Kilkreath Ruins is an ancient Nordic tomb in Haafingar, west of Katla’s Farm and Solitude, south of Ironback Hideout and north of the Haafingar Stormcloak Camp. It belongs to the Statue to Meridia, and the Daedric Prince wants it cleaned out. Come for the quest, leave with one of the best swords in the game.
What you’ll find
- Three sections: Kilkreath Temple, Kilkreath Ruins and Kilkreath Catacombs, plus the Kilkreath Balcony.
- Corrupted Shades haunting the halls, along with Malkoran and, later, Malkoran’s Shade.
- Meridia’s light, which deals shock damage that drains both health and magicka – do not linger in it.
- Desecrated corpses of Imperial and Stormcloak soldiers throughout: 13 in the temple, 9 in the ruins and 21 in the catacombs. The Imperials tend to carry a bit more gold.
- An Arcane Enchanter.
- An Expert-locked chest on the balcony.
Quests
The Break of Dawn – Meridia sends you to kill Malkoran and purge the shades from her temple. A Letter from a Friend or the Greybeards may also point you here.
Notable items
- Dawnbreaker – Meridia’s reward.
- The Battle of Red Mountain (Block skill book) – on a bookcase in the upper west corner of the second section.
- Word Wall for Elemental Fury – outside the temple, northeast of the bottom of the stairs up to Meridia’s statue.
- A Potion of Extended Invisibility and a Virulent Poison that you can knock down with Telekinesis, spells or arrows.
- Ingredients: Bone Meal from the shades and White Cap.
Tips
Never tell a follower to wait in Malkoran’s room. Once you take Dawnbreaker the room is locked for good, and anyone left inside stays there forever – thralls included. Halfway down the stairs to the final hall, the iron door behind you locks with a key you cannot get, so finish your business first. Want the balcony chest early? Drop or slide down the cliff from near the Thalmor Embassy – but the doors into the ruins stay key-locked. If the Word Wall will not teach you anything, fast travel away and back.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim/Dawnguard game files, summarised in our own words.