Objectives
- Defeat Vals Veran
- (Optional) Protect Golldir
Loot
- Gold
- Petty soul gem
- Fly Amanita
- Wine and Alto wine
- Amethyst
- Garnet
- Linen wrap
- Common soul gem
Walkthrough
Strike up a conversation at the entrance, and Golldir explains that he is worried for his aunt, who ventured into their family crypt to stop a necromancer. Agree to help Golldir rid the crypt of Vals Veran.
While making your way through, you'll run into one or two Draugrs. Dispatch them while keeping an eye on Golldir and step in if the undead are a threat to him. Descend to a connecting hallway, where Golldir’s worst fears are confirmed; his aunt Agna lies dead in a pool of fresh blood. The nearby door is barred from the other side, so continue west, to a cave-in and through a Draugr-infested tomb corridor. The tomb opens into a deeper and much larger mausoleum where the dead rise again. Along the way, you may also choose to wake Draugr up by simply attacking them. This does not work for all resting Draugr, but mostly for the ones equipped with a shield and/or a sword.
Upon your approach to the circular chamber with animal runestones, Golldir will tell you something about his aunt Agna telling him that "The bear would show the way." Look around to find the bear runestone, and on its right side is a hanging lever. Once pulled, a door will open on one of the coffins.
Through here you will find double iron doors that lead to the main crypt and an audience with the warlock Vals Veran. Your tasks are twofold: killing Vals Veran and keeping Golldir alive, although this isn’t necessary for quest completion.
(Note: Vals Veran uses the teleporting spell a lot and it will be very hard to kill him as he teleports constantly even if hit once. If you strike him once (or twice if lucky), he will instantly teleport to a safe room hidden from the battle chamber where he will recover his health. He will then again teleport back into the chamber to resurrect the draugrs you have killed and there are a LOT of draugrs in that room. So you will be very easily overwhelmed if you don't find a way to kill Vals fast.)
Note: It is possible to instant kill him before the fight begins if you sneak into the final chamber and shoot him with an arrow while he is talking to Golldir. As long as you shoot him while he is still talking and has not teleported yet. Archery skill may need to be high for this to work.
Strike at Vals Veran as often as you can before backing off to deal with the Draugr that are summoned. It is possible to backstab Vals while he and Golldir are still speaking. Your primary concerns are with the Draugrs that directly attack Golldir, or if Vals Veran directly attacks him. Continue combat until both Draugr and Veran crumple to the ground. Another good method is, if you are a werewolf, to use your beast form. When you transform into a werewolf your critical hit rate significantly increases along with the chances of killing the enemy in a single hit. Whenever Vals teleports back into the room rush at him in full speed and unleash a fury of slashes and strikes and after 3-4 strikes, your one hit kill move might be unleashed and Vals is killed instantly. You can then dispose of the rest of the draugrs with ease. The quest concludes after the battle. If Golldir survives, he will give you the Hillgrund Chest Key as a reward.
Search Veran's corpse for a Crypt Key and the Chest Key on Golldir (if he died), along with two missives; read them to gain a better understanding of the threats Vals Veran was imposing. Use the Crypt Key to open the iron door (Hard) atop the ceremonial stairs, which offers a quick exit. Golldir's chest in the antechamber beyond can be unlocked using the Chest Key. Assuming Golldir is alive, he is happy to become a Follower. If you already have a follower, he will wait outside the Tomb for you.