Mzinchaleft

"Tread carefully, friend... those same ruins almost took my life."

- Mjoll the Lioness

Mzinchaleft is a Dwemer ruin located southwest of Dawnstar in. It is involved in both a Dark Brotherhood quest, as well as two miscellaneous side-quests acquired in Falkreath and Riften. The Gatehouse of Mzinchaleft houses an entrance to Blackreach. It is accessible through the main quest. There is also a set of Falmer Armor in Mzinchaleft behind a gate with an Expert level lock.

History
Mzinchaleft shows the ancient struggle between the Dwemer and Falmer; and the Falmer now lurk in their former master's ruins, still killing off Dwarven sentinels and constantly preparing for their war against the light dwellers.

Quests

 * Retrieve Grimsever:Find Grimsever for Mjoll the Lioness in Riften
 * Arniel's Endeavor
 * Contract: Kill Maluril Handle a contract for the Dark Brotherhood
 * Shalidor's Insights (Quest)
 * Ancient Technology (Dawnguard Add-on)

Enemies
The outer level of Mzinchaleft consists of Bandits, who have taken up residence finding artifacts for their benefactor, who is only paying per item.

After that, the Dragonborn faces Dwarven sentinels. Dwarven Spiders and Spheres are encountered on the first level. The Mzinchaleft depths consist of several Falmer, two Chaurus, and one or more Falmer Gloomlurkers depending on the player's level.

To get to the final room, a series of levers must be toggled in order to enter. This puzzle is made much easier using the Slow Time Dragon Shout or the Whirlwind Sprint Dragon Shout to run past the moving bars. To solve the lever puzzle:
 * 1) When you enter the room, activate the lever (the First Lever).
 * 2) Enter the room to the east that just opened. Activate the lever (the Second Lever).
 * 3) Enter the room to the south. Activate the lever (the Third Lever).
 * 4) Head north back into the room with the Second Lever. Activate the Second Lever.
 * 5) Head west into the room with the First Lever. Do not activate the First Lever. Instead, turn south and enter the new room with the Fourth Lever. Activate the Fourth Lever.
 * 6) Head south into a new room with the Fifth Lever. Activate the Fifth Lever.
 * 7) Head north into the room with the Fourth Lever again. Activate the Fourth Lever.
 * 8) Head north into the room with the First Lever. Do not activate the First Lever. Instead, head east into the room with the Second Lever. Activate the Second Lever.
 * 9) Head south past the room with the Third Lever (do not activate it), and into the room with the valve. Activate the valve, and all gates will open.

In the final room, the Mzinchaleft Gatehouse (which also contains the passage to Blackreach), the player is required to fight a Dwarven Centurion (leveled) and a Dwarven Sphere. At which point, without the required quest item, the player may only return to the surface via a lift directly to Skyrim. You will need the Attunement Sphere to activate the Dwarven Mechanism, which can be obtained from Septimus Signus at Septimus Signus's Outpost which is north of the College of Winterhold. Here they can pull a lever to permanently unlock this quick route for future use.

Notable Loot

 * Skill Book: A Dance in Fire, v7
 * Unique Weapon: Grimsever (enchanted glass sword)
 * Unique Armor Set: Full Falmer Armor
 * Maluril's Journal
 * Centurion Dynamo Core

Mzinchaleft

 * Gem: Sapphire (Gem)
 * Gem: Flawless Sapphire (Gem)
 * Soul Gem: Anything from Common to Greater, can be looted from a variety of Dwemer bots.
 * Dwemer Parts: Most of which can be melted down for the making of Dwarven Metal Ingots, which can in turn be used for making dwarven weapons and armor.

Mzinchaleft Depths

 * When you head east across the bridge that you enter into the area on...stop when you get under the first pavilion-like building and turn north. There is a chest on a ledge to the north of there, that is most likely only reachable with the Whirlwind Sprint shout. It contains randomized loot. This chest is also reachable by jumping into the water and climbing up the wall directly to the west of the chest.
 * Going south at the pavilion mentioned above will take you to an alcove that has a Chaurus and a chest in the back corner with random loot along with 3 Glowing Mushroom and 19 Chaurus Eggs.
 * If you jump into the water in the first area, there will be a gate in southeast corner. This gate leads to a Dwarven Oil on a table, as well as 2 chests. Make sure to have the waterbreathing spell, potion or enchantment...as the entire section is underwater with no air pockets. The chests contain random loot.
 * Also in the water in the entry area...on the northern side of the pool there is a chest at the bottom of the water in an alcove just west (to the left) of the stairs leading out of the pool. It appeared to contain randomized loot.
 * Extremely rare set of Falmer Armor, gauntlets, and boots (Located in Mzinchaleft Depths at the top of the ramp, behind an Expert/Master locked golden gate...in the giant open room that has a fountain near the center of the area). Also contains 2 chests, one on each end of the small corridor.
 * Facing the door at the top of the stairs, go left and there are 3 Dwemer Cogs, a Falmer Bow, and 2 Chaurus Eggs on a table between the 2 Falmer that you will encounter.
 * After going through the dirt tunnel (that has stone pillars on the sides), you will enter a room with 2 tents that has a chaurus and falmer residing in it. In the one tent there is a chest, in the other there is a bandit. Surround the room there are another 14 Chaurus Eggs. There are 3 Glowing Mushrooms in the next tunnel.
 * In the large open area room with the fountain near the center of it, there are 3 chests near the falmer tent. One outside on either side of it and one inside. At the top of the nearby ramp there are 2 Chaurus Eggs, 1 Glowing Mushroom, several Falmer Arrow and a Falmer Bow right on the same ledge with the button to activate the gate is at.
 * After going through the gate you unlocked in the previous section, there is an adept level locked door on your left with a chest inside, as well as the remains of a dwarven centurion, some various Dwemer pieces, and a centurion dynamo core. There is also a chest right next to the fountain in this section.
 * To the top right of the stairs, where the Centurion Grandmaster is encountered, there is additional loot.
 * Mzinchaleft Guard's Note on a bandit.

Mzinchaleft Gatehouse

 * Unique Weapon: Grimsever, enchanted glass sword

Trivia

 * Waterbreathing will help the Dragonborn when exploring this area.
 * Treasure found beneath the green liquid varies.
 * Mjoll the Lioness' sword, Grimsever, is found just before finding the exit lift in the final area. It is found to the right of the Dwarven Centurion, on a pedestal. It may be covered by a shield.
 * The unique Falmer armor set can be found at the top of a tower in the Mzinchaleft Depths behind a locked gate. It is found in the large room before the exit to the Gatehouse.
 * On the exterior is a letter, Mzinchaleft Work Order and the interior holds Maluril's Journal. The journal is right next to where you find Maluril (behind the locked door, you can get the key, Maluril's Key, for it by killing the Bandit standing in front of it or you can pick the lock to the door), for the Dark Brotherhood contract: Contract: Kill Maluril.
 * A ruined book near Maluril's Journal is an owned item and will count as stolen.
 * In the water near the submerged bedrooms door, there is a crack in the wall which teleports you half way across the stage.
 * Next to the right golden dome, there is a jump location where you can jump from the ledge above it onto a rocky area. From here you can jump onto a large rock and onto a small ledge. You can jump into the green liquid and see the entire area. You can also see into the bedrooms and go through what would normally be walls making it easier to acquire the treasures.

Bugs

 * On occasion the red valve in the gatehouse will not turn when activated, preventing you from lowering the last gate.
 * The Dwarven Centurion (Upgraded) near Grimsever might not fight back when attacked or getting close.
 * At random when exiting the ruin, you will get stuck and not be able to jump or move, just run in place.