Beyond Death (quest)

This article is about the quest Beyond Death. For other uses, see Beyond Death.

Beyond Death
Prerequisite	Chasing Echoes
Required Items	{{{req_items}}}
Type	Faction
Faction	Dawnguard Clan Volkihar
Quest Giver	Serana
Location	Soul Cairn
Rewards	Summon Durnehviir shout
Alt Rewards
Required Level
Followed by	Seeking Disclosure
ID
Quest Objectives
Locate Valerica Speak to Valerica Kill the Boneyard Keepers Speak to Valerica Follow Valerica Slay Durnehviir Retrieve the Elder Scroll Speak to Valerica Return to Tamriel

Walkthrough

The Soul Cairn is a truly desolate space, but there is a lot to explore here.

Locate Valerica

The quickest way to Valerica is simply to follow the main north-eastern path to the Boneyard. At the gate to it Valerica will be found, apparently imprisoned some form of field.

Speak to Valerica

Apparently the barrier can only be shut down by defeating three Boneyard Keepers, spread out over the Soul Cairn.

Kill the Boneyard Keepers

Each one of the Keepers is marked on the map, so locating them is not much of a problem.

Speak to Valerica

After defeating the Keepers, the barrier deactivates...

Follow Valerica

... and Valerica will lead the Dragonborn to the Boneyard.

Slay Durnehviir

But first Durnehviir needs to be "slain" there.

Retrieve the Elder Scroll

Then retrieve the Elder Scroll (Blood).

Speak to Valerica

And talk to Valerica again. She will stay behind in the Soul Cairn, but once Lord Harkon is dead the Dragonborn can come back to bring her home to Castle Volkihar.

Should part of the Dragonborn's soul have been trapped, i.e. the Dragonborn is not a vampire, then retrieve the Soul Essence Gem from the chest of a maze-like building nearby.

Note: When exiting the Boneyard, Durnehviir will reappear and ask the Dragonborn for a favour, i.e. needing help to flee the cairn, thereby the Dragonborn learns the shout Summon Durnehviir and begins Durnehviir's quest.

Return to Tamriel

Return to the portal and leave the Soul Cairn with Serana.