Black Book: Untold Legends (Quest)

For other uses, see Black Book: Untold Legends.

Black Book: Untold Legends is a quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn in which the Dragonborn must find the hidden knowledge within the Black Book Untold Legends in the realm of Apocrypha. The Black Book can be found in Benkongerike. Read it to begin the quest.

Background[]

Objectives[]

1. Learn the Black Book's hidden knowledge

Walkthrough[]

After reading the book, the Dragonborn will arrive in Apocrypha. Walk forward and enter Chapter II. The second section here has one Lurker, and two paths that lead to different chapters, III (to the north) and IV (to the south).

Chapter III is just a room with a Seeker and some treasure (usually a Conjuration spell tome and random books). After claiming the treasure, go back to Chapter II and proceed to Chapter IV.

Chapter IV is a large room with a cage in the center and seven alcoves. There are a few Seekers here and some skill books. Four of the alcoves contain Fonts of Magicka and Stamina, and pods with random treasure (mostly books). Go to the middle right alcove and activate the scrye to open the gate to reach another scrye inside it, which opens the gate on the middle left alcove. Activate the scrye there to open the gate in the center. Once inside the center room, activate the last scrye to open the gate to the last alcove, which contains a vessel with treasure and the book that leads to the Chapter V.

Chapter V is mostly a straight shot to the final book. Read it and choose one of the three rewards. However, the hallway may curve left or right, and at the end of the curve is a fight with a Lurker Guardian. Then the Dragonborn must go down another hallway that leads back to the original one and repeat the process of going down the main hallway that will once again curve. Once both Lurker Guardians are defeated, access to the book is granted via one more trip down the main hallway.

Rewards[]

Reading the book at the end of Chapter V grants the ability to choose between one of the following powers:

• Bardic Knowledge – "Summons a spectral drum that plays for 300 seconds, improving Stamina Regen for you and nearby allies."
• Black Market – "Summons a Dremora merchant for 15 seconds."
• Secret Servant – "Summons a Dremora butler for 15 seconds to carry your excess items."

Journal[]

Trivia[]

• Reading any Black Book at any time while in Apocrypha will return the Dragonborn to where the book was read in Solstheim.
• Black Books cannot be read while in Skyrim; they will only work in Solstheim.
• There is a very well-hidden pod containing random books located in Chapter II near the first Lurker. Facing west, it is on a ledge attached to the right book pillar facing the acid lake. While the ledge is possible to be jumped onto, the jump must be very precise. It is highly recommended that one saves first before attempting this and uses the shout Slow Time, as it allows the player to 'float' around the pillar.
• Using the Slow Time or Whirlwind Sprint shout, it is possible to run through the hallway in Chapter V before it starts to curve, thus skipping the fight against the Lurker Guardians.
• When going back to Chapter IV from Chapter V, the Chapter is mistitled "Chapter III" instead of "Chapter IV".

Bugs[]

• When the tunnels curve, it may curve all the way, blocking the path to the hidden knowledge.
  • This can be fixed by using the Whirlwind Sprint shout to cross it before it closes completely.

Appearances[]

• The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn