Yngol Barrow: Ashore in a Sea of Ghosts*

Winterhold

Quest Start 1: Visit Birna’s House in the Hold City of Winterhold first, and speak to her. She’s done a bad deal on a trinket she wants rid of. Pay her 50 gold pieces. She tells you to come back if you find anything of interest inside Yngol Barrow, where this is supposed to be placed.

• Coral Dragon Claw

Quest Start 2: Or simply enter Yngol Barrow and locate the Coral Dragon Claw during your exploration. You never need speak to Birna (she won’t have knowledge of the Claw if you find it this way).

Yngol Barrow (Exterior)

To further your knowledge of the tale of Yngol, read the book on the small shrine in front of the Barrow entrance.

• Yngol and the Sea-Ghosts

Yngol Barrow (Interior)

This tomb is suspiciously quiet. You are joined by an ever-increasing number of strange little spirit balls that bounce and seem to act with an otherworldly intelligence. Continue until you reach the portcullis chamber with the lever in front of it. Don’t trigger the dart trap by moving the lever yet! Instead, search the dead scholar, removing his book and reading it.

• Notes on Yngol Barrow

Puzzle Solution: The book is the key here, as it refers to transcription of carvings in this room:

• “Man in his throne, so should he be”: This refers to the throne and skeleton to your right.
• “Whale in the sea, so should he be”: This refers to the pillar to the right of the throne, which is being splashed by water. Change it so the Whale is shown.
• “Eagle in Sun’s Sky, so should he be”: This refers to the pillar bathed in light, left of you. Change it so the Hawk is shown.
• “Snake in the weed, so should he be”: This refers to the grass-covered pillar. Change that so the Snake is shown.

Now pull the lever. Enter the next chamber, where you’ll find the Coral Dragon’s Claw on a dais if you haven’t received it at the start of this quest.

• Coral Dragon Claw

Continue deeper into the barrow until you reach a Nordic Puzzle Door.

Puzzle Solution: The door consists of three rings that rotate. Each of the them has three animals plated into the structure. The puzzle solution is on the palm of the Coral Dragon Claw; rotate it in your inventory to see the three circular petroglyph carvings on the Claw’s palm. Move the rings so the Snake, Wolf, and Moth appear on the outer, middle, and inner rings, respectively. Then insert the Coral Dragon Claw into the keyhole.

Head into the resting place of Yngol. The spirit balls of energy congeal and form into Yngol’s Shade, which must be fought. Then take Yngol’s Helm from the skeletal remains of the warrior, and any other treasure you wish to ransack. Exit via the spiral steps to the southeast.

• Yngol’s Helm