Skyrim:Side Quests

Side quests are standard-length quests that are not part of a quest line and are not Daedric quests. Each side quest is listed separately in your quest journal. They are not subcategorized like miscellaneous quests. Also unlike miscellaneous quests, side quests are logged in your journal after completion. Side quests can be identified by the side quests knotwork (pictured at left) displayed next to the quest title in your journal and on each quest's page on this wiki.

Completing each of these quests generally increases by one the "Side Quests Completed" statistic in the General Stats section of the main in-game menu, and also counts towards the Sideways achievement. See this article's achievements section, below, for details.

The side quests are listed below based on the location where they are normally started.

Cities

Markarth

• The Forsworn Conspiracy: Investigate a murder in Markarth to discover a sinister plot surrounding the Forsworn.
• The Heart of Dibella: Find a new Sybil for the Temple of Dibella.
• The Lost Expedition: Recover the journals from the expedition in Nchuand-Zel.
• No One Escapes Cidhna Mine: Escape from Cidhna Mine!

Morthal

• Laid to Rest: Investigate a tragic house fire, and discover an insidious plot against the town.
• Rising at Dawn: Track down Falion to rid yourself of vampirism.

Riften

• The Book of Love: Help the Temple of Mara spread the cause of love throughout Skyrim.
• Promises to Keep: Help Louis Letrush get Frost from Sibbi Black-Briar.
• Unfathomable Depths: Uncover the memories of the Dwemer.

Solitude

• Lights Out!: Help run a cargo ship aground.
• The Man Who Cried Wolf: Investigate reports of strange happenings in Wolfskull Cave.
• Tending the Flames: Unveil the truth about a deceitful King and become a member of the Bards College.
• The Wolf Queen Awakened: Potema must be stopped.

Whiterun

• The Blessings of Nature: Restore the Gildergreen for Danica Pure-Spring.
• In My Time Of Need: Find the Redguard, Saadia, who is on the run from Hammerfell.
• Missing In Action: Rescue a missing Stormcloak supporter from the Thalmor.

Windhelm

• Blood on the Ice: Windhelm is plagued by a shadowy killer.
• Repairing the Phial: Acquire the materials necessary to repair the White Phial.
• Rise in the East: Help the East Empire Company take care of some pirates.
• The White Phial: Retrieve a legendary artifact to fulfill an old alchemist's wish in Windhelm.

Towns and Settlements

• Delayed Burial: Convince an unwilling farmer to help fix a stranded jester's broken wagon wheel.
  • For most purposes, this quest is categorized as a Dark Brotherhood quest; see details in the achievements section below.
• The Golden Claw: A shopkeeper wants you to retrieve his family heirloom from a bandit.
• Kyne's Sacred Trials: Participate in Kyne's Sacred Trials by hunting the guardian beasts of Skyrim.
• A Return To Your Roots: Go where a famous alchemist could not in order to aid ground-breaking research.

Dungeon Quests

These quests only start once you approach or enter the associated dungeon. Only dungeon quests that are counted as side quests are listed here. The Dungeon Quests article provides a list of all dungeon quests.

• Ancestral Worship: Help Golldir save his aunt and stop a necromancer from defiling his ancestral barrow.
• Evil in Waiting: Seal away an ancient evil.
• Infiltration: Help Stalleo take back Treva's Watch.
• The Pale Lady: Find out what happened in Frostmere Crypt.
• Repentance: Help Illia prevent her mother Silvia from transforming into a hagraven.
• A Scroll For Anska: Help Anska trace her roots in High Gate Ruins.
• Siege on the Dragon Cult: Enter the ruins of Forelhost and defeat Rahgot to recover his mask for Captain Valmir.
• Silenced Tongues: Unlock the burial chamber of the Tongue Chieftain Kvenel.

Other

• Forbidden Legend: Investigate the forgotten Gauldur Legend.
  • This is unique among side quests in that there are multiple places from which the quest can be "normally started".

Achievements

One achievement is obtained by completing side quests:

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  • Completing any 10 of 33 qualifying side quests will unlock this achievement. In general, any full quest that uses the side quest knotwork in your quest log counts towards the achievement, but there are a few unusual cases:
    • Of the quests listed on this page, only Blood on the Ice does not count towards the achievement
    • Delayed Burial is listed on this page, and counts towards the achievement, but it is otherwise categorized as a Dark Brotherhood quest, and is marked by the Dark Brotherhood knotwork.
    • The Affairs of Hagravens counts towards the achievement even though it is a miscellaneous quest (i.e., it is treated as such in your quest journal).
    • Alteration Ritual Spell does not count as a side quest, but is mistakenly displayed in your quest log using the side quest knotwork instead of the correct College of Winterhold knotwork.
  • In most cases where a quest has two possible conclusions, either ending will qualify towards the achievement. Exceptions include The Heart of Dibella and A Scroll For Anska. See the individual quest pages for details.
  • You can track your progress towards the achievement using the "Side Quests Completed" statistic on the General Stats log page.