Alftand

Elder Knowledge
Following the map marker for Elder Knowledge, the Dragonborn arrives at a large ravine of ice. An entrance to the Dwemer Tower can be found at the end of the ravine, slightly above ground. This tower leads to the other side of the ice mountain, coming out at an excavation site.

Trapped archaeologists
Upon arriving, the Dragonborn finds journals of an excavation team, which has been cutting away at the ice to get to lost Dwemer sites. The journal makes note of a large storm blowing in, forcing them to take cover in the glacier below, across the wooden bridge.

Khajiit brothers
Progressing into the ruin, you begin to find the remains of the Archeological team, with their respective journals besides them. The Dragonborn finds that a large storm blew in, forcing the team to shelter inside the dig for several weeks, during which time several members of the expedition disappeared in the night. Faced with a critical shortage of food and supplies, the team was forced to venture further in to the cave. Along the way, the Dragonborn finds spatters of blood all over the ice, and an axe-wielding Khajiit, J'darr, driven mad by skooma withdrawal; nearby is his deceased brother J'zhar. Although J'zhar was killed by his brother J'darr over the skooma, it is unclear whether the rest of the team was killed by J'darr, though the rest of the teams' presence deeper in the ruins and even on a torture device seem to point to falmer killings.

Falmer abduction
Further exploration of the ruins reveals that those members not slaughtered by the khajiit were abducted and imprisoned by Falmer during the night. Two of the team members managed to escape Falmer custody: Endrast and the Orsimer laborer foreman Yag. Endrast is found, dead from a Falmer arrow wound, in a crawlspace behind a Dwemer grate, as he tried to hide in terror from the Dwarven Centurions. Yag, the foreman, can be found dead, further into the cave, killed by pursuing Falmer after heroically throwing Endrast to safety on a ledge above, according to his journal. Further into the cave, the Dragonborn comes upon Falmer camps and the remains of unlucky humanoids, including the as yet unbutchered body of the elven mage Valie.

Alftand Cathedral
Upon entrance into the cathedral, the Dragonborn finds the leader of the expedition, Sulla Trebatius, and a warrior, Umana. Umana argues that they should depart using the lift they are next to, but Sulla wishes to descend into Blackreach. Sulla accuses Umana of attempting to steal his glory and attacks; the two fight to the death. If the Dragonborn intervenes or makes his/her presence known, both will attack him/her. Regardless of the victor, they will be hostile to the Dragonborn.

Notable Items

 * Targe of the Blooded - Unique shield found on a redguard woman named Umana near the end of the dungeon
 * Lockpicking Skill Book - The Locked Room - Alftand Animonculory, in the treasure room
 * 1 Dwarven Metal Ingot on top of a crate near the entrance to the dungeon
 * On a platform above the moving pistons in Alftand Glacial Ruins (use the pistons to get up there), the following can be found:
 * Random enchanted weapon
 * 2 Dwarven Metal Ingot
 * 1 Flawless Emerald
 * Locked chest behind a locked gate in Alftand Glacial Ruins.
 * Approximately 199 Dwarven Metal Ingots worth of Dwemer Scrap metal. This includes the Dwemer metal available in the Dwemer Tower located at the end of the ravine. (About 111 ingots worth of metal in the ruins and about 88 ingots worth of metal in the tower)
 * Following can be found on a shelf next to a Falmer hut after going through the door that has the flamethrower blowing down on the ground in front of it:
 * 1 Orichalcum Ingot
 * 1 Orichalcum Ore
 * 1 Silver Ingot
 * 1 Silver Ore
 * 1 Iron Ore
 * 1 Silver Ingot on a table with a bunch of alchemy ingredients on it
 * 1 Gold Ore on the floor on the left side of the path a little past the Alchemy Lab
 * Alchemy Ingredients:
 * Bear Claws - 1
 * Bleeding Crown - 3
 * Blisterwort - 2
 * Blue Mountain Flower - 2
 * Charred Skeever Hide - 6
 * Chaurus Eggs - 86
 * Dragon's Tongue - 1
 * Dwarven Oil - 1
 * Falmer Ear - 7
 * NOTE: Several of these may not be able to be retrieved, due to what seems to be collision issues with the shelf 7 of them are on
 * NOTE: The Large Amount of Falmer Ears are obtainable by useing Fireball to knock them to the ground, then retreive all 7
 * Fly Amanita - 2
 * Glowing Mushroom - 12
 * NOTE: ~4 may or may not be obtainable, for similar reasons as the Falmer Ears
 * Grass Pod - 1
 * Hawk Beak - 1
 * Hawk Feathers - 1
 * Human Flesh - 3
 * Lavender - 1
 * Nightshade - 1
 * Pine Thrush Egg - 1
 * Red Mountain Flower - 1
 * Skeever Tail - 4
 * Small Pearl - 1
 * Spider Egg - 1
 * Thistle Branch - 1
 * Tundra Cotton - 1
 * Wheat - 3
 * NOTE: In barrel at entrance, next to 1 dwarven metal ingot
 * White Cap - 4
 * Elven Bow

Related Quests

 * Elder Knowledge
 * Discerning the Transmundane

Amenities

 * Alchemy Lab
 * Anvil
 * Forge
 * Tanning Rack
 * Workbench

Behind the Scenes

 * One of the Khajiit brothers, J'darr, refers to the dragonborn as "Smooth Skin". This is a reference to two other Bethesda Games, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.

Trivia

 * In Swedish, Alftand means "Elf-tooth".

Альфтанд