Unearthed | Side missions - Kolbjorn Barrow TES V: Skyrim - Dragonborn Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
In order to begin this mission, you have to go to Kolbjorn Barrow and speak with the Dark Elf who will introduce himself as Ralis Sedarys. You can find him in the middle of a excavation, southeast of Raven Rock (a bit from Attius farm). On your way there you can expect to be attacked by a few Ash Spawns who are connected with March of the Dead.
Meet with the troubled man who will offer you a deal - if you pay for the expensive excavation, a part of the discovered artifacts will be yours. It's a very profitable deal, however one requiring quite some money. For starters - 1000 gold.
Fund the Excavation of Kolbjorn Barrow (1000 gold)
If you have spare 1000 gold, you should invest them in the excavations of Kolbjorn Barrow. Approach Ralis Sedarys and give him the money. At this point the amateur archaeologist will head out to Raven Rock to hire workers. You won't receive any news from him for about a week - if you decide to visit Kolbjorn Barrow in the meantime, you should see that everything's going in the right direction. You can sleep in the workers' camp or speak with them, but it won't give you anything useful.
Wait for a message from Ralis
Organizing an excavation is a tedious and time-consuming work - Ralis needs some time to take care of everything. Move on to other things and wait for a week (try earning some gold, as you will need it). When a week goes by, head to Raven Rock and wait to be approached by a courier. He will give you a message from Ralis - you're needed in Kolbjorn Barrow as fast as possible - apparently something important has happened.
Visit the Kolbjorn Barrow Excavation
Head to Kolbjorn Barrow to meet with Ralis. He will tell you that all the workers have been killed by an army of Draugrs who came out of the unveiled ruins. What's rather obvious, the excavations cannot continue with undead roaming the area. There's only one thing you can do - you have to go into the dungeon and eliminate the threat.
Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn
The objectives of this mission are easy - you have to go down into the tomb and kill all the enemies found there. Completing it shouldn't cause you too much trouble - the first enemy can be found in the corridor and the rest in the room in the middle of the catacombs. Be careful, as the number of Draugrs is very high and they're led by a Draugr Deathlord (though not very strong). Try to fight them one at a time - if they won't be able to surround you, their numerical superiority won't do them any good. Focus on the main enemy, as he's the main threat.
Find a way deeper into the Barrow
In order to head to the further part of the dungeon, you will have to open the door at the end of the room. Do to that, you have to approach the altar and take off the red skull. That way you will activate a mechanism which will open the door. Behind you will find rare boots - Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking (which actually let you walk on water and are a part of a bigger set).
Speak to Ralis
Head to the surface of Kolbjorn Barrow and speak with Ralis Sedarys. Tell her about your discovery and that the Draugrs are back to their original state (that is: dead). The man will be happy, but will also inform you that further excavations will require a larger contribution. In order to continue with the works, you will need 2000 gold.
Fund the next phase of excavation (2000 gold)
Just like before, you have to collect a quite a sum - this time 2000 gold. If you don't have such funds, you can complete some more missions or trade. Most gold can be obtained for completing March of the Dead, but you will obtain quite a lot during Served Cold as well. A real gold mine is Locate the East Empire Pendants for Fethis Alor in Raven Rock - in order to complete it, you will however have to gather quite a bit of East Empire Pendants.
After collecting the required sum, meet with Ralis and give him back the money. Just like before, finding workers will take him some time.
Wait for a message from Ralis
Like before, after paying the required amount you have to wait for the result of the excavations. More or less after a week you should be approached by a courier - he should find you if you appear in Raven Rock or other big city. Accept the letter from Ralis and head to the excavation site. Apparently nothing can go according to plan.
Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
The case is easy - return to Kolbjorn Barrow and speak with Ralis. The Dark Elf will tell you that most of the miners have been killed by Draugrs - again. You will have to go down, eliminate the monsters and rescue the miners (if there are any left alive). Your investment in the excavation cost the life of some people, but success has its prize.
Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow
Enter the Kolbjorn Barrow and turn right to find a chest with an easy lock. Afterwards cross the corridor on the left and head down into the room which you know from your previous visit. Eliminate five Draugrs found here (they shouldn't be a threat) and go through the door to the next room. Note that a Draugr Deathlord is standing on the platform in the middle - eliminate him from a distance (at best silently) or by using spells (you rather won't reach him and he's good with the bow).
Return to the room below and kill three Draugrs who lurk there (two are sleeping in the niches in the wall). Pull the lever and get rid of the next Draugr Deathlord who will come out of the just opened room. Search the new area and use another chamber to unlock a passage to the further part of the dungeon.
Head to the new room and look at the floor by the entrance to the next one - there's a trap there. Jump above it and approach the locked gate. To the right of them you will see four switches - the first one from the top is the right one (the others shoot arrows or open only part of the passage). Head through the gate and get ready for a fight - as much as four Draugrs will attack you. As the gate behind you will close, you won't have anywhere to run!
Kill all the enemies and examine the corpse on the floor (that way you will complete Search for the missing miners). Before leaving the location, head into the corridor in the front and search for a switch by the candles. Use it to open a passage into a room with a precious ring - Ahzidal's Ring of Necromancy.
Even though you can probably head the Dragonborn song in the distance (suggesting the presence of a Word of Power), you won't be able to reach its location for now. Return to Ralis and report to him.
Search for the missing miners
This mission can be completed during Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow. As you fight your way through the barrows, look for corpses of miners - Bradyn can be found in the room with Draugrs sleeping in the walls and Mirel on the floor of the room from where there is "no escape" (very end of the dungeon). Search the corpses of both of them to complete the mission. Beside the woman you can find a letter - Mireli's letter to mother - however there isn't any mission associated with it.
Speak to Ralis
Ralis is a hard one - the death of the miners won't make an impression on him. The clever Elf will suggest hiring some bodyguard along with the next group of miners - which will of course cost quite a bit. If you have 3000 gold, you can pay for the third excavation phase. This time the workers will be properly protected and everything (at least in theory) should go smooth.
Fund the next phase of excavation (3000 gold)
The business is going well, but the cost is increasing as well. Hiring workers and proper guards is a challenge in itself and additionally it costs quite a lot. If you have 3000 gold, give it to Ralis and... wait another week to see what happens. If you don't have the money, complete some quest or rob some characters. Main story missions and side ones like March of the Dead, Served Cold or Locate the East Empire Pendants for Fethis Alor in Raven Rock are especially profitable.
Wait for a message from Ralis
Similarly to before, after a week of waiting you can expect a courier with a message from Ralis. The letter will once again contain rather dire news - things at Kolbjorn Barrow aren't going well again. Return to the location to see what happened. Apparently some malicious deity isn't too fond of this project.
Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
Meet with Ralis in the camp by Kolbjorn Barrow. This time some of the miners survived the Draugr attack (yes, they came from the barrows again), but the mercenaries who were supposed to protect them mostly died. You have to head into the dungeon once again and clean up the mess by killing off the monsters lurking within. You will visit the same locations once again, but this time you will get a bit deeper than before.
Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow
Head inside the barrows and you will me almost immediately attacked by two Draugrs. Defeat them and head onwards through the well-known corridors (you will come across a few more enemies on your way). Note that additional chests or locked doors have appeared in some places - it's worth to take a look at them and collect some additional treasures.
Eventually you will reach a new part of the barrows - opposite to the place where you found Bradyn the last time you were here. Kill the Draugrs who stand in your way and head down the stairs. There you will come across another zombie and a Draugr Scourge - a relatively powerful undead mage. Get rid of him and defeat two more enemies afterwards. That's all of them.
If you like searching for treasures, note the pressure plates found on the floor with the two last Draugrs. Press all of them to open a door leading to a room with a precious ring - Ahzidal's Ring of Arcana. If that still doesn't satisfy your hunger, return to one of the previous chambers (nearby the place where you found Bradyn) and pull the chain. That way you will unlock a secret stash with Ahzidal's Gauntlets of Warding.
Speak to Ralis
Return to Ralis and report to him. The excavations in Kolbjorn Barrow have a rather bad opinion - a dozen people have already died here. That's why the next phase will be much more expensive - you need to collect as much as 5000 gold. Luckily, it's the last investment that you will have to make - the end is near!
Fund the next phase of excavation (5000 gold)
Give Ralis 5000 gold and focus on something else for a week. It's a big sum, but the thing is worth the money. If you're low on cash, do some mission or trade with the merchants in Raven Rock. As I have mentioned before, the most lucrative missions are March of the Dead, Served Cold and Locate the East Empire Pendants for Fethis Alor in Raven Rock.
Wait for a message from Ralis
One week after your last visit in Kolbjorn Barrow (and investing a proper sum of gold) you will be approached by a courier with a letter from Ralis. The young man is just as irritated as you are - without any shame he states that it's the last message he will ever deliver from the mysterious excavation. Luckily you have reached the last stage of this mission, so further correspondence won't be needed.
Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
Once you reach Kolbjorn Barrow, you will come across traces of a battle. The whole area is covered with corpses of miners and Ralis is nowhere to be seen. If you head inside his tent and read his notes The Journal of Ralis Sedarys - Volume 23, you will learn of his secret - the excavations were used for a dark ceremony to wake up Ahzidal - a powerful undead whom Ralis apparently serves. The death of the miners and guards was a part of a bigger plan - a sufficient sacrifice was needed.
You should head to the dungeon and face with Ralis and his dark master.
Locate Ralis
Inside the first, well known corridors you shouldn't come across any enemies. Note however, that the wall with the Word of Power which was until now covered (but you could hear its "calling") has been unburied in the meantime. Using it you will be able to learn a new Shout - Cyclone. Use this chance and continue exploring the barrows.
Enter the platform on which Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking used to stand and head towards the right. Kill three Draugrs there and go into the room in which you walked along pressure plates (screen above). Here you will have to fight with three more undead.
Move onwards and you will reach a room with three Draugrs sitting on thrones. Kill them and solve an easy puzzle with turning pillars. Place them so they both show a fish (and pull the lever) to open a room with the very useful Ahzidal's Armor of Retribution. Hide it in your equipment, return to the pillars and turn them both to eagles. That way you will unlock a passage to the further part of the dungeon.
Head below, defeat four Draugrs (you can set fire to the liquid in which they're standing) and approach the next puzzle. Place the pillars so that both show a snake and pull the chain (if you do it wrong, you will turn on a flamethrower and die in a rather brutal fashion!). therefore you will gain access to another of Ahzidal's artifacts - Ahzidal's Helm of Vision. While you're at it, try not to stand on the pressure plate found inside the room and... yet another trap set off by taking it. Note that beside there's a quite big lode of Stalhrim - you should take a look at it.
When you're done collecting the treasures, turn around 180 degrees and approach the next room. Inside you will see Ralis, who's just about to be finished with the incantation summoning Ahzidal. A fight is inevitable!
Defeat Ahzidal
The fight with the Dragon Priest is very difficult - that's why you should use a trick to defeat him. You will surely note that there are a couple Draugrs helping him - each time you kill one of them, more will appear immediately. What's worse Ahzidal himself can resurrect fallen servants - quite fast you will be flooded by an army of undead. The only way to defeat him is luring him out of the room and killing in an isolated place. Ranged attacks will surely come in handy here (especially stealthy ones), as well as running away to previous corridors. Without his minions, the demon will become far less dangerous.
The enemy can use a wide range of destruction spells - he especially likes those based on fire. If you have a fire resistance potion, you should use it. Don't however try defeating the enemy with his own weapon - Ahzidal is almost completely resistant to powers that he's using.
After you defeat the demon, take his Mask form his corpse. It increases your fire resistance by 50% and fire damage by another 25%. It's quite a treat for every mage using such spells.
With your new equipment in hand, return Ahzidal's tomb to confront Ralis.
Confront Ralis
In the middle of the room in which Ahzidal was resting you will find Ralis, standing between the corpses of miners. The archeologist will tell you that upon arriving to Kolbjorn Barrow, he started hearing strange voices telling him to dig up the catacombs. It's the lord of the dungeon who possessed the poor Elf and made him kill the workers and he wasn't aware of what he was doing. Your task is to judge him.
If you decide to punish Ralis, he will turn on you and attack - you should be able to kill him without much trouble (in his equipment you will be able to find one of the magic pickaxes - Ancient Nordic Pickaxe). Forgiving his sins will make him return to Retching Netch in Raven Rock and become an unique companion who you can take with you to any location.
Remember to check out the room behind Ahzidal's alter before heading back to the surface - you can find there some treasure and a Black Book which begin Black Book: Filament and Filigree.