The Savior of Selveni Nethri

Free the mage Selveni Nethri from the spider webs deep in Southfringe Sanctum and make sure she gets out of the cave alive.

The Savior of Selveni Nethri is a small dungeon quest hidden inside Southfringe Sanctum in the Reach. Selveni Nethri was a member of Bashnag’s group of mages until they turned on her, chased her off and left her for dead in a part of the cave crawling with spiders. If you clear the way, she is more than happy to make a run for the exit.

How to start

The quest starts when you find Selveni, wrapped in spider webs, deep in Southfringe Sanctum and speak to her. She explains that Bashnag’s coven drove her out and left her to the spiders, and asks you to let her know when the coast is clear so she can escape.

Walkthrough

Clear the sanctum

Work your way through Southfringe Sanctum, defeating the mages and the spellswords as you go. It pays to be thorough: Selveni’s escape route is the same path you take in, so anything left alive can threaten her on the way out. Continue past the area where Bashnag is found and follow the tunnel leading away from the hall where the spellswords stood.

Free Selveni

The tunnel ends in a spider den, including a giant spider. Kill all of them. Selveni is stuck in the webs here. Talk to her and tell her it is safe to go.

Help Selveni Nethri escape the cave

Selveni heads for the exit on her own. The quest only completes once she has actually left the sanctum, so either escort her out or wait for her to make it.

Rewards

  • No direct reward. Your payment is whatever loot you find in Southfringe Sanctum along the way.

Tips and notes

  • Selveni is easy to miss: she does not call out for help, and neither Detect Life nor Detect Dead reveals her while she is caught in the web. Search the spider den carefully.
  • If she gets stuck near the exit, waiting an hour or leaving and re-entering the cave usually gets her moving again (see known bugs).

Objectives

Help Selveni Nethri escape the cave

Walkthrough

Choices & consequences

Known bugs & fixes

Selveni may get stuck at the exit or stand still after being told it is safe; waiting an hour, re-entering the dungeon or knocking her out the entrance with Unrelenting Force can fix it. Killing her may not end the quest, and it may linger in the quest log.

Lore notes

Selveni Nethri was cast out by Bashnag’s coven of mages and left to the spiders.

Characters in this quest

Creatures you will meet

Locations

Southfringe Sanctum in Skyrim: Bashnag’s snowy spellsword cave south of Helgen – rescue Selveni Nethri, loot The Art of War Magic and mine moonstone nearby.

Factions

Quest rewards

Sources checked: Fandom Elder Scrolls wiki (quest article), Skyrim game files

The Savior of Selveni Nethri

Quest type
Game
Quest giver
Selveni Nethri (Southfringe Sanctum)
Hold
Faction
Prerequisites
None
Previous quest
Next quest
Gold
Rewards
None (only the loot in Southfringe Sanctum)
Missable
Quest ID