Rift Watchtower is a stone watchtower in the woods northwest of Riften, taken over by a gang of Orc bandits. It’s a quick, vertical fight up a single tower – but the rewards at the top, including a skill book and a randomly enchanted warhammer, make it worth the climb.
What you’ll find
- An Orc sentry posted at the door. He doesn’t attack or even talk to you until you open the main door.
- More Orc bandits inside, plus an Orc chief at the top of the tower.
- A tanning rack.
- The rare book The True Nature of Orcs.
- The Heavy Armor skill book Hallgerd’s Tale.
- An Orcish warhammer with a random enchantment on a table at the top.
Quests
- The Orc chief can be the target of a “kill the bandit leader” bounty and is also linked to a quest toward becoming Thane.
- He can be the target of the Companions’ radiant quest Trouble in Skyrim.
- The Moon Amulet for Kharjo‘s quest may turn up here.
- A possible location for Shalidor’s Insights during the quest of the same name.
Notable items
- Hallgerd’s Tale (Heavy Armor skill book)
- Enchanted Orcish Warhammer (random enchantment)
- The True Nature of Orcs
- Possibly the Moon Amulet
Tips
Resist the urge to cut down the doorman early: killing the Orc outside before he turns hostile counts as murder. Open the door first, then let the brawl begin. Because the chief is attached to several quests (bounties, a Thane task and Companions work), it’s smart to wait until you’ve actually got one of those quests before clearing the tower, or you can lock yourself out of finishing them. Note that the warhammer may not appear at low levels, so the place gets more rewarding the later you go.
Good to know
A tower full of Orcs, a book called The True Nature of Orcs, and a big Orcish hammer on the top floor. Subtle theming it is not.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Rift Stormcloak Camp, Sarethi Farm, Clearspring Tarn, Redwater Den, Treva’s Watch.
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.
