Wayward Pass is a narrow trail squeezed between two mountains, southwest of Winterhold, southeast of Dawnstar and directly south of the Dwemer ruin of Alftand. There is no dungeon, no boss and no treasure hoard here – just a quiet shrine, a few odd objects and one of the easiest Amulets of Arkay in the game. Think of it as a scenic shortcut with a gift shop.
What you’ll find
- A Shrine of Arkay, where you can pray for the usual blessing on your way through.
- An Amulet of Arkay lying near the shrine, free for the taking.
- A set of iron armor left out in the cold.
- The Ancient Traveler’s Skull, a unique miscellaneous item for collectors of strange clutter.
- A book hovering in mid-air roughly a quarter of the way down the path. Nobody knows if it is a placement slip or a deliberate wink, but a shout or an arrow will knock it down.
Quests
If you are working towards becoming Thane of Eastmarch, one of the favours involves bringing an Amulet of Arkay to a man named Torbjorn, who hopes it will help his wife accept that their dead daughter rests with Arkay. Wayward Pass is probably the most convenient place to grab one, especially once you can fast travel to Alftand after Discerning the Transmundane or Elder Knowledge.
Notable items
- Amulet of Arkay
- Ancient Traveler’s Skull (unique)
- Iron armor
Tips
Fast travel to Alftand and walk south; the pass is a short stroll from there. Have a bow ready for the floating book – it is oddly satisfying to shoot literature out of the sky. Grab the amulet even if you have no use for it yet, because Arkay amulets have a habit of becoming quest items later.
Good to know
Files in the Creation Kit show that a ghostly Nord bandit, the Spirit of the Ancient Traveler, was meant to haunt this path. He never made it into the finished game, which may explain why his skull is lying around unsupervised.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Ironbind Barrow, Great Lift at Alftand, Alftand, Forsaken Cave, Nightgate Inn.
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.
