Boots of the Old Gods
| Boots of the Old Gods | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armor Rating | 7 |
| Weight | 1.5 |
| Value | 1104 |
| Slot | Feet |
| Set | Old Gods |
| Level | - |
| Class | Boots |
| Skill | Light Armor |
| Unique | Yes |
| Item ID | 000eafd3 |
| Game/DLC | Skyrim |
The Boots of the Old Gods are unique light armor boots and a special version of Forsworn Boots. They have a base armor rating of 7, weigh 1.5 and make sneaking 20% better. They are a reward for helping Madanach in No One Escapes Cidhna Mine, the Markarth jailbreak that follows The Forsworn Conspiracy.
Armor Enchantment
Sneaking is 20% better.
The Enchantment Effects page lists every armor enchantment.
Boots of the Old Gods Map Location and Quest Guide
Boots of the Old Gods map location:
The Boots of the Old Gods are handed over during the escape from Cidhna Mine in Markarth. They are a reward for No One Escapes Cidhna Mine, which follows The Forsworn Conspiracy.
- Complete The Forsworn Conspiracy and go to jail in Cidhna Mine.
- Get a shiv for Borkul the Beast to reach Madanach.
- Talk to Madanach in his cell.
- Follow Madanach's instructions and escape with the prisoners.
- Take the Boots of the Old Gods when it is handed over before the breakout.
Map credit by Map Genie.
Killing Madanach after he hands over the set also earns the Silver-Blood Family Ring.
How It Plays
The Boots of the Old Gods are enchanted Forsworn boots. Their enchantment makes sneaking 20 percent better. A sneaking wearer is harder to notice, which helps both a hunter with a bow and an assassin with a dagger.
The boots share the look of ordinary Forsworn Boots, weigh half a point less and are worth far more. The Sneak bonus helps most early in the game, before many Sneak perks are taken, and it keeps adding to those perks later.
The boots are tempered at a workbench with a piece of Leather. As an enchanted item, they need the Arcane Blacksmith perk for tempering.
The Full Set
The Old Gods set has four pieces. The boots improve sneaking, and the Gauntlets of the Old Gods make bows deal 20 percent more damage. The Helmet of the Old Gods adds 30 points of Magicka, and the Armor of the Old Gods makes Destruction spells cost 15 percent less. Boots and gauntlets together suit a Forsworn style hunter who strikes from cover.
When the full set is worn, a visual glitch can leave gaps at the ankles or make the boots vanish. The glitch changes only the look, and reloading a save restores it for a while.
Perks and Builds
The Sneak skill tree builds on the boots. Stealth makes the wearer up to 40 percent harder to detect while sneaking. Muffled Movement cuts the noise of worn armor by half, and Deadly Aim makes sneak attacks with bows deal three times damage.
The Light Armor perks reward the full set. All four pieces are light armor, so wearing them together meets the Custom Fit condition, and Matching Set adds a further 25 percent armor.
Quest Background
The Old Gods set is a reward of No One Escapes Cidhna Mine, the quest that follows The Forsworn Conspiracy in Markarth. The conspiracy begins on the first walk into the city, when Weylin stabs Margret in the market. A man named Eltrys then asks for help, and his questions lead to Thonar Silver-Blood and to Madanach, the King in Rags. Once the truth comes out, the city guards frame the investigator for the murder of Eltrys and throw them into Cidhna Mine.
Madanach rules the prisoners of the mine from a private cell guarded by Borkul the Beast. Getting past Borkul takes a shiv, and the shiv comes from Grisvar the Unlucky in exchange for Skooma. Madanach then sends the newcomer to hear the story of the prisoner Braig. After that he asks for one more proof of loyalty: the death of Grisvar, whom he suspects of spying.
With Grisvar dead, Madanach leads his followers through a tunnel they have dug under Markarth. The set is handed over in the tunnels, just before the final break out into the city. Killing Madanach instead earns the Silver-Blood Family Ring from Thonar Silver-Blood. Both rewards can be won by taking the armor first and then killing Madanach before he leaves the tunnels.
Lore
Madanach is a Breton witchblade and the leader of the Forsworn Rebellion. The Forsworn are Reachmen who want to drive the Nords out of the Reach. Madanach once ruled the Reach as its king for a short time. Ulfric Stormcloak ended that rule when he took Markarth back for the Nords and captured him. The King in Rags has directed the Forsworn from his cell in Cidhna Mine ever since.
Gameplay Tips
Temper them at a workbench with one Leather. The Arcane Blacksmith perk is needed.
Smithing Guide
Enchanted weapons require the Arcane Blacksmith Perk to upgrade.
Upgrades
Boots of the Old Gods are improved at a workbench with one Leather per improvement. An enchanted copy can only be improved with the Arcane Blacksmith perk.
| Quality | Smithing | Armor |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | 14 | +1 |
| Superior | 31 | +3 |
| Exquisite | 65 | +5 |
| Flawless | 100 | +7 |
| Epic | 134 | +8 to +9 |
| Legendary | 168 | +10 |
Armor Set
Boots of the Old Gods belong to the Old Gods set. The table shows every piece of the set.
| Name | Image | Slot | Armor | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor of the Old Gods | 
|
Body | 24 | 3 |
| Boots of the Old Gods | 
|
Feet | 7 | 1.5 |
| Gauntlets of the Old Gods | 
|
Hands | 7 | 0.5 |
| Helmet of the Old Gods | 
|
Head | 12 | 1 |
Armor Categories
All Boots
Light Armor
All light armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
Heavy Armor
All heavy armor boots are listed below with their armor rating, weight, set and upgrade material.
