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Achievement Guide & Roadmap


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Overview:

- Estimated achievement difficulty: 4/10 [Achievement Difficulty Rating]

- Offline: 75 [1550:1gs:]

- Online: 0

- Approximate amount of time to 1550:1gs:: 100+ Hours [Estimated Time to 100%]

- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1

- Missable achievements: 2 ["Oblivion Walker" & "Stalhrim Crafter"]

- Does difficulty affect achievements: No

- Unobtainable/glitched achievements: None

- Extra equipment needed: None

 

 

Introduction:

 

Welcome to Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - Special Edition! In this 2016 remaster of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls V RPG, players are treated with a variety of changes and overhauls, including, but not limited to, remastered art and sound effects and console mods. All of the previously released expansions - Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn - are available here, too. There are a total of seventy-five achievements worth grabbing, a majority of which cover quest completion and several others related to miscellaneous tasks that can be done at any time during your playthrough. There are only two missable achievements to worry about and everything can be done at your own pace regardless of character race or playstyle. Achievement enthusiasts are looking at around a minimum of one hundred hours in order to nab the overall completion.

 

Story Quests:

 

Following character creation and the dragon attack at Helgen, you will unlock the first story-related achievement - "Unbound" - after escaping the town and dungeon with Hadvar/Ralof. From then on, there are an additional seven story-related achievements that share their names with their associated quest. These are "Bleak Falls Barrow," "The Way of the Voice," "Diplomatic Immunity," "Alduin's Wall," "Elder Knowledge," "The Fallen," and "Dragonslayer." Please keep in mind that there are no difficulty-related achievements, so you can play on whichever difficulty level you desire and alter it on the fly, too.

 

Side Quests & Daedric Artifacts:

 

First off, completing ten side quests, completing fifty miscellaneous objectives, and clearing fifty dungeons, will unlock "Sideways," "Hero of the People," and "Delver" respectively. As you travel from hold to hold completing these quests and objectives, you're bound to encounter the main factions of the game: the Companions, the College of Mages, the Dark Brotherhood, and the Thieves Guild. Each of these factions have a lengthy narrative subplot to play through, all of which host three quest-related achievements. There is also the Civil War subplot, which similarly yields three achievements.

 

In regards to the Daedric artifacts, there are a total of fifteen side quests tied to the Daedric Princes. Upon completing their quest, you will be awarded with that Prince's boon/artifact, powerful weapons or equipment items that are unique in their design and abilities/stats. Earning one Daedric artifact unlocks "Daedric Influence," while collecting all fifteen yields "Oblivion Walker." Please take note that the latter of these is considered missable since some of these quests can have the option to refuse the reward.

 

Dawnguard Questline & Tasks:

 

In total, there are ten achievements tied to the Dawnguard expansion, three of which are tied to story quests and another for completing a lengthy side quest. The main questline can be started by entering any of the main holds past Level 10 (you will be approached by an Orc named Durak, asking you to join the Dawnguard). The remaining six achievements are miscellaneous in nature, but require some legwork in preparation and execution. For example, changing your face in the Ragged Flagon underneath Riften will unlock, "A New You," learning all three words to the new Soul Tear shout, which can only be done after the "Beyond Death" quest, will unlock "Soul Tear," and firing a sunhallowed arrow at the sun with Auriel's Bow, which can only be done after the "Touching the Sky" quest, unlocks "Auriel's Bow." Two of the more involved achievements are "Werewolf Mastered" and "Vampire Mastered." The former can be done at any point in your playthrough so long as you are a werewolf (which can be achieved by joining and progressing through the Companion's questline), while the latter will require you to complete "Awakening," as this is the first true opportunity you have to become a Vampire Lord. Lastly, once you are a Level 78, Legendary Dragons will begin to spawn around the region. Killing a Legendary Dragon will unlock "Legend."

 

Dragonborn Questline & Tasks:

 

Similar to Dawnguard, the Dragonborn expansion hosts ten achievements. In order to start its main questline, you will first have to complete the story quest entitled "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller." After completing this quest, you will be approached and attacked by two cultist mages the next time you enter any major hold during the daytime. Slay the aggressors, loot their body, read the Cultist Orders note, and the quest "Dragonborn" will be triggered. From this point on, arriving on Solstheim will unlock "Outlander" and pressing on with the story quests will unlock three additional achievements. During these quests, you will learn two words from the new Dragon Aspect shout (the third must be found via a side quest entitled "The Final Descent"), the Bend Will shout, and uncover the secrets to two Black Books. Learning all three words of Dragon Aspect will unlock "Dragon Aspect;" using Bend Will to tame and mount five dragons will unlock "Dragonrider;" seeking out three additional Black Books and unlocking their reward will unlock "Hidden Knowledge." The final three achievements task you with crafting an item out of Stalhrim (which is slightly missable, so refer to the guide below), owning a house in Raven Rock, and discovering thirty locations around Solstheim. These achievements, with the exception of the latter of the three, require a few prerequisites in terms of completing side quests before being able to perform their task.

 

Miscellaneous:

 

What remains at this point are nearly two dozen miscellaneous tasks, some of which you may have already unlocked without any knowledge or preparation, others that you may have already made considerable progress towards. Some of the more milestone-based tasks involve chopping wood, mining ore, and cooking food for "Hard Worker," picking fifty locks and pockets for "Thief," persuading, intimidating, and bribing NPCs for "Snake Tongue," making a smithed item, an enchanted item, and a potion for "Artificer," holding 100,000 gold at once for "Golden Touch," discovering a hundred locations for "Explorer," reading fifty skill books for "Reader," absorbing twenty dragon souls for "Dragon Hunter," and learning twenty different shouts for "Thu'um Master."

 

It doesn't stop there, though; five of the smaller, isolated tasks are selecting a standing stone blessing, buying a house, escaping from jail, getting married, and absorbing a dragon soul. There are also achievements for finding thirteen standing stones, amassing a bounty of 1000 gold in all nine holds, getting one skill to Level 100, and learning three words to a single shout. There are also four more achievements for reaching Levels 5, 10, 25, and 50.

 

Last up are the relatively simple achievements associated with the Hearthfire expansion. There are five in total, and should you own a house in any hold, you can adopt a child from the Riften Orphanage for "Proud Parent." Following this, buying a plot of land in Dawnstar, Falkreath, or Mortal will yield "Land Owner," while building a home with three wings on this plot nets "Architect." Finally, buying the remaining two plots of land and building three-wing houses on them will unlock "Land Baron" and "Master Achitect."

 

Conclusion:

 

All in all, Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - Special Edition is a wonderful and beautiful experience to both newcomers and those revisiting the cold, tundra region of Tamerial. The achievement list is vast and creative, and with only one missable task to plan ahead for, everything can be earned at your own pace. Although mods disable achievements, their inclusion adds for an expansive, much-needed second playthrough!

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124959-lo.jpg Unbound 10:1gs:

Complete "Unbound"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124960-lo.jpg Bleak Falls Barrow 10:1gs:

Complete "Bleak Falls Barrow"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124961-lo.jpg The Way of the Voice 20:1gs:

Complete "The Way of the Voice"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124962-lo.jpg Diplomatic Immunity 20:1gs:

Complete "Diplomatic Immunity"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124963-lo.jpg Alduin's Wall 20:1gs:

Complete "Alduin's Wall"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124964-lo.jpg Elder Knowledge 20:1gs:

Complete "Elder Knowledge"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124965-lo.jpg The Fallen 20:1gs:

Complete "The Fallen"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124966-lo.jpg Dragonslayer 50:1gs:

Complete "Dragonslayer"

 

Story-related, cannot be missed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124967-lo.jpg Take Up Arms 10:1gs:

Join the Companions

 

In order to join the Companions, you will first need to locate their headquarters, Jorrvaskr, in Whiterun. After entering the building, head on downstairs and speak with their leader, Kodlak Whitemane. Follow through with the followup tasks for Kodlak and Eorlund Gray-Mane, and then once you deliver Aela's shield, Farkas will escort you to your new quarters and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124968-lo.jpg Blood Oath 10:1gs:

Become a member of the Circle

 

Before you can join the members of the Circle, you will need to complete a couple of side quests for the Companions, specifically "Proving Honor" for Skjor and then one radiant quest for either Aela, Skijor, or Vilkas. After this has been done, you will need to complete "The Silver Hand." This quests sees you speaking with Skjor, following him into the Underforge after dark, and participating in a blood ritual for lycanthropy. Upon waking up, the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124969-lo.jpg Glory of the Dead 30:1gs:

Complete "Glory of the Dead"

 

After completing "The Silver Hand," you will need to complete two radiant quests and two side quests (one for Kodlak, another for Vilkas) before "Glory to the Dead" becomes available.

 

Once you have access to this quest, complete the funeral sequence and then speak to Eorlund Gray-Mane to repair Wuuthrad. Now head over to Ysgramor's Tomb, where you will meet Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas. Travel with them through the tomb, battling the ghosts of Companions until you reach the burial chamber with the ghost of Kodlak. Speak with him, defeat his wolf spirit, and the quest will conclude, thus unlocking the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124970-lo.jpg Gatekeeper 10:1gs:

Join the College of Winterhold

 

Speaking with various tavern innkeepers around the region will eventually trigger a miscellaneous objective to visit the College of Winterhold in order to further your learning on magic. Whether or not you have this objective in your journal, head to Winterhold in the northeast and approach the bridge that connects the College to the town.

 

An elf named Faralda will stop you. Choose whichever dialogue option you desire and then follow her instructions to cast a spell of her choosing. If you don't have the required spell, she can teach it to you for 30 gold. Alternatively, you can persuade her and avoid the test (this requires 100 Speech, or 70 with the Persuasion Perk), or perform a shout if the "Elder Knowledge" story quest has been completed. Regardless of what you do, the achievement will unlock once the test has been passed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124971-lo.jpg Revealing the Unseen 10:1gs:

Complete "Revealing the Unseen"

 

In order to unlock this quest, you will need to complete the following quests:

  • First Lessons
  • Under Saarthal
  • Hitting the Books
  • Good Intentions

"Revealing the Unseen" will become available after informing Savos Aren on the Auger's message. In this lengthy quest, you will be required to traverse the Dwemer ruin of Mzulft, locate the Synod researchers, and then find and use the Oculory to learn of the location of the Staff of Magnus. Once this has been done, report back to Savos Aren at the College of Winterhold to complete the quest and unlock the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124972-lo.jpg The Eye of Magnus 30:1gs:

Complete "The Eye of Magnus"

 

After learning about the Staff of Magnus, complete "Containment" and "The Staff of Magnus" in order for "The Eye of Magnus" to become available. This final quest for the College involves using the newly acquired Staff to destroy the magical barrier shielding the College.

 

Now head to the Hall of Elements and use the Staff on the Eye in order to force Ancano vulnerable to damage. You can ignore the magic anomalies that spawn, or deal with them, but act quickly. Use the Staff on the Eye each time is closes; Ancano is invulnerable to damage when the Eye is closed. After you defeat Ancano, speak with Tolfdir and then watch as the Eye is quickly transported away by members of the Psijic Order. Their leader, Quaranir, will declare you the new Arch Mage, bringing the quest to a close and unlocking the achievement.

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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124973-lo.jpg Taking Care of Business 10:1gs:

Join the Thieves Guild

 

Upon entering the market grounds of Riften for the first time, you will be approach by a man named Brynjolf. He asks that you plant a stolen ring on a vendor. Follow through with his directions and speak with him afterwards in order to earn a small sum of gold and the next quest, "Taking Care of Business."

 

In the follow-up quest, you are asked to meet Brynjolf in the Ragged Flagon underneath the city. Travel there via the Ratway and speak with him in the Thieves Guild HQ. You will then be asked to collect debt from three Riften citizens: Keerava, Bersi, and Haelga. Make sure to follow up with Brynjolf before leaving to learn how to exploit each NPC; they can be exploited via these alternate methods, or simply beaten up in a fist fight (the former is the quicker, more engaging method). Once you collect all the debt, return to Brynjolf and speak with him. The quest will conclude and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124974-lo.jpg Darkness Returns 10:1gs:

Complete "Darkness Returns"

 

In order to gain access to this quest, you will first need to complete eight narrative quests, spanning classic thievery, deceit, and the reunion of the Nightingales. The quests givers are those characters that are tied to the Guild, such as Brynjolf, Maven Black-Briar, Mercer Frey, Enthir, and Karliah.

 

Once "Darkness Returns" is available, which is long after becoming a Nightingale and dealing with Mercer Frey, you will need to travel to the Twilight Sepulcher, speak with the mysterious Nightingale Sentinel, and follow the Pilgrim's Path to your objective. It's helpful to use the Clairvoyance Illusion spell if necessary, as it more or less shows you the direction in which you should be heading to the objective.

 

You will eventually drop into a well with no visible escape route. Inspect the skeleton on the ground and after a few seconds the floor will give way and you will be in a new room. Use the Skeleton Key at this time to unlock the Ebonmere, listen to Nocturnal, and then speak to Karliah and select a blessing. The quest will now lead you back to the Thieves Guild HQ. Speak with Brynjolf when you arrive; the quest will soon conclude and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124975-lo.jpg One with the Shadows 30:1gs:

Returned the Thieves Guild to its former glory

 

This achievement requires you to complete several side quests for Delvin and/or Vex in order to bolster the reputation of the Guild. First and foremost, it's worth noting that you can begin taking side quests from these two characters as soon as you join the ranks. You can have one quest from each concurrently active. Their quests are small thief-life tasks, such as burglarizing a house, forging ledger accounts, or planting stolen items.

 

You will need to complete five jobs/tasks in each of the following cities: Markarth, Solitude, Whiterun, and Windhelm. The jobs/tasks are completely randomized, without regard to the number of jobs you've already taken in a particular hold. If you need to, you can accept and quit jobs at will. It's highly recommended to quit jobs until they match up in location (i.e. both Delvin and Vex send you to Whiterun). After completing the fifth job for a city, Delvin will then present a unique "reputation" quest. Complete these four unique quests - "Silver Lining" in Markarth; "The Dainty Sload" in Solitude; "Imitation Amnesty" in Whiterun; "Summerset Shadows" in Windhelm; - and the Thieves Guild will begin to gain a respectable reputation around the region.

 

Once all four reputation quests have been completed, return to Brynjolf as directed under the "Under New Management" side quest. A ceremony will ensue; speak with Brynjolf again afterwards and then visit Tonilia in order to retrieve your Guild Master's Armor set. With the armor set in had, the quest will conclude and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124976-lo.jpg With Friends Like These… 10:1gs:

Join the Dark Brotherhood

 

To begin, you must first ask the various tavern innkeepers throughout the major cities of the region if there are any good rumors. By asking, you will eventually learn about a boy named Aventus and the Black Sacrament. This will trigger the "Talk to Aventus Aretino" objective on your miscellaneous quest log.

 

Travel to Windhelm and proceed to the Aretino Residence on the east side of the city. Head on in, speak with the young boy, and you will be asked to kill Grelod the King at the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften. Your next step is to travel to Riften and take out the target by any means necessary. Once it is done, return to Windhelm and inform Aventus. A few in-game days later, you will receive a mysterious note from a currier that says "We Know;" the next time you sleep, you will awake inside a wooden shack.

 

Talk to the woman - Astrid - on the bookcase, follow her orders to kill a captive, and then speak with her once more. From here, travel to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary southwest of Falkfreath. Interact with the door of the Sanctuary, respond with the password Astrid provided, and head on inside. The achievement will unlock after speaking with Astrid and meeting the other members of the Brotherhood.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124977-lo.jpg Bound Until Death 10:1gs:

Complete "Bound Until Death"

 

In order to unlock this quest, you will need to complete the following quests:

  • Contract: Kill Narfi
  • Contract: Kill Ennodius Papius
  • Contract: Kill Beitild
  • Mourning Never Comes
  • Whispers in the Dark
  • Contract: Kill Lurbuk
  • Contract: Kill Hern
  • The Silence Has Been Broken

"Bound Until Death" will become available after returning to Astrid with the letter of credit. In this over-the-top quest, you will be required to attend the wedding at the Temple of the Divines in Solitude and assassinate the bride, Vittoria Vici. There are several strategies to employ here; if you speak to other members of the Brotherhood, such as Babette or Gabriella, they will give insight on stealthy methods in killing the bride. After the deed is done, escape Solitude and return to Astrid. The quest will come to a close and the achievement will unlock after informing her of Vici's death.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124978-lo.jpg Hail Sithis! 30:1gs:

Complete "Hail Sithis!"

 

After assassinating the Emperor's cousin, you will need to complete the following quests:

  • Breaching Security
  • The Cure for Madness
  • Recipe for Disaster
  • To Kill an Empire
  • Death Incarnate

After completing the last of these, "Hail Sithis" will become available. To start, head to Whiterun and speak with Amaund Motierre in the Bannered Mare. You will learn of the Emperor's true location: The Katariah. Make your way to the ship south of Solitude, board the vessel, and sneak or fight your way to the topmost floor. Here, you will meet Emperor Titus Mede II. Kill him, return to Amaund, collect the dead drop at Volunruud, and then return to Nazir at the Dawnstar Sanctuary. The achievement will unlock as you turn in the quest, informing Nazir of the Emperor's death.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124979-lo.jpg Taking Sides 10:1gs:

Join the Stormcloaks or the Imperial Army

 

This achievement involves completing either the "Joining the Stormcloaks" or "Joining the Legion" quest.

 

For the former, travel to Windhelm and speak with Ulfric Stormcloak and Galmar Stone-Fist. Now travel to Serpentstone Isle to kill the Ice Wraith. Once that is done, return to Ulfric and take the oath to join the Stormcloaks and unlock the achievement.

 

For the latter, travel to Solitude and speak with General Tullius and Legate Rilke. Your next task is to travel to Fort Hraggstad and clear out the bandits. Once this has been accomplished, return to Legate Rilke and take the oath to join the Imperial Legion and unlock the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124980-lo.jpg War Hero 10:1gs:

Capture Fort Sungard or Fort Greenwall

 

This achievement is unlocked at the halfway point of the Civil War subplot.

 

If you decided to side with the Stormcloaks, you will eventually be tasked with retaking Fort Sungard in "The Battle for Fort Sungard." If, however, you sided with the Imperials, you will eventually be asked to lead the siege on Fort Greenwall during "The Battle for Fort Greenwall." These quests, and those that proceed it, are very straightforward; you should have no problem moving from objective to objective, quest to quest, as they all typically involve open combat between the two armies.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124981-lo.jpg Hero of Skyrim 30:1gs:

Capture Solitude or Windhelm

 

This is the final achievement tied to the Civil War subplot.

 

Once Skyrim has been liberated/reunified depending on your actions throughout this questline, you will receive one final task: storm Windhelm with the Imperial Legion and kill Ulfric Stormcloak in "Battle for Windhelm," or lead the attack on Solitude alongside the Stormcloaks to put an end to General Tullius in "Battle for Solitude." Both quests involve large scale battles within the cities, but shouldn't prove to be too difficult so long as you are aptly geared and equipped. The achievement will unlock once the leader to the opposing army has been slain.

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124982-lo.jpg Sideways 20:1gs:

Complete 10 side quests

 

In general, a side quest is any full quest that is more involved than a miscellaneous objective, and does not relate to the main questline or any of the factions (Companions, The Dark Brotherhood, etc.). There are more than three dozen side quests in the game, so you will certainly come to unlock this achievement naturally as you work on clearing out your quest log.

 

Some of the easier, more common side quests are those such as "The Golden Claw," "The Forsworn Conspiracy," "The Man Who Cried Wolf," "The Wolf Queen Awakened," and "The White Phial." Naturally, just speak to NPCs - Jarls, their stewards and court mages, and merchants - and you should begin amassing a large amount of side quests to work on.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Side Quests Completed" statistic on the Quest page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124983-lo.jpg Hero of the People 30:1gs:

Complete 50 Misc Objectives

 

Miscellaneous objectives tend to be one-off tasks that involve a single step, as opposed to side quests that have four or five objectives. You will collect dozens upon dozens of miscellaneous objectives naturally by speaking to innkeepers, Jarls, stewards, recruitable companions, merchants, and other NPCs around the region of Skyrim. These tasks are very short, and usually involve returning a lost item, delivering a letter, or finding a specific plant/ingredient.

 

If you wish to grind this out quickly for any reason, though, all you need to do is play tag with the young child boy named Boyd in Solitude. When he approaches you and asks to play, he will be it and you will need to keep away. Let him tag you, then spam :1a: on him; each time you tag him, it counts as completing a miscellaneous objective.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Misc Objectives Completed" statistic on the Quest page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124984-lo.jpg Hard Worker 10:1gs:

Chop wood, mine ore, and cook food

 

This achievement can be done at any point in the game and is very easy to execute. To chop wood, head to Riverwood. Behind Alvor's house, there is an axe resting on a table. Grab the axe and interact with the chopping block nearby. To mine ore, head to Embershard Mine just southwest of Riverwood. Inside the mine, loot any pickaxe laying around and swipe away at the ore deposits at the mouth of the cave.

 

Finally, to cook food, return to Riverwood, grab a few cabbages from the opened cart, purchase at least two salt piles from the innkeeper at the Sleeping Giant Inn, and then interact with the cooking pot inside Alvor's house to make cabbage soup. The achievement will unlock once all three tasks have been executed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124985-lo.jpg Thief 30:1gs:

Pick 50 locks and 50 pockets

 

Picking fifty locks throughout your playthrough will certainly come naturally; however, picking fifty pockets requires a little more patience and planning. For the former, so long as you have lock picks, which can be looted around the world or purchased from various merchants, you'll be good to go. It ultimately comes down to judgement on whether you want to spend a few minutes at the higher-leveled locked doors, or just carry on and not waste any time. You're going to pick hundreds of locks during your quests so don't feel like you need to pick every lock you see.

 

For the pickpocketing, though, you'll need to actively go out of your way to sneak up on NPCs, inspect what they're carrying, and determine if you want to steal their wares. It's worth noting that looking at their inventory is fine, but it's the act of stealing that can get you in trouble. To maximize your chances at a successful pick, sneak into resident's homes while they are sleeping and make sure you remain "hidden" while crouching. Each item you scroll over will have a percentage of how likely you are to successfully steal it; items over ninety percent are worth the grab and the more expansive an item, the more XP it yields. In addition to this, if you're going to steal multiple items off an NPC, you should back out and quick save in between each picking as it will count as a new pickpocket.

 

The achievement will finally unlock after picking fifty locks and pockets.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Locks Picked" and "Pockets Picked" statistics on the Crime page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124986-lo.jpg Snake Tongue 10:1gs:

Successfully persuade, bribe, and intimidate

 

Engaging in dialogue with NPCs will often time leave you with an array of options in regards to how you respond to their questions, demands, or threats. Should the options present themselves, it's the Speech skill and your overall character level that determines the chance of success. You can persuade someone by reason, intimidate by way of threat, or bribe them with money.

 

It's very likely that this achievement may come naturally during your playthrough so long as you consistently attempt to choose these unique speech checks the available. It's worth noting that completing the Thieves Guild questline helps significantly here because members of the Guild can automatically bribe guards to ignore their crimes, and once you become Guild Master, you are given the Amulet of Articulation, which, when worn, allows you to pass any persuasion attempt regardless of level.

 

All in all, level up the Speech skill by trading and bartering with merchants, reading skills books, or paying for training. The higher the level of the skill, the easier it is to successfully execute the speech check. Sooner or later, you will have had performed all three speech checks and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124987-lo.jpg Blessed 10:1gs:

Select a Standing Stone blessing

 

Please refer directly below to "Standing Stones" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124988-lo.jpg Standing Stones 30:1gs:

Find 13 Standing Stones

 

In total, there are thirteen Standing Stones scattered around the region of Skyrim. These relics are magical stones that grant special abilities and powers. Only one stone's effects can be active at a time, although you can change which stone is active at any time by activating a different Standing Stone. The first three stones you will find will most likely be the Guardian Stones; you will come across the Guardian Stones on your way to Riverwood after escaping Helgen.

 

All of the other stones must be located on your own. It's entirely possible to unlock the "Standing Stones" achievement by visiting any of the standing stones a total of thirteen times rather than finding all of them. If you want to unlock this quickly, simply fast travel to and activate any of the Guardian Stones a number of times rather than seeking out all thirteen.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124989-lo.jpg Citizen 10:1gs:

Buy a house

 

Upon completing the main story quest entitled "Bleak Falls Barrow" for the Jarl of Whiterun, you will be given the opportunity to purchase a house in the city for a sum of 5,000 gold. Speak with the steward, Proventus Avenicci, in order to buy the home. The achievement will unlock once the transaction is complete.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124990-lo.jpg Wanted 10:1gs:

Escape from jail

 

This achievement is fairly simple and can be done at any point during your playthrough. For example, once you reach Whiterun, make a manual backup save. Now deliberately get yourself caught in the act of a crime (i.e. pickpocketing an NPC in view of a guard). You will get caught and the guard will ask you to pay for your crimes. Do not fight back or bribe the guard; instead, surrender and let him take you to jail.

 

When you wake up in the jail cell, you will have one lock pick. Make another backup save and then pick the grate on the floor behind you. Reload your save if the lock pick breaks. Now traverse through the tunnels until you reach the ladder that deposits you within the Guard Barracks. It's at this time that the achievement will finally unlock and you'll be free to reload your previous save to continue on with your playthrough.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124991-lo.jpg Married 10:1gs:

Get married

 

In order to get married, you will first need to do two things: speak to Maramal inside The Bee and Barb in Riften and obtain an Amulet of Mara (Maramal sells them for 200 gold a piece).

 

Once you find Maramal, inquiry about marriage. He will explain how citizens of Skyrim get married. Now all you have to do is equip the Amulet and as you venture throughout the region, you will often notice some NPCs comment "Is that an Amulet of Mara?" This dialogue insinuates they are available for marriage; there are over thirty male and female NPCs available for marriage.

 

If you've found an NPC you're interested in, confirm your affection for them by responding to their inquiry, agree on marriage, and then return to Maramal at the Temple of Mara in Riften. He will ask you to return at dawn. At this time, a marriage ceremony will take place. Say your vows and once the ceremony is complete, the achievement will unlock.

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124992-lo.jpg Artificer 10:1gs:

Make a smithed item, an enchanted item, and a potion

 

Much like the "Hard Worker" achievement, this can be done at any point in the game and is very easy to execute.

 

To make a smithed item, you'll first need a couple of materials in the form of iron ingots and leather strips. The easiest and fastest way to do this is to head to Whiterun and buy one iron ingot and one leather strip from Adrianne Avenicci just outside of Warmaiden's. With the items in hand, interact with the forge and create an iron dagger.

 

For the enchanted item, you will need a filled soul gem (lootable around the world or can be purchased from the court wizard in Dragonsreach), a known enchantment, and a non-enchanted piece of equipment. Once you have these items, head to Dragonsreach and use Farengar Secret-Fire's Arcane Enchanter to create an item. If you don't know any enchantments, you may need to disenchant an enchanted piece of equipment first.

 

Finally, creating a potion is as simple as mixing together various alchemical ingredients at an Alchemy Lab. The easiest potion to create is a Restore Health potion. It requires Blue Mountain Flower, which is in abundant supply around Whiterun, and Butterfly Wings, which can be caught around the fields of the Wind District of Whiterun. The alchemist Arcadia of Arcadia's Cauldron may also sell these items, and she has an Alchemy Lab that be used to create potions. The achievement will unlock once all three tasks have been executed.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124993-lo.jpg Master Criminal 20:1gs:

Bounty of 1000 gold in all nine holds

 

First and foremost, make sure to create a manual backup save before attempting this achievement so that you don't have to pay off your bounty once you're done. In addition, this is best done after you've joined the Companions and have become a Werewolf because transforming into a beast within a city, in sight of guards, automatically adds 1000 gold to your bounty.

 

With that said, this achievement requires you to have a bounty of 1000 gold in all of the holds at the same time. You cannot pay off your bounty before moving to the next hold. The nine holds are:

  • Whiterun
  • Falkreath
  • The Reach (Markarth)
  • The Pale (Dawnstar)
  • The Rift (Riften)
  • Haafingar (Solitude)
  • Eastmarch (Windhelm)
  • Winterhold
  • Hjaalmarch (Mortal)

As mentioned, once you are a Werewolf, all you need to do is enter the hold and transform. This will immediately net a bounty of 1000 gold, allowing you to flee to the next hold without killing anyone. Take note you cannot fast travel as a Werewolf, so after escaping, you will need to revert back by waiting four to five hours.

 

Once you have amassed your ninth and final 1000 gold bounty, the achievement will unlock.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "[X] Bounty" statistics on the Crime page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124994-lo.jpg Golden Touch 30:1gs:

Have 100,000 gold

 

In order to get this achievement, you will need to have at least 100,000 gold in your inventory. Generally, this achievement will most likely come naturally many hours into your playthrough given all the monetary rewards you amass from the main questline and faction subplots (especially the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild). Additionally, players who focus on alchemy and looting any and all items during their travels can make a great profit selling potions, poisons, and unwanted equipment items to the many merchants around he region.

 

Fortunately, there's also an exploitable, secret chest in Dawnstar that allows you to loot a large amount of items for free and then turn a profit by selling them. The chest will respawn items every seven in-game days so long as it was fully emptied of its contents. On average, you tend to make anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 gold off the items in the chest. Please refer below for a video guide on where exactly the chest in Dawnstar can be found. Thanks, Somato!

 

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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124995-lo.jpg Delver 40:1gs:

Clear 50 dungeons

 

To unlock this achievement, you will need to fully clear out fifty dungeons over the course of your playthrough. Take note that "clearing" a dungeon means killing its boss. There are nearly two-hundred locations around the region that can be cleared. As with most of the miscellaneous-related achievements, this will most likely come naturally as you work on the main questline and various quests for the faction subplots.

 

If you're unsure whether or not a dungeon/location you have passed through has been cleared out, you can refer to the world map; a "Cleared" tag will be present next to the name of the location if you move your cursor over the name.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Dungeons Cleared" statistics on the General page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124996-lo.jpg Skill Master 40:1gs:

Get a skill to 100

 

Skill advancement in this game will differ between skills. As an example, selling higher value items to merchants will help level the Speech skill; forging and improving weapons and armor will help level the Smithing skill; casting bound weapons, reanimating corpses, and summoning atronachs and thralls will help level the Conjuration skill. Additionally, trainers can help level up a skill up to five times per character level and skill books will increase a specific skill by one point depending on the book read.

 

The easiest and fastest way to get this achievement, though, is to constantly cast the Illusion spell Muffle. This Apprentice-level spell costs 144 Magic to cast and can be purchased by Farengar Secret-Fire sells this spell at Dragonsreach in Whiterun for just 88 gold.

 

Once you have the spell, cast is at every chance you get. All it does is make your footsteps silent, so you can cast it in cities without being reprimanded; you should cast it as you trek along the region from objective to objective; so long as you aren't engaged in combat, you should cast it over and over again as your make your way throughout caves, dungeons, and ruins. Compared to any other spell, Muffle increases the Illusion skill at an abnormally fast rate (even faster if the Mage Stone is activated). As such, this is the best way to quickly power-level a skill to Level 100 for this achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124997-lo.jpg Explorer 40:1gs:

Discover 100 Locations

 

This achievement will come naturally over the course of your playthrough. There are well over one hundred locations around Skyrim to discover, ranging from cities, towns, and caves, to dragon lairs, Dwemer ruins, giant camps, mines, forts, and ruins. There is no need to go out of your way to find new locations; so long as you aren't using fast travel every moment you can, this achievement will unlock a few dozen hours into your playthrough.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124998-lo.jpg Reader 20:1gs:

Read 50 Skill Books

 

In order to unlock this achievement, you will need to read at least fifty different skill books. There are around ninety total scattered around the crypts, dungeons, and ruins of Skyrim. It's worth knowing that even if you have maxed out a skill at Level 100, reading a book related to that skill will still count towards the achievement even though no on-screen message will pop-up indicating the book has been read.

 

Players who thoroughly explore their surroundings and loot often will have no issue unlocking this achievement three or four dozen hours into their playthrough; however, for those who may need to backtrack near game's end to find a few more books, you can refer to this page for the location of every possible skill book throughout he region.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Skill Books Read" statistics on the General page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/124999-lo.jpg Daedric Influence 10:1gs:

Acquire a Daedric Artifact

 

Please refer directly below to "Oblivion Walker" for more information.

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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125000-lo.jpg Oblivion Walker 30:1gs:

Collect 15 Daedric Artifacts

 

This achievement is missable!

 

Before covering all the quests and their rewards, it's important to know why this achievement is considered highly missable. Even though there are fifteen Deadric quests, some of them can be completed without receiving an artifact. These are "A Daedra's Best Friend," "Pieces of the Past," and "Waking Nightmare." In addition to this, "The Taste of Death," "Pieces of the Past," "Discerning the Transmundane," and "The House of Horrors" can all be failed if you are not careful with their objectives. Lastly, "A Daedra's Best Friend" and "The Whispering Door" can become unobtainable if the quest giver dies before you receive the quest.

 

With all this in mind, it's best to plan accordingly and seek out these quests as soon as you reach their level requirements. Refer below to a brief checklist of every Daedric Artifact, as well as their associated quest, how to initiate the quest, and the level requirement.

 

Azuara's Star / The Black Star

  • Quest: The Black Star
  • How to Start: Visit the Shrine of Azura, south of Winterhold, on the peak of a mountain
  • Level Requirement: 1

Ebony Mail

  • Quest: Boethiah's Calling
  • How to Start: Investigate the Boethiah cultist at the Sacellum of Boethiah, east of Windhelm Stables
  • Level Requirement: 30

Masque of Clavicus Vile

  • Quest: A Daedra's Best Friend
  • How to Start: Speak to Lod in Falkreath
  • Level Requirement: 10

Oghma Infinium

  • Quest: Discerning the Transmundane
  • How to Start: Visit Septimus Signus's Outpost far north of Winterhold
  • Level Requirement: 15

Savior's Hide and/or Ring of Hircine

  • Quest: Ill Met By Moonlight
  • How to Start: Speak to Mathies in Falkreath about the death of his daughter or to Sinding in Falkreath Jail
  • Level Requirement: 1

Volendrung

  • Quest: The Cursed Tribe
  • How to Start: Visit Largashbur, an Orc stronghold located west-southwest of Riften
  • Level Requirement: 9

Mehrunes' Razor

  • Quest: Pieces of the Past
  • How to Start: Visit the museum in Dawnstar
  • Level Requirement: 20

Ebony Blade

  • Quest: The Whispering Door
  • How to Start: Ask the innkeeper at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun about Jarl Balgruuf's strange children
  • Level Requirement: 20

Dawnbreaker

  • Quest: The Break of Dawn
  • How to Start: Find Meridia's Beacon or find the Statue to Meridia
  • Level Requirement: 1

Mace of Molag Bal

  • Quest: The House of Horrors
  • How to Start: In Markarth, speak to the witchhunter about the abandoned house
  • Level Requirement: 1

Ring of Namira

  • Quest: The Taste of Death
  • How to Start: Investigate the Hall of the Dead in Markarth
  • Level Requirement: 1

Spellbreaker

  • Quest: The Only Cure
  • How to Start: Find Kesh at the Peryite Shrine, northeast of Markarth
  • Level Requirement: 12

Sanguine's Rose

  • Quest: A Night To Remember
  • How to Start: Participate in a drinking contest with Sam Guevenne in any tavern
  • Level Requirement: 14

Wabbajack

  • Quest: The Mind of Madness
  • How to Start: Investigate the man wandering the streets near the Bards College in Solitude
  • Level Requirement: 1

Skull of Corruption

  • Quest: Waking Nightmare
  • How to Start: Inquire about the town's nightmares in the Windpeak Inn in Dawnstar
  • Level Requirement: 1

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125001-lo.jpg Dragon Soul 10:1gs:

Absorb a dragon soul

 

This achievement will be earned during the main quest entitled "Dragon Rising," as it's the first opportunity you'll have to kill a dragon.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125002-lo.jpg Dragon Hunter 20:1gs:

Absorb 20 dragon souls

 

In order to absorb a dragon soul, you must first slay the dragon. During the main questline, you will have several encounters with dragons, though they are also randomly generated throughout the world once "Dragon Rising" has been completed. These creatures are usually either encountered in wide open locations soon after fast traveling, or can be found at dragon lairs. Dragon lairs, which are detailed below, are represented by a dragon's head icon on the map/compass.

  • Lost Tongue Overlook (south of Riften)
  • Autumnwatch Tower (west of Riften)
  • Ancients Acent (southwest of Helgren)
  • Northwind Summit (north of Riften)
  • Bonestrewn Crest (south of Windhelm)
  • Skyborn Alter (northwest of Whiterun)
  • Eldersblood Peak (northwest of Whiterun)
  • Shearpoint (northwest of Whiterun)
  • Dragontooth Crater (northeast of Markarth)
  • Mount Anthor (south of Winterhold)

Dragons are formidable opponents. Between their frost or fire breaths, they can also snap bites at you or smash you with their tail in you are too close to their face/hind. They tend to stay airborne for a while before landing on the ground, so be patient if you are not a ranged archer/mage. When a dragon is at just below half of its health, it will typically land on the ground and not take flight for the rest of the fight.

 

It's also worth noting that as you level up, so will dragons; their health, stamina, attack type, and attack power will grow greatly. There are Dragons, Blood Dragons, Skeletal Dragons, and Frost Dragons, and then Elder, Ancient, Serpentine, Revered, and Legendary Dragons.

 

After defeating a dragon, they will disintegrate and you will automatically absorb its soul. Again, you will come across several dragons during the main questline, and even more randomly during your travels, so this achievement will likely come naturally. If you are in the need for a few extra dragon souls, though, you can find them through the radiant quests "Dragon Seekers," which is given by Farkas or Vilkas at Jorrvaskr if you've completed the Companions questline, or "Dragon Hunting," which is given by Esbern at the Sky Haven Temple after completing "Rebuilding the Blades."

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Dragon Souls Collected" statistics on the Magic page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125003-lo.jpg Words of Power 10:1gs:

Learn all three words of a shout

 

This achievement will most likely unlock at the end of the main story quest entitled "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller," when the final word of Unrelenting Force is learned by the Greybeards. Alternatively, it can also be unlocked at any point during your playthrough by locating all three word walls for a single shout.

 

NOTE: Shearpoint has all three words of the Throw Voice shout.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125004-lo.jpg Thu'um Master 40:1gs:

Learn 20 shouts

 

This achievement can be earned after unlocking at least one word to twenty different shouts. In total, there are twenty-seven available shouts in the game, twenty of which are found around Skyrim, three that are unique to the quests involved in Dawnguard questline, and another four that can only be found in Solstheim. Please note that learning the words alone is not sufficient; you must use a dragon soul to unlock the word of power.

 

Throughout the main questline, you will learn fifteen words of power. Generally, though, most words need to be learned by discovering word walls, which tend to be located at dragon lairs or deep within dungeons. Obtaining a dragon shout is as simple as discovering and approaching a word wall. While standing near the wall, you will absorb the word.

 

Should you need assistance in tracking down word walls, you can speak to Arngeir in High Hrothgar after completing "The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller." He will let you know the location of a word wall by placing a waypoint marker on your map (this triggers a miscellaneous objective). If further assistance in finding shouts/words is needed, feel free to refer to this page for more information.

 

NOTE: Progress towards this achievement can be tracked using the "Shouts Learned" statistics on the Magic page of your journal's General Stats.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125005-lo.jpg Apprentice 5:1gs:

Reach Level 5

 

Please refer below to "Master" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125006-lo.jpg Adept 10:1gs:

Reach Level 10

 

Please refer below to "Master" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125007-lo.jpg Expert 25:1gs:

Reach Level 25

 

Please refer below to "Master" for more information.

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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125008-lo.jpg Master 50:1gs:

Reach Level 50

 

In Skyrim, leveling your character is based on the experience you gain related to every single skill. Simply put, if you use a skill, you gain a small amount of experience in that discipline (skill XP). Then, when you level up a skill, you will gain overall character experience (character XP). As previously mentioned, individual skills can also be leveled up via training or by reading skill books. It's worth mentioning that leveling up high-level skills will offer more character XP than leveling up low-level skills that you rarely ever use.

 

Naturally, as you level up your skills, you will need more skill XP to reach the next level. In most cases, some skills will always remain easier to level up than others. For example, enchanting and smithing are far easier to level up than one-handed or block. Here are a few additional key tips to keep in mind:

  • Sneak only increases if you're within range of and are avoiding detection by an NPC that would otherwise be aware of your presence. You don't necessarily need to be moving/sneaking around for the skill to increase; however, completing actions such as moving and sneak attacking NPCs helps level it up faster.
  • Conjuring Bound weapons only nets skill XP if you're engaged in combat.
  • Restoration levels up faster while you are in combat.
  • Alteration XP that comes from the Detect Life spell only increases when actually detecting life forms; the more life forms detected, the more XP you will earn.
  • Destruction spells need a valid target, such as an animal or NPC, in order to gain XP through spell casting.
  • Pickpocketing will increase proportionally to the total value of stolen goods.
  • Lockpicking only gains a small increase of XP if you break a pick. On the other hand, you will earn a large amount of XP if you successfully pick the lock (the higher the level of the lock, the more XP you earn).
  • Alchemy, Enchanting, and Smithing increase proportionally to the value of the item you are crafting. The stronger the poison, the stronger the enchantment, and the more valuable the armor and or weapon forged/improved, the more XP you will earn in that respective skill.

With all of this in mind, it's obvious then that you may need to utilize a mix of skills and differing playstyles in order to reach Character Level 50. Even with a single skill at Level 100, you may only be at Character Level 30 or 35.

 

One finale note: you have the ability to "reset" a skill back to its base level each time it reaches Level 100. This effectively means that you can more or less solely rely on infinitely leveling Illusion to help make the trek to Character Level 50 more manageable without having to rely on using skills you don't want to bother with. In essence, add Muffle casting to whatever playstyle you've adopted, reset the skill each time it hits Level 100, and you'll hit Character Level 50 in no time.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125009-lo.jpg Awakening 20:1gs:

Complete "Awakening"

 

This quest becomes available after completing "Dawnguard." Accept Isran's next assignment, which will task you with traveling to Dimhollow Crypt. Here, you will need to make your way through various cavern chambers, past vampires and their death hounds. You will eventually enter Dimhollow Cavern. As you make your way to the center of this chamber, kill all the vampires in the area and then press the button on the pedestal in the center of the chamber. This will cause a purple light to shine up from the floor.

 

Your next task is to push the braziers around the room so that they touch the pattern of the purple light. Once this has been done, the center of the structure will descend and reveal a monolith containing a woman. Speak with her, agree to bring her home, and the quest will conclude, thus unlocking the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125010-lo.jpg Beyond Death 20:1gs:

Complete "Beyond Death"

 

After completing the "Prophet" and "Chasing Echoes" quests, your next task is to enter the Soul Cairn and find Serena's mother in "Beyond Death."

 

Once you are in the Soul Cairn, follow the quest marker to find Serena's mother, Valerica. Speak with her and she will soon ask you to defeat three Boneyard Keepers in order to break the barrier surrounding the ruins she is trapped in. Follow the quest markers as needed, defeat the Keepers, and then return to Valerica. She will lead you inside the Boneyard to where she is keeping her Elder Scroll. Before you can grab it, though, you must defeat the dragon Durnehviir. With the dragon slain, take the Elder Scroll and speak with Valerica once more. The quest will conclude and the achievement will unlock.

 

NOTE: Upon leaving the Boneyard, Durnehviir will stop you. Speak with the dragon and heed his request to trigger his quest. This quest is needed in order to unlock the "Soul Tear" achievement. If you ignore him, you'll need to come back later, so agree to help him while you're already in the Soul Cairn.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125011-lo.jpg Kindred Judgement 40:1gs:

Complete "Kindred Judgment"

 

After completing "Beyond Death," you will need to complete the following quests:

  • Seeking Disclosure
  • Unseen Visions
  • Touching the Sky

After completing the last of these, "Kindred Judgment" will become available. This quest is simple: speak with Serena, confront Harkon with Auriel's Bow, and slay the Vampire Lord. Regardless of which faction you've sided alongside this narrative - the Dawnguard or the Vampires - the objectives will always remain the same.

 

His battle can prove to be difficult as he summons skeletons and gargoyles, moves around the room quickly, and uses the altar in the center of the room to replenish health every so often; when he attempts to regain his health, you must a Sunhallowed Arrow with Auriel's Bow to destroy his "regeneration shield." The achievement will unlock once Harkon has been defeated.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125012-lo.jpg Lost to the Ages 30:1gs:

Complete "Lost to the Ages"

 

In order to start this quest, you must first read a copy of The Aetherium Wars. This book can be found in several different locations around Skyrim. Please see below for a list of possible locations.

  • Arcanaeum, in the southeastern part of the room, resting on a table.
  • Bards College, after the right turn from the entrance, on a small bookcase.
  • Calcelmo's Tower, on a dwarven shelf in the uppermost room with rubbings.
  • Darklight Tower, before the hagraven, in the room with the lever, on a cupboard's shelf.
  • Dayspring Canyon, on top of a barrel in a tent of the camp outside Fort Dawnguard (only if the camp exists).
  • Dead Drop Mine, on a shelf under a wooden platform.

After opening the book, a new miscellaneous objective will be added to your journal, suggesting that you visit the Dwemer ruin Arkngthamz. When you enter the ruin, the ground will shake and a voice will beg you to turn back. Ignore the voice and press on; you will eventually reach a large chamber and a ghost will approach you. After some back and forth through dialogue, she will ask to guide you through the ruin. You can accept or decline, but there's no real reason to decline her request. Regardless of your choice, you will receive a new quest: "Lost to the Ages."

 

This quest is very lengthy and this solution will not necessarily go into too great of detail on how to complete it (it's rather straightforward despite its length). Essentially, you will need to traverse through Arkngthamz, solve the Tonal Lock, loot the the Aetherium Shard, and then hunt down the remaining shards to unlock the Forge. The quest will mark each of the shard's locations on your map. There a total of three additional shards that must be found.

 

Once you have all four shards, you will need to meet Katria at the Forge (automatically marked on your map), place the shards on the altar, and then enter the Forge via the exposed elevator that is revealed. From here, you will need to trek your way through the underground cavern before finally stumbling upon the Forge. Shortly after arriving, a giant Dwarven Centurion, The Forgemaster, will appear. Defeat the Forgemaster, speak with Katria, and then collect the nearby supplies as requested. You will need to use these supplies at the forge in order to create either the Aetherial Crown, Shield, or Staff. Regardless of your choice, once an item has been made, Katria will bid you farewell, the quest will come to a close, and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125013-lo.jpg Soul Tear 20:1gs:

Learn all three words of Soul Tear

 

Provided you agreed to Durnehviir's request before having left the Soul Cairn during the "Beyond Death" quest, you should have a shout called Summon Durnehviir. If you declined his request, you will need to venture back to the Soul Carin and speak with him again. He can be found just outside the Boneyard where you left him.

 

In order to get this achievement, you will need to summon Durnehviir into Skyrim a total of three times. Make sure to use three dragon souls in order to unlock all three words to Summon Durnehviir. Each time the dragon shows up, he will teach you a new word to the Soul Tear shout. His summoning shout takes around 300 seconds to recharge, though, so after he teaches you a word, just wait one in-game hour and then summon him again.

 

NOTE: For this achievement, you don't need to unlock the words to the Soul Tear shout; learning them from Durnehviir is sufficient.

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125014-lo.jpg Auriel's Bow 20:1gs:

Use the special power of Auriel's Bow

 

Before attempting this achievement, you must first complete the "Touching the Sky" quest during the Dawnguard questline. Upon completing this quest, you will be granted Auriel's Bow and about a dozen Sunhallowed Arrows. Should you desire more, you need only to bring Elven Arrows to Gelebor at any time.

 

In order to unlock the achievement, you will need use Auriel's Bow to shoot a single Sunhallowed Arrow at the sun during the daytime. This will cause the star to flare brightly, damaging all nearby enemies with its intense rays. Should you speak with Serena, though, you will find that you can use her blood to turn Elven Arrows into Bloodcursed Arrows. Shooting the sun with an arrow of this type will cause an inverse effect: the sun will be eclipsed, drowning out all sunlight for a few hours.

 

Regardless of which arrow you'd like to use, the achievement will unlock once the arrow either bolsters or drowns out the sun.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125015-lo.jpg Werewolf Mastered 20:1gs:

Acquire 11 werewolf perks

 

Please refer below to "Vampire Mastered" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125016-lo.jpg Vampire Mastered 20:1gs:

Acquire 11 vampire perks

 

This achievement and "Werewolf Mastered" can be done on the same playthrough (refer to the second note at the end of this solution).

 

To become a Werewolf, you must progress through the Companions subplot. On the other hand, to become a Vampire Lord, you have three options: first, after delivering Serena home during the "Bloodline" quest, Lord Harkon will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord (you have the option to decline); second, during at the end of the "Chasing Echoes" quest, Serena will offer to turn you into a Vampire Lord (you have the option to decline); third, after slaying Harkon during "Kindred Judgment," you can, at any time, ask Serena to turn you into a Vampire Lord.

 

All in all, Werewolf perks are obtained by feeding on the corpses of dead NPCs while in Beast Mode, whereas Vampire perks are obtained by killing NPCs with the Drain Life spell while in Vampire Lord Mode. Opening the character menu while transformed will open the skill trees. Each new perk requires more feedings than the last. In total, it will take 164 feedings as a Werewolf to unlock all eleven perks; meanwhile, it will take 156 feedings as a Vampire to unlock all eleven perks.

 

NOTE #1: It's highly recommended to make a manual save before attempting either achievement. The fastest way to net all the feedings is to travel to a major city, transform, kill absolutely everyone, feed on their corpse, revert back, and then travel to the next major city to repeat the process. After unlocking your achievement, you can reload your backup save so that city NPCs are still alive.

 

NOTE #2: Because being a Vampire Lord has a more negative side effects than a Werewolf, most players opt to remain a Werewolf and attempt the "Vampire Mastered" on a different save file. If you want, make a manual backup save before speaking to Lord Harkon for the first time during "Bloodline." After creating this save, you can accept his offer to become a Vampire Lord, work on unlocking all eleven perks, and then revert back to your previous backup save and continue on with the game, choosing to reject his offer altogether.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125017-lo.jpg A New You 20:1gs:

Change your face

 

This achievement will require you to have at least 1,000 gold in your inventory. As you play through the game, you may hear a rumor from an innkeeper or guard about someone in Riften that can change faces. When you hear this, you will receive a new miscellaneous objective to locate this individual.

 

The face sculptor can be located in the Ragged Flagon beneath Riften. Across from the bar, an elderly woman, Galathil, can be found. Speak with her and inquire about facial reconstruction. Now pay her 1,000 gold and the achievement will unlock right away before you even make any changes to your character's appearance.

 

NOTE: It's advised to make a save before speaking with Galathil so that you can reload after the achievement unlocks and keep your gold.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125018-lo.jpg Legend 40:1gs:

Defeat a Legendary Dragon

 

Legendary Dragons begin to spawn across Skyrim and Solstheim upon reaching Level 78. Feel free to refer back to "Skill Master" and/or "Master" for tips on leveling up quickly. There are a number of other methods for power-leveling, some of which are transcribed here.

 

Once you have reached Level 78, you can either roam around the region until you encounter a Legendary Dragon, or head to Archwind Point, an ancient Nordic tomb found west of Autumnwatch Tower, as it always spawns a Legendary Dragon so long as you are a Level 78. As the highest leveled Dragon, Legendaries have an incredible amount of health and stamina and deal massive amounts of damage with their fire or frost breath attacks.

 

Taking out a Legendary Dragon will prove to be challenging, but so long as you stay your distance, attack from a far, rely on Restoration spells or potions to heal yourself, and bring a strong, ranged follower such as Serena, you should be able to defeat the beast within a few minutes. If all else fails, make a few quicksaves during the battle in case anything goes wrong.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125019-lo.jpg Proud Parent 10:1gs:

Adopt a child

 

Before you can adopt a child, you must first own a house with a children's bedroom. Once this prerequisite has been met, you are free to adopt one of the many available children in the game.

 

After completing the "Innocence Lost" quest, a courier will deliver a letter that mentions adoption at Honorhall Orphanage in Riften. Head there and speak with Constance Michel. After answering a few personal questions, such as who you are and where the child will be staying, she will encourage you to speak with the children and decide who you would like to adopt. After making your decision, the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125020-lo.jpg Landowner 10:1gs:

Buy a plot of land

 

Please refer below to "Land Baron" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125021-lo.jpg Architect 10:1gs:

Build three wings on a house

 

Please refer below to "Master Architect" for more information.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125022-lo.jpg Land Baron 10:1gs:

Buy three plots of land

 

To begin, the three plots of land are purchased from the stewards of Dawnstar, Falkreath, and Mortal, provided you are in good standing with the Jarl of each town. There are a few prerequisites needed to be on good terms with the Jarls, so please refer below.

  • Dawnstar: Obtain the Jarl's trust by completing the "Waking Nightmare" quest and "Kill the Giant" favor
  • Falkreath: Obtain the Jarl's trust by completing the "Rare Gifts" favor and "Kill the Bandit Leader" favor
  • Morthal: Obtain the Jarl's trust by completing the "Laid to Rest" quest.

Once these prerequisites have been met, you can purchase a plot of land in that hold for 5,000 gold from the the Jarl's steward. You will then receive a miscellaneous objective to visit your new property. Buying one plot of land will yield "Landowner," while buying all three plots will unlock "Land Baron."

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125023-lo.jpg Master Architect 10:1gs:

Build three houses

 

Once you have purchased a plot of land, you will receive a miscellaneous objective to visit your new property. At each of the plots, you will find a drafting table, carpenter's workbench, anvil, chest, and log pile to aid you in construction. Every chest contains the same amount of building materials: thirty clay, one corundum ingot, six iron ingots, and thirty quarried stone; every log pile contains twenty sawn logs.

 

For this achievement, you will need to build all three houses with three extensions. Obviously, the default number of materials will not be enough to complete this task, so you will need to purchase additional lumber from merchants at wood mills and mine clay and quarried stone at the clay deposits and stone quarries (both of which provide an infinite supply) near your property. You will also need a large amount of iron ingots to make hinges, iron fittings, nails, and then combine them with corundum ingots to create locks.

 

All in all, it shouldn't take too long to build all three houses with three extensions each; it doesn't require you to have that much gold for crafting supplies either. Regardless of what wings you build on your house, once the three extensions have been built onto the main hall for all three homes, the achievement will unlock.

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125024-lo.jpg Outlander 20:1gs:

Arrive on Solstheim

 

After completing the main story quest entitled "The Way of the Voice," you will eventually be approached by a some cultists during the daytime. Regardless of how you respond to them, they will attack you. Kill them and then loot their bodies to find the Cultists Orders. Read this note and it will trigger the "Dragonborn" quest, which tasks you with speaking with Gjalund Salt-Sage at the Windhelm docks in order to gain passage into Solstheim.

 

Approach Gjalund and inquire about Solstheim. After some back and forth in dialogue, you will need to either intimidate, persuade, or pay him 500 gold to sail back to the island. Upon arriving at the docks of Raven Rock on Solstheim, the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125025-lo.jpg The Temple of Miraak 20:1gs:

Complete "The Temple of Miraak"

 

After completing "Dragonborn," you will receive the next quest: "The Temple of Miraak." Once you reach the temple, speak with the woman named Frea and follow her into the temple. Miraak's temple is filled with traps and draugr, so be prepared for several minor battles as you make your way to the inner sanctum.

 

At the very end of the temple, after trekking through the sanctum and defeating a boss-level dragur, you will stumble upon a pedestal holding a Black Book, Waking Dreams. Read the book, meet Miraak, and then you will soon be transported back to Solstheim. Speak with Frea when you wake up and she will suggest returning to her village. This will end the quest and unlock the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125026-lo.jpg The Path of Knowledge 20:1gs:

Complete "The Path of Knowledge"

 

After completing "The Fate of the Skaal," you will receive the next quest: "The Path of Knowledge." This quest tasks you with speaking to an elf named Neloth in Tel Mithryn. After a lengthy conversation, he will ask that you meet him at Nchardak, a Dwemer ruin slightly northeast of Tel Mithryn.

 

Once inside the ruin, you'll notice there is a large gold ring in the center of the room with a Black Book beneath the glass. In order to unlock the book, you will need to restore the steam supply to the room, which then sets you off on a rather dull, drawn out objective. Once you have retrieved all five control cubes, return to the Nchardak Great Chamber with Neloth, activate the boilers, and then return to Reading Room.

 

Press the objective-marked button on the pedestal in the Reading Room to release the Black Book from its sealed position. Neloth will then begin to comment something witty about Hermaeus Mora, thus bringing the quest to a close and unlocking the achievement.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125027-lo.jpg At the Summit of Apocrypha 40:1gs:

Complete "At the Summit of Apocrypha"

 

In this final Dragonborn quest, which becomes available after completing "The Gardener of Men," you will finally confront Miraak. To begin, use three dragon souls to unlock all three words to the Bend Will shout. Now read the Black Book Waking Dreams (which will be in your inventory) and traverse Chapters I to VI. As you emerge into Chapter VI, you will enter a large area with two seekers, a word wall for Dragon Aspect, and Sahrotaar, a Serpentine dragon.

 

Kill the Seekers, use Bend Will on Sahrotaar, and he will land on the ground, tame, ready to ride. After a lengthy dragon riding sequence, you will finally be able to land on top of Miraak's tower. The dragonborn will approach you and soon after, combat will ensue. As Miraak's health is weakened, he will enter an invulnerable state and return to full health by absorbing a dragon soul. Once all three dragons in the area have been depleted of their souls, he will no longer be able to regenerate health.

 

Cut down the dragonborn's health one final time. Once he has about a tenth of health remaining, he will race to the center of the tower and be intercepted and killed by Hermaeus Mora. After the Daedric Prince makes a lengthy speech, the quest will conclude and the achievement will unlock.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125028-lo.jpg Dragon Aspect 20:1gs:

Learn all 3 words of Dragon Aspect

 

In order to earn this achievement, you must complete the main questline of Dragonborn and complete one additional side quest entitled "The Final Descent." Please refer below for the location of each word.

  • Temple of Miraak - can be found inside the Sanctum during "The Temple of Miraak"
  • Apocrypha (Waking Dreams) - can be found in Chapter VI during "At the Summit of Apocrypha," before taming and riding Sahrotaar
  • Raven Rock Mine - can be found at the end of the mine during "The Final Descent," where you battle the dragon priest Zahkriisos

Take note that you do not need to unlock all three words for the achievement; learning the word of power is sufficient enough.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125029-lo.jpg Hidden Knowledge 40:1gs:

Learn the secrets of 5 Black Books

 

In total, there are seven Black Books scattered around Solstheim. Reading a Black Book will transport you to Hermaeus Mora's realm of Apocrypha, where you will need to make your way through a series of dangerous chapters before you reach the Black Book. Reading the Black Book in his realm will offer an assortment of unique abilities and/or traits.

 

Two of these Black Books will be encounter during the main questline. These are Epistolary Acumen during "The Path of Knowledge" and Waking Dreams during "At the Summit of Apocrypha."

 

Of the remaining five Black Books, three are tied to side quests and the final two are more or less dungeon rewards. Please refer below to a shorthand list of the remaining books and where they can be found.

  • Filament and Filigree - Kolbjorn Barrow (at the end of "Unearthed" side quest)
  • The Hidden Twilight - Tel Mithryn (at the end of the "Reluctant Steward" side quest)
  • The Sallow Regent - White Ridge Barrow
  • The Winds of Change - Bloodskal Barrow (during the quest "The Final Descent" side quest)
  • Untold Legends - Benkongerike

It's worth mentioning here that you must actually choose an ability/trait from the Black Book once you reach it in Apocrypha. If you return to Solstheim without choosing an ability, it won't count towards the achievement, meaning you'll have to reread the book at a later time.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125030-lo.jpg Stalhrim Crafter 20:1gs:

Craft an item out of Stalhrim

 

This achievement is missable!

 

In order to unlock this achievement, you must first obtain an Ancient Nordic Pickaxe. After that is done, you will need to learn the ability to craft Stalhrim.

 

To begin, the Ancient Nordic Pickaxe can be obtained by completing a favor for Glover Mallory, the blacksmith of Raven Rock. After speaking with the man and exhausting all possible dialogue options, he will ask that you retrieve his Ancient Nordic Pickaxe from Crescius Caerellius. This is a relatively simple task, so track down Crescius, convince him to return the axe, and then return to Glover. As a reward, he will allow you to keep the axe.

 

From here, carry on with the main questline up until the point where you receive the "The Fate of the Skaal" quest. Complete this quest, making sure that none of the Skaal villagers die when you free them from their trance at the Wind Stone. To ensure their survival, make a manual save as backup just in case. If Fanari Strong-Voice, Deor Woodcutter, and Baldor Iron-Shaper during this quest, you may miss the achievement.

 

After completing "The Fate of the Skaal," venture off around Solstheim for a bit and then return to the Skaal village. You should notice Fanari Strong-Voice and Deor Woodcutter arguing over something. WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE DONE SPEAKING BEFORE TALKING TO EITHER ONE OF THEM! If you interrupt them mid-conversation, you may experience a bug where Deor Woodcutter will not speak to you. After they finish arguing, approach Deor Woodcutter and ask him about the missing person. This will trigger the "A New Source of Stalhrim" side quest, a small quest that sees you tracking down the Thalmor bandits who kidnapped Baldor Iron-Shaper and rescuing the blacksmith from captivity.

 

Once you have saved Baldor Iron-Shaper, return to the Skaal Village and speak with him. He will pinpoint sources of Stalhrim on the world map and teach you how to craft Stalhrim armor and weapons. Using the Ancient Nordic Pickaxe, find and mine some Stalhrim, return any forge (in the Skall Village or in Raven Rock), and craft any one Stalhrim item to unlock the achievement.

 

NOTE: You must have the Ebony Smithing perk unlocked in order to craft Stalhrim. This perk requires a Level 80 Smithing skill.

Edited by BiggD
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http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125031-lo.jpg Dragonrider 20:1gs:

Tame and ride 5 dragons

 

In order to tame and ride dragons, you will need to learn and unlock all three words to the Bend Will shout. Fortunately, all three words of this shout are learned through natural progression of the main Dragonborn questline, and you will have already tamed and ridden one dragon during the "At the Summit of Apocrypha" quest.

 

As such, go ahead and travel back to Skyrim after finishing up the main Dragonborn questline. The fastest way to get this achievement is to fast travel to previously discovered dragon lairs; there will always be a dragon present when you arrive since you've spent so much time away on Solstheim. Equip the shout, use it on the dragon present, and the beast will soon come down to the ground, ready to mount.

 

Mount the dragon and once you are airborne, force it to land almost immediately. You can dismount and fast travel to a new dragon lair right away, continuing this process three more times until the achievement unlocks.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125032-lo.jpg Raven Rock Owner 20:1gs:

Own a house in Raven Rock

 

Severin Manor, a comfortably large house in Raven Rock, can be obtained by Councilor Morvayn after you have completed the quest entitled "Served Cold."

 

Before this quest becomes available, however, you must first complete "The Final Descent" for Crescius Caerellius and "March of the Dead" for Captain Veleth. The former is a generously lengthy side quest that involves journeying through Raven Rock Mine and discovering what exactly happened to Crescius' great-grandfather. This quest can be initiated by entering Raven Rock Mine and speaking to Crescius. The latter of these two quests is triggered after saving Captain Veleth from a group of Ashspawn just outside the gates of Raven Rock. This short quest involves traveling to Fort Frostmoth and killing General Falx Carius.

 

Once these two side quests have been completed, you will receive a message from Captain Veleth. As to avoid spoilers in a rather enjoyable quest, follow through with the very straightforward objectives in this quest, and once the conspirators have been dealt with, return to Arano. All that's left is to follow him to receive your reward (a house) from Councilor Morvayn.

 

http://www.xboxachievements.com/images/achievements/4053/125033-lo.jpg Solstheim Explorer 30:1gs:

Discover 30 locations on the island of Solstheim

 

This achievement will most likely naturally over the course of your playthrough while working on the Dragonborn questline. There are well over thirty locations around the island to discover, once again ranging from towns and caves, to dragon lairs, Dwarven ruins, mines, forts, and ruins. Unlike the "Explorer" achievement, though, you may need to go a little out of the way to discover new locations, as the main questline and side quests may not necessarily leave you exploring too much of the island. Once thirty locations have been discovered, the achievement will finally unlock.

Edited by BiggD
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  • 1 month later...

Congratulations!

 

This Achievement Guide and Roadmap has been reviewed by Guide Team Staff member Andrew x360a and has been published as the Official XboxAchievements.com Achievement Guide and Roadmap! The link to the Official Guide is here:

 

Official XboxAchievements.com Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition Achievement Guide and Roadmap

 

Please post any updates within the Updates & Corrections: Guides & Roadmaps thread.

 

Also, please check the Award Tracking: Guides and Roadmaps forum to make sure we are up to date.

 

You may request for those to be edited/updated within that forum as well.

 

We look forward to your future submissions!

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  • 3 years later...

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