Skyrim:Dragon Priest

Dragon Priests were once the loyal servants of the ancient dragons of Skyrim. They ruled over countless armies of men in their gods' names. They are now found residing in coffins throughout areas of prominent dragon worship. If their sleep is disturbed, the Dragon Priest will burst out of its coffin with considerable force and prepare to destroy whomsoever intruded upon their resting place. 

In combat, Dragon Priests are incredibly dangerous and can kill even high-level players quite quickly. They will constantly backpedal at a high speed, making it difficult to land any melee strikes until the Dragon Priest is driven into a corner. While moving, they will attack with various staves and destructive spells, making for an effective opponent both offensively and defensively.

Dragon Priests are at the high end of the leveled list of possible draugr-type spawns (see effects of leveling for a description of how creatures are generated according to the player-character's level). Because of this, other radiant named bosses, such as Curalmil and Red Eagle, may also appear as Dragon Priests if at a high enough level. These enemies will not carry an enchanted mask, however.

When one is close enough to a Dragon Priest sarcophagus, it will burst open forcefully. All random Dragon Priests' sarcophagi are horizontal, so that the lid bursts vertically. When a Dragon Priest is killed, it falls to the ground and almost immediately turns into a pile of ash. The clothing remains intact and is still searchable for loot.
  
Abilities



 
Konahrik
thumb|left|Spectral Dragon Priest summoned by Konahrik
The mask Konahrik, which can only be acquired after recovering the other 9 Dragon Priest masks (8 named masks plus the Wooden Mask) from the base game, has the ability to summon a spectral Dragon Priest that will fight for you for 60 seconds.
 

Named Dragon Priests
 
There are eight named Dragon Priest bosses in the province of Skyrim, each of which wear an eponymous mask with a powerful effect. Each of the eight is challenging in their own way and has access to powerful spells, staves, and certain dragon shouts. Some, but not all, of these Dragon Priests are associated with particular quests. The Dragonborn expansion adds five new named Dragon Priests, four of which carry unique enchanted masks (the exception being Vahlok the Jailor).

In Skyrim
 
Hevnoraak
thumb|Hevnoraak attacking|left thumb|The mask of Hevnoraak|right Hevnoraak is encountered in Valthume as the final boss in the Evil in Waiting quest. Hevnoraak is sealed away by Valdar, who uses all his power to keep the ancient evil at bay. 


For more information on the creature, see this article.  
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Krosis
thumb|Krosis in a magical blizzard|left thumb|The mask of Krosis|right Krosis is located at the clifftop dragon lair aptly named Shearpoint. The battle can be very challenging after completing Dragon Rising, as you will have to fight both Krosis and a leveled dragon. He is located just in front of the word wall that reveals every word of the Throw Voice dragon shout. 


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Morokei
thumb|Morokei wielding the Skyrim:Staff of Magnus|Staff of Magnus|left thumb|The mask of Morokei|right Morokei is encountered in the ancient ruins of Labyrinthian, which can only be accessed during the related quest. Morokei is a formidable opponent as he bears the Staff of Magnus. 


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Nahkriin
thumb|Nahkriin, moving away from the portal to Skyrim:Sovngarde (place)|Sovngarde|left thumb|The mask of Nahkriin|right Nahkriin is encountered guarding Alduin's portal to Sovngarde on the top of Skuldafn during the quest The World-Eater's Eyrie. He wields the staff needed for opening the portal.


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Otar the Mad
thumb|Otar the Mad defending his resting place|left thumb|The mask of Otar the Mad|right Otar the Mad is encountered in the Nordic ruin of Ragnvald, which is just north of Markarth, during the related quest. He is found guarding a word wall which reveals one word of the Kyne's Peace dragon shout. To access his sarcophagus, you must defeat his two keepers, Torsten and Saerek, each of whom have Skull Keys which are used to unblock Otar's sarcophagus.


For more information on the creature, see this article.  
For more information on the item, see this article.
 

Rahgot
thumb|Rahgot cloaked in flames|left thumb|The mask of Rahgot|right Rahgot is located in the southeastern ruin of Forelhost during the quest Siege on the Dragon Cult. He is partially protected by four common variants of leveled draugr.


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Vokun
thumb|Vokun with magic seeping out of his ancient robes|left thumb|The mask of Vokun|right Vokun is encountered in the Nordic ruins of High Gate Ruins, in the Pale, during the quest A Scroll For Anska. He is found guarding an ancient word wall for the Storm Call dragon shout. The battle is made slightly less challenging because Anska will fight him, even if the player doesn't.


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Volsung
thumb|Volsung standing before a Word Wall|left thumb|The mask of Volsung|right Volsung is found on the exterior peak of Volskygge, in northwestern Skyrim, during the related quest. He is found guarding a word wall which teaches one of the words for the Whirlwind Sprint dragon shout. It is possible to skip the entire dungeon of Volskygge and just ride up the mountain on a horse; however the quest directs otherwise.


For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

In Solstheim
Ahzidal
thumb|left|Ahzidal surrounded by his kills thumb|right|The mask carried by Ahzidal
Ahzidal is found entombed in Kolbjorn Barrow, which can only be accessed through the quest Unearthed. He is awoken and fed the souls of hired miners by the sublimely enthralled Ralis Sedarys. 

For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Dukaan
thumb|left|Dukaan wreathed in frost magic thumb|right|The mask carried by Dukaan
Dukaan is entombed within White Ridge Sanctum, guarding the ancient power of the Cyclone word wall. 

For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Miraak
thumb|left|Miraak in Apocrypha thumb|right|The mask carried by Miraak
Miraak is the primary antagonist in the Dragonborn expansion. He was a Dragon Priest when the dragons ruled Tamriel and sought to be free of them. He is mainly seen in Hermaeus Mora's daedric realm of Apocrypha. He is also Dragonborn, giving him the ability to devour the soul of a dragon and eliminate the chance of it ever returning. Technically, Miraak is an NPC rather than a Dragon Priest creature.

For more information on the NPC, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 

Vahlok the Jailor
thumb|left|Vahlok the Jailor preparing to attack
Vahlok the Jailor is encountered in Vahlok's Tomb during the quest Lost Legacy. He was tasked with watching the traitorous Miraak, after discovering Miraak's secret plot against their masters. Vahlok is the only named Dragon Priest who does not have an eponymous mask.

For more information, see this article.
 

Zahkriisos
thumb|left|Zahkriisos using his deadly spells thumb|right|The mask of Zahkriisos
Zahkriisos is encountered in Bloodskal Barrow, accessible from Raven Rock Mine, during the quest The Final Descent. He has the ability to summon Seekers from the daedric realm of Apocrypha, and excels in Destruction magic, particularly lightning-based spells. Having Resist Shock potions is highly recommended when battling Zahkriisos, as they will greatly reduce the damage inflicted by these spells.

For more information on the creature, see this article. 
For more information on the item of the same name, see this article.
 
 
 

Bromjunaar Sanctuary
thumb|The Mask pedestals inside the Sanctuary In the center of ground-level Labyrinthian lies a small weathered dome. Within is a weathered altar with pedestals for each of the eight Dragon Priest masks. Next to the altar is a wooden mask beside a skeleton. When it is equipped, and the player is inside the dome, the player will be transported back to a time when it was in its prime. When all eight of the unique Dragon Priest masks have been collected, the player can place them all on their respective pedestals. Doing this will reveal the ninth, most powerful, and final mask: Konahrik.

For more information, see the Bromjunaar Sanctuary article.

 

Notes
thumb|right|A dead Dragon Priest
Dragon Priests turn to ash upon death.
In terms of stats, Malkoran's Shade is considered to be a Dragon Priest.