South Brittleshin Pass is the southern mouth of Brittleshin Pass, a cave that cuts through the mountains west of Riverwood. The other end comes out as North Brittleshin Pass on the road side toward Whiterun, while this end sits near Lake Ilinalta. Walking through it is one of the quickest ways to get from the Whiterun plains down to the lake – provided you don’t mind sharing the tunnel with the undead.
What you’ll find
- A leveled necromancer and around five skeletons inside the shared cave.
- Two traps: a frost rune close to the exit toward Lake Ilinalta and a soul gem that fires ice spikes near the exit toward the Whiterun road.
- An arcane enchanter, two chests with leveled loot and two iron ore veins.
- Alchemy pickings such as bone meal, hanging moss and several fly amanita, plus a human heart in a wooden bowl on the table beside the necromancer.
Quests
Brittleshin Pass has no quest of its own, but it can be picked as the destination for several radiant jobs, including Fetch Me That Book!, Runil’s Journal, Rescue Mission, Totems of Hircine and Trouble in Skyrim, as well as the Dawnguard jobs Preemptive Strike and Rescue (Dawnguard).
Notable items
- The Warrior’s Charge, a Conjuration skill book, lying on a table with a skeleton near the arcane enchanter.
- Two flawless garnets set as the eyes of a Nord sculpture that faces the south entrance – look up before you leave.
Tips
Entering from this side, the frost rune is one of the first things between you and the cave proper, so walk with your eyes on the floor. Skeletons hate blunt weapons, and necromancers hate being interrupted, so close the distance fast. Once the cave is clear, it becomes a handy shortcut between Riverwood’s lakeside country and the plains to the north.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Ilinalta’s Deep, The Lady Stone, North Brittleshin Pass, Anise’s Cabin, Lakeview Manor.
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.