Skyrim: Every Named Draugr Lord & Who They Were Before Death

The depths of the dungeons, crypts, and caves of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are filled with all sorts of grotesque monsters and deadly enemies, and none are more common than the Draugr, which range from common fodder to named Draugr Lords. Little more than mindless zombies, Draugr are nearly dead husks occupied by souls still clinging to the mortal world, though Draugr Wights and Deathlords may present a significant challenge, especially on higher difficulties. Most Draugr in Skyrim are ancient and weak, but every once in a while, the Dragonborn will come across a named Draugr whose name and history can be discerned.

Lore for The Elder Scrolls runs deep, and even the most minor characters can have their own story. The Draugr are a bit of a mystery, since their origins likely lie in Skyrim’s distant past, but they are often found in the service of the formidable Dragon Priests, who are some of Skyrim‘s hardest bosses. Most appear to be of Nordic heritage, though they could also predate the more modern Nordic traditions and be the carcasses of Atmorans, an early race of men from lands even further north than Skyrim.

Much of what is known about Skyrim’s Draugr is learned from Bernadette Bantien, a scholar at the College of Winterhold. Bantien spent months living inside of a Draugr crypt, using scrying spells to observe them from a safe distance. Many Draugr meticulously perform rituals in service to their Priests, which Bantien deduced is integral to their eternally undead state. In one of Skyrim’s 337 lore books, “Amongst the Draugr,” Bantien also theorized that the Draugr never truly died, and their appearance is simply a side effect of their thousands of years of unending ritual in the dark.

For Skyrim’s named Draugr, it seems that their importance stems from their actions prior to their Draugr state. Many come into opposition with the Dragonborn as a result of them fulfilling their duties assigned thousands of years ago. Below is the story and what details are known of each named Draugr in Skyrim, with the exception of the Gatekeeper that guards the Temple of Miraak. Despite the Gatekeeper’s unique name and importance, and being the singular named female Draugr Lord, there doesn’t seem to be any lore or backstory to mine for further details.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: Curalmil

Like many Draugr Lords in Skyrim, Curalmil is found protecting a Dragon Word Wall, where players can learn one of Skyrim’s 27 Dragon Shouts. Curalmil’s crypt lies in the Forsaken Cave, which is typically first explored as part of The White Phial side quest. In the lore of his ancient life, Curalmil is shown to have been an accomplished alchemist, creator of the White Phial, a powerful artifact and namesake of the quest. The Phial itself is made out of magically-imbued snow, and has the ability to replenish any liquid that is stored inside. Curalmil does not appear to serve one of the Dragon Priests, so it seems as though his alchemical expertise may have led him to the Draugr form of immortality.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: The Gauldurson Brothers

Jyrik, Mikrul, and Sigdis were the three sons of Archmage Gauldur, who lived in the First Era, long before when any Elder Scrolls games take place. In the Skyrim lore, Gauldur wore an amulet that made him immensely powerful, which his sons coveted. The Gauldurson brothers conspired to kill their father, and split his amulet among them, using its power to terrorize villages near their father’s fiefdom. For their crimes, the three Gauldurson brothers were killed and condemned to an undead existence, sealed in their crypts with their respective amulet fragments.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: Guardians Saerek & Torsten

Prior to the First Era, a Nordic chieftain named Otar the Mad controlled the city of Ragnvald. Otar became corrupted by the power of the dragons, and began cruelly ruling over his subject as a Dragon Priest, though his mask is one of Skyrim‘s worst. Two heroes, Saerek and Torsten, were sent to end Otar’s tyrannical rule, but they were unable to slay him.

However, Saerek and Torsten did manage to seal Otar away in his sarcophagus, only to be opened by two decorative skull keys. Centuries later, Saerek and Torsten remain at their posts, holding the skull keys and guarding Otar’s tomb in Ragnvald so that he never again rises to power.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: Halldir

Halldir is the only Draugr Lord in Skyrim with a location named after him. Players will find him in Halldir’s Cairn, within which a journal can be found that shares the little info known about Halldir. The journal belongs to Agrius, who’s body – along with those of their companions Raen and Vidgrod – can be found near the entrance to the Cairn. Agrius’ Journal tells of a disembodied voice compelling them to stay in the cave. The voice eventually identifies itself as Halldir, and convinces the three to sacrifice themselves on the cairn in order to feed his life force.

Halldir appears as a specter instead of a physical Draugr in Skyrim, though there isn’t significant lore to explain the details, and he seems to persist in his undead state by luring travelers into his cave. His powers of elemental magic seem to imply he must have been a powerful mage prior to his entombment, and perhaps his Draugr status was achieved intentionally.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: Red Eagle

At the beginning of the First Era’s second millennium the Empress of Cyrodiil attempted to conquer The Reach, a region home to Markarth, one of Skyrim’s most interesting cities. Red Eagle, destined from birth to become a great warrior, was exiled after advocating for The Reach’s sovereignty. Red Eagle became undead when he was turned into a Briarheart in exchange for power and influence. After amassing an army, Red Eagle retook The Reach, only for the Empress to return shortly after with an even larger force. Legend says Red Eagle slayed a thousand of Skyrim’s Imperials before falling, and made an oath that he would return when his sword was returned to his tomb in Rebel’s Cairn.

Skyrim’s Named Draugr Lords: Warlord Gathrik

Warlord Gathrik is perhaps the most difficult Draugr Lord to kill in Skyrim, but he is also the most mysterious. He is the final boss of Ironbind Barrow, and is typically encountered during the Coming of Age quest, in which Beem-Ja and Salma are attempting to loot the barrow’s treasure. Beem-Ja has treacherous plans, though, and attempts to harness Gathrik’s power after he has been slain. This requires a blood sacrifice, for which he attacks the Dragonborn. Nothing is known about Warlord Gathrik apart from the fact that his combat difficulty and coveted magic imply that he was exceptionally powerful both before and after becoming a Draugr Lord, and he’s also one of Skyrim’s tallest humanoid characters.

Players going to seek out the Draugr Lords might not be able to find them if they are doing so on a high-level character. Many of Skyrim’s Draugr Lords’ power levels scale alongside the Dragonborn’s level, and will become nameless Dragon Priests around level 40 instead. Draugr Lords turned Priests will not drop a unique mask, since Skyrim only has 10 Dragon Priest masks in the base game. The opposite is also true, though, and finding some of the Draugr Lords early on in Skyrim can result in relatively low-level boss fights.

About The Author