Skyrim:Extracting an Argonian

Rescue Derkeethus from his Falmer captors. Location(s): Darkwater Crossing, Darkwater Pass Reward: Derkeethus as a potential follower Disposition: +1 (Derkeethus) ID: DarkwaterCrossingDerkeethusRescueQuest Suggested Spells: Muffle, Fire Damage Suggested Level: 9+

Derkeethus, trapped in the cave where you find him

Quick Walkthrough

1. Speak to the residents of Darkwater Crossing.
2. Travel to Darkwater Pass.
3. Search the cave for Derkeethus.
4. Free Derkeethus from his prison.
5. Escort Derkeethus out of the cave.

Detailed Walkthrough

Darkwater Crossing

If you talk to the residents of Darkwater Crossing (for example Sondas Drenim, a miner in nearby Goldenrock Mine), you will soon hear of an Argonian named Derkeethus who recently went to explore the pools around Darkwater - and who hasn't been seen in a long time. The residents will not be able to say for sure where Derkeethus is, but he has actually run into trouble inside Darkwater Pass.

Locating Darkwater Pass can be difficult. The easiest route from Darkwater Crossing is to cross the bridge that spans the river to the southwest of the settlement. At the crossing, take the right path. Just before you reach the second bridge and Fort Amol, a stone marker to the left of the road will indicate a dusty path heading west up the mountainside. Follow the path as it curves sharply south, and onward through the trees along the cliff's edge. Eventually you will come to a large pool fed by three large waterfalls. Drop into the pool and turn directly around to the north - an iron door in the cliff wall in front of you leads to Darkwater Pass.

Darkwater Pass

Follow the low tunnel past an unlocked chest, and you will reach a small cavern. Watch out - a Falmer will drop out of a Falmer hive in the wall immediately to your right as you enter. Follow the path up into a larger cavern. A Falmer waits immediately ahead outside a tent, and yet another may drop from a hive above and to the left. In the north wall is an opening into a pillared chamber where three chaurus reside. Head past this chamber and up the stairs to reach a small room with a trap door in the center. Look down through the bars to see Derkeethus pacing about in his cell below. Be mindful of the Falmer in the adjoining room with an arcane enchanter (step in here and two more Falmer will drop from the hives up near the ceiling).

Northeast from the center of the trap door, there is a lever on the wall. Pulling this lever lowers a section of wall, revealing a spiral staircase heading down. A corridor in the west wall leads south to a small circular room called Darkwater Pit. As soon as you approach, Derkeethus will engage you in conversation and ask you to help him escape. The Darkwater Pit Key is in the left Burial Urn just inside the gate, but the gate is the standard barred prison cell door with sufficient gaps to allow you to reach through and take the key from the burial urn. If he has lockpicks in his inventory, Derkeethus may have already escaped his cell and be waiting somewhere in the corridor. If this has happened, it may alert the Falmer in the arcane enchanter room.

Although there is still more of Darkwater Pass to explore, the easiest way to get Derkeethus out is to head straight back the way you came - particularly as he will not crouch into a sneaking stance when you do during this quest, and there are some nasty traps and Falmer further up the cave.

Once you have led Derkeethus to safety, he will thank you for saving him. You can now recruit him as a follower if you wish. If not, you can recruit him at any time from Darkwater Crossing.

Notes

• Derkeethus will only continue to follow you if you remain close to him. If you move too far away he will turn around and return to the pit he started in.
• On rare occasions Derkeethus may appear on the trail between the upper and lower entrances to Darkwater Pass, begging for help escaping the cave. Just lead him to the lower entrance. He will thank you and promptly vanish. He may then be found at Darkwater Crossing.
• This quest can sometimes clash with a Companions quest where an NPC needs to be rescued, potentially giving you two temporary followers.

Bugs

• Residents may only talk about Derkeethus going missing and give no quest or objectives. Locating his cage in Darkwater Pass should bring you to quest stage 20.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.1, fixes this bug. (details)
• Derkeethus may not follow you once freed from his prison. Attempt normal resolutions - waiting, talking, leaving and returning, or reloading the game.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 1.3.1, fixes this bug. (details)
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Quest Stages

Extracting an Argonian (DarkwaterCrossingDerkeethusRescueQuest)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		One of the fisherman from Darkwater Crossing has gone missing, allegedly kidnapped by a group of Falmer nearby. Objective 10: Find Derkeethus.
20		Objective 20: Get Derkeethus out of the cave.
200	Finishes quest	I rescued Derkeethus from the Falmer of Darkwater Pass, and he's returned to his home in Darkwater Crossing.

• The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0, 205.

Notes

• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage DarkwaterCrossingDerkeethusRescueQuest stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest DarkwaterCrossingDerkeethusRescueQuest.