It can be started once you enter Volunruud and pick up Heddic's Volunruud Notes, or by activating the Elder's Cairn door.
Click here for a video walkthrough.
Quick Walkthrough
In brief, the walkthrough for this cavern is:
- Locate the Ceremonial Weapons
- Unlock Elder's Chamber
- Kill Kvenel the Tongue
Walkthrough
When you enter Volunruud, you start in a small cave with passages in several directions. The left-most passage has no enemies, but contains an urn and a treasure chest filled with loot (this is where you meet Amaund Motierre for the Dark Brotherhood quests.). The next door leads into a crypt with a few Draugr lying at rest. Continue to follow the path straight down into a winding cavern with another Draugr warrior lurking about. The last room has a boss level Draugr defending it.
This Draugr has the ability to use the Unrelenting Force/Disarm shout and Frost-based destruction magic, making it a challenging opponent. Be aware of the rusted metal plates on the cave floor. Stepping on them causes a metal spike to jut out and stab the player if he/she fails to move away in time.
The First Ceremonial Weapon is located here, on the wall behind the throne the draugr was sitting on. There is also a copy of the skillbook Mace Etiquette on the right-hand side of the throne.
Next, look at the right-side opening in the main cavern. Follow the winding tunnel and you will reach the top of a multi-level room with several Draugr opponents including a Draugr Wight, capable of casting Frost Destruction spells.
Be aware of the swinging door trap in front of the opening to the portion of the room where the Draugr are located. This area narrows into a corridor that can be used to trap the Draugr. The player can step on the trap and move out of the way so it hits the enemy or cast rune spells on the tunnel floor so the enemies trigger it as the run by. If timed properly the player can use a Shout attack to hit multiple targets as they cluster in the tunnel as well.
After you've cleared the room, go through the spiked gate, avoiding the trigger plate, and follow the right tunnel up onto a high catwalk. Go across to the room with an Ancient Nord Helmet on a skull. One Draugr will attack in this room. Continue through the door to pick up the Ceremonial Sword. You will immediately be attacked by two more Draugrs.
With the two Ceremonial weapons in hand, return to the main cavern and turn your attention to the final room at the top of the steps. As you enter, you'll see a large table surrounded by candles. There's a leveled shield on the table and some embalming tools. Open the door on the opposite side of the room and the two ceremonial weapons are taken. Now you can actually open the door to the Elder's Cairn.
Enter this part of the cavern and look right to see a Burned Corpse kneeling in front of a fireplace, clenching a scroll of Ice Storm. Proceed into the next room. If the player looks up there are two Draugr at the top of the room. Suggest killing them or they may drop down off of the bridge and sneak up behind the unsuspecting player. In this room, there is a rhythmic swishing sound which fades to become the sound of Nord chanting, indicating that the words of a Shout are nearby. But that also means there is a strong defender...
Continue down the hall to a narrow passage. At the end, you can see what appears to be a wraith. This boss monster is Kvenel and, depending on your level, equipment and skills he can be a very challenging opponent.
Even with a low archery and sneak skill it's fairly easy to kill him from behind the row of pillars circling the room. Just remember to only fire when hidden and to make sure you can move easily to the other side of the room as soon as you've fired.
There may be a skeleton back at the entrance after defeating Kvenel the Tongue.
Notes
- Kevenel is capable of casting various ice based destruction spells, summoning Frost Atronachs and using the Unrelenting Force Shout. Depending on the player's level and how far into the chambers you fight, there is also the threat of fighting mid-high level Draugr such as the Draugr Scourge that will crawl out of the coffin besides Kevenel's throne. Draugrs may also awaken mid-battle and join the fight. Do not allow yourself to be surrounded.
- It took two hits to down a companion, one to kill a Familiar and two hits to down a Level 7 warrior. Note that for some play-throughs Kvenel won't heal, so if you have decent Sneak, kill the Draugr on the path, sneak until you can see him, put an arrow into Kvenel, sneak away until Hidden, wait a few seconds and repeat - you should be able to take down this difficult opponent without drawing a sword or casting a spell.
- It is also possible to lure Kvenel back into the main cavern that leads into Volunruud, where there is more room to dodge and large pillars to hide behind. On the way back to the entrance door, place rune spells (e.g. Fire Runes) along the cave corridors or use stronger summons such as Flame Atronachs to slow him down and cause some damage to cover your retreat. Make sure to use the sprint button or Kvenel will go up the staircase that leads to the Dragon runes, over to the stone bridge, drop down and outflank you. This typically happens if the user doesn't move far enough into the room to fight him. Once in the main hall, keep moving around the pillars so Kvenel is unable to get a clear shot at you. After taking enough damage, Kvenel may temporarily retreat into one of the side corridors giving the player the chance to heal and recover.
- Alternatively for Stealth builds, you can bait him into revealing his back with arrows for an easier backstab. Just shoot him in the face once and run back to the entrance until he turns around. While walking back towards the throne, his Stealth detection is extremely low. You can also use invisibility potions to make sure you get the sneaky hit.
Once you have beaten Kvenel various other opponents may spawn, kill them and get the Shout on the wall (Aura Whisper). NOTE: Past the word wall, there is a chest hidden on a ledge. If you jump towards it and hit "A", you can open it while you're in the air, or use Whirlwind Sprint to boost to the ledge from the bridge. (It's possible to just walk along the very tiny ledge to the hidden chest and make it without falling.)
Bugs
- PS3 PC 360 In the room with the swinging spiked gate, a pot can trigger the gate and it will remain stuck, blocking your path. (You can get past, but it's tricky. In that room you go to the upper level and on the right side of the room there is some very small ledges. With some well times jumps you can make your way across.) (shout - whirlwind sprint with a jump right at the end will get you accross)
- PS3 PC 360 You may rarely be unable to pick up one or both of the ceremonial weapons needed to advance the quest, despite it being highlighted with a quest arrow. Can be fixed by reloading an autosave, or leaving and rentering Volunruud. Alternatively, you may be able to knock the weapon free by placing a rune on top of the weapon, then triggering the rune. Using Unrelenting Force may also work to fix the bug.
- PS3 360 You might not be able to start the quest if you explore Volunruud before reading the notes. Attempting to open the Elder's Cairn Door, even with both Ceremonial Weapons, will inform the player that "You lack the required item."
- PC You may solve this bug typing in the " console player.additem ID 1 the ID is 0008adfb for the axe and 0008adfc for the sword and after getting both itens, the buged one this way, type setstage dunVolunruudQST 20 and the bug will be solved.
- May be a bug with putting in one weapon when you don't have the other. Putting in the sword first, then getting the axe and putting it in, made the door inoperable (Doesn't always occur, in a different instance the door opened normally after first placing the sword before obtaining the axe)
- PC Another possible way to enter the Elder's Cairn is to use the console command coc Volunruud02. This will teleport you to just after the door.