Firiniel's End

Base Damage	13
Speed	0.687
Weight	12
Value	785
Level	1+
Category	Bow
Class	Elven
Variants	Elven Bow
Skill	Archery
Unique	Yes
Item ID	00017059
Game/DLC	Skyrim

Firiniel's End is a unique Elven Bow made for a single famous shot. It is a mid game reward of the Dark Brotherhood questline, left on a ledge above the courtyard of the Temple of the Divines in Solitude during Bound Until Death. Gabriella of the Dark Brotherhood places it there so the bride Vittoria Vici can be shot from a distance.

The bow looks like any other Elven Bow. Its frost enchantment sets it apart. Every arrow chills the target's health and stamina at once.

Weapon Enchantment

Each arrow deals 20 points of frost damage to the target's Health and Stamina.

The Enchantment Effects page lists every weapon enchantment.

Enchantment
Target takes 20 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina

How to Get Firiniel's End

Firiniel's End Map Location and Quest Guide

Firiniel's End map location:

Firiniel's End is left on a terrace overlooking the Solitude wedding during Bound Until Death. Gabriella points to the spot before the assassination.

Take Bound Until Death from Astrid.
Speak to Gabriella about the wedding.
Go to Solitude and climb to the parapet opposite the balcony.
Take Firiniel's End from the ledge.
Assassinate Vittoria Vici.
Return to Astrid.

Map credit by Map Genie.

Smithing Guide

Enchanted weapons require the Arcane Blacksmith Perk to upgrade.

Upgrades

Firiniel's End is improved at a grindstone with one Refined Moonstone per improvement. The Elven Smithing perk doubles the improvement, so each quality tier needs less Smithing skill. An enchanted copy can only be improved with the Arcane Blacksmith perk.

Quality	Smithing	With Perk	Damage
Fine	14	14	+1
Superior	31	22	+3
Exquisite	65	40	+5
Flawless	100	57	+7
Epic	134	74	+8 to +9
Legendary	168	91	+10

Crafting Materials	Upgrade Materials	Smithing Level	Smithing Perk
Cannot be crafted	Refined Moonstone	-	Elven Smithing

Weapon Levels

Some weapons in Skyrim are Levelled. The power of a levelled weapon is based on your charcters level when you get them. Some get stronger in both physical and magical aspects, while others only improve their enchantments. These items don't get better as your character levels up.

Firiniel's End has the same damage at every character level.

Level	Damage	Weight	Value	Enchantment	Level ID
1+	13	12	785	Target takes 20 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina	00017059

How It Plays

Firiniel's End is a heavy hitter rather than a quick one. Its draw is one of the slowest among bows. Each arrow makes up for that with its base damage and a strong frost burst.

The stamina damage matters in close fights as well as at range. A warrior who loses stamina cannot power attack or sprint, so enemies that rush the archer arrive weaker. Guides praise the bow for wearing down an opponent's health and stamina together.

The bow suits a sneaking archer best. A slow draw costs little when the target has not seen the shooter yet. One quiet, heavy shot opens the fight before the enemy can close in.

Perks and Builds

The Archery Skill tree drives the bow. Overdraw raises bow damage with each rank. Eagle Eye lets the archer zoom in for long shots. Steady Hand slows time while zoomed, which helps line up a slow shot.

The Sneak Skill adds the rest. Deadly Aim triples the damage of sneak attacks with a bow. A stealth archer with Firiniel's End can open most fights with a single shot.

Tempering uses Refined Moonstone, the same metal as other Elven gear. The Elven Smithing Perk doubles each improvement, and the Arcane Blacksmith Perk is needed because the bow is enchanted. An archer who already wears Elven Armor can keep both sharp from the same supply of moonstone.

Compared with Other Bows

Guides place Firiniel's End in the middle tier of bows. It ranks above the early bows such as Froki's Bow and Angi's Bow. The Nightingale Bow sits above it, and late game Daedric and Dragonbone bows outdamage it.

Its strength is timing. The Dark Brotherhood questline can reach Bound Until Death well before the best bows are within reach. The bow is worth collecting even when the gargoyle or a blade does the killing.

Quest Background

Bound Until Death is the Dark Brotherhood's biggest contract in years. The target is Vittoria Vici, a cousin of the Emperor, on her wedding day in Solitude. Astrid wants her killed while she addresses her guests from a balcony, for a bonus in gold.

Gabriella has already scouted the reception. She tells the assassin about a small parapet across from the balcony. In her words, it "would prove an excellent spot for a long-range kill", and she has left something there. A door in the northwest corner of the courtyard leads up to the ledge. Six arrows and an Elixir of True Shot lie beside the bow.

The bow is there even if Gabriella is never asked. It also stays on the ledge after the wedding, so it can be collected later. Babette suggests a different plan, a loose gargoyle above the balcony, and both methods earn the same reward.

Once the bride falls, the wedding turns into chaos. Veezara arrives to cause a distraction and cover the escape. Back at the Sanctuary, Astrid rewards the killer with the spell Summon Spectral Assassin.

Ranged Weapon Categories

All Unique Bows

Name	Damage	Speed	Weight	Value	Enchantment	Item ID	Level	Upgrade Material	Crafting Perk	Skill	DLC
Angi's Bow	7	0.937	7	50	Cannot be enchanted	000CC392	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	Archery	Skyrim
Auriel's Bow	13	1	11	1000	21 points of sun damage. Undead targets take triple damage	XX000800	1+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	Archery	Dawnguard
Bow of the Hunt	10	0.937	7	434	Animals take 20 points of extra damage	000AB705	1+	Steel Ingot	Steel Smithing	Archery	Skyrim
Drainspell Bow	14	0.875	6	458	Absorb Magicka 15 points	000F82FC	1+	Cannot be Upgraded	None	Archery	Skyrim
Dravin's Bow	7	0.937	7	50	Cannot be enchanted	0006B9AD	1+	Leather Strips	Steel Smithing	Archery	Skyrim
Dwarven Black Bow of Fate	13	0.75	10	1446	50% chance for each attribute to absorb 25 pts. of Health, Stamina, and/or Magicka	XX02C01A	1+	Ebony Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	Archery	Dragonborn
Firiniel's End	13	0.687	12	785	Target takes 20 points of frost damage to Health and Stamina	00017059	1+	Refined Moonstone	Elven Smithing	Archery	Skyrim
Froki's Bow	6	1	5	307	Does 10 points of Stamina damage	000C0186	1+	Iron Ingot	None	Archery	Skyrim
Gauldur Blackbow	14	0.875	18	972	Absorb 30 points of magicka	000F5D22	36+	Steel Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	Archery	Skyrim
Glass Bow of the Stag Prince	16	0.625	14	375	Wielder receives an increasingly powerful blessing for every 20 animals killed by the bow	XX018ED5	1+	Refined Malachite	Glass Smithing	Archery	Dragonborn
Karliah's Bow	25	0.625	9	5	Cannot be enchanted	000DEED8	1+	Cannot be Upgraded	None	Archery	Skyrim
Nightingale Bow	19	0.5	18	3405	Freezes the target for 30 points and shocks the target for 15 points	000F652C	46+	Ebony Ingot	None	Archery	Skyrim
Zephyr	12	1	10	670	Fires 30% faster than a standard bow	XX00CFB6	1+	Dwarven Metal Ingot	Dwarven Smithing	Archery	Dawnguard
Bow of Shadows	19		18	2500	Weapon draw is 20% faster and casts invisibility for 30 seconds.	XX000807	1+	Ebony Ingot	Arcane Blacksmith	Archery	Creation Club
Ruin's Edge	12	0.875	7	750	Randomly applies one of these effects to the target: - Demoralize, 100 pts for 20 seconds - Drain Magicka, 1000 pts for 20 seconds - Frenzy, 100 pts for 20 seconds Frost Damage, 25 pts - Paralyze, for 15 seconds Paralyze, for 1 second	FEXXXD63	1+	Daedra Heart	Daedric Smithing	Archery	Creation Club