Skyrim:The Rift

Hold: The Rift (lore page)
Capital	Riften (map)
Jarl's Residence	Mistveil Keep
Military Fort	Fort Greenwall
Initial Affiliation	Stormcloaks
Imperial Government
Jarl	Maven Black-Briar
Steward	Hemming Black-Briar
Housecarl	Maul
Stormcloaks Government
Jarl	Laila Law-Giver
Steward	Anuriel
Housecarl	Unmid Snow-Shod
Location
Southeast part of Skyrim

The Rift's aspen forests

The Rift is a hold in southeast Skyrim, with its capital in Riften. It is initially affiliated with the Stormcloaks, but can be captured by the Imperials after completing Compelling Tribute and The Battle for Fort Greenwall. It can also change sides as part of negotiations during Season Unending.

The Rift is the southernmost of Skyrim's holds, sitting on a massive plateau in the southeastern corner of the province. The Rift borders both Morrowind and Cyrodiil, and is separated from the rest of the world by steep cliffs and mountains, including the Jerall Mountains, the Velothi Mountains, and the legendary Throat of the World. It holds two large lakes as well as autumnal deciduous forests.

In addition to its capital in Riften, the Rift also houses the settlements of Ivarstead and Shor's Stone.

Map of the Rift

Riften, the hold capital

Flora and Fauna

The Rift is particularly distinctive for its high number of aspen trees, with white bark and leaves in autumnal hues. For those looking for alchemy ingredients, the Rift contains all variants of mountain flowers, as well as the native scaly pholiota and the canis root. The Rift is also the only place to find wild gourd plants.

As for the fauna the most notable is the rich population of fish and Nordic barnacle in Lake Honrich, which fuel the economy of Riften.

Places

All locations in the Rift with individual map markers are listed. There are a few places without map markers listed for their significance.

Hold Capital

•  Riften — A major city in the southeast of Skyrim near the borders of Morrowind and Cyrodiil, and the capital of the Rift. (map)
•  Mistveil Keep — A castle located at the southern end of Riften. (map)
•  Riften Docks^CC — An extensive dock located on the western side of Riften. (map)
•  Riften Stables — A stable outside the northern entrance to Riften. (map)
•  Thieves Guild — The headquarters of the Thieves Guild located with the sewers beneath Riften, known as The Ratway. (map)

Farms, Towns, and Settlements including Orc Strongholds and Inns

•  Alchemist's Shack — A small shack south of Ivarstead. (map)
•  Black-Briar Lodge — A large remote building east of Riften. (map)
•  Froki's Shack — A small shack southeast of Ivarstead. (map)
•  Goldenglow Estate — A honey farm west of Riften containing mercenaries, skeevers, and the farm's owner Aringoth. (map)
•  Heartwood Mill — A struggling lumber mill on the shores of Lake Honrich, west of Goldenglow Estate. (map)
•  Ivarstead — A small milling town at the base of the Throat of the World. (map)
•  Largashbur — An accursed Orc stronghold beset by giants in the southeast of Skyrim, west-southwest of Riften. (map)
•  Merryfair Farm — A poor, small farm northwest of Riften, owned and run by Dravin Llanith and his wife Synda Llanith. (map)
•  Sarethi Farm — A farm between Riften and Ivarstead that has learned to cultivate nirnroot. (map)
•  Shor's Stone — A small mining town in the pass between the Rift and Eastmarch. (map)
•  Snow-Shod Farm — A small farm south of Riften that is owned by Vulwulf Snow-Shod. (map)

Camps, including Giant Camps and Military Camps

•  Last Vigil^DB — A small camp northeast of Riften. (map)
•  Rift Imperial Camp — An Imperial camp in the Rift, located south of Ivarstead and west of the Ruins of Bthalft. (map)
•  Rift Stormcloak Camp — A Stormcloak camp in the Rift, located northeast of Sarethi Farm and west of Rift Watchtower. (map)

Caves

•  Boulderfall Cave — A small cave northwest of Riften containing necromancers. (map)
•  Broken Helm Hollow — A small cave in the southeast corner of The Rift containing bandits. (map)
•  Clearspring Cave — A small cave west of Shor's Stone containing a troll. (map)
•  Crystaldrift Cave — A small cave southwest of Riften containing leveled animals. (map)
•  Darkwater Pass — A small cave south-southwest of Darkwater Crossing containing Falmer and chaurus. (map)
•  Fallowstone Cave — A small cave northeast of Riften containing leveled animals, frostbite spiders, and giants. (map)
•  Gromm's Pass^CC — A small cave located in the Rift, south of Forelhost. (map)
•  Honeystrand Cave — A small cave south of Ivarstead containing bears. (map)
•  Nightingale Hall — The home of the Nightingales between Riften and the Shadow Stone. (map)
•  Pinepeak Cavern — A small cave north of Ivarstead containing bears. (map)
•  Redwater Den^DG — A shack northwest of Riften containing bandits and vampires. (map)
•  Ruunvald Excavation^DG — A medium-sized cave east of Shor's Stone containing Vigilants charmed by the conjurer Minorne. (map)
•  Tolvald's Cave — A large cave northeast of Shor's Stone containing Falmer, chaurus, frostbite spiders, and skeevers. (map)

Dragon Lairs

•  Autumnwatch Tower — A dragon lair south of Ivarstead. (map)
•  Lost Tongue Overlook — A dragon lair south of Riften. (map)
•  Northwind Summit — A mountaintop dragon lair northwest of Shor's Stone. (map)

Mines

•  Lost Prospect Mine — A small gold mine east-northeast of Riften. (map)
•  Northwind Mine — A small iron mine northwest of Shor's Stone containing skeletons. (map)
• Redbelly Mine — A small ebony mine in western Shor's Stone initially containing frostbite spiders. (map)

Ruins including Dwarven and Nordic

•  Angarvunde — A medium-sized Nordic ruin west of Riften containing draugr. (map)
•  Arcwind Point — A small Nordic ruin south of Ivarstead containing draugr and skeletons. (map)
•  Avanchnzel — A medium-sized Dwarven ruin west of Riften containing Dwarven automatons. (map)
•  Champion's Rest^CC — A medium-sized Nordic ruin located in the Rift, east of Shor's Stone. (map)
•  Forelhost — A medium-sized Nordic ruin southeast of Riften containing Dragon Cultists, draugr, skeevers, and the dragon priest Rahgot. (map)
•  Geirmund's Hall — A small Nordic ruin east of Ivarstead containing draugr, frostbite spiders, skeevers, and the draugr Sigdis Gauldurson. (map)
•  Shroud Hearth Barrow — A medium-sized Nordic ruin east of Ivarstead containing draugr and skeletons. (map)

Standing Stones and Daedric Shrines

•  The Shadow Stone — One of the thirteen Standing Stones scattered across Skyrim, (map)

Towers and Forts

•  Darklight Tower — A medium-sized fort southwest of Riften containing hagravens, hags, and witches. (map)
•  Faldar's Tooth — A medium-sized fort west of Riften containing bandits, wolves, and skeevers. (map)
•  Fort Dawnguard^DG — A large fort southeast of Riften which serves as the Dawnguard's base of operations. (map)
•  Fort Greenwall — A large fort north-northwest of Riften initially occupied by bandits. (map)
•  Nilheim — A small ruined Nordic tower east-northeast of Ivarstead containing bandits disguised as guards. (map)
•  Rift Watchtower — A small tower east of Ivarstead containing Orc bandits. (map)
•  Shor's Watchtower — A small tower north-northeast of Shor's Stone. (map)
•  Stendarr's Beacon — A small tower southeast of Riften. (map)
•  Treva's Watch — A medium-sized fort southeast of Ivarstead containing bandits. (map)

Landmarks, including Bodies of Water, Clearings, Ships and Shipwrecks

The Velothi Mountains viewed from Stendarr's Beacon

•  Autumnshade Clearing — A circular glade inhabited by a spriggan and its attending animals. (map)
•  Clearspring Tarn — A small mountain pool on the cliff overlooking Eastmarch, due east of Snapleg Cave and west of Shor's Stone. (map)
• Darkwater River — A river connecting Lake Geir to the White River. (map)
•  Giant's Grove — A grove accessed through Fallowstone Cave containing a giant whose tribe has defiled a shrine of Malacath. (map)
• Jerall Mountains — A mountain range that stretches along the southern border of Skyrim. (map)
• Lake Geir — A lake in the western Rift. (map)
• Lake Honrich — A lake in the eastern Rift, immediately southwest of Riften. (map)
•  Ruins of Bthalft — A small Dwarven ruin south of Ivarstead containing bandits. (map)
•  Ruins of Rkund — A small Dwarven ruin in the mountains southwest of Riften containing a wispmother and wisps. (map)
• Treva River — A river in the center of the Rift. (map)
• Velothi Mountains — A mountain range that stretches along the eastern border of Skyrim. (map)

Unmarked Places

• There are three Dragon Mounds in the Rift.
  • Northeast of Autumnwatch Tower.
  • West of Autumnshade Clearing.
  • North of Lost Tongue Overlook.
• There are two Shrines in the Rift.
  • A Shrine of Talos southwest of Froki's Shack.
  • A Shrine of Zenithar west of Fallowstone Cave.

The Rift Quests

Quests that are started in or related to the Rift (except for radiant quests begun in other holds) are listed here:

Main Quest

• The Way of the Voice: Meet the Greybeards.
• A Cornered Rat: Locate Esbern.

Imperial Legion Civil War Quests

• Reunification of Skyrim: Reunite Skyrim under the leadership of the Empire. (radiant)
• The Battle for Fort Greenwall: Take Fort Greenwall for the Imperials. (radiant)

Daedric Quests

• The Cursed Tribe: Help lift the curse placed on the Orcs of Largashbur by Malacath.

Dark Brotherhood

• Innocence Lost: Help an orphaned child avoid being returned to a sadistic caretaker.
• Kill Narfi: Kill a hapless beggar in Ivarstead.

Thieves Guild

• All primary quests except for Hard Answers, as well as the special jobs, either originate or terminate here.

Side Quests including Divine Quests

• The Book of Love: Help the Temple of Mara spread the cause of love throughout Skyrim.
• Forbidden Legend: Investigate the forgotten Gauldur Legend.
• Infiltration: Help Stalleo take back Treva's Watch.
• Kyne's Sacred Trials: Participate in Kyne's Sacred Trials by hunting the guardian beasts of Skyrim.
• Promises to Keep: Help Louis Letrush get Frost from Sibbi Black-Briar.
• Repentance: Help Illia prevent her mother Silvia from transforming into a hagraven.
• A Return To Your Roots: Go where a famous alchemist could not in order to aid ground-breaking research.
• Siege on the Dragon Cult: Enter the ruins of Forelhost and defeat Rahgot to recover his mask for Captain Valmir.
• Unfathomable Depths: Uncover the memories of the Dwemer.

Dawnguard Quests

• Dawnguard Main Questline
  • Dawnguard^DG: Speak with the leader of the Dawnguard.
  • Awakening^DG: Find out what the vampires are looking for.
  • Bloodline^DG: Choose your side!
  • Prophet^DG: Find and rescue a Moth Priest from the vampires.
  • Chasing Echoes^DG: Explore Castle Volkihar.
  • Unseen Visions^DG: Perform a ceremony to read the Elder Scroll.

• Dawnguard Side Quests (all start here, several take place exclusively in the Rift)
  • Ancient Technology^DG: Retrieve Dwemer schematics to improve technology for the Dawnguard. (radiant)
  • Bolstering the Ranks^DG: Find Florentius Baenius and recruit him into the Dawnguard.
  • Cleansing Light^DG: Kill the boss of a vampire lair. (radiant)
  • Destroying the Dawnguard^DG: Kill the Dawnguard leaders.
  • Hide and Seek^DG: Kill a vampire masquerading as a citizen. (radiant)
  • A New Order^DG: Recruit Isran's old allies for the Dawnguard. (radiant)
  • Rescue^DG: Rescue a victim from vampires. (radiant)

Creation Club Quests

• Blue in the Face^CC: Investigate rumors of the Blue God's return.
• Creature of Legend^CC: Track down and tame the last living Unicorn.
• The Gray Cowl of Nocturnal^CC: Investigate the legend of the Gray Fox.
• The Lost Paladin^CC: Find and claim the Sword of Heroes.
• Nordic Jewelry^CC: Learn about Nordic jewelry.
• Pets of Skyrim^CC: Find trained pets around Skyrim.
• Shadowfoot Sanctum^CC: Purchase a cozy sewer home ideal for a thief.
• A Soul Divided^CC: Seek out a cursed Tsaesci blade in the Ratway.
• Vile Whispers^CC: A malevolent Daedric entity long thought destroyed has resurfaced in the Velothi Mountains.

Other

In addition, many miscellaneous quests are located in the Rift. They are listed here.

Notes

• The Rift also appears in ESO.