A New Source of Stalhrim is a Dragonborn side quest on Solstheim that starts with a worried villager and ends with you holding the secret of enchanted ice. The Skaal smith Baldor Iron-Shaper has vanished from Skaal Village, and it turns out a band of Thalmor dragged him off to squeeze the art of Stalhrim forging out of him. Deor Woodcutter is the one who sounds the alarm.
How to start
- Finish The Fate of the Skaal.
- Leave Solstheim at least once, then come back to Skaal Village.
- Listen to Deor Woodcutter arguing with Fanari Strong-Voice about the missing smith, then speak to Deor. Let their conversation play out first (see the known bug below).
Fanari brushes Deor’s fears aside, but Deor is convinced Baldor would never leave without a word. When questioned, he admits he saw two elves far off in the woods hauling something behind them, heading south and west. He also points out the obvious motive: Baldor is the keeper of the sacred Skaal tradition of forging Stalhrim, and anyone who wanted that knowledge would have to get it from him.
Walkthrough
Find Baldor at the Abandoned Lodge
The trail leads to the Abandoned Lodge, a small hut north and a little east of Raven Rock. At least four Thalmor soldiers guard the outside and turn hostile as you approach. One of the bodies carries the key to the lodge and a curt note from someone signing as “A”, complaining that the smith still has not been broken.
Inside you can hear Baldor calling for help. Take the stairs to the left of the entrance down to the basement, where he sits hurt against the wall in the southeast corner. His injuries are minor; the elves mostly wanted to scare him. He explains that their leader, Ancarion, owns a map said to mark a hidden Stalhrim source, and that the Thalmor ship is moored on the northern coast. He asks you to take the map back, whether Ancarion lives or dies, and heads home to the village. A Novice-locked chest beside him holds random loot, and there are pelts and alchemy ingredients lying around.
Retrieve the map at Northshore Landing
Head to Northshore Landing on the north shore. A Thalmor soldier warns you off, but you can ask to see Ancarion instead of fighting straight away. Once you mention the map, he threatens to silence you, and you get several ways out:
- Persuade: tell him the smith will never talk. If it works, he decides the venture is not worth it and leaves the island.
- Intimidate: threaten his life. If he believes you, he hands over the map and prepares to sail.
- Make a deal: claim Baldor will teach you, and you will sell Stalhrim weapons to the Thalmor. This needs a Speech skill of at least 75. Ancarion gives you the map and becomes a buyer for Stalhrim gear.
- Force or stealth: pickpocket the map, or kill Ancarion and his guards and loot it from his body.
Any failed speech check starts a fight.
Return to Baldor
Bring the map back to Baldor in Skaal Village. He is overjoyed, names you a friend of the Skaal and teaches you how to forge Stalhrim. From now on you can bring the ore to his forge and use his tools to craft your own gear. As you return, Tharstan notices what you have done and asks for help with Lost Legacy.
Choices and consequences
How you deal with Ancarion only matters for what happens afterwards: if you struck the arms deal, he stays at Northshore Landing as a merchant who buys only Stalhrim weapons and armor and their variants. Killing, persuading or intimidating him all end with the map in your hands just the same.
Rewards
- The ability to craft Stalhrim armor and Stalhrim weapons.
- The Stalhrim Source Map, which adds the Stalhrim Source to your world map. The location is marked whether or not you read the map.
- Optional: Ancarion as a Stalhrim buyer if you made the deal.
Tips and notes
- The Stalhrim Source is an ancient Nordic barrow with plenty of Stalhrim to mine, handy for Halbarn’s Supplies.
- Baldor describes Stalhrim as enchanted ice that is as hard as iron and as cold as death; the forging technique is known only to Skaal smiths.
- Baldor does not even know the word Thalmor and simply calls his captors the elves.
