Raven Rock is the capital of Solstheim and the first place you set foot on when Gjalund Salt-Sage’s ship, the Northern Maiden, drops you off in the Dragonborn expansion. This frontier town clings to the island’s southern coast, with the ash wastes of Red Mountain’s fallout close by. It’s a little battered, a little gloomy, and full of Dunmer who’ve seen worse – which makes it a great base for everything else on the island.
What you’ll find
- The Retching Netch – the town’s inn and bar, run by Geldis Sadri.
- Glover Mallory’s smithy (he’s the brother of Delvin Mallory), Fethis Alor’s general goods, and merchants Dreyla Alor and Garyn Ienth.
- Milore Ienth – alchemist and expert Alchemy trainer – at Ienth Farm.
- The Temple of the Reclamations under Elder Othreloth, with the Morvayn and Ulen ancestral tombs beneath it.
- Morvayn Manor, home of Redoran First Councilor Lleril Morvayn, and Severin Manor on the outskirts.
- The Bulwark, a huge wall against ash storms, with the jail and Coldcinder Cave beneath it.
- Raven Rock Mine, the derelict ebony mine run by Crescius Caerellius.
- Mogrul the money lender and his bodyguard Slitter, plus Teldryn Sero, a Dunmer sellsword for hire.
- Redoran guards under Captain Veleth.
Quests
- March of the Dead – find out why ash spawn keep attacking; it leads to Fort Frostmoth.
- Served Cold – uncover a plot to assassinate Councilor Morvayn; finishing it lets you own Severin Manor.
- The Final Descent – investigate the death of famous miner Gratian Caerellius; afterwards new miners arrive.
- A New Debt – settle up with Mogrul.
- Errands: clean the temple tomb of ash spawn, collect netch jelly for Milore, hand out Sadri’s Sujamma, recover the Bonemold Formula and an Ancient Nordic Pickaxe for Glover, hunt East Empire Pendants for Fethis (Pain in the Necklace), fetch Cindiri’s Folio from the Wreck of the Strident Squall, find a hidden Emberbrand Wine stash, and visit the hunters at Frostmoon Crag.
Tips
Talk to everyone on day one: half the island’s side content starts here. Glover is worth befriending early, since his formula and pickaxe errands unlock Bonemold improvements and Stalhrim mining. If you want a home on Solstheim, Served Cold is your ticket. Teldryn Sero is available if you’d rather not face the ash alone.
Good to know
The East Empire Company founded Raven Rock as a mining colony in the late Third Era, then handed the failing settlement to the Dunmer early in the Fourth. Most original buildings were flattened when Red Mountain erupted in 4E 5, and the town was rebuilt over the following two centuries. When the ebony mine closed in 4E 170, half the population left. A three-volume History of Raven Rock covers its ups and downs.
Nearby
Closest places on Solstheim covered on TamrielSaga: Earth Stone, Kolbjorn Barrow, Old Attius Farm, Bloodskal Barrow, Brodir Grove.
Map position and editor ID read from the Dragonborn game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.
