Fort Kastav guards a mountain pass north of Windhelm and south of the Shrine of Azura, right beside the main road between Windhelm and Winterhold. The road does not run through the fort, but it runs close enough that anyone inside will happily come out to say hello with a fireball. Who lives here depends heavily on how your Civil War is going.
What you’ll find
- At first: conjurers, necromancers, a Master Conjurer and a squad of skeletons.
- A courtyard with a grindstone, plus an alchemy lab while the mages are in charge or a workbench once soldiers move in.
- Captain’s Quarters – a bed, a chest among the barrels and a ladder up to the roof, where a ritual altar sits at the very top of the fort.
- Prison – reachable from the courtyard or through a grate near the southern outer wall. It holds five cells, beds for the guards and the Fort Kastav Prison Key, which opens the cells (not the prison itself).
Quests
- Rescue from Fort Kastav – for the Imperial Legion. After the Imperial Battle for Whiterun, Stormcloak soldiers take the fort and hold Legion prisoners here. Sneak in, free them, and the fort gets an Imperial garrison.
- The Battle for Fort Kastav – a straightforward order to claim the fort.
If the Stormcloaks win the war, the fort is not garrisoned at first. Clear out the mages while you are still neutral, though, and Stormcloak soldiers move in after about a week.
Notable items
- Warrior (Block) on an end table in the Captain’s Quarters.
- A Scroll of Conjure Frost Atronach and an apothecary’s satchel next to the weapon rack.
- On the rooftop altar: a Scroll of Conjure Familiar, void salts and fire salts.
- Books such as Mixed Unit Tactics, The Old Ways, The Firmament, Gods and Worship and the Yellow Book of Riddles.
Tips
The grate near the southern wall is the stealth player’s best friend: it drops you straight into the prison, which is exactly where you want to be during the rescue mission. Against the mages, close the gap quickly and focus the conjurers first – their summons vanish when they do. And do not forget the ladder in the Captain’s Quarters; the reagents on the roof are easy to miss.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Yorgrim Overlook, Stillborn Cave, Anga’s Mill, Mount Anthor, Shrine of Azura.
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.