Blackreach

How to get into Blackreach

Blackreach is a huge cavern under the mountains of northern Skyrim. On your first visit you cannot simply walk in from the surface. You need the Attunement Sphere, which Septimus Signus hands you during the main quest Elder Knowledge at his outpost north of the College of Winterhold. The sphere fits a Dwarven mechanism at the bottom of three ruins, and using it reveals a staircase down.

• Alftand, southwest of Winterhold, is the route the quest points you along. The mechanism is in Alftand Cathedral after the fight between Umana and Sulla Trebatius.
• Mzinchaleft, southwest of Dawnstar, has its mechanism in the Mzinchaleft Gatehouse behind the Falmer.
• Raldbthar, west of Windhelm in the Pale, has its mechanism in Raldbthar Deep Markets.

The three Great Lifts and the Tower of Mzark

Once inside, three Great Lifts give fast surface exits. Each is blocked by spears on the Blackreach side until you press a button on a sculpted metal head next to it. Ride up and pull the lever to the right of the gate, which is locked from the inside. After that the lift works from the surface too and you can fast travel straight to it.

• Great Lift at Alftand comes out northeast of Nightgate Inn, southeast of Wayward Pass.
• Great Lift at Mzinchaleft comes out in a tower just off the road between Dawnstar and Morthal, south of the ruin.
• Great Lift at Raldbthar comes out west-southwest of Anga's Mill, above the snowline.

The fourth exit is the Tower of Mzark, the goal of Elder Knowledge. It can only be entered from Blackreach the first time. Inside, place the Blank Lexicon in the Oculory, then press the second button from the right four times, the second from the left twice and the leftmost once to lower the Elder Scroll (Dragon).

What is inside Blackreach

The cavern is lit by giant glowing mushrooms and centred on the Silent City, a ruined Dwemer town whose tower is topped by a large orange globe. Named buildings include the Debate Hall, Hall of Rumination, Pumping Station, Silent City Catacombs, Reeking Tower, Derelict Pumphouse and War Quarters.

Enemies are Falmer and their servants, chaurus, Dwarven spiders, spheres and centurions, frostbite spiders, frost trolls, a giant and wispmothers. There is also a secret dragon: shout Unrelenting Force at the orange globe above the Silent City and Vulthuryol appears. This only happens once.

Blackreach is the only place crimson nirnroot grows, with 44 plants scattered across the cavern. It also holds 36 geode veins (34 in the open cavern, 2 in the Silent City Catacombs) that yield soul gems and corundum.

Quests in Blackreach

• Elder Knowledge (main quest): reach the Tower of Mzark from Alftand Cathedral and recover the Elder Scroll.
• Discerning the Transmundane: Septimus needs the Runed Lexicon that the Oculory inscribes for you.
• A Return To Your Roots: pick a crimson nirnroot, then read Sinderion's field journal in Sinderion's Field Laboratory, directly across from the Alftand Cathedral gate. Deliver 30 crimson nirnroot to Avrusa Sarethi at Sarethi Farm for the Sinderion's Serendipity ability (25 percent chance to brew two potions instead of one).

Tips for exploring Blackreach

• Sinderion's Field Laboratory is the only building here with an alchemy lab, arcane enchanter, cooking pot and workbench.
• Follow the road southeast from the Alftand exit to reach the Tower of Mzark.
• Open all three lifts on your first trip so later nirnroot runs are quick. See every Dwemer ruin in Skyrim.