After achieving the necessary display count of 400 and completing Shadows of One's Past (museum heist) you can talk to Marassi to start the excavation of Windcaller Pass.
The dragon fight at the Tower west of Whiterun has to be completed for this quest to start (normally this won't be a problem as Shattered Legacy requires the defeating of Miraak). If one used console commands or mods to circumvent Shattered Legacy requirements this quest will not start until the dragons appear.
*Note: Night at the museum will start independently. So far as was tested these quests can actually be active at the same time.
Walkthrough[]
Meet up with the excavation at Windcaller Pass.[]
Go to Windcaller Pass. A fast travel point should be available, as you already were there during Shadows of One's Past (museum heist)
Clear the area inside Windcaller Pass.[]
A passage opened up since last you were here. Go through it and you'll find a nordic excavation site and face a choice of going left or right. To the left are wolves, to the right are spiders accompanied by a named spider in a big cavern with a couple of chests. However, you can just continue your path forward in whatever direction you choose and circle around.
You'll need to find a collapsed pile of rubble that needs clearing; once there the quest should update to the next stage.
Taking the left road will lead to one of the Icy Shards in a clear view of your path; make your way across the gap and pick it up to start Eternal Ice. A second shard will be in a large room beyond that. If you opted to go right it will be when going back up the ramps to your far left.
Report Back to Marassi.[]
Return and tell Marassi about the blocked passage.
Return to the dig site in a few days.[]
Wait for about three in-game days.
Investigate the clearing in Windcaller Pass.[]
Make your way through North Windcaller Pass, the blockage will now have been cleared. Further in the cave is a named troll that carries a key to a master-locked room with a third shard.
Continue to the clearing, (an outside map; you can fast-travel away from this place, but not back). Atop two inactive word walls are the two named dragons Sorgul and Yekrem. After defeating them make sure to loot their unique scales for the dragon display in the Gallery of Natural Sciences.
Find out what the Dragons were guarding.[]
In the middle of the clearing between the two-word walls, there is a chest behind some trees. Take the Jade Claw from the chest.
Return to Marassi before continuing.[]
Fast-travel back to the entrance of North Windcaller Pass and talk with Marassi at the excavation's base camp.
Find out where the Puzzle Door Key goes.[]
The whole gang will follow you; travel back to the clearing and enter South Windcaller Pass. Follow along to a Puzzle Door, enter the symbols (Bear - Whale - Snake) and enter the chamber.
Search the Chamber.[]
On an altar is the fourth icy shard and in front of that an expert-locked lockbox. Take the Windcaller's Ring and Windcaller's Talisman from the lockbox. Before the staircase to the altar, on the right side, there is a chest.
Show Marassi the Windcaller Relics.[]
Latoria will take the Relics back to Auryen.
Continue exploring Windcaller Pass.[]
Continue further in, there will be a large room with three trolls and a nordic excavation site. Another icy shard is located next to the fireplace. A small cutscene will play when you reach another blocked passage.
Check back with the expedition in a few days.[]
Leave or wait for about three in-game days until the quest updates itself to the next stage.
Check back with the Excavation.[]
Return to the excavation team and talk to Kyre - they should from now on be located in Windpass Refuge, the clearing where the dragons were.
Clear the next section of the pass.[]
Go further into South Windcaller Pass. If you go straight ahead, you'll reach a large icy room with some ice wraiths. Directly after entering there will be another icy shard on the left side in an alcove.
Continue until you reach a blocked room with a stone tablet. Nearing the blockage will update the quest.
Return to Marassi and report the barrier.[]
Go back to the excavation camp in the clearing and talk to Marassi.
Return in a few days to check up on the Excavation.[]
Again, wait or leave for about three in-game days until the quest updates itself to the next stage.
Check back with the excavation.[]
Return to the Clearing, Latoria should talk to you once you arrive.
Talk to Marassi.[]
Check in with Marassi.
Find the terrible creature that stole the Windcaller Relics.[]
Go even deeper in South Windcaller's Pass, past the last blockage. There is a room with three trolls and the last icy shard; straight ahead there will be a room where you'll see a raccoon. You need to get near the raccoon for the quest to update.
Continue through Windcaller Pass.[]
You retrieved the relics and helped the raccoon, now go back to the previous room; the raccoon will follow you. A passage should have opened up to the right; you'll encounter two troll offsprings along the way until you reach a passage with gates.
Escape the gated passage.[]
When you enter the passage the gates will close behind you.
Watch the raccoon.[]
Wait a bit till the raccoon comes near the gate. It will pull the chain and set you free. Now he saves you.
Continue through the passage.[]
Continue through the last tunnel until you get back outside near Ivarstead.
Rejoin the excavation team.[]
Return to the excavation in the clearing (this is a good time to finish up Eternal Ice). A cutscene will play where the team makes some jokes about the "terrible beast" and names it Fafnir. The quest then finishes and the team will return to the Guildhouse (takes three in-game days).
Quest Stages[]
|
The Excavation of Windcaller Pass (DBM_EXCAVATION01) | |
|---|---|
| Stage |
Journal Entry |
| The excavation has hit a dead stop due to the presence of two dragons in an open clearing within the pass. I should deal with them and investigate what they may be guarding. | |
| The Explorers are underway with an excavation of Windcaller Pass north of the great mountain. I should travel there and meet up with the team at the base camp to see what I can do to help out.
Objective : | |
| I've met up with the expedition at the north Passage of Windcaller Pass. They have opened the sealed passage but where met with hostile creatures. I should clear the way for them to continue the dig and see what I can discover inside.
Objective : | |
| I've cleared the way within the pass but came to a collapsed tunnel that bars the way. I should let Marassi know that they can continue with the dig.
Objective : | |
| The team is back on the job. I should check back in a few days and see how the progress is coming.
Objective : | |
| I should check back with the Windcaller Pass excavation and see how things are progressing.
Objective : | |
| The excavation has hit a dead stop due to the presence of two dragons in an open clearing within the pass. I should deal with them and investigate what they may be guarding.
Objective : | |
| I have slain two dragons of Windcaller Pass. I should investigate and see what they were guarding.
Objective : | |
| I've recovered a puzzle door claw from Windcaller Pass. I should return to Marassi before proceeding.
Objective : | |
| The explorers will accompany me to find where the claw key fits in the next section of the pass.
Objective : | |
| We've discovered a locked chamber in Windcaller Pass. I should see what is here.
Objective : | |
| I've found an ancient amulet and ring inside a lock box in Windcaller Pass. I should show Marassi and see what he thinks.
Objective : | |
| We've send Latoria back to Auryen at the base camp with the Windcaller relics for him to investigate while we press onward.
Objective : | |
| Objective : | |
| It's been a few days and the explorers should be through the rocks blocking our way. I'll check back in with them.
Objective : | |
| The group has once again broken through into a new area of Windcaller Pass but were fended off by the denizens. They're preparing in the clearing while I make the next passage safe.
Objective : | |
| I've cleared out the next section of the passage and come to another barrier blocking our progress. I'll let Marassi know about it.
Objective : | |
| The Excavation crew are continuing their dig. I should give them some more time to work and check back later.
Objective : | |
| I should return to the excavation.
Objective : | |
| Some terrible creature apparently stole the Windcaller Relics from Latoria inside the pass. I should see what Marassi knows about it.
Objective : | |
| Marassi has told me that the excavation crew is leery about continuing in the pass until this unknown creature is dealt with. I will delve back into the pass and find what it is, and hopefully recover the lost relics.
Objective : | |
| I've discovered the "terrible creature" who stole the Windcaller Relics, and it's turned out to be a raccoon of all thing. Its hand was stuck as it tried to stash the relics and now that I've freed it, it seems to want to follow me around. I'll just keep exploring.
Objective : | |
| Objective : | |
| That little thief raccoon has just saved my life! After getting trapped in a gas filled passage, he climbed up and hit the switch to disable it. I think I can feel the cool wind from outside. There must be an exit around here close.
Objective : | |
| I've found the exit from Windcaller Pass. A large boulder was blocking the exit but I was able to push it enough that it rolled free from the entrance. I should return to the clearing and rejoin the excavation.
Objective : | |
| We've successfully excavated Windcaller Pass, and made away with a nice haul of artifacts and other antiquities as well as a furry mascot we named Fafnir. The Explorers will break down the camp and I can rejoin them at a later time back at the guild house.
Objective : | |
Queststages:
SETSTAGE DBM_EXCAVATION01 5- set up quest aliases 10- Enable camp, meet the excavation 20- Clear the first section of the cavern 30- Return to Marassi 35- Wait for 3 days 40- Return to the excavation 45- Destroy the 2 dragons 46- (one dragon killed) 47- Find what they were guarding (chest enabled) 50- Return to Marassi with the claw 60- Find where the claw key is used 61- Find the relics 62- Show Marassi the windcaller relics 65- Continue exploring the caverns 70- (trigger pillar blockage scene) 80- Return in 3 days 90- Return to the excavation 100- Clear the next section 110- Return to Marassi 120- Return in 3 days 130- Return to the excavation 131- Ask Marassi about the creature 140- Find the terrible beast and the windcaller relics 141- continue exploring (found the beast, got the relics back) 142- (Locked in cage) 143- (Racoon moving to unlock cage) 144- (cage opened) 145- Return to excavation 146- End Scene trigger (in pass) 150- Quest complete