In the quiet hours of dawn, when the world is shrouded in a hazy stillness, a solitary figure stands watch over an ancient garden. The statue of a witch, weathered and worn by time, seems to come alive as the first rays of sunlight caress her stoic face. Cracked and chipped, her stone frame tells a tale of forgotten spells and whispered incantations. Moss and ivy cling to her robes, lending an air of mystique to her presence. As the sky shifts from pale gray to a soft, ethereal blue, the witch statue stands tall and proud, as if guarding secrets hidden within the very essence of the garden. Her piercing eyes, carved with such precision, seem to follow the passage of time, observing the world awaken from its slumber.
A hallway leads to a room with the final pedestal. Activating it opens a set of double doors against the east wall. There is one chest here to the right of those doors. Through the doors and down more stairs, Malkoran can be seen performing some sort of ritual. (Going through the Dungeon can be avoided by walking right of the Statue and going through the entrance to the second part of the Dungeon, to Malkoran's ritual.)
360 Sometimes, upon receiving the quest, the location of the beacon will not appear on the map, making it almost impossible to find it and continue the quest without the use of the console. Walk towards Meridia as soon as she has lifted you into the sky, thereby dropping onto the area at the base of the statue instead of a longer drop further back.
Her piercing eyes, carved with such precision, seem to follow the passage of time, observing the world awaken from its slumber. She is a silent witness to the harmony of nature, as delicate flowers unfurl their petals and birds begin their melodious serenade. Perhaps she was once a revered sorceress, revered for her wisdom and power.
The Break of Dawn
Meridia will command you to find a beacon for her. Once you accept the quest and check out the map, you'll see that the beacon is at the Lost Knife Hideout, just south of Fort Amol and north of the small town of Ivarstead.
Note:SEVERAL readers have emailed me to let me know that the "Lost Knife Hideout" is a RANDOM location for the beacon. Don't be surprised if the game tells YOU to go somewhere else! Just make sure you have some healing potions and feel comfortable taking on the unknown before you head out! Other location emailed to me include "Bleak Falls Barrow" and "Lost Echo Cave".
It is also possible to find this beacon on its own while out adventuring. Doing so will start this quest just as if you had visited the statue.
Head inside the cave once you find it. Inside will be two bandits talking up ahead, so jump them. Note that one of them has a key. Further in are several more bandits, and down below is a lake. When I played, there were a couple of bandits swimming down there, which makes sense since there appears to be a diving board too! Ha! You can also find a TWO HANDED SKILLBOOK called "Words and Philosphy" on the table here. Kill them all, grab the book, and continue forward.
Watch out for a trip wire as you to. As you ascend the ledge on the left, note that there's a path behind you (the planks) that leads to some more bandits and a room with a chest. In front of you is two MORE bandits. Man, this place is infested! Kill them and take the right exit to a loading screen.
In here you can sneak forwards and listen to some bandits complain about their boss. Go in and kill them (there's three in this area) and head to the back where you can find a chest down on the right. Take the stairs up and kill the bandits here (they may be sleeping), but be sure to check the table for a HEAVY ARMOR SKILLBOOK called "Orsinium and the Orcs". Head onwards past the wooden bridge and you'll find a chest in an alcove on the left.
Now from here I'd recommend turning around and dropping through the floor where the water is gushing through. There's a MASTER CHEST here (unlock it if you can) and it leads to the same place the upper path does: the room full of cages. As tempting as it might be (and, I should note, the key you got earlier UNLOCKS these cages), I DON'T recommend opening the saber cat cage. I can almost guarantee it'll attack YOU instead of the bandit. Go forth and kill the bandit, the search the chest behind him. You'll find the beacon inside of it. Once you have the beacon, Meridia will tell you to come back to her.
From here, clean out the cave of bandits (there's about 5-6 more left) and continue FORWARD. It'll load you into the first section of the cave, high above the water (there's a chest to the left here). You can get to the exit easily this way.
Note:If this is your first time to the Lost Knife Hideout, you'll get a notification that says "Return to Kjar". That's because you killed a target for a miscellanous quest in Windhelm. The location of these bandits is random though, but you can go meet Kjar at the docks in Windhelf for a reward if you happen to be so lucky.
Once you're back at the world map, go teleport back to the Statue to Meridia. Once you put the gem back on the pedestal, you'll be whisked away to go talk to Meridia HIGH above Skyrim. Whee! She will task you with cleansing her temple and destroying Malkoran. She'll also want you to reclaim an artifact called Dawnbreaker (a cool name). Once you're safely on land again, follow the objective and enter the temple.
In here, loot the corpses (not a good sign) and head down until you see a door on the left. Pick the door so you can get to a lever, which opens the gate on the right hiding a chest. Loot it and head forward. Wow, Meridia sure wasn't lying: this place is in shambles. Interact with the light pedestal here to unlock the way forward. Past the door you'll finally meet some enemies: corrupted shades. They are pretty much just like dead, ghostly versions of generic soldiers. Take them out and continue, hitting another light pedestal.
Now, THIS tricky pedestal opens up another set of doors, but don't waste your time as the doors lead to a dead-end. Instead, go through a tunnel to the south to continue. You'll fight more shades here, go through two wooden doors, and loot a chest before coming to the next big room. In here, kill the two shades lurking about and loot thoroughly. There's an EXPERT door up above that houses a lever to get to a chest. Once you're done, hit the pedestal and continue to "Kilkreath Balcony". You'll be outside again, just high up on the ruins. Unlock the EXPERT level chest here and head back into the ruins using a higher door.
Head inwards and you'll see walk ways above you. Clear out the bottom floor here before heading up (there are three shades down here). Hit the next light pedestal when you're ready and go through the open door behind you. There's a shade down here and a chest. There's also a door on the right that you should open, but immediately jump back from (there's a floor trap here). Loot it and go through the left path. Watch out for a tripwire and hit the lever at the end. Walk down the walkway now and kill another shade at the end. Explore carefully here, as the corner has a chest and a BLOCK SKILLBOOK entitled "Battle of Red Mountain". Hit the light pedestal now and continue.
In the next room there's two more shades, with paths going up to the left and right. Go to the left first. There's a potion on a pedestal here, but if you remove it spears will come out at your head. You can remove it safely as
long as you aren't facing it head-on. Now go up the right steps and continue out to another light pedestal. Activate it to open the door at the very bottom, then drop down (use the walkways, don't drop ALL the way down just to be save) and continue on to the Kilkreath Catacombs.
Head forwards now and before long you'll see a big room at the bottom of some stairs. When you get near it, your objective will be to "Kill Malkoran". He's in here with 4-5 shades and a TON of corpses. He's a necromancer, so be ready for ice spells and buff yourself up before going in (you can also choose to use the door to funnel the enemies through, just beware of ranged bow and magic attacks). Once he's dead loot everything in here (everything) and go up to the pedestal and interact with it to retrieve Dawnbreaker.
You'll find yourself up high in the sky again. She'll thank you and tell you to keep Dawnbreaker and purge the darkness from the land. Agree to carry it in her name and you'll soon be back on solid ground with a unique sword for your own (it looks pretty neat too and is, as you would expect, magically enchanted to kill the undead). That is the end of this quest.
Topping off the Dragonborn's health/stamina/magicka before the Dragonborn delivers the killing blow to Malkoran will make it easier to survive him, as his shade will rapidly appear and continue throwing frost bolts. It is possible that the shade will use powerful flame or shock spells instead of frost spells.
Or perhaps she was a figure of fear, a symbol of the unknown and the mystical. Whatever her origins may be, the witch statue at the break of dawn exudes an aura of mysticism, drawing one into a surreal realm where the veil between reality and fantasy begins to blur. As the sun climbs higher in the sky, casting an amber glow upon the vast landscape, the witch statue stands resolute, her presence transcending time and space. She is a reminder of the magic that resides within each and every one of us, stirring dormant dreams and igniting the spark of possibility. In a world filled with chaos and uncertainty, her silent presence offers solace, a beacon of hope in an ever-changing world. The witch statue at the break of dawn is more than just an ornament in a forgotten garden; she is a testament to the power of imagination and the enduring allure of the mystical. She serves as a reminder that there is beauty and enchantment to be found in the simplest of things, if only one takes the time to look. As the sun bathes her in its gentle embrace, the witch statue stands unwavering, inviting all who pass by to delve into the realm of magic and wonder..
Reviews for "The Witch Statue's Spellbinding Charm at Sunrise"
- Jessica - 2 stars - I didn't really enjoy "Witch statue at the break of dawn". The story lacked depth and the characters felt flat. The plot was predictable and there were no real surprises or twists. Overall, it felt like a wasted opportunity and I was left disappointed.
- Michael - 1 star - I found "Witch statue at the break of dawn" to be incredibly boring and uninteresting. The writing was dull and the pacing was slow. It felt like nothing was happening for the majority of the story and I struggled to stay engaged. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating read.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really looking forward to "Witch statue at the break of dawn" but was ultimately let down. The story had potential, but the execution fell flat. The dialogue was clunky and forced, and the writing felt amateurish. It lacked the polish and finesse that I expect from a well-written book. Unfortunately, I can't say I enjoyed it.