Wolfskull Cave lies in the snowy foothills west of Solitude, north of the Statue to Meridia. Deep beneath it lie Wolfskull Ruins, the underground stronghold of Potema Septim, the Wolf Queen, who once terrorized the region and practised necromancy here before she was hunted down. Now a cult of necromancers wants her back – and that is where you come in.
What you’ll find
- Necromancers, draugr and skeletons guarding the cave.
- A drop into the cavern below that leaves no way back – the exit is across a drawbridge in Wolfskull Ruins.
- Oil traps near the start of the ruins.
- A tower where the Ritual Master and four unique necromancers are performing their ritual; the drawbridge lever is to the left of the drawbridge at its top.
- Two chests with random loot.
- Ingredients such as Bleeding Crown, Blisterwort, Fly Amanita, Hanging Moss, Imp Stool and Namira’s Rot.
Quests
In The Man Who Cried Wolf, someone from Dragon Bridge has asked for the cave to be looked into, and Falk Firebeard sends you to clear it out. Before that quest starts, the way into the ruins is sealed with ice and the cave is held by bandits instead.
Notable items
- The Refugees (Light Armor) – on the altar at the top of the tower.
- Moonstone ore vein near the oil traps, and an iron ore vein.
Tips
The Ritual Master and the four named necromancers never respawn or vanish, which makes them excellent targets for Dead Thrall or the power of The Ritual Stone. Light the oil traps while enemies stand in them for some free fire damage. If a follower gets stuck above the hole into the ritual room, waiting an hour after you drop down usually brings them along.
Good to know
Potema’s dais here matches the Summoning Stones outside Morthal. The voice actors never agreed on her name either – some say “poh-teh-ma”, others “poh-tee-mah”. For her backstory, read Biography of the Wolf Queen.
Nearby
Closest places covered on TamrielSaga: Ironback Hideout, The Steed Stone, Statue to Meridia, Clearpine Pond, Fort Hraggstad.
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.