Cyrodiil/Serpent's Trail

thumb|left|The Cyrodiil entrance
The cave straddles the border between Cyrodiil and Skyrim, allowing passage under the mountains between the two provinces. What appears to be a ruined Imperial fort occupies a large portion of the cave, which has become the haunt of smugglers moving illicit goods including skooma, bootleg and Dwemer artefacts. 

On the Skyrim side, you will come across the entrance while making your way to the Pale Pass; Mirich Ran will also mark it on your map, for a price. The Cyrodiil entrance is to the south of Snowstone Rest, to the west of the road.

It contains three zones: ''Serpent's Trail, Old Checkpoint and Ruined Storage Building''.
 
Related Quests



Notes
The Serpent's Trail also appeared in Oblivion.
There are four sets of unique containers in this dungeon, all called "Smuggled Goods":
A small drugs sack containing up to 6 portions of moon sugar (6@75%)
A large bootleg sack containing 1 bottle of   and 2 bottles of  
A drugs barrel containing up to 4 bottles of skooma (4@75%) and up to 5 portions of moon sugar (5@75%)
A Dwemer barrel containing a random Dwarven weapon (including arrows) and up to 7 pieces of Dwemer clutter and scrap metal including cups, bowls, levers, cogs and centurion dynamo cores (2@75% and 5@25%) 
This cave contains 14 snowberry plants and two  .

Walkthrough
Serpent's Trail
After negotiating a tripwire battering ram, the first room you arrive in is on three levels. The upper hosts a number of smuggled Dwemer artefacts; two smugglers are guarding the middle level, which also contains a fair amount of gold, a strongbox and a barrel of smuggled skooma and moon sugar. On the lower level is the door to the Old Checkpoint. Press on and after dispatching another smuggler you will come at a three way intersection. Heading leads you to a small area with a smuggler, overlooking the main cavern and fort. Unfortunately you are unable to snipe down due to a metal grate.

thumb|right|The goblin pantry
Both the north and southwestern passages take you to the same area, so head up the former to gather up more loot. The first two rooms are ruined storage areas, with only some Imperial light boots, an Imperial sword, a warhorn, a Potion of Minor Healing and chest. You then arrive in what was the barracks of the old fort: various Imperial weapons and shields, as well as light and heavy armor are strewn across ruined beds. In particular, you will find an Imperial Officer's Helmet and a pair of Imperial Boots of Strength. Make sure you don't miss the coin purse behind the northeastern bed and the coin purse and Potion of Minor Stamina behind the upturned bedside table. Before pressing on, head up the snow clogged western tunnel to gather up some more gold.

There's something not quite right in the next room: two smugglers lay sprawled in the snow, surrounded by blood. The answer lies down the southwestern passage:  . Two are found around a bonfire in the first room, a trashed kitchen and pantry now replete with animal carcasses and bones. Their warlord leader is in the next room. On a shelf and counter, you will find the Smithing    , a Scroll of Rally and a Scroll of Force Rune, a number of health and stamina potions and two gold purses. Behind a master lock cell door lie a boss chest, five random potions, some gold and a Grand Staff of Charming.

Head back to the previous room and climb up the ladder to loot an Imperial bow, a few steel arrows and two Philters of True Shot. Climb down and head southwest, picking up the worn Akaviri katana from a nearby skeleton. The next room contains a smuggler, a barrel of Dwemer contraband, a strongbox and a few bottles of Applewatch cider and Greenwood mead. Both northern tunnels lead to a small room with a shrine to Arkay and a number of coffins. In one of the open ones is a dead hunter with an enchanted bow. Atop another, in a crate, are two coin purses, a gold necklace, two silver rings, a  , a silver sapphire necklace and a gold emerald ring.

Head back and tack east, down a tunnel hewn through the ice, to a room containing three smugglers. One guards the wooden palisade tower just to your left upon entering; the other two occupy the ledge up ahead, which also hosts a cooking pot. Before you head down the stairs, make sure you check the storage area below, which holds three smuggler barrels (two drugs, one Dwemer) and an Alessian battleaxe, as well as the ledge round the corner from the cooking pot, where you'll find three poisons. At the bottom of the stairs are two more smuggling barrels (one drugs, one Dwemer) and a statue of Dibella.

thumb|right|The smuggler leader's base

You have now arrived at the large fort you caught a glimpse of earlier. Specifically you appear to be on the target practice side of the cavern, complete with straw targets and bottles on fences, and with two hidden coin purses in the far northern corner. From here you can snipe at the five smugglers in guarding the lower palisade of the fort. The lower level of the fort hosts three tents with beds and bedrolls, a cooking spit and a workbench. Heading up towards the stone tower, you can either climb up or head into the Ruined Storage Building. Atop the tower is the smuggler leader's hideout. Alongside another smuggler, he guards an area containing a bed, a boss chest, a shrine to Zenithar, a gold ruby necklace, a silver jeweled necklace, the Heavy Armor skill book  , a copy of Nerevar at Red Mountain, a pair of Dwarven boots, three Dwarven ingots, a Philter of Glibness and two coin purses.

Head back to the previous room and now take the southern tunnel. Immediately on your right is a small room with a smuggler, four cots, a chest, a coin purse and two scrolls of candlelight. In the next room are two smugglers guarding two smuggler barrels (one drugs, one Dwemer) as well as a silver necklace and a Cure Poison potion. Press on and avoid the tripwire swinging mace - just to its right is a small room with an apprentice lock chest. From here, it's plain sailing: make your way up and down a series of wooden planks to reach the door leading to Cyrodiil. Just before the final turn to the exit is a small, empty tunnel. During   you will find  's body here.

Old Checkpoint
This zone is a small, trashed room with little loot: a strongbox, a copy of  , an iron dagger,an iron mace and a Resist Frost potion recipe. There is a cell with two cots with an adept locked gate; the key is hanging on the wall nearby.

Ruined Storage Building
As the name suggests, there are a number of forgotten items in this storage room. In the eastern corner is a smuggler's sack containing bootleg, the northern corner hosts a chest and two barrels (Dwemer artefacts and drugs) while in the southern corner lies an adept locked chest. The cart in the middle of the room holds a pair of Dwarven gauntlets and two bottles of Shadowbanish wine; nearby is another bootleg sack. The ladder leads back out and places you just below the leader's quarter, which you can reach by jumping up.

Maps
thumb|left|400px|Serpent's Trail