Siege on the Dragon Cult Siege on the Dragon Cult is a quest available in . Captain Valmir wants the Dragonborn to retrieve a " powerful weapon " from Forelhost . Walkthrough . Captain Valmir . In Forelhost ' s courtyard , Captain Valmir has established a camp . If approached , he starts a conversation with the Dragonborn and asks for help with retrieving a mask from inside the tomb . The mask he is referring to is the dragon priest mask , Rahgot . He also asks to possibly find " Skorm Snow - Strider ' s journal " ( optional ) . The quest starts by following him to the entrance . ( If the Dragonborn has a bounty , Captain Valmir will attack . Once he ' s dead , take the key to Forelhost Stronghold from his corpse . ) Captain Valmir can be pickpocket ed or looted before entering to find " Valmir ' s Orders " ( they can also be collected at the end of the quest ) . They reveal that he is an impostor . The orders read : " " You will proceed to the ruins of Forelhost to retrieve the Mask from the Dragon Cult there . If you are discovered , impersonate an officer . It is unlikely that anyone from Skyrim will be clever enough to see through the disguise . Once you have obtained the Mask , bring it to Labyrinthian . " " Forelhost Stronghold . Inside the Stronghold , an iron door opens to a large room with a ghost and a dead Imperial next to a campfire . Soon a Dragon Cultist will appear , ready for battle . There is an exit on the other ( northwest ) side of the room that is protected by a swinging log trap . Through the exit , the path leads to a 4 - way intersection with the path to the left ( southwest ) blocked by an iron gate . Two more cultists are in this area . Turning right ( northeast ) , a set of stairs leads up to a right hand T intersection . Straight ahead through an open wooden door is a dead end with a novice locked chest . To the right ( southeast ) is another path with a swinging blade trap that begins to move . Between the two swinging blades is the corpse of a Stormcloak . Inside the next room there are two more cultists , and Skorm Snow - Strider ' s journal on a table . Reading the journal will give a hint of what happened here a long time ago . To the left of the table is an apprentice - locked chest . The doors on the left ( southwest ) lead to a large bedroom with two more cultists . In the southwest corner of the room , a path leads down a few steps , then turns left and goes through a door to a large area overlooking a room with another Dragon Cultist . To the left ( northeast ) , an arched stone bridge leads to a dead - end with an adept - locked chest . From the previous room , down the ramp is a smithy ( with a grindstone , anvil , and a workbench ) . There are also several ingots and ores lying about . A doorway to the southwest leads to a dining area with another cultist . Straight ahead , a small room has a bed upon which lies the corpse of a draugr with a leveled weapon . To the right ( northwest ) is a room with a ramp where two draugr , draugr scourges , or draugr deathlords are waiting in their coffins . After they are disposed of , the ramp up can be used to get to a boobytrapped chest . Back down the ramp , the stone steps lead up to a table with a soul gem . Through the door on the right ( northwest ) is a corridor with burned corpses and a fire trap . On the right is a table with a leveled weapon . Straight ahead , a lever on the right opens the iron gate the was seen near the beginning of this dungeon . To the left ( northwest ) and down the steps , a leveled draugr will be waiting in front of the door to Forelhost Crypt . Forelhost Crypt . The corridor immediately turns right ( northeast ) and ends in a room with a T intersection . Against the wall straight ahead , a table holds a Grand soul gem . To the left is a corridor with a swinging blade trap and a cage beyond with a master - locked gate protecting a spiral set of steps down ( if you picked the lock then continue to Forelhost Refectory ) . To the right ( southeast ) , a burial chamber leads to a large room with three doors out . The door on the left side of the northeast wall , when opened , causes a number of linen wraps to fall on the floor , but otherwise is a dead end . The door on the right side of the northeast wall is barred from the other side . The iron door on the southeast wall leads to another crypt area with a T intersection and a draugr . To the left ( northeast ) is a dead end . To the right ( southwest ) , steps lead down to a room containing several draugr and many urns . Taking a 90 degree turn to the left leads to a door to the northeast that opens to a small room with a chest protected by a spiked gate trap . Back in the crypt area , the open door to the southwest leads to another small room with some minor loot . The iron door to the northwest leads to a web - covered crypt passageway that turns right . At the next turn to the right , there are two pedestals with loot items on them . However , taking them will result in traps being triggered . The one on the left is a poison dart trap that continually raises and lowers , so it continually fires darts , and thus will be impossible to avoid unless it is not triggered in the first place . The path to the right leads to a swinging blade trap , then another small crypt area with several draugr and two copies of a Lightning Rune Trap ; one on the floor leading down stairs and one on a wall next to a levelled draugr . The path turns left ( northeast ) , then right to a master - locked chest and a coffin . Turning left again , the path leads to a crypt area with three draugr . Turning right ( southeast ) , the passage leads to a spiked gate trap and more draugr . The path continues winding around , with more draugr and possibly a frost atronach . Eventually , a large room is reached with a dragon priest and several draugr . The Forelhost well key mentioned in the journal is in the chest to the right of the coffin . Up the ramp , in the northwest corner , is a bridge that leads to a spiral ramp . Up that ramp , a bridge leads to a soul gem trap . To the right ( southwest ) of the trap is a bridge across to the door bar for the door that was seen earlier . Out that door and turning right ( northwest ) eventually leads back to the first room in this section . Now it is possible to open the gate without picking the lock using the well key . The circular stairs end under water - swimming along the corridor to the north eventually leads to a large room with multiple levels . There is one frostbite spider ( dead ) and a few skeevers . Near the dead spider are a quicksilver vein and a gold ore vein . Continuing to the right ( northeast ) , again under water , there is a room with a note on the table and a dead draugr . The Restoration skill book " The Exodus " is on a bookshelf behind the table . The door to the northeast leads to a large crypt room with a crushing pillar trap just inside . Leveled draugr will awake as soon as the room is entered . To the left ( northwest ) is another crypt with several dead draugr and the entrance to Forelhost Refectory . Forelhost Refectory . Up the stairs are more leveled draugr . The stairs turn left ( southeast ) , and at the top on the left side are a pair of leveled armor pieces on pedestal in front of a large carving on the wall . Removing them sets off a dart trap . Straight ahead ( southeast ) is a dead end with a chest on the left side and another piece of armor on a pedestal . To the right ( southwest ) is a large room with tables in the center , an iron gate directly across from the entrance that cannot be opened , many urns , at least one live draugr , and a set of double iron doors to the left ( southeast ) . On the table directly ahead of the room ' s entrance lies another note . The iron doors lead down stairs to where a draugr patrols . Across the fire pit from the stairs is a fire rune trap . The path turns right ( southwest ) , the right again to a room full of deathbell , snowberries , and mountain flowers ( red , blue , and purple ) plants with multiple draugr . On the left side is a table with a note of " orders " An adept - locked chest is underneath the log ramp up at the northwest end of the room . Up the ramp , a 90 degree turn to the right ( northeast ) leads to the other side of the iron gate that could not be opened before — a lever on the right side opens it . Back at the top of the ramp , there are two alchemy labs to the left ( northwest ) . On a throne you can find a dead draugr , who , according to the " Alchemist ' s Note " on the table on the left directly in front of you when entering the room , is Head Alchemist Froda . It seems that Rahgot had her killed for her disobedience . " Rahgot ' s Reply " is beside her on the throne . Up the log ramp are two more thrones . To the right is a room with a lightning soul gem trap and a leveled draugr . On the right ( southeast ) through open double iron doors is the balcony seen from below where a draugr is waiting . The trap can be disarmed with an arrow , and then the draugr dispatched . To the left of the trap , the room continues northeast into a library - like room . On the right side after the first corner is the glass dragon claw . The spear - gate in the room will open when the claw is picked up . To its left is an master - locked door that contains a leveled shield , a leveled potion and a Honed Ancient Nord Sword . A master - locked door to the right provides access to the back of the lightning trap . Further on , the path leads up to a wooden door and a room with an arcane enchanter and several more draugr . At the southeast end of the room is a trapped chest . To the right , the path winds generally southeast until the Dragon Claw hallway is reached . The keyhole can be activated ( fox , owl , snake , from top to bottom ) . Behind the door , stairs lead up into the last chamber . Final battle . When the Dragonborn reaches the top of the stairs , several draugr lords will emerge and the coffin containing Rahgot opens . A magic rune can be placed on the two coffins at the bottom of the stairs to draw out the draugr inside . When the battle starts , the dragon priest will rise and use his dragon priest staff , likely a Wall of Fire . After defeating Rahgot and the draugr lords , Rahgot ' s corpse can be looted for the Rahgot Mask , the staff and the Forelhost balcony key . A chest on the left ( northeast ) side of the room holds leveled loot . Once all the loot is collected , the large door on the southeast end of the room can be opened with the key . The door leads outside , where the word wall to learn part of the Storm Call shout is on the right ( southwest ) side of the balcony . End of Quest . Captain Valmir can be returned to by jumping down to the courtyard where he is or going back through the tomb . The Captain will be engaged in a conversation with either a Stormcloak or Imperial soldier ( the opposite of the side chosen in the civil war . If the Dragonborn has not yet chosen a side in the war , then it depends on who was chosen in the beginning , Hadvar or Ralof ) when getting close . After Valmir stumbles over his words , both men draw their swords and attack . As soon as Valmir is dead the quest is completed . " Valmir ' s Orders " , located in his inventory , explain that he was impersonating an officer and implies that he was hired by someone from outside of Skyrim . It is possible to kill Captain Valmir and still complete the quest , although the Dragonborn will not receive any indications that the quest has been activated . This can be done as simply as engaging sneak mode and shooting Valmir from a distance while undetected . If this is the case , the Dragonborn can still explore the ruin and kill the dragon priest , and an indication that the quest has been completed will appear upon collecting the Priest ' s mask .