locations where a Stone of Barenziah can be found.
A “stealth archer” build in Skyrim might make things a little easier, as Ansilvund features plenty of cracks and crevices to hide behind while sniping unsuspecting enemies. This is because the crypt is well-guarded with level-scaled necromancers, rogue mages, and plenty of draugr. Additionally, as this is an excavation site, players will find several ore veins within Ansilvund’s winding tunnels.
Skyrim: Ansilvund Puzzle Solution
Reading For Answers
Approximately halfway through Skyrim's Ansilvund Excavation, players will encounter a puzzle with spinning pillars connected to a locked door across a small stone over. What makes this puzzle so perplexing is that, unlike typical pillar puzzles in Skyrim, no apparent solutions are lying about the area or in nearby rooms. Yet, what players may not realize is that the answer to the Ansilvund puzzle is much closer than it seems.
In addition to the hostile mobs, be wary when traversing the environment in Ansilvund, as several pressure plates and tripwire traps are set up along the cave's ageways.
There are two possible ways to solve Skyrim's pillar puzzle in Ansilvund. The first way is by checking one of the books on a table across from the mechanism's lever. Next to a journal sits a book commonly found in multiple locations across Skyrim called Of Fjori and Holgeir. It tells a short love story between Fjori and Holgeir, but the main point players should be looking for the order of keywords within the written lines.
More specifically, the names of the animals engraved on the pillars can also be found in this Elder Scrolls book. Each animal appears in the story in the same sequence the pillars need to be set to. According to the order of the story, the solution to Ansilvund's puzzle in Skyrim is as follows:
- "As the Eagle (1) finds..."
- "But the Snake (2) came..."
- "A Whale (3) greeted Fjori's view..."
- "But the Snake (4) bit Fjori..."
Alternatively, the correct left-to-right order of Ansilvund's pillar puzzle can also be found directly below the spinning mechanisms. They are well-hidden beneath deep shrubbery and cobwebs, yet, if you look close enough, you should be able to see the same solution to Skyrim's Ansilvund puzzle as in the book: "Eagle - Snake - Whale - Snake."
Escaping Ansilvund
This puzzle is part of the "A Love Beyond Death" Quest, which will start automatically as soon as you enter the Ansilvund Excavation site. To continue on after solving the puzzle, you will enter the final room where the boss, Lu'ah Al-Skaven, is waiting. Once she has been defeated, you will be able to collect the Ghostblade weapon. If you continue on, there is also a master-level chest waiting for you with goodies inside.
Temper Your Expectations For The Elder Scrolls 6
A former Bethesda developer believes fans should temper their expectations for The Elder Scrolls 6, elaborating that it can't live up to the hype.
To get out of the Excavation Site, continue on by unlocking the gate. There is a ramp behind it that will take you to a ledge where you can see a Frostbite Spider and another draugr. Once you leave the ledge, you can go left to find the exit and continue on with your adventures in Ansilvund in Skyrim.
Ansilvund's Stone of Barenziah Location
Finding The Ansilvund Stone Of Barenziah
It's entirely possible players ended up needing to solve Skyrim's Ansilvund pillar puzzle on their way to locate the Stone of Barenziah in Ansilvund. The Stone can be found in the burial chambers of Ansilvund, near Fjori's ghost.
Finding The Other Stones Of Barenziah
This is part of the "No Stone Unturned" quest, where players have to find 24 Stones of Barenziah, of which the Stone they find in Ansilvund is just one. Players will have to traverse the entirety of Skyrim's map in order to find them all. In order to guide your efforts, here's a basic outline of where you'll find every Stone of Barenziah in Skyrim.
Location |
Details |
|---|---|
Stony Creek Cave |
Inside the wizard's cave, on a table |
House of Clan Shatter-Shield, WIndhelm |
On the bookshelf in the bedroom upstairs |
Palace of the Kings, Windhelm |
On a table in Wuunferth the Unliving's room |
Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary |
In Astrid's room |
Pinewatch Bandit's Sanctuary |
On a shelf |
Sunderstone Gorge |
In front of the Word Wall |
Dainty Sload |
On a table in the back room (only accessible through the basement) |
Reeking Cave, Thalmor Embassy |
In a small niche near the entrance; during "Diplomatic Immunity," it may be inside the Embassy itself, in one of the bedrooms |
Blue Palace, Solitude |
In Jarl Elisif's room |
Proudspire Manor, Solitude |
On a dresser in the bedroom. Comes with your purchase of Proudspire Manor |
Rannveig's Fast |
On a table near the exit |
Dead Crone Rock |
In front of the Word Wall |
Treasury House, Markarth |
In the master bedroom |
Dwemer Museum, Understone Keep |
Past the gate |
Black-Briar Lodge |
In the master bedroom |
Mistveil Keep |
In the Jarl's bedroom |
Jarl's Quarters, Dragonsreach |
In the bedroom |
Fellglow Keep |
On a table next to the alchemy tools |
Jorrvaskr Living Quarters |
In Kodlak Whitemane's room |
Whiterun Hall of the Dead |
Inside a crypt |
Arch-Mage's Quarters, College of Winterhold |
On a shelf left of the bed |
Hob's Fall Cave |
On a shelf next to an alchemy bench |
Yngvild |
In the throne room |
The last part of the "No Stone Unturned" quest involves finding a crown to return to Vex, which will unlock a special Perk - the reward for finding all 24 Stones of Barenziah. Ansilvund is also home to several possible radiant locations, so you may have to return later as part of a companion quest. Thankfully, you'll only have to solve the pillar puzzle one time throughout your entire run of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
-
- Top Critic Avg: 81/100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- November 11, 2011
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Engine
- Creation Engine
- Cross-Platform Play
- no
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the multi-million-selling fifth entry in the Elder Scrolls franchises created by Bethesda Softworks. Set two hundred years after The Elder Scrolls IV; players will embark on a quest in the north of Tamriel as they come into their own as a Dragonborn, a being of immense power that has the ability to save the world. Players will travel the land of Skyrim with their own created character as they take on various quests and battle many foes on their way to stop Alduin the World Eater, a Dragon destined to destroy the world.
- Cross Save
- no
- Expansions
- Skyrim: Dragonborn, Skyrim: Hearthfire, Skyrim: Dawnguard
- Franchise
- The Elder Scrolls
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- Metascore
- 96
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & (Special Edition)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Your comment has not been saved