Deathbrand is a Dragonborn treasure hunt across Solstheim in the footsteps of Haknir Death-Brand, a legendary pirate king. A crew of pirates has already dug up the first chest; you take their map, collect the four pieces of his stalhrim armor from buried chests around the coast, and finally break into his tomb, where a pile of cursed gold and a very possessive ghost are waiting. This is a level 36+ quest, and it shows.
How to start
You need to be at least level 36. Below that, nothing triggers. There are two ways in:
- Read a copy of the book Deathbrand. Copies are found in Tel Mithryn and in the temple of Raven Rock.
- Or go to Haknir’s Shoal, north of the Wind Stone, and kill the pirates around the ancient chest. The Deathbrand helm then appears in the chest and the quest starts. The pirate captain carries the treasure map and a copy of the book.
Walkthrough
Learn about the treasure
If you started at the shoal without the book, the first goal is to find out why the pirates were digging there. The answer is the map on the captain’s body. Note that this map is filed as a miscellaneous item, not among your books.
Collect the four armor pieces
The ancient chests only appear once the quest is active. Each sits along the coast and has company:
- Deathbrand Helm: Haknir’s Shoal, north of the Wind Stone. Expert lock, two pirates.
- Deathbrand Armor: straight north of the Earth Stone and southwest of Bloodskal Barrow, on the coast beside a big fallen tree. Adept lock, two reavers.
- Deathbrand Boots: west of Tel Mithryn, at the foot of a tall cliff on the shore. Expert lock, surrounded by ash spawn.
- Deathbrand Gauntlets: south of Bristleback Cave, on the coast in a ditch just before a waterfall. Adept lock, a group of mudcrabs.
Whichever chest you open last also holds the key to Gyldenhul Barrow. Bring decent lockpicking: this is the only quest in the game that cannot be finished without picking locks.
Gyldenhul Barrow
Outside the entrance, to the left by the water, is a quicksilver vein. Inside you find a dead adventurer with a note, flanked by sarcophagi sealed in stalhrim. The left-hand one holds a draugr and some minor loot. The way on is through the stalhrim sarcophagus on the right, which has to be mined with an ancient Nordic pickaxe to open a hidden passage down.
The chamber below is a dragon’s dream: roughly 75 piles of gold (about 75 to 150 coins each), gems, potions, poisons, weapons and burial urns. The moment you pick anything up, the gate behind you shuts. Head for the iron door at the south end, follow the steps down and left (east), and you reach Haknir’s resting place.
Defeat Haknir Death-Brand
His skeleton rests against the east wall, with a chest of leveled loot up the stairs to his right and the unique scimitar Bloodscythe directly behind him. Taking Bloodscythe summons his hostile ghost. During the fight he vanishes from time to time once wounded and calls up members of his old crew, among them Garuk Windrime and Thalin Ebonhand. When he falls, loot his remains for a second unique scimitar, Soulrender. The crew’s remains can be searched too.
Rewards
- The full Deathbrand Armor set (helm, armor, boots, gauntlets), made of stalhrim.
- Bloodscythe and Soulrender, two unique scimitars.
- The cursed gold hoard and assorted valuables of Gyldenhul Barrow.
Tips and notes
- Bring an ancient Nordic pickaxe before entering the barrow. Mining this stalhrim takes about twice as many swings as usual.
- Most of Haknir’s crew count as undead, so anti-undead weapons such as Dawnbreaker or Auriel’s Bow are effective.
- With the Wax Key perk you can pick the barrow door before reaching level 36 and grab the key; taking the sword then starts both the quest and the fight. Doing it this way risks losing the armor, though (see known bugs).
- Haknir’s ghostly remains are purplish rather than the usual pale blue, and his crew leave a fresh remains pile every time they are summoned.
