“Beyond Death” takes you and Serana into the Soul Cairn, a grim plane of Oblivion where trapped souls drift through purple mist. Somewhere in there is Valerica, Serana’s mother – and the Elder Scroll she ran away with.
How it starts
The quest begins as soon as you step through the portal at the end of Chasing Echoes.
Walkthrough
Into the Soul Cairn
Follow the marker up the path. Lost souls wander about, and one of them starts the side quest “Find Arvak’s Skull” – worth doing for a spectral horse. Bonemen, Wrathmen and Mistmen rise near the bone piles, so stay on your guard.
Valerica
At a huge ruin, Serana calls out to her mother, who is sealed behind a barrier. The reunion is frosty. Valerica explains what happened back at the castle and why she left. She has hidden the Elder Scroll, but the barrier is kept up by three Boneyard Keepers, and they have to die first.
The three Keepers
Each Keeper sits at a marked spot. If one is on top of a structure, step into the soulwell to be lifted up; the soulwell at the top of the stairs brings you back down. With all three dead, the barrier fades.
Durnehviir
Valerica leads you into the Boneyard, where the undead dragon Durnehviir, the Soul Cairn’s keeper, attacks. You, Serana and Valerica fight him together; he summons Bonemen with a shout of his own, so clear them as you go. Once he’s down, Valerica shows you where she hid the scroll.
A dragon’s request
Outside the Boneyard, Durnehviir isn’t quite finished with you. Impressed, he teaches you the shout Summon Durnehviir and asks you to call him in Tamriel so he can see his old home again.
Getting home
If you entered partially soul-trapped, Valerica explains how to fix it. Then head back through the portal in her study to finish the quest. The Elder Scroll (Blood) goes to Dexion in Seeking Disclosure.
Rewards
- Elder Scroll (Blood)
- Summon Durnehviir shout
- Achievement/trophy “Beyond Death”
Notes
Simply leaving the Soul Cairn finishes the quest and clears the soul-trap penalty. Valerica’s lines differ depending on whether you sided with the Dawnguard or the Volkihar Clan in Bloodline.
