Forbidden Legend – p. 2 | Side quests (2024)

On this page of our TES V: Skyrim guide, we will provide you with a detailed walkthrough of the second part of the Forbidden Legend side quest. You will be required to explore Geirmund’s Hall, defeat Sigdis (including his doppelgangers), and reforge Gauldur’s Amulet for future use. At the end of the task, you will have to fight against three powerful ghosts.

• New main objective: Find the Gauldur Amulet Fragment in Geirmund’s Hall
• New main objective: Find the Gauldur Amulet Fragment in Saarthal
• New main objective: Reforge the Gauldur Amulet

New main objective: Find the Gauldur Amulet Fragment in Geirmund’s Hall

Geirmund’s Hall is located east of Ivarstead on a small island in the middle of the lake. Enter the catacombs, eliminate two Skeevers, and jump down the large shaft in the middle of the cave. Exit the water and open the door to face two Frostbite Spiders. After killing them, search the nearby rooms for treasures (watch out for traps!). In the next room, you will encounter two Draugrs and a puzzle pattern: a hawk and fish on the left and a fish and snake on the right.

Continue forward, collecting treasures as you go (a trap will fall on you when you take the Soul Gem) and move the pillars to show a hawk, fish, snake, and fish (it’s a reflection of the pattern seen before, copied according to the corridor sides). Pull the lever by the door and enter the next room.

Defeat a couple of Draugrs inside the room, approach the platform, and take Lord Geirmund’s Key from the dead man’s hand (shown above). Proceed forward, eliminate more enemies, and approach the drawbridge. On the right side of the door, you will find a lever – do not pull it, or the spikes will stab you. The mechanism that lowers the bridge is located high on the wall behind you. Pull it and cross the bridge.

Inside the corridor ahead of you, there are Draugrs and swinging blades that can easily kill you. On the other side of the tunnel, there is an undead archer, so it is best to use the Whirlwind Sprint Shout and quickly attack him (shown above). In the next room, you will face your main enemy, Sigdis.

Get on the platform with the coffin in which Gauldur’s son is sleeping. He will wake up and teleport behind you. On the three pedestals in the middle of the pond, not one, but three copies of Sigdis will appear! Two of them are just magical copies, though they can still cause damage. You can kill them with one hit, but the champion itself will not fall so easily. Therefore, the easiest way to defeat him is to keep a safe distance and shoot him with a bow.

Notice that Sigdis’ duplicates do not have horns on their helms. This will help you identify them. If you manage to kill one of them, the champion will revive him and change his position, making the fight more difficult. Keep attacking the enemy until you defeat him. Take the powerful Gauldur Blackbow and Gauldur Amulet Fragment from his body. Then, leave the room and take any useful items from the nearby chest. After completing this, return to the surface.

New main objective: Find the Gauldur Amulet Fragment in Saarthal

Important! To enter Saarthal, complete the College of Winterhold quest, First Lessons. Finding the Gauldur Amulet Fragment is connected to the College quest, Under Saarthal. Both quests are described in this guide. Refer to the appropriate chapters in this guide, and after obtaining the amulet fragment, return to Reforge the Gauldur Amulet, located below.

New main objective: Reforge the Gauldur Amulet

After obtaining all three amulet fragments, you must connect them. This can only be done in the cave below Reachwater Rock, not at any blacksmith. Getting there can be challenging. Leave Markarth and follow the river until you reach a bridge below a waterfall. Leave the path and climb around the middle of the ledge from the right side. Under the waterfall, you will find a small cave entrance (screenshots below).

Upon entering the cave, take note of the corpse by the tree and the Emerald Dragon Claw on the pedestal. Approach the Nordic gate and set the rings as they appear on the claw, which are bear, fish, and snake. This will open the door, allowing you to progress.

In the next room, you will encounter another door. To activate it, use the Ivory Dragon Claw you found in Folgunthur during the beginning of this quest. Set the symbols on the artifact in the proper order: hawk, hawk, dragon.

Upon entering the next room, you will see three pedestals where you must place the amulet fragments. After doing so, ghosts of all three sons of Gauldur who you defeated will appear. They will not give up the artifact without a fight, so prepare for a final battle.

You will need to fight all three brothers once again. Fortunately, they will not attack you all at once, but one after another. The first brother will attack you with his powerful sword and numerous weak minions. Keep your distance and attack him as much as possible. With the champion dead, his minions will perish as well.

The next brother will teleport around the room and create clones of himself. Play a game of hit-or-miss and shoot them. Charging him with a sword is not advised, as you will likely be killed.

The final foe will use potent magic and will show up in various locations within the area – ensure you attack him from a safe distance. After eliminating all of Gauldur’s sons, he will emerge in the room and reassemble the three parts of the amulet. This will grant you a valuable item that boosts your magicka, health, and stamina by 30 points, making it one of the most effective items in the game. This marks the conclusion of the Forbidden Legend quest.

FAQ

What is the Forbidden Legend side quest in Skyrim?

Forbidden Legend is a side quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In this quest, the player is tasked with discovering the truth behind the legend of Gauldur. The legend tells the story of three brothers, Archmage Gauldur, Jyrik Gauldurson, and Mikrul Gauldurson, who were powerful mages. They turned against each other and fought to the death, and their remains were scattered throughout Skyrim. The player must find all three fragments of the amulet of Gauldur to uncover the true story of what happened to the brothers and their legacy. The quest involves battling powerful draugr and solving puzzles to retrieve the fragments.

Where can I start the Forbidden Legend quest in Skyrim?

The Forbidden Legend quest can be started by finding and reading the Lost Legends book, which can be found in various locations throughout Skyrim, such as the Arcanaeum in the College of Winterhold or the library in the Dawnstar Sanctuary. Once the book is read, the quest will begin and the player will be directed to various locations to find the fragments of the amulet of Gauldur. The quest is not tied to a specific faction or location, and can be completed at any time during the game. It is a lengthy and challenging quest, but the rewards are worth it, as the player will receive a powerful enchanted item at the end.