Quests ( Skyrim ) Quests are tasks the Dragonborn can perform in . Various actions , such as talking to people , reading books , etc . , can initiate quests , allowing for rewards to be gained by completing them . Rewards may include gold , items , increases of skill levels . Successfully completing a quest for a person makes them friendly to the Dragonborn , opening opportunities in many cases to recruit followers or make marriage proposals . The " main quest " denotes tasks the Dragonborn is compelled to complete as part of the game ' s main story . Other quests can be performed for a guild or faction , while others are considered side quests , which skirt on the periphery of the game ' s plotlines . Not all the quests are visible in the Journal ; some of them , such as selling crops or chopping wood , are hidden . As with most of titles , there are quests for each of the Daedric Princes of Tamriel , excluding Jyggalag . Unique to " Skyrim " are Radiant Quests , quests which are initiated as part of the radiant story artificial intelligence system . These quests can be repeated an infinite number of times , allowing for never - ending gameplay . These quests can be useful for leveling up faster and / or getting gold or loot . Two separate questlines were added to the game with the official plug - ins , and . For coverage of these quests , see Quests ( Dawnguard ) and Quests ( Dragonborn ) . Interface . The interface listing all quests can be activated through the map menu or by accessing the Journal directly . The PC versions of the game allow the journal ( pressing " J " ) to be accessed directly , while consoles open the journal , game settings , etc . through the same button . Quests are listed by faction and relevance to the main quest first , and alphabetically second . Thus , quests in the main quest appear first , but quests involving the Thieves Guild appear later . Miscellaneous quests are grouped together on a separate menu , accessible from the very bottom of the list of quests . Most quests can be completed in any order , upon activation . However , quests markers will not appear on the world map , on the compass , or in - game unless they are marked as active in the interface . Simply selecting the affirmation button activates the quests , once it has been highlighted in the list . Completed lists are listed at the bottom of the quest menu , below a divider . The names are greyed out , and the bullets next to the objectives are filled , indicating successful completion , or marked with a red cross , indicating failure . Some quests are mutually exclusive ( e . g . , the Dragonborn cannot join the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks at the same time ) , so failure is not uncommon . In the menu , quests that are partially completed also have their objectives greyed out or ticked off . Optional tasks within the quest are labeled as such in the list as well . Main quest . The main quest of involves the investigation and resolution of the Dragon Crisis , as foretold by the Elder Scrolls . Two factions must be joined in order to progress the main quest , the Blades and the College of Winterhold . " Paarthurnax " is completely optional and can be completed after the main quest . " Season Unending " operates under special conditions ; completing it halts the Civil War questline , while completing the Civil War questline causes this quest not to appear , since it is no longer necessary . Faction quests . Quests performed for the various factions are not considered part of the main questline . Choices made during faction quests are non - canon ical , lore - wise . Each faction contains several Radiant Quests which can be completed an innumerable amount of times . College of Winterhold . Radiant quests . " Given by Urag gro - Shub " " Given by Tolfdir " " Given by Sergius Turrianus " Civil War quests . The brewing Civil War in Skyrim is between two main factions , the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks . Both sides have the same tasks , with plenty of individuals throughout the region relaying the deeds of both sides . Minor factions , especially in Whiterun between the Battle - Born and Grey - Mane families , exist throughout the empire . Siding with either side impacts gameplay . Daedric quests . To earn Oblivion Walker 15 Daedric artifacts must be collected . These can be collected during the above quests , although some outcomes of the quest do not yield artifacts . This is based solely on choices made during quests . Dungeon quests . The following 24 quests relate to specific dungeon s and maps . Quests listed with " * " appear as Miscellaneous Quests in the Quest Journal , and are named according to the Official Skyrim Game Guide . Miscellaneous quests . Sorted by place of acquisition : hold , city , or place . Some are actual Side quests and have their own quest lines which count towards the " Sideways " achievement . Others are miscellaneous objective and count toward the " Hero of the People " trophy and achievement . Bounty Quests . These can be given by innkeepers when asked about work or rumors . Any of the Jarl s or steward s can give these when asked for work . The Bounty Note identifies the type and location of the bounty .