Skyrim:Bristleback Cave

This is a long, deep, and winding cave, home to rieklings which have a tendency to hide in riekling barrels and in snow piles. There is a riekling village in the depths of the cave.
 
Related Quests
 

Walkthrough
Exterior
left|thumb|Outside Bristleback CaveThe entrance is guarded by a small riekling camp consisting of two riekling tents separated by a lookout platform, with several food and ingredient barrels and a campfire. There are a total of seven rieklings in and around the camp, with four of them towards the south of the camp, one hiding in a riekling barrel, one hiding behind a bush, and the final one to the north. There is also an unlocked chest flanked by the riekling barrel and a fish barrel to the north of the tents, beside a cart without wheels filled with empty wine bottles. There are numerous clams and a few pearl oysters along the shore near the camp, while the cave entrance is to the northeast of the tents.
 
Bristleback Cave
right|thumb|Intruding reaversThe cave system has a large number of bowls, plates, cups, goblets, jugs, and other crockery, as well as huge amounts of clutter throughout. The entrance leads directly into an icy tunnel, with two dead reavers in the middle of the tunnel ahead by a T-junction, where one tunnel continues to the north, and a second tunnel branches to the west. To the right is a riekling barrel that will burst open to reveal a riekling as you approach, scattering a few items in the area. Behind the reavers on the ground is an apothecary's satchel, and nearby is an iron dagger, three blue mountain flowers, a butterfly wing, an empty petty soul gem, and a chitin plate.

The tunnel to the west rises to a cart in the middle of the tunnel, with a rock surrounded by fencing and a mounted goat's head lying against the rock. The tunnel turns to the south and continues to rise. At the top, it opens into a rounded rock chamber, with a pile of firewood and two loose firewood pieces to the left. To the right are a couple ledges holding nothing of interest. High up the wall opposite is a balcony that will serve as a shortcut exit from the end of the cave system.

left|thumb|Riekling campThe tunnel descending to the north has a riekling wandering around on the left; once it is attacked, it will alert a second riekling. On the left in a small spur off the main tunnel is a small encampment, with a patch of planking on the ground. A riekling will burst from a snow bank ahead along the main tunnel as you near the planking. There is a riekling barrel in front of you to the right of the tent in the encampment which will burst open as you approach, spreading items all over this area, and making it impossible to specify exactly where items started or where they will be found. In this area is a barrel on its side with a cooking stand to the right holding a drum, and a mead barrel farther to the right. Behind these items is a large rock, on top of which is a potion of minor healing in a kettle. There is an ice pillar in the middle of the camp. In the northwest corner is a tent with a campfire in front of it. To the right of the tent is an open chest with a potion of minor healing inside. There are various crates and a barrel in the camp, with the following items found in and around them: three bottles of skooma, three pieces of chitin plate, a pair of leather boots, a random potion, four potatoes, a leather strip, and three bulbs of garlic.

Farther along the main tunnel where the riekling burst from the snow, by rocks jutting from the ice, are two further barrels with a goat horn on a stand lighting the area. Leaning against the stand is an iron war axe. Beside this is an open box containing a piece of burnt spriggan wood. The tunnel continues, then narrows ahead and descends to the north. At the bottom, you can see several rieklings running around, and various items strewn everywhere.

At the bottom of the ramp, you are faced with a camp of rieklings; eight will attack as soon as you are spotted or initiate the fight. At the mouth of the narrow part of the tunnel, two boar tusks are on the ground. In front of you is an overturned cart, with a leg of goat on top and three cabbages underneath. Moving forward, on your right is an empty tent, with two unusable barrels to the right and an empty open box on a rock behind the barrels. The path then bears to the northwest around an ice pillar and a large rock in the middle of the tunnel. To the left is another empty tent. On top of the large rock are two sacks, a practice dummy on its side, and an empty common soul gem on top among clutter that has been arranged into some kind of idol or sculpture. To the west of the large rock is another short spur with a campfire surrounded by more barrels, a crate with a chitin plate on top, and an open chest containing three bowls, with a boar tusk on the ground to the left of the chest, and a riekling hut in the back with fencing on either side.

left|thumb|Another campThe tunnel turns to the east, with another spur to the north with two tents, one on the immediate left, and one at the back of the spur. There are four goblets on the ground at this junction. Inside the tent on the left is a bucket containing a piece of orichalcum ore and a leather strip. To the right is more fencing, with a bowl upside down on one of the spears. There is a campfire in front of the second tent, and on the left is an unlocked chest with a barrel behind. There is a leg of goat by the fire. To the right of the tent is an ingredient barrel, with a leveled potion of lockpicking and an elixir of strength on top. On the ground is a bowl containing a piece of boar meat, with a sheaf of wheat, a boar tusk, a chitin plate, and a random defender potion next to it. To the right of the ingredient barrel is an open chest holding a roll of carpet and two bowls, one of which contains another random defender potion. To the right of the chestis an open box containing a goblet, a potion of lasting potency, a random potion, and an elixir of health.

right|thumb|DefendersJust past the junction to the east is a bowl on the ground. You can see large rocks and several ice pillars on either side ahead, a tent followed by fencing on the left, and another tent in the distance in front. There are a couple rieklings running around, and sniping one of them will cause five more to attack you; however, you have time to take them all out with a bow or ranged magic from just past the junction due to the distance they have to run to reach you. As you move forward, a riekling will burst from a barrel to the left of the first tent on the left, scattering two bowls, a piece of boar meat, and three boar tusks around the area.

You will pass an unusable barrel and a crate on the right. At the next pillar, the tunnel opens into a large open space, with more large rocks and tents in view separated by ice pillars and formations. Continuing ahead to the tent seen from the previous junction, you pass two unusable barrels and a crate in a gap between two bits of fencing on your left, with a set of large antlers in front of them. There is an open box containing a bottle of wine by the next bit of fencing on the left. Along the left wall beyond the box is a tent set back slightly so it couldn't be seen from the other end of the path, containing a flute and an unlocked strongbox on a block of wood. In front of the tent is a bucket containing two pieces of clam meat and a small pearl. There is a campfire between this tent and the other tent. To the right of the first tent are three unusable barrels and a crate, with a large piece of charcoal, a knife, and a fork on top of one of the barrels. To the right is an open box containing an elixir of regeneration, a random healing potion, and an elixir of lockpicking. To the right of the box is an open chest, a food barrel, and a master-locked chest. This is followed by fencing along the side of the tent seen from the other end of the tunnel, which contains a deer pelt.

left|thumb|Wagon wheel campThe next area is to the southwest. As you approach, there are two barrels on your left by a large rock, one of which will burst open to reveal a riekling. The barrels are somewhat hidden among vegetation. Around the next ice formation and rock to the right is a riekling hut next to a crate and two open boxes. In the first open box is a random paralysis poison, a Skirmisher's elixir, and a draught of illusion. In the second box are three random poisons. A horker tusk is on top of the crate. In front of the hut is a campfire. Farther around to the right past more fencing is another tent containing an open box with a rock warbler egg inside. In front of this tent are two ash yams. There is a large rock in the middle of this area, with a large caravan wagon wheel on top along with a goblet and a mounted horker head. Following the ice pillar and rocks on your left to the east is a stretch of fencing with a barrel behind, past which is a tunnel heading down to the east. Opposite on the other side of the tunnel is more fencing, with two more barrels behind. To the right of this fencing is an open chest, in front of which is a chitin plate. To the right of the chest is another empty tent, with fencing to the right.

right|thumb|Surprise attackFollowing the narrow tunnel to the east, as the tunnel widens, two rieklings simultaneously burst from snow banks on either side. On the left is a large rock with a sack, a gourd, and a wooden bowl containing a green apple on top. As the tunnel turns to the north, on your right is a large rock, a crate, and an unusable barrel, and an ingredient barrel, all lit by a goat horn on a stand. In front of the crate and barrels on the ground is a horker tusk and a potion of resist element. You can see several rieklings running around in front of you as you turn the corner to the north, with an ice pillar ahead on the left. You can also see two tents ahead. Sniping one of the rieklings will cause two or three more to attack. As you move forward, you will pass some fencing on your right. At the end of the fencing is a tunnel branching off to the east that quickly turns and descends to the south. There is a riekling patrolling up and down this tunnel, who might attack with the others if it is near the top of the tunnel when you attack the first. Opposite the tunnel entrance to the west is a riekling hut, with a riekling barrel that will burst open to reveal a riekling to the right of the hut next to a tent. Four barrels are to the left of the hut, and in the middle is a crate with a sample of hawk feathers and an open box on top. The open box contains a drum and a flute. There is a rock and fencing to the right of the hut, and a lit goat horn on a stand to the right of this. Two barrels near the now destroyed riekling barrel are to the right of the horn, one of which has a horse hide on top. Farther to the right between two empty tents is an open chest full of empty wine bottles. A crate and a large rock are to the right of the second tent, and fencing begins after this along the wall to the tunnel to the east.

At the top of the eastern tunnel is another lit goat horn on a stand, surrounded by an unusable barrel, a pair of boots, a chitin plate, and a set of small antlers, all on the ground. At the bottom of the tunnel are three more rieklings running around another small campsite. On your left is a tent, with fencing on either side, and a pile of four riekling spears in front. Around to the right of an ice formation and a rock is an open chest containing two random stamina potions, a random poison, and a bottle of Honningbrew mead. To the right of the chest are two badly stacked crates and three barrels, with an expert-locked East Empire Company strongbox on top of one of the barrels. To the right of the strongbox is an open box containing a copy of ''Ahzidal's Descent'' in front of another open chest. To the right again are two more barrels.

left|thumb|Hidden treasurePassing a small rock and more fencing to the right, you come to a riekling hut, with an open chest containing three goblets and more empty wine bottles to the left of the hut. In front of the hut is a flat rock formation, with a neat stack of three baskets hiding an unlocked strongbox underneath. Beside the strongbox on the flat rock is a bucket containing a gourd, a basket holding two eidar cheese wheels, a sliced eidar cheese, two chitin plates, two pieces of firewood, and a cabbage. Next to the flat rock is a campfire, with two fillets of horker meat warming beside it. To the right of the hut is a crate and some fencing. At the end of the fencing is another tent containing two crates. Farther along to the right, the tunnel descends again to the west.

At the bottom of the tunnel is a platter, a bowl, a goblet, a jug, and a candlestick. As you approach these items, a riekling will burst from the snow in front of you. Just after the riekling, there is a second candlestick on the ground, and the tunnel narrows and turns sharply to the north. A riekling then bursts from a barrel in front of you, next to which is a crate with a random health potion on top. The tunnel immediately turns again to the east, back to the north, and then to the west again. Where the tunnel turns to the west, there is an open box containing only empty wine bottles.

The tunnel descends again to the west, with three loose riekling spears and a piece of iron ore next to a small rock on the right. There is a brightly lit area ahead on the right, and you may see a riekling running from the right away up the tunnel to the west. Just before the brightly lit area is a metal bowl on your left containing a bottle of wine. The tunnel then bears to the west and rises quite steeply. At the corner, on the left is a crate holding a rabbit, a bulb of garlic, and a blue mountain flower, with a thistle branch and two sheaves of wheat on the ground nearby. On the right to the north is a tent with a campfire inside which is creating the light. In front of the tent are four soul gem fragments, a bottle of skooma (see bugs), and a chitin plate. To the left of the tent is a barrel and a crate. On the barrel are three more bottles of skooma. To the right of the tent is an unusable barrel and an open chest containing four empty wine bottles and seven more soul gem fragments.

At the top of the tunnel to the west is a large rock on your left with an animal skull and a chitin plate on top. In front of you is a hut with a riekling standing to the right; as you advance, two more rieklings will burst from the snow in front of you, and a third will emerge behind you. There are two huts here: one on your right, and the other in front. There is a pile of three loose spears in front of the huts. To the right of the right-hand hut is an unusable barrel, while to the left is a large stack of crates with an iron helmet on top. More crates are to the right of the other hut, and a deer pelt is on the ground in front of it. The tunnel now turns to the south.

left|thumb|Main camp, part IThe tunnel turns to the east by a large rock, with an oar on top and a deer pelt beside it. Ahead is the start of a large chamber, with some fencing at the edge of a ledge. When you reach the fencing, you will be on the ledge overlooking a camp, with the path following the walls of the chamber down to the left. To the south in the distance is a bridge over a chasm, with several rieklings running around, while behind the bridge is a lookout platform, with several fences and tents beyond. Sniping the first riekling will cause four more to search for and attack you, including a mounted riekling. As you turn north to descend from the ledge, just after a gap in the fence to the right is a basket containing a set of small antlers, an open chest on its side containing a chicken's egg and some clutter, and a deer pelt on the ground. The path follows the cavern wall around and descends to the east.

At the bottom is a pile of crates and an open chest with two bottles of skooma, three candlesticks, three boar tusks, a random potion of stamina, and a drum in and around them. To the right is a fence beside another two tents, with two pieces of firewood behind the fence, and a stack of crates and a campfire in front. In the first tent are two candlesticks. Between the tents is a pile of firewood, and in the second tent are only empty wine bottles. Another fence is to the right of the tents, with an open chest and a crate in front. On and near the crate are two boar tusks, a piece of boar meat, a random potion of vigor, a random potion of magicka, a candlestick, and a chitin plate.

right|thumb|Main Camp, part IITo the south, on the near side of the chasm are some crates stacked together, among which is an empty petty soul gem, two bottles of wine, two bottles of alto wine, and an empty lesser soul gem. Directly below the crates, on a small ledge along the wall of the chasm, is an unlootable skeleton half buried in the snow with an enchanted Nordic dagger. Between the bridge and the crates is a pickaxe on the ground.

Across the bridge is the main riekling camp, so expect a tough fight. Initiating the fight via bow or ranged magic allows you to meet the charging rieklings and mounted rieklings on the bridge, meaning they can only face you a couple at a time, allowing you to thin their numbers before they reach you and making the fight far easier to handle. You'll be faced by about nine rieklings, two of which are mounted, and most are leveled. There are also four additional bristlebacks in two open pens just over the bridge, with two to the right, and two on the left in the distance at the rear of the chamber. 

After you cross the bridge, on your left is a tall lookout platform where one of the rieklings was standing, beside which is a tent containing some crockery. To the left of the bristleback pen to the west is a second tall lookout platform, and behind this platform is an icy ramp leading up to the southwest and the shortcut to the exit. There are three large ice pillars in the middle of the chamber. Behind the first pillar and to the left of the second platform is a riekling hut. On the ground to the right of the hut are two boar tusks and several empty wine bottles. Around the back of the hut are piles of barrels and crates as well as two chests. One chest is unlocked and contains loot, and the other is open and contains more empty wine bottles. Among the crates and barrels are two fillets of horker meat, two bottles of ale, and a horker tusk. To the left of the hut is the second open bristleback pen, and to the left of this pen is an iron dagger on the ground. In the southeast corner of the chamber is a tunnel heading down to the east.

left|thumb|The chasmDown the tunnel to the east, at the bottom the tunnel turns to the north, with a rock on your right with a horse hide on top. On your left after the turn is a riekling hut, with a pile of crates and an unlocked chest to the left of the hut. There is also a chitin plate, two goblets, and a plate on the ground. Among the crates is a bucket containing an iron helmet. Past the hut, the tunnel descends again. At the bottom is a rock with a crate beside it. The tunnel turns again to the west, and exits into the chasm spanned by the bridge above in the large chamber. Along the chasm is a candlestick and various pieces of crockery, and at the end is a master-locked chest.


Returning to the main level of the chamber and climbing the ice ramp behind the lookout platform to the southwest, you will reach a ledge running to the east along the cavern wall, with a small platform built out from the side of the ledge behind the hut. Before the start of this ledge on the right is a wide tunnel heading southwest. At the start of the tunnel, on the right is a cart holding a lute, a drum, and a fishing rod, while on the ground next to the cart is another drum, a piece of firewood, and a crate. On the other side of the tunnel is a pair of fine boots and a large piece of charcoal on top of a block of wood. The tunnel bears to the south and rises a long way. Where the tunnel turns to the east and continues to climb, a riekling hut is in the corner. In front of the hut, against the west wall of the tunnel is a crate holding a chitin plate, a bowl containing a sprig of snowberries, and an open box containing a bottle of alto wine and an empty petty soul gem on a small holder. In front of the crate on the ground is a stalk of wheat. There is a pile of crates with a cow hide on top to the left of the hut, and an unlocked boss chest in front of the crates. Farther up the tunnel to the east, a leather strip is on the ground. At the top after another long climb, the tunnel turns to the north and then to the west. In the corner to the north is a large rock, with a caravan wagon wheel on top, and two barrels and a crate beside it. At the next corner, the tunnel turns to the north again, with a rock in the corner with an oar on top, and a deer pelt on the ground beside a crate. At the end of this tunnel, you reach a balcony overlooking the rounded rock chamber with a pile of firewood found very early in the cave system, providing a quick shortcut to the exit.right|thumb|Dead man's treasure

Bugs