North Brittleshin Pass is the northern door of Brittleshin Pass, a cave that cuts through the mountains southwest of Whiterun and comes out by Lake Ilinalta on the way to Falkreath. This end faces the road toward Whiterun; the other end is South Brittleshin Pass. It’s one of the quickest shortcuts south – if you don’t mind the bones.
What you’ll find
- Five skeletons and a leveled necromancer living inside the pass.
- A soul gem trap near this northern exit that fires ice spikes at anyone who wanders past.
- A Frost Rune near the southern exit, toward the lake.
- An Arcane Enchanter, two chests with leveled loot and two iron ore veins.
- Ingredients such as bone meal, hanging moss, around seven fly amanitas and a human heart in a bowl by the necromancer.
Quests
The pass is a possible location for several radiant jobs: Fetch Me That Book!, Rescue Mission, Totems of Hircine (with Aela), Runil’s journal, Trouble in Skyrim, and – with Dawnguard – Preemptive Strike and Rescue.
Notable items
- The Warrior’s Charge (Conjuration skill book), on the table with a skeleton near the enchanter.
Tips
Coming in from the north, the ice-spike trap is the first thing that will try to ruin your day. Grab or destroy the soul gem powering it, or simply stay out of its line of fire. The necromancer will happily raise help, so deal with them early.
Good to know
Whiterun’s guards sometimes warn you to stay away from Brittleshin Pass and add it to your map. They say it’s southeast of the city. It isn’t – it’s southwest – so maybe don’t ask them for directions. The pass is also one of the few dungeons that straddles two regions, and walking through it is among the fastest ways from the Whiterun plains down to Lake Ilinalta. At the far end, the Nord statue facing the south exit has two flawless garnets for eyes.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Bloated Man’s Grotto, Ilinalta’s Deep, South Brittleshin Pass, Secunda’s Kiss, Sleeping Tree Camp.
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.