Fort Dunstad is a stone fort south of Dawnstar. Depending on how the civil war is going it might be held by Stormcloaks or by bandits – and the bandits have found a truly classy use for it: a skeever fighting pit. Inside the walls you’ll also find the Stumbling Sabrecat, a tavern whose owner, Baral Sendu, is no longer around to serve you.
What you’ll find
- A fighting pit in the main chamber with two cages above it opened by a lever, plus caged skeevers and an impressive number of cheese wheels.
- The bandit chief at the top of the prison, and a spell-slinging bandit in the Fort Commander’s Quarters.
- Sublocations: Fort Dunstad interior, the prison, the Commander’s Quarters and the Stumbling Sabrecat.
- Upstairs, a mounted snow bear head with a goat cheese wedge stuffed in its mouth. Someone here has a sense of humour.
- Crafting: alchemy lab, forge, grindstone and workbench.
- Ingredients: salt piles, skeever tails and rock warbler eggs.
Quests
The Battle for Fort Dunstad – on the Imperial Legion side, Legate Rikke sends you to take the fort from the Stormcloaks. If you joined the Stormcloaks instead, the fort is full of bandits when you first arrive. Clearing it before picking a side lets Stormcloaks garrison it on your next visit; Imperial players will find Stormcloaks moving in after the Battle for Whiterun.
Notable items
- 2920, Mid Year (v6) – Heavy Armor skill book, on the top floor of the prison next to the alchemy lab.
- Boss chest on the roof, reached by a ladder from the bandit chief’s room.
- Skooma in the Commander’s Quarters and behind the tavern counter.
- Honningbrew Mead in the Commander’s Quarters – one of the few places it remains after Dampened Spirits.
- Brief History of the Empire, Book I and Report: Disaster at Ionith.
Tips
Lower-level characters are the ones who usually meet the skeever pit, so it’s a good early raid if you’re comfortable with bandit numbers. Work your way up through the prison to the chief, then climb the ladder for the boss chest. Save the forge and alchemy lab for afterwards, when nobody is shooting at you.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Hall of the Vigilant, Tower of Mzark, Fort Fellhammer, Duskglow Crevice, Red Road Pass.
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.
