Beyond Death is a main quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard.
Background[]
Serana and I have entered the Soul Cairn in pursuit of her estranged mother, Valerica, and the Elder Scroll she took when she fled Castle Volkihar.
Walkthrough[]
After entering the Soul Cairn, follow the mark along the path up to the massive ruin where you will find Valerica. Along the way the Dragonborn will pass souls sitting or walking about and one of them will begin a dialogue with the Dragonborn and the quest "Find Arvak's Skull" begins. Bonemen, Wrathmen and Mistmen might also appear when passing stacks of bones or other structures. When arriving at the ruin, Serana calls out her mother's name and she walks towards her daughter, behind a barrier that keeps her imprisoned.
Speak to Valerica[]
After speaking to her daughter, Valerica turns to the Dragonborn and through the dialogue she tells the story about what happened. She also reveals that she has the Elder Scroll in safe keeping and what needs to be done. To free her the Dragonborn needs to eliminate the Keepers located around the Soul Cairn. Her dialogue also varies based on the Dragonborn's allegiance chosen back during "Bloodline."
Alternatively, if the Dragonborn has already killed all of the Keepers while exploring the Soul Cairn, Valerica explains what their purpose was and thanks the Dragonborn for lifting the barrier.
Kill the Boneyard Keepers[]
If the Keepers have not been killed prior to meeting Valerica, follow the markers to the three destinations and kill the three Boneyard Keepers. If the Boneyard Keeper is on top of the structure, the Dragonborn is guided to jump into a soulwell and be transported to the top of the ruin. Once you have killed the keeper on the structure, stand on the soulwell at the top of the stairs to get back down. After all three are killed, return to Valerica to find that the barrier is gone and she is free. She explains what must be done in order to get the Elder Scroll. The Dragonborn must defeat Durnehviir, a dragon.
Defeat Durnehviir[]
Follow Valerica through the door to the Boneyard. Soon Durnehviir appears and with the help of both Valerica and Serana, defeat the dragon. He will put up a fight and summon help from Bonemen with his unique shout.
Retrieve Elder Scroll (Blood)[]
After the dragon is defeated, Valerica shows the Dragonborn where the Elder Scroll is hidden. Exit the Boneyard with Serana and outside Durnehviir is waiting and initiates a conversation where he teaches the Summon Durnehviir shout. He requests the Dragonborn summon him while in Tamriel so that he may see his home once again.
At this juncture, if the Dragonborn chose the partially soul-trapped method of entering the Soul Cairn, Valerica will give them instructions on how to find the Soul Essence Gem in order to lift the negative effect of missing part of their soul. If the Dragonborn has already found the gem, the effect is dispelled immediately without comment from Valerica or a journal update.
Return to Tamriel[]
Once the Dragonborn and Serana return to Valerica's Study, through the portal, the quest is complete. If one does not want to take the long way again, going to the Castle Volkihar Balcony through Valerica's study will allow fast travel.
Journal[]
Beyond Death – DLC1VQ05 | |
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ID | Journal Entry |
10 | Serana and I have entered the Soul Cairn in pursuit of her estranged mother, Valerica, and the Elder Scroll she took when she fled Castle Volkihar.
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25 |
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30 | Serana and I have located Valerica imprisoned within a massive ruin. When confronted by us, Valerica revealed that Serana's blood is an integral part of the Tyranny of the Sun. After the reconciliation between the two of them, Valerica confessed to having the Elder Scroll hidden in her ramshackle living space. In order to free her from the prison, Serana and I will have to locate and slay the Keepers who maintain the barrier around the ruins.
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40 |
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50 | Serana and I have slain all three of the Keepers and the barrier around Valerica's prison has faded. We rejoined Valerica, who has agreed to take us to the location where the Elder Scroll is hidden.
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70 |
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80 | As Valerica was leading us to the Elder Scroll, an ancient dragon named Durnehviir swooped into the ruins and attacked. It proved to be a challenging battle, but we've emerged unscathed.
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110 |
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120 |
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130 |
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140 |
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200 | Dawnguard: We've exited the Soul Cairn with the Elder Scroll in hand. Serana's mother, Valerica, is unwilling to return with us to Tamriel until we've dealt with her husband and thwarted the Tyranny of the Sun.
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Vampire: We've exited the Soul Cairn with the Elder Scroll in hand. Serana's mother, Valerica, is unwilling to return with us to Tamriel until we've dealt with her husband and completed the Tyranny of the Sun using our own methods.
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Beyond Death Soul Gem Handler – DLC1VQ05SoulGemHandler | |
20 |
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200 |
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Bugs[]
This section contains bugs related to Beyond Death. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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Click to see the list of bugs encountered |
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Achievements[]
- Main article: Achievements (Dawnguard)
Beyond Death Complete "Beyond Death" | |
Points | 20 |
Trophy |
Appearances[]
Dawnguard Quests | |
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Main Quests | |
Dawnguard Quests | |
Vampires Quests | |
Side Quests |