Hag’s End is an ancient Nordic tomb perched on the mountains west of Solitude and north-east of Markarth. You can’t just walk up to it: you have to pass through Deepwood Redoubt and climb the stairs north-east of the Forsworn camp in Deepwood Vale. Once discovered you can fast travel straight there. Go for the Word Wall, the loot, and to settle things with a very stubborn hagraven.
What you’ll find
- Witches, hags and a hagraven who retreats after losing about a quarter of her health each round – four rounds in total.
- Plenty of traps: frost runes, trapped chests, a swinging log, a pressure plate and wall spears that fire as the three gates open.
- A sleeping chamber with an alchemy lab near the start, and an arcane enchanter beside the Word Wall at the top.
- A drawbridge on a lever, a Frostbite Spider dropping from the ceiling, and the Hag’s End Key on a shelf by the fireplace that opens the master locks further up.
- Word Wall for Slow Time, before the final round.
Quests
- Locate the Assassin of Old (Dark Brotherhood) – a hidden door behind the second-floor throne, opened by a wall handle that only appears once the quest is running.
- Hrolfdir’s Shield.
Notable items
- Bloodthorn on the altar on the parapet over Deepwood Vale.
- Predator’s Grace boots, a chest and a quicksilver vein on the plateau atop the waterfall beside the exit.
- Ancient Shrouded Armor behind the hidden door (quest only).
- Mystery of Talara, Book IV, The Legend of Red Eagle, Spell Tome: Flames, unique mage robes and a fire-trapped leveled chest.
Tips
The final round is where she summons help – frost trolls, ice wraiths, spiders or skeevers. Stay sneaking and she can’t summon; a well-aimed Unrelenting Force can knock her off the platform, and a paralysis poison or sneaky arrows work wonders too. Become Ethereal or the Light Foot perk takes the sting out of the traps. Only after the Word? Scramble up the rocks by the waterfall left of the entrance and enter the top room directly – just don’t expect to walk the dungeon backwards.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.
