Ancestral Worship is a short dungeon quest in the Pale. Golldir is pacing outside Hillgrund’s Tomb, his family crypt, because a Dark Elf necromancer named Vals Veran has gone inside to put his ancestors to work. His aunt went in to stop the intruder hours ago and has not come back, which is rarely a good sign in Skyrim.
How to start
- Travel to Hillgrund’s Tomb and speak with Golldir at the entrance.
- Agree to help him drive out Vals Veran and look for his aunt. Golldir then unlocks the crypt and comes along.
- Any follower you already have stays with you and joins the party.
Walkthrough
Into the tomb
Go down into the connecting hallway, where Golldir finds his aunt Agna dead in a pool of fresh blood. The door nearby is barred from the far side, so head west instead, past a cave-in and through a corridor full of draugr. The path widens into a much larger mausoleum with more undead to fight.
The bear shows the way
You reach a round chamber decorated with animal carvings. Golldir recalls Agna telling him that the bear would show the way. Find the bear carving and pull the chain to its right; a passage opens through one of the coffins. Follow it to a pair of iron doors leading into the main crypt.
Defeat Vals Veran
Vals Veran waits in the main burial chamber with his draugr. You have two jobs here: kill him and, if you want the full reward, keep Golldir alive (this objective is optional). Veran teleports around the fight, sometimes slipping into a hidden side room to heal before popping back in, and he will raise fallen draugr to fight again. You can even strike him down while he is still trading words with Golldir, but the remaining draugr keep coming, so stay close to your companion.
Wrap-up
Search Veran’s body for a Crypt Key and two notes that explain what he was up to. If Golldir survived, talk to him and he hands over the key to his family chest; if he died, the key is on his body instead. The Crypt Key opens the iron door (hard lock) at the top of the ceremonial stairs, a quick way out. Golldir’s chest sits in the antechamber beyond.
Choices and consequences
Protecting Golldir is optional. If he lives, he gives you the chest key and may offer to become your follower. If he dies, you can still finish the job and take the key from his body, but you lose the follower.
Rewards
- Hillgrund’s Chest Key, which opens Golldir’s family chest (leveled gold and loot)
- Golldir as a potential follower, if he survives
- Loot from Vals Veran and the tomb
Tips and notes
- The draugr in the final chamber will not chase you through the door you came in by. Back off to that doorway and pick them off one at a time.
- Playing a Dunmer? Golldir awkwardly assures you he is sure you are not into that sort of necromancy.
- Killing Veran quickly is the best way to protect Golldir, since every draugr that falls may be raised again while he lives.
