Skyrim:Dead Drop Falls

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Cave: Dead Drop Falls (view on map)
Added by Plug-in	Dawnguard
# of Zones	2
Clearable	No
Respawn Time	10 days
Important Treasure
The Aetherium Wars
Console Location Code(s)
DLC1HunterCave01, DLC1HunterCave02
Ore Veins
# of Corundum	4

Entrance to Dead Drop Falls

Dead Drop Falls is a cavern accessible through the southwest section of Fort Dawnguard. It contains two zones, Dead Drop Falls and Dead Drop Mine. The entrance is found between three combat mannequins and the armored husky paddock.

Dead Drop Falls

When you first enter, you'll see a waterfall directly ahead. Blisterwort and Imp Stool can be found scattered around, and there will be a ledge on the west wall with a visible chest. You can jump up to it now for some loot or wait until you're ready to leave; regardless, make your way to the waterfall, where you can jump down into the water below.

Head north to find yourself in an immense area with shallow waters, some Namira's Rot and Fly Amanita, more Blisterwort and Imp Stool, and a path of bridges. Before heading toward the first bridge, head north along the west wall to find an unlocked chest with minor loot.

Bridge Path

When you make your way back to the bridge path, you'll find a bear trap having claimed a skeever's life already. This is the first of a series of traps along the bridge path; you'll soon run into a pressure plate trap which activates darts, a tripwire setting off a set of floor spikes, and another tripwire which sets off the new crossbow mount trap (added by the Dawnguard plug-in).

After these traps, you'll find a set of two drawbridges which must be lowered to continue across the bridge path. Facing a lever to your left, you'll spot a target mounted a distance away. Using any ranged attack, shoot the target and activate the lever to lower both sections of the drawbridge.

Gated Path

On the other side, you'll see a pair of gates blocking your path. Another target must be used to make your way through— shoot the target once to open the first gate, and make your way into a tunnel where you'll be blocked off by the second gate. Turn back to the same target and shoot it again, which will lower the first gate and raise the next one.

Continuing on, you'll find yourself in a small room with another gate blocking your way. The target will be directly above the door, but simply shooting it will not grant access. Look on the floor to see a set of three pressure plates, one with a low-value book lying on it. To lower the gate, drop an item on each of the three pressure plates, then shoot the target. The gate will raise, and you can pick up your items before making your way through.

At the end of a long tunnel, you'll see another gate blocking your way, and yet another target mounted near the ceiling above. Shoot the target to raise the gate, then quickly sprint (or use the Whirlwind Sprint shout) through before it swiftly closes again.

The following room will be worth the trouble, as you'll find a boss chest, several ores and ingots, some enchanted bolts for the crossbow (one set each of Fire, Frost, and Shock), and a copy of Confessions Of A Khajiit Fur Trader, newly added by the Dawnguard plug-in. Your only way out of this room is to open the door to the second zone, Dead Drop Mine, unless you want to go back out and search for any loot you may have missed. The lever is just left of the gate from which you entered.

Dead Drop Mine

Dead Drop Mine is a small corundum mine containing three corundum ingots, three corundum ores, and four corundum ore veins. You can also find a copy of the book The Aetherium Wars, which will lead to the quest Lost to the Ages upon reading. Following the linear path out of the mine, you will come out to the entrance area of Dead Drop Falls, and find yourself on the ledge with the unreachable chest from the first section. You'll be able to exit back out to Fort Dawnguard the same way you came in.

Maps

• 

  Dead Drop Falls

• 

  Dead Drop Mine

Notes

• There are a few harder-to-find chests in the Gated Path section
  • One at the perimeter on the water level near the target that opens the alternating gates where you are blocked off in between them.
  • One is high up on the room with the three pressure plates, allowing you to keep your current inventory.

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