The Civil War has forced both militaries to scour Skyrim for ancient weapons and artifacts that can turn the tide. If you wander up the mountains to the west of Riften, you might find Forelhost, the remnants of a ruin that sheltered the last holdouts of the Dragon Cult.
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A High Elf from your army tells you to head inside and help him secure a Dragon Mask from a priest inside the once-sturdy fortress. He is far from helpful and if you need help figuring out how to get deeper inside, this guide will offer more guidance than he will.
Starting Siege On The Dragon Cult
Your journey into Forelhost starts when you arrive. You will be greeted by Captain Valmir, a High Elf soldier dressed in the same uniform as your supported faction. Yes, even if you are an elf-hating Stormcloak.
He tells you that your commander has tasked him to find a Dragon Priest mask inside the ruins. Parts of Forelhost have suffered several blockages, preventing Valmir from getting it himself.
He unlocks the ruins and asks you to help him retrieve the mask.
Entering Forelhost
Valmir helpfully mentions that a previous attacker may have left a journal with hints on how to get past the blockages, adding the optional objective of finding Skorm Snow-Strider's journal.
The journal is already found on the route through Forelhost and is not something that you need to go out of your way to find. This objective is not difficult to complete.
When you enter Forelhost, walk straight until you reach a junction. Take a right turn, heading up and to a hallway protected by swinging axes and a dead Stormcloak. The journal is on a table at the end of this route.
You can find a linear path to the next area, Forelhost Crypt by exiting through the doorway on the left.
Getting Into The Well
The journal will mention a route into the ruins through a once-poisoned well. This well is close to the entrance to the crypt, in a small hallway, and locked behind a master-level lock.
You can, of course, pick the lock and skip the next step, if you have the skills or enough lockpicks.
Go down into the catacombs, not far from the entrance into the well. You will need to fight several rooms of dragon cultists and draugr before finding the key within a chest in athrone room.
Climb up a ramp after the throne room to return to the well. With the door unlocked, you will have to swim through some rapids and fight several frostbite spiders before you reach the final area, Forelhost Refectory.
Reaching The Mask
The Refectory is another slog through more undead defenders, interrupted by a wall blocked off with spikes. You will need to search the room for the Glass Claw, found in the middle. Picking the claw up will lower the spikes.
The Claw's corresponding puzzle wall is not far away. The combination to unlock it is below.
- Fox
- Owl
- Snake
You will need to fight a final collection of rooms before confronting Forelhost's boss, the Dragon Priest Rahgot. He, and his undead allies, must be defeated before you can loot his mask and return to Captain Valmir.
Rahgot's mask is one of Skyrim's unique Dragon Priest masks. It favors melee fighters, giving 70 points of Stamina to its wearers.
You find him in a different uniform, trying to convince an enemy soldier to enter the ruins. You will have to defeat them both to end the quest.
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