Ancient Technology is a Dawnguard side quest given by Sorine Jurard, the Dawnguard’s resident crossbow enthusiast. She has tracked down old schematics that could upgrade the order’s crossbows or add new kinds of bolts, and she would very much like someone else to go and fetch them from whichever ruin or bandit hideout they are lying in. Each run brings back one new piece of technology for the armory.
How to start
- You must have sided with the Dawnguard during Bloodline and must not be a vampire.
- Complete A New Order.
- Speak to Sorine Jurard. Durak may also point you her way, mentioning that she needs help improving the crossbows.
- The quest can also start on its own: if you happen to find a schematic in a chest after finishing A New Order, the journal immediately tells you to bring it back to Sorine.
Walkthrough
1. Retrieve the schematic
Sorine names a radiant location, usually a Dwemer ruin or a bandit stronghold, and with the Dragonborn add-on installed it can even be on Solstheim. The schematic always sits in the boss chest at the end of the dungeon, which is sometimes guarded by a boss-level enemy such as a bandit chief or a Dwarven Centurion. Expect some Dwemer metal pieces and occasionally a Dwarven haul note in the same chest.
2. Return to Sorine
Hand the schematic over. She rewards you with a leveled enchanted weapon or piece of armor and, if you have the matching Smithing perk, teaches you to craft the new item yourself.
3. Repeat
The quest repeats six times in total, and each round unlocks one upgrade or bolt type.
The six schematics
- Enhanced Crossbow
- Dwemer Exploding Fire Bolts
- Dwemer Exploding Ice Bolts
- Dwemer Exploding Shock Bolts
- Dwarven Crossbow
- Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow
Possible locations
Each schematic has its own pool of locations, with plenty of overlap. Places that turn up across several lists include Alftand, Raldbthar, Mzinchaleft, Kagrenzel, Orotheim, Gallows Rock, Embershard Mine, Fort Fellhammer, Faldar’s Tooth, Robber’s Gorge, Treva’s Watch, Valtheim Towers, White River Watch, Redoran’s Retreat, Rift Watchtower, Knifepoint Ridge, Lost Knife Hideout, Swindler’s Den, Uttering Hills Cave, Stony Creek Cave, Broken Oar Grotto, Broken Helm Hollow, Halted Stream Camp, Bilegulch Mine and Nchuand-Zel in Markarth. The Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow can also send you to Nchardak. With Dragonborn installed, Bloodskal Barrow, Damphall Mine, Fahlbtharz and Hrodulf’s House join the pool.
Rewards
- A leveled enchanted weapon or armor piece each time.
- The ability to craft the unlocked crossbow or bolt type, provided you have the corresponding Smithing perk.
Tips and notes
- Since the schematic is always in the boss chest, you can usually skip the side rooms if you are in a hurry.
- In Kagrenzel the quest marker may point towards neighboring Stony Creek Cave instead; going in through Stony Creek and back again reportedly fixes it.
- In Mzinchaleft the chest can end up behind a door you cannot open, and the source suggests sending a follower to fetch the contents.
- Inside Nchuand-Zel the marker may bounce between the armory and the main ruin; following the route from The Lost Expedition is one suggested workaround.
- For combat work instead of treasure hunting, Gunmar offers Hunting the Monster and Preemptive Strike.
