Dragon Priest Mask Guide

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There are dozens of unique pieces of gear that players can hunt down in Skyrim. However, one of the most coveted and distinctive are the various Dragon Priest Masks. Each mask has a unique appearance and enchantment that helps one work for nearly any character build that players could opt to use during their playthrough.

Even if you don’t want to each one, the new Creation Club houses in the Anniversary Edition of Skyrim each have a display of mannequin heads to display the masks on, so completionists will want to hunt them all down regardless.

Big Picture Up Front: Dragon Priest Masks are one of the most powerful pieces of headgear that you can find in Skyrim. No matter what skills your character build focuses on, there is likely one mask that will work well for it. Obtaining a suitable mask also tends to be relatively simple, as they are rewards for killing the undead Dragon Priests that wear them.

Dragon Priest Mask Lore

All but one of the fourteen Dragon Priest Masks in Skyrim are associated with a particular Dragon Priest that wields it. Dragon Priests are mighty undead enemies found in both the province of Skyrim and on the island of Solstheim. They originated thousands of years before the start of Skyrim in the early days of the universe when dragons ruled over the lands with an iron fist.

When the dragons were in power over the province of Skyrim, the eight Dragon Priests aligned themselves with the dragons and acted as their arms of control while they were gone. Each Dragon Priest was gifted a unique mask and staff to aid them in their tasks to reward them for their faithful service.

More importantly, they were allowed access to an incredible wealth of arcane knowledge that allowed them to grow in power and achieve lichdom. Once the Dragon War ended, their lichdom allowed them to escape mortality and await the return of their god, Alduin the World-Eater.

Hevnoraak

Hevnoraak

While he was living, Hevnoraak was obsessed with magic that could control the minds of others. Over time, this allowed him to amass an army of enslaved men to defend him as he began to plan his resurrection.

His attempt at Lichdom was ultimately successful, and he lent his power to his followers to turn them in Draugr so that they could defend him after death as well.

  • Enchantment: You are immune to poisons and diseases.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 891

Players who want to add Hevnoraak to their collection will have to delve into the ancient Nordic tomb of Valthume. The tomb is located just southeast of Markarth and gives the quest “Evil in Waiting.” The quest sees players having to help the spirit of a character named Valdar prevent Hevnoraak from obtaining his full power as a Lich.

To do this, you have to navigate through the tomb and collect three vessels that each house a fragment of his power. To do so, you’ll have to fight through a horde of Draugr while also avoiding several traps, including pressure plates, a trap door, and a lot of fire.

Krosis

Krosis mask

Little is known about Krosis’s life before he died, but his location in the game indicates that he was a Dragon Priest of exceptionally high status.

This is because he is one of only three Dragon Priests not found in a building or tomb of some kind. Instead, Krosis is found at Shearpoint, the top of a mountain in the southern region of The Pale. The mountain is to the west of Windhelm, and it is also home to a word of power and a dragon.

  • Enchantment: You get a 20% increase in Lockpicking, Archery, and Alchemy skills.
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Armor Value: 21
  • Weight: 5
  • Value: 1,615

While getting your hands on Krosis may be pretty straightforward, the fight against Krosis and the dragon can be challenging. Both enemies are scaled to the player’s level to make sure they are challenging enough in their own right but combined, they offer a significant challenge.

Krosis is an ice-based Dragon Priest with spells such as Conjure Frost Atronach, Ice Storm, and Icy Spear. He is also equipped with a Staff of Fireballs and will make things difficult for you by having a Greater Ward to defend against spells and being utterly immune to poison damage.

I recommend focusing on taking down Krosis at first and avoiding the dragon as much as possible until you can take it down however you usually prefer.

Morokei

Morokei Mask

Morokei was a powerful Dragon Priest that took residence in the ancient city Bromjunaar. Before his death, he spent years tracking down and obtaining the powerful artifact known as the Staff of Magnus. The staff is described as a mystical battery for the god it is named after. It can absorb both Magicka and Health from enemies to bestow it upon its wielder.

However, at the time of Skyrim, the Staff of Magnus had not been seen for some time, as Savos Aren tracked down its location, awakening Morokei. To keep Morokei from harnessing the staff’s power and using it for evil, Saren had to sacrifice his two companions at the time, enthralling them to maintain a magical shield to trap Morokei for all time.

  • Enchantment: Your Magicka regenerates twice as fast.
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Armor Value: 5
  • Weight: 4
  • Value: 637

To get your hands on Morokei, you’ll have to play through the College of Winterhold questline. Eventually, the faction’s quests will send you to an area known as Labyrinthian, a Nordic ruin to the southeast of Morthal that is next to Drelas’ Cottage. There, you’ll have to work through a small number of magical puzzles, a maze, and a few handfuls of enemies for good measure.

Eventually, you will be able to face Morokei himself, a shock-based Dragon Priest that shouldn’t give you too much trouble if you come prepared. Of course, Morokei’s mask is an excellent option for players who favor magic. At the same time, the Staff of Magus is also a reliable tool to help you maintain your Magicka and Health simultaneously.

Nahkriin

Nahkriin Mask

Nahkriin is another high-ranking Dragon Priest not found in a tomb or underground. He serves Alduin directly and is seen by progressing through the main questline until, in the end, you go to Sovngarde.

Nahkriin can be located atop a mountain defending the portal to Sovngarde at a location known as Skuldafn in the Velothi Mountains on the eastern edge of the map. The site can only be accessed when doing the quest “The World-Eater’s Eyrie,” so you’ll want to make sure you grab his mask when you can.

  • Enchantment: Your Magicka is increased by 50 points, and your Destruction and Restoration spells are cast with 20% less Magicka.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 2,173

Nahkriin’s mask is one of the most valuable in Skyrim and is well suited for players going for a spell knight build that favors using magic for some extra damage or health. The battle through Skuldafn to get to Nahkriin can be long and punishing, so before you embark on the quest, you’ll want to make sure that you come prepared with plenty of resources.

In the end, Nahkriin himself can be especially tough to defeat, particularly for low-level characters. To make the fight more manageable, you’ll want to make sure you either have enchanted gear or potions to give your more resistance to frost damage.

His spells also make him a tough fight for melee-focused players, meaning you’ll want to attack him with either a bow or ranged magic if you can. If those aren’t options, the Slow Time or Whirlwind shouts are very useful in helping you close the gap and get close enough to him to deal damage.

Otar the Mad

Otar the Mad 1

Interestingly, Otar was once a beloved Nordic chieftain that led the city Ragnvald during the Merethic Era. That was until an unknown force began manipulating Otar’s mind, eventually driving him to insanity. Otar then became a Dragon Priest with a penchant for torturing his subjects in increasingly cruel and disturbing methods.

Finally, two heroes named Saerek and Torsten banded together to go stop him and free his subjects. Even with their combined power, they could not stop Otar’s reign and instead trapped him inside a sarcophagus sealed with two keys.

They then swore to defend it for all time, and do until the Dragonborn arrives despite the city of Ragnvald being completely abandoned for hundreds of years.

  • Enchantment: You have increased resistance to fire, frost, and shock damage.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 1,521

Otar can be found in the Ragnvald ruins, located in a mountain path to the north of Markarth. While navigating the ruins, you will have to collect two skulls that can be used to open his sarcophagus and begin the fight with him. The skulls are defended not only by hordes of Draugr but by Torsten and Saerek themselves, who have to be defeated.

Otar himself is a shock-based Dragon Priest that can summon Storm Atronachs and cast spells such as Thunderbolt and Chain Lightning. The fight against Otar shouldn’t give you too much trouble if you aren’t low-leveled.

If it does give you some trouble, you’ll want to buff up your lighting resistance and try to deal as much damage to him as possible before he can move too far away from the sarcophagus at the start of the fight.

Rahgot

Rahgot Mask

Rahgot was the only Dragon Priest to survive the original Dragon Wars thousands of years ago. While man slaughtered the other Dragon Priests, Rahgot established a hidden stronghold for his dragon cult, where he stayed hidden until Skorm Snow-Strider discovered it.

The fortress was besieged for weeks, but the attacking legion eventually made its way in through the main gate, forcing Rahgot and his followers to barricade themselves in the upper levels of the fortress.

There, Rahgot forced his followers to commit mass suicide. This made the attackers believe there were no survivors once they made it into the refractory, stopping them from searching further for Rahgot. Rahgot’s death is unknown, but his sarcophagus is found in that very same refractory.

  • Enchantment: Your stamina is increased by 70 points.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 962

Rahgot can be faced through the quest “Siege on the Dragon Cult.” The quest is started by talking to Captain Valmir, a Thalmor undercover as a Stormcloak captain or Imperial soldier who sits outside the Nordic ruins of Forelhost to the southeast of Riften. Once talked to, he will send you into the ruins to retrieve a powerful weapon.

You then have to make your way through the ruins until you reach the refractory, where Rahgot and a couple of leveled Draugr Lords await you.

Rahgot’s staff is most likely a staff of Wall of Fire that may make it difficult to get close to him, but the fight is one of the easier Dragon Priest fights and shouldn’t give you too much trouble, especially if you bring a follower with you.

Vokun

Vokun Mask

Very little is known about Vokun other than his name in the Dragon Language, translating to shadow or darkness. He is in the High Gate Ruins, located west of Dawnstar and north of Ustengrav.

They are also adjacent to Windstad Manor and are home to the “A Scroll For Anska” quest. Vokun himself doesn’t play a significant role in the quest’s story, but he is a fire-based Dragon Priest that rests in ruins alongside his army of Draugr faithful.

  • Enchantment: Your Conjuration, Illusion, and Alteration spells have their Magicka cost reduced by 20%.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 2,182

The mask is another strong choice for Spell Knight players who want to cast spells in one hand while swinging with a weapon in the other, especially with its classification as heavy armor. The mask is also strong for general magic users, mainly out of combat, thanks to its buff to Illusion and Alteration.

To start “A Scroll For Anska” and get your hands on Vokun yourself, you’ll want to travel straight to High Gate Ruins. Once you enter them, you will be greeted by Anska, who says that she has been searching for Vokun’s tomb before asking you to help her find a scroll within the ruins that links her ancestry to Ysgramor, a famous Nordic hero.

The quest has a few puzzles and Draugr encounters to run through, but Anska accompanies you and fights primarily with magic, making all the fights in ruins much more manageable.

Volsung

Volsung Mask

There is also little known about Volsung despite him being one of the most powerful Dragon Priests in Skyrim. He can be found at the very top of the Nordic ruins Volskygge, which is in the top northwestern region of the map.

The ruins can also be pretty tough to get through, as there are numerous swing traps set up by a group of bandits that have taken refuge there. The dungeon also has a word puzzle to figure out along the way and a stretch filled with frostbite spiders alongside the expected Draugr.

  • Enchantment: You get 20% better prices, you can carry 20 points more, and you can breathe underwater.
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Armor Value: 21
  • Weight: 5
  • Value: 4,611

The Volsung mask covers so many universal applications that it is valuable to just about every character. Having the mask on hand to sell and purchase resources is especially useful for gathering crafting resources, while carrying more equipment is always helpful when dungeoneering.

If you want to get your hands on it, though, you’ll have to overcome Volsung. Volsung is challenging because he has maxed-out Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, and Destruction alongside an extraordinarily high magic resistance. These attributes will make the fight especially challenging for players who rely entirely on magic.

If that’s you, a good strategy is to drain his Magicka with the Staff of Magnus or shock damage. However, the fastest way to deal with him is to counter him with a sneak attack using a bow or crossbow.

Wooden Mask

Dragon Priest Wooden Mask

For several reasons, the Wooden Mask is unique among the other Dragon Priest masks. Firstly, it is not associated with any named Dragon Priest, explaining its lack of a unique name.

Secondly, it does not have an enchantment that boosts any of the player’s skills as it takes the player to the Dragon Priest Shrine when it is equipped. It does this by somehow transporting you back in time to before the shrine was destroyed at the end of the Dragon War.

  • Enchantment: Bromjunaar’s Mystery
  • Class: Light Armor
  • Armor Value: 2
  • Weight: 2
  • Value: 51

You can find the Wooden Mask in the same Labyrinthian area you found Morokei. In those ruins, there is an area known as the Bromjunaar Sanctuary. The Wooden Mask can be found on the ground next to a skeleton.

The mask will only take you back in time if it is equipped in the Bromjunaar Sanctuary, as that is where the shrine initially was. Outside of accessing the shrine, the mask is mainly useless.

Konahrik

Konahrik Mask

However, accessing the Dragon Priest Shrine is required to gain the base game’s final mask, Konahrik. There is a bust for each of the Dragon Priests in an orderly row in the shrine. You can then put the associated mask on each bust, and once they are all there, you are rewarded with Konahrik.

The mask has a unique look with tusks and a hood that is black and gold rather than brown with grey. After the mask is obtained, you can grab the other masks back to avoid losing them. Interestingly, Konahrik is also the only Dragon Priest mask that doesn’t have a Dragon Priest associated with it.

  • Enchantment: When health is low, it has a chance to heal you and damage anyone else nearby. There is also a chance that Konahrik will summon a Dragon Priest spectral ally that will fight alongside you.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 24
  • Weight: 7
  • Value: 3,200

Konahrik is a fantastic mask for melee characters that wear heavy armor. Its enchantment is unique and scales well to higher-level content since it scales with your level. The spectral ally is powerful as it can cast Ice Spike and Reanimate Corpse or Conjure Storm Atronach if no corpses are nearby.

There is only ever a 3% chance of the Spectral Ally being summoned when your health falls below 15%, but that can happen several times when playing a melee-focused character. The mask also has the highest armor value of any of the masks in the base game.

Azhidal

Azhidal Mask

Azhidal is the first Dragon Priest mask that can only be accessed on the island of Solstheim in the Dragonborn DLC. He is renowned for being one of the first Nord enchanters and the first human to learn and perform elven magic. He always had an aptitude for magic from childhood and was trained unusually young.

As an adult, his hometown was razed by snow elves, driving him to take on the name Azhidal and devote himself to destroying those responsible. Azhidal would eventually succeed in his efforts, but it cost him his sanity and drove him to crave more power.

To find that power, he fell under the influence of the Daedric Prince of Fate and Knowledge, Hermaeus Mora. Hermaeus Mora drove him to travel to Solstheim, upon which the dragon cult interred him.

  • Enchantment: You gain 50% resistance to fire damage, and your fire spells deal 25% more damage.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 500

Azhidal can be found in ruins known as Kolbjorn Barrow just outside Raven Rock. The barrow, however, can only be accessed by completing the “Unearthed” quest. To start the quest, you have to go to Kolbjorn Barrow and talk to Ralis Sedarys, a dunmer treasure hunter who needs funds to excavate the barrow.

The player can fund his efforts for 1,000 gold before having to wait and return in the future numerous times to kill awoken Draugr and give Ralis additional funds. The fight with Azhidal himself can be pretty challenging thanks to his mask boosting the damage of his fire spells and being able to resurrect corpses around him.

His attacks are also brutal to avoid, so to beat him, you may want to either hit him with a sneak attack early on or raise your fire resistance or magic absorption.

Dukaan

Dukaan Mask

Dukaan is another Dragon Priest that we know very little known about. In the Dragon Language, his name translates to dishonor, and he can be found in the Nordic ruin White Ridge Barrow located to the east of the Stalhrim Source. The dungeon is of a medium size that shouldn’t take too long for you to go through and has some other solid loot to get while you are there.

It contains the Black Book: The Sallow Regent, as well as the Spider Scroll Imbuing Chamber and a word wall for Dragonborn’s new Cyclone shout.

  • Enchantment: You gain 50% resistance to frost damage, and your frost spells deal 25% more damage.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 500

Fighting Dukaan is not as tricky as Azhidal, but you’ll want to have a high frost resistance or magic absorption to survive his spells. He also can conjure Seekers to help him in his fight, but they can be dealt with rather quickly.

The mask itself is helpful for mages who favor frost-based spells, but so many animals have resistance to frost damage that it often doesn’t seem as helpful as the other Dragonborn masks. However, if equipped by a Nord or vampire that hasn’t fed in a while, you will have maximum frost resistance of 85%.

Zahkriisos

Zahkriisos Mask

Zahkriisos is a unique Dragon Priest in that he is the only one in the entire game that levels to the player with a maximum of level 60. He is a shock-based Dragon Priest buried within the Bloodskal Barrow that is hidden within Raven Rock Mine.

To reach him, you’ll have to play through the quest “The Final Descent,” which can be started by going to the mines and talking to Crescius Caerellius.

  • Enchantment: You gain 50% resistance to shock damage, and your shock spells deal 25% more damage.
  • Class: Heavy Armor
  • Armor Value: 23
  • Weight: 9
  • Value: 500

The quest is not a very long one and is effectively just a lengthy dungeon crawl. Fighting Zahkriisos himself, however, can be challenging depending on your character. This is because a lot of the chamber where you face him is filled with water, making him difficult to hit for melee characters.

Shooting him with ranged magic or a bow is not very difficult, but melee characters may want to use the Bloodskal Blade that you get earlier in the dungeon. The sword’s unique ability sends arcs of energy when it is swung, allowing you to deal damage to Zahkriisos from a range while using your melee skills.

Miraak

Miraak Mask

Miraak is the antagonist of the Dragonborn DLC and claims to be the very first Dragonborn that fell into service with Hermaeus Mora. His service to the Daedric Prince gave him the power to use the voice to bind dragons to his will. This drove him to betray the dragons he served, killing them and absorbing their souls to grow in power and stage his rebellion against them.

However, his rebellion eventually failed, and he was imprisoned on Solstheim by the Dragon Priest Vahlok until Hermaeus Mora transported him to the dimension Apocrypha, where he grew in power and prepared to return to claim Solstheim for himself.

  • Enchantment: Depending on your level and whether the mask is Light Armor or Heavy Armor, the mask gives you 40-70 additional Magicka points.
  • Class: Heavy Armor/Low Armor
  • Armor Value: 23-27
  • Value: 505-849

To get Miraak, you have to complete the main questline of the Dragonborn DLC. While the mask’s enchantment is not all that special, its armor value is. Miraak has the same armor value regardless of whether it is classified as heavy or light armor, making it the best light armor headgear as far as armor value goes, even if obtained at first level.

FAQs

Question: Can You Upgrade Dragon Priest Masks?

Answer: Dragon Priest Masks can be upgraded if you have the Arcane Blacksmith perk as well as Daedric Smithing. Each mask requires a different metal to be improved.

Question: Are Dragon Priest Masks Worth Getting?

Answer: Most of the masks are worth getting, depending on how you build your character. They also are worth hunting down for completion since they are so unique.

Question: Can You Enchant Headgear Better Than the Dragon Priest Masks?

Answer: If you reach enchanting level 100 and get the Extra Effect perk that allows you to put two enchantments on gear, you can make high-level headgear that gives better bonuses and is more tailored to your playstyle than the Dragon Priest Masks.

Dragon Priest Mask Guide: Conclusion

The Dragon Priest Masks are a unique part of Skyrim. Tracking all of the masks down is one of the most fun and rewarding things to do in Skyrim outside of the main quest and faction questlines. No matter how you build your character, there is a mask that you can benefit from, and at the very least, they look great displayed in your house of choice.

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