While exploring the vast world of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, players are likely to encounter several puzzles that must be solved in order to complete a quest or gain access to a new area. It's usually pretty easy to tell when the Dragonborn is faced with a puzzle, but the game does feature multiple areas where both the puzzle and the puzzle's solution aren't overly clear.
In order to complete Skyrim's "Forgotten Names" side quest, players will need to figure out what to do with the armored hand located beneath the College of Winterhold. Unfortunately, the quest itself is unmarked, so it's impossible to rely on quest markers to complete it. Not only that, but the lack of hints this quest provides can also make completing it exceptionally difficult.
How To Start The Forgotten Names Side Quest
In order to start "Forgotten Names," the quest connected to the hand in The Midden, players will first need to gain access to the College of Winterhold. This can be done by fast-traveling to Winterhold and traveling north toward the College itself. If players are visiting this location for the first time, they will need to prove themselves to Faralda by casting a spell and will be given full access to the College once they have done so.
If players have yet to acquire the necessary spell, they can purchase it from Faralda and use it immediately after, thus unlocking the path to the College.
Upon reaching the courtyard just outside the entrance to the College of Winterhold, players should travel north and interact with the trapdoor in the corner to enter The Midden. The hand in question is located in an area known as The Midden Dark, so players will first need to make their way through The Midden in order to reach it. To do this, players should travel east and proceed through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. Turning left and following the linear path ahead, they will eventually be faced with a door leading to The Midden Dark.
Inside The Midden Dark, the Dragonborn must walk across the narrow stone bridge in front of them, travel up the stairs on the right in the next area, and continue forward. The mysterious Midden hand can then be found behind the door, just after the Alchemy Lab.
In order to find out the purpose of this hand, the Dragonborn should head north, toward the table in the room's corner, and collect the Investigator's Key and the Midden Incident Report. According to the Report, the mysterious hand is actually a Daedric Artifact, and its existence led to the death of several students of the College. In an attempt to prevent the artifact from doing more harm, four rings were taken from the hand's fingers and stored in The Arcanaeum in the College of Winterhold itself; if players wish to uncover the secrets associated with this hand, they must discover where the rings were hidden and place them back on the hand.
Where To Find The Forgotten Names Rings
Upon collecting the Investigator's Key, players will be able to open the chest in which the missing rings have been stored. To find said chest, the Dragonborn must backtrack to the College of Winterhold, enter the Hall of Elements, and proceed through the door on the right to reach The Arcanaeum.
Once inside, the Dragonborn should head northeast into the circular room, turn left, and walk past the three Bookcases; the Investigator's Chest on the floor can then be opened with the Investigator's Key, thus allowing the Dragonborn to acquire Katarina's Ring, Treoy's Ring, Balwen's Ring, and Pithiken's Ring, the four rings that were taken from the hand.
The Midden Hand Puzzle Solution
Once the four rings have been added to the Dragonborn's inventory, they can be returned to The Midden Dark and placed on the mysterious Daedric hand. Each ring must be placed on a specific finger in order to solve the puzzle.
- Pithiken's Ring must be placed on the Little Finger.
- Balwen's Ring must be placed on the Ring Finger.
- Treoy's Ring must be placed on the Middle Finger.
- Katarina's Ring must be placed on the Index Finger.
When all four rings have been placed correctly, the hand will close, and a Dremora named Velehk Sain will materialize and speak to the Dragonborn. If players choose to bargain with Velehk and then release him, the Dragonborn will receive Velehk Sain's Treasure Map; if players decide not to release Velehk, he will attack the Dragonborn and must be defeated.
Defeating Velehk will allow the Dragonborn to loot his body, but since he doesn't carry anything unique or overly useful, releasing him is arguably the better option.
Where To Find Velehk Sain's Treasure
If players choose to kill Velehk, the "Forgotten Names" quest will end once he has been defeated, but those who freed him will be able to acquire some extremely valuable treasure by following Velehk Sain's Treasure Map.
The location depicted in this map can be found by traveling to the small island just west of Winterhold. On the southern side of the island, at the base of where the statue of Talos is facing, the Dragonborn can find Velehk Sain's Locker, alongside a second chest, some valuable miscellaneous items, several Coin Purses, and an Imperial Sword of Binding. While the sword is a pretty lackluster reward, the Dragonborn can make a lot of Gold by selling it and the other nearby treasures.
Since "Forgotten Names" is an unmarked quest, players may think there is more to Velehk Sain's story, but sadly, there is not; once the Dremora's treasure has been found and collected, the quest will quietly end.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.