One of Skyrim's hardest-to-find locations hides some exciting rewards for players who are willing to seek it out. There are a lot of treasures that the player can find in Skyrim, many of them being upgraded weapons and armor that can give them an advantage compared to their current gear. However, the truly special rewards are those that are truly unique. From Daedric Artifacts to items with one-of-a-kind enchantments, some of the best finds in the game stand out because nothing else can replicate them. One particular example offers players a pick of several one-of-a-kind magical rewards.
One of the perks of exploring Skyrim's influential wide-open world is discovering things off of the beaten path. While players can simply follow the main questlines, most of the game's value comes from how much there is to do in the land of Skyrim. Virtually every village, city, and dungeon has something new for the player to find, as well as their own quests to follow. Without all the optional side content for the player to find, Skyrim would have been a far smaller game, likely with a shorter lifespan to boot. Skyrim's sprawling world of quests is a big reason for its iconic status.
Skyrim's Aetherium Forge is a Secret Well Worth Finding
If players go out of their way, they can find Skyrim's Lost to the Ages quest. In the Dwemer ruin of Arkngthamz, the ghost of an adventurer named Katria will offer them assistance. She had been searching for the Aetherium Forge at the time of her death, and the player can follow her instructions to carry out her final wishes. The player will scour several areas in search of the four Aetherium Shards that will grant them access to the legendary forge. Once this long quest is completed, Katria's spirit can finally rest, and the Dragonborn will receive a handsome reward in return for their exhaustive efforts.
In the Aetherium Forge, players can create an item on par with Skyrim's useful Daedric Artifacts in terms of power and uniqueness. The Aetherial Crown will let players have two Standing Stone buffs instead of one, letting them mix the normally exclusive bonuses. The Aetherial Shield will temporarily render an enemy unable to harm the player or be harmed while also forcing them to flee. Finally, the Aetherial Staff will summon a Dwarven Spider or Dwarven Sphere to fight alongside the Dragonborn for 60 seconds. All of these artifacts are powerful, but the player is only allowed to take one, so they must choose wisely.
Lost to the Ages does not have any real impact when it comes to the main storyline of Skyrim, but it embodies a lot of the best qualities of the game. It sends the player on a journey spanning several areas of Skyrim and ends by bringing them to a mythical location that had remained hidden for centuries, if not millennia. Of course, the reward that the player gains from the Aetherium Forge itself is also worthy of excitement, since every option is an immensely useful one-of-a-kind item. It's a quest that deserves praise for how satisfying the ultimate payoff is.
The Aetherium Forge is one of Skyrim's most well-kept secrets that is well worth finding. In addition to being a fascinating part of Skyrim's ancient Dwemer lore, the reward is well worth the long journey that the player will take in order to reach it. The Elder Scrolls 6 would do well to include more locations like the Aetherium Forge, mythical places shrouded in legend for the player to discover. In addition to being cool, it helps to fill in the vast lore of Tamriel. Skyrim has plenty of secrets, and the Aetherium Forge is one well worth chasing.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
