Dawnstar Dawnstar or Danstrar is one of the nine - major cities in the province of Skyrim , being the capital of the region of the Pale . Dawnstar is a bustling trading town that produces all sorts of produce , ranging from fish to smithing materials . It is where the sun greets you as it begins its journey , hence the name . Description . Geography . Dawnstar is situated along the Sea of Ghosts , making it a prominent trading stop between the city - states of Windhelm and Solitude , both located on the edge of Skyrim . Dawnstar ' s ports give ships coming from abroad to send their produce to the wilds of Central Skyrim . Dawnstar , on the mainland , is situated in a frozen sea of snow , with a stretch of road to the boreal forests of the southern Pale , though Dawnstar ' s geography caters to the harsh environment . Dawnstar city is built within an opening situated on the Sea of Ghosts , where the northern mountains begin and continue onto Winterhold . This pocket in the mountain range is where Dawnstar is situated , with a path to the coast . The people of the city have established several watchtowers along this area . South of the city , overlooking the entire domain is Nightcaller Temple , formerly called the Tower of Dawn . To the east , the Dawnstar Lighthouse guides passing ships to Dawnstar , though it is not anything to write home about . One of Dawnstar ' s trades is mining , and so the city host two mineshafts , both of which produce Iron and Quicksilver , which are commonly used materials in weapons . Dawnstar city is split into an upper and lower level . The Upper Level contains the main gate , leading into the Skyrim wilderness , eventually taking travelers to nearby townships such as Bardmont and Dunstad Grove . Around the main gate are several points of interest . On certain occasions , the Khajiit i Caravan or other traveling merchants would settle outside the gate . Hidden behind some stone is a hidden entrance to the long - forgotten Dawnstar Sanctuary , which was initially used by the Dark Brotherhood as their headquarters in the Pale . But upon entering the gate , you are greeted to the Dawnster Upper Level , which contains a view of the Dawnstar Bay and the Lower Level . A path north of the entrance leads into the harbor , and the road to the east leads to the rest of the Upper Level . Along the way are several Dawnstar businesses including the Windpeak Inn and the Iron - Breaker Mine , the source of Dawnstar ' s Iron deposit . In the middle of the Upper Level is the White Hall , which is the seat of power in Dawnstar , home to the local Jarl . The path eventually revolves around to the Lower Level , where many of the residents have inhabited . Houses surround the bay , as people move to and fro with the trade . To the west is Quicksilver Mine , which is the home of Dawnstar ' s Quicksilver deposit . Continuing onto the beach in the Lower East will lead you out of the city , where you can eventually discover the main entrance to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary and a path to the Lighthouse . Between the White Hall and the Dawnstar Barracks is a faded path that leads to the main road and the Tower of Dawn . History . Second Era . The Reign of Versidue Shaie ; the Council of Bardmont . With the death of Reman Cyrodiil III in 1E 2920 , his Potentate , Versidue Shaie had named the end of the first era , bringing about the second era , and with much controversy . The various vassal kingdoms through the Empire had begun to rebel against the Potentate , unwilling to pay taxes and to disrupt Imperial garrisons throughout the realms . It would cause serious problems for Shaie , and it reached its pinnacle with the destruction of his fortress in Dawnstar . Because of this transgression , Versidue Shaie had gathered the Elder Council in the township of Bardmont , to hold the Council of Bardmont . Shaie would take on a totalitarian role , establishing a universal martial law all over the Empire . What followed was thirty - seven years of bloody and gruesome conflicts that the continent had yet to withstand . Shaie ' s Grand Army had crushed the various Kingdoms . At that point , the only people who benefitted at this time were criminals . Eventually , Shaie would be assassinated for the years of conflict . The Eastern Kingdom & the Ebonheart Pact . One of Versidue Shaie ' s allies was High King Logrolf , the leader of Skyrim . At one point , Logrolf was assassinated by an unknown assailant . Naturally , the next of kin would take the position of High King and so the Crown of Verity was passed onto Freydis . Though this did not come without its controversy , Jarl Svartr of Solitude had accused Freydis of being an illegitimate heir to the throne and that he is the better candidate for the throne . This issue caused a schism in Skyrim that chose between Freydis and Svartr . The Crown of Verity had chosen Freydis to be the High Queen , and so the Nords of the Old Holds had started to follow Freydis . A Moot was held between the Jarls of Skyrim , and in the end , Svartr was chosen to be the High King , and so the Nords of West Skyrim had started to follow Svartr . Skyrim was split into two Kingdoms and Dawnstar sided with East Skyrim . Several years later , Jorunn the Skald - King had created the Ebonheart Pact in the aftermath of the Second Akaviri Invasion in 2E 572 . Dawnstar ' s forces were a part of the Nordic defense in the Invasion as well as the Ebonheart Pact . Third Era . Dawnstar during the Imperial Simulacrum . During the Imperial Simulacrum from 3E 389 to 3E 399 , Emperor Uriel Septim VII was imprisoned along with Talin Warhaft in the Deadlands by Jagar Tharn . Tharn planned for months to capture the throne , and he was able to achieve so in ten years . Tharn had a powerful weapon called the Staff of Chaos , and he split it into nine pieces and scattered them across Tamriel , the staff was the only thing keeping Uriel Septim and Warhaft in Oblivion . A warrior escaped his clutches and traveled all corners of Tamriel to retrieve the missing pieces . The hero was known as the Eternal Champion , and he assembled the staff and defeated Jagar Tharn at the Imperial Palace . The Eternal Champion had at one point visited the city of Dawnstar in their quest to recover the pieces . The city of Dawnstar was under the rule of King Ulrarne . The Alliance of Dawnstar & Solitude . During the waning years of the third era , the Kingdom of Dawnstar was under the leadership of Queen Macalla . It was at this time , the northern kingdoms of Skyrim were undergoing a renaissance and territories were uniting . King Thian of Solitude married Macalla to establish an alliance between the two city - states . Both Solitude and Dawnstar would expand their boundaries and into former Imperial fiefdoms , ones that were captured by Uriel Septim V during his reign in 3E 271 . One of these locations was Roscrea , an island fiefdom situated north of Solitude , in the Sea of Ghosts . Roscrea was just the stepping stone for future expeditions for the alliance . The two would continue this alliance into the fourth era . It is unknown how long this relationship lasted since it was never mentioned again . Fourth Era . The Waking Nightmare over Dawnstar . During the Skyrim Civil War in 4E 201 , the city - state of Dawnstar was ruled by Skald the Elder , who was an old and arrogant man , one of the most staunch supporters of the Stormcloaks . Skald Felgief was more occupied with the Civil War rather than protecting his own people , which becomes evident with the recent situation . The Tower of Dawn was revamped into a temple dedicated to Vaermina , and so the Skull of Corruption was stored within the depths . Because of this , the people of Dawnstar were inflicted with nightmares , torturing them every night . A Priest of Mara , Erandur traveled to Dawnstar to help them with the problem . Erandur called upon the help of a mysterious traveler to deal with the threat . A strange gas called the Miasma had spewed out from the Nightcaller Temple and afflicted the Vaermina Cult and the Orcish invaders . Both Erandur and the traveler fought through waves of these cultists and Orcs , eventually finding the Skull of Corruption in the Inner Sanctum . The fate of both the Staff and Erandur are unknown , but Dawnstar ' s nightmare had ended , and the city was saved . The Dark Brotherhood ' s resurgance in Dawnstar . Around the same time , the Dark Brotherhood had taken refuge in the long - abandoned Brotherhood Sanctuary in Dawnstar , when their original sanctuary in Falkreath Hold was burned to the ground by the Penitus Oculatus . The Keeper of the Night Mother , Cicero had fled to this sanctuary when he attacked Astrid , leader of the Falkreath Chapter before the sanctuary ' s raze . The Brotherhood had severely injured Cicero , who fled into the wilderness . His fate is currently unknown . The very few survivors of the Falkreath Sanctuary had resided in the Dawnstar Sanctuary , along with the Night Mother . The outcome of the Dawnstar Chapter is currently unknown . Before their occupation , an Udefrykte had lived in the icy caves until it was killed by the Brotherhood . Unknown Era . The Tale of Dawnstar & the Starfrost . At some point , Dawnstar was governed by Governor Cyril Vinticae . During his reign , Dawnstar was besieged by the Ice Tribes , a group of humanoid creatures that lived in the area . Four champions were residing in Dawnstar , one of them was the traitor that let the Ice Tribes enter the city . Unable to determine the traitor , Vinticae banished all four of them to the wilderness . To uncover them , Vinticae hired an unknown hero to traverse the Pale and convened all four of them , learning who the traitor was . The Traitor ' s identity is unknown , but they were brought to justice in Dawnstar . But the Ice Tribes started to invade Dawnstar again with their powerful ally , the Thriceborn Gehenoth and the traitor . With the power of the Starfrost given from Vinticae , the hero was able to defeat the Gehenoth and saved the exile post of Dawnstar .