Black Book: The Winds of Change

Buried Beneath Bloodskal Barrow

In the five Black Book quests, you must find and leaf through one of five archaic tomes that transport you to Hermaeus Mora’s realm of Apocrypha. This particular book is nestled deep within Bloodskal Barrow, which you access from Raven Rock Mine.

Reach the Black Book chamber by completing Solstheim Side Quests: The Final Descent. You need to finish some of this quest by completing the following tasks:

• Locate Raven Rock Mine and agree to help Crescius search for the secrets of his ancestors.
• Descend to the bottom of the mine, and make your way through the long Draugr crypt.
• This is Bloodskal Barrow; the Draugr-killing continues until you reach a grand basalt chasm.
• Approach the sealed door, and use the power attacks of the Bloodskal Blade to open it.
• Avoid the blade traps, then face off against and defeat the Dragon Acolyte Priest Zahkriisos.
• Learn the Word of Power from the Dragon Aspect Shout at the Word Wall before leaving.
• The chamber you must reach is a circular spiral stepped area with a small waterfall.
• Reach the pedestal containing the Black Book and read it. You are transported to Apocrypha.
• Word of Power: Dragon Aspect
• Black Book: The Winds of Change

Adventurer’s Insight

The great fetid seas of Apocrypha greet you. Focus on the path and head southeast, climbing the stepped platforms to your left as you turn east. Fight two or three Seekers as you go. Avoid the tentacle from the black pond as you reach a Scrye that opens a gate ahead (northeast) of you.

Head past a black table and a Magicka font, moving to a Stamina font, a black table, and a Scrye crammed together. The Scrye opens a second gate. Head southwest, engaging two more Seekers in the corridor beyond. Gather Magicka from a font as you continue south to a Scrye.

This opens a gate to the south, leading to a larger, open chamber with a ramp and a forming Lurker. Slay this atrocity, before or after you activate the Scrye to the west. There are two Magicka fonts to siphon here too. The Scrye on the ground elongates the steps. The Scrye atop the ramp opens the gate atop these steps.

Quest Conclusion

The gate allows access to the pedestal containing the tome and an adjacent vessel to ransack. Open the book and you can select from among the following powers:

• Scholar’s Insight (Reading Skill Books gives you an extra Skill Point)
• Companion’s Insight (Your attacks, Shouts, and destruction spells do no damage to your Followers)
• Lover’s Insight (Do 10% more damage and get 10% better prices from people of the opposite sex)

Postquest Activities

Choose your power, then access the book to transport back to Solstheim.