Lost Knife Hideout is the map name for a big cave system near Fort Amol, on the eastern base of the Throat of the World and northeast of Ivarstead. Look for a pretty waterfall and pond decorated with charred corpses on spikes – nothing says “welcome” like that. If you haven’t started the Companions questline, bandits live here; otherwise it’s one of the Silver Hand’s strongholds.
What you’ll find
- A first cavern with a campfire, then a huge shallow underground lake with guard posts and a wooden platform on a central island.
- A hidden semi-underwater tunnel behind the southernmost waterfall, leading to a chest and an iron ore vein.
- The inner hideout: living quarters, tanning racks, grindstones and a tavern-like room full of food, mead and hunting trophies.
- An arena at the deepest point, littered with dead bandits and animals, where the gang’s leader is locked up and a sabre cat waits in a cage.
- Ore: three iron veins, two corundum veins and a gold vein near the exit gate.
- A Master-locked chest in a small tunnel behind the cat cage.
Quests
- One of the possible places to hunt down a Silver Hand leader for the Companions.
- Possible hiding spot for the bandit that Annekke Crag-Jumper of Darkwater Crossing wants dead – she rewards you with Light Armor training and an offer to follow you.
- Possible location of Shahvee’s amulet, the Forgemaster’s Fingers, a Dwemer schematic for Ancient Technology (Dawnguard), Kjar’s former crewman in Harsh Master, and a Trouble in Skyrim target.
Notable items
- Words and Philosophy (Two-Handed) on the wooden structure in the middle of the lake.
- Orsinium and the Orcs (Heavy Armor) on a table by the bedrolls upstairs from the dining area.
- An Explorer’s Guide to Skyrim on a bookshelf near the cages.
Tips
Sneak in and you can overhear the bandits bragging about catching the sabre cat bare-handed, and grumbling that their boss is drunk again and challenging everyone to duels in “the hole”. Unlocking the cat’s cage lets it loose on everyone, which is great chaos if you keep your distance. Even without your help it tends to wander out once the bandits are dead, usually peaceful until you attack it.
Don’t miss the waterfall tunnel and the locked chest under the small waterfall in the second area – easy loot that’s easy to skip.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Fort Amol, Abandoned Prison, Hillgrund’s Tomb, Broken Limb Camp, Cradlecrush Rock.
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.