The Heart of Dibella (2024)

The Heart of Dibella is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Dragonborn will need to find the next Sybil of Dibella for the temple in Markarth.

Background[]

To appease the priestess of Dibella, I have agreed to find the young girl who will be their next Sybil. It's been prophesised that she lives in the village of Karthwasten, to the north of Markarth.

Objectives[]

1. Speak to Degaine (optional)
2. Steal the statue in the Temple of Dibella (optional)
3. Bring the statue to Degaine (optional)
4. Find the future Sybil of Dibella
5. Rescue Fjotra from the Forsworn
6. Bring Fjorta to the temple
7. Pray at Dibella's Altar

Walkthrough[]

Degaine in Markarth will give the Dragonborn a quest to steal a Statue of Dibella from the Temple of Dibella. Talk to Degaine and receive the miscellaneous quest "Steal the statue in the Temple of Dibella" before picking the lock to the Inner Sanctum and getting caught by the priestesses and Hamal. If the Dragonborn is caught by the priestesses and then tries to go talk to Degaine to receive the quest, the quest dialogue will not show. Degaine is usually at the market in front of the main door of Markarth, if not he is in The Warrens.

Break into the Inner Sanctum and sneak behind the priestesses. If caught while sneaking past the priestesses, Mother Hamal will give the Dragonborn this quest as a punishment for trespassing in the temple. Alternatively, sneak out, sell the statue to Degaine, and come back in to "get caught."

If unable to sneak past Hamal, there are several other Statues of Dibella at the following locations:

• Broken Tower Redoubt. After entering the redoubt, after the first room, go up the stairs on the right and go left on the second floor and follow it around. The statue is in a darkened area past a pile of rubble between two barrels. A light source may help, as it is quite dark.
• One statue can be found beside/in Hela's Folly, a nearby shipwreck. This can be found as a Dark Brotherhood contract for Nazir. The statue is counted as stolen despite the owner, Deekus, being dead.
• While doing the Daedric quest in the Midden below the College of Winterhold.
• One statue is in the Black-Briar Manor in Riften.
• One statue can be found inside Riftweald Manor, Mercer Frey's house in Riften.
• One statue can be found in Brinewater Grotto at the very back.
• One statue can be found in Haelga's Bunkhouse in Riften, it can be stolen as part of the Thieves Guild quest "Taking Care of Business."
• One statue can be found in the East EmpireCompany Warehouse.

Either way, if you get caught trying to sneak past and Mother Hamal gives you the quest as punishment for trespassing in the temple, you can still attempt to steal the statue and just sell it to someone else other than Degaine.

Without Degaine[]

Another way to acquire this quest without involving Degaine is to simply break into the Inner Sanctum. Make sure to be sneaking and undetected when picking the lock if one does not wish to start a fight. If successful, one can then sneak into the Inner Sanctum and let Hamal "catch" them (getting caught sneaking, or standing up and approaching her), where she will then start the quest.

If caught picking the lock (or one was not sneaking or did not have the Quick Hands Lockpicking perk), the priestesses will be hostile, so one should utilize "calm" type Illusion spells (Calm, Pacify, Harmony) or the Imperial's Voice of the Emperor to calm the priestesses and to be able to speak with Hamal to get the quest from her.

Looking for the Sybil[]

Talk to anyone in Karthwasten about a little girl, and they will direct the Dragonborn to talk to Enmon, her father. Enmon will say that Fjotra was kidnapped by the Forsworn and taken to Broken Tower Redoubt. He offers to join in the rescue, but there is an option to go alone. Having Enmon joining offers no reward, except one or two lines of dialogue when his daughter is found. Unfortunately, Enmon can be killed easily, which has no consequences.

Travel to Broken Tower Redoubt and fight or slip past the Forsworn found there while making the way to the top (if recently cleared, the only enemy present may be the Forsworn Briarheart). Eventually the Dragonborn will get inside a small tower with a Forsworn Briarheart boss guarding the cell in which Fjotra is being held captive. Kill him, then loot the key off his body to open the cell. After telling her she is the Sybil of Dibella, Fjotra will follow you. Take her back to the Temple of Dibella in Markarth.

Fjotra: "Are you one of them? Please don't hurt me"Dragonborn: "I'm here to take you to the temple of Dibella."Fjotra: "Then it is true what they said? I am touched by the gods?"Fjotra: "I've heard stories about the wonders of the great Temple in Markarth. But I never dreamed that I would even get to see it. I am honored to be called for this duty. Please, lead on."

If the Dragonborn returns to Fjotra's House after rescuing her and approaches Enmon with Fjotra, he will address his daughter and tell her she has to go to the temple.

Enmon: "Fjotra!"Fjotra: "Father!"Enmon: "Fjotra, dear. Did they hurt you?"Fjotra: "Of course not. My spirit remains strong."Enmon: "My little girl. Always strong. Do you know where you have to go?"Fjotra: "I'm to go to the temple in Markarth. I... I'll have to leave you and mother."Enmon: "It's our honor to have you there. This man/woman is going to take you to Markarth. Are you ready?"Fjotra: "Of course."

Hamal tells the player to pray at the Altar of Dibella to receive the blessing. Note that the Altar of Dibella is the font-like object in the center of the top floor of the temple, not the normal Shrine of Dibella next to it. The Dragonborn will get a permanent effect called Agent of Dibella, which allows the player to do more damage to the opposite sex.

After praying at the altar, Hamal will be willing to train the Dragonborn in Enchanting, and Senna will become marriageable.

Journal[]

Trivia[]

• It is possible to start this quest without having the Dibella Statue removed from the inventory, or made inaccessible by using physics grab (hold the Activate button) to move the statue near the walls behind the area where the monks are originally communing.
• Hamal's dialogue, upon being caught, is different for both genders. If a female Dragonborn, she will state that "the uninitiated" are not allowed in the inner sanctum, and that a "period of servitude" is the normal punishment. If a male Dragonborn, she will state that men are not allowed within the sanctum, and that a "quick death" is the normal punishment.
• It is possible to approach the Broken Tower Redoubt from the hill behind it, and then drop down onto the ledge. In this way, one will only have to fight the Forsworn on the ledge to get to the Briarheart, and the other four when leaving with the Sybil, instead of going through the whole complex. Doing so will mark Broken Tower Redoubt as a cleared area, despite there still being Forsworn present.
• It is also possible to still do the quest and get the money from Degaine. Just go back into the Inner Sanctum and talk to Hamal.
• Hamal will talk about the Agent of Dibella blessing differently, based on what gender the player character is. If female, she will state that the blessing will make her more appealing to men, while if a man, Hamal will state that the blessing "is not normally given to a man," but will make this one exception, as well as stating that the blessing will make it easier for "wooing women."
• When told by Hamal to go prostrate themselves before Dibella's altar, the animation shown actually does not have the player laying down, but rather sort of crouch before the well.
• If "The House of Horrors" is started and Logrolf the Willful is imprisoned in Broken Tower Redoubt as well, he and Fjotra will be found in the same cell, allowing the player to rescue them simultaneously.

Bugs[]

Appearances[]

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim