Nimhe, the Poisoned One is a miscellaneous quest in Markarth, in the Reach. The court wizard Calcelmo is excavating the Dwemer ruin of Nchuand-Zel beneath the city, but a huge frostbite spider his workers call Nimhe has made the dig site her lair. Deal with her and Calcelmo opens the doors to his prized Dwemer Museum.
How to start
- Find Calcelmo in Understone Keep and ask him about the Nchuand-Zel excavation site.
- He explains the spider problem and offers access to both the excavation and his museum if you kill Nimhe.
Walkthrough
Kill Nimhe inside Nchuand-Zel
Before you go, stock up on cure poison potions or poison resistance; a spider whose nickname is literally “the Poisoned One” is not shy about using venom. Ranged attacks are a comfortable way to fight any frostbite spider, since they let you stay out of reach while it closes the gap.
Enter the Nchuand-Zel Excavation Site from Understone Keep and work your way to Nimhe. She is a unique giant frostbite spider, so bring something to deal with poison and keep your distance from her bite where you can. Once she is dead, the objective updates.
Tell Calcelmo that Nimhe is dead
Return to Calcelmo in Understone Keep and report your success. True to his word, he hands you the key to the Dwemer Museum.
Rewards
- Dwemer Museum Key (legal access to Calcelmo’s museum)
- Counts as one of the favours toward Thane of the Reach
Tips and notes
- At the top of the stone walkway in the excavation site you may find the body of Alethius along with his notes. Reading them starts The Lost Expedition, which leads deeper into Nchuand-Zel.
- The museum key pairs well with Hard Answers: it gets you into the museum legally, but not into Calcelmo’s laboratory beyond it.
- Calcelmo’s offer covers both the excavation site and the museum, so once Nimhe is gone you are free to explore the dig without the workers’ complaints.
- Because this favour also counts for the Reach’s thaneship, it is an easy one to tick off while you are already in Understone Keep talking to the Jarl.
- Nimhe may respawn after a long time, despite being a unique spider.
