The White Phial

Phial of the Virgin Snow

During a trip to Windhelm, visit the market stalls in the southwest corner of the walled city. Close by is the White Phial, a place for potions, alchemy...and arguments it seems. Enter the premises, where the proprietor Nurelion is having a heated discussion with his assistant Quintus Navale. From what you overhear, it seems Nurelion (who is old, even for an elf), has been focusing his entire life on finding a mythological “White Phial” and has even named his shop after it. Now, at the end of his life, he believes he’s found the Phial’s location but is too infirm to retrieve it. Strike up a conversation with Nurelion and offer to find the Phial for him. He tells you it is buried with its maker, Curamil, in a cave to the west. As the Phial will be difficult to reach, Nurelion has prepared a concoction to take with you.

• Nurelion’s Mixture

Journey west along River Yorgrim and up into the mountains looking for some scattered standing stones. Expect wolves along the way and a large lantern at the cave entrance. Step inside, and you’re greeted by the (immobile) skeleton of the last man to try and extricate treasure from this place. Pass dead man’s cart, and head into the snow cave, where wild animal attacks are likely. Once all animals are slain, move around to the west and open the Iron Door. Descend the spiral steps to a winding corridor. When it straightens out, watch for a trigger plate on the floor, or face a flurry of darts. Then the Draugr come.

Fight off these bony fiends as you head north, then west into a Draugr crypt. The small maze of interlocking rooms has an Iron Door to unlock (allowing access to a treasure chest), but more importantly there’s an exit out into the larger catacombs with banks of the Nordic dead, many of which come alive to thwart you. Find the exit to the southeast, into a narrow corridor and a battering ram trap. Avoid this by stepping across the floor plate as you round the corner to the left (north). Open the Iron Door and enter Forsaken Crypt.

You find more Draugr in the grand crypt chamber. Battle them before heading east up the corridor, then up and around to the bridge over the chamber. More tombs creak open, and Draugr appear on the stone balcony opposite. Turn north and watch for the rising floor trap in the semicircular room with more Draugr to crush. The Iron Door leads up to a metal cased bridge. Follow it south, then west into a Draugr corridor ending in a swinging blade trap. Navigate that, and emerge into the burial sanctum. This was the last resting place of Curamil, who promptly rises again!

Battle Curamil and his Draugr brethren, moving around the sanctum so you aren’t surrounded and hacked to pieces. Flee past the swinging blades and let the Draugr come to you if the battle is becoming too difficult. Then inspect the chamber once the dead are buried. Head up the steps to the Word Wall and absorb a Word of Power before heading under the Word Wall to a seemingly dead end. The only scenic point of interest is an ancient bowl.

• Word of Power: Marked for Death

A Phial Defiled

Inspect the ancient bowl and activate it. You pour in the mixture that Nurelion gave you, which fills the chamber in a green mist. A moment later, the rock wall panel descends in front of you, allowing you into a secret chamber. This room contains a large variety of ingredients, an Alchemy Lab, and most importantly of all, a Cracked White Phial to take. Perhaps Nurelion won’t notice the Phial’s blemishes? Now return to the sanctuary, locate the Iron Door in the southwest corner, and head quickly up the connecting stairs, into the Forsaken Cave. Use the wall lever to lower a stone panel, allowing a quick exit back to the surface.

• Cracked White Phial

Quest Conclusion

Return to the White Phial and present Nurelion with the Cracked White Phial. He notices the damage. After thinking you were at fault and then sinking into a depression, Nurelion asks you to leave, as he’s not in the mood to entertain guests. Then he retires to his bed. Head over to Quintus, who thanks you for your help anyway and hands you some gold for your troubles. As the quest concludes, Quintus tries to make Nurelion’s final days a little less painful.

• 500 gold pieces

Postquest Activities

The White Phial’s power may draw you back in to help Nurelion and Quintus once again. But only after you complete certain additional tasks. Consult Side Quests: Repairing the Phial for more information.