The Ruins of Bthalft are a handful of weathered Dwemer stones and columns standing in the wilds just southeast of Ivarstead. On a normal day they are little more than a roadside bandit hideout. With the Dawnguard add-on installed, though, these modest ruins turn out to be sitting on top of something far more interesting.
What you’ll find
- Bandits – a small group has moved in. They are not a serious threat and should go down quickly.
- A central dais – before the related quest, a strange astrolabe-like device sits here. It is effectively a lock for an elevator below.
- Imperial neighbours – an Imperial war camp lies directly to the west, and its soldiers may pitch in against the bandits.
- Corundum ore – the site is listed among places with a corundum ore vein, so bring a pickaxe.
Quests
Lost to the Ages (Dawnguard) leads here. The ruins are the site of the Aetherium Forge, which can only be reached through that questline. Once the quest is done, the astrolabe and dais are replaced by a working Dwarven elevator.
Notable items
- Two flawless sapphires.
Tips
If you are low level, lure the bandits west toward the Imperial camp and let the Legion do some of the work. That trick stops working if Riften ends up in Imperial hands, so do not count on it after the war shifts.
Don’t spend ages fiddling with the astrolabe before the quest asks you to: it is not a puzzle you can solve early. Grab the sapphires, mine the ore and come back when the story sends you.
Good to know
Without Dawnguard installed, the ruins are a little more rustic: you may find garlic plants and pheasants around the stones instead. Either way, it is a quiet spot for a bit of loot between Ivarstead and Riften.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Rift Imperial Camp, Autumnwatch Tower, Honeystrand Cave, Alchemist’s Shack, Froki’s Shack.
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.