The climb to High Hrothgar isn’t going anywhere, so before I freeze to death on a mountain I decided to investigate Shroud Hearth Barrow. The innkeeper in Ivarstead insists the place is haunted, which usually means one of two things: draugr, or someone pretending to be something they’re not.

Either way, there was a chance I might find warmer gear inside, and at this point I’m willing to take that chance even if the odds aren’t in my favour.

The Barrow Is Haunted. Apparently.

The moment I stepped inside the barrow I was greeted by a ghost, which confirmed that the innkeeper wasn’t entirely wrong. The ghost told me to leave the place immediately. I ignored him. I didn’t come all this way to turn around because something glowing told me to.

Not long after that I found myself trapped in a room with multiple chains and several doors. After a bit of trial and error it became clear that the solution was simply pulling the correct chains to open the right doors. Nothing complicated, just enough to slow me down.

The ghost appeared again shortly after, but this time he decided to attack. Magic against magic isn’t a fair fight when I have Lydia and a Flame Atronach standing next to me. He went down quickly.

He also stopped being a ghost.

The body on the floor belonged to a bandit, not a spirit. Among his belongings I found a Philter of the Phantom and a journal explaining everything. He had come here to loot the barrow, but to keep people away he created a potion that made him look like a ghost while he searched for the key deeper inside.

Unfortunately the potion had side effects. By the end of the journal he wasn’t pretending anymore. He genuinely believed he was the guardian of the place.

The Sapphire Dragon Claw

I returned to the innkeeper with the journal and explained what had really been going on. He seemed relieved, and as a reward he handed over the Sapphire Dragon Claw. Apparently the bandit never found the key he needed to go further.

That meant the rest of the barrow was still waiting.

I went back inside.

Traps, Blades, and Poor Decisions

The deeper sections of the barrow were less about ghosts and more about traps. I managed to avoid some of them, but not all. A few swinging blades took a good portion of my health before I could react. Fortunately healing magic still works even when I’m being careless.

Lydia, on the other hand, seems completely convinced she’s indestructible. At one point she ran straight through a set of blades just to reach an enemy faster. I’m starting to think she trusts my healing spells more than I do.

The Puzzle That Shouldn’t Have Taken That Long

The next obstacle was four pillars that needed to be turned to the correct symbols. Simple enough, except I couldn’t find the clues anywhere. I searched the room, the walls, the floor, and anything that looked like it might be hiding the answer.

After an embarrassingly long time, I tried the nearby door.

It opened.

Inside was a switch that revealed the solution: Whale, Hawk, Snake, Whale. Definitely the sort of thing I should have checked first.

Kyne’s Peace

After dealing with more draugr and skeletons, I reached the final chamber. There wasn’t much in the way of useful loot, although I briefly considered giving Lydia yet another weapon before deciding she was already carrying enough to arm a small army.

The real reward was a word wall. This one granted part of the Kyne’s Peace shout, which is supposed to calm wild animals in a wide area. According to the description it works on everything except frost trolls, which feels like a very specific warning.

Considering where I’m heading next, that could still be useful.

The Mountain Awaits

I left the barrow and stepped back out into the cold air of Ivarstead, knowing there were no more excuses left. The Greybeards are waiting, and the path to High Hrothgar isn’t going to get any warmer the longer I delay it.

The journey ahead is going to be long, steep, and cold enough to kill me if I’m not careful.

All I can do now is make the climb and hope I reach them before the cold reaches me first.

Continue the Journey

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