Silverdrift Lair

Description
Silverdrift Lair is a Nordic ruin that contains a Word Wall for the Dragon shout, Disarm. It is a clearable dungeon if the player receives this location in a Letter from A Friend quest or if the Greybeards tell you about it.

Location
Southwest base of the Pale's eastern mountains, North and just slightly West of Fellglow Keep and directly north of the Shrouded Grove and east of the Tower of Mzark, southeast of Dawnstar.

Enemies
Enemies include leveled Bandits outside and leveled Draugr inside, including possible Overlords and Death Overlords. At higher levels, a Death Overlord and/or a Dragon Priest will be guarding the Word Wall.

Navigation
Finding your way through this dungeon/crypt can be quite difficult, not just because of the traps. Finding your way through is somewhat tricky because of the location of the switches used to open certain doors. The best method is to check all posts for a handle you can activate. These are very small and hard to notice if you don't realize they are what you are looking for, most notably at the junction where there are two swinging traps and two draugr. The post is right next to the far edge of the second swinging trap, if you are traveling towards the word of power in the cave. The handle on this post must be activated to continue. After collecting the word of power by leaving through the side door, you'll find a chest and the gate release chain is to its left.

Secret path
There is an easily missed secret path which originates in the large main chamber. At the very bottom, along the western wall, there is an opening into a puzzle room. There players will find a snake and a whale pillar, each with its own handle. One handle opens the stone door and the other triggers a fire trap. The solution is hidden by a hanging lantern, obscuring a whale symbol. The path will take players through an area with more Draugr, as well as more lootable chests. At the end of the path are 3 chambers closed off with easy-to-miss switches on pillars in the center of each room. One of these leads to the exit, back in the main chamber.

Traps
Battering Ram Trap (wall chain)
 * Oil Lamp Trap, Oil Pool Trap
 * Swinging Spikes (pressure plates)
 * Spear Trap (pedestal pressure plate)
 * Fire Pressure Plates in the wall room

Notable items

 * Skill Book (Two-Handed) Words and Philosophy
 * Skill Book (Pickpocket): Thief
 * Leveled Enchanted Helm
 * Word Wall: Disarm
 * Elven Armor

Mer blood
This is a useful place to gather blood in Discerning the Transmundane:
 * One of the bandits is an Orc.
 * All blood types except High Elf and Falmer can be found here.

Bugs

 * Word wall sometimes may not give you a Thu'um.
 * Sometimes the barred doors can be opened but the bar cannot be moved.
 * You might not be able to enter the door if you open it. Just open the door again and it should work.