Riverwood is the first real village most players see, and it hands you one of the best early side quests in Skyrim. Thieves robbed the Riverwood Trader and took exactly one thing: a golden ornament shaped like a dragon’s claw. Get it back and you walk away with gold, a Word of Power and your first proper Nordic tomb cleared.
If you are jogging past Lucan Valerius on the way to Whiterun, I’m begging you to stop. Here’s the play, start to finish, including both puzzle solutions.
How to Start The Golden Claw
Walk into the Riverwood Trader and you catch Lucan and his sister Camilla arguing about the robbery. Talk to Lucan and offer to help. He explains that the thieves only took the claw, and that it probably ended up in Bleak Falls Barrow, the ancient tomb on the mountain above town.
- Quest giver: Lucan Valerius, Riverwood Trader, Riverwood.
- Dungeon: Bleak Falls Barrow, north of Riverwood up the mountain trail.
- Skipped Lucan? The quest starts on its own once you pick up the claw inside the barrow.
- Overlap: Farengar in Whiterun sends you to the same tomb for the Dragonstone, so you can finish both jobs in one run.
Ask Camilla for directions and she offers to walk you to the edge of town. Optional, but it saves you guessing at the trail.
Get a Follower First (Optional)
Sven and Faendal both live in Riverwood and both want Camilla’s attention. Help one of them with his little scheme and he offers to join you. Faendal is the better pick for most players because he fights with a bow and trains Archery, but either one gives the draugr a second target.
The Golden Claw Walkthrough
1. Up the Mountain and Through the Pillar Gate
Follow the trail north and uphill until the green turns to snow, and clear the bandits at the watchtower and at the barrow entrance before you go in. Inside, the first gated room hides a dart trap: set the three pillars to Snake, Snake, Whale from left to right, then pull the lever.
2. The Spider and Arvel
Further in, a giant frostbite spider drops into a web covered chamber. Back up, hit it from range if you can, and keep healing through the poison. Behind the web is Arvel the Swift, the Dark Elf thief who has the claw. Cut him loose and he immediately runs off with it.
Chase him. He sprints into the next tunnels, where the draugr usually do the work for you. Loot the Golden Claw and his journal from his body. Read the journal: it hints at what the claw does.
3. Through the Crypt to the Hall of Stories
Draugr, a swinging blade corridor and a few pressure plates stand between Arvel’s body and the claw door. Walk, do not sprint, and check the floor before each new hall.
4. The Golden Claw Door
At the end you reach the Hall of Stories and a round door with three rotating rings. Open your inventory, inspect the Golden Claw and rotate it to look at its palm: the three animals carved there are the combination.
| Ring | Animal |
|---|---|
| Outer ring | Bear |
| Middle ring | Moth |
| Inner ring | Owl |
Set the rings, then use the claw on the keyhole in the center. A wrong setup just keeps the door shut, so you can try again.
5. Word Wall, Boss and the Way Out
Behind the door, the Word Wall teaches Fus, the first word of Unrelenting Force, and a draugr boss climbs out of the sarcophagus in front of it. It carries the Dragonstone Farengar wants, so loot it before you leave by the passage behind the wall, which comes out high above Riverwood.
6. Return the Claw to Lucan
Head back down to the Riverwood Trader and give Lucan the claw. He pays a gold reward that scales with your level, and the quest is done.
Rewards at a Glance
| Reward | From | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gold (leveled) | Lucan Valerius | Early money for armor and potions |
| Fus (Unrelenting Force) | Word Wall in Bleak Falls Barrow | Your first Shout word |
| Dragonstone | The Word Wall chamber | Needed for Farengar’s main quest job |
| Dungeon loot | Chests and urns along the way | Free gear and gold before Whiterun |
Tips That Save Potions
- Buy potions first: you are standing in a shop when you get the quest. Use it.
- Save before the web room: the frostbite spider is the first real damage check of the game.
- Let followers lead in tight halls: step aside so they do not block you in corridors.
- Bring a bow: a stealth archer can pick off most draugr before they wake up.
New character? This dungeon is the first real test of your setup, so check our best beginner build before you go.
Golden Claw FAQ
What is the Golden Claw combination in Skyrim?
Bear, Moth, Owl, from the outer ring to the inner ring. The answer is carved on the claw’s palm; inspect it in your inventory.
Who stole the Golden Claw?
Arvel the Swift, a Dark Elf thief. You find him stuck in a spider web in Bleak Falls Barrow; free him and he runs, so chase him and loot the claw and his journal from his body.
What happens if Arvel runs away with the claw?
Keep chasing him. He runs into draugr in the next tunnels, and you can loot the claw from his body.
Can I sell the Golden Claw instead?
No. It is a quest item, so the only way to cash it in is returning it to Lucan.
Claw returned, Fus learned, Dragonstone in your bag. Head to Whiterun, hand Farengar his stone and get ready for your first dragon. More walkthroughs are waiting on the Skyrim hub, and the Skyrim Special Edition player count shows how many new Dragonborn are running this exact quest right now.
