Enter The Keep With Hadvar Or Ralof

1 Quick Walkthrough
2 Detailed Walkthrough
- 2.1 Awakening
- 2.2 Who Are You lot?
- 2.3 Keep Your Head
- 2.four Return of the World-Eater
- 2.5 Make Your Way to the Keep
- ii.6 Unsafe Haven
- 2.7 Achievements
3 Notes
4 Bugs
v Quest Stages

Escape Imperial custody and a dragon assault.

Quest Giver:	Ralof
Location(s):	Helgen, Helgen Proceed
Adjacent Quest:	Before the Storm
Reward:	Diverse low level items
ID:	MQ101

Alduin attacks.

Quick Walkthrough [edit]

Create your character.
Make your way to Helgen Keep to escape the dragon attack.
Choose to enter Helgen Keep with either Ralof or Hadvar.
Loot containers and bodies for weapons, armor, and basic equipment.
Escape from Helgen.

Detailed Walkthrough [edit]

Awakening [edit]

Fellow prisoners, Lokir and Ulfric Stormcloak

You begin the game to find yourself bound at the wrists and under Royal guard custody in a prisoner caravan. In the carriage with you lot is Ralof (a Stormcloak soldier), Lokir (a horse thief), and Ulfric Stormcloak (leader of the Stormcloak rebellion and Jarl of Windhelm). Ralof sits across from you, with Lokir next to him and Ulfric to your right.

As revealed by Ralof, yous are all prisoners of the Empire, who had prepare an ambush for the Stormcloaks almost Darkwater Crossing. Y'all and Lokir were defenseless up in the aforementioned action, though at the time you lot had been crossing the border from Cyrodiil. Despite this, you were arrested as potential Stormcloak sympathizers and are at present existence sent to Helgen for execution.

The wagon soon reaches Helgen, a boondocks in Falkreath Concord not far from the southern border of Skyrim. At the time of your arrival, Falkreath's Jarl is loyal to the Empire, and the hold is controlled by the Regal Legion, though the Stormcloaks have a some presence in the area, hiding in a camp within the Concord.

Every bit yous enter Helgen, Ralof will make a annotate about General Tullius, who is on horseback past an Majestic captain, facing First Emissary Elenwen and a few other Thalmor members.

The railroad vehicle volition ride through the village and draw to a stop in the central area of the town. The Imperial helm orders you and the other prisoners off the carts, then instructs you to go along to the execution block as your name is called. Hadvar, an Imperial soldier, will first phone call Ulfric Stormcloak, and then Ralof. When Lokir is chosen, he will endeavor to abscond, but will always fail, since the Majestic captain will have him shot past an archer. Afterward this, Hadvar will and then demand you to footstep forward.

Who Are You lot? [edit]

When Hadvar asks for your identity, you'll need to take a moment to make up one's mind.

Once you lot've created and named your grapheme, Hadvar will make a comment based on your race.

Possible Comments

Race	Dialogue
Altmer	You're not with the Thalmor Embassy, are you high elf? No, that can't be right...
Altmer	I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Summerset Isle.
Argonian	Are you a relative of one of the Riften dock workers, Argonian?
Argonian	I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Black Marsh.
Bosmer	Not many forest elves would choose to come alone to Skyrim.
Bosmer	I'm sorry. Nosotros'll make sure your remains are returned to Valenwood.
Breton	You from Daggerfall, Breton? Fleeing from some court intrigue?
Breton	I'm sad. We'll make sure your remains are returned to High Rock.
Dunmer	Another refugee? Gods actually have abandoned your people, dark elf.
Dunmer	I'thousand sad. We'll brand sure your remains are returned to Morrowind.
Imperial	You lot're a long style from the Imperial City. What're y'all doing in Skyrim?
Imperial	I'm sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Cyrodiil.
Khajiit	You with 1 of the merchandise caravans, Khajiit? Your kind always seems to find trouble.
Khajiit	I'm lamentable. We'll brand sure your remains are returned to Elsweyr.
Nord	You picked a bad fourth dimension to come home to Skyrim, kinsman.
Nord	I'm sorry. At least you lot'll dice here, in your homeland.
Orc	You from one of the strongholds, Orc? How did you lot end upwards here?
Orc	I'grand sorry. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Orsinium.
Redguard	What're you doing here, Redguard? You a sellsword? A sailor from Stros M'kai?
Redguard	I'm deplorable. We'll make sure your remains are returned to Hammerfell.

Keep Your Head [edit]

The captain will order your death even though your name is not on the list. You will exist forced to follow her to the executioner's cake and afterward a cursory confrontation between General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak a afar noise volition echo beyond the sky.

The general will dismiss it equally cipher and order that the executions brainstorm, and a priestess of Arkay will begin to administer the last rites to the condemned. A Stormcloak soldier will interrupt her and is promptly executed, and the captain volition and then order you to step up to the cake. An ominous sound will again repeat through the mountains, this fourth dimension louder. Nigh of the assembly volition exist briefly distracted, merely the captain will non be put off past this. You will be ordered to the block and forced into position, gear up to be executed. From that perspective, you should take a view of the headsman and the tower behind him. Every bit the headsman raises his axe, a dragon known equally Alduin flies into the scene.

Return of the World-Eater [edit]

The dragon volition descend onto the nearby tower with a crash and proceed to use a special shout that turns the sky red and sends flaming meteors crashing down, which somewhen damages the city beyond repair, knocking the headsman to the basis.

Alduin begins his attack on Helgen.

The second shout he uses, Unrelenting Strength, will stagger you. However, Ralof will urge you to your anxiety to escape, reasoning that the gods may not provide another gamble. When you lot are able to stand up, you'll be able to motility near freely, and the quest volition appear in your periodical.

Make Your Way to the Keep [edit]

"In hither! This way! Come on!"

If you are able to get your bearings soon enough, yous tin can follow right behind Ralof. If it takes you a little fourth dimension, Ralof will go into a tall tower to the south-southwest and telephone call to you: "In here. This way! Come on!" Follow him into the tower as fireballs rain down from the heaven and boulders fly off in all directions from the explosions. Despite the credible danger, you will have no problem getting into the tower unless you loiter in unsheltered areas for an extended time.

Enter the building far plenty and so that the door can close behind yous. Inside, you'll see some injured Stormcloaks and another tending to them. Stepping onto the carpet in the centre of the modest room and turning back around toward the door will position you lot to observe a chat between Ralof and Ulfric. At this point yous cannot pick-up or interact with items with your hands, equally they are leap. No one cuts your bonds.

Alduin's shout blasts through the stairway.

Both Ralof and Ulfric will urge you to hurry up through the tower. Follow Ralof upwards the staircase. When a Stormcloak soldier up ahead tells you that some fallen masonry needs to exist moved out of the fashion, the wall to your right (southeast) will be blown in by Alduin. He will then attack through the pigsty with a Fire Breath shout. Though y'all cannot perceive it every bit such, Alduin will shout "Toor...Shul!" meaning "Inferno...Lord's day" in the dragon language. This shout will knock Ralof off the stairs, but he will climb dorsum upwards to you. The gods may indeed be providing you some extra protection, at to the lowest degree for now—you will not be hurt by the shout, fifty-fifty if you don't heed Ralof's warning to step back. Eventually, however, one time y'all venture exterior of Helgen, encounters with dragons will prove much more dangerous.

Later Alduin flies off, Ralof will urge you to jump out the hole just created and down into a partially destroyed inn below, telling you that they volition follow equally before long every bit they tin and meet you lot on the other side. Your target landing spot will be indicated by your objective marking. Move to the ledge and bound while standing to move forward.

On landing, y'all may hear yourself grunt in pain, but yous volition only have minor harm. Travel eastward through the inn and drib downwards through the pigsty in the floor. Your objective marker will betoken the next waypoint. Follow Hadvar, the Majestic soldier you simply saw nigh the execution block. He volition be outside the door from the inn, and to your left (northeast), trying to help some citizens.

Hadvar will be trying to coax a young boy, Haming, away from an open up surface area where his male parent, Torolf, lies injured in the road. As the boy returns toward Hadvar, Alduin will state to the northeast and send a Fire Breath shout toward Hadvar and the boy, killing Torolf. Hadvar will take Haming to safety back near the inn with another man, Gunnar Stone-Eye, and get out the boy in his intendance. When he sees y'all, Hadvar will address you as "prisoner" and tell you lot to follow him if yous want to stay alive.

Ralof: "Jump and keep going! We'll meet you after!"

Follow Hadvar as he proceeds northeasterly across the area where Alduin simply killed Torolf. Hadvar'due south purpose at this point is to "Find General Tullius and assist in the defence" of Helgen. Passing between a edifice and a stone wall, Hadvar will stop and advise you to stay near the wall. Alduin will then country on tiptop of the wall and straight a Fire Jiff shout at a Legionnaire ahead of y'all and to the right, around the corner.

Once Alduin takes flight again, follow Hadvar up the steps and and so to the left (northward) through the gap in the wall. Inside the ruined edifice, jog to the left, so turn right (eastward). You will exit into an open area where a number of Imperial mages, soldiers, and General Tullius will be counter-attacking Alduin with arrows and fireballs.

Follow Hadvar to the northeast.

Plough to the left (n).

Hadvar: "Stay close to the [left] wall."

Alduin lands and attacks again.

Follow Hadvar upward the steps...

...then to the left (north).

Jog effectually to the left, then turn right (eastward).

Soldiers and mages counter-attack the dragon.

When Hadvar approaches General Tullius, the full general will order him into the Keep, announcing a retreat. Telling you to stay close to him, Hadvar will head north, then plough left towards the entrance to the Keep.

Notation:Hadvar should be taken seriously when he tells you to stay close to him. If you tag fairly close backside him at this point, Alduin volition not harm you. If you choose to lag behind or explore the surface area, however, you lot will practice so at your ain considerable risk. Eventually, Alduin'southward shouts may hit y'all between this point and entering the Keep. He tin use the Fire Breath shout and the less serious Unrelenting Strength shout. If you lot are striking with the former, it may or may non kill y'all. The latter will violently shove y'all or may ship y'all flying for a short distance. Once yous reach the exterior of the Go along, if you remain outside for an extended period, Alduin may land and attack with a shout at shut quarters or physically with his jaws, an assault that will be fatal.

Subsequently running under an entrance, Hadvar will meet Ralof simply outside the Keep. The two enemies will describe their weapons and set to fight earlier realizing that getting into the Keep and away from the dragon is a higher priority.

As Hadvar and Ralof rush to 2 different but nearby entrances to the Keep, both calling to you to follow them, your journal will update to prove the objective of making your style to the Continue as completed, and the next objective volition appear, presenting you with a choice.

Dangerous Haven [edit]

Note: After entering the Keep, depending on whether y'all chose to enter with Hadvar or Ralof, the office of the interior map which you emerge in and the initial events that occur will differ slightly.

If you cull to go with Ralof, you lot will find the body of a dead Stormcloak, Gunjar, in a round room immediately later on entering the continue. Later freeing yous from your bindings, Ralof volition instruct y'all to recover the gear on Gunjar'southward trunk for your own use. While you equip yourself, Ralof volition examine the doors. He will detect ane door is locked, and the other can't be opened from the side you're on. Luckily, the captain and an Purple soldier will come up through and open the door secured from the other side. One time they open up the door, you will be forced to kill them to recover the key to the other gate from their bodies. Don't forget to loot the barracks they came from.

If you lot choose to get with Hadvar, you volition enter the keep to detect yourself in the barracks room where Hadvar will cut your bonds and instruct you to loot the room for some equipment. One time you have acquired some gear from the marked chest, he will open a gate and you will follow him downward a path to the circular room containing Gunjar's body. Here yous will face ii hostile Stormcloaks. Once they are defeated, follow Hadvar onward through the opposite door.

From here onward, the physical path taken by both Hadvar and Ralof is identical. Only the type of enemies and the accompanying dialogue is unlike: for Hadvar's path you confront Stormcloaks, while for Ralof'south path you face Purple soldiers.

Going through the door onto the now opened-up path, the dragon'southward activities above volition crusade the ceiling to fall, forcing you to divert through a door on your left, where you will discover a storeroom with two Imperial soldiers/Stormcloaks gathering supplies. After defeating the enemies, Hadvar or Ralof will advise you to go through the barrels for any valuables they may incorporate.

Continuing down, y'all volition go far at an interrogation room, where a boxing betwixt an Imperial torturer, his assistant, and some Stormcloak soldiers is taking place, prompting y'all to fight with whichever enemies your escort is not aligned with. If y'all are with Hadvar, he has a conversation with the torturer, trying to convince him to come; his attempts testify futile, however, as only the assistant torturer follows. If you're with Ralof, he has a quick chat with the surviving Stormcloaks, who will both cull to join your party. Hadvar/Ralof will then point to a cage with a dead mage and several valuables inside it (including mage robes, and hood and a Sparks spell tome), offer you several lockpicks, and suggesting you pick the lock to get to the items. If you lot are non almost Hadvar/Ralof when he offers you the picks, y'all volition not go them, merely in that location are a couple of picks in the room in the corner that besides contains an iron shield and iron mace, as well as four picks inside a knapsack laying on a small-scale table near the cells. The table besides holds a re-create of The Volume of the Dragonborn. At that place are ii empty, locked cells on either side of the dead mage, and ii other locked cells down the hall (this is a condom chance to practice the lockpicking skill, as well as learning the game mechanic).

Continue down the corridor by some prison cells which tin exist unlocked for some minor loot, and through another prison room, and you will eventually enter a natural cavern, filled with either Imperial soldiers guarding it for General Tullius, or some lost Stormcloaks. There is an oil spill that tin can be prepare alight to damage the enemies on the upper level using the Flames spell.

After killing them, y'all will discover a raised drawbridge obstructing your path. A nearby lever can be used to lower the span, which will later on exist destroyed by falling rubble presently after you cantankerous it. Continuing on, you will come to a skeleton nigh the passage leading towards some other large cavern inhabited by several frostbite spiders. Most the skeleton is an fe dagger, a potion of modest healing, and a money handbag. Once you defeat the spiders, caput through a passage leading deeper into the caverns. In the next chamber, near an underground stream, you will see a resting bear. Ralof/Hadvar will advise you to sneak by it, but he volition give you lot a bow and some arrows in case you cull to deadfall it. Fighting the bear is non too difficult with Hadvar/Ralof helping you. Later, follow Hadvar/Ralof and exit the cave through a crack in the rock. Leaving the dungeon, you'll run across Alduin flying off into the distance, towards the north, completing the quest.

Achievements [edit]

I achievement is unlocked when you lot complete this quest:

Unbound (ten points/Statuary)

Notes [edit]

For all intents and purposes, choosing to side with Hadvar or Ralof doesn't matter, as y'all aren't locked out of any quest chain. The only deviation between the two paths is the type of loot and enemies inside the keep, and the rewards given for helping them escape (given during the next quest). At the end, y'all will still have the selection of choosing to side with the Empire or the Stormcloaks.
Both Hadvar and Ralof are essential NPCs at this signal, so they cannot die, and volition never plow hostile (unless y'all're an Altmer and bandage Fury on them) until the quest is finished. This tin be exploited to level upwards your attack skills (destruction, ane-handed, 2-handed and archery) and sneak skill early in the game.
The game e'er starts with a agenda engagement of the 17th of Final Seed, making this quest the but one in the game with a fixed date. The day of the week can vary, though:
- If you had a game loaded immediately earlier starting your new game, the day of the week will be any it was before y'all exited dorsum to the main bill of fare.
- If you did not have a game loaded, the twenty-four hours of the calendar week will be Sundas.
You may wish to see the main folio for Skyrim for information such as using controls and our guide for commencement-time players.
If you wait around in any i surface area for too long, Alduin will begin specifically targeting you.
It is possible to save Torolf and the Legionnaire. When the dragon lands in front end of Torolf and y'all are quick enough you lot can run past Alduin and he will fly off, not harming Torolf. With the Legionnaire yous have to exist quick plenty as well. If you get to him earlier Alduin lands on the wall, you tin can dart into him, knock him into the building and Alduin's fire breath shout will miss. Be careful to stay in front of him though, every bit there is a gamble he will run back to his spot, running into the burn shout.

Bugs [edit]

To come across our site's higher standard of quality, this article or department may crave cleanup. The user who placed this here had the following business:
lots of very unlikely bugs here; needs removal of the almost ridiculous ones, testing of the believable ones
To exit a message about the cleanup for this article, please add it to this article's talk page.

Y'all might encounter bugs in the quest script where the game will terminate progressing. These errors may occur even after a game restart, and possible fixes are a complete re-installation of the game or installing DXSETUP.exe from skyrim\DirectX10. There are several versions of the bug:

You may start outside the cart with other prisoners, unable to do annihilation. This tin can be stock-still by restarting the game.
The cart of prisoners in front of you may clip, unexpectedly plough, flip on its side, or strike the city gate. This will sometimes cause the same to happen to your cart. On PS3, this can be caused past holding the PS button and any other button.
As you lot approach Helgen, a wolf may spawn, causing General Tullius to dismount to kill information technology. He will not remount, and the carts backside him will just drive over him and his horse. If this occurs before the gate opens, your cart will drive into the town wall. In such cases, a restart commonly works. ^?
The headsman may not acquit out the offset Stormcloak execution as scripted, which stops the script for your execution as well. This can be fixed by opening the console and typing prid 000654ed followed by impale. Alternatively, the guards and executioner may successfully execute the Stormcloak, but will practise nada to atomic number 82 you lot to the block.
When y'all are at the chopping block pending your execution, Alduin may not land on the belfry, instead flying around in circles overhead, making the game unable to progress.
- To fix this, uninstall any add-ons and start a new game.
- Entering killallactors in the console may resolve this.

After yous follow Ralof up the stairs in the continue, Alduin may non blast a hole in the wall of the tower, preventing y'all from jumping through it to the inn.
- Use the console command tcl and move through the wall halfway up the stairs, then over to the destroyed house to continue the game to the adjacent stage.
Hadvar may outset much further away from the prisoner convoy than he'southward intended to be, or get waylaid by local wildlife and dismount to fight it off and non follow afterwards. As a consequence, he volition exist locked out of Helgen in one case the gate closes behind the convoy, and will non be nowadays for the proceeding scene. Luckily the quest will proceed equally usual, admitting without Hadvar to read off the lists or give commentary (the game volition only skip his dialogues in his absenteeism), and on top of this Hadvar will reappear in his proper place after y'all exit the inn during Alduin's attack.
- This can be fixed afterward you go off the cart by using the panel code prid 0002bfa2 followed by moveto player. This will cause Hadvar to appear in forepart of y'all. He will then take his proper place in the scene.
If you follow Hadvar/Ralof into the Go on, when you escape Helgen later on, rather than going with you to Riverwood, he may deviate towards Embershard Mine instead of the Guardian Stones, and not motility. This volition as well cause Sven and Hilde'southward dialogue to never play.
- Talk to him equally yous become to the corner in a higher place the stones, he will reply so plow around and run to the stones.
When you enter Helgen Go along with Ralof, if you cull to become in with him, you may appear to jog in place, having no control over anything except for the carte and console command keys.

Quest Stages [edit]

Unbound (MQ101)
Phase	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
150		I have been captured by the Empire and sentenced to death alongside the Stormcloak rebels. We were taken to Helgen, but earlier I could be executed a dragon appeared and attacked the town. I need to observe some mode to escape.
160		Objective 30: Make your fashion to the Keep Objective 50: Enter the Keep with Hadvar or Ralof (Can occur at any stage between 160 and 195, equally y'all approach the continue.)
180		I have been captured by the Empire and sentenced to death alongside the Stormcloak rebels. We were taken to Helgen, simply before I could be executed a dragon appeared and attacked the town. I need to find some way to escape.
250		Objective 100: Escape Helgen
255		Objective 60: Notice some equipment (if you lot followed Hadvar)
255		Objective 65: Loot Gunjar'southward body (if you followed Ralof)
315		Objective 70: (Optional) Search the barrel for potions
390		Objective 75: (Optional) Endeavor to pick the lock to the cage
900	Finishes quest	I take escaped both my execution and a dragon set on at Helgen. I now take my liberty to exercise as I see fit in Skyrim.

The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0, ii, 3, 5, 6, vii, 8, nine, x, 12, xiv, 15, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 32, 35, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 65, 67, 70, 75, fourscore, 81, 82, 84, 85, 90, 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 120, 130, 140, 145, 190, 195, 200, 202, 210, 220, 240, 252, 256, 257, 258, 260, 265, 267, 268, 270, 272, 275, 280, 285, 290, 292, 300, 305, 310, 317, 318, 320, 340, 350, 360, 365, 368, 370, 380, 395, 400, 450, 460, 470, 480, 485, 490, 500, 550, 560, 600, 630, 650, 700, 705, 710, 720, 725, 730, 750, 760, 780, 800, m.

Notes

Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Allonym=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will exist filled in with the advisable word(s) when seen in game.
Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries practise not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
Stages are non always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that take multiple possible outcomes or quests where sure tasks may exist done in any club. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Agile Quest listing, only you may still receive new entries for that quest.
On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest past entering setstage MQ101 stage, where stage is the number of the phase y'all wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, only information technology is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest MQ101.