Narzulbur is an Orc stronghold southeast of Windhelm, built right beside Gloombound Mine. The Orcs here own and work the mine, which mostly yields ebony with a bit of orichalcum and iron – making Narzulbur the best place in Skyrim to get your hands on ebony ingots. Outsiders aren’t officially welcome, but the bark is a lot worse than the bite.
What you’ll find
- Mauhulakh’s Longhouse, with beds, living space and an alchemy workshop.
- Mauhulakh’s Cellar, with hides and a two-handed skill book.
- A storage shed with alchemy ingredients and a locked shed holding ebony ore, iron ore and iron ingots.
- Two alchemy labs and a tanning rack, with full smithing facilities outside the mine.
- The entrance to Gloombound Mine and its sixteen ebony veins.
Residents
- Chief Mauhulakh – the stronghold’s leader, who sends outsiders after the Forgemaster’s Fingers.
- Urog – the chief’s daughter, who may hire thugs to “teach you a lesson” if you steal from the stronghold.
- Dushnamub – the blacksmith, who buys ebony ore.
- Yatul and Bolar – fellow residents.
Unlike the other three strongholds, nobody here can be recruited as a follower.
Quests
The Forgemaster’s Fingers – an Orc stops you at the gate and explains that only Orcs may enter. Ask how to get in and you’ll be sent to recover a pair of enchanted gauntlets from a random cave for Chief Mauhulakh, which makes you Blood-Kin. Alternatively, clearing Kolskeggr Mine and talking to the Orc in its barracks afterwards also opens stronghold doors.
Notable items
- The Knights of the Nine (Heavy Armor) on a shelf to the right as you enter the longhouse, along with The True Nature of Orcs.
- Uncommon Taste, a somewhat rare book, to the right of the spit.
- Song of Hrormir (Two-Handed) right in front of the cellar door.
- A pair of non-leveled ebony boots leaning against the ore shed, plus two ebony arrows inside it.
Tips
Despite the warnings, you can walk around the stronghold and even enter the mine without anyone attacking you. The longhouse is the exception: it’s a private home, and ignoring warnings there can earn a small bounty and angry Orcs, even if you’re Blood-Kin. If you need the chief and he’s indoors, wait for him to come out.
The ebony boots are the only piece of ebony armor guaranteed to sit in the same spot every time, and they’re mostly out of sight – a tempting early-game upgrade. Just remember that theft here can bring Urog’s hired thugs down on you later.
Leave one ebony vein un-mined and the rest reportedly come back after ten days instead of thirty. Also, keep your distance during A Blade in the Dark: Sahloknir may land inside the walls and wipe out the residents.
Good to know
Challenge Mauhulakh to a brawl and he may run off when losing, then draw a weapon outside the gates. If a dragon just hovers over the stronghold without landing, popping into the mine and back out can coax it down.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Gloombound Mine, Cragwallow Slope, Sacellum of Boethiah, Windhelm Military Camp, Kynesgrove.
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.