Japhet’s Folly is a fortified settlement on Rockjoint Island, way out in the sea northeast of Winterhold – about as remote as Skyrim gets. Pirates called the Blood Horkers, led by the mage Haldyn, have made it their base. You’ll only come here during Rise in the East, the East Empire Company quest from Orthus Endario in Windhelm, sailing out with Adelaisa Vendicci.
What you’ll find
- Sea Cave – the sneaky way in, under the tower nearest the Company ship. Expect one Blood Horker and a couple of mudcrabs, plus a loot chest near the fort entrance.
- Japhet’s Folly Towers – the fortress. The front door needs a key, so the cave route is the way to go. Staircases are packed with Blood Horkers.
- A lower staircase leads to an apprentice-locked chest and an expert-locked door. Behind it: a cobwebbed room with Japhet’s corpse, his journal, a leveled sword and a chest.
- Haldyn’s room at the very top – a boss chest, an Arcane Enchanter and four books.
Quests
Rise in the East sends you here to deal with the pirates. Once Haldyn is dead and you leave his tower, the Company’s mercenaries bombard the island with explosive arrows and reduce it to rubble.
Notable items
- Japhet’s Journal, beside Japhet’s body at the bottom of the main tower.
- A boss chest in Haldyn’s chamber.
Tips
- Loot everything first. Killing Haldyn changes the fort for good and seals off parts of it.
- Don’t stash overflow loot on the surface – the barrage destroys containers and contents. Use the chest closest to the sea cave exit instead.
- Clear Skies won’t clear Haldyn’s fog, though Storm Call reportedly does.
- Pick up any follower you told to wait here before sailing away, or they may stay marooned.
Good to know
The name comes from Japhet’s bold plan to build a fortress on an iceberg in the middle of the sea. His journal calls it Japhet’s Fortress and mentions ghost stories, though no ghosts ever show up. It seems the Folly part was well earned.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.
