How to Retrieve and Deliver the Dragonstone in Bleak Falls Barrow in Skyrim

Last Updated: September 27, 2020

You’ve just made your way out of your encounter with a dragon and have just spoken to Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun about the danger. The next leg of your journey will send you deep into the mountainous heart of Skyrim to search for the Dragonstone. But how, exactly, do you go about finding the Dragonstone in the first place?

Steps

1
Speak to Farengar Secret-Fire. He is the Jarl's wizard inside Dragonsreach castle in Whiterun. He can usually be found in the room to the right of the throne room when you enter the castle. After you warn Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun of the dragons, the Jarl will instruct you to talk to Farengar Secret-Fire. Farengar will explain that he is looking for the Dragonstone, and he will direct you to go to Bleak Falls Barrow. This will result in a quest marker leading to Bleak Falls Barrow popping up on your map.^{[1]
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- If you have completed the quest “The Golden Claw,” chances are you might already have the Dragonstone in your inventory. This is because the quest will take you through the exact same path required for the “Bleak Falls Barrow” quest. You will also be unable to sell or transfer the Dragonstone out of your inventory, ensuring that it will stay on your person until you give it to Farengar at the end of the “Bleak Falls Barrow” quest.
2
Travel to Bleak Falls Barrow. It's is southwest from Whiterun, south of the Western Tower at the top of the mountains There are a couple routes you can take to get there. Be careful as you approach the barrow, as you will encounter around a half-dozen bandits near its entrance. The wide-open space of this area will give their archers plenty of opportunities to stick you with arrows. The paths to Bleak Falls Barrow are as follows:
- Find a footpath from the base of the northern wall of the mountain south of the Western Tower. Follow it all the way up to the top of the mountain. This route presents the fewest threats along the way.
- Cross the bridge north of the Riverwood. Then turn northwest along a winding path leading up to the barrow. This route is the most commonly used route. However, it will pit you against hostile forest animals (usually wolves) and a few bandits near an abandoned tower along the way.
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3
Enter Bleak Falls Temple. It's the large structure at the top of the stairs. When you first enter the barrow, you will notice a lot of skeever and human corpses around you. Sneak forward, and you will overhear bandits talking about someone named Arvel and how he ran off with a golden claw of some sort. If you have not started “The Golden Claw,” this quest will start right now. Defeat the bandits and proceed deeper into the barrow.
4
Follow the corridors of the temple. Be careful, you may encounter some more bandits along the way. Eventually, you will encounter a torch-wielding bandit who will run forward into a puzzle room.
5
Solve the Pillar Puzzle. Examine the symbols above the gate. The middle one is damaged and laying on the ground. Rotate the pillars on the left so that the symbols that face you match the symbols above the gate. From left to right, these symbols will be Snake, Snake, Whale. Pull the lever and continue down the spiral staircase on the left.^{[2]
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- Be careful while descending the spiral staircase, as skeevers will start swarming you. Stay on top of the staircase to bottleneck their attacks and make it possible to deal with them one at a time.
6
Defeat the Giant Spider. You will eventually reach an area filled with cobwebs, with someone calling out for help. Cautiously move forward into the room, where someone is caught on a web, and a giant Frostbite Spider will drop down to confront you. Kill it and talk to the trapped man, who turns out to be Arvel the Swift.
- If you are having difficulty fighting the spider, beat a hasty retreat through the door you used to enter the room. The spider will not be able to pass through the door. Heal up, and use magic or ranged weapons to wear the spider down from afar. Just remember that the spider can still spit poison at you though. Dodge to the sides when it rears up, as this is the sign that it will spit a glob of poison at you.
7
Cut down Arvel the Swift. Talk to Arvel to interrogate him about the whereabouts of the claw, and he will agree to show you how it works in exchange for cutting him down. Use a melee weapon or your magic to strike the webs binding his arms and legs.
8
Get the Golden Claw from Arvel the Swift. After you free Arvel the Swift, he will promptly run deeper into the barrow in an attempt to escape you. You can either chase after him and kill him or let a draugr do it for you. Defeat the draugr and search Arvel’s body to find the Golden Claw. Once you have the Golden Claw, proceed deeper into the barrow.
9
Follow the corridors to the sanctum. As you continue through the barrow, there are more traps and dangers that you will encounter. Be on the lookout for the following:
- Draugr: You will enter a few rooms that have dead bodies lying in tombs along the walls. Be careful. Some of those dead bodies will come to life when you pass through.
- Spiked Door Trap: The first room where you fight draugrs that come to life also has a spiked door trap. Make sure you don't step on the pressure plate that's on the floor or it will activate spiked door trap that will swing out and impale you. Draugrs can also activate this trap, so be careful.
- Swinging axes: Eventually you will come to a narrow corridor with swinging axes. Watch for the timing of the axes and pass through as quickly as possible in between swings.
- Frost troll: Eventually you will come to some running water. Follow the running water. Pull the chain next to the gate to open it. Eventually, you will come to a ledge. Look down from the ledge to see a frost troll down below. Use a ranged weapon, such as a bow and arrow to kill the frost troll from above. When he is dead, take the passageway on the right to get down to where the frost troll was at.
10
Solve the round door puzzle. You will eventually encounter a locked door with rotating rings around the keyhole. Open your inventory, select the Golden Claw, and inspect it. Rotate it so that the bottom faces you, and take note of the symbols you see on it. Rotate the rings around the hole of the keyhole to match this combination. The combination from bottom to top is, owl, moth, bear. Place the golden claw in the keyhole to open the door and gain access to the Sanctum.
11
Learn a new shout. Entering the Sanctum will lead you to a wide, open room with waterfalls and a prominent wall with strange script written on it. You will hear chanting that will grow louder as approach the wall. Get close enough, and your screen will darken while one word on the wall will glow brightly, causing you to learn a Word of Power shout from the Word Wall.
12
Retrieve the Dragonstone. Once you have learned the Word of Power, the coffin behind you will break open as a powerful draugr boss emerges. Defeat this draugr and loot its corpse to find the Dragonstone.
13
Exit the Sanctum. You don’t need to run all the way back to entrance of the barrow. Take the stairs to the left of the Word Wall. Go through the passageway at the top. When you come to a wall, pull the handle on the pedestal to the right to open the hidden door. Continue down the passageway until you reach the exit.
14
Give the Dragonstone to Farengar. Once you are outside, you can open your map and fast-travel back to Dragonsreach in Whiterun. Return to Farengar. You will hear him talking to someone named Delphine. Listen to their discussion to learn more about the return of the dragons. Talk to Farengar to give the Dragonstone to Farengar and finish the “Bleak Falls Barrow” quest.^{[3]
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- You may want to make a stop at Riverwood to return the Golden Claw to Lucas before heading back to Farengar. He will reward you with some gold for doing so and will also give you better prices for buying or selling goods, perfect for unloading the loot you just gained after running through Bleak Falls Barrow.

Community Q&A

Question

Why am I thrown back to the entrance just before I get to the door?

Community Answer

Look at the floor, and if you see a pressure plate, that is why. It triggers a door that throws you back.
Question

How can I beat a powerful boss?

Community Answer

Stock up on healing potions and food and make sure you're using your strongest weapon.
Question

How do I get magic?

Community Answer

Magic is referred to as Magicka in the Elder Scrolls games. In Skyrim, you can access the preset magicka skills from the character menu and equip them.