Auriel's Bow

Lore & Background

Auriel's Bow serves as the focal point of an ancient prophecy predicted by an Elder Scroll. The Volkihar Clan, led by Lord Harkon, seeks this bow to enact a ritual that will use the power of the three Elder Scrolls to permanently remove the sun from the sky. The location of the bow is revealed only after deciphering the texts found in Blackreach and the Soul Cairn. Inside Darkfall Cave, the player encounters Gelebor, one of the last remaining Snow Elves and a Knight-Paladin of the Chantry of Auri-El. He guides the player through a series of tasks to retrieve the bow from his corrupted brother, Arch-Curate Vyrthur. Vyrthur himself created the prophecy in retaliation for being afflicted with vampirism by Auri-El, intending to use the bow to disrupt the god's influence and block out the sun.

In Their Own Story

The path to retrieving Auriel's Bow begins when the player travels to Darkfall Cave after learning its location from the Elder Scrolls. Inside, they meet Gelebor, who explains that the bow was hidden by his brother, Arch-Curate Vyrthur. The player and Serana confront Vyrthur in the Chantry's Inner Sanctum, discovering he is a vampire corrupted by the Falmer. After defeating Vyrthur and completing the necessary tasks, the player secures Auriel's Bow. This acquisition is pivotal to the main storyline. If the player follows the Volkihar path, they use the bow to confront Lord Harkon in Castle Volkihar, eventually slaying him to stop his plan. In the Dawnguard path, the player aids Isran and Serana in hunting down the other Elder Scrolls and retrieving the bow from Vyrthur, using it as a critical asset against the vampire threat.

Reader's Guide

To obtain Auriel's Bow, players must first progress through the main questline of the Dawnguard expansion. After meeting Serana and returning to Castle Volkihar or Fort Dawnguard, the player learns they need two more Elder Scrolls: one from Blackreach and one from Valerica in the Soul Cairn. The journey to the Soul Cairn requires either being blooded as a vampire by Serana or becoming partially soul-trapped. Once the scrolls are gathered, the location of Darkfall Cave is revealed. Inside, players must navigate the cave to find Gelebor and defeat Arch-Curate Vyrthur in the Chantry's Inner Sanctum. Upon defeating Vyrthur, the bow can be retrieved. The bow is then used in the final confrontation against Lord Harkon at Castle Volkihar to end his threat.

Did You Know?

• Auriel's Bow is located within Darkfall Cave, which is revealed only after reading two additional Elder Scrolls found in Blackreach and the Soul Cairn.
• Arch-Curate Vyrthur, the guardian of Auriel's Bow, created the prophecy himself as an act of revenge against Auri-El for afflicting him with vampirism.
• The retrieval of Auriel's Bow requires traveling to the Soul Cairn, a realm of Oblivion, where Valerica is found hiding with one of the necessary Elder Scrolls.