Skyrim:Fort Dunstad

Military Fort: Fort Dunstad (view on map) (lore page)
# of Zones	3
Clearable	No
Respawn Time	10 days
Level	Min: 6
Occupants
Bandits; either Imperials or Stormcloaks
Important Treasure
2920, MidYear, v6
Console Location Code(s)
FortDunstadExterior01, FortDunstadExterior02, FortDunstadExterior03, FortDunstadExterior04, FortDunstad01, FortDunstad02, FortDunstad03, FortDunstad04
Region
The Pale
Location
South of Dawnstar West of Duskglow Crevice
Special Features
# of Alchemy Labs	2
# of Forges/Anvils	1
# of Grindstones	1
# of Workbenches	1
# of Cooking Pots/Spits	1

Fort Dunstad

Fort Dunstad is a large fort south of Dawnstar initially occupied by bandits. It contains four zones: Fort Dunstad, Fort Dunstad Prison, Fort Dunstad Commander's Quarters, and The Stumbling Sabrecat.

The fort will be taken over by whoever wins the Civil War, or by the faction currently holding Dawnstar if you first clear it of bandits.

Related Quests

• The Battle for Fort Dunstad (Imperial): Take Fort Dunstad for the Imperials. (radiant)
• The Battle for Fort Dunstad (Stormcloaks): Reclaim this fort for the Stormcloaks. (radiant)

Walkthrough

Exterior

The body of an unfortunate Dunmer alchemist can be seen inside a cage hanging from a beam off one of the towers. A potion and three loose arrows are in a bucket on the roof of the section housing the Commander's Quarters; another bucket with arrows and a potion is at the top of the guard tower next to the southern gate.

Fort Dunstad

The main entrance is at ground level. The interior features a large room, opening on the left to a spiral staircase bracing the tower. The tower itself has two levels built around a free-standing chimney (with harvestable charred skeevers), and a latrine complete with buckets, reading material, and a potion of true shot on the second floor. A chest is also found on the second floor, to the right of the latrine. A trapdoor at the top of the stairs allows access to the ruined exterior. Underneath the hot coals in the middle of the second floor room is a trapdoor that requires a key, but no key for it exists, and in any case it leads nowhere. Before the fort undergoes its conversion due to the Civil War questline, five leveled bandits roam the place, most of them apparently engaged in skeever fighting in the big room downstairs by the ground level entrance; two iron cages and a small fenced arena have been set up for this purpose. This area is later repurposed as a dining hall and dormitory for the soldiers.

Fort Dunstad Prison

Located in the northwest corner of the fort, the prison has two entrances: the main entrance at ground level, and another entrance over the stone walls. The door at ground level opens to a small set of stairs descending to a long hallway with an oil slick leading to the first level of the tower. This floor contains two holding cells and a spike wall trap, activated by a lever mounted on the wall. One of the holding cells contains an apprentice-locked chest. A spiral staircase provides access to the second level, with four bone chimes hanging near the top of the staircase. This level contains three more cells, an alchemy lab, a large table holding a dead High Elf, a small table holding a poison and a bottle of frostbite venom with some clutter, and a grindstone. A copy of the Heavy Armor skill book 2920, MidYear, v6 can be found on a shelf next to the lab. An open wall cage between the alchemy lab and the doorway holds several healing potions. There's also another oil slick in this room. Up to two bandit chiefs can spawn here, and hostile skeevers are being held in the cells of both levels of the tower. Exiting using the ladder in this top floor room places you outside on the roof of the tower, where you will find a boss chest along with a bottle of alto wine and two potions of resist cold next to an unoccupied chair. The corpse of the Dunmer alchemist hanging in the cage can be accessed from this position if you maneuver carefully, although it holds nothing of note.

Fort Dunstad Commander's Quarters

The only entrance to the Commander's Quarters is above the stone battlements, on the south wall. To the left of the entrance is a small arch bridging the space where the fort's forge is located. The interior comprises a small hallway connected to a bedroom on the right. An alchemy lab and four cupboards are in the hallway, but after starting the Civil War quests, a long table with a strategic map of Skyrim is added, and the lab is replaced by a large wooden chest. Also before the Civil War questline, a leveled bandit wizard spawns in the bedroom, which features a double bed, two cupboards, two end tables, and a dresser, while a total of ten potions and poisons, two bottles of skooma, a small coin purse, and two loose gold coins can be found on the various shelves in the area.

The Stumbling Sabrecat

This tavern is within the wooden stockade next to the stone battlements on the eastern side of the fort. For details on the location, see The Stumbling Sabrecat.

Notes

• The skeevers kept by the bandits during their occupation of the fort are hostile to the bandits.

Maps

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  Fort Dunstad

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  Fort Dunstad Prison

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  Fort Dunstad Commander's Quarters