Tolvald’s Cave is a big, three-part cave system southeast of Ansilvund and east of Shor’s Watchtower. Look for a ridge with a wheelbarrow parked in front of it. Past a humble hunters’ camp, the cave opens into Tolvald’s Gap and Tolvald’s Crossing, deep, dripping caverns crawling with Falmer. At the very end lies the Crown of Barenziah, the long-lost prize of a certain treasure hunt.
What you’ll find
- Hunters’ camp at the entrance: three bedrolls, a Hunter’s Journal and an apprentice-locked chest.
- First tunnels: an ice wraith, snow bear or frost troll in each of three spots, plus a bone tripwire.
- The trapped Dwemer chest: opening it fires poisoned arrows and releases Falmer from hidden doors – three at low level, up to six to eight later on.
- Falmer camps with tents, chests, frostbite spiders, skeevers and gated pens of chaurus.
- Tolvald’s Crossing: a tough leveled Falmer on a Dwemer bridge, ghostly astral visions that fade into skeletons and diaries, and the ghosts of three elven guards still protecting the crown.
- Crafting: an alchemy lab and three tanning racks.
- Ore: two iron, one silver, two quicksilver and two moonstone veins.
Quests
- No Stone Unturned – the Crown of Barenziah rests here. The rubble blocking it only clears once you have talked to Vex and reached the final stage.
- Possible location for parts of Arniel’s Endeavor, Rescue Mission, Trouble in Skyrim and Lost Relic (Dawnguard).
Notable items
- The Crown of Barenziah.
- The Battle of Red Mountain (Block) and Mystery of Talara, Book III (Destruction) skill books.
- All five volumes of The Real Barenziah, plus Short History of Morrowind, On the Great Collapse, The Firsthold Revolt and The Hope of the Redoran.
- Faded Diary, Tattered Journal and Ruined Trailbook beside the astral visions.
- A magic staff near the second vision, a Shaman’s Key (it opens nothing) and plenty of leveled chests.
Tips
Alchemists, rejoice: a full clear reportedly yields at least 200 glowing mushrooms and 200 chaurus eggs. Bring a big bag and a strong back. Less pleasantly, there is human flesh on a Falmer table.
Before you open the trapped chest, stand ready for an ambush – the trap can’t be disarmed. On the way out, a wall chain opens a secret door straight back to the hunters’ camp.
Good to know
The cave seems to have been an escape route for Dunmer fleeing Morrowind, which is how both the crown and Keening went missing here. High in the mountains to the east lies Skuldafn, reachable only during The World-Eater’s Eyrie.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Shor’s Watchtower, Ruunvald Excavation, Shor’s Stone, Fort Greenwall, Northwind Mine.
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.
