Bthardamz is a sprawling Dwemer ruin west of the Shrine to Peryite, and it is reportedly the largest ruin in the game. You can’t get in at all until The Only Cure has started. The Dwemer are long gone, but their machines are still on guard, and the halls now serve as a sanctuary for Peryite’s Afflicted and their leader, Orchendor.
What you’ll find
- Outside, buildings stepping down towards a recessed rock face, guarded by two Afflicted. Of the two levers near the entrance, the one by the stairs sets off a trap; the one by the door lowers the bars.
- An entry room with two leveled chests on the left before the Upper District.
- Three main districts – the Upper District, the Lower District and the Arcanex – plus smaller connecting areas: the Workshop, Dwelling and Study.
- Plenty of Afflicted mages, warriors and archers, including a prayer circle calling out to Peryite.
- Dwemer pots full of a suspicious green liquid that looks a lot like what the Afflicted throw up. Do not drink.
- Chests that can release leveled Dwarven Spheres or spiders when you get close.
- Locked gates (novice and adept), a lever on a ledge that opens a spike gate, a gold ore vein near the bottom of a ramp, and a spinning blade trap set off by a pressure plate.
Quests
The Only Cure – the quest that unseals the ruin. Your business here is with Orchendor at the heart of the complex.
Tips
Pull the lever by the door, not the one by the stairs, unless you enjoy trap-testing. In the Upper District, a couple of Afflicted sleep in side quarters; you can skip them by picking the novice-locked gate, or quietly sneak-kill them if your Sneak is high.
Approach chests carefully – some of them come with a Dwemer welcoming committee. And watch for pressure plates in front of blade channels.
Bring food and patience: with several districts and winding halls, this is a long crawl, so plan to carry back a lot of Dwemer scrap.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Reach Imperial Camp, Deep Folk Crossing, Druadach Redoubt, Shrine to Peryite, Ragnvald.
Location data (hold, map position, editor ID) read from the Skyrim game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.