Immersion is the main factor that separates The Elder Scrolls franchise from most RPGs. Bethesda's intricate worlds are packed with many stories and quests for players to find. One of the best areas to find these quests are the capital cities of each of Skyrim's nine Holds.
Dawnstar is frequently regarded as one of the game's lesser Holds, lacking the impressive scale of Whiterun, but it does make up for this with some of the best Daedric quests in the game. It is certainly a town everyone should visit, but that doesn't mean that Dawnstar is perfect. Many conflicts and the design of Dawnstar itself lead to many unanswered questions. Here are the 10 largest ones we have with Dawnstar in Skyrim. This article contains spoilers for Oblivion.
10 Why Is Ahkari's Inventory Stored Here?
As with most capital towns in Skyrim, players might find Khajiit caravans make shop outside of the town to sell various goods. Dawnstar is no exception to this, but what is bizarre is that their entire inventory is stored here.
Left of Iron-Breaker Mine is a small grouping of rocks. Crouch and aim the camera at the back of the rocks will reveal a hidden chest containing every single item Ahkari sells. There are multiple chests in the game that house vendor goods, likely to prevent pickpocketing a vendor's entire inventory, but why is this chest in Dawnstar? Bethesda could have picked any location in the game, so why Dawnstar?
9 How Can Dawnstar Support Trade With One Dock?
Nearly every reference that describes Dawnstar will mention the town's rich mines and bustling trade. Trades occur on the town's dock. Yes, dock, not docks. A town that relies almost entirely on trading to keep its citizens fed only has one dock to trade goods with.
Trading through main roads is unlikely as the Pale is one of the coldest Holds in Skyrim. For a trade-reliant town, they certainly seem limited in their ability to transfer goods.
8 Are Dawnstar And Danstrar The Same?
Certain books in Skyrim that refer to Tiber Septim mention a strange town north of Skyrim named Danstrar. This town supposedly had some of the best warchiefs in all of Skyrim and ambushed Tiber Septim's men with great success. Of course, Danstrar doesn't exist in Skyrim. It does sound awfully similar to Dawnstar, however, which begs the question if Danstrar and Dawnstar are the same or at least related.
7 How Does Dawnstar Feel About Tiber Septim?
Assuming that Danstrar and Dawnstar are both related, then it would make sense that Dawnstar would have an immense hatred towards Tiber Septim. Danstrar hated what he was doing to Skyrim while he was alive, going as far as to ambush any member of his army to stop them from taking over the Pale. This conflict is explained in detail in the Ice and Chitin book present in both Morrowind and Skyrim.
Since the Stormcloaks are comprised of Nords that—for the most part—worship Talos, wouldn't that make Dawnstar supporting them a major betrayal for what the town originally stood for? It's a moral grey area since Tiber Septim worked for the Empire. It would be more plausible for Dawnstar to follow Whiterun's footsteps and be neutral in the war instead of siding with Ulfric Stormcloak. Regardless, it seems that the town has forgotten its roots entirely and never speak of Talos or the capital's history.
6 How Is Quicksilver Mine Better Than Iron-Breaker Mine?
Two mines exist in Dawnstar that make up most of the town's income. Quicksilver Mine and Iron-Breaker Mine are run by a recently separated couple. As a result, there is major hostility between both mines. Those that live in Dawnstar will frequently mention that Quicksilver Mine is overall better than Iron-Breaker, yet what exactly makes it better?
While it's true that quicksilver is worth more than iron in Skyrim, the mine has a pitiful amount of veins to harvest. Only five veins can be mined for quicksilver, which is significantly less than what Iron-Breaker Mine offers.
5 Who Put The Hit On Beitild?
One of the Dark Brotherhood's contracts involves assassinating Beitild, the owner of Iron-Breaker Mine. Since every Dark Brotherhood contract is requested by a client, who exactly wants her killed? It's highly implied that her ex-husband, Leigelf, was the one to put a hit on her. Talking to him after killing Beitild will reveal that he is happy that she is gone.
Players can't rule out certain workers inside the mine, however. Fruki seems to have personal feelings for Leigelf and various miners can be heard complaining about Beitild and how she has ruined their reputation. While Leigelf might be the most likely suspect, no one knows for certain who put the hit on his ex-wife.
4 Who Owns The Lover's Tent?
Northeast of Dawnstar lies a unique tent near the shoreline. This tent has two unowned bedrolls, various flowers, empty wine bottles, and an Amulet of Mara.
These items highly imply that this is a lover's tent, which is coincidentally what Prima's Skyrim guide calls this location. Who exactly used this tent? Is this a romantic spot that anyone can use? No one in the town talks about it.
3 Who Sells The Skull Of Corruption To Whiterun Guards?
Completing the "Waking Nightmares" Daedric quest in Dawnstar can potentially grant players the Skull of Corruption, a unique artifact that can harvest dreams to become stronger. Like most items in Skyrim, it can be sold to vendors for a large amount of Gold.
Strangely, the Skull of Corruption can be found on Whiterun guards if they sell the item. Not bandits, mages, or any common enemy in the game. Only Whiterun guards can obtain this weapon once sold. Why would a Whiterun guard be interested in a Daedric artifact? Thankfully, they only hold the item and don't actively use it. Jarl Balgruuf might want to make sure Mephala or Vearmina aren't influencing the inhabitants of the city.
2 How Did The Mysterium Xarxes Enter Silus's Possession?
For those that never played Oblivion, the Mysterium Xarxes is a critical main story item that, when all four pages were combined, would create a portal to the Mythic Dawn's Daedric realm named Paradise. Creating the portal during the campaign seems to have scorched all four pages, but it seems that once has survived.
It seems that Silus Vesuius has a page from this coveted item that can be viewed at the Mythic Dawn museum in Dawnstar. How exactly did he obtain this item? These pages were thought lost after they were used in Oblivion. It wasn't inherited from a family member. Also, shooting the book with a Destruction spell will spawn a bucket for some reason. Why is that?
1 Why Do Dragons Attack Dawnstar So Frequently?
No matter how in-tune a player is with Elder Scrolls lore, nearly every Skyrim fan can attest to how much of a dragon-magnet Dawnstar is. Nearly every time a player travels to this zone a dragon can be seen flying near the capital.
There doesn't seem to be any particular reason as to why dragons love to terrorize Dawnstar out of all places. It isn't uncommon to fight two or even three dragons upon fast-traveling to this location. Nothing in the game's lore can explain why their spawn rate is so high in Dawnstar. No NPCs acknowledge their dragon invasion problems, either.