Touching the Sky: Complete Walkthrough & Guide for Skyrim’s Epic Dawnguard Quest

Touching the Sky stands as one of the longest and most visually stunning quests in Skyrim’s Dawnguard DLC. This sprawling journey takes players deep into the Forgotten Vale, a hidden region untouched by time, where ancient Wayshrines and deadly Falmer await. The quest culminates in obtaining Auriel’s Bow, one of the most powerful artifacts in the game, and confronting the twisted Snow Elf Arch-Curate Vyrthur.

But getting there isn’t a simple dungeon crawl. This quest demands careful preparation, precise navigation through a massive zone, and a boss fight that punishes careless play. Whether you’re running Dawnguard for the first time or hunting down every piece of unique loot in the Vale, this guide covers everything you need to complete Touching the Sky efficiently, no backtracking required.

Quest Prerequisites and How to Start Touching the Sky

Touching the Sky becomes available only after significant progress through the Dawnguard main questline. Players must complete Seeking Disclosure, the quest where you retrieve the Elder Scrolls (both Blood and Sun if siding with the Dawnguard) from their respective locations.

Once Seeking Disclosure wraps up, Serana will suggest heading to the Ancestor Glade to decipher the Elder Scroll (Blood). After completing that step, she’ll reveal that finding Auriel’s Bow requires a pilgrimage to the Chantry of Auri-El, located in a hidden valley called the Forgotten Vale.

The quest officially begins when you enter Darkfall Cave with Serana. The entrance sits northeast of Markarth, accessible via a winding mountain path. Bring Serana, she’s required for progression and provides essential dialogue throughout. You can’t complete this quest without her.

Recommended Level: While the quest is theoretically accessible around level 20-25, the Forgotten Vale throws high-level Falmer, Chaurus Hunters, and Frost Giants at you. Coming in at level 30+ with upgraded gear makes the experience far less punishing. Stock potions, repair kits, and carry weight buffs before entering Darkfall Cave, you won’t leave the Vale for hours.

Completing the Pilgrimage: Finding the Wayshrine Locations

The pilgrimage requires you to activate five Wayshrines scattered across the Forgotten Vale. Each Wayshrine grants an Initiate’s Ewer fill, and you need all five to proceed to the Inner Sanctum. The Wayshrines also serve as fast-travel points once activated, which is critical given the Vale’s sheer size.

Knight-Paladin Gelebor, the last uncorrupted Snow Elf, appears at the first Wayshrine and explains the pilgrimage. He’ll grant you the Initiate’s Ewer, a quest item that automatically fills when you draw water from each Wayshrine’s basin.

Wayshrine of Illumination

This is your starting point. Gelebor waits here at the entrance to the Forgotten Vale proper, just past Darkfall Passage. Activate the basin, fill the Ewer, and listen to his instructions. The Wayshrine of Illumination sits on the western edge of the Vale, near a frozen river.

From here, the path splits. You can tackle the remaining Wayshrines in any order, but the recommended route follows a clockwise loop to minimize backtracking.

Wayshrine of Learning

Head northeast from Illumination, following the river. You’ll pass through Falmer camps and frozen waterfalls. The Wayshrine of Learning sits on a plateau overlooking the river valley. Expect Falmer Warmongers and Chaurus Hunters in this area, both hit hard and apply debuffs.

The basin here is straightforward. Fill the Ewer and move on. If you’re hunting collectibles, a Shellbug spawns near the cliffs south of this Wayshrine (more on that later).

Wayshrine of Resolution

Continue east across a frozen lake. The Wayshrine of Resolution sits atop a hill surrounded by Falmer tents. Clear the camp before activating the shrine, getting swarmed mid-dialogue is a quick way to die.

This Wayshrine marks the halfway point. From here, you’ll turn south toward the more dangerous sections of the Vale, where high-level Falmer variants become common.

Wayshrine of Radiance

Head south from Resolution, crossing into the canyon area. The Wayshrine of Radiance sits near a massive frozen waterfall, guarded by a Frost Giant and several Falmer. The Frost Giant hits like a truck, prioritize range or high-burst melee to drop it before it closes distance.

Activate the basin, fill the Ewer, and prepare for the final push.

Wayshrine of Sight

The last Wayshrine sits west of Radiance, near the entrance to the Glacial Crevice. This area has lighter Falmer presence but introduces Frozen Falmer, tougher variants that resist frost damage. If you’re running a frost mage build, swap to fire or lightning for this section.

Once you fill the Ewer at Sight, return to the Wayshrine of Illumination. Gelebor will open the path to the Inner Sanctum, where the final confrontation awaits.

Navigating the Forgotten Vale: Map, Enemies, and Hidden Areas

The Forgotten Vale is massive, easily one of Skyrim’s largest single zones. Unlike typical dungeons, it’s an open-world area with multiple POIs, hidden caves, and optional bosses. No in-game map markers appear here, so navigation relies on landmarks and environmental storytelling.

Key landmarks include the frozen river running through the center, the canyon system in the south, and the massive frozen lake in the north. Fast-traveling between activated Wayshrines saves time, but exploring on foot reveals hidden loot and unique encounters.

Frozen Falmer and Chaurus Threats

Frozen Falmer are the primary threat. These upgraded variants appear in higher concentrations than regular Falmer dungeons and include Warmongers, Shadowmasters, and Gloomlurkers. They hit harder, use poison, and frequently ambush from elevated positions.

Chaurus Hunters are the real problem. They fly, making melee-only builds struggle, and their poison spit deals heavy DoT damage. Bring poison resist potions or enchantments, status effects stack quickly in group fights.

Frost Giants roam the Vale in small numbers. They’re slow but devastating. Kite them, abuse terrain, or unleash high-DPS bursts before they reach you. Each Giant drops a Frost Giant’s Toe, a valuable alchemy ingredient.

Finding the Shellbug for the Shellbug Helmet

The Shellbug Helmet is a unique light armor piece with solid defensive stats and a permanent frost resist bonus. To craft it, you need a Shellbug Chitin, harvested from the rare Shellbug creature.

Shellbugs are large, non-hostile beetles that cling to cave ceilings. They’re difficult to spot and require a ranged attack to dislodge. The most reliable Shellbug spawns in a cave southeast of the Wayshrine of Learning, near a frozen waterfall.

Hit it with an arrow or spell, collect the chitin, and craft the helmet at any forge with the Advanced Armors perk. The helmet’s unique appearance and frost resist make it worth the detour, especially for builds focused on survivability.

Confronting Arch-Curate Vyrthur: Boss Fight Strategy

After filling the Initiate’s Ewer and entering the Inner Sanctum, you’ll navigate a linear dungeon filled with Frozen Falmer and Chaurus. The path leads to the Sanctum’s balcony, where Arch-Curate Vyrthur waits.

Vyrthur is a Snow Elf vampire lord and the true architect of the prophecy driving Dawnguard’s plot. He’s bitter, powerful, and backed by unique mechanics that punish static play.

Understanding Vyrthur’s Attack Patterns

Vyrthur cycles through three distinct phases:

Phase 1: He starts on an elevated platform, hurling ice spikes and summoning Frozen Falmer adds. Focus on clearing adds first, they overwhelm you if ignored. Vyrthur is invulnerable during this phase until you break the ice wall protecting him.

Shoot the wall with ranged attacks or heavy melee strikes. Once it shatters, he teleports to the next platform.

Phase 2: Vyrthur teleports across multiple platforms, spamming AoE frost magic and summoning more adds. His ice storm spell covers large areas and slows movement. Dodge aggressively and prioritize positioning over raw DPS.

He’ll also use a melee drain attack if you get close, high damage and health leech. Maintain distance unless you’re running a tank build with high magic resist.

Phase 3: The final phase triggers once you break the second ice wall. Vyrthur drops to the main arena floor and goes all-out with melee combos, ice spikes, and paralysis spells. He’s vulnerable now, but hits like a truck.

Using the Environment to Your Advantage

The arena includes destructible ice pillars and elevated platforms. Use pillars for cover against his ranged attacks, and abuse line-of-sight to reset aggro when overwhelmed.

If you’re running a stealth archer build (let’s be honest, you probably are), use the platforms to maintain elevation advantage. Sneak attacks still apply critical multipliers even when he’s aware of you.

Magic users should pack frost resist gear and alternate between fire and shock spells. Vyrthur resists frost heavily, making frost-focused builds struggle. Melee builds need high stamina regen and heavy armor, his combos drain health fast.

Bring followers if possible, though Serana is mandatory and holds her own. Her necromancy distracts adds, giving you breathing room to focus Vyrthur.

Obtaining Auriel’s Bow: Rewards and How to Use It

After defeating Vyrthur, loot his body for the Auriel’s Bow, the quest’s primary reward. It’s a unique elven bow with 13 base damage (tied for second-highest in vanilla Skyrim) and a special effect tied to its ammunition.

Auriel’s Bow uses standard arrows for normal shots, but equipping Sunhallowed Elven Arrows or Bloodcursed Elven Arrows unlocks unique effects when shot at the sun.

Sunhallowed vs. Bloodcursed Arrows: Choosing Your Path

Sunhallowed Elven Arrows are blessed by Knight-Paladin Gelebor. After completing the quest, speak to him with regular elven arrows in your inventory. He’ll bless them, converting them to Sunhallowed variants.

Shooting the sun with a Sunhallowed arrow triggers Sun Flare, a massive AoE attack that damages undead in a wide radius and creates beams of light that continue damaging enemies for 60 seconds. It’s devastating against vampires, draugr, and skeletons, making it ideal for Dawnguard-aligned characters.

The effect lasts an entire in-game day and doesn’t require reactivation unless you fast-travel or enter interiors.

Bloodcursed Elven Arrows are the dark counterpart, blessed by Serana if you side with the vampires or simply ask her after the quest. Shooting the sun with a Bloodcursed arrow triggers Eternal Eclipse, blotting out the sun for an entire in-game day.

This allows vampires to roam freely without sunlight penalties and buffs vampire abilities. It’s thematically perfect for vampire playthroughs and adds a unique visual effect to the world.

Both arrow types are reusable if you retrieve them from corpses or the environment, though powerful weapon combinations often overshadow Auriel’s Bow in late-game optimization. Still, the bow’s utility and lore significance make it a permanent inventory fixture for many players.

You can get both arrow types in a single playthrough by alternating requests between Gelebor and Serana. Craft or loot enough elven arrows, and you’ll have access to both effects whenever you need them.

Essential Tips and Common Mistakes to Avoid

Touching the Sky is long, combat-heavy, and easy to screw up if you’re unprepared. Here’s what to watch for.

Bringing Serana: Why Your Companion Matters

Serana is mandatory for quest progression, but she’s also one of Skyrim’s strongest followers. Her necromancy summons meat shields, her ice spikes deal solid DPS, and she can’t permanently die.

Don’t dismiss her for another follower before starting the quest, you’ll be forced to swap anyway. If you’ve installed follower mods that allow multiple companions, Serana still needs to accompany you for dialogue triggers to work.

Keep her alive during the Vyrthur fight. While she can’t die permanently, she can go down repeatedly, forcing you to solo dangerous phases. Equip her with strong gear if possible, though her default equipment is serviceable.

Stock Up Before You Enter

Once you enter Darkfall Cave, you’re committed to a multi-hour dungeon crawl. There are no vendors, crafting stations, or safe zones inside the Forgotten Vale (aside from Gelebor’s initial camp).

Bring:

• Potions: Health, stamina, magicka, and poison resist. At least 20 of each.
• Lockpicks: The Vale has dozens of locked chests. Bring 30+ picks unless you have the Unbreakable Lockpick perk.
• Soul Gems: For recharging enchanted weapons. Grand and black soul gems preferred.
• Empty Inventory Space: The Vale is packed with loot. Aim for at least 100-150 carry weight buffer, or bring a follower to mule gear.

Don’t fast-travel out mid-quest to restock. While technically possible via the Wayshrines after activating them, you lose immersion and risk breaking progression triggers. Community discussions on modding forums highlight several instances where fast-traveling during Touching the Sky caused quest-breaking bugs.

Other common mistakes:

• Ignoring frost resist: The Vale is cold, and most enemies deal frost damage. Even a basic 50% resist enchantment cuts incoming damage significantly.
• Rushing the Wayshrines: Exploring the Vale reveals tons of unique loot, alchemy ingredients, and hidden bosses. Don’t beeline objectives, take your time.
• Not saving regularly: Skyrim’s engine can crash, especially in script-heavy zones like the Forgotten Vale. Manual save every 15-20 minutes.

Unique Loot and Collectibles You Don’t Want to Miss

The Forgotten Vale is a loot paradise if you know where to look. Beyond Auriel’s Bow and the Shellbug Helmet, several unique items spawn here exclusively.

Auriel’s Shield: Found in the Forgotten Vale Forest, inside a Falmer cave northwest of the Wayshrine of Radiance. The shield has a unique enchantment that stores incoming damage and releases it as an AoE blast when blocking. It’s one of the best shields in the game for tank builds.

Unknown Book (Volumes I-IV): Four skill books scattered across the Vale. They each boost Speech by one level. Locations include the Glacial Crevice, the Forgotten Vale Overlook, and near the Wayshrine of Resolution.

Paragons: Five Paragon gems (Sapphire, Emerald, Ruby, Amethyst, Diamond) drop from Frost Giants. Inserting them into the Paragon Platform (located near the Wayshrine of Learning) teleports you to hidden loot caches containing leveled enchanted gear, rare ores, and unique alchemy ingredients.

The Diamond Paragon is particularly valuable, it teleports you to the Forgotten Vale’s highest peak, where an elven warrior’s corpse holds leveled enchanted elven equipment and a stash of flawless gems.

Elven Armor (Ancient Falmer): The Inner Sanctum contains full sets of Ancient Falmer armor, a unique elven variant with slightly better stats and a distinct gold-and-white color scheme. It’s cosmetically identical to standard elven armor but rarer and sought-after by collectors.

Shellbug Chitin: Already covered, but worth repeating. Only a handful of Shellbugs spawn in the entire game, and the Forgotten Vale has the most accessible one.

Many detailed walkthroughs for completionists recommend making a checklist before entering the Vale, as returning post-quest is tedious due to the zone’s size and lack of fast-travel points outside the Wayshrines.

If you’re running a specific race build that benefits from light armor or archery, the loot here significantly boosts your effectiveness heading into late-game content.

Conclusion

Touching the Sky is Dawnguard’s longest quest, but it’s also its most rewarding. The Forgotten Vale offers exploration, tough combat, and some of Skyrim’s best unique loot, all wrapped in a visually stunning environment that feels distinct from the rest of Tamriel.

Whether you’re chasing Auriel’s Bow for its lore significance, hunting Paragons for the hidden caches, or just want to experience one of Skyrim’s most ambitious set pieces, this quest delivers. Just come prepared, save often, and don’t rush the Wayshrine pilgrimage, you’ll miss half the Vale’s secrets if you do.

And once you’ve secured Auriel’s Bow, decide carefully: Sunhallowed arrows for righteous vampire-slaying, or Bloodcursed arrows to plunge Skyrim into eternal night. Both paths offer unique gameplay benefits, and neither is wrong. That’s the beauty of Skyrim, your choices shape the experience, even in the endgame.