It is a large glacial valley hidden deep within the mountains on the northwestern Skyrim peaks in Haafingar. The Vale must first be accessed through Darkfall Cave during Touching the Sky: after it has been discovered, it can be fast travelled to, via the map.
The valley features its own unique flora and fauna and a handful of caves and subsections throughout. The area also contains a large concentration of Falmer, who have built a series of walkways and camps throughout a canyon leading to the Inner Sanctum, one of the last Snow Elf bastions left.
Geographic features
The valley is surrounded by vast, unscalable mountains making it completely isolated from the rest of Skyrim. It is split into two large areas which are separated by a narrow canyon. On the South-West side, it contains a waterfall that sits below a vast frozen lake. The other side, to the North-East, is a snowy forest environment dotted with exotic flora and fauna. Throughtout the Vale there are many "hidden" treasures and other not obvious points of interest, so it is recommended that to search throughout the place carefully for maximum loot and satisfaction. It is also rich in several types of ore, including silver, gold, quicksilver, moonstone (mostly around the frozen lake and on the mountains) and malachite (frequent along the sides of the river).
Word Wall
To get to the word wall, go to the Wayshrine of Resolution and go south onto the frozen lake. In the middle of the lake there is a stone jutting out, with a staircase leading up one side. Upon approaching this stone, the Dragonborn will learn a word of the shout Drain Vitality. The two Revered Dragons Voslaarum and Naaslaarum will then burst out of the ice if they have not done so already.
Notable items
Books
- Unknown Book, Vol. I - venturing further into the Vale, the book can be found at the bottom of the valley, after the encounter with the Frostbite Spiders. It's next to a Skeleton, Coin Purse, and unlocked chest.
- Unknown Book, Vol. II - Found in Forgotten Vale Overlook, by using the Paragon Platform and the Emerald Paragon.
- Unknown Book, Vol. III - after the shrine of resolution, in falmer territory, in a falmer hut.
- Unknown Book, Vol. IV - after exiting Glacial Crevice, the book can be found in the Falmer Village, all the way at the end, in a Falmer Warmonger's hut (the largest hut).
Paragons
- Amethyst Paragon - On a Frost Giant at the base of the valley, on the northern end of the river, by the waterfall. Southeast of Paragon Platform.
- Diamond Paragon - Found on a Frost Giant just after exiting Glacial Crevice, to the left and up the hill past some falmer.
- Emerald Paragon - Found on a Frost Giant northwest of the Wayshrine of Resolution, up in the hills.
- Ruby Paragon - On a Frost Giant inside the Inner Sanctum, you need to open a secret passage using the Initiate's Ewer.
- Sapphire Paragon - The Frost Giant here is due east from the Shrine of Resolution.
Other
- Hidden chests - Travel to the large ice field where the two named dragons ambush the Dragonborn, Voslaarum and Naaslaarum. After the conclusion of the battle, jump into where the dragons emerged and swim around until a chest crushing a skeleton is located. Unless the Dragonborn has the means to breathe underwater, this can be dangerous, as there is a strong current under the ice that can easily pull the Dragonborn away from the hole used to enter the area. Depending on the length of the battle, the holes in the ice may be a long distance apart and difficult to find and surface at. The chest is at the lake bottom around the midway point between the Word Wall and the southern waterfall. Next, head the waterfall located at the southernmost point. Jump into the water directly below the waterfall to find a chest among some ruins. There is a third just west of the word wall, near the edge of one of the holes in the ice the dragons made.
- Gold Sapphire Ring - In the hand of a skeleton with a Snowberry bush growing through its ribcage, on a rock above the Emerald Paragon Frost Giant.
- Below the bridge to the Inner Sanctum on the southern side of the chasm there is a series of narrow platforms upon the last one of which there is a skeleton with a pickaxe, by a gold ore vein, two gold nuggets as well as one diamond and two flawless diamonds. The platform can be accessed either by running to the far west end of the canyon and turning around left until the Dragonborn is above the southernmost mouth of the Glacial Crevice. Run along a ridge on the west side of the fissure wall and, with a little bit of climbing, the Dragonborn can reach the gold and diamonds. Or reach it by jumping down form the southern end of the bridge. The fall may cause death, so it is recommended to do it on the west side of the bridge.
- Auriel's Shield - Use the Ruby Paragon to go to the Forgotten Vale Forest, next to some ruins will be a Falmer Warmonger carrying the unique shield.
Creatures
- Frost Trolls
- Frost Giants
- Falmer mostly in the caves and on the bridges.
- Chaurus
- Chaurus Hunter
- Vale Sabre Cats mostly in caves and on high platforms.
- Frostbite Spiders
- Ice Wraiths especially hidden along the river bank.
- Vale Deer
- The dragons Voslaarum and Naaslaarum at the frozen lake if the return of the dragons have happened.