Summon Arvak

School	Conjuration
Level	Apprentice
Magicka Cost	136
Casting	Fire and Forget
Delivery	Target Location
Effect	Summons Arvak in the Soul Cairn or Tamriel wilderness to act as your steed.
Duration	60 seconds
Perk	Apprentice Conjuration (1)
Spell Tome	-
Game/DLC	Dawnguard

Summon Arvak calls Arvak, a skeletal horse from the Soul Cairn, to serve as a mount. The spell lasts 60 seconds, but Arvak stays for as long as the caster rides him. He can be summoned in the Soul Cairn and out in the wilds, including Blackreach and Solstheim.

Spell Tome

The spell is also taught during Soul Cairn Horse Quest.

Location

A lost soul near the start of the Soul Cairn asks for help finding his horse, Arvak. Arvak's skull lies on a pedestal elsewhere in the Soul Cairn, guarded by the restless dead. Taking the skull back to the soul earns the spell.

How It Plays

Summon Arvak calls the skeletal horse Arvak to the caster's side. He works like any other horse: the caster can mount him and ride across the land. The spell lasts one minute, but Arvak stays for as long as the caster sits on his back. Once the caster climbs down and the minute is over, he fades away.

Arvak can appear in places where an ordinary horse cannot go. He can be summoned in the Soul Cairn, in Blackreach and on Solstheim, as well as in the wilds of Skyrim. A rider never has to walk back to a stable to find him.

Quest Background

Arvak's story comes from the Soul Cairn in the Dawnguard DLC. The spell is the reward for the quest Find Arvak's Skull, which a lost soul in the Soul Cairn gives. Arvak was his horse in life, and the soul wants his old companion back.

Perks and Builds

The Apprentice Conjuration perk halves the cost of the spell. With Twin Souls, two Arvaks can be summoned at the same time.

Best Uses

Arvak solves the problem of a full pack. A rider can fast travel no matter how much loot is carried, and Arvak can be called in almost any outdoor spot. A character who is too heavy to fast travel can summon him, climb on and set off, which makes moving house or hauling loot home far easier.

He is also a strong choice for Survival Mode. Arvak has less health and stamina than a strong horse such as Shadowmere. His great strength is that he never needs a stable and can be called wherever the caster happens to be.

Arvak stays for as long as the caster rides him, so a single cast can carry a rider across the whole province. The minute only starts to count once the caster climbs down.

Gameplay Tips

Arvak can still be summoned with full Spell Absorption, which stops most other summons.

Notes

Arvak cannot be summoned inside walled cities such as Whiterun and Solitude, or in the Forgotten Vale.

Spell Categories

All Conjuration Spells

Novice

Novice spells are the first a mage learns and cost the least magicka.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Sword	93	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic sword for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Familiar	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Familiar for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Raise Zombie	103	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a weak dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Bound Dagger	53	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic dagger for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Skeleton Minion	106	Fire and Forget	Summons a weak Skeleton warrior for 60 seconds.
Conjure Undying Ghost	All available magicka	Fire and Forget	Consumes all magicka and summons an Undying Ghost for 60 seconds. The ghost's attributes are equal to twice the amount of magicka consumed (up to 600).
Conjure Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.

Apprentice

Apprentice spells need a little practice in the school.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Bound Battleaxe	169	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic battle axe for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Flame Atronach	150	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Flaming Familiar	57	Fire and Forget	Summons a flaming familiar which will charge into battle and explode.
Reanimate Corpse	144	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a more powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Soul Trap	107	Fire and Forget	If target dies within 60 seconds, fills a soul gem.
Conjure Boneman	129	Fire and Forget	Summons a Boneman Archer from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Summon Arvak	136	Fire and Forget	Summons Arvak in the Soul Cairn or Tamriel wilderness to act as your steed.
Conjure Foul Zombie	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Foul Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Haunting Spirit	128	Fire and Forget	Summons a Haunting Spirit for 60 seconds. When killed, the spirit steals 10 points from the skills of its killer and transfers them to the caster for a short time.
Conjure Skeleton Marksman	132	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Marksman whose arrows weaken foes for 60 seconds.
Soul Split	96	Fire and Forget	Sacrifice a friendly conjured or reanimated minion to summon 2 Sundered Shades for 60 seconds.
Summon Daedric Horse	136	Fire and Forget	Summons a Daedric Horse to act as your steed.

Adept

Adept spells are the middle rank and hit noticeably harder.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Banish Daedra	196	Fire and Forget	Weaker summoned daedra are sent back to Oblivion.
Bound Bow	207	Fire and Forget	Creates a magic bow and 100 magic arrows for 120 seconds. Sheathe it to dispel.
Conjure Frost Atronach	215	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Revenant	183	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Conjure Mistman	193	Fire and Forget	Summons a Mistman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Spawn	186	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ash Spawn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Seeker	157	Fire and Forget	Summons a Seeker for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Banish Undead	176	Fire and Forget	Summoned or raised undead up to level 15 are sent back to the grave.
Conjure Dark Seducer Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Dark Seducer Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dark Seducer Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Archer	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Archer for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Golden Saint Warrior	75	Fire and Forget	Summons a Golden Saint Warrior for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Putrid Zombie	107	Fire and Forget	Summons a Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Champion	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Champion that gains +10% attack damage for each nearby enemy (up to 5) for 60 seconds.
Conjure Tomb Guardian	192	Fire and Forget	Summons a Tomb Guardian for 60 seconds that conjures a Shade when it kills an enemy.
Necromancer's Ritual	123	Fire and Forget	Regain 30 health and magicka every time a friendly conjured or reanimated minion dies for 120 seconds.

Expert

Expert spells are powerful and expensive to cast.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Command Daedra	243	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned and raised creatures are put under your control.
Conjure Dremora Lord	358	Fire and Forget	Summons a Dremora Lord for 60 seconds.
Conjure Storm Atronach	322	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Dread Zombie	302	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a very powerful dead body to fight for you for 60 seconds.
Expel Daedra	215	Fire and Forget	Powerful summoned daedra creatures are sent back to Oblivion.
Conjure Wrathman	301	Fire and Forget	Summons a Wrathman from the Soul Cairn for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Ash Guardian	340	Fire and Forget	Creates an Ash Guardian that guards that location until destroyed. Consumes a Heart stone from your inventory, without which it will be hostile.
Conjure Ayleid Lich	358	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ayleid Lich for 60 seconds.
Conjure Cursed Spectre	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Cursed Spectre for 60 seconds that drains health and magicka from enemies.
Conjure Malignant Zombie	161	Fire and Forget	Summons a Malignant Zombie for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.
Conjure Skeleton Warlock	258	Fire and Forget	Summons a Skeleton Warlock that wields powerful shock magic for 60 seconds.
Pride of Hirstaang	287	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bear for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing. Resist 50% of frost damage for 60 seconds. Health regenerates 50% faster for 60 seconds.

Master

Master spells are the strongest in the school and need the most skill.

Name	Cost	Casting	Effect
Dead Thrall	1000	Fire and Forget	Reanimate a dead body permanently to fight for you. Only works on people.
Flame Thrall	900	Fire and Forget	Summons a Flame Atronach permanently.
Frost Thrall	1100	Fire and Forget	Summons a Frost Atronach permanently.
Storm Thrall	1200	Fire and Forget	Summons a Storm Atronach permanently.
Conjure Ancient Deathpriest	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons an Ancient Deathpriest that wields powerful magic and commands the undead for 60 seconds. When killed, the Deathpriest splits into 3 Tortured Shades.
Conjure Bone Colossus	1004	Fire and Forget	Summons a Bone Colossus for 60 seconds. While active, conjured skeletons regenerate health and you can summon 2 additional skeletons. Only 1 colossus can be summoned at a time.
Conjure Staada	75	Fire and Forget	Summons Staada for 60 seconds wherever the caster is pointing.