Skyrim:Side Quests

Side quests are standard-length quests that are not part of a quest line and are not Daedric quests. Each side quest is listed separately in your quest journal. They are not subcategorized like miscellaneous quests. Also unlike miscellaneous quests, side quests are logged in your journal after completion. Side quests can be identified by the side quests knotwork (pictured at left) displayed next to the quest title in your journal and on each quest's page on this wiki.

Completing each of these quests generally increases by one the "Side Quests Completed" statistic in the General Stats section of the main in-game menu, and also counts towards the Sideways achievement. See this article's achievements section, below, for details.

The side quests are listed below based on the location where they are normally started.

Cities

Markarth

• The Forsworn Conspiracy: Investigate a murder in Markarth to discover a sinister plot surrounding the Forsworn.
• The Heart of Dibella: Find a new Sybil for the Temple of Dibella.
• The Lost Expedition: Recover the journals from the expedition in Nchuand-Zel.
• No One Escapes Cidhna Mine: Escape from Cidhna Mine!

Morthal

• Laid to Rest: Investigate a tragic house fire, and discover an insidious plot against the town.
• Rising at Dawn: Track down Falion to rid yourself of vampirism.

Raven Rock^(DB)

• Black Book: The Winds of Change^DB: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
• The Final Descent^DB: Find out what happened to the great-grandfather of Crescius Caerellius.
• March of the Dead^DB: Stop the ash spawn attacks on Raven Rock.
• A New Debt^DB: Help Drovas Relvi with his debt to Mogrul.
• Served Cold^DB: Save Councilor Morvayn from an assassination plot.

Riften

• The Book of Love: Help the Temple of Mara spread the cause of love throughout Skyrim.
• Promises to Keep: Help Louis Letrush get Frost from Sibbi Black-Briar.
• Unfathomable Depths: Uncover the memories of the Dwemer.

Solitude

• Lights Out!: Help run a cargo ship aground.
• The Man Who Cried Wolf: Investigate reports of strange happenings in Wolfskull Cave.
• Tending the Flames: Unveil the truth about a deceitful King and become a member of the Bards College.
• The Wolf Queen Awakened: Potema must be stopped.

Whiterun

• The Blessings of Nature: Restore the Gildergreen for Danica Pure-Spring.
• In My Time Of Need: Find a Redguard woman who is on the run from Hammerfell.
• Missing In Action: Rescue a missing Stormcloak supporter from the Thalmor.

Windhelm

• Blood on the Ice: Windhelm is plagued by a shadowy killer.
• Repairing the Phial: Acquire the materials necessary to repair the White Phial.
• Rise in the East: Help the East Empire Company take care of some pirates.
• The White Phial: Retrieve a legendary artifact to fulfill an old alchemist's wish in Windhelm.

Towns and Settlements

• Delayed Burial: Convince an unwilling farmer to help fix a stranded jester's broken wagon wheel.
  • For most purposes, this quest is categorized as a Dark Brotherhood quest; see details in the achievements section below.
• The Golden Claw: A shopkeeper wants you to retrieve his family heirloom from a bandit.
• Kyne's Sacred Trials: Participate in Kyne's Sacred Trials by hunting the guardian beasts of Skyrim.
• A Return To Your Roots: Go where a famous alchemist could not in order to aid ground-breaking research.

Skaal Village^(DB)

• Filial Bonds^DB: Find Wulf Wild-Blood's brother, Torkild, who may have become a werebear.
• Lost Legacy^DB: Travel to Vahlok's Tomb and defeat Vahlok the Jailor.
• A New Source of Stalhrim^DB: Find a blacksmith missing from Skaal Village.

Tel Mithryn^(DB)

• Azra's Staffs^DB: Retrieve a staff made by Azra Nightwielder for Master Neloth.
• Black Book: The Hidden Twilight^DB: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
• Briarheart Necropsy^DB: Examine a Briarheart for Neloth.
• Experimental Subject (A)^DB: Help Neloth by being a test subject in his experiment.
• From the Ashes^DB: Help Talvas Fathryon by killing an ash guardian.
• Healing a House^DB: Help Elynea Mothren repair the tower of Tel Mithryn.
• Heart Stones^DB: Find a heart stone for Neloth.
• Lost Knowledge^DB: Retrieve the Black Books for Neloth.
• Old Friends^DB: Find the source of attacks on Tel Mithryn.
• Reluctant Steward^DB: Find a new steward for Neloth in Raven Rock.
• Telvanni Research^DB: Extract a sample from an ash spawn for Neloth's research.
• Wind and Sand^DB: Retrieve a copy of Wind and Sand for Neloth.

Thirsk Mead Hall^(DB)

• The Chief of Thirsk Hall^DB: Help out a Riekling Chief at Thirsk Mead Hall.
• Retaking Thirsk^DB: Help Bujold the Unworthy retake Thirsk Mead Hall.

Dungeon Quests

These quests only start once you approach or enter the associated dungeon. Only dungeon quests that are counted as side quests are listed here. The Dungeon Quests article provides a list of all dungeon quests, including both the below side quests and several additional miscellaneous quests.

• Ancestral Worship: Help Golldir save his aunt and stop a necromancer from defiling his ancestral barrow.
• Evil in Waiting: Seal away an ancient evil.
• Forbidden Legend: Investigate the forgotten Gauldur Legend.
  • This is unique among side quests in that there are multiple places from which the quest can be "normally started".
• Infiltration: Help Stalleo take back Treva's Watch.
• The Pale Lady: Find out what happened in Frostmere Crypt.
• Repentance: Help Illia prevent her mother Silvia from transforming into a hagraven.
• A Scroll For Anska: Help Anska trace her roots in High Gate Ruins.
• Siege on the Dragon Cult: Enter the ruins of Forelhost and defeat Rahgot to recover his mask for Captain Valmir.
• Silenced Tongues: Unlock the burial chamber of the Tongue Chieftain Kvenel.

Other

• Black Book: Filament and Filigree^DB: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
• Black Book: The Sallow Regent^DB: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
• Black Book: Untold Legends^DB: Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge.
• Deathbrand^DB: Find the treasure of Haknir Death-Brand.
• The Ebony Warrior^DB: Locate and defeat the Ebony Warrior.
• Impatience of a Saint^DG: Collect the ten missing pages of Saint Jiub's Opus.
• Lost to the Ages^DG: Search for the Dwemer's Aetherium Forge.
• Unearthed^DB: Assist Ralis Sedarys in his search for the relics of Ahzidal in Kolbjorn Barrow.

Achievements

One achievement is obtained by completing side quests:

• Sideways (20 points/Bronze) — Complete 10 side quests
  • Completing any 10 of 33 qualifying side quests will unlock this achievement. In general, any full quest that uses the side quest knotwork in your quest log counts towards the achievement, but there are a few unusual cases:
    • Of the 33 non-Dawnguard/non-Dragonborn quests listed on this page, only Blood on the Ice does not count towards the achievement.
    • Delayed Burial is listed on this page, and counts towards the achievement, but it is otherwise categorized as a Dark Brotherhood quest, and is marked by the Dark Brotherhood knotwork.
    • The Affairs of Hagravens counts towards the achievement even though it is a miscellaneous quest (i.e., it is treated as such in your quest journal).
    • Alteration Ritual Spell does not count as a side quest, but is mistakenly displayed in your quest log using the side quest knotwork instead of the correct College of Winterhold knotwork.
  • In most cases where a quest has two possible conclusions, either ending will qualify towards the achievement. Exceptions include The Heart of Dibella and A Scroll For Anska. See the individual quest pages for details.
  • You can track your progress towards the achievement using the "Side Quests Completed" statistic on the General Stats log page.