You're trekking through a blizzard in the Pale, your stamina bar is blinking red, and suddenly a pile of sentient dust starts screaming ancient dragon tongue at you. If you've played The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for more than ten minutes, you know the drill. But the real endgame isn't just killing dragons; it's the fashion. Specifically, those terrifyingly powerful wooden and metallic faces known as Dragon Priest masks.
Most players stumble upon one or two by accident. Maybe you found Krosis because you wandered too close to Shearpoint while chasing a butterfly. Lucky you. But if you want the full set—the keys to the literal kingdom of Bromjunaar—you’ve got to be intentional. These masks aren't just loot. They are historical artifacts of the Dragon Cult, a group of high-ranking priests who ruled Skyrim during the Merethic Era with an iron (or rather, draconic) fist.
The Gritty Reality of the Hunt
Finding dragon priest masks is honestly a massive pain if you don't have a plan. You can’t just walk into a shop and buy these. You have to earn them through blood, sweat, and a lot of quick-saving. Every mask is guarded by a named Dragon Priest, an undead lich that can probably one-shot you if you're under-leveled. These guys are no joke. They fly, they spam high-level Destruction magic, and they have more health than some dragons.
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Let’s talk about the heavy hitters.
Hevnoraak is tucked away in Vahlok’s Tomb or, more accurately for the base game, Valthume. To get this one, you’ve got to help a ghost named Valdar stop the priest from reincarnating. It’s a slog of a dungeon. But the reward? Immunity to disease and poison. It sounds niche until you’re fighting Chaurus in a Falmer hive and realize you aren't dying. Basically, it’s a lifestyle upgrade.
Then there’s Krosis. As I mentioned, he’s at Shearpoint. No dungeon here, just a very angry priest and a dragon waiting for you at a word wall. It’s a brutal fight because there’s nowhere to hide. You're just out in the open, dodging fireballs. If you're a thief or an archer, Krosis is your holy grail—Lockpicking, Archery, and Alchemy all get a 20% boost. It’s the ultimate "stealth archer" starter pack.
Locations You’ll Likely Overlook
Skyrim is huge. You know that. But some of these locations are so far off the beaten path that you’ll never see them unless a quest drags you there.
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Take Vokun. He’s sitting in High Gate Ruins, way up in the northern wastes between Solitude and Dawnstar. Most people miss this because there’s no major faction quest that sends you here. You just have to find a woman named Anska standing outside who needs help finding a scroll. The mask itself is great for mages—it reduces the cost of Conjuration, Illusion, and Alteration spells.
And then there's Rahgot.
God, I hate Forelhost.
Forelhost is the ruin where Rahgot hides, located southeast of Riften. It is a long, grueling dungeon filled with high-level Draugr Death Lords. The backstory here is dark, involving a mass suicide of the Dragon Cultists to keep their secrets safe. Rahgot’s mask gives you a massive +70 to Stamina. If you’re a heavy armor warrior who likes swinging a warhammer, you need this.
The Mid-Game Powerhouses
- Otar: Found in Ragnvald, north of Markarth. You need two skull keys (Saerek and Torsten) to even reach him. The mask grants resistance to Fire, Frost, and Shock. It's the "tank" mask.
- Morokei: You’ll find him in Labyrinthian. You can only get this during the College of Winterhold questline. It doubles your Magicka regeneration. It's basically essential for pure mages.
- Volsung: Located at Volskygge in the far west. It lets you breathe underwater and carry more weight. It’s the "utility" mask for people who can't stop picking up every iron dagger they see.
- Nahkriin: This is the one people miss most often. He’s at Skuldafn. You can only get here during the main quest right before you go to Sovngarde. If you don't loot him before entering the portal, it’s gone forever. Seriously. No pressure.
The Secret Tenth Mask: Konahrik
So, you’ve spent forty hours crawling through Nordic ruins. You have eight masks. Now what? You go to the Labyrinthian, but not the big ruins. You look for the circular stone building—the Bromjunaar Sanctuary.
Inside, you’ll find the Wooden Mask. Put it on while standing in the room.
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Time shifts.
The room restores itself to its former glory. Place all eight masks on the shrine, and the final mask appears: Konahrik. This thing is legendary. When your health gets low, it has a chance to heal you and summon a spectral Dragon Priest to fight for you. It’s the ultimate flex. It basically makes you a god among mortals.
Don't Forget the DLC Masks
If you have the Dragonborn DLC, the hunt continues on Solstheim. These masks are different—they are named after the priests Ahzidal, Dukaan, and Zahkriisos. They focus heavily on elemental damage.
- Ahzidal is in Kolbjorn Barrow (you have to fund the excavation, which costs a fortune).
- Dukaan is in White Ridge Barrow.
- Zahkriisos is in Bloodskal Barrow during the "The Final Descent" quest.
And then there’s Miraak. His mask scales with your level, so don't rush to fight him at level 10 if you want the best version. It’s one of the few items in the game that actually stays relevant into the late-game levels (60+).
How to Actually Survive These Fights
If you're playing on Legendary difficulty, Dragon Priests will humble you very quickly. They move fast. They hover. They use the environment.
- Resistance is everything. Don't go into a fight with Otar or Rahgot without elemental resistance potions.
- Stagger is your friend. Use the "Impact" perk in the Destruction tree or a shield bash. If the priest can't cast, the priest can't kill you.
- Bring a tanky follower. Let Lydia or Mjoll take the fireballs while you pelt them from a distance.
- Use Spellbreaker. That shield is a literal life-saver against the constant stream of magic these guys put out.
Your Immediate To-Do List
First, check your inventory. See which masks you already have. If you’re missing Morokei, you need to start the College of Winterhold quests immediately. If you’ve finished the main quest but forgot to loot Nahkriin, I have bad news for you unless you’re on PC and want to use console commands (which is cheating, but we've all been there).
Next, head to Shearpoint for Krosis if you’re a low level, or Valthume for Hevnoraak if you’re tired of being poisoned by spiders. The journey to collect all eight base-game masks is one of the most rewarding "unmarked" quests in the game. It forces you to see parts of Skyrim that the developers tucked away in the corners of the map, and the payoff in the Bromjunaar Sanctuary is one of the coolest environmental storytelling moments in the franchise.
Grab your sword, pack some honey nut treats, and go find those ruins. Skyrim isn't going to save itself, and you might as well look intimidating while you do it.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough:
- Prioritize the College of Winterhold questline to unlock Labyrinthian early; the Morokei mask is a game-changer for mana management.
- Always carry the Wooden Mask in your inventory; you never know when you'll be back at Labyrinthian and want to check your progress at the shrine.
- Invest in the Quiet Casting perk if you're a mage; Dragon Priests have high detection, and being able to summon an Atronach without them noticing gives you a massive tactical advantage.
- Check the Skuldafn portal twice before jumping; once you leave for Sovngarde, you cannot return to loot Nahkriin, effectively locking you out of Konahrik for that save file.