3 Most Unhinged Skyrim Side Quests That Haunt Me to This Day

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I used to replay my favorite games all the time, but with so many new releases, it’s hard to find the time now. I especially loved Skyrim – I’d start a new game almost every year and get completely lost in its world for hours. Like a lot of RPG fans, I’ve spent countless hours playing Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls game. Even though it’s been a while since my last playthrough, I still often think about it and annoy my friends by referencing it. Recently, I’ve been reminiscing about what my last experience with the game was like.

After countless hours playing Skyrim, you start looking for new ways to keep the game fresh. For many players, that means trying a different character build – anything other than a stealthy archer – or creating self-imposed challenges, like avoiding healing potions or stealing all the cheese. My latest Skyrim adventure involved completing every quest I’d previously skipped. It turns out, taking on all those side quests can lead you down some surprisingly dark paths. Here are three Skyrim side quests that still stick with me.

3) The House of Horrors

I don’t particularly like Markarth in Skyrim, so it’s no surprise that it holds one of my least favorite quests. “The House of Horrors” starts simply enough – you can begin by talking to Vigilant Tyranus or getting rumors from the Markarth innkeeper. Because I always talk to everyone to find side quests, I’d had this one listed in my journal for a long time. But I didn’t actually complete it until I decided to do every quest in the game, and honestly, sometimes I regret doing it even now.

Okay, so this quest… wow, it’s rough. I ended up trying to clear out a creepy abandoned house in Markarth, and it turned out to be a trap set by Molag Bal – seriously, that Daedra is terrifying. He basically messes with your head and forces you to do what he wants. No matter what choices I made, I ended up having to help him torture and kill a priest just to finish the quest. The whole thing was super unsettling – from Molag Bal’s creepy voice to the feeling of being completely powerless, and then having to break a guy who wasn’t completely bad and ultimately kill him. It’s definitely one of the darkest quests in Skyrim, and honestly, I’m only doing it once.

2) Boethiah’s Calling

I always feel compelled to choose the kindest dialogue options when interacting with characters in games, so Boethiah’s Calling was a really difficult quest for me in Skyrim. It starts when you find a copy of Boethiah’s Proving – either by finding it on a fallen companion or just discovering it somewhere in the world. I actually came across it by unexpectedly finding the Scellum of Boethiah.

This quest involves working with the Boethiah cult, who need a willing follower to sacrifice as part of a ritual. You’ll have to find someone to join you, then betray and kill them. Even if you try to eliminate all of Boethiah’s followers, you’ll still be forced to make a sacrifice. The quest involves luring an unsuspecting person to a specific location and then performing a disturbing ritual where they plead for their life. Completing the sacrifice leads to a fight against the remaining cultists. The reward is the Ebony Mail armor, but be warned: betraying an innocent person can be deeply unsettling.

1) The Taste of Death

I once told you I was trying to finish all the quests in Skyrim that I hadn’t done before. I still haven’t managed that! There’s one quest, “The Taste of Death,” that’s been too difficult to complete—but I plan to go back to Tamriel someday and finally finish it. Anyone who’s played this quest probably understands why it’s such a challenge.

The quest “The Taste of Death,” starting in Markarth, begins when you discover the Hall of the Dead is shut down. Brother Verulus closed it after discovering the bodies were being disturbed. If you persuade him to let you investigate, you’ll meet Eola, who confesses to defiling – and eating – the corpses. She worships the Daedra Namira and wants your help preparing a feast in her honor. This eventually leads to her asking you to lure Brother Verulus to a cave so she and you can eat him. If you do, you’ll receive a ring that allows you to regain health by consuming corpses – a useful, but disturbing, ability. The combination of betraying and then consuming an innocent character makes this one of the most unsettling quests in Skyrim, and it’s a quest I find hard to forget, even though I haven’t fully completed it.

What’s the most unforgettable side quest you’ve completed in Skyrim? Share your experience in the comments below and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-30 00:43