Gauntlets of the Old Gods

The Gauntlets of the Old Gods are unique light gauntlets and part of the Armor of the Old Gods, the special version of Forsworn armor. They look like regular Forsworn gear made of hide, bone and feathers, but they weigh only 0.5 and carry a Fortify Archery enchantment: bows do 20% more damage.

How to get it

The set is tied to No One Escapes Cidhna Mine, the climax of the Forsworn storyline in Markarth.

1. Get thrown into Cidhna Mine during the Forsworn Conspiracy questline.
2. Meet Madanach, the King in Rags, and agree to help his escape.
3. As you head through the mine with Madanach, you receive the Armor of the Old Gods, gauntlets included.

If you instead turn on Madanach, the Forsworn prisoners attack, and the reward comes from Thonar Silver-Blood in the form of his family ring rather than this set.

Is it worth wearing?

For archers, these are excellent early. 20% bow damage on a piece weighing half a pound is a strong deal, and they can be tempered with leather if you have the Arcane Blacksmith perk. The armor rating of 7 is low, so pure light-armor tanks will eventually prefer glass or dragonscale gloves enchanted by their own hands. Still, many players keep them as an archery swap or disenchant them to learn Fortify Archery. Siding with the Forsworn also has consequences in Markarth, so think carefully about which path you prefer before deciding who actually walks out of the mine alive.

Good to know

• The full set: armor, boots, gauntlets and helmet, each with its own enchantment.
• Much lighter and far more valuable than the standard Forsworn gauntlets you loot from Reach camps.
• According to players, the boots and gauntlets can occasionally vanish while the full set is worn.

Stats

Improve it at a workbench with Leather.

Stats from the Skyrim game files (Skyrim.esm and the official add-ons): base values before Smithing and perks. Where several versions exist (leveled copies), all are listed.