The Elder Scrolls: Tamriel

Hidden deep within the rugged mountains west of Windhelm, Irkngthand is one of the largest and most mysterious Dwemer ruins in Skyrim—its entrance nearly lost to time, buried beneath snow, stone, and forest overgrowth. Within, it unfolds into a sprawling, ancient city of towering metal halls, glowing machinery, and haunting silence, untouched for centuries since the disappearance of the Dwemer. Irkngthand plays a central role in the Thieves Guild questline during Blindsighted, as the Dragonborn pursues Mercer Frey into its depths. The ruin reveals not only deadly Falmer and malfunctioning Dwemer constructs, but also the architectural wonder of the Irkngthand Grand Cavern, where light from above streams through collapsed ceilings onto glimmering Dwemer stone. From ancient traps and puzzles to final betrayal beneath the earth, Irkngthand is a forgotten jewel of lost brilliance—where betrayal, legacy, and the last whispers of a vanished race linger in every gear and shadow.