Skyrim:Nchardak

Dwarven Ruin: Nchardak (view on map) (lore page)
# of Zones	4
Clearable	Yes
Dungeon	Yes
Respawn Time	Never (storage is safe)
Level	Min: 25
Occupants
Dwarven Automatons, Reavers
Important Treasure
Black Book: Epistolary Acumen
Console Location Code(s)
DLC2Nchardak00, DLC2Nchardak01, DLC2Nchardak02, DLC2Nchardak03, DLC2NchardakExterior01, DLC2NchardakExterior02, DLC2NchardakExterior03, DLC2NchardakExterior04, DLC2NchardakExterior05
Region
Solstheim
Location
North-northeast of Tel Mithryn East of Ashfallow Citadel
Special Features
# of Tanning Racks	2
# of Cooking Pots/Spits	1
Ore Veins
# of Malachite	4

Nchardak

Nchardak is a large Dwarven ruin north-northeast of Tel Mithryn.

It was known as the "City of a Hundred Towers", and was the largest and perhaps most advanced of the great Dwemer Archives. Legends tell of the time when Nords invaded the city and, in response, the Dwemer submerged the entire complex beneath the sea until the Nords abandoned their siege. At its height, the great workshops of Nchardak were said to be able to produce one complete automaton every day. Much of the Dwemer army that fought at the Battle of Red Mountain came from Nchardak. Although most of the city is now flooded, the pumps inside may still be activated with a control cube.

The ruin cannot be entered until after starting the quest The Path of Knowledge.

Related Quests

• The Kagrumez Gauntlet: Survive the Kagrumez trials to claim a unique prize.
• The Path of Knowledge: Discover the locations of the Black Books in order to stop Miraak.

Walkthrough

Exterior

Nchardak

The natural approach to the largely submerged ruin is from the shore to the northwest. A wide stepped walkway leads southeast to the compound in the sea. The walkway ends at a wall with a juniper tree. To the northeast, you can walk off the edge of the walkway into the water. To the southwest, a curved ramp ascends to an elevated plaza where several reavers have set up camp; they will attack you upon your first visit. The camp area includes two tanning racks, a malfunctioning cooking pot that does not offer the cooking option, three small tents containing bed rolls, a few sacks, a table holding a helmet and a pair of gauntlets, and a knapsack.

On the south side of the plaza, a curved walkway leads to a tower containing a novice-locked Dwarven chest among the rubble. The walkway continues to descend to the southwest into the water near a second, inaccessible tower. At the northeast corner of the plaza, a curved walkway leads down into the water.

On the north side of the plaza, a ramp ascends to the first of two towers which lean towards each other and touch at the top. On the sea floor between these two towers on the north side is an expert-locked Dwarven chest and a battleaxe. The walkway continues east through these two towers to a third tower, which contains three pressure plates that activate a fixed Dwarven bow. Directly behind the aforementioned trapped bow, around the corner in a pile of rubble, sits another novice-locked, small Dwarven chest. From the north side of this tower, a walkway dips close to the water's surface, then rises again to reach a broad semi-circular plaza in front of the entrance to Nchardak Reading Room. The other side of this entrance plaza can also be reached by a walkway starting at the southeast corner of the reavers' plaza.

When you first arrive, a closed gate will block access to the entrance. A control switch to the left of the gate will accept a control cube, opening the gate and allowing access to the entrance door beyond. Neloth, who joins you during the quest The Path of Knowledge, will open the gate using a control cube he found the last time he visited Nchardak. It is not possible to obtain the control cube yourself; you must allow Neloth to open the gate.

Nchardak Reading Room

The entrance leads into a circular room. During the quest The Path of Knowledge, this room will contain the Black Book: Epistolary Acumen within a unique circular protective case in the center of the floor; the book will initially be inaccessible. During the quest, Neloth will explain that the only way to free the book is to restore the steam supply to the room. Four lenses are set into the floor around the case. To the southeast opposite the entrance is a button on a pedestal, which will initially do nothing when used. To the southwest is another control switch that opens the nearby gate to a lift down to Nchardak Great Chamber. As with the exterior gate, Neloth will unlock this gate with his control cube.

After you return from Nchardak Great Chamber with the steam supply restored, pressing the button on the pedestal causes the book's protective case to rise from the floor, making the book available for use. Reading the book starts the quest The Gardener of Men.

Nchardak Great Chamber

Beyond the entrance is a corridor leading north. The corridor soon turns west, with a small alcove to the east. A short ramp descends into the alcove, with an expert-locked Dwarven chest beneath the walkway. Returning to the walkway, to the west is a small elevated area at one end of a huge chamber. Stairs descend from the initial area to a dry section of the chamber, with a large area farther west submerged underwater. A row of four fixed Dwarven bows activated by nearby levers face the water along the edge of the dry section.

Proceed to the west as Neloth explains a bit of the city's history. At the west end of the dry area, he will activate one of two control pedestals using his control cube, demonstrating how the pumps are still functional when activated. With four more control cubes, he claims you can restore the steam supply to the room upstairs. He then examines a nearby device which indicates the control cube locations in the accessible areas of the city. Retrieve Neloth's control cube from the control pedestal, and follow him to a control switch near a closed gate to the south. You can now use the control switch to open the gate and enter Nchardak Workshop through the door beyond. Follow that section of the walkthrough before continuing here.

After you return from Nchardak Workshop, activate both of the nearby control pedestals using two of the control cubes to lower the water level. More Dwarven spheres, Dwarven spiders, and Dwarven ballistae will attack as you continue to follow Neloth down the curved ramps and platforms to the next destination below, a closed gate at the north end of the chamber sealed by a control switch. In the northwest corner among the rubble near the gate is a pair of gauntlets. Before opening the gate, cross to the south end of the chamber to an alcove guarded by a Dwarven sphere containing a control pedestal and a table holding a novice-locked Dwarven chest. Activate the control pedestal using one of the control cubes to again lower the water level, leaving only shallow puddles on the floor of the chamber.

Descend the curved ramp northeast of the alcove to the lowest level of the chamber. At the bottom of the ramp is a control switch that opens a gate in the adjacent small tower to allow access to a Dwarven chest. Four malachite ore veins are on the lowest level, with a Dwarven battleaxe near the northwest vein and a broken vertical pipe. Finally, near the northeast corner of the lowest level is an apprentice-locked Dwarven chest. Return to the south alcove and retrieve the control cube from the control pedestal, then use the control switch to open the gate at the north end of the chamber and enter Nchardak Aqueduct through the door beyond. Follow that section of the walkthrough before continuing here.

After you return from Nchardak Aqueduct, you should have three control cubes in your possession. Retrieve one of the two control cubes from the two control pedestals to the east, then activate all four boiler control pedestals on the central platform. Doing so will lower a bridge and release a Dwarven centurion on the west side of the room. After destroying it, pass through its gantry to a ruined elevator containing an enchanted Dwarven warhammer, a pair of Dwarven boots of major stamina, and a boss-level Dwarven chest. Finally, return to Nchardak Reading Room to complete the quest The Path of Knowledge.

Nchardak Workshop

Beyond the entrance is a junction, with a support pillar to the west, a ramp ascending ahead to the south, and a path to the east. The ledge surrounding the pillar holds a few pieces of Dwemer scrap metal and items, two potions, and a large coin purse. The ramp to the south soon ends at a raised bridge blocking further progress. At the start of the east path is the second control cube on a control pedestal. Taking the control cube deactivates the flamethrower traps crossing the ramp leading down to the south of the control pedestal. Descend the ramp, battling a pair of Dwarven spiders at the bottom, and turn east into the next room.

The room features a raised walkway leading east flanked by large flooded areas. In the northwest corner to the left as you enter is a destroyed Dwarven centurion on a ledge. At the east end of the room are two control pedestals; activate one of the control pedestals using a control cube to lower the water level. As the water is drained, a Dwarven centurion and a few Dwarven spheres and Dwarven spiders will emerge and attack. After the water is drained, you will find a Dwarven chest in the northeast corner on a lower ledge surrounding the room, as well as four tables on the lowest level of the room. The tables hold more Dwemer scrap metal and items, with an enchanted Dwarven battleaxe on the southeast table, a Dwarven warhammer and a Dwarven shield on the southwest table, and another destroyed Dwarven centurion on the northwest table.

Use the control switch on the lowest level to create a flight of stairs leading up to a door nearby to the north. Beyond the door is a room containing several tables holding more Dwemer scrap metal and items. Around a corner to the east and south is a set of shelves holding a piece of Dwarven armor and a small room with an adept-locked Dwarven chest. Around the corner to the west and south is another set of shelves holding a pair of Dwarven gauntlets, a dresser, and another small room with the third control cube on a control pedestal. Taking the control cube raises the water level and causes a few Dwarven spiders to attack.

Return to the main room and retrieve the first control cube from the control pedestal at the east end of the room, which again raises the water level to greater than its original depth. Along the south wall is another door, now slightly submerged. Beyond the door is a flooded passage leading south and west to another room, where two Dwarven ballistae on a raised platform and a Dwarven spider attack. To the north is an alcove containing an enchanted Dwarven greatsword and the fourth control cube on a control pedestal. Taking the control cube again raises the water level and also activates a Dwarven centurion in its gantry nearby to the south, unless you dispatched the automaton beforehand. Proceed around the room and up the stairs to reach the raised platform, where a control switch lowers the bridge that had blocked progress at the start of the area. You may now return to Nchardak Great Chamber with four control cubes in your possession.

Nchardak Aqueduct

Beyond the entrance is a ramp descending to the north to a large partly flooded room, which Neloth states should contain the final control cube and the pump activator. A pair of curved ramps lead up to a small balcony above the entrance featuring three control switches to operate the three raised bridges to the north, with another ramp leading up south of the control switches to an apprentice-locked Dwarven chest and a Dwarven warhammer. Facing north, first use the control switch on the left, then the control switch on the right, which will lower all three bridges and release several Dwarven spheres and Dwarven spiders. Proceed over the series of bridges and stairs to the east end of the room and activate a control pedestal using a control cube to lower the water level. Return to the north end of the room and jump onto the rocky alcove below the waterfall formed by the broken ceiling pipe to find an apprentice-locked Dwarven chest. Drop to the lowest level of the room and proceed east to the wall grating to find a novice-locked Dwarven chest. Still on the lowest level, cross to the west and use a control switch to open the nearby gate and door.

Beyond the door is a corridor ascending to the west. The corridor then turns south into a room crossed by a pair of spinning blades. A pressure plate before the blades also activates a slicer trap. To the west among the rubble behind the pillar is an apprentice-locked Dwarven chest. To the south is a closed gate flanked by two small raised platforms, with two soul gems and a Dwarven dagger on the platform to the east, and a control switch to deactivate the blades and open the gate on the platform to the west. Beyond the gate is the final control cube on a control pedestal, with a pressure plate in front of the pedestal activating a dart trap. Taking the control cube again raises the water level. Neloth will now also retrieve the control cube previously placed in the control pedestal in the first room.

Before leaving the area, swim and climb to the alcove in the northeast corner of the room, where a control switch opens a gate. Beyond the gate is a small room guarded by a Dwarven ballista containing a table and a set of shelves holding Dwemer scrap metal and items, a Kagrumez resonance gem, a novice-locked Dwarven chest, a Dwarven helmet of archery, an enchanted Dwarven bow, and a quiver of Dwarven arrows. Finally, return to the three control switches above the entrance and use the control switch on the right to raise the three bridges and open the gate to the southeast room, which contains a novice-locked Dwarven chest, an enchanted Dwarven mace, and a piece of Dwemer scrap metal. You may now talk to Neloth to retrieve the third control cube, and return once more to Nchardak Great Chamber with three control cubes in your possession.

Notes

• The Dwemer text on the ring around the black book's protective case reads "ENKAGR BCHARN" (or "BCHARN ENKAGR", depending on where you start), repeated four times. It is not known what this means, though the word "Bcharn" has been seen before, as "Karstangz-Bcharn", a device in Tribunal which could control the weather, and on Calcelmo's Stone, which reads "th kanthaln duabcharn mzin thuastur", mentioning the Dwemer sending their machines to aid the Snow Elves (where "duabcharn" is almost certainly "machines").
• Frea, if acting as your follower, makes several unique comments at this location during the quest The Path of Knowledge.

Bugs

• You may be unable to place control cubes in the control switches. Leave the cell and reenter, and the switches will respond.
• The cooking pot in the reavers' plaza does not offer the option to cook ^?
• Once the exterior resets, the gate requiring the control cube may again be closed, resulting in the dungeon becoming inaccessible. Fast travel away from the zone and return, and the gate will be open.
• It may not be possible to mine one of the malachite ore veins. The option to mine the vein can be activated and the camera view will change appropriately, but nothing will happen, and a few moments later you will regain control of your character.
  • The Unofficial Dragonborn Patch, version 2.0.4, fixes this bug.
• After lowering and raising the water level in the Great Chamber, a Dwarven Ballista will walk while levitating underwater. ^?