Some tombs are best left alone, and Valthume in Hjaalmarch is one of them. Inside you meet Valdar, a spirit who has spent generations keeping the dragon priest Hevnoraak locked away, and who fears the lich is about to return. Evil in Waiting has you collecting three vessels of the priest’s blood, weakening him in a ritual and then putting him down for good.
How to start
Enter Valthume. The spirit of Valdar appears near the start and explains the situation, then asks you to find three vessels hidden in the tomb and bring them back to him.
Walkthrough
First vessel: the Opaque Vessel
The first vessel sits in a room with two holes in the ceiling open to the sky. To get there you need to pull a handle across from an iron gate in what looks like a dead end; this opens both the gate and a hidden door. The vessel looks a lot like an empty wine bottle and is labelled “opaque vessel”, and the quest marker points straight at it. It is guarded by a draugr deathlord with an ebony war axe, even if you are below level 20, so come prepared.
Second vessel: the catacombs
The second vessel is in the catacombs with the three flamethrower pillars. Pull a chain to open the room, which holds a chest, a giant frostbite spider and one to three smaller ones. Three flame-enchanted soul gems can be taken to clear the way onward to the third vessel. The vessel itself is guarded by another deathlord with an ebony war axe, or a draugr scourge at lower levels.
Third vessel: the claw door
The last vessel lies behind a dragon claw puzzle door. The Iron Dragon Claw rests on a pressure plate that triggers four flamethrowers firing across the pedestal, and three frostbite spiders guard it, so grab it quickly. Set the rotating rings on the door to dragon, hawk, wolf and use the claw to open it. Behind the door waits at least one draugr deathlord with an ebony weapon plus three more leveled draugr, at least one of them a scourge. A word wall behind the vessel teaches a word of the Aura Whisper shout, and the boss chest is here as well.
The ritual
Return to Valdar with all three vessels. He explains that they hold Hevnoraak’s blood, and pouring it out will stop the lich from regaining his full power. Pour the contents into the sconce and sit on the throne. Valdar then wakes Hevnoraak, who bursts from his coffin screeching and mocks Valdar for thinking he could be imprisoned forever.
You can get up from the throne right away and find a hiding spot before Hevnoraak appears, which gives stealth archers a chance at a sneak attack opener.
Defeat Hevnoraak
Even weakened, Hevnoraak is dangerous. He hurls powerful lightning, summons storm atronachs and protects himself with Lightning Cloak and Ebonyflesh. Stay out of the lightning he casts on the ground, as it drains both health and magicka. A high-level character with a strong bow and good arrows can bring him down in a handful of shots.
When he falls, loot his remains for his mask and staff, then speak to Valdar to finish the quest. Valdar tells you to take the mask and fades away.
Rewards
- Hevnoraak, a dragon priest mask granting immunity to disease and poison
- Hevnoraak’s Staff
- A word of the Aura Whisper shout from the word wall
- Boss chest and plenty of draugr loot
Tips and notes
- You can order a follower to sit on the throne instead of doing it yourself. Valdar releases Hevnoraak as normal, leaving you free to pick your position.
- Do not use Unrelenting Force near the second vessel: it can be knocked behind a wall and become unreachable.
- Shock resistance helps a lot in the final fight.
- The quest title is said to be a nod to Bethesda Softworks’ game The Evil Within, which was in development around the time Skyrim came out.
