Silverdrift Lair Silverdrift Lair is an ancient Nordic tomb in . Location . Southwest base of the Pale ' s eastern mountains , north and just slightly west of Fellglow Keep , directly north of the Shrouded Grove , east of the Tower of Mzark , and southeast of Dawnstar . Enemies . Enemies include leveled bandits outside and leveled draugr inside , including possible overlords and death overlords . At higher levels , a death overlord and / or a Dragon Priest will be guarding the word wall . Walkthrough . Finding a way through this dungeon / crypt can be quite difficult , not just because of the traps , but also because of the location of the switches used to open certain doors . The best method is to check all posts for a handle to activate . These are very small and hard to notice if not knowing what to look for , most notably at the junction where there are two swinging traps and two draugr . The first room entered is a kitchen of sorts , with two dead bandits . A passage leads east to a junction with a dead bandit and a draugr . There are paths to the north and east , but the wall to the northeast is actually a large column with a coin purse behind it . The path to the east leads to a door that is barred from the other side . The path to the north turns east and leads to an iron door , beyond which is a room with a draugr , shelves on both sides , and straight ahead , a table with several potions and the Two - Handed skill book " Words and Philosophy " . There are openings on either side of the table that lead to the second level of a large central chamber with bridges , wooden ramps , wooden platforms , and several more draugr . Across the bridge on the north side of the table are two circular stone platforms with wooden spiral ramps leading down to the bottom floor . Down the first ramp ( around the northern pillar ) to the lower level , there are two urns against the east wall . Proceeding to the right around the room is a throne , a fire pit with various animals hanging waiting to be eaten , an apprentice - locked chest with leveled loot , and then a chest against the west stone wall behind a wooden wall . To the right of that is a passage leading to the west ( See the Secret path section below for more information ) . Finally , in the northeastern corner is another door that is barred from the other side , which leads from the hidden path . Back up on the second level , continuing on east is another bridge where there is a trigger for a swinging gate trap at the end . Beyond that is another swinging gate trap and two more draugr . Beyond that are two stone posts — the one on the right ( south ) side has a handle that opens a spike gate straight ahead . Before that gate , though , on the south end of the room is a platform with an enchanted helmet — taking it causes a spike trap to rise from the floor , so care should be exercised . Beyond the now - opened spike gate to the east is an iron door with a draugr , a dead bandit , and a table to the northeast with a chest with leveled loot and a potion . To the north is an adept - locked jail cell that is empty . To the south is a gate with a pull chain to open it , but when opened , a swinging log trap is triggered . Beyond that , the passage climbs steps up and around , eventually heading north to a room with a long table and two more draugr . A passage continues north , then west and north up more stairs , then down to a room with another draugr , a chest with leveled loot , and the pickpocket skill book " Thief " on the right ( west ) side of the room between skeletal hands coming out of stone . Another passage from the south end of the room leads west down stairs to an unlocked gate that opens into a cage - protected bridge high above the central room previously seen . At the other end of the bridge is another draugr . The path turns south and leads up stairs , then forward to an iron door . Behind it is a large room with two more draugr ( including a draugr death overlord ) , an unnamed dragon priest ( at high levels ) , and the word wall . There is a fire trap straight ahead . Up the stairs on the right side is an upper level for the room that has no notable loot . Facing the word wall , the steps to the left side are protected by a fire trap . To the right ( west ) is an iron door leading to a room with urns and a chest containing lots of loot . To the left of the chest is a chain that , when activated , opens the gate to the north . Beyond the gate are steps leading down and to the left to a door with a wooden bar blocking it . Activating the bar and opening the door leads back to the first junction entered in this dungeon ( the one with the dead bandit ) . Secret path . There is an easily missed secret path which originates in the large main chamber . At the very bottom , along the western wall , there is an opening into a puzzle room . There the Dragonborn will find a snake and a whale pillar , each with its own handle . One handle opens the stone door and the other triggers a fire trap . The solution is hidden by a hanging lantern , obscuring a whale symbol . The path that opens leads to the west , then north into a room with two draugr . At the north end of that room , a path leads east to a crypt with two more draugr . To the right ( east ) is an expert - locked chest on a table . At the north end of this room is a doorway leading east to another crypt . In the center immediately ahead is a post with a handle that , when activated , opens the door directly ahead to the east where another high - level draugr waits , but which has no other exit points . To the north is another post with a handle that , when activated , opens another door to the east . Behind that door are multiple coin purses , armor , a weapon , and a chest with leveled loot . To the south is another post with a handle that opens a third door to the east . This one leads to a passageway south to a barred door . Activating the door bar and opening the door leads back to the lowest level of the central room .