shalidor, was one of the locations that appeared in . It is one of the locations where a part of the Staff of Chaos is located, and the Eternal Champion is tasked with obtaining this after the Fang Lair quest.

Trivia

 * Since the area outside Labyrinthian has at least three respawning frost trolls, it is a good place to harvest troll fat.
 * If level 35 or higher, an Ancient Dragon may appear here.
 * This is the only known location in Skyrim to contain two word walls.