How to Complete the Throat of the World Quest in Skyrim

Last Updated: June 16, 2018

The Throat of the World is the fifth quest in the second act of the Skyrim’s main quest. During this mission, all the mystery about the game’s main antagonist, Alduin, will be revealed to you. This quest is rather very easy to complete compared to others since it only involves learning one of the most important dragon shouts—the Dragonrend.

Steps

1
Head to the Throat of the World. It’s the highest peak on the land of Skyrim. From the city of Whiterun, head southeast just a couple of miles and you’ll see a snowy peak mountain on the horizon. This is the Throat of the World. Make your way to its foot and you’ll a find a series of old dilapidated stone stairwell called the Seven Thousand Steps.
2
Head to High Rothgar. This is the monastery of the order of Greybeards, masters of the Thu'um, or “the Voice.” It lies on the upper regions of the Throat of the World. To get to High Rothgar, simply follow the Seven Thousand Steps staircase until you get to the top, where you’ll find a large stone building.

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3
Talk to Arngeir. Arngeir is the highest priest in the Greybeard order. He wears a dark gray hooded robe. Enter High Hrothgar and talk to Arngeir about how to defeat Alduin, and he will eventually speak and teach you a dragon shout called Clear Skies, which clears rough weather of a large area.
4
Head outside High Hrothgar. Arngeir will tell you that if you wish to find out how to defeat Alduin, you need to talk to a dragon, called Paarthurnax, residing at the top of the Throat of the World. Head outside High Hrothgar through the door Arngeir will point you to.
5
Use the Clear Skies shout. Once you step outside, you’ll find that a very strong wind is blowing, and you’ll have a very hard time to walk. Open your in-game menu and select “Magic.” Choose “Shouts” from the menu panel on the right-hand side of the game screen, and select “Clear Skies” to calm the weather and make it easier for you to walk.
6
Climb to the top of the Throat of the World. Once the wind has calmed down, follow the path you see on the area, which leads to the top of the peak. At the top of the Throat of the World you’ll see a dragon sitting on top of a large, broken stone wall. This is Paarthurnax.
- If the wind becomes strong again as you climb up, just use the Clear Skies shout to calm it down once more.
7
Talk to Paarthurnax. Approach the dragon and talk to him. Paarthurnax will tell you the story of who Alduin is and how he was defeated through the use of an item called the Elder Scroll many centuries ago. After that, he will speak and teach you the Dragonrend, a shout capable of bringing down airborne dragons.
8
Complete the Throat of the World quest. After you learn the Dragonrend, Paarthurnax will talk a little more about the Elder Scrolls but then tell you that he doesn’t know its whereabouts. Instead, he advises you to talk to Arngeir or Esbern, which concludes the mission.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I need to kill Paarthunax?

Community Answer

You do not need to kill Paarthurnax. But if you want to remain in good allegiance with the Blades, you will have to slay him. The perks include Esbern's blessing, recruiting new Blades members, and visiting Sky Haven Temple. If you want to remain in allegiance with the Greybeards, do not kill Paarthurnax. The perks include strengthening your shouts, finding word wall locations, and visiting High Hrothgar. You will also get a bonus cut scene after defeating Alduin that is worth watching. It really does come down to morals, in the end. The choice is yours.
Question

The word did not appear on the wall. What do I do?

Community Answer

Try reloading your last save.