Nilheim is a Nordic tower east of Ivarstead, perched on a small peninsula with water around it and a sheer cliff on one side. The views are spectacular – from the catwalk on the north face you can reportedly see across the valleys as far as Windhelm and even the Sea of Ghosts. The hospitality is less spectacular, because the tower is a bandit hideout dressed up as a guard post.
What you’ll find
- Telrav, waiting across the bridge from the tower with a story he’d love you to believe.
- A camp of five “guards” who look suspiciously like bandits – because they are.
- A bandit leader holding the tower.
- Three corpses in the rocks below the entrance on the north side, apparently earlier victims of the scheme.
- A chest, a level-dependent soul gem and a wood chopping block.
Quests
- Telrav’s Request – Telrav asks for your help at the tower. Agree, and the “guards” turn on you.
- Kill the Bandit Leader – Nilheim can be the target of a bounty. If you take it without talking to Telrav first, only the leader needs to die and the guards stay neutral.
- Various radiant quests can also send you here.
Tips
The guards only go hostile if you’ve spoken to Telrav, so you can stroll in on foot, poke around and even loot the camp without a fight. The big exception is horses: ride up and the bandits will happily attack your mount (though not you). Leave the horse at home. Also, don’t clear Nilheim before picking up the bounty if you plan to do it – the leader doesn’t come back, and the bounty can get stuck in your journal for good.
Good to know
Nilheim is one of Skyrim’s nicer reminders that a friendly face on the road isn’t always friendly. Even transforming into a Vampire Lord (Dawnguard) or a werewolf next to the guards only gets you a polite “be careful”. Unflappable professionals, these bandits.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Geirmund’s Hall, Rift Stormcloak Camp, Sarethi Farm, Darkwater Pass, Shroud Hearth Barrow.
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.