Forbidden Legend stands as one of Skyrim’s most rewarding side quests, sending adventurers across four Nordic ruins in pursuit of ancient artifacts and the pieces of a legendary amulet. Hidden beneath the surface of casual exploration, this multi-part questline weaves together lore, combat challenges, and genuine treasure that rivals any main story reward. Whether you’re chasing the Gauldur Amulet for its powerful stat bonuses or hunting the unique weapons scattered across Folgunthur, Saarthal, and Geirmund’s Hall, understanding the quest’s structure, and its secrets, makes the difference between a smooth journey and hours of confusion. This guide covers everything you need to trigger the quest, navigate its dungeons, and claim the artifacts waiting at Reachwater Rock.
Key Takeaways
- Forbidden Legend is a multi-part side quest requiring you to recover three fragments of the Gauldur Amulet from separate Nordic ruins across Skyrim.
- Start the quest by reading the Lost Legends book (found in Dragonsreach in Whiterun) or by discovering related notes and writs in the dungeons themselves.
- The Gauldur Amulet provides a flat +30 boost to Health, Magicka, and Stamina as a constant effect, making it one of the most versatile stat-boosting items in the game.
- Each of Gauldur’s three sons drops unique weapons—the Gauldur Blackblade, Gauldur Blackbow, and Staff of Jyrik Gauldurson—each designed for different character builds.
- Plan your approach by obtaining dragon claws before attempting locked doors, understand that Sigdis Gauldurson’s mirror image attack requires careful positioning away from ledges, and note that accessing Saarthal requires completing the College of Winterhold intro quest.
- The Bloodskaal Blade is not part of Forbidden Legend; it’s a separate reward found in Bloodskal Barrow on Solstheim (requires Dragonborn DLC).
What Is the Forbidden Legend Quest?
Forbidden Legend is a multi-part side quest centered on recovering the three fragments of the Gauldur Amulet, a legendary artifact tied to the sons of Arch-Mage Gauldur. The quest spans four distinct dungeons and concludes with reforging the amulet at Reachwater Rock.
The amulet’s three fragments are held by the spirits of Gauldur’s sons: Jyrik, Mikrul, and Sigdis. Each fragment lies in a separate Nordic ruin, guarded by draugr, traps, and eventually the ghost of each son himself. Completing the Forbidden Legend questline isn’t just about collecting loot, it’s about uncovering a piece of Skyrim‘s magical history and unlocking one of the game’s most versatile stat-boosting items.
You’ll encounter Daedric themes throughout, though the quest itself isn’t strictly a Daedric contract. The amulet’s power and the dark forces surrounding it give the quest an appropriately sinister tone. Unlike typical Skyrim missions that follow a linear path, Forbidden Legend requires you to tackle three separate Skyrim questlines across different locations before converging at the final chamber.
How to Start the Forbidden Legend Quest
Starting Forbidden Legend is straightforward once you know where to look. The quest triggers by reading a single book: Lost Legends.
You can find Lost Legends in several locations across Skyrim, with the most accessible copy sitting on Farengar Secret-Fire’s bookshelf in Dragonsreach (Whiterun). Simply approach the book, activate it, and the quest automatically adds to your journal. Alternatively, you can discover the quest by stumbling across related notes in the dungeons themselves, Daynas Valen’s notes in Folgunthur or writs of sealing in the burial chambers also trigger the quest.
Once active, your journal points you toward investigating the Gauldur legend. The quest is nonlinear, meaning you can tackle the three main dungeons (Folgunthur, Saarthal, and Geirmund’s Hall) in any order, though level scaling makes some dungeons tougher than others depending on your character level.
Finding the Bloodskaal Blade in Labyrinthian
This is a common point of confusion worth clarifying: the Bloodskaal Blade is not part of Forbidden Legend. The Bloodskaal Blade is found in Bloodskal Barrow on Solstheim (requiring the Dragonborn DLC), not in Labyrinthian. Labyrinthian appears in the College of Winterhold questline’s “The Staff of Magnus” quest, not Forbidden Legend.
If you’re looking for the Bloodskaal Blade specifically, you’ll need to travel to Solstheim and brave Bloodskal Barrow. But, Forbidden Legend itself yields three powerful unique weapons: the Gauldur Blackblade, Gauldur Blackbow, and Staff of Jyrik Gauldurson, each nearly as valuable for different builds. Understanding this distinction saves time and frustration when planning your adventure.
Quest Rewards and Legendary Artifacts
The gear you pull from Forbidden Legend rivals anything found in Skyrim‘s high-level dungeons. Each of Gauldur’s sons drops a unique weapon, and the final reforged amulet provides one of the best stat bonuses available from a side quest.
Gauldur Blackblade (dropped by Jyrik Gauldurson in Saarthal) features a leveled Absorb Health enchantment that scales with your level, reaching up to 25 points of health absorption at level 36+. This makes it especially valuable for melee builds running low on restoration potions.
Gauldur Blackbow (dropped by Sigdis Gauldurson in Geirmund’s Hall) comes equipped with an Absorb Magicka enchantment, making it the go-to choice for rangers or spell-slinging hybrids. The magicka drain keeps mages from casting their heaviest hitters.
Staff of Jyrik Gauldurson (looted from Jyrik’s corpse after defeating him) deals 25 points of Health damage and 50 points of Magicka damage per hit. It’s a solid option for pure mages or anyone wanting a reliable mid-tier destruction staff.
The crown jewel is the Gauldur Amulet, reforged at Reachwater Rock. This necklace provides a flat +30 boost to Health, Magicka, and Stamina as a constant effect, meaning you get all three bonuses simply by wearing it. No other jewelry in Skyrim offers this kind of across-the-board stat increase, making it a fixture in most endgame builds. The amulet is weightless and never needs recharging, unlike the enchanted weapons.
These rewards are level-appropriate, meaning Skyrim Collectibles List: Discover reveals many similar treasures scattered across the world, but the Gauldur set stands out for its unique enchantments and the legendary backstory attached to them.
Secrets and Tips for Completing the Quest
Finishing Forbidden Legend smoothly requires knowing a few critical details about dungeon mechanics, enemy behavior, and level scaling.
Accessing Saarthal requires completing the early “Under Saarthal” quest for the College of Winterhold. If you haven’t joined the College or progressed through its intro quest, you’ll find the dungeon locked. Plan your character progression accordingly, or fast-travel to Winterhold and start the College questline before tackling Saarthal’s Forbidden Legend segment.
Dragon Claw Doors appear throughout the dungeons. Folgunthur contains the Ivory Dragon Claw (found on Daynas Valen’s corpse near the entrance), and Reachwater Rock features the Emerald Dragon Claw (on a dead adventurer’s body). These unlock respective doors, so don’t miss them, walking past a claw costs you time backtracking. Common door codes in Reachwater Rock are Bear–Whale–Snake and Eagle–Eagle–Dragon for successive chambers.
Sigdis Gauldurson, the boss in Geirmund’s Hall, is notoriously tricky because he casts mirror images of himself. The real Sigdis typically displays a different helm appearance or his health bar position shifts relative to the fakes. Use ranged attacks or magic to preserve distance, Sigdis wields Unrelenting Force and can send you flying off ledges, so position yourself away from cliffs and use cover liberally.
Level Scaling Matters: The Gauldur Blackblade gains power as you level. At level 36 and above, it deals the maximum 25-point Health absorption. Some speedrunners deliberately delay Folgunthur until reaching level 36+ to secure the strongest version. If you’re running a melee build, this timing consideration is worth planning for.
For additional insights on Skyrim quests and missions, the sheer variety of Skyrim questlines means Forbidden Legend competes with dozens of other compelling content paths. Prioritizing it early ensures you benefit from the amulet’s stat boost for longer.
Real-world walkthroughs from game guide sites like Twinfinite often feature video breakdowns of the Geirmund’s Hall section, which proves invaluable if you’re stuck on Sigdis or can’t locate a claw door. Visual guides eliminate ambiguity when text descriptions feel unclear.
Conclusion
Forbidden Legend is a substantial Skyrim questline that delivers genuine rewards and memorable combat scenarios. From reading Lost Legends to battling the three Gauldur sons and finally reforging the amulet at Reachwater Rock, the quest respects your time investment with powerful, build-defining artifacts. The Gauldur Amulet alone justifies the effort, its flat +30 to all three primary attributes remains competitive even in endgame builds. Remember: the Bloodskaal Blade is separate content on Solstheim, not part of this questline. With the right preparation, level awareness, and dragon claw positioning, you’ll claim some of Skyrim’s finest treasures.
