Fort Snowhawk

Crumbling fort west of Morthal on the road to Dragon Bridge, overrun by necromancers and skeletons and later fought over in the Civil War.

Fort Snowhawk is an old stone fort west of Morthal, sitting on the main road toward Dragon Bridge where the marsh gives way to forest. These days it is not soldiers who keep watch but a coven of necromancers and their rattling skeletal servants. Clear them out and the fort becomes a military prize in the war between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks.

What you’ll find

  • Necromancers of every rank: regular necromancers, Necromancer Adepts, Arch Necromancers and Master Necromancers.
  • Skeletons patrolling the walls and courtyard.
  • A central keep in the middle of the fort rather than built into the wall, and a northern tower leading down to Fort Snowhawk Prison, linked to the keep by a bridge.
  • Stone walls patched with wooden barricades where the old masonry has crumbled.

Quests

In The Battle for Fort Snowhawk you attack the fort with whichever side you joined and wipe out the garrison holding it. If you stay out of the war and clear the necromancers yourself, Imperial legionnaires move in on a later visit or after a few days.

Notable items

  • A Dance in Fire, Book II – Block skill book.
  • Raise Zombie – Conjuration spell tome, fittingly.
  • The full series of A Brief History of the Empire.
  • The Aetherium Wars (Dawnguard).

Tips

The fort has several entrances, and alerted necromancers love to slip out through doors you are not covering and wander off into the wilderness. Sweep each interior section properly and check the area around the main gate before you leave, or soldiers may take a long time to garrison the place.

Necromancers hit hard with magic but fold quickly up close. Rush the casters first and let the skeletons clatter after you – they are the least scary part of the welcome committee.

Nearby

Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: The Apprentice Stone, Meeko’s Shack, Morthal, Dead Men’s Respite, Folgunthur.

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.

Characters found here

Quests that lead here

Side Quest
Cure vampirism with the help of Falion in Morthal, who performs a dawn ritual at the Summoning Stones once you bring him a filled black soul gem.

Creatures you will meet

Weapons found here

Armor found here

Items found here

Restoration Scrolls in Skyrim: all 12 healing and anti-undead scrolls with effects, prices, form IDs, merchants and fixed loot spots for each scroll.

More places like this

Cave
Hjaalmarch
Small one-chamber bear den southwest of Morthal with two waterfalls, iron and corundum ore, two chests and a dead hunter carrying The Black Arrow, Book II.
Military Camp
Hjaalmarch
Stormcloak war camp led by Arrald Frozen-Heart northeast of Morthal, between Ustengrav and Mzinchaleft, with a quartermaster, full crafting setup and a war map.
Military Camp
The Pale
Small Stormcloak encampment that appears during the Civil War, offering a quartermaster, crafting stations, a lootable chest and a revealing war map.
Jail
Winterhold
Icy prison cave north of the College of Winterhold, guarded by frost atronachs and surrounded by a surprising number of gold, iron, silver, orichalcum and corundum veins.
Cave
Hjaalmarch
Small three-room bandit cave southwest of Morthal and north of Talking Stone Camp, with a hidden exit, smithing tools and a One-handed skill book.
Nordic Tower
The Reach
Small Forsworn-held tower west of Rorikstead and Lund’s Hut, guarded by a hagraven and holding the Two-Handed skill book King.
Sources checked: Skyrim game files (map markers, location records, read 2026-10-11); Elder Scrolls Fandom location articles (export 2026-10-11)