How to Get Auriel's Bow in Skyrim: Touching the Sky, Forgotten Vale and Special Arrows

Auriel's Bow is the legendary Snow Elf bow from the Dawnguard add-on, and it's the only bow in Skyrim that can shoot the sun – either to rain sunlight on your enemies or to blot it out for vampires. You get it at the end of Touching the Sky, the second-to-last Dawnguard main quest, deep in the hidden Forgotten Vale.

This applies to Skyrim Special Edition and Anniversary Edition, which include Dawnguard, and works the same whether you sided with the Dawnguard or the vampires.

Quick answer

Requirements

• Dawnguard main quest progress. Touching the Sky follows Unseen Visions and starts from the vision in the Elder Scroll, which points you to Darkfall Cave. It's the same on both sides of the story.
• Serana as your follower. She has to come with you. Dismiss any other follower, since a second one can get stuck in Darkfall Cave.
• A light source. Darkfall Cave is very dark – bring torches or a light spell.
• Gear for a long dungeon. The Vale is full of Falmer, chaurus, frost trolls and a couple of dragons.

Step-by-step: getting Auriel's Bow

1. Find Darkfall Cave. It's in the Reach, in far northwestern Skyrim: south of Castle Volkihar and north of Markarth, just south-southwest of the Orc stronghold Mor Khazgur. The easiest approach is to head north from Markarth past Druadach Redoubt.
2. Cross the cave. Inside, a rope bridge collapses under you and the underground river sweeps you further in. Look for a hidden passage that opens when you pull a chain.
3. Meet Gelebor. At the ruined shrine of the Great Chantry of Auriel you meet Gelebor, a Snow Elf Knight-Paladin. He asks you to kill his corrupted brother, Arch-Curate Vyrthur, and gives you the Initiate's Ewer. If his portal doesn't appear, activate the back wall of the shrine.
4. Visit all five Wayshrines of Auri-El. You must fill the Ewer at each one: Illumination (end of Darkfall Passage), Sight, Learning, Resolution and Radiance. Sight lies northwest of where you exit into the Vale, Learning is down the river valley to the west, Resolution is across the river near a frozen lake, and Radiance is reached through the Glacial Crevice to the north.
5. Open the Inner Sanctum. Northeast of the Wayshrine of Radiance, across a stone bridge, is Auriel's Chapel. Pour the Ewer's water into the basin at the door to open it.
6. Fight through the chapel. Waves of Falmer, Falmer shamans and chaurus come at you before Vyrthur brings the ceiling down.
7. Beat Arch-Curate Vyrthur. He fights with frost magic on the balcony and summons a Frost Atronach. Frost resistance helps a lot.
8. Take the bow. Vyrthur doesn't drop it. After he dies, a wayshrine appears and Gelebor steps out of it – take Auriel's Bow and the arrows from the shrine.

Use the wayshrine portal in the Inner Sanctum to return to Darkfall Cave. Once the quest is done, you can fast travel to and from the Vale.

Auriel's Bow stats

The base damage is modest, so the real draw is the enchantment and the special arrows.

The special arrows

Both special arrows only work with Auriel's Bow and are made from ordinary Elven arrows. To use their power, draw the bow and aim at the sun during the day.

• Sunhallowed Elven Arrows. Firing one at the sun calls down bursts of sunlight on nearby enemies, a bit like the Storm Call shout but with sunlight. After the quest, Gelebor will bless more of your Elven arrows for you, so keep some in your inventory.
• Bloodcursed Elven Arrows. Serana can make these from your Elven arrows using her own blood, if you agree. Firing one at the sun blots it out for the rest of the day, so vampires (including you) take no sun damage. She can't make them if she has been cured of vampirism.

Shooting the sun with either arrow unlocks the "Auriel's Bow" achievement or trophy.

Tips and common mistakes

• Looking near Dawnstar or Winterhold. Darkfall Cave is in the west, in the Reach – not the north coast.
• Missing a wayshrine. The Inner Sanctum won't open until the Ewer has been filled at all five. Check your quest markers if it stays shut.
• Bringing an extra follower. Only Serana should come along.
• Skipping arrows. Stock up on Elven arrows before you leave the Vale, so Gelebor and Serana have something to turn into special arrows.
• Curing Serana too early. If you plan to use Bloodcursed arrows, get them made before she's cured.
• Aiming in the wrong place. You have to draw the bow and point it at the sun itself – the screen tints when you're on target.