Lost Relic

Florentius Baenius sends you to recover one of three ancient Dawnguard rune artifacts from a random location. Can be done three times.

Lost Relic is a side quest for the Dawnguard in the Dawnguard add-on. Florentius Baenius has been poring over old tomes in Fort Dawnguard and learned that the order’s earlier incarnation owned some impressive weapons. He says he and Arkay both think you should go and fetch them.

How to start

Walkthrough

Getting the job

Florentius does not hand this quest out on demand. Before he offers it you may need to finish more radiant quests for Sorine Jurard (Ancient Technology), Gunmar (Cleansing Light, Hide and Seek, Preemptive Strike and Hunting the Monster), Isran (A Jarl’s Justice) and Florentius himself (Rescue). The same cycle often repeats before the second and third relic quests appear, although on rare occasions you can hold more than one at once.

Recover the relic

The relic you are sent for is picked at random, and so is the location. The list of possible dungeons is long and covers all of Skyrim, for example Ansilvund, Bilegulch Mine, Embershard Mine, Fellglow Keep, Kagrenzel, Morvunskar, Northwatch Keep, Orotheim, Valtheim Towers and Yngvild. With the Dragonborn add-on, a few sites on Solstheim, such as Bloodskal Barrow, can also be picked. Follow the quest marker, clear the dungeon and take the relic.

Return to Florentius

Bring the relic back to Florentius at Fort Dawnguard to finish the quest and collect a leveled reward. You get to keep the artifact.

The relics

  • Dawnguard Rune Shield: +10 bash damage against vampires, and after you block for a while it produces a minor sun shield that deals 10 damage to the target. Using it drains your stamina.
  • Dawnguard Rune Hammer: places a fire rune whenever you bash with it.
  • Dawnguard Rune Axe: deals extra sun damage that grows with the number of undead you have killed, from zero up to a cap at 100 or more kills.

Rewards

  • The relic itself (Rune Shield, Rune Hammer or Rune Axe)
  • A leveled reward from Florentius

Tips and notes

  • The quest can be offered three times, once for each artifact, so keep asking around the fort for work to collect the full set.
  • If you sided with the vampires instead, the matching quest is Ancient Power.

Objectives

Retrieve the relic from the dungeon
Return to Florentius Baenius

Walkthrough

Choices & consequences

Known bugs & fixes

Lore notes

The relics belonged to an earlier incarnation of the Dawnguard.

Characters in this quest

Florentius Baenius is the Imperial priest of Arkay in the Dawnguard who claims Arkay talks to him – a Master Restoration trainer and apothecary in Skyrim.
Gunmar is the Nord hunter and old friend of Isran who joins the Dawnguard in Skyrim – a Master Smithing trainer who hates vampires almost as much as Isran does.
Isran is the stern Redguard leader of the Dawnguard at Fort Dawnguard – a former Vigilant of Stendarr, vampire hunter and Master Heavy Armor trainer in Skyrim.
Sorine Jurard is the Breton Dwemer-tech expert of the Dawnguard – the crossbow specialist who upgrades bolts, sells gear and trains Archery in Skyrim.

Creatures you will meet

Locations

Ansilvund in Skyrim: Lu’ah Al-Skaven’s tomb north of Shor’s Stone – pillar puzzle solution, traps, the Fjori and Holgeir fight and the Ghostblade.
Bilegulch Mine in Skyrim: Orc bandit mine southwest of Fort Sungard – nine orichalcum veins, forge and smelter, The Armorer’s Challenge and Trouble in Skyrim.
Bloodskal Barrow in Skyrim Dragonborn: Nordic tomb north of Raven Rock with Zahkriisos, the Bloodskal Blade, a Black Book, stalhrim and the Dragon Aspect wall.
Embershard Mine in Skyrim: bandit iron mine between Helgen and Riverwood – rock trap, drawbridge lever, ten iron veins, Clairvoyance tome and forge.
Fellglow Keep in Skyrim: renegade mage fort near Whiterun – The Caller, Hitting the Books, caged vampires, skill books, crafting stations, Stone of Barenziah.
Kagrenzel in Skyrim: Dwemer ruin north of Riften with an orb trap that drops you into a Falmer cavern lake. How to survive the fall, loot and quests.
Morvunskar in Skyrim: mage fort southwest of Windhelm with conjurers, Naris the Wicked, a Shrine of Dibella, an enchanter and the end of A Night to Remember.
Northwatch Keep in Skyrim: Thalmor prison west of Solitude – rescue Thorald Gray-Mane, routes along the coast, skill books, Elven armor and combat tips.

Factions

The Dawnguard are Skyrim’s vampire hunters, led by Isran from Fort Dawnguard near Riften. How to join, who’s who and the Dawnguard questline.

Quest rewards

Sources checked: Elder Scrolls Fandom wiki (quest article, DLC export 2026-10-12), Dawnguard game files

Lost Relic

Quest type
Quest giver
Florentius Baenius (Fort Dawnguard)
Hold
Faction
Prerequisites
Member of the Dawnguard, not a vampire, Bolstering the Ranks, Hide and Seek, Preemptive Strike, Hunting the Monster, A Jarl’s Justice and Cleansing Light completed
Previous quest
Next quest
Gold
Rewards
Dawnguard Rune Shield, Rune Hammer or Rune Axe, plus a leveled reward
Missable
Quest ID
DLC1RH08