Summoning Karstaag is an unmarked quest in the Dragonborn DLC with no journal entries and no quest giver – just a skull, a throne and a very large, very angry ghost. Return the skull of Karstaag to his throne on Solstheim, beat him in battle, and he becomes a summon you can call on a few times.
How to start
There is nothing to pick up in your journal. The quest effectively begins when you take Karstaag’s Skull from Glacial Cave.
Walkthrough
Retrieve Karstaag’s Skull
Head to Glacial Cave, where a small group of Rieklings has settled. Deal with them and look at the ice wall at the back of the cave: the skull is wedged into it.
Reach the castle
Carry the skull to Castle Karstaag Ruins. There are two ways in:
- The front door, which needs a Master-level lock picked.
- Through Castle Karstaag Caverns, home to an entire Riekling tribe.
Place the skull and fight
Clear out the Rieklings occupying the ruins and place the skull on the huge throne. The castle starts to rumble and shake, and a spectral Karstaag rises from the throne and attacks straight away. Prepare before you set the skull down. When he falls, he fades and leaves only ghostly remains behind.
Rewards
- Summon Karstaag – a power that calls Karstaag to fight at your side. Unusually, it can only be used three times; after that it is gone for good.
- Notable loot in the area: 10 Ectoplasm and 5 Grand Soul Gems.
Tips and notes
- Because the power has only three uses, save it for the toughest fights rather than spending it on Rieklings.
- All stages of this quest are empty and it has no objectives, so you will not get map markers – follow the locations above.
- If you lack the lockpicking skill for the front door, the caverns route is longer but needs no lockpick.
