Snow Veil Sanctum is an ancient Nordic tomb in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Description
Snow Veil Sanctum is a Nord barrow den to the south-east of Winterhold, directly north of Windhelm, and slightly north-east of Stillborn Cave. It is the setting for the quest Speaking With Silence. It can't be entered without starting the quest (see Dungeon Lock Outs).
The sanctum is a multilevel dungeon full of Draugr and a number of tripwire, bone chime and pressure plate based traps. It also contains a Dragon Word Wall (Disarm).
Sublocation
- Snow Veil Catacombs. The Dragonborn and Mercer enter this location first during the Speaking With Silence quest, then proceeds through to the Snow Veil Sanctum location.
Enemies
At high levels the Dragonborn can encounter:
Notable Items
- Model Ship can be sold to Delvin Mallory (when attempting to pick up the model ship, avoid shooting the explosive lanterns above, as they will throw items nearby all around the area making it difficult to loot some of them).
- Light Armor skill-book Ice and Chitin in the same room as the Dragon Word Wall
- Skill book, Three Thieves - bone chimes room.
- Word Wall - Disarm
Quests
- The entirety of Speaking With Silence happens here, and Hard Answers starts near the entrance.
Trivia
- There is a button on a pedestal on an overlook in the largest room that can be depressed either by standing on it or with an object the player is manipulating; however there is a glitch that prevents the object being left on the button. The button doesn't appear to do anything.
- It is possible to enter this dungeon without starting the Speaking With Silence quest. Find the back entrance and enter it. If this quest is glitched or you haven't completed it, however, you will have to try a no-clip trick to pass through the locked gate at the end. Once through this, you can see the back of the dragon claw puzzle that Mercer bypasses; approaching this triggers the scene with Karliah and she will say her dialogue, if the player waits 48 hours in-game Mercer will come and say his dialouge. Karliah will take you out and it will finish the quest and start "Hard Answers". Be warned when doing the no-clip glitch to get in there the player must have opened the gate so Mercer can get through.
- There is an unmarked Shrine of Arkay directly to the south, about a third of the way toward Windhelm.
- Karliah will often return here after Mercer Frey is killed, instead of going back to Nightingale Hall. She can be found at the very end of the level in the same place where she seemingly shot the player with her special arrow.
- There is a skeleton at the end of the dungeon, where Mercer betrays the Dragonborn. This skeleton could possibly be Gallus Desidenius, as this was where he was killed. Karliah also found his journal there.
Appearances
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Template:1st
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