Lifting the Shroud

Wilhelm’s Spectre is a miscellaneous quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Overview
Prerequisites: Explore Shroud Hearth Barrow or speak to Wilhelm in the Vilemyr Inn (Ivarstead).


 * Quest Giver: Wilhelm will tell you the Barrow is haunted and wants you to investigate.
 * Reward: Philter of the Phantom and Sapphire Dragon Claw.
 * Reputation Gain: N/A

Background
''"Look, I've seen one of the spirits with my very own eyes. When it glared at me, I swear it burned right through my soul." ''The town of Ivarstead has been haunted by a ghost from the Shroud Hearth Barrow. Though the ghost never comes into town, the townsfolk would be grateful if the Dragonborn investigated the barrow.

Quest Progression

 * Investigate Shround Hearth Barrow
 * Bring Wyndelius's Journal to Wilhelm

Rewards
Philter of the Phantom - Unique Item that briefly makes you look like a ghost.

Sapphire Dragon Claw - Used to explore the rest of the barrow.

Quick Walkthrough
This quest can be started either by checking with Wilhelm in the Vilemyr Inn or just exploring in the Shroud Hearth Barrow.

Shroud Hearth Barrow (Interior)
Upon entering you find your path pretty straight forward without enemies. A voice of a spectre called Wyndelius will encourage you to leave from behind a caged doorway and walk deeper into the barrow. Through the opposite doorway you will find a puzzle with four levers to openthe caged door. The key is to flip the inner two levers. As you venture through the barrow take care to watch for traps and trapped chests. The next caged door you come across can simply be opened by a chain to the left of it. Once again careful of the spears that emerge when you open the door. After continuing straight down the hall you will find doorways leading East and South. South leads to a Dragon Claw Door, which you don't have the claw for yet. East leads you to find the Ghost of Wyndelius Gartharian. He attacks you as a ghost, but dies rather as a Dunmer. You can find a Philter of the Phantom on Wyndelius's corpse and on the table next to his journal. Your quest marker will lead you to his journal. After reading the journal and learning of Wyndelius's trickery bring his journal to Wilhelm.

Vilemyr Inn (Ivarstead)
Wilhem is very surprised at the town being duped so easily and gives you the Sapphire Dragon Claw to be used to further explore Shroud Hearth Barrow.

Objective: Investigate Shroud Hearth Barrow
Upon entering the Barrow, the Dragonborn is confronted by the spectral figure of Wyndelius Gatharian behind a barred gate wailing, "Leave this place!". Once he departs, a room with a series of levers is encountered opposite where he appears. The Illusion skill book, Before the Ages of Man, can be found in this room. Once the correct combination of levers is pulled, the gates will open across the way and the path that Wyndelius took can be followed. Wyndelius will be waiting, or even sleeping if one remains stealthy, in the next room and must be dispatched. Killing him reveals that he is no more than a mere man in the guise of a spirit, further evidenced by the Philter of the Phantom (which can also be pickpocketed off him with high enough skill) found on him and confirmed by reading his journal. With Wyndelius' journal in hand the objective "Investigate Shroud Hearth Barrow" is completed and a new objective presents itself.

Objective: Bring Wyndelius' Journal to Wilhelm
Leaving the barrow and returning to Wilhelm with the journal will satisfy his curiosity and bring the mystery behind Shroud Hearth Barrows to a close... as far as Ivarstead is concerned at least. Wilhelm will give the Dragonborn the Sapphire Dragon Claw as a reward which is in fact the claw that Wyndelius was searching for in the Barrow and thus is the key to unlocking its treasured depths.

The Barrow Returns
Return to the Barrow and find the room opposite Wyndelius' quarters. This is the door to the main chambers with its combination inscribed on the Claw. The first chamber contains the Spell Tome: Oakflesh as well as a number of Draugr. The next room holds a spiraled stairway, at the bottom is a water trap with a lowly adventurer drowned in its depths. At the top is a master level door with an expert level chest holding some very nice loot. In the middle of the stairway is the path leading to the next room where several Skeletons are taking a bath in an oil pond, presumably to keep their old joints from developing arthritis. Igniting the oil by shooting the hanging lamps puts an end to these archers. Before you heading down the wooden stairway to cross the room, you may notice on the right side a window to another room. The entrance to that room is located around the corner, through a coffin controlled by a handle next to it. Also, on the left side as you just entered there are two more coffins that can be opened by activating a handle located on the wall next to each one of these coffins; one of them has a Draugr that you must fight, and the other one a skeleton. The following corridor is home to several Draugr, one of which holds the key to the door beyond. A room with a cascading waterfall has a drawbridge across it, but it's pulled up. A leveled sword can be found behind the waterfall. At the top of the stairs to the right is a classic turn-stone matching puzzle. Opening the door to the room behind it will initiate a battle with a fearsome Draugr mage. Once he is dispatched, stand on the central pressure plate and alcoves rotate open to reveal the combination (from left to right: whale, eagle, snake, whale) to the puzzle. Use the settings on the short pillars outside, and then stand on the pressure plate. The bridge lowers and you can cross and continue. There is an apprentice locked door with a Gold Ingot stashed within. However, taking the Gold Ingot from the pedestal sets off a fire trap. To get the Gold Ingot without being harmed, stand back from the pedestal and use the Unrelenting Force shout (or an arrow) to blast it off, wait for the fire to stop, and collect it. Further along is the door to the Shroud Hearth Depths.

Shroud Hearth Depths
The first main room is filled with a series of sarcophagi which hold graduating levels of skeletons and Draugr. As they appear and are killed, the next tier will appear from their crypts, culminating in a leveled Draugr Lord at the room's apex. Once he is dispatched, the Dragonborn can continue to the final chamber. Using the Unrelenting Force Dragon Shout to knock the Draugr Lord into the water is also a one-hit kill. It is quite easy to go into sneak mode and if your sneak is high enough, pick off all the Draugr with a high-power bow. They may not even notice you.

(Note: The Draugr may not "wake up". Suspect a high sneak skill may cause this.)

Within the chamber can be found a chest with nice loot (on the chest is a tripwire which can be de-activated before opening the chest.) and, more importantly, a Word Wall. Approaching the wall, one is imbued with a word from the Kyne's Peace Dragon Shout.

There is more loot in an alcove left of the Word Wall. You will need to use Whirlwind Sprint to get to it. Or alterntively, if you don't have it and can't be bothered to come back, you can use sparks to make the items bounce around knocking them out of the alcove. You should save before doing this as they may bounce to an angle you can't use sparks on them from. Actually, you CAN jump across the broken bridge. Just aim for the small 'tips' at both sides of the bridge when doing your run-up and landing. It might take a few tries, but it's not that hard.

Also, at the final chamber, there is a locked chest (adept level) under the water with some loot inside.