Glacial Cave is a short ice cave on the north coast of Solstheim, a little east and north of Saering’s Watch. It came with the Dragonborn expansion and would be completely forgettable if it did not hold one very important bone: Karstaag’s Skull, the item that lets you summon the frost giant Karstaag at his throne. Quick in, quick out – unless the skull changes your plans for the evening.
What you’ll find
- A single passage running roughly southeast into one large chamber.
- Three rieklings that burst up from the snowy floor as soon as you enter the big room.
- A riekling hut on the southwest side with random loot.
- A Malachite Ore vein against the northeast wall, opposite the hut.
- An East Empire Company Strongbox just outside the entrance.
- A dead end at the very south of the cave, where the skull rests.
Notable items
- Karstaag’s Skull at the southern end of the cave.
- East Empire Company Strongbox outside the entrance.
- Malachite Ore vein – handy for glass smithing.
Tips
Expect the riekling pop-up ambush the moment the cave opens up; a quick area spell or a shout clears all three before they get organised. Open the strongbox outside before you even step in, and bring a pickaxe for the malachite. Once you have the skull, the throne waits in the Castle Karstaag Ruins, reached through Castle Karstaag Caverns to the west-southwest. Inside the courtyard, a mounted riekling carries the Castle Karstaag Key, which opens a master-locked door straight back to the outside – useful for returning to the throne later without swimming through the icy caverns all over again.
Good to know
The cave itself is tiny – the whole point of the trip is one skull at the back. Small cave, big consequences.
Nearby
Closest places on Solstheim covered on TamrielSaga: Saering’s Watch, Castle Karstaag Caverns, Benkongerike, Castle Karstaag Ruins, Headwaters of Harstrad.
Map position and editor ID read from the Dragonborn game files; details checked against community wiki articles and summarised in our own words.
