You’re wandering through Dawnstar. It’s cold. It’s always cold in Dawnstar. Then you see him—Silus Vesuius. He’s standing outside a house that looks like every other house, but he’s talking about a museum. A museum of the Mythic Dawn. If you’ve played The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, that name sends a physical shiver down your spine. If you haven't, you just think he's a weirdo with a hobby. This is how Pieces of the Past Skyrim begins, and honestly, it remains one of the most morally messy and lore-heavy quests Bethesda ever cooked up.
It isn't just about a dagger. People think it is. They think it’s just a loot run for a weapon that has a small chance to insta-kill anything in the game. But the quest is actually a deep, uncomfortable look at how history is remembered, or misremembered, two hundred years after the world almost ended.
Tracking Down the Shards of Mehrunes’ Razor
Silus doesn't want much. He just wants you to go out and find three pieces of a broken artifact. Easy, right? Wrong. The pieces are scattered across some of the most inconvenient spots in the province.
First, there's the Pommel. It’s held by Drascua, a Hagravven at Dead Crone Rock. If you've ever fought a Hagraven at a low level, you know it’s a nightmare of fireballs and crow-squawks. Then you’ve got the Blade Shards in Cracked Tusk Keep. It’s an orc stronghold. Well, a former one. Now it’s just full of bandits and traps that will turn you into a pincushion if you aren't looking at your feet. Finally, there's the Hilt. Jorgen in Morthal has it. He’s just a guy. A woodcutter. You can bribe him, intimidate him, or just steal it from his chest.
What’s interesting about Pieces of the Past Skyrim is how it forces you to interact with these different factions. You aren't just dungeon crawling. You're interacting with the remnants of Skyrim’s social fabric. Jorgen, for instance, represents the average Nord who just wants to leave the past buried. He knows the hilt is dangerous. He doesn't want it, but he doesn't want you to have it either.
The Mythic Dawn Connection
Silus is a descendant of the Mythic Dawn. That’s the cult that assassinated Uriel Septim VII and opened the Oblivion Gates. In the context of the lore, Silus is basically a guy who opened a museum dedicated to the fantasy equivalent of a horrific terrorist group.
The game doesn't hit you over the head with the ethics of this immediately. It lets you walk around his house. You see the robes. You see the Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes. It’s creepy. It feels wrong. Yet, the reward—the Razor—is so tempting that most players ignore the red flags. This is classic Bethesda storytelling. They dangle a shiny toy in front of you and see how much of your character's integrity you’re willing to trade for it.
The Confrontation at the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon
Once you have the pieces, Silus takes you to the Shrine. It’s way up in the mountains, south of the Pale. It’s an imposing, brutalist structure carved into the rock. It looks like it doesn't belong in Skyrim. It looks like it belongs in the Deadlands.
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This is where the quest peaks.
Silus tries to talk to Dagon. He fails. Dagon doesn't care about Silus. Dagon is the Prince of Destruction, Change, and Ambition. Why would he care about a guy who curates a museum? He cares about you, the Dragonborn. The person who actually went out and took the pieces by force or guile.
Dagon gives you an ultimatum.
Kill Silus and take the Razor. Or let Silus live, and he takes the broken pieces back to his museum.
Why Silus Usually Dies
Let’s be real. Most people kill him.
If you let him live, you get a few hundred gold. That’s it. You don't get the weapon. In a game about power fantasy, "doing the right thing" for a historical enthusiast is a hard sell when the alternative is a dagger that can kill a Dragon in one hit.
But there’s a nuance here. If you kill Silus, you are explicitly doing the bidding of a Daedric Prince. You are participating in the "Change" that Dagon loves. By killing the last vestige of the Mythic Dawn (even if Silus was just a fanboy), you are closing a chapter of history through blood. It’s poetic in a dark way.
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If you spare him, Silus remains a pathetic figure. He’s a man obsessed with a past that doesn't want him. There’s no glory in sparing him, only a quiet sense of moral superiority that doesn't help you much when a Frost Troll is charging at you.
The Stats: Is Mehrunes’ Razor Actually Good?
People argue about this in forums constantly. Is the Razor worth the murder?
The base damage of the Razor is 11. That’s the same as an ebony dagger. It’s fast. It’s light. But the enchantment is the "Instant Kill" chance. It’s roughly a 1.98% chance per hit.
- Weight: 3
- Value: 860
- Enchantment: Small chance to kill instantly.
- Charges: Infinite (it never needs soul gems).
That last point is the kicker. Not needing to recharge a Daedric artifact is a massive quality-of-life improvement. You can just swing away. Against high-health enemies like Ebony Warriors or Legendary Dragons, that 2% chance feels like a lot more when you’re landing four hits a second.
The Dremora Problem
After you make your choice at the shrine, Dagon sends two Dremora Kynreeves to kill you anyway. He’s the Prince of Destruction. He doesn't do "thanks."
This is actually the best part of the quest for high-level players. The Dremora inside and outside the shrine respawn. This makes the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon one of the only reliable places in Skyrim to farm Daedra Hearts. If you want to craft a full set of Daedric Armor, you’re going to be visiting this shrine every few in-game days.
Misconceptions About the Quest
A lot of players think you need to be a certain level to start Pieces of the Past Skyrim.
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Technically, you get the letter from a courier at level 20. But you can actually stumble upon the museum earlier. However, the enemies—specifically the Hagravens and the Orcs in the fortress—scale with you. If you go in too early, Dead Crone Rock will absolutely wreck you. The Forsworn there use some of the most aggressive AI in the game, and they will kite you into traps while peppering you with arrows.
Another misconception: that the Razor is "broken."
It’s not. It’s just RNG. I’ve had playthroughs where it didn't proc for three hours. I’ve had others where it killed the final boss of a questline in the first three seconds. It’s a gambler's weapon. If you like consistency, use a Smithing-upgraded Daedric Dagger with Chaos damage. If you like the chaos of the Daedra, the Razor is your best friend.
How to Get the Most Out of the Quest
If you’re looking to maximize your efficiency during this run, stop by the Lord Stone while you're in the neighborhood. It's not far from the shrine and provides a much-needed 50 points of armor and 25% magic resistance. Since the Dremora at the end of the quest love to use fire-enchanted blades, that resistance is a lifesaver.
Also, check the interior of the shrine after you kill the Dremora. There is a massive amount of loot. Gold ingots, enchanted gear, and various soul gems are scattered everywhere. Most people just grab the Razor and leave. Don't do that. Strip the place bare. Dagon won't mind. He likes the ambition.
Actionable Insights for Your Playthrough
To handle this quest like a pro, follow these specific steps:
- Wait until Level 20: Even though you can explore early, the quest won't officially trigger until the courier finds you. This ensures the loot in the final chests is actually worth the climb.
- Bring a Follower: Dead Crone Rock is a vertical nightmare. You’ll want someone to pull aggro while you navigate the stairs and traps.
- Farm the Hearts: Don't just finish the quest and forget the shrine. Set a map marker. Come back every week (in-game time) to kill the respawned Dremora. It’s the easiest way to get Daedric gear without relying on random loot drops.
- Check the Museum: Before leaving Dawnstar, read the books in Silus’s house. They provide some of the best lore summaries of the Oblivion Crisis available in Skyrim.
- The Choice: If you’re playing a "Good" character, let Silus live. The gold is fine, and you can always craft a better dagger later. If you’re playing literally any other type of character, take the Razor. The infinite enchantment is too good to pass up for a stealth build.
Skyrim is a game about choices that don't always have a clear "win" state. Pieces of the Past is the epitome of that. It forces you to look at the blood-soaked history of Tamriel and decide if you want to hold a piece of it in your hand or let it stay in a display case. Usually, in the frozen wastes of the north, the sharp edge of a Daedric blade is more comforting than a clean conscience.