Skuldafn (Skyrim)

Skuldafn is an ancient Nordic temple in Skyrim that serves as the base of operations for Alduin. It is located on the very eastern edge of Skyrim, in the Velothi Mountains, but cannot be reached by conventional means and is only accessible during the main quest "The World-Eater's Eyrie."

Overview
This is 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 is also the location of a Word Wall, where a Word of Power for Storm Call can be learned. Even if it were possible to climb up the Velothi Mountains, Skuldafn is located in a separate area and cannot be reached by any means aside from the main quest, other than using console commands. This can easily be noticed when saving the game in the courtyard. The game files say "Skuldafn" instead of "Skyrim" as usual when outside all interior areas, 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 hawk door must be opened first and then closed back in order to open the snake door.
 * Puzzles in front-wise: hawk, hawk, hawk 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 front-wise: whale, snake, hawk.
 * The second puzzle can be skipped altogether, using Whirlwind Sprint, if the Dragonborn stands on the central platform and aims at either side of the destination entrance near the torches. (It is also possible, though much 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.

Skuldafn South Tower
Skuldafn South Tower is a small dungeon directly connected to Skuldafn Temple area. It is found in the southwestern end of Skuldafn.

Inside can be found a handful of Draugr of various level. There is nothing of importance besides a chest and two urns.

Skuldafn North Tower
Skuldafn North Tower is a small dungeon directly connected to Skuldafn Temple area. It is found in the southeastern end of Skuldafn, on a higher level. From the entrance to Skuldafn Temple, there is a ledge leading to the right (east), then it turns south. Steps lead down to a lower walkway. The north tower is on the left (against the east wall).

There is nothing of importance in Skuldafn North Tower, besides two chests. One chest is only accessible on the upper level outside, and hidden behind the other door. Up the spiral walkway, there is one chest inside. Out the door to the balcony on the second level, to the left is a second door back into the tower. Inside is a second chest.

Notable Items

 * Wall of Lightning Dragon Priest Staff – Off of Nahkriin. It needs to be placed on the seal to re-open the portal to Sovngarde, though can be taken if a particular exploit is done. See the Staff's page for details.
 * Dragon Priest Mask – Nahkriin - On top of Skuldafn temple, worn by Nahkriin.
 * Word Wall – Storm Call - In second section of Skuldafn Temple.
 * Diamond Dragon Claw – Found on the Draugr Overlord right in front of the corresponding door.

Containers and chests

 * ​Chest – Going up the stairs near Skuldafn south tower (which is close to where the second dragon is encountered), there is a doorway to the left. The chest is up the ramp inside this ruined tower.
 * Chest – Heading up the stairs leading to Skuldafn temple, instead go east once at the top, and follow the pathway around. Just past the entrance to Skuldafn North Tower, there is 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, 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 into the tower off the side of the complex. It is 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's right after going through the doorway.
 * Chest – Going down the stairs next to the previous urn, this chest is in the alcove to the right.

Skuldafn North Tower

 * 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

 * 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

 * 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.
 * 3 gems under some linen wraps in a pot on the bookshelf: Flawless Amethyst, Flawless Diamond, Flawless Emerald
 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Salt Pile – 1
 * Spider Egg – 4
 * Bone Meal from the Draugr

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.
 * Six burial urns – Regardless of the path taken, the Dragonborn will enter a doorway which opens up into a small room with two pillars on each side (and two more doorways on the other side). In between the pillars there's a table. There are two burial urns on the table, and then two on each side of the table.
 * Chest – In the room with the puzzle, there are two 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 above it.
 * Urn – Just before going through the western gate in the puzzle room.
 * Chest – Continuing through the temple past the puzzle room, at the room with the two wooden ramps leading down to the lower area, the chest will be between the ramps on a platform, in front of the statue that is between the two ledges.
 * Three burial urns – In front of the previous chest, on the table that the draugr is standing in front of. There is also a draugr corpse on the table amongst the urns.
 * Chest – After entering the area with all the spiders in it, this chest is in the alcove to the right before the iron door. It is buried under some spider webs.
 * 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, this chest is in front of the statue that has the snake on it (in an alcove on the backside of the aforementioned platform).
 * Two urns – They are on either side of the drawbridge that drops down after the second puzzle is solved.
 * Chest – On the table in the first room encountered 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 – 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 on the right.
 * Urn – On the 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 past the previous urn.
 * Urn – Just before the combination door for the Diamond Claw, this is on the left side of the passage.
 * Five burial urns, a dead draugr, an Urn – Just as the door to leave this area is approached, turn right at the T.

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 there is only one chance to legitimately learn Storm Call and obtain Nahkriin's Mask.
 * It is possible to travel to Skuldafn using the console command:  (  and   will move the Dragonborn to different areas).
 * The portal to Sovngarde is the only exit from Skuldafn, and fast travel is not possible. It is possible to leave Skuldafn is to use the console again, e.g. typing  which will teleport the Dragonborn back home inside the walls of Whiterun.
 * If the cliff behind is scaled upon arrival, it is possible to avoid going through Skuldafn's innards altogether. The portal to Sovngarde can be reached by scaling the mountains surrounding the area. However, to get the Storm Call shout, the Dragonborn 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. It is stated in the journal entries, however, that it is located in the Jerall Mountains.
 * If the quest "The World-Eater's Eyrie" is in the journal but the Dragonborn hasn't gone to Skuldafn, when fighting dragons, they will say, "Skuldafn fen kos dinok," meaning, "Skuldafn will be death." The 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:  is used, because there is no map marker reference given in the Creation Kit.
 * At higher levels, the only draugr encountered may be deathlords.
 * The dragon shout Bend Will won't work on the dragons encountered at Skuldafn.
 * Skuldafn can be visited in.
 * In a small room after the word wall, in a fireplace is a potato with a boiled creme treat and some charcoals attached to it, this may be a reference to potato GLaDOS in Portal 2.
 * Two dragons, a Frost Dragon and an Elder Dragon, watch the Dragonborn near the Sovngarde portal but do not attack unless attacked first. Both of the dragons have regenerative healing, and when their health is brought down to zero with bows and/or dragon shouts, the health bar disappears, but the name tag remains and they do not die.

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.
 * Even with correct solution claw door puzzle may not open.
 * If the Sapphire Dragon Claw is in the inventory and it has not been used to explore Shroud Hearth Barrow, the Skuldafn temple door may not be able to be opened.
 * Solution: reload to a previous save, explore Shroud Hearth Barrow, then return to Skuldafn.

Appearances


Skuldafn (Skyrim) Skuldafn Скулдафн (Skyrim) Skuldafn