Moldering Ruins is a small Nordic crypt in the far west of Whiterun Hold, near the border with the Reach – due west of Rorikstead, between Bleakwind Bluff and Serpent’s Bluff Redoubt. It’s Dawnguard content: a vampire has moved into the old tomb and made it his lair. You don’t need to start the Dawnguard questline to go in, but it shows up a lot once you do.
What you’ll find
- A tent on the surface hiding the trapdoor entrance, guarded by a death hound and two vampire thralls (Dawnguard).
- Inside, a master vampire and another thrall.
- A draugr the vampire can raise as an ally; it turns to ash once the vampire dies.
- Vine-covered objects that make clean ranged shots across the room tricky.
- Burial urns, a large locked chest and lots of hanging moss.
- A bedroll, two sleeping coffins and a cooking spot.
Quests
Moldering Ruins is a common pick for Dawnguard radiant quests on both sides. It can also be the target of the Companions jobs Family Heirloom, Trouble in Skyrim, Rescue Mission and Totems of Hircine, and one possible spot for Meridia’s Beacon. Vampire-hunting players may even find it named on an Assassin’s Writ carried by a vampire after siding with the Dawnguard.
Tips
Kill the master vampire first if you can – his raised draugr crumbles with him, and that halves the fight. Because the vines block long sightlines, archers and mages are better off fighting at mid range than trying to snipe. If you load in and find missing walls or floating bedrolls, reload an earlier save and enter again; it usually sorts itself out. After the fight, the urns and the big locked chest are the main payday, and the bedroll and cooking spot make it a handy place to rest before the trip back east. Just maybe skip the coffins.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Serpent’s Bluff Redoubt, Lund’s Hut, Rorikstead, Whiterun Imperial Camp, Gjukar’s Monument.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.