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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Game Add-Ons (DLC) Hints

Post-Quest Notes

  • 1 of 8: Serana will talk to you right after the quest is over. What you say to her will only determine whether she leaves your company right then. If she does, you can talk to her again anytime to get her to follow you again.
  • 2 of 8: Before you leave the cathedral, loot Harkon's ashes to get a lot of good stuff, including his unique vampire-friendly sword (if you didn't pickpocket it from him earlier).
  • 3 of 8: You're now master of the castle! Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to amount to any more than being able to sleep in any of the coffins in the castle.
  • 4 of 8: Also, you can talk to Garen Marethi once he's back in the main keep area and have him restore the passage that connects to the courtyard. Exit and reenter the keep area, then look near where Marethi usually stands around to find a door that leads to the courtyard.
  • 5 of 8: Don't forget that you can continue to use the Bloodstone Chalice to get the Blood of the Ancients effect. It's very useful if you use your Vampiric Drain spell a lot.
  • 6 of 8: Fast-travel to the Castle Volkihar Balcony area, then enter Valerica's lab (which the game calls a "study"). Use the teleporter to return to the Soul Cairn area, then run across it to reach the Boneyard castle. Valerica should be at or near her alchemy table in the area where you first found her. Trade a few last soul husks to her for soul husk extract potions if you want to, since you're about to lose the option to do that. (If you do what the next hint says to.)
  • 7 of 8: Tell her that Harkon is dead, then return to her lab in the castle to find that she's moved there. You can't get any more soul husk extract potions from her, but you can return to the courtyard and harvest the plants in her new garden.
  • 8 of 8: Serana and the two named death hounds in the keep will continue to be available as followers, and all the keep merchants will continue to be merchants. You can also continue doing the randomized Side Quests, plus get the new side quest "Destroying the Dawnguard."