The Temple of Miraak The Temple of Miraak is the second quest in the main storyline of the add - on , . Walkthrough . The Skaal Shaman . The quest begins at the Temple of Miraak . On the way , the power of Miraak becomes apparent as the skeletal remains of many dragons can be seen scattered around the outskirts of the temple . In addition , several enthralled people under Miraak ' s spell can be found around the exterior , rebuilding the temple . This quest can effectively be started without completing the quest " Dragonborn . " This is done by releasing the Skaal from their work at the Stone closest to their village , and then talking to Storn Crag - Strider . He will direct the Dragonborn to find his daughter , Frea . Upon reaching the temple grounds , a Skaal woman named Frea will be trying , unsuccessfully , to free her spellbound kin . She explains her ability to resist Miraak ' s influence lies in an amulet that she carved for herself . She will also mention that her father , the Skaal shaman is protecting the remaining Skaal in their village with a magical barrier : During the conversation , two Cultist s will attack . Once they are dealt with , the quest continues by following Frea down the long winding ramp into the temple . Dragur Deathlords And Death Overlords can spawn here , even at a low level . The Temple of Miraak . Upon entering the temple , she will mention to look in the nearby rooms for anything useful . There are four rooms , two on either side of the passage . The first room to the left ( west ) has a bowl in an alcove of the south wall that contains several gems . The second room on the left contains leveled potions and a chest . At the north end of the corridor , the corridor turns left to a doorway that leads to a room with a pressure plate on the ground that will release poison darts . Two cultists will emerge at this point , and there are crypts on either side that each contain a draugr . After they are defeated , the path continues down the stairs to the west and into a smaller room . Frea warns to be careful as traps can be anywhere . She also reveals some more information about Miraak : " " Miraak was trying to take power here , and protect himself in the process . " " The path continues north to a small passage with two pressure plates on the floor . At the north end , a set of stairs goes down to the left ( west ) and leads to a large closed gate with a pull chain to the right that opens it . There is now a large chamber with several cages hanging from the center of the chamber . Frea walks over to the guardrail and remarks : " " I do not wish to imagine the kinds of things that happened in this chamber . Who were these poor souls trapped in these cages ? What tortures did they suffer at Miraak ' s hands ? Was it in service to the dragons , or for his own purposes ? " " She then notices a higher balcony area to the right and remarks that the stairs are knocked out , however she is confident the Dragonborn can find a way up . Proceeding south , then west , and then north around the pit in the center of the room , there are two sarcophagi that will burst open . Once the draugr that emerge are defeated , there is a large diagonal beam that leads to the roof . It is possible to jump on top of the beam from the northwest corner of the room ( past the sarcophagi and underneath the beam itself ) . At that point it is possible to walk up it , then jump off the left to reach the upper balcony area Frea mentioned . Up here is a throne overlooking the chamber and a chest with leveled loot . Heading downstairs into the pit , more cultists will appear . The one passageway leads to a gate that can be opened by activating the handle on the left . Beyond the gate , the passageway leads generally northeast , to more crypts and sleeping draugr . Eventually the tunnels lead to a swinging spike door trap . Here , the draugr will likely converge and attack , activating the trap themselves and causing some self - inflicted damage . At the same time , a battering ram may fall causing additional damage . Both the upper ( right ) and lower ( left ) paths eventually lead to a pair of double doors ( a chest is in the upper path ) . Just before the doors , the floor has a pressure plate that causes jets of fire to erupt from the side . Beyond this pair of doors are several swinging pendulum axe blades . Frea comments that if would be foolish for her to try and make it past , so elects to wait . It is possible to pass through the three sets of blades using Whirlwind Sprint , Become Ethereal , or else just dodging past them , until a lever is reached . Activating the lever to the right of the gate will open it and deactivate the swinging axe blades . Frea will now follow and thank the Dragonborn , saying that she hopes this is the last of the traps . There are pieces of what appears to have been a Dragon Claw door on the floor . Continuing down the passageway to the west , it turns south to another pair of doors . Beyond the doors and to the left , just past the rubble , is a chain that opens a secret door which leads to a room with a chest and multiple soul gems , several possibly black . Back in the main passageway , a window with an iron grating can be seen ahead . To the right ( west ) is a closed iron gate . The path continues on to the left ( south ) , then east , and eventually arrives at a handle that was visible through the grate before . Activating the handle will raise the iron gate beyond . A wooden bridge beyond the gate will fall and create a ramp leading down . Immediately at the end of the ramp is a pressure plate that triggers a poison dart trap . Upon entering this area , three more bridges on the far side of the chamber will fall , unmasking two draugr and a boss level Cultist . After they are defeated , the double doors can be used to enter the Temple of Miraak Sanctum . Temple of Miraak Sanctum . Upon entering the sanctum , Frea comments " " I do not know what it is Miraak learned that gave him reason to turn on his masters . But his path seems to have been a cruel one . I wonder if we will find some answers to what happened so long ago . " " The long caged corridor to the west has six skeletons lurking at the end . The passageway turns left , where some draugr will emerge from their sarcophagi , as well as two battering rams . Proceeding further , the path leads to a broken caged - in path , then turns left ( east ) . Frea notices a caved in floor section and mentions there might be something of note down there . Down the crevice , a tunnel leads right ( south ) , up some stairs , then turns right ( west ) . To the right ( north ) of this path is a small room containing two spell tomes , specifically Reanimate Corpse and Magelight , multiple soul gems , and some potions . The tunnel dead ends just a bit farther on . Back at the tunnel entrance , the path leads under the caged corridor from earlier . There are two more cultists here . Across the upper pathway on the right ( against the east wall ) , the path turns west , where stairs lead deeper into the ruin . Frea comments : " " How much deeper can this be ? I have been told that Miraak ' s power was great , but to have built so large a temple . . . It cannot be much farther now . I feel it in my bones . " " The path leads to a smaller room lined with sarcophagi and the skeleton of a dragon hanging from the ceiling as a trophy . There is also a Word Wall here containing a Word of Power for Dragon Aspect . Frea comments : " " I had heard Miraak has turned against the Dragon Cult , but to display the remains in such a manner as this . . . It is no wonder the dragons razed his temple to the ground . Seeing the remains hung up like trophies must have enraged them to no end . " " Reading the word wall will awaken the draugr resting in the sarcophagi . One particular draugr , called the Gatekeeper , holds a key that will unlock the iron door that lies inside his sarcophagus . Once they have been defeated , opening the door leads into a meeting room of sorts with several long dead occupants still seated . The next set of doors to the west leads to a dining area . A passageway in the northwest corner of the room leads to a kitchen area . There are several potions and ingredients . Upon entering , Frea will exclaim that this looks like a dead end , but that there must be something else , so she exhorts everyone to keep looking . In the southeast corner of the room is an Alchemy Lab and a small tunnel that leads to a handle . Activating the handle will open the secret passage in the dining area . Frea will announce that the secret passage has been found . The secret passage leads south through a tunnel to reach a circular room . Frea walks over to a ruined book and remarks : " " I wonder if there is something here that tells the story of Miraak . . . " " she then walks into a side room decorated with three Lurker busts and remarks : " " I do not recognize this statuary . We passed a few of them earlier , but they are becoming more frequent as we get further in . I do not like this place . It almost looks as if these statues will come to life at any moment . " " she then notices the handle in front of the heads and remarks : " " I ' ll leave the honor of pulling that handle to you . I do not want to put my hand anywhere near the mouth of that statue . " " Activating the handle opens the gate on the floor in the same room . Down the spiral staircase , across ( east ) to another wooden spiral staircase , and past some more odd statuary is another handle that activates a hidden stairwell . A spiral staircase leads down to a wooden door . Through the wooden door is a large chamber with several traditional Nordic archways and more unfamiliar Lurker statuary . Multiple draugr and skeletons are defending the place , and there are tripwire - rigged falling boulders . Eventually , a large statue of a crab - like creature is reached , under which a boss level chest is found . A chain located behind the statue at the end of the chamber can be pulled , which opens another hidden door . The tunnels can be followed to reach a circular room unlike anything else that has been encountered before . The Black Book " " is sitting on a pedestal and Frea comments : " " This book . . . it seems wrong , somehow . Here , yet . . . not . It may be what we seek . " " Black Book : Waking Dreams . Reading the book causes a tentacle to appear and ensnare the Dragonborn , transporting them to Hermaeus Mora ' s realm , Apocrypha . Upon arrival , the Dragonborn is forced onto their knees and confronted by Miraak , who remarks : " " Who are you to dare set foot here ? Ahh . . . You are Dragonborn . I can feel it . And yet . . . " " Next he will comment about the Dragonborn ' s prowess against dragons , however his statement depends on how many dragons the Dragonborn has slain prior to the quest : After one of these statements , he demonstrates all three words of the Dragon Aspect shout : " " You have no idea of the true power a Dragonborn can wield ! Mul . . . Qah Div ! This realm is beyond you . You have no power here . And it is only a matter of time before Solstheim is also mine . I already control the minds of its people . Soon they will finish building my temple , and I can return home . " " He then instructs two Seeker s under his command to send the Dragonborn back to Solstheim , and proceeds to ride away on his dragon , Sahrotaar , saying , " " Send him / her back where he / she came from . He / She can await my arrival with the rest of Tamriel . " " The Seekers continually cast waves of magic over the Dragonborn until the screen fades and they are transported back to the temple . Frea then suggests that they head to the Skaal Village and speak with her father and village shaman , Storn Crag - Strider . After this the quest is complete , the next quest , " The Fate of the Skaal , " begins .