The Dwemer have been one of the most mysterious races in the Elder Scrolls games. They were one of the most advanced races that disappeared under peculiar circumstances. In Skyrim, players have the chance to explore some of the Dwemer ruins in the games to learn more about their culture, their technology, and their society. They are responsible for the creation of some of the legendary artifacts in Elder Scrolls' history, such as the dagger known as Keening.

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The Dagger was made as part of a toolset by the Dwemer Tonal Architect known as Kagrenac and makes multiple appearances in Elder Scrolls history. What is the story behind this ancient weapon?

10 Made To Harvest Power From Heart Of Lorkhan

Kagrenac made his tools for the purpose of harnessing the Heart of Lorkhan's power, including the hammer Sunder, the gauntlet Wraithguard, and the dagger Keening. Sunder was made to produce a certain power from the heart, while Keening was made to flay and focus it. Wraithguard allowed the users to wield Sunder and Keening safely. Using Sunder or Keening without Wraithguard resulted in the death of the user.

9 Used In Battle Of Red Mountain

According to one account, Keening was used in the Battle of Red Mountain to slay the Nord High King Wulfharth. Nerevar slew Walfharth, and then cut the Heart of Lorkhan out from his body. Following his defeat, all three artifacts came under the possession of the Almsivi. Later on, the Tribunal took all three tools from Voryn Dagoth and were kept by them up until the events of Morrowind.

8 Used By The Tribunal To Give Divine Power

After the Battle Of Red Mountain, the Tribunal took possession of the tools and used them to siphon the Heart's power to ascend into living gods. Keening was one of the tools used alongside Wraithguard and Sunder for this purpose. The Tribunal made annual pilgrimages to the Heart Chamber to recharge their energies.

During the Second Era, Dagoth Ur awakened and ambushed the Tribunal on their way to the Heart Chamber. The Tribunal then launched intermittent campaigns to force access to the Heart Chamber. Sunder and Keening were lost during this time and ended up in the possession of two different Ash Vampires.

7 Used To Defeat Dagoth Ur

Keening makes its first appearance in Elder Scrolls games in Morrowind as a vital main quest item. The Nerevarine uses Keening to defeat Dagoth Ur toward the end of the main questline. Although the short blade is available at any time, players will need to equip Wraithguard to wield Keening safely. In the event that they don't, they will be damaged significantly over time and end up dying.

6 Has The Same Appearance Throughout The Series

The Elder Scrolls games have many artifacts that make multiple appearances throughout the series. Some of these artifacts change with each installment in terms of appearance, such as the Blade of Woe.

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Keening, however, maintains its appearance whenever it appears. Players will find Keening looks exactly the same in Skyrim as it does in Morrowind. There are some very minor differences in the item models, most likely due to technical limitations in Morrowind, but they are identical for the most part.

5 Keening Turns Transparent Facing The Light

In Skyrim, Keening has a very interesting reaction to light. When players have Keening equipped and drawn while they face the light, the blade surface turns transparent, and players can see through it. If the light shines on it when players are facing away from the light, the blade turns opaque. Similarly, when players look at the magic fountains in The College Of Winterhold, with Keening drawn, the dagger appears distorted and swirls around.

4 Keening In Skyrim Could Be Fake

The Skyrim variant of the Keening is believed to be a counterfeit and not the real thing. According to lore, wielding Keening without Wraithguard proves fatal. Yet in-game, players can pick up, equip and wield Keening with just a slight debuff to their Health, Stamina, and Magicka.

The Morrowind book "Plan to Defeat Dagoth Ur" states that a Keening which can be used without Wraithguard is a counterfeit. Another theory suggests that since Kagrenac's Tools were tied to Lorkhan's Heart, which disappeared, then the enchantments on Keening did so too.

3 Cannot Be Recharged With Soul Gems

In Skyrim, Soul Gems are used to replenish enchantment charges on various magical items. The bigger the soul gem and the soul it contains, the more charges are replenished. However, certain magical items in the game cannot be recharged. Keening is one such item that cannot be recharged via soul gem.

Players can wear apparel with the fortify destruction enchantment as a way to counter this effect. This trick allows players to get more uses out of Keening's enchantment. At high levels, players can exploit the tricks to get near unlimited charges off Keening's enchantment.

2 Enchantment Changes After Arniel's Quest

When players first get Keening in Skyrim, the dagger has an enchantment called "Mortal Wound." The enchantment lowers the players' maximum Health, Stamina, Magicka by 5 points as long as it is equipped. However, once players progress through Arniel Gane's side quest, the enchantment changes to "Keening's Sting."

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The new enchantment absorbs 10 points of Health, Stamina, and Magicka upon strike. However, the dagger cannot be recharged with a soul gem making the enchantment a single-use. After that, it is rendered on the same level as an elven dagger in terms of damage and weight.

1 Calcelmo Wants To Get Keening

Skyrim is famous for the sheer number of freedom it grants its players, especially when it comes to buying and selling things. Players can even go as far as to sell the Elder Scrolls, themselves, at the College of Winterhold. The same goes for Keening, which can be sold as well. If players sell Keening to a vendor and then buy it again, they will receive a letter from Calcelmo that he would like to buy it. Whether players honor his request or keep Keening for themselves, is ultimately up to them.

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