The room has a small table and chair on the right. While to the right of the stairs are a set of shelves holding a pair of vampire gauntlets, a hide helmet, a leather strips, a potion of minor healing, a salt pile and a food sack. An alchemy lab is to the left of stairs up into another room, with a salt pile and a bottle of weak aversion to magic poison on top. At the back of the room stairs ascend to a higher level that continues around to the west. To avoid damage either disarm it before opening the chest or simply stand at the bottom of the stairs and not in the alcove. The first alcove on the right-hand side of the room contains an adept trapped chest, that triggers spears to shoot up from the grating in the floor. There is a medium coin purse in the bottom of the other open coffin (see bugs). One of the open coffins contains a skeleton that can be looted, in addition to a couple of the coffins and the draugr. In the southeastern corner are several coffins and a dead draugr. Just beyond the first alcove on the left is a barrel of ingredients. There are alcoves on either side, with grating over water filled tunnels. On either side are paths with a stone bridge linking them near the balcony. There are stairs descending down into it at the far end. The central third of the room is sunken and was originally used to collect water for the cistern. If you return here after the quest only the death hounds respawn. The feral vampire is carrying a journal fragment, which explains how she's been taking control of the keep's death hounds and promises revenge against the vampires living in the keep. There are up to five death hounds and a feral vampire inhabiting this area. The double doors leads into the same room at floor level. The single door opens onto a balcony overlooking the old water cistern, which can be used to snipe at those in the next room. There is an unlocked wooden door in front of you, to the north, with stairs leading down on the left, to large double doors also to the north. On the right are some crates and food sacks beside the wall. The stairs descend to a landing, with a barrel of ingredients by a stone railing, which has a woodcutter's axe stuck in the top. You'll also find several of loose septims and some clam meat on the floor among the straw and bones. There is a skeever wandering this area, which will attack as soon as it is aware of you. The entrance leads to a balcony with stairs leading down on the left. At the top is an entrance to Volkihar Undercroft, which prior to starting the related quest is the door that is locked.

There are numerous stairs rising up from the dockside to terraces far above. To locate the ship, swim from the far end of the dockside to the northwest. Unless you are an Argonian, you will need to use a waterbreathing effect, via a potion or enchantment to reach it. Among some crates is an unlocked chest containing minor loot. The hull has split open just enough to grant access below deck.

Deep below the water is an overturned sunken ship, with a broken keel. There are plenty of salmon that can be fished from the docks. They are significantly tougher than typical skeletons, most are magic-users and graphically they appear to be wearing armor. The docks are guarded by four leveled skeletons armed with ancient Nord weapons, which may be honed. Then follow the shoreline to the left of the castle until you reach a crumbling, disused dock where there are several sunken boats and ships. To reach the entrance travel from the jetty on the island, reached either by fast traveling to the island or utilizing the rowboat at Icewater Jetty.

Skyrim castle volkihar courtyard