Dungeon: Hillgrund's Tomb
Set-Up:
- Melee: Steel Battleaxe of Bitter Cold
- Magic School: Conjuration
- Ranged: Ancien Nord Bow of Bitter Cold with Steel Arrows
- Armor: Amulet of Kynatreth(+10 Stamina), Imperial Officer's Helmet, Silver Ruby Ring(+15% Two-Handed Dmg), Steel Armor(Fine)(+24% Magicka Regen), Steel Cuffed Boots(Fine)(+15% Two-Handed Dmg), Steel Imperial Gauntlets(Fine)(+15% Two-Handed Dmg)
- Companion: Faendal: Steel Set, Orcish Battleaxe of Torpor, Imperial Bow with Iron Arrows
Level: 12 100/100/220
First Thoughts:
- This dungeon has its own story, and is one of my favorites in Skyrim.
- You're tasked with finding and "removing" a necromancer from this family tomb.
- I remember being swarmed by Draugr in this tomb, so that might pose a problem due to my low level and gimped stats.
- The quest throughout this area is a lot of fun, and, at times, emotional.
Note1: I have added a "Level" section to the guide to give you an idea of my progress, and difficulty.
Note2: The "Level" section is set as "Level: # Magicka/Health/Stamina"
Play-By-Play:
- Before entering this tomb be sure to grab the chest hidden on its roof.
- Going through the door brings me into the first room with Golldir, and allows me to begin the quest.
- He explains that Vals Veran, a necromancer, has gone crazy and started desecrating his family's tomb. His aunt has gone inside to stop him, but she hasn't returned.
- I agree to help him, and Golldir, Faendal, and I enter the tomb.
- The first room is empty, but continuing down the corridor leads to two low-level enemies.
- Opening the door on the right leads to an empty room and a flail trap.
- Further down the corridor is another wooden door.
- I open it to find a Restless Draugr and a mead barrel.
- This room has an oil slick, but there aren't any hanging pots.
- The battle pulled another enemy from down the hall, but the three of us dispatched it with ease.
- The next room is blanketed with a low fog, venturing further inside we discover the body of Agna, Golldir's aunt; there's blood everywhere.
- It seems that the necromancer has barred the door and Golldir tells me of a hidden passage.
- We exit the room and move down the stairs, but we're ambushed by draugr.
- The fight is easy enough.
- I cautiously enter the next room with my bow drawn and get off a shot before an enemy can attack us, but he runs, baiting Faendal and Golldir to follow.
- I start to give chase when I hear the scraping of stone against stone and narrowly escape the poison darts.
- Golldir decides to warn me after the fact.
- As I turn around I'm face to face with another draugr, but my axe makes quick work of him.
- Time to find Faendal.
- I start to run as I hear the clashing of steel.
- Dodging the pressure plate I come to the end of the hallway, Faendal and Golldir are in the doorway, but several stronger enemies block the path.
- Faendal and I cut through them until we meet in the middle, and finish off the last one.
- The next room is covered in webs... Spiders.
- After dispatching the beast, I take a look around the room and find a skeleton clutching an enchanted mace hidden behind some webs.
- We head farther into the crypt and I silently take down the sleeping draugr before it can alert the others.
- As Faendal turns the next corner he's takes a blow to the head and before he can get up we're surrounded.
- It's apparant how mindless these enemies are.
- One of them gets in close enough to land a blow and I stagger back, but Golldir comes to my aid, allowing me to line up my bow and send the restless undead to Sovengarde.
- Upon defeating his ancestors, Golldir tells us that "the bear will show the way."
- Sure enough, the room has the tiles Faendal and I saw in Bleak Falls Barrow
- The bear has a pullchain next to it.
- As I activate it, a passage opens up for us.
- We delve deeper into the crypt.
- A Restless Draugr gets up from his throne and charges us, but, again, we dispatch him with ease.
- The setting has changed from a dusty tomb to a damp, musty crypt; moss covers everything, and roots protrude from the walls.
- In the next room we find a large wooden door, and a smaller, locked one(Apprentice) in the corner.
- The small room behind the locked door yields a small chest and some potions(I don't use these, but I pick up the higher valued ones)
- Golldir tells us that the large door leads to the burial chamber, and Vals Veran.
- The chamber has several levels to it, so use this to your advantage once the battle begins,
- The necromancer approaches, and, after a short conversation(I won't spoil it), the battle ensues.
- If you're using my set-up I don't recommend charging the draugr, they can cast frost magic on top of the large number of enemies in this fight.
- The sarcophogus's around us explode and Golldir's ancestors emerge.
- I immediatly run down the stairs and into the larger room, hoping to funnel them through the door while Faendal and Golldir cut through them from behind.
- The second wave emerges as the last draugr goes down.
- I run down to the door again, only to be followed by the same enemies I had just defeated; the necromancer is raising the dead.
- I summon Stains to distract them while I take care of the stronger undead.
- The last one lands a blow, nearly killing me, but I finish it off and am rewarded with an epic killcam.
- I run back into the burial chamber to help Golldir, and the third wave emerges along with the dead from the last.
- I can't see Faendal anywhere!
- I summon stains to help Golldir and run through the doors again.
- As I finish off a restless draugr I hear the overlord shout.
- The undead rush through the door, but Golldir is close behind.
- I take out the lesser undead with ease, and summon Stains to help with the overlord.
- Stains keeps it distracted just long enough for me to get the undead scourge into "stunlock," finishing it off rewards me with another killcam.
- I make my way into the burial chamber again to face Vals Veran.
- He backs his way into a corner and screams, "I yield, I yield!"
- Stains and I show no mercy.
- Golldir thanks me, and my quest is complete, time to find Faendal.
- I finally find him, face down on the floor, my long time companion has been defeated.
- I leave his armor, and move him up the stairs in the Burial Chamber, place his body on the large slab to the left, and lay his weapon across his chest.
- Farewell friend, you will be missed.
- I exit the chamber through the iron doors and find an iron chest.
- The table across the room holds a few treasures as well.
- Before leaving I say my last goodbye to Faendal and close the door to the chamber.
- Opening the wooden doors will unlock a shortcut to the room where we found Agna before.
Chests/Bosses:
Chest1-A:
- Difficulty: Adept
- Loot: Gold(11)
Chest1:
- Difficulty: Unlocked
- Loot: Orcish Arrow(9), Gold(6), Potion of Healing
- Affected: No
Chest2:
- Difficulty: Expert(unlocked with key)
- Loot: Dwarven Shield, Gold(133), Iron Boots of Dwindling Shock(+40% Shock Resistance), Jade and Sapphire Circlet, Staff of Reanimation
- Affected: Yes, heavy armor caused a trend.
Boss Battle:
- Boss: Vals Veran
- Weapon: Steel Dagger/Frost Magic
- Playstyle: Battleaxe and conjured familiar
- Loot: Gold(18), Hagraven Claw, Hillgrund's Tomb Crypt Key, Robes of Minor Conjuration, Boots, Steel Dagger
- Affected: No
Mini-Boss: Draugr Overlord
- Weapon: Battleaxe
- Playstyle: Battleaxe with summoned familiar
- Loot: Bone Meal, Gold(27), Ancient Nord Battleaxe of Cold
- Affected: Yes
Noteable Items/Locations:
- Gem: Diamond: Located on the table in the "Iron Door Room" after defeating the boss.
Comments
Thanks for the support.