Snow Veil Sanctum is a Nordic barrow southeast of Winterhold, directly north of Windhelm and a little northeast of Stillborn Cave. It is the stage for one of the biggest twists in the Thieves Guild storyline, and the doors stay firmly shut until that quest sends you here. Come for the plot, stay for the traps, the draugr and a Word Wall.
What you’ll find
- A multi-level tomb with many draugr, from Restless Draugr up to Deathlords and Scourges.
- Plenty of traps: tripwires, bone chimes and pressure plates.
- Snow Veil Catacombs, the first section you explore with Mercer Frey.
- A final sanctum guarded by a leveled draugr that can be a Dragon Priest at higher levels.
- A Word Wall for the Disarm shout.
Quests
- Speaking With Silence – Mercer leads you here to hunt the supposed traitor of the guild. Things do not go the way he promised.
- Hard Answers – once you’re back outside, Karliah sends you to Enthir in Winterhold.
- Possible location for the Helm of Winterhold and one of the items for Delvin Mallory‘s Litany of Larceny.
Notable items
- Model Ship, a treasure Delvin will buy.
- Ice and Chitin (Light Armor skill book) in the Word Wall room.
- Three Thieves (Sneak skill book) in the bone chime room.
- The Disarm Word Wall.
Tips
Followers can’t come inside, so they’ll wait at the entrance; plan your healing accordingly. Watch your feet and listen for bone chimes. When you go for the Model Ship, don’t shoot the explosive lanterns hanging above it, or the blast will fling loot all over the room and you’ll be crawling around for ages picking it up. Expect a tough fight at the end if you’re high level and the guardian turns out to be a Dragon Priest.
Good to know
The claw door puzzle starts out showing two hawks and a snake – two Nightingales and one traitor. A skeleton at the spot where Mercer turns on you may be Gallus, who was killed here and whose journal Karliah recovered. After the guild story ends, Karliah often comes back here instead of staying at Nightingale Hall.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Journeyman’s Nook, Winterhold Stormcloak Camp, Stillborn Cave, Bleakcoast Cave, Whistling 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.
