The Rift
Overview
The Rift is the southeastern region of Skyrim, featuring dense forests, Falmer caverns, and natural mining operations. This area is known for its rich plant and mushroom resources. Threat levels range from Average to Dangerous, making it suitable for intermediate-to-experienced adventurers. The region provides extensive ore deposits including iron, orichalcum, and quicksilver.
Caves, Mines, & Passes
| Boulderfall Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Necromancer |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Alchemy (Herbalist’s Guide to Skyrim) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Corundum |
| Interesting Notes | Skillbook: Block (Battle of Red Mountain) can be found SW of the cave’s entrance in a ruined hut. |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous |
| Broken Helm Hollow | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits |
| Special Features | Cooking Pot/Spit |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Two Handed (Battle of Sancre Tor) |
| Ore Veins | x3 Corundum |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Clearspring Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Troll |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | Bow of the Hunt Skillbook: Marksman (Vernaccus and Bourlor) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Iron |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Difficult |
| Crystaldrift Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Animals |
| Special Features | Cooking Pot/Spit |
| Important Treasure | Gadnor’s Staff of Charming Skillbook: Restoration (Mystery of Talara, v 2) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Iron; x1 Moonstone |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Easy-Difficult* (dependant upon animals) |
| Darkwater Pass | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Falmer / Chaurus |
| Special Features | Arcane Enchanter |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Enchanting (Catalogue of Weapon Enchantments) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Silver; x1 Iron |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous |
| Fallowstone Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bears / Frostbite Spiders / Giants* / Trolls |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Ore Veins | x1 Iron; x2 Silver; x1 Silver (outside 320ft NW of entrance); x2 Orichalcum (outside, one is NW at foot of mountains, other is near the aforementioned silver vein) |
| Interesting Notes | NW of the cave, under a tree N of the road and SE of the above Silver vein is Skillbook: Illusion (Incident at Necrom) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Difficult (Dangerous) - *There will be Giants present during *The Cursed Tribe. |
| Honeystrand Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bears |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Lockpicking (The Locked Room) |
| Interestin Notes | There are bees everywhere outside and a few beehives for those interested in Alchemical ingredients. |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Lost Prospect Mine | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | None |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Ore Veins | x3 Gold |
| Tactical | Threat Level: None |
| Northwind Mine | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Skeletons |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Block (Death Blow of Abernanit) |
| Ore Veins | x3 Ebony (as per the Unofficial Patch, could also be Iron) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Pinepeak Cavern | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bears |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Smithing (Heavy Armor Forging) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Corundum |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Purewater Run | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Slaughterfish |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Smithing (Cherim’s Heart) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Quicksilver |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Easy? - Scrolls or Spells utilizing Cloak spells can kill the fish while underwater. |
| Redbelly Mine | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Frostbite Spiders |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Ore Veins | x3 Iron |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Redwater Den | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Various Civilians / Bandits / Vampires / Ebony Vampire* / Vampire Thralls / Death Hounds / Venarus Vulpin |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab; Arcane Enchanter; Cooking Pot/Spit; Forge/Anvil; Grindstone; Workbench |
| Important Treasure | Spell Tome: Telekinesis |
| Ore Veins | x2 Iron; x2 Gold |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous (Perilous*) - Venarus is a mage in addition to being a Vampire, utilizing both Destruction and Cojuration spells. - *An Ebony Vampire has a chance to spawn in place of the Steel Plate Vampire Boss. |
| Ruunvald Excavation | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Charmed Vigilants / Huskies / Minorne / Moric Sidrey / Volk |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Ore Veins | x4 Malachite |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous - Minorne is a Conjurer. |
| Tolvald’s Cave | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Chaurus / Falmer / Frostbite Spiders |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab; Tanning Rack |
| Important Treasure | Crown of Barenziah Skillbook: Block (Battle of Red Mountain) Skillbook: Destruction (Mystery of Talara, v3) |
| Ore Veins | x2 Iron; x1 Moonstone; x2 Quicksilver; x1 Silver |
| Interesting Notes | Highest number of Glowing Mushrooms (282) and second highest number of Chaurus Eggs (11) in the game. |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous |
Dwemer Ruins
| Avanchnzel | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Automatons |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Restoration (Racial Phylogeny) |
| Ore Veins | x2 Iron |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous |
| Ruins of Bthalft | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Ore Veins | x1 Corundum |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Ruins of Rkund | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Wispmother / Wisps |
| Special Features | None |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous |
| The Aetherium Forge | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Automatons / The Forgemaster |
| Special Features | Aetherium Forge |
| Important Treasure | Aetherial Crown or Aetherial Shield or Aetherial Staff |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Perilous - The Forgemaster is a unique, powerful Dwarven Centurion that can ‘shoot’ large gouts of fire instead of steam. - Flames linger on the ground where it breaths the fire, similar to the spell Firewall |
Forts, Nordic Towers, & Watchtowers
| Darklight Tower | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Hagravens / Hags / Witches / Frostbite Spiders / Skeekvers |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab; Arcane Enchanter |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Destructiom (Horror of Castle Xyr) Skillbook: Destruction (Mystery of Talara, v3) Skillbook: Illusion (2920, Sun’s Dawn, v2) Skillbook: Lockpicking (Proper Lock Design) Staff of Hag’s Wrath |
| Interesting Notes | Largest concentration of Scaly Pholiota (17) in the game. |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Dangerous - Illia battles a Witch in the 2nd room and if alive will give a quest to clear the tower. - Illia can be recruited as a follower/spouse after the quest is complete, providing she’s still alive after. |
| Faldar’s Tooth | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits / Wolves |
| Special Features | Cooking Pot/Spit; Fishing Supplies; Forge/Anvil; Grindstone; Tanning Rack |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Alteration (The Lunar Lorkhan) Skillbook: Lockpicking (Proper Lock Design) Skillbook: Marksman (The Marksmanship Lesson) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Silver (outside, 210ft N of the tower, on the far side of the rocky area) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Fort Greenwall | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits / Frostbite Spiders |
| Special Features | Forge/Anvil; Grindstone; Workbench |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: One Handed (Mace Etiquette) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Nilheim | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits |
| Special Features | Wood Chopping |
| Important Treasure | None |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Rift Watchtower | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits |
| Special Features | Tanning Rack |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Heavy Armor |
| Ore Veins | x1 Orichalcum (outside, to the SE) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
| Treva’s Watch | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Bandits |
| Special Features | Arcane Enchanter; Cooking Pot/Spit; Forge/Anvil; Grindstone; Workbench |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Enchanting (Twin Secrets) |
| Ore Veins | x2 Iron (outside, SW of the fort) |
| Interesting Notes | On the far side of the river to the west is a Clay Deposit. |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Average |
Ruins & Tombs
| Angarvunde | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Draugr |
| Special Features | Word Wall: Animal Allegiance |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Illusion (Before the Ages of Man) Skillbook: Speech (A Dance in Fire, v7) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Corundum; x1 Silver (outside, SE of the camp a short distance) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Difficult |
| Arcwind Point | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Draugr / Skeletons / Dragon / Leveled Creatures* |
| Special Features | Word Wall: Drain Vitality |
| Important Treasure | Skillbook: Restoration (Withershins) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Perilous - *Not entirely sure what that means for Requiem, but if you’re ready for a Dragon you’re ready for whatever. |
| Forelhost | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Dragon Cultists / Draugr / Skeevers / Dragon Priest Rahgot |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab; Arcane Enchanter; Forge/Anvil; Grindstone; Workbench; Word Wall: Storm Call |
| Important Treasure | Dragon Priest Staff Dragon Priest Mask: Rahgot Skillbook: Restoration (The Exodus) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Gold; x1 Quicksilver |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Perilous - Rahgot uses powerful fire magic, can conjure Flame Atronach, and can Command Daedra. |
| Geirmund’s Hall | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Draugr / Frostbite Spiders / Skeevers / Sigdis Gauldurson |
| Special Features | Arcane Enchanter; Fishing Supplies |
| Important Treasure | Gauldur Amulet Fragment Gauldur Blackbow Skillbook: Two Handed (Words and Philosophy) |
| Ore Veins | x1 Iron |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Difficult - Sigdis wields the Gauldur Blackbow, can summon illusions, and can teleport. |
| Shroud Hearth Barrow | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | Draugr / Skeletons / Wyndelius Gatharian |
| Special Features | Alchemy Lab; Word Wall: Kyne’s Peace |
| Important Treasure | Philter of the Phantom x2 Skillbook: Illusion (Before the Ages of Man) |
| Tactical | Threat Level: Difficult |