Quick Links
Starting Alduin's Wall
Reaching Karthspire And Sky Haven Temple
How To Solve The Sky Haven Temple Rotating Pillars Puzzle
How To Solve The Sky Haven Temple Fire Floor Puzzle
Entering Sky Haven Temple
Still stuck in the damp and dark Ratway, you need to bring the old Blades' archivist, Esbern, out of his home and back to Riverwood. His immense knowledge of the dragons has given him a hunch about dealing with their return to Skyrim.
Related: Skyrim: Before The Storm Main Quest Walkthrough
He needs to find Alduin's Wall in a place called Sky Haven Temple. All you need to do is safely escort him out of Riften and back to Delphine, though this is much easier said than done. Between mages, shamans, and a dragon, you might find yourself needing a guide to find your way through this quest.
Starting Alduin's Wall
This quest automatically starts at the conclusion of A Cornered Rat. You won't have the opportunity to head off and do a different quest before this one begins. Esbern needs to be escorted to Riverwood immediately.
Fortunately, Esbern is marked as essential and cannot permanently die.
You will be attacked by a powerful Thalmor Wizard immediately after leaving his hovel. The wizard will attack you with lightning spells and is able to summon a Frost Atronach, an enemy that excels at fighting in melee. It will be a difficult fight, though Esbern will offer some assistance.
Many of Esbern's violent neighbours may join in the fight, disrupting it and making it more dangerous.
From there, retraceyour steps back to the Ratway Tunnels, crossing the open area to find a staircase back up to the Ragged Flagon and eventually back into Riften. You can fast travel directly to Riverwood from here.
At the town, bring Esbern into the Sleeping Giant Inn to reunite him with his old colleague, Delphine. In a meeting at Delphine's secret basem*nt, he shares what he knows. The ancient Blades have recorded the secret to defeating Alduin in Sky Haven Temple, an old base of theirs. You need to find the ancient ruin to discover that secret.
Reaching Karthspire And Sky Haven Temple
The two Blades will start following you to Karthspire, a Forsworn camp built into Sky Haven Temple. The closest city is Markarth, letting you take a carriage ride there if there are no nearby fast travel options.
If you wish to complete other quests before continuing, you can tell the Blades to meet you there. You will find them near Karthspire when you are ready to continue.
Karthspire is home to a large group of Forsworn, a group of rebels that lament the loss of their native land. You won'tneed to kill all of them, though they will be immediately hostile. They are far more formidable than ordinary bandits, using unique and hard-hitting weapons alongside magic from their own shamans and hagravens.
There is a very high likelihood of a dragon attack. Its presence will make the fight more chaotic, though it could be a useful distraction,
You will need to enter Karthspire itself through a cave on the west side to reach Sky Haven Temple. Inside, you will need to clear the Forsworn blocking you from reaching Sky Haven Temple itself. There will be a powerful Forsworn Briarheart among them who will devastate unprepared players.
Immediately after, you will need to complete a series of puzzles to continue.
How To Solve The Sky Haven Temple Rotating Pillars Puzzle
The path will be blocked by a raised stone bridge. To lower it, complete the first puzzle. It consists of a trio of rotating pillars with a unique set of symbols on them. Esbern will offer hints while commenting on the history of the location. To solve it, rotate all the pillars to the circular symbol marked with a downwards arrow. The bridge will fall and you will be able to proceed.
How To Solve The Sky Haven Temple Fire Floor Puzzle
In the next room, you will need to cross a room that has a floor made of pressure plate-activated flamethrowers. This puzzle is similar to the one in Ustengrav encountered in The Horn Of Jurgen Windcaller.
Your companions ask that you deactivate the trap for them to pass safely. To do so, pull the chain mounted on the obelisk on the other side of the room. Using Whirlwind Sprint will let you reach it without being caught in the trap.
You can also sprint across without shouting if you are feeling impatient.
Pulling the chain will also drop the stone bridge, letting you go to the final puzzle.
Entering Sky Haven Temple
At the very end, you find yourself in a chamber sporting a large, bald head with no clear way forward. Wait for Esbern to guess how to open the way forward before following his advice, interacting with the stone circle in the center of the chamber, and spilling your blood onto it.
With the way open, enter Sky Haven Temple and explore. You will need to wait for the Blades to discuss Alduin's Wall for the quest to progress. They'll realize that they need the Graybeards to discover what the technique is, starting the next quest The Throat Of The World
Next: Skyrim: The Aetherium Forge, Explained
