Walkthrough for skyrim: Skyrim — The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Wiki Guide

Everything You Need To Know About Skyrim

By Nicolas Ng

We’ve got guides for main quests, DLC quests, some side quests, and most of the basics right here.

Table of contents

Quick Links

  • Getting Started
    • Gameplay Basics
    • Builds
    • Tips And Tricks
  • Skyrim And Its People
    • Hold Capitals
    • People Of Skyrim
    • Secrets Of Skyrim
  • Quests And Adventures
    • Main Quests
    • Side Quests
    • Civil War
    • Daedric Artifacts
    • Ancient Artifacts
  • Factions
    • The Companions
    • The College Of Winterhold
    • The Thieves Guild
    • The Dark Brotherhood
  • Dawnguard
    • Main Quests
    • Side Quests
  • Dragonborn
    • Main Quests
    • Side Quests

There are few games that have as great an impact as Skyrim. It has an enduring popularity that never seems to wane. Between its multiple releases and its passionate community, the expansive province has never stopped playing host to adventures as it is explored and saved over and over again.

Related: Skyrim: Side Quests We’d Love To Experience All Over Again

Despite how well-explored it is, Skyrim always seems to have more secrets to share in its caves and ruins. So, if you are struggling to defeat the World-Eater or trying to get married and build a home or anything else, we have a guide to help you find your place in Tamriel’s frozen north.

  • Getting Started

    Infamous carriage ride aside, your first moments in Skyrim might be overwhelming. You are asked to pick a race, design your character, and run for your life within minutes. If you are overwhelmed, these guides will help you get your bearings and have an idea on what to expect.

    • Gameplay Basics

      These are some of Skyrim’s basics, from how the races work to making piles of gold.

      • Complete Guide To Leveling Up

      • Complete Guide To Races

      • Beginner’s Guide To Fishing

      • How To Become A Vampire (And How To Cure Vampirism)

      • How To Become A Werewolf And How To Cure Lycanthropy

      • Every Standing Stone (And Where To Find Them)

    • Builds

      • Spellsword Build Guide

      • Paladin Build Guide

      • Stealth Archer Build Guide

      • Two-Handed Build Guide

      • The Best Builds For Dark Elves

      • The Best Builds For Redguards

      • The Best Builds For Bretons

      • Mage Build Guide

      • Assassin Build Guide

    • Tips And Tricks

      • How To Sell Your Stolen Goods

      • The Best Places To Find Building Materials

      • Shadowmarks And Their Meanings

      • The Shrines Of Skyrim

      • The Best Mines To Dive Into

      • Unlock Every Hearthfire Home Pet

  • Skyrim And Its People

    A huge part of Skyrim’s appeal is the world that it creates. Between its nine holds and all the cities, towns, and settlements within are people that live their own lives. We outline what you can expect from its Hold Capitals and how to get the most out of the province.

    • Hold Capitals

      • Complete Guide To Whiterun

      • Complete Guide To Falkreath

      • Complete Guide To Markarth

      • Complete Guide To Solitude

      • Complete Guide To Morthal

      • Complete Guide To Dawnstar

      • Complete Guide To Winterhold

      • Complete Guide To Windhelm

      • Complete Guide To Riften

    • People Of Skyrim

      • Complete Guide To The Blades

      • Complete Guide To Marriage

      • How To Recruit Riekling Followers

    • Secrets Of Skyrim

      • The Unique Forges

      • Bleak Falls Barrow Dungeon Guide

      • Blackreach Dungeon Guide

      • Labyrinthian Dungeon Guide

  • Quests And Adventures

    The province has no shortage of people worth helping, foes worth slaying, and loot worth taking. We have the guides for the quests that will bring you into contact with all three.

    • Main Quests

      Skyrim’s main storyline focuses on your journey from a prisoner to the Dragonborn of legend as you fight to slay Alduin and save the world. Along the way, you will meet new allies and embark on dangerous adventures. We have guides for all of the quests here.

      • Unbound

      • Before The Storm

      • Bleak Falls Barrow

      • Dragon Rising

      • The Way Of The Voice

      • The Horn Of Jurgen Windcaller

      • A Blade In The Dark

      • Diplomatic Immunity

      • A Cornered Rat

      • Alduin’s Wall

      • The Throat Of The World

      • Elder Knowledge

      • Alduin’s Bane

      • Paarthurnax

      • Season Unending

      • The Fallen

      • The World-Eater’s Eyrie

      • Sovngarde

      • Dragonslayer

    • Side Quests

      Not everything needs to be about saving the world. They can also be about smaller things like restoring a holy tree or hunting down a serial killer. If you need help, here are the guides.

      • Missing In Action

      • The Blessings Of Nature Side

      • In My Time Of Need

      • No One Escapes Cidhna Mine

      • The Forsworn Conspiracy

      • The Heart Of Dibella

      • The Man Who Cried Wolf

      • The Wolf Queen Awakened

      • Lights Out

      • Laid To Rest

      • Kyne’s Sacred Trials

      • The Book Of Love

      • Evil In Waiting

      • Siege On The Dragon Cult

      • Blood On The Ice

      • Rise In The East

      • The White Phial

    • Civil War

      The Civil War gripping Skyrim is one of the first things you learn about in the game. It is hard to ignore when you are being executed alongside the Stormcloak Rebels. With death averted, you can choose which side to fight for and bring peace back to the province.

      • Joining The Legion

      • Joining The Stormcloak Rebellion

      • The Jagged Crown

      • The Battle For Whiterun

      • Rescue From Fort Neugrad

      • Rescue From Fort Kastav

      • Compelling Tribute

      • A False Front

      • Battle For Windhelm

      • Battle For Solitude

    • Daedric Artifacts

      Malevolent deities have long plagued the people of Tamriel, offering powerful artifacts in exchange for services and fealty. You can take them up on these deals in the quests below.

      • Discerning The Transmundane

      • The Cursed Tribe

      • The Black Star

      • A Daedra’s Best Friend

      • A Night To Remember

      • Ill Met By Moonlight

      • Break Of Dawn

      • The Taste Of Death

      • The House Of Horrors

      • The Only Cure

      • The Mind Of Madness

      • Waking Nightmare

      • Boethiah’s Calling

      • Pieces Of The Past

  • Factions

    There are venerable institutions seeking new members throughout Skyrim. You can join them to master their fields and unlock special rewards.

    • The Companions

      Based out of Whiterun, the Companions are a storied band of warriors that recruit those gifted in honorable, physical battle.

      • Take Up Arms

      • Proving Honor

      • The Silver Hand

      • Blood’s Honor

      • Purity Of Revenge

      • Glory Of The Dead

      • Totems of Hircine

    • The College Of Winterhold

      The College is in an interesting position. It is the greatest magical institution in Skyrim by virtue of its locals shunning magic and being deeply suspicious of the College. You can enroll as a student, only to be wrapped up in a race against time.

      • Under Saarthal

      • Hitting The Books

      • Good Intentions

      • Revealing The Unseen

      • Containment College Of Winterhold

      • The Staff Of Magnus

      • The Eye of Magnus

      • Complete Guide To The College Of Winterhold

    • The Thieves Guild

      If petty theft and grand heists appeal to you, the Thieves Guild is perfect for you. You can join the group right as they are down on their luck and help them reverse their fortunes.

      • A Chance Arrangement

      • Skyrim: Taking Care Of Business Thieves Guild Quest Walkthrough

      • Loud And Clear

      • Dampened Spirits

      • Scoundrel’s Folly

      • Speaking With Silence

      • Hard Answers

      • The Pursuit

      • Trinity Restored

      • Blindsighted

      • Darkness Returns

      • Under New Management

      • How To Fully Restore The Thieves Guild

    • The Dark Brotherhood

      You can join this secretive band of assassins through a misunderstanding and stolen kill. They are impressed enough to offer you a place among their ranks, sending on a spree of assassinations.

      • Delayed Burial

      • Innocence Lost

      • With Friends Like These

      • Sanctuary

      • Mourning Never Comes

      • Whispers In The Dark

      • The Silence Has Been Broken

      • Bound Until Death

      • Breaching Security

      • The Cure For Madness

      • Recipe For Disaster

      • To Kill An Empire

      • Death Incarnate

      • Hail Sithis

  • Dawnguard

    Skyrim’s first expansion, Dawnguard, puts you in a conflict between a castle full of vampires and a newly-established castle full of vampire hunters. You will pick a side and bring the war to a close.

    • Main Quests

      • Dawnguard

      • Awakening

      • Bloodline

      • A New Order — If you sided with the Dawnguard

      • Prophet

      • Seeking Disclosure

      • Chasing Echoes

      • Beyond Death

      • Unseen Visions

      • Touching The Sky

      • Kindred Judgement

    • Side Quests

      • Lost To The Ages

      • How To Marry Serana

      • Find Arvak’s Skull

  • Dragonborn

    The final expansion brings you to a new island and a new foe; the very first Dragonborn. As you might expect, it brings some of the game’s toughest challenges. We have a guide for its quests here.

    • Main Quests

      • Dragonborn

      • The Temple Of Miraak

      • The Fate Of The Skaal

      • Cleansing The Stones

      • The Path Of Knowledge

      • The Gardener Of Men

      • At The Summit Of Apocrypha

    • Side Quests

      • March Of The Dead

      • The Final Descent

      • Served Cold

      • The Chief Of Thirsk Hall

      • A New Source Of Stalhrim

      • Lost Legacy

      • How To Find And Beat The Ebony Warrior

Related Topics

  • Guides
  • Skyrim

About The Author

Nicolas Ng graduated with a degree Journalism and arrived at the startling realisation that he doesn’t want to cover anything beyond video games. He can be found salivating at shiny new RPGs and anything with an open world or expansive lore. Alternatively making another Skyrim modlist he’ll never play.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Game Guide


Fus Ro Dah!!! This guide contains a thorough walkthrough for all the main and side quests in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and detailed maps of all available locations.

Last update: Tuesday, June 2, 2020

The Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim is one of the biggest games in history. It is almost impossible to learn all its elements by yourself, so we created this tutorial. It contains a complete walkthrough describing all the quests present in the game (main, side, Deadric, Guild-related, and those related to the civil war), as well as their branching paths and alternative ways of completing them. A set of several hundred maps included in the guide should make navigating the unfriendly North easier, and descriptions of skills and races will certainly answer your questions. Our lists of skill books, teachers, traders, Shouts, standing stones, companions, spells as well as blacksmith and alchemical schemes (crafting) should also prove useful. If that wasn’t enough, the guide also contains a number of useful tips on combat, exploration, committing crime, being a vampire or a werewolf. We have no doubt that this is the largest compendium that can be found on the Internet.

TES 5 Skyrim is one of the largest and most popular RPGs by Bethesda Softworks. We move again to Tamriel, the continent from The Elder Scrolls universe. The eponymous land of Skyrim is located in the northern part of the continent and is largely covered with snow. The character we created is a Dovahkiin, a dragon hunter capable of absorbing the souls of defeated flying beasts and learning abilities called Dragon Shouts.

The freedom of action makes Skyrim stand out from other RPGs. We can create a character representing one of several available races and develop it towards our preferred style of play. The game doesn’t force you to focus on the main plot and then doing the side quests. You can also complete many other tasks related to, e.g. the civil war in Skyrim, or those that are part of various guilds found in this country. Free exploration is equally interesting. Hundreds of interesting locations like cities, villages, camps, ruins or dungeons inhabited by a variety of monsters are waiting for you to explore.

  • Tutorial content for the Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim
  • A few useful tips
  • I have a problem and I’m looking for answers
  • List of all main quests
  • All categories of side quests in Skyrim
  • World map and all locations in Skyrim
  • Is Skyrim a long game?
  • Does Skyrim have a difficult platinum trophy?
  • Do Skyrim Special Edition and Skyrim VR offer extra content?
  • Does Skyrim have high system requirements?
  • Are there any cheats for Skyrim?
  • Color markings used in the guide

Tutorial content for the Elder Scrolls 5 Skyrim

  1. Walkthroughs for all main, side, daedric, guild and civil war quests — along with different ways of completing them;
  2. List of all trainers, merchants, skill books, shouts, companions, standing stones and spells;
  3. Tips for alchemy, blacksmithing and other types of crafting along with the lists of all recipes;
  4. Hundreds of maps depicting frozen lands of Skyrim as well as those showing the insides of the buildings and dungeons;
  5. List of all skills with instructions on how to use them properly;
  6. A set of builds for your character;
  7. Combat, exploration and general tips.

A few useful tips

  1. You can change the difficulty level of the game at will. You do not need to complete the entire game at the difficulty level selected at the beginning of the campaign. You can even change the difficulty settings during battles if they prove too difficult.
  2. You don’t have to focus on the main storyline. This is because some of the later main quests involve fights with difficult opponents. We recommend focusing on The Way of the Voice, one of the starting quests.
  3. Saving frequently can save your skin. We are talking, in particular, about situations in which the hero will suddenly encounter enemies that are too strong. Saving the game will protect you from the consequences of bad decisions made during the quests.
  4. Get rid of unnecessary items on a regular basis. Excess loot can be stored in the hero’s house or sold to merchants. Each item has its own weight — carrying too many items in the inventory will make your character overburdened.
  5. Join a companion to your team as soon as possible. Traveling with another character is helpful, e.g. during more challenging fights. The first companion — a warrior named Lydia — can be easily recruited by completing Dragon Rising main quest.
  6. Don’t focus on developing only one skill. It is very desirable to develop different skills. Thanks to this, your character can level up faster. These additional skills can be useful in specific situations, for example, while performing quests related to the guilds.
  7. Repeating actions allows you to develop skills faster. In Skyrim, skills increase as you perform related actions. You can «cheat» a little by, e.g. casting spells repeatedly.
  8. Don’t get caught stealing. Every time someone sees you commit a crime, that character will try to tell the guards. This increases the fine you will have to pay once you get caught. Rely on stealth and pickpocketing skills and try to steal during the night.
  9. Use the cart to visit the main cities. We recommend you to act this way in the first hours of the game. Hiring a cart isn’t expensive. Also, when you visit a major city, you will be able to fast travel to it for free.
  10. Explore locations in 100%. Haste isn’t recommended — always make sure you have discovered and searched all available rooms. The most valuable loot is usually stored in containers in the farthest rooms of any dungeon.

More detailed versions of these tips and tricks can be found on the Starting Tips page.

I have a problem and I’m looking for answers

Below we have listed popular questions and problems that may arise while playing Skyrim. All the issues discussed below have been described in more detail on separate pages of our guide.

  1. Can I romance the NPCs? Skyrim doesn’t have traditional romances like those found in, e.g. the RPGs made by BioWare. You don’t gradually build relationships with any of the characters to have a closer romance.
  2. How to get married? — This is an alternative to the lack of romance options with NPCs. Your character can get married. Temple of Mara in the Riften and talk to Maramal about a marriage. You have to get Mara’s amulet which you can buy, e.g. from Maramal. After wearing the amulet during conversations with some NPCs, you will get a dialog option to propose a marriage. Depending on the NPC, it may be necessary to fulfill additional conditions or desires. A positive response leads to a wedding and living in the same house (in the hero’s house or the NPC’s).
  3. Can I get rid of the vampire and werewolf curse? — Fortunately, you can get rid of the vampirism and lycanthropy. You don’t have to suffer from them throughout the entire playthrough. You can stop being a vampire by visiting a mage named Falion in Morthal and start Rising at Dawn side quest. You can stop being a werewolf by doing Glory of the Dead side quest related to the Companions faction — the one where you have to throw the head of the Witch’s from Glenmoril into fire in Ysgramor’s Tomb.
  4. Is it possible to continue playing after completing the main storyline? — Yes, after completing the last main quest called Dragonslayer your character goes back to Skyrim. This will allow you to continue exploring the world as well as completing all the side quests you have missed.
  5. How to defeat the first dragon in the game? — You can’t fight the dragon in the prologue, the only thing you can do is to run away. The first mandatory encounter with the dragon happens during Dragon Rising main quest when a dragon attacks Whiterun. Battle tactics depend on your style of play. If you’re fighting from a distance, wait for the beast to slow down or land to have a better chance shooting it. If you are using magic, avoid fire spells. If you are using melee weapons, wait until the dragon lands and try to attack it from the side or behind.
  6. How to defeat the final boss — Alduin? — The final battle with Alduin happens during the last main quest called Dragonslayer. The key to winning this battle is to force Alduin to land by using Dragonrend Shout. Remember to always wait for a good moment to use the Shout so that it won’t be wasted. You can attack Alduin from a distance (aim around its head) or in direct fight (attack it from the side or behind while your allies are distracting the dragon).
  7. Does the choice of gender affect the course of the game? — No, your character’s gender isn’t important. Don’t expect significant differences when completing quests, nor that a given gender will unlock unique romance options. Minor changes may concern, e.g. dialog lines spoken by the NPCs.
  8. How to increase skills faster? — There are several ways to do it. The most obvious method is to repeat the same actions, even outside of quests or when you aren’t fighting at that moment. You can, for example, intentionally block all enemy attacks or cast spells even when there is no one in sight. There are also two special ways to improve your skills — you can acquire and read skill books or have (paid) trainings.
  9. How to use fast travel? — It is very simple — just open the world map and choose any of the discovered locations. It may even be a place you haven’t explored yet (just walk past that location to discover it). Fast travel is only possible if you aren’t in a dungeon/building and aren’t currently fighting any enemies.
  10. Why can’t I enter a location? — There may be several reasons. The most obvious obstacle is that the location is closed. You have to use your Lockpicking skills or get the key to that door. Several unique locations in the game (e.g. Goldenglow Estate) are unlocked only after starting the related quests.
  11. Is it possible to escape from prison? — Yes, it is possible, though it is difficult to do. Your hero can get in jail after breaking the law, getting caught by a guard and voluntarily surrendering. To break out of the prison, use Lockpicking on the cell doors. Then, you have to find the chest with your equipment and get to the exit (you can sneak around or fight the guards). Unfortunately, you can’t escape from the mine in Markart.

List of all main quests

The main quests are only a small part of the content offered by Skyrim. By doing them you not only learn more about the main storyline, but also visit important places and get unique treasures and Dragon Shouts. Below you will find a list of the main quests in Skyrim.

  1. The prologue is a brief introduction to the story, involving the use of a character editor.
  2. Unbound on separate pages of the guide, we described the collaboration with Hadvar or Ralof (you can travel only with one of them).
  3. Before the Storm — this quest has a different beginning, depending on your choice in the previous quests. In the end, the protagonist can meet either with Alvor or Gerdur.
  4. Bleak Falls Barrow is the first major dungeon explored during the main quest.
  5. Dragon Rising in this task, the hero will face their first boss, the dragon attacking Whiterun.
  6. The Way of the Voice is the quest related to the first ascent to mount Hrothgar and unlocking of Dragon shouts.
  7. In The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the main character has to explore yet another dungeon to acquire the eponymous horn.
  8. A Blade in the Dark in cooperation with Delphine, you need to visit the grave of a dragon and defeat the next beast.
  9. Diplomatic Immunity is a difficult quest requiring us to infiltrate an Embassy and find information about dragons.
  10. A Cornered Rat requires the hero to find Esbern.
  11. A Chance Arrangement is an optional quest, which you may or may not be given. The task requires you to steal Madesi’s ring.
  12. Alduin’s Wall is another big quest, this time about reaching Karthspire in order to discover its secrets.
  13. The Throat of the World has the hero visit the eponymous location and meet the dragon Paarthurnax.
  14. Elder Knowledge is a long and complex quest that involves visiting Winterhold and exploring the ruins in search of an Elder Scroll.
  15. Alduin’s Bane During this mission, you will have to face Alduin for the first time, but the boss fight will not end with the dragon’s defeat.
  16. The Fallen is a mission whose objective is to capture the dragon Odahviing with the intention of interrogating the beast.
  17. Season Unending is an extensive quest, in which we participate in peace negotiations, which may end in several ways.
  18. Paarthurnax is an additional quest that involves having to fight the eponymous dragon as an optional boss.
  19. The World-Eater’s Eyrie will have the hero free Odahviing and go to Skuldafn.
  20. Sovngard is a quest that precedes the final boss battle. During doing this quest, you will have to defeat a mini-boss — Nord god called Tsun.
  21. Dragonslayer is the last main quest. The main character will face the final battle against the dragon Alduin.

All categories of side quests in Skyrim

Side quests in Skyrim are divided into several different categories. We have listed all the types of side quests below. It is worth noting that this division isn’t official — we did that to make it easier to find some side quests in the guide. Don’t expect an identical division in the protagonist’s journal.

  1. The Dark Brotherhood — They can be treated as a «guild of assassins». The vast majority of quests of this faction is about eliminating specific targets. Not all of these tasks are related to the Dark Brotherhood’s main storyline. They can also be small assassination orders.
  2. Companions — Warriors’ guild in Whiterun. However, the Companions hide a secret — lycanthropy. In addition to learning about this secret you can also join the blood ritual to become a werewolf yourself.
  3. College of Winterhold — This place serves as the location for the «mages guild». You visit Winterhold during the main storyline. You can decide for yourself whether you want to visit the mages early in the game and whether you want to join them and complete their side quests.
  4. Thieves Guild — Your hero will have to do a lot of stealth and theft here. In addition to the main quests, there are many small orders where you have to steal less valuable items.
  5. Civil War in Skyrim — This is the most unusual category of side quests, because you have to choose from the Imperial Legion or Stormcloaks. This significantly changes the course of the quests. Also, depending on the selected faction you may have to, for example, protect or capture a city.
  6. Daedric quests — These are rather extensive side quests associated with the various Daedric deities. Each of these quests gives you an opportunity to acquire a Daedric artifact. Getting them, however, can only be possible if the hero has made the right decisions during the quest.
  7. The Bards College — One of the minor factions. You can complete only one big quest and several small tasks.
  8. The Blades and the Greybeards quests — Don’t count that these quests offer an extensive story or that they are complex.
  9. Side quests — We have described all the other side quests in a separate chapter. They are those quests that aren’t Daedric quests, aren’t associated with any of the factions and don’t concern the Civil War. These quests can be completely independent of other categories, or be associated with them to some extent.

World map and all locations in Skyrim

Skyrim is a game with a huge world map — the picture above shows that. Important information is that the locations aren’t marked on it right away. You need to visit these places personally to add them to the world map.

You can discover these locations yourself or use our world atlas. All the basic information about locations can be found in the World maps section:

  1. List of all locations — We have prepared a complete list of places to discover along with directions where to find them.
  2. All North-West locations in Skyrim — This is sector 1 on the map in our world atlas.
  3. All Northern locations in Skyrim — This is sector 2 on the map in our world atlas.
  4. All North-East locations in Skyrim — This is sector 3 on the map in our world atlas.
  5. All Eastern locations in Skyrim — This is sector 4 on the map in our world atlas.
  6. All central locations in Skyrim — This is sector 5 on the map in our world atlas.
  7. All Western locations in Skyrim — This is sector 6 on the map in our world atlas.
  8. All South-West locations in Skyrim — This is sector 7 on the map in our world atlas.
  9. All Southern locations in Skyrim — This is sector 8 on the map in our world atlas.
  10. All South-Eastern locations in Skyrim — This is sector 9 on the map in our world atlas.

Is Skyrim a long game?

Yes, Skyrim is a very long game with a lot of content. The main storyline itself should provide you with about 30 hours of gameplay (a lot depends on the chosen difficulty level and time spent on exploration of the locations visited during the main plot) and this is just the beginning of your adventure..

You can spend more than 100 hours if you decide to do the side quests — the game offers a huge number of them and many of these quests (especially Daedric quests and story missions related to the Guilds) are quite extensive. They can require you to, e.g. investigate, sneak into large estates or explore vast dungeons full of monsters. You can spend even more time with the game if you want to get trophies/achievements (some of them are quite time consuming) and DLCs — each of the three big expansions for Skyrim offers a few or a dozen hours of content.

A set of information about the length of the game, as well as the approximate amount of time you have to spend with its individual elements can be found on How long does it take to complete Skyrim? page.

Does Skyrim have a difficult platinum trophy?

The platinum trophy in Skyrim isn’t difficult to get. Don’t expect, however, only positive information, as unlocking the platinum trophy can be very time consuming and take you more than 100 hours. The time-consuming factor of Skyrim’s is affected by several major factors — you need to complete most of the major quests, collect 100,000 gold coins and reach level 50.

Fortunately, the game can be played at any difficulty level (as well as change it freely). In addition, you need to complete the campaign only once, although you have to be careful in Daedric quests to not lose the chance of getting the artifacts.

A full set of information about all trophies/achievements in Skyrim can be found in the Trophy Guide.

Do Skyrim Special Edition and Skyrim VR offer extra content?

Theoretically not, though a lot depends on how we treat both of these releases:

  1. Skyrim Special Edition is an updated version of the game developed mainly with the PS4, XONE and Switch in mind, although also published on PC. The edition features high quality graphics and, for the first time in Skyrim’s history, the option to play it in a portable form on the Nintendo console. Special Edition includes all expansions — you don’t need to purchase them separately.
  2. Skyrim VR is prepared for virtual reality goggles (PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive). The biggest novelty is a new way of playing the game — we can use motion controllers to control the limbs of the hero, for example, to attack with a sword or spells. We move around the world by making small jumps/teleportation to avoid possible nausea resulting from smooth movement.

It is worth noting that Special Edition and VR versions have the same achievements as the main version of the game. These, however, are separate lists of trophies/achievements, which means that you can earn them again by playing a different edition of Skyrim.

Does Skyrim have high system requirements?

The basic version of Skyrim has very low system requirements. They are as follows:

  1. Operating system: Windows 7/Vista/XP PC (32 or 64 bit)
  2. Processor: Dual Core 2.0 GHz
  3. RAM: 2 GB
  4. Disk space: 6GB
  5. Video card: DirectX 9.0c compatible with 512MB of RAM

Special Edition has higher system requirements because it offers various graphical improvements (e. g. higher resolution textures). They are as follows:

  1. Operating system: Windows 7/8. 1/10 (64-bit versions only)
  2. Processor: Intel i5-750 / AMD Phenom II X4 945
  3. RAM: 8GB
  4. Disk space: 12GB
  5. Video card: NVIDIA GTX 470 1GB / AMD HD 7870 2GB

Are there any cheats for Skyrim?

Yes, there are cheats that make the game easier. They are only available in the PC version. Below you can find information on how to unlock cheats as well as the list of the most important ones:

Press ~ key to open the console window. You can now enter the cheats.

  1. advancepclevel — you gain a level
  2. advancepcskill x y — develop a skill by x o y levels (instead of x, enter the name of the skill, for example, Destruction; instead of y, enter a value, for example, 10)
  3. advskill x y — develop a skill by x o y points (instead of x, enter the name of the skill, for example, Destruction; instead of y, enter a value, for example, 10)
  4. kill — kills the currently targeted opponent (after entering the cheat you need to hover the cursor over the enemy, press the left mouse button, enter the enemy’s ID and press » ENTER»)
  5. killall — kill all surrounding enemies
  6. movetoqt — teleport to the destination of the current quest
  7. player. additem 0000000f x — get x units of gold (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
  8. player.modav carryweight x — set the maximum load capacity limit to x (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 500)
  9. player.modav dragonsouls x — get x dragon souls (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 10)
  10. player.setav health x — set the number of the hero’s health points to x (instead of x, enter a value, for example, 1,000)
  11. player.setav magicka — set the amount of the hero’s mana to x (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
  12. player.setav fatigue x — set the number of the hero’s stamina points to x (instead of x, you need to enter a value, for example, 1,000)
  13. player.setlevel x — the hero reaches x level of experience (instead of x, enter a value, for example, 30)
  14. psb — unlock all spells
  15. resurrect — resurrect the character you are looking at
  16. setpcfame — make your hero more famous
  17. tdetect — NPCs are easier to rob
  18. tgm — immortality
  19. tmm 1 — discover all locations on the map (tmm 0 hides all locations)
  20. unlock — open the closed object you are looking at (after entering the cheat, you need to hover the mouse cursor over the lock, press the left mouse button, wait for the item ID to appear and then press ENTER)

Attention! Using some of the cheats (e. g. unlocking all quests, turn off SI) can lead to unwanted behavior of the game or even a crash. All cheats should be used with caution.

Color markings used in the guide

Our tutorial contains the following color markings:

  1. Red marks primarily to encountered NPCs. We have also used this color to mark opponents, wild animals, and monsters.
  2. Blue marks names of locations, both the main ones that appear on the world map as well as those less significant like individual houses or subsequent dungeon levels.
  3. Green marks all items found in the game that can be added to your character’s inventory.
  4. Orange marks mainly the names of all Shouts and Words of Power. We have also used it to mark all the skills used during quests (e.g. Speech) as well as related actions (e.g. getting a skill book that increases the value of a particular skill).
About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Game Guide

Author : Jacek «Stranger» Halas for gamepressure. com

Translator : Jacek «Stranger» Halas, Agnieszka «Aeth» Jedrzejczyk, Jakub «Cilgan» Lasota, Maciej «Elrond» Myrcha

Guide contains :
375 pages, 2765 images.

Skyrim Mods Guide



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Main quests



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College of Winterhold quests



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Thieves Guild quests



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The Dark Brotherhood quests



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The Companions quests



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Daedric quests



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Side quests



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World Atlas



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More About The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Walkthrough Skyrim | Skyrim Guide

Locations: Riverwood, Sleeping Giant Inn, Solitude, Laughing Rat Inn, Thalmor Embassy, ​​Dark Cavern, Elenwen’s Chambers, cave

Characters: Brelas, Delfina, Erikur, Etienne Rarnis, General Tullius, Ildi, Malborn, Jarl Balgruuf, Jarl Elisif the Beautiful, Jarl Idgrod the Black, Jarl Igmund, Jarl Siddgeir, Maven Black-Briar, Ondolemar, Ortus Endario, Proventus Avenicci, Razelan , Tsawani, Vittoria Vici

Enemies: Elenwen, Ice Troll, Gissur, Rulindil, Thalmor Soldier, Thalmor Wizard

Goals: Meet with Delphine in Riverwood, Meet with Malborn in Solitude, Give Malborn the equipment, Meet with Delphine at the stables, Dress in appropriate clothing and go to the meeting, (Optional) Get equipment, Find information about the return of the dragons, Escape the Thalmor embassy , Talk to Delphine, Return the rest of the equipment

When you’re ready to infiltrate the embassy of one of Tamriel’s most powerful factions, head back to Riverwood and find Delphine, who is hanging out at the Sleeping Giant Inn as usual.

Delphine already has a plan for you to infiltrate the embassy. Yes, it’s yours. She will not go with you, because she will stand out there as a heavily armed Stormcloak soldier in Solitude in broad daylight.

And the plan is as follows: the Thalmor ambassador in Skyrim, Elenwen, likes to arrange magnificent receptions, to which he invites noble and influential people. After infiltrating the embassy, ​​you will quietly disappear and find secret documents that should shed light on what is happening.

One of Delphine’s contacts — a Bosmer named Malborn — can provide you with some assistance inside the embassy. You should meet him at the Solitude tavern called the Laughing Rat. It is located near the entrance to the city. Inside the tavern, you will find Malborn waiting for you. To him you must, although you are not obliged to, hand over the equipment that will be useful to you inside the embassy.

Note:

Don’t forget armor!

Malborn can take from you not only weapons of any caliber, but also armor. If she is a necessary attribute in your daily battles, then do not hesitate to undress to your underpants: very soon you will get everything back.

After that, Malborn says goodbye to the meeting at the reception. You must now meet Delphine at Katla Farm to collect your invitation and dress appropriately. Inside, you will only have what you take at the embassy and what Malborn smuggles to you. Answer in the affirmative to Delphine’s question about your readiness for the trip and you will “wake up” already in a cart near the embassy courtyard covered with snow.

As you head towards the guard at the entrance to the main building, you will hear a grunt from a man behind you. If you wish, you can turn to him and listen to him to the end. When asked by the guard to show an invitation, you will have several options for answering, but only one will lead to success — you will still have to show the invitation. After that, go up the stairs and go inside.

Note:

Please note!

From now on, you will temporarily not be able to use the fast travel function and attack anyone (until you get the equipment from Malborn).

As soon as you enter, you will be greeted by Elenwen. Fortunately, before you can give a series of ridiculous answers that might make her suspicious, you will be interrupted by Malborn, asking for a short time off for Alto’s wine, which supposedly ran out. Elenwen will say that he will talk to you later and walk away. It’s time to take a look.

Note:

Among the invited guests you may meet:

Erikur , a greedy sawmill owner in Solitude.

General Tullius , right hand of the emperor, leads the legion in Skyrim.

Jarl Balgruuf , key ally of the Emperor and Jarl of Whiterun.

Jarl Elisif the Beautiful , a little naive and loyal to the empire, the new Jarl of Solitude.

Jarl Idgrod the Black , strange hunchbacked old woman, ruler of Morthal.

Jarl Igmund , ruler of Markarth and strong supporter of the empire.

Jarl Siddgeir , self-confident ruler of Falkreath.

Maven Black-Briar , shrewd matriarch and de facto ruler of Riften.

Ondolemar , haughty Thalmor who walks with personal patrol in Markarth’s Understone Hold.

Orthus Endario , in charge of the East Empire Company office in Windhelm.

Proventus Avenicci , advisor to Jarl Barlgruuf in Whiterun.

Vittoria Vici , owner of the East Empire Company and cousin of the emperor.

Brelas , a humble employee at the embassy who works at another bar.

Ildi , hired bard.

Some of the listed guests may not be there for various reasons:

There will be no guests that you killed or with whom you have a tense relationship.

There will be no jarls loyal to the empire if their cities are captured by the Stormcloaks.

Vittoria Vici will not be available if you started the Dark Brotherhood quest «Till Death Do Us Part».

Maven Black-Briar will not come to the meeting if the quest «The Wrong Honey» (in the original «Dampened Spirits») is active.

General Tullius will not come to the meeting if the «Message to Whiterun» quest is active. It will also not be there if the assault on the city is in full swing.

Proventus Avennichi and Jarl Balgruuf will not be present if the «Message to Whiterun» quest is started or completed.

Have you looked around? Great, now you have several options for quietly leaving the social party and doing much more important things.

The same guy who loudly expressed his dissatisfaction on the street and now sits apart from everyone can provide invaluable help in this. Strike up a conversation with him and he will ask you for a drink. It’s a sin to refuse — go to the counter of Malborn or Brelas and ask for a bottle of alcohol. Razelan will thank you from the bottom of his heart and in return will respond with joyful consent to the request to divert the attention of the crowd a little. And he does it quite well. Do not hesitate quickly and go to Malborn.

You can also enlist the help of some other friend among the assembled guests, such as Vittoria Vici, Maven Black-Briar, Ondolemar, or any Jarl who treats you favorably.

When they finally agree, step aside and enjoy the scene of the assault on the innocent drunk Razelan. Do not forget to move towards Malborn after a while and talk to him.

Your friends are actually those for whom you have completed some task.

If any of the following guests is your friend — Jarl Idgrod the Black, Maven Black-Briar, Jarl Balgruuf, or Orthus Endario — they will help you regardless of your gift of persuasion.

Jarl Igmund, Jarl Elisif, Jarl Siddgeir or Ondolemar, being your friends, will help only after you convince them to go for it.

Vittoria Vici cannot be your friend, but she will help if you can convince her of this need.

If you persuade Ondolemar to make a fuss, then he will be terribly angry with you and will forever become your enemy.

You can also talk to another guest — Erikur, and you will soon realize that he has his eye on Brelas the waitress. Erikur will ask you to talk to her about a secret meeting. Brelas, however, being a girl of high morals, will refuse such an offer. After talking with her, return to Erikur and tell him:

    1. (Lie) That she is intrigued.

    2. That she is not interested in the offer.

No matter how you answer, Erikur will head towards Brelas anyway, which will cause a bit of a stir, which will be enough for you to quietly retreat to Malborn.

So Malborn goes into the kitchen, waits for you to come up, and finally closes the door. While Malborn is arguing with Tsavani, open the next door and take the equipment that you gave Malborn in the Laughing Rat from the chest. Then open the door opposite the chest and start your secret (as far as possible and desired) operation.

In the first hallway turn south and check the room on your left (east). Two Thalmor guards will be scurrying around in the long corridor. You can engage them in combat or stay out of their line of sight with spells or the stealth skill and wait for them to move away to sneak past them unnoticed. You can use a small storage room nearby.

Note:

Mask up!

Enter the room on the right first. There you will find a set of Thalmor robes. In these clothes, walking around the embassy unnoticed is much easier. Guards will only attack you if they see your face at close enough range.

The chosen race also affects stealth in the embassy. Heroes from races such as Orcs, Khajiit, or Argonians have the weakest chance of going unnoticed. It will be easier for people here. Higher chances for wood and dark elves. But the high elves will feel most comfortable. They can roam the embassy almost with impunity.

After you pass the long corridor, go east or open the door to the courtyard on the west side. Or you can go around the bar, up the stairs to the second floor, and crawl past the guards stationed here.

To the east is a corridor that leads to the dining room, to the west is the bedroom, and to the south is the office, from which there is access to the east side of the courtyard. Choose any exit and leave the room.

There are several ways to complete the required task.

Plan 1: You can enter Elenwen’s quarters and dungeon and find the Thalmor’s secret documents without talking to the prisoner.

Plan 2: You can enter the dungeon through Elenwen’s quarters and free the imprisoned Rarnis Etienne, who was being tortured by the Thalmor Rulindil. He will run away with you.

Plan 3: Or you can follow the plan below.

Carefully move along the perimeter of the Thalmor embassy, ​​avoiding collision with the guards (or do it with an open mind and joy in your heart, bringing rays of good to the elves with your huge ax). From the snow-covered garden you will enter Elenwen’s chambers.

(Subtle) Sneak past the Thalmor mage guarding the door.

(High Elf) If you are a High Elf and don’t forget to dress up in Thalmor robes, you can talk to the guard and he will leave his post.

When you enter Elenwen’s quarters, you will hear the Thalmor Rulindil talking to another Thalmor agent named Gissur. In the conversation, they mention in passing the interrogation room, which is located on the floor below. Beware of the guard walking around here, move towards the bar and storage room (if you move stealthily) or return to the room with several exits.

On the second floor there are two bedrooms and a small storage room. In addition to a few expensive things, there is nothing to profit from in it.

But on the first floor in the northwestern office in the chest you will find something interesting: records of the dragon invasion (the document lists the prisoner in the basement dungeon as a clue), the key to the interrogation chamber, and two very interesting dossiers — on Delphine and Ulfric Stormcloak.

Head west and you’ll find Rulindil in his office. You can attack him or try to steal another key to the interrogation chamber without being noticed. There are two stairs leading down from here, and both lead to a door with an Expert level lock. You can enter the dungeon through this door, but there is one guard on the balcony to the northeast.

If you got into the dungeon through the chambers of Elenwen, then, quietly going down the stairs, you can watch the not very pleasant scene of the interrogation of the prisoner by Rulindil. A guard standing nearby can be quietly eliminated with a stealth attack. Search the chest on the table and take from it another dossier on a certain Esbern. To complete all the objectives of the mission entrusted to you, read everything you have found.

Note:

Stone of Barenziah

The so-called Stone of Barenziah rests in one of the bedrooms on the second floor. If you do not take it now, then the game will provide another chance in the cave. Without this stone, you will not be able to complete the thief task to collect all the stones.

You can also talk to the prisoner in one of the cells (and Brelas, who will be arrested if you used her as a distraction). The prisoner’s name is Etienne Rarnis, and in his conversation with you, he will mention something about the whereabouts of Esbern, to whom one of the three dossiers is dedicated. As soon as you free the prisoner, Thalmor soldiers and Malborn will soon appear. Prove your undeniable superiority to the Thalmor and take the hatch key from one of the corpses.

Open the hatch and, together with Etienne Rarnis, Malborn and Brelas (if, of course, they are still alive), go down to the Stinky Cave (Smoking Cave in Softclub translation), so named because of the no less smelly frost troll that settled here, destroying random travelers. The cave is rather small. Destroy the troll and go down to the exit.

On this, your paths with the rest of the fugitives diverge, in the Riverwood tavern, Delphine is waiting for you with the news. The mention of Esbern will make a strong impression on Delphine. She will tell you that Esbern was one of the Blades, an archivist and an advanced expert on the history of the Blades.

From the prisoner’s words and Delfina’s guesses, it follows that Esbern is most likely hiding somewhere in Riften, and a well-connected man named Brynjolf, whom you may already know as a member of the thieves guild, will help you find him. Delphine will recommend that you ask the cautious Esbern what happened on the 30th of the Beginning of Frost so that he makes contact with you.
Time does not wait. You must find Esbern before the Thalmor does and convince him to help your cause.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim completion time

Game rating

based on 1951 estimates

How many hours of gameplay in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Main campaign

35 hours. 49 min.

Campaign + additional tasks

115 hours 1 min.