Dead Crone Rock is an old Nordic tower southwest of Markarth, right on the western edge of Skyrim. You reach it by fighting through Hag Rock Redoubt. It starts out looking like any other ruined tower and quickly turns into a proper dungeon, with traps on every floor and the hagraven Drascua running the Forsworn stronghold from the top.
What you’ll find
- Forsworn throughout, plus a frost or flame atronach.
- An adept-locked door leading to a battering ram trap on a pressure plate, and an outside ledge with a chest, a soul gem and iron arrows.
- A room with a soul gem fire trap, an arcane enchanter and a chest, followed by another fire trap in the hallway.
- A lever room that opens the gate you saw earlier.
- The rooftop altar with the Word Wall, three pedestals that spray fire while their soul gems are in place, and a leveled chest.
- A small platform to the east with four urns, reachable with Whirlwind Sprint.
Quests
- Pieces of the Past – the Pommel Stone of Mehrunes’ Razor is here.
- No Stone Unturned – a Stone of Barenziah sits on the altar by the Word Wall.
- Shalidor’s Insights – may turn up in the Word Wall chest.
Notable items
- Word Wall: Dismay (see Skyrim shouts).
- A Game at Dinner – Alchemy skill book lying in front of the lever, after the fire traps.
- Stone of Barenziah on the altar.
Tips
At the top, the fire pedestals keep blasting until you pull out their soul gems – grab them early, or fight Drascua from outside their range. Halfway up the final wooden stairs, a landing hides another chest.
Watch your step in the locked hallway: the battering ram is not a friendly greeter. If you have Whirlwind Sprint, use it for the urn platform to the east.
Some players report that the Word Wall occasionally fails to teach the shout, so don’t panic if the word doesn’t stick on the first try.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Hag Rock Redoubt, Purewater Run, Left Hand Mine, Markarth Stables, Salvius Farm.
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.
