The Elder Scrolls series has one of the largest and most expanded upon universes. Bethesda was sure to include a lot of hidden details within the RPG world of Skyrim with some being easy to find and some being more difficult. Some of these are hidden in plain sight and one of those places is the city of Dawnstar.
While it may not be as grand a city like the dwarven-built Markarth or the Imperial-influenced Solitude, there’s a lot to uncover in Dawnstar if you take the time to take a look around town. Here are some things that most people might have glazed over in Dawnstar.
10 It Has A Bloody History
Until 2E 283, Dawnstar was just an average village trying to make ends meet. That changed when a fortress in the village was destroyed causing it to be ruled by martial law. This would lead to one of the most violent periods in Tamriel’s history in which Dawnstar would actually be destroyed.
The city was eventually rebuilt at some point before the end of the Third Era with it eventually returning to how it once was.
9 It Lies In Perpetual Snow
For whatever reason, it never seems to stop snowing in Dawnstar, or at least the snow never melts. Dawnstar is actually one of three cities, the other two being the city of Winterhold and Windhelm.
It’s a good way to show off Skyrim’s cold climate that it’s known for and its similarities to Norway, the land of the Vikings who inspired the Nords. It would also explain why some of its people are pretty miserable.
8 Its Jarl Really Hates The Empire
Speaking of miserable people, Dawnstar’s jarl is Skald the Elder who has ruled it for over 35 years. When first arriving in the city, the Dragonborn will encounter Skald arguing with two Legion war vets, Brina and her husband Horik.
Asking about it will reveal Skald’s strong distaste for the Empire. He even thinks Brina and Horik are spies and that the dragons appearing in Skyrim are a direct result of turning their backs on Talos, the divine whose worship was banned by the Empire. He is also fanatically loyal to Ulfric Stormcloak, in case that wasn’t obvious enough.
7 The New Jarl Of Dawnstar
Should the player side with Empire in the Civil War questline, they will eventually have to take Dawnstar and the Pale, the region of Skyrim Dawnstar resides in, from the Stormcloaks.
Once it is done, Skald will be replaced by Brina as jarl due to her prior history with the Empire. Seems like karma hit Skald hard who will now be in Windhelm’s palace for the rest of the game.
6 A Town Plagued With Nightmares
Upon doing some investigating, the player will discover that Dawnstar’s people are all suffering from bad nightmares. It is eventually revealed that a daedric prince, Vaermina, is corrupting the peoples’ dreams to grow more powerful.
A priest of Mara, Erandur, will request help with ending the nightmares. At the end of the quest, players have the option of either helping the priest of Vaermina who gives them the artifact Erandur is trying to destroy. Either outcome will finally end Dawnstar’s nonstop nightmares.
5 A Game Of Mines
Business is always a competitive thing regardless of the era. This is evidenced by the rivalry between two mines in Dawnstar, Iron-Breaker Mine, and Quicksilver Mine. The workers of both mines are always trying to outperform the other in who can mine the most ore.
The rivalry is pretty one-sided in favor of Quicksilver Mine since quicksilver is much more profitable than Iron-Breaker’s iron. Regardless, both places are good for the player to mine each ore to use in blacksmithing.
4 The Hidden Chest
Speaking of Iron-Breaker Mine, there is a hidden chest that players can find with some neat goodies waiting inside.
There are a group of three rocks that form a triangle. Once finding this, sneak and look at the rock towards the back. The chest, which is invisible, can be found here containing a variety of goods that are scaled based on the player’s level.
3 A Good Place To Farm Dragon Souls
Despite being a staple for medieval fantasy, dragons did not appear properly in an Elder Scrolls game until Skyrim. For some reason, dragons have a higher chance of spawning around Dawnstar.
Defeating dragons will net the player dragon souls which can be used to acquire and upgrade different shouts depending on if the player has acquired new words of power. Since Dawnstar has a higher chance of spawning dragons, it is best to look for dragons here to find new items.
2 A House Cannot Be Purchased Within The City
Since Dawnstar is pretty small, there are unfortunately no houses that can be purchased in the city. Because of this, players do not have to purchase property in order to become thane of the city. Instead, players who want to live near the city will need the Hearthfire DLC.
Having the DLC means that players will be able to buy a plot of land, Heljarchen Hall, in the Pale and then build a house themselves.
1 A Callback To An Oblivion Faction
When going into the main part of town for the first time, players will see an argument that results in a man in red robes, Silus Vesuius, being warned about opening a museum. That museum is a museum dedicated to a faction Oblivion veterans will recognize, the Mythic Dawn.
The Mythic Dawn was the main enemy faction of Oblivion who were trying to bring the daedric prince Mehrunes Dagon, who they worshipped, into Tamriel by trying to wipe out the Septim dynasty. They ultimately failed and were wiped out in between Oblivion and Skyrim.
Talking to Silus will have him give the player a tour and start a quest in which the player tries to retrieve the pieces of Mehrunes’ razor, a daedric artifact. Nothing can go wrong with this right?
