Elder Scrolls
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Elder Scrolls
For other uses, see Quest.

Quests are tasks the Dragonborn can perform in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Various actions, such as talking to people, reading books, etc., can initiate quests, allowing for rewards to be gained by completing them. Rewards may include gold, items, increases of skill levels. Successfully completing a quest for a person makes them friendly to the Dragonborn, opening opportunities in many cases to recruit followers or make marriage proposals.

The "main quest" denotes tasks the Dragonborn is compelled to complete as part of the game's main story. Other quests can be performed for a guild or faction, while others are considered side quests, which skirt on the periphery of the game's plotlines. Not all the quests are visible in the Journal; some of them, such as selling crops or chopping wood, are hidden.

As with most of The Elder Scrolls titles, there are quests for each of the Daedric Princes of Tamriel, excluding Jyggalag. Unique to Skyrim are Radiant Quests, quests which are initiated as part of the radiant story artificial intelligence system. These quests can be repeated an infinite number of times, allowing for never-ending gameplay. These quests can be useful for leveling up faster and/or getting gold or loot.

Two separate questlines were added to the game with the official plug-ins, Dawnguard and Dragonborn. For coverage of these quests, see Quests (Dawnguard) and Quests (Dragonborn).

Interface

Quests (Skyrim) Interface

The list of active and completed quests can be viewed through the journal in the menu.

The interface listing all quests can be activated through the map menu or by accessing the Journal directly. The PC versions of the game allow the journal (pressing "J") to be accessed directly, while consoles open the journal, game settings, etc. through the same button. Quests are listed by faction and relevance to the main quest first, and alphabetically second. Thus, quests in the main quest appear first, but quests involving the Thieves Guild appear later. Miscellaneous quests are grouped together on a separate menu, accessible from the very bottom of the list of quests.

Most quests can be completed in any order, upon activation. However, quests markers will not appear on the world map, on the compass, or in-game unless they are marked as active in the interface. Simply selecting the affirmation button activates the quests, once it has been highlighted in the list. Completed lists are listed at the bottom of the quest menu, below a divider. The names are greyed out, and the bullets next to the objectives are filled, indicating successful completion, or marked with a red cross, indicating failure. Some quests are mutually exclusive (e.g., the Dragonborn cannot join the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks at the same time), so failure is not uncommon. In the menu, quests that are partially completed also have their objectives greyed out or ticked off. Optional tasks within the quest are labeled as such in the list as well.

Main quest

Main
Main article: Main Quest (Skyrim)

The main quest of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim involves the investigation and resolution of the Dragon Crisis, as foretold by the Elder Scrolls. Two factions must be joined in order to progress the main quest, the Blades and the College of Winterhold. "Paarthurnax" is completely optional and can be completed after the main quest. "Season Unending" operates under special conditions; completing it halts the Civil War questline, while completing the Civil War questline causes this quest not to appear, since it is no longer necessary.

Act I

Act II

Act III

Faction quests

Quests performed for the various factions are not considered part of the main questline. Choices made during faction quests are non-canonical, lore-wise. Each faction contains several radiant quests which can be completed an innumerable amount of times.

Dark Brotherhood

Darkbrotherhood

Contracts

Side quests

Other quests

College of Winterhold

College

Side quests

Radiant quests

Broken quests

Master-level spell quests

The Companions

Companion

Side quests

Radiant quests

Thieves Guild

Thieves

Side quests

Radiant quests

The Blades

Bards College

Civil War

Civilwar
Main article: Civil War Quests

Imperial Legion

Stormcloaks

Daedric quests

Daedric Quests
Main article: Daedric Quests (Skyrim)
Prince Quest Location Hold
Azura The Black Star Shrine of Azura Winterhold
Boethiah Boethiah's Calling Sacellum of Boethiah Eastmarch
Clavicus Vile A Daedra's Best Friend Falkreath Falkreath Hold
Hermaeus Mora Discerning the Transmundane Septimus Signus' Outpost Winterhold
Hircine Ill Met by Moonlight Falkreath Falkreath Hold
Malacath The Cursed Tribe Largashbur The Rift
Mehrunes Dagon Pieces of the Past Dawnstar The Pale
Mephala The Whispering Door Dragonsreach Whiterun Hold
Meridia The Break of Dawn Statue to Meridia Haafingar
Molag Bal The House of Horrors Markarth The Reach
Namira The Taste of Death Markarth The Reach
Peryite The Only Cure Shrine to Peryite The Reach
Sanguine A Night to Remember Whiterun Whiterun Hold
Sheogorath The Mind of Madness Blue Palace Haafingar
Vaermina Waking Nightmare Dawnstar The Pale
Nocturnal Thieves Guild* Riften The Rift

To earn Oblivion Walker 15 Daedric artifacts must be collected. These can be collected during the above quests, although some outcomes of the quest do not yield artifacts. This is based solely on choices made during quests.

* Does not count towards Oblivion Walker achievement.

Dungeon quests

The following 24 quests relate to specific dungeons and maps. Quests listed with "*" appear as Miscellaneous Quests in the Quest Journal, and are named according to the Official Skyrim Game Guide.[1]

Quest name Location Hold
Medresi Dran and the Wandering Dead Angarvunde The Rift
A Love Beyond Death Ansilvund Eastmarch
Lost to the Ages Arkngthamz The Reach
A Return To Your Roots Blackreach The Pale
The Affairs of Hagravens Blind Cliff Cave The Reach
Repentance Darklight Tower The Rift
Extracting an Argonian Darkwater Pass The Rift
Siege on the Dragon Cult Forelhost The Rift
Frostflow Abyss Frostflow Lighthouse Winterhold
The Pale Lady Frostmere Crypt The Pale
A Scroll For Anska High Gate Ruins The Pale
Ancestral Worship Hillgrund's Tomb Whiterun Hold
Coming of Age Ironbind Barrow Winterhold
Forgetting about Fjola Mistwatch The Rift
Hunter and Hunted Moss Mother Cavern Falkreath Hold
The Lost Expedition Nchuand-Zel The Reach
Telrav's Request Nilheim The Rift
Rannveig's Fast Rannveig's Fast Hjaalmarch
The Legend of Red Eagle Rebel's Cairn The Reach
Lifting the Shroud Shroud Hearth Barrow The Rift
Ysolda's Shipment Sleeping Tree Camp Whiterun Hold
The Savior of Selveni Nethri Southfringe Sanctum Falkreath Hold
Infiltration Treva's Watch The Rift
Evil in Waiting Valthume The Reach
Silenced Tongues Volunruud The Pale
Ashore in a Sea of Ghosts Yngol Barrow Eastmarch

Miscellaneous quests

Misc

Sorted by place of acquisition: hold, city, or place. Some are actual side quests and have their own quest lines which count towards the "Sideways" achievement. Others are miscellaneous objectives and count toward the "Hero of the People" trophy and achievement.

Eastmarch

Windhelm

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Narzulbur

Miscellaneous quests

Kynesgrove

Miscellaneous quests

Falkreath Hold

Falkreath

Miscellaneous quests

Angi's Camp

Miscellaneous quests

Haafingar

Solitude

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Dragon Bridge

Miscellaneous quests

Hjaalmarch

Morthal

Side quests

Folgunthur

Side quests

The Pale

Dawnstar

Miscellaneous quests

The Reach

Markarth

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Karthwasten

Miscellaneous Quests

Soljund's Sinkhole

Miscellaneous quests

Left Hand Mine

Miscellaneous quests

Salvius Farm

Miscellaneous quests

Old Hroldan Inn

Miscellaneous quests

Dushnikh Yal

Miscellaneous quests

The Rift

Riften

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Froki's Shack

Side quests

Heartwood Mill

Miscellaneous quests

Ivarstead

Miscellaneous quests

Last Vigil

Side Quests

Merryfair Farm

Miscellaneous quests

Sarethi Farm

Miscellaneous quests

Shor's Stone

Miscellaneous quests

Whiterun Hold

Whiterun

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Riverwood

Side quests

Miscellaneous quests

Rorikstead

Miscellaneous quests

Winterhold Hold

Winterhold

Miscellaneous quests

Bounty quests

These can be given by innkeepers when asked about work or rumors. Any of the Jarls or stewards can give these when asked for work. The Bounty Note identifies the type and location of the bounty.

Forsworn

Bandits

Giants

Dragons

Global quests

A Few Words with You

Chop Wood

Delivery

Fight! Fight!

Gather Wheat

Mine Ore

Quest all Beggars Have

Quest all Drunks Have

Rare Gifts

Some Light Theft

Creation Club quests

Quest name Location Hold
Forgotten Seasons
Forgotten Seasons Runoff Caverns The Reach
The Dwarven Crown Runoff Caverns The Reach
The Dwarven Horse Runoff Caverns The Reach

[?]

Conflicting quests

  • Conflicting quests involve those that prevent other quests from being completed, and those which prevent the full reward from another quest from being acquired.
First quest Second quest Reason
The Forgemaster's Fingers Any quest granting Blood-Kin status The Forgemaster's Fingers is only offered to players lacking blood-kin status. Most quests completed for any orc grants blood-kin status, rendering this quest unable to be completed.
The Straw that Broke Dark Brotherhood contract: Kill Narfi As soon as you start Kill Narfi, you will be unable to start or complete The Straw that Broke.
Hearthfire: Build your Falkreath home Dark Brotherhood contract: Kill Helvard Killing Helvard may make it impossible to raise Siddgeir's disposition enough to sell you a plot of land in Falkreath. This can be overcome if at any time the Stormcloaks take over and replace Siddgeir as Jarl, otherwise you miss out on a house and some achievements/trophies. You must side with the Stormcloaks to trigger this, for more details see the Civil War article.
The Spiced Wine Bound Until Death Initiating quest 2 will render it impossible to complete quest 1.
Blood on the Ice Mourning Never Comes During quest 2, you are given an extra reward for killing Nilsine Shatter Shield. Doing this will cause her mother to kill herself. This can cause a fair amount of problems with quest progression, so it is best to complete quest 1 first.
Mourning Never Comes Lost to the Ages During quest 2 you are required to trek through Raldbthar, where Alain Dufont lives. If you kill him before starting quest 1, you cannot obtain the bonus reward in that quest. Fortunately, he is never hostile, unless provoked, so you can simply bypass him.
Kill the Bandit Leader for Ahtar Lights Out! During quest 2 you are required to trek through Broken Oar Grotto, where Captain Hargar lives. If you kill him before starting quest 1, you will never be able to start that quest and be unable to recruit a potential follower.
The Taste of Death Civil War If Markarth is handed to the Stormcloaks, quest 1 is nullified.
Compelling Tribute (Stormcloaks) Civil War If Markarth is handed to the Stormcloaks, quest 1 is nullified.
Delayed Burial With Friends Like These... Completing quest 2 will nullify quest 1.
Season Unending Civil War Completing the Civil War questline for either side (Imperial or Stormcloak) will nullify quest 2.

See also

References

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