How to Retrieve and Deliver the Dragonstone in Bleak Falls Barrow in Skyrim

If you’re staring at your quest log like it just insulted your ancestors, don’t worryyou’re exactly where Skyrim
wants you: mildly confused, underprepared, and about to walk into a Nordic ruin that’s basically an ancient stone funhouse
designed by someone who really loved traps.

This guide walks you step-by-step through Bleak Falls Barrow to grab the Dragonstone,
solve the two biggest puzzles (yes, the one with the spinning rings), survive the draugr boss at the end, and then
deliver the Dragonstone to the court wizard in Whiterun like a responsible adventurer who definitely didn’t loot 37
tankards on the way.

Quick Overview: What You’re Doing and Why It Matters

The Dragonstone is a stone tablet tied to the main quest. You’ll retrieve it from Bleak Falls Barrow and
bring it back to Whiterun. Turning it in pushes the story forwardso yes, this is one of those “you can’t ignore this
forever” moments (unless you’re roleplaying a person who avoids responsibility, which… fair).

• Goal: Retrieve the Dragonstone from Bleak Falls Barrow.
• Optional but common: Pick up “The Golden Claw” quest in Riverwood (it overlaps in the same dungeon).
• Finish: Deliver the Dragonstone to Farengar in Dragonsreach (Whiterun).

Before You Go: Prep Like You Actually Want to Live

Recommended level and general readiness

You can do Bleak Falls Barrow early, but early-game enemies hit harder than your pride after you miss a point-blank swing.
Bring healing, bring a backup plan, and consider having at least a few perks in your main combat style (one-handed,
archery, destruction, etc.).

What to bring (a practical checklist)

• Healing items: Potions, food, or healing spells.
• Stamina support: If you sprint a lot or power-attack, bring stamina potions or food.
• A ranged option: A bow, destruction spells, or at least some decent arrows. There are long corridors and enemies who love to stand on ledges and judge you.
• Lockpicks: Optional, but you’ll find chests and doors that make you feel better about having them.
• A torch or candlelight spell: Nordic ruins aren’t “mysterious,” they’re just dim.

Optional: Grab a follower for extra muscle

A follower can soak damage, distract draugr, and generally make the dungeon feel less like a solo field trip to the land
of bad decisions. If you’re new, traveling with a companion is one of the easiest difficulty sliders that isn’t actually
a difficulty slider.

Step 1: Getting the Quest in Whiterun (Dragonsreach)

After you reach Whiterun and speak to the Jarl about the dragon attack at Helgen, you’ll be sent to talk
to Farengar Secret-Fire, the court wizard in Dragonsreach.

Farengar wants you to retrieve an ancient tabletthe Dragonstonefrom Bleak Falls Barrow. He’ll mark it on your map,
and you’ll get the quest objective to retrieve it (and later, deliver it back to him).

Step 2: (Optional) Pick Up “The Golden Claw” in Riverwood

On the way to Bleak Falls Barrow, you’ll likely pass through Riverwood. If you talk to the shopkeeper at
the Riverwood Trader, you can start a side quest to recover the Golden Clawand it just so happens that
the claw is inside the same dungeon.

Why bother? Because the Golden Claw is required to open a major door deeper in Bleak Falls Barrow. Even if you came here
for the Dragonstone, you’ll still need that claw to finish the run. So grabbing the quest first is like picking up a
free coupon for “Not Backtracking Later.”

Step 3: Reaching Bleak Falls Barrow

Bleak Falls Barrow is northwest of Riverwood, up in the snowy mountains. You’ll usually encounter:

• Wolves on the climb (or occasionally other wildlife).
• Bandits near the exterior ruins, including a small tower and lookout spots.

Take your time on the approach if you’re low level. Pull enemies one at a time if you can, use cover against archers,
and don’t be shy about retreating down the stairs to reset the fight in your favor. Tactical cowardice is still tactical.

Step 4: Inside Bleak Falls Temple (Bandits + First Puzzle)

The first interior section is called Bleak Falls Temple. It’s mainly occupied by bandits, plus a few traps to keep the
place spicy.

Bandit rooms and early loot

You’ll move through a few rooms with bandits chatting, patrolling, and generally acting like they own the place. They do
not. That’s your job.

The first pillar puzzle (don’t pull the lever first)

You’ll find a room with a lever and three rotating pillars (each showing animal symbols). A bandit may “demonstrate” what
happens if you pull the lever with the wrong setupspoiler: it’s a quick lesson in why ancient Nords probably had trust
issues.

Here’s the correct way to solve it:

1. Look at the symbols displayed on the wall above the gate (one symbol may be on a fallen stone nearby).
2. Rotate the three pillars to match the symbol order shown.
3. Then pull the lever to open the gate safely.

Solution (left to right): Snake, Snake, Whale.

Step 5: The Spider Room and the Thief Who “Totally Won’t Betray You”

Push deeper and you’ll start seeing cobwebs and skeevers. Eventually, you’ll reach a chamber with a wounded frostbite
spider and a man trapped in a web: Arvel the Swift.

How to handle the spider

Keep distance, block or dodge its lunges, and use fire if you have it. The spider is a solid early-game “welcome to
Skyrim” moment: you can win, but it demands attention.

Freeing Arvel (and getting the Golden Claw)

You can free Arvel by attacking the webbing. He’ll beg, bargain, and then immediately demonstrate why his nickname is
“the Swift” and not “the Trustworthy.” He tries to run.

Chase him down. Whether you stop him yourself or let the dungeon’s draugr do it for you, the important part is this:
loot the Golden Claw from his body.

Step 6: The Crypt Section (Draugr, Traps, and Narrow Hallways)

Past Arvel’s area, you transition from “bandit squatters” to “ancient undead homeowners who are furious you didn’t take
your shoes off.”

Common traps to watch for

• Pressure plates: Often trigger swinging blades or wall traps. Move slowly and watch the floor.
• Swinging axe/blade corridors: Time your sprint or wait for openings, then move through.
• Draugr ambushes: Some draugr are “sleeping” in alcoves and pop out when you get close.

Tip: If you’re a stealth character, you can pick off draugr before they fully wake. If you’re not stealthy, you can still
use corners and doorways to avoid getting surrounded.

Step 7: The Golden Claw Door Puzzle (The One Everyone Googles Once)

Eventually, you’ll reach a large circular door with three rotating rings and a keyhole shaped for the Golden Claw.
This is the game’s gentle way of saying: “Hey, you know that shiny claw you picked up? It’s not just for display.”

How to read the clue properly

Open your inventory, inspect the Golden Claw, and rotate it in the item view. The claw has three symbols on its palm.
Those symbols correspond to the rings on the door.

Correct combination (top to bottom on the claw; outer to inner on the door): Bear, Moth, Owl.

Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)

• Mixing up ring order: Remember: the door rings are essentially outer, middle, inner. Match them carefully.
• Not inspecting the claw: The game literally prints the answer on the item. Skyrim is generous like that.
• Trying random spins: You can, but you’ll feel like the puzzle is “bugged” when it’s really just math you’re doing emotionally.

Step 8: The Word Wall and the Draugr Boss (Where the Dragonstone Lives)

Past the claw door is one of the most memorable early moments in Skyrim: a Word Wall that teaches you the
first word of Unrelenting Force (the shout most players use to introduce enemies to gravity).

What happens after you learn the word

A powerful draugr boss emerges from a sarcophagus shortly after you approach the Word Wall. Depending on your level, it’s
commonly a higher-tier draugr (often referred to as a Draugr Overlord type). This enemy can hit hard and may use shouts
that stagger you.

Boss fight tips for different playstyles

• Melee: Block often, back up when your stamina is low, and use power attacks only when safe. Don’t get greedy.
• Archer: Use the terrainbackpedal, take shots between attacks, and keep distance. If you have poison, this is a good time.
• Mage: Fire spells are generally reliable in early undead fights. Keep moving and don’t let the boss close the gap for free.
• All builds: Use pillars and elevation to break line-of-sight and drink potions without eating a warhammer to the face.

Loot the Dragonstone

Once the boss is down, loot its body to obtain the Dragonstone. It’s a quest item, so you’re not grabbing
it to sell at a pawn shopthis tablet is story fuel.

After looting, look for the nearby exit. Bleak Falls Barrow includes a convenient way out so you don’t have to run the
entire dungeon backward like you forgot your keys.

Step 9: Deliver the Dragonstone to Farengar (and Wrap Things Up)

Optional: Return the Golden Claw to Riverwood

If you started the Golden Claw quest, you can stop by Riverwood on the way back and return it to the shopkeeper for a
reward. It’s a quick turn-in, and you’ll feel like a hero instead of a walking museum thief.

Back to Dragonsreach

Head to Whiterun, enter Dragonsreach, and talk to Farengar. Choose the dialogue option to deliver the Dragonstone.
Once you hand it over, the quest completes and the next step of the main story is set in motion.

If you’re wondering “why did that feel like a big deal?”it is. This is one of the early pivots where Skyrim stops being
“local troubles” and starts being “dragon-shaped problems.”

Troubleshooting: If Something Doesn’t Work

Skyrim is beloved, massive, and occasionally held together with the spiritual equivalent of duct tape. If you hit a snag,
here are common issues and what usually helps:

• “I can’t open the claw door!”
  Double-check the ring order and inspect the Golden Claw again. The correct symbols are Bear, Moth, Owl.
• “The lever trap room keeps killing me!”
  Don’t pull the lever until the pillars match the wall symbols. The solution is Snake, Snake, Whale.
• “I have the Dragonstone but can’t turn it in.”
  This is often quest-stage weirdness. Try leaving Dragonsreach and coming back, waiting a few in-game hours, or reloading a save from before entering the final chamber.
• “The boss is destroying me.”
  Drop your difficulty temporarily, bring a follower, use ranged attacks, and stock up on healing. There’s no shame in living.

Extra Player Experiences (500+ Words): What This Quest Feels Like, and Why Everyone Remembers It

Bleak Falls Barrow has a weird superpower: it manages to be both your “first real dungeon” and your “oh, so this is what
Skyrim is” moment. A lot of early quests in big RPGs feel like training wheelsfetch a thing, talk to a person, get a
reward, repeat until your brain turns into oatmeal. But Bleak Falls Barrow is different because it quietly teaches you
half the game’s vocabulary while you’re just trying not to die.

First, you get the mountain approach. It’s not a cutscene. It’s not a safe hallway. It’s you, trudging uphill in the snow,
wondering why you brought three wheels of cheese but only one healing potion. You see bandits posted outside a ruin like
it’s their day job (it is), and suddenly you’re making real choices: sneak past, pick them off, or sprint in like a
confident disaster. This climb is often where players realize the map marker is helpful, but it does not stop wolves from
filing a complaint directly into your ankles.

Then you step inside and the tone shifts: bandits are still human problems, but the ruin itself starts flexing. You see a
lever and think, “Great! Progress!” and Skyrim responds with an arrow trap that basically says, “Congratulations on being
curious. Here is your prize: regret.” When you solve that first pillar puzzle by simply looking around the room, it feels
like you’re learning how Nordic ruins “think.” It’s not advanced logic, but it’s a pattern: clues are nearby, and rushing
gets you hurt. That lesson will pay rent for the next 200 hours.

The Arvel section is another classic memory-maker. You meet a guy trapped in a web, and your heroic instincts kick in.
Maybe you’re thinking you’ll rescue him and he’ll become your best friend. Maybe you’re thinking he’s obviously lying
because he’s named “the Swift” and is currently stuck like a fly in a spider’s pantry. Either way, Skyrim gives you a tiny
morality play: do you help him, do you trust him, and how quickly do you accept that “helping” and “being played” can
happen in the same 30 seconds? Chasing him down for the Golden Claw becomes your first taste of Skyrim’s low-key comedy:
the world is harsh, but it’s also kind of funnyoften at your expense.

The deeper crypt section is where new players discover draugr are basically professional jump-scarers. You start noticing
the environment: pressure plates, suspicious floor patterns, dangling blades. You learn that slow and steady is sometimes
the fastest way through a dungeon because getting knocked around by traps makes you waste potions, time, and dignity.
You also learn that doorways are powerful. There’s nothing like backing into a narrow hall to prevent getting surrounded
and thinking, “Oh… I’m becoming a real adventurer now.” That’s not just survivalit’s strategy.

And finally, the Golden Claw door. Almost everyone remembers it because it’s one of the first puzzles that feels like a
“real” puzzle, even though the answer is printed on the item. The first time you inspect the claw and see the symbols, it
clicks: Skyrim isn’t always going to shout the solution at you. It expects you to look. The game rewards attention,
curiosity, and a tiny bit of patiencelike a teacher who pretends to be stern but secretly wants you to succeed.

The Word Wall moment lands because it’s cinematic without needing a cutscene. You walk into a chamber that feels ancient
and important, the wall glows with language that sounds like thunder, and you get a taste of the power fantasy at the
center of the story. Then the draugr boss shows up to remind you that you’re still mortal and your armor is made of
“whatever you found five minutes ago.” Beating that bosswhether by skill, stubbornness, or frantic potion-chuggingis a
badge of honor. Leaving with the Dragonstone feels like you earned it.

So yes, it’s “just” a dungeon. But it’s also the quest that teaches you how to read Skyrim’s world. By the time you hand
the Dragonstone to Farengar, you’re not just completing an objectiveyou’re graduating from “newcomer with a sword” to
“someone who can walk into an ancient tomb and come out with answers.” And maybe, just maybe, you also come out with 37
tankards. For research.

Conclusion

Retrieving the Dragonstone in Bleak Falls Barrow is one of Skyrim’s best early-game “skill checks”not because it demands
perfection, but because it teaches you how to succeed. Prep your supplies, clear the bandits, solve the Snake–Snake–Whale
pillar puzzle, grab the Golden Claw, match the claw door symbols (Bear–Moth–Owl), defeat the draugr boss, and claim the
Dragonstone. Then return to Dragonsreach and deliver it to Farengar to move the main quest forward.

And when you’re done? Take a second to enjoy it. You didn’t just fetch a tabletyou survived your first iconic Skyrim ruin,
learned your first Word of Power, and proved you can handle whatever the province throws at you (including traps that
absolutely did not need to be that aggressive).