Silent Moons Camp is a bandit stronghold northwest of Whiterun, set in old ruins with a small cave system tucked into the base. The bandits’ leader is obsessed with unlocking the secrets of the Lunar Forge that crowns the ruins, and the place is worth a visit for that forge alone – plus the leader’s treasure, which is guarded better than most.
What you’ll find
- Bandits in the outdoor ruins – an Argonian among them, every time.
- The Lunar Forge at the top of the outside structure, along with a workbench and a grindstone.
- A cave entrance through a door to the right of the stairs that lead up to the forge. The leader has their headquarters inside.
- A locked door at the end of the cave, guarding the leader’s room and treasure.
- A ladder in the leader’s room up to a chest in a tower of the ruins above, behind a gate worked by a nearby pull chain.
- The usual scattering of potions, gold and food.
Quests
- Kill the Bandit Leader – a bounty can send you here.
- Preemptive Strike (Dawnguard) – the camp is a possible location.
Notable items
- Smithing skill book Light Armor Forging, on the workbench near the forge.
- Notes on the Lunar Forge, the leader’s research.
- Lunar weapons – the best possible versions can show up from level 8 onwards.
Tips
The bandits in the ruins tend to spot you from the high ground, so clearing the outside first with a bow saves a messy fight on the stairs. Inside, fight through to the locked door at the end of the cave; past it, climb the ladder in the leader’s room and pull the chain to open the gate to the tower chest.
Missed the inside route? You can also reach the tower by scrambling over the rocks above the ruined wall. Once opened, the tower gate stays open, even after the dungeon resets.
Good to know
Don’t trust the notes too much: they claim the lunar weapons drain health from victims like a vampire, but their actual enchantment does nothing of the sort. At low levels the enchanted weapons may also fail to appear at all.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Halted Stream Camp, Bleakwind Basin, Redoran’s Retreat, Dustman’s Cairn, Hamvir’s Rest.
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.