Skyrim:Ragnvald

Nordic Ruin: Ragnvald (view on map)
# of Zones	3
Clearable	Yes
Dungeon	Yes
Respawn Time	Never (storage is safe)
Level	Min: 24
Occupants
Draugr, Otar the Mad
Important Treasure
Mystery of Talara, v 2 Otar Saerek's Skull Key Staff of the Storm Wall Torsten's Skull Key
Console Location Code(s)
Ragnvald01, Ragnvald02, Ragnvald03
Region
The Reach
Location
North of Markarth
Special Features
Word Wall	Kyne's Peace
# of Arcane Enchanters	1

Ragnvald Exterior

Ragnvald is a medium-sized Nordic ruin north of Markarth containing draugr. It contains three zones: Ragnvald Temple, Ragnvald Crypts and Ragnvald Canal.

Related Quests

• Ragnvald: Discover the secrets of Ragnvald.
• Alteration Ritual Spell: Acquire Kahvozein's Fang and use it to get heartscales from a dragon for Tolfdir. (radiant)

NOTE: Some radiant quests have a sizeable list of possible locations. These quests are not placed on individual place pages, and are instead listed at radiant quest locations.

Walkthrough

Exterior

Two leveled draugr roam the steps before the entrance. Other than a few scattered ingredient-bearing plants, the only thing of note here is the body of a dead Orc bandit hidden in a shrub to the left of and behind the entrance doors. A small bag of gold lies on the ground next to him.

Zone 1: Ragnvald Temple

The first chamber contains a table with a dead draugr on it, accompanied by several potions and a bit of gold. The ceiling has large holes in it and the sky is visible, but it is not possible to fast-travel from here. The only exit corridor leads downward and then doubles back, ending at a T-intersection. The right branch of the T quickly dead-ends at an unlocked chest with leveled contents. The left branch is intersected on its left wall by another, narrower passage that again doubles back and leads downward. After a few twists and turns, it exits onto a bridge into a large, complex open space where the first substantial opposition is found: two boss-level draugr, one on a platform on the other side of the bridge and the other on a ramp leading from the floor of the chamber to the bridge's far end. There is spilled oil on the other side of the bridge, and an arrow to a hanging lamp will set the first of these draugr on fire if timed correctly. Heading left across a stone bridge will lead you to two doors, a wooden one which is barred from the other side, and an iron one that takes you to Ragnvald Crypts. Heading across the stone bridges to the right will take you to the door into Ragnvald Canal.

Otar the Mad rises.

Continuing straight will bring you to another chamber that contains the tomb of the dragon priest Otar the Mad, across the room but on a lower level, in front of a barred-off archway. To the right, there is another draugr wandering around on the lower level. To gain access to the chamber beyond the barred archway, you must insert Saerek's skull key, found in Ragnvald Crypts, and Torsten's skull key, found in Ragnvald Canal, into the slots in the sarcophagus, retracting the bars and releasing Otar the Mad. After defeating him, be sure to loot his ash pile for his mask and lightning staff. The chamber behind Otar's sarcophagus contains a word wall for the Kyne's Peace shout, as well as a boss chest and an apprentice-locked chest in a partially collapsed alcove in the northwest corner. Before you leave, don't forget to remove the two skull keys from Otar's sarcophagus, as they are worth a fair bit of gold.

Zone 2: Ragnvald Crypts

Ragnvald Crypts begins with a small room containing a black sarcophagus that appears inert, guarded by a single draugr. Two parallel passages lead out of this room. Notice that above the sarcophagus on the wall ledge, there is a burial urn that appears to glow purple. You can reach that ledge if you are creative, but the urn is empty. Of the two passages, the one to the left has four dart traps triggered by four successive floor plates, but since the traps aim not at the plates but in front of them, pausing directly on the plate until the darts are exhausted allows safe passage. The passage on the right has no traps. Both end in a standard burial chamber lined with wall slots for coffins and remains. Following the crypt down, the first turn to the left will see two lower-level draugr and a boss revive and attack you. The passage curves right and then left, leading past a draugr in an alcove on the left side who will revive, and ends on the lower level of a medium-sized room with an upper level, where there is another draugr boss. There is a chest in an alcove at the opposite end of this room with a small amount of loot; be sure to disengage the apprentice-level trap on the right hand side of the chest before opening and watch out for a draugr wandering around the upper level of the room.

The exit to this room is on the right-hand side, a staircase to the upper level of the room. From here it is possible to go either left into another large room or right across the bridge you passed under earlier and into a passageway that leads back to Ragnvald Temple. The large room on the left has the skull key on a pedestal in the middle, with a large black sarcophagus at the far end of the room and two other sarcophagi on balconies to either side. It is possible to avoid this obvious trap of opening the sarcophagus at the far end of the room by casting a fire rune at it and fighting its occupant, Guardian Saerek, one on one with the rear door still open for a retreat if necessary. The two draugr at the sides of the chamber can then be taken out individually using the same technique, after which the skull key can be removed in safety. Other than Saerek's leveled two-handed weapon, there is very little loot to be had here.

Zone 3: Ragnvald Canal

This is another complex space with the floor covered in water and several draugr with a bit more fight in them than any encountered before: one will attempt to summon a frost atronach. After defeating these, proceed to the left and ahead, keeping an eye on the bridges higher up in the room to shoot off any draugr passing over them. Past the wooden bridge over the water, there is an unlocked chest in a dead-end room to the right. To the left and forward, progress appears to be blocked by a raised bridge. This can be lowered by a lever found on the floor a bit further to the left, or simply circumvented. Note that the black iron door behind the lever here is guarded by a flame trap; wait for it to burn out. The dead-end room behind has an unlocked chest with a moderate amount of loot.

Continuing to follow the passages brings you to a chamber with the second skull key, this one on a platform with a bridge running to it and another leading off to the right, with stairs leading to the lower level on the opposite side. At the far end of the chamber there is a large black sarcophagus, the resting place of Guardian Torsten, flanked by two others in raised alcoves. This trap can be dismantled the same way the previous one was. There is a chest to the right of Guardian Torsten's sarcophagus, but it does not hold much and in general the pickings here are even slimmer than from Guardian Saerek. Take the second skull key and return to the main chamber via the bridge leading east. The path leads a second time through the chamber at a higher level, with a branch off to a dead end with a chest. Be careful not to set off the swinging axes by stepping on the floor plate immediately after exiting the chamber a second time. There is an arcane enchanter and another low-level chest on the way.