Skyrim Black Star or Azura Star?

Skyrim Black Star is an important item in the game. It is obtained after completing “The Black Star” quest in exchange for Azura Star. So, you can only get one of them (well, getting two of them or neither is possible thanks to a bug). Let’s start from the quest first and I will tell you which one is better to take.


When you visit Inns around Skyrim, bunch of innkeepers will tell you about an enormous statue located south of Winterhold. It is called the Shrine of Azura. The statue happens to have a worshipper. The she-worshipper is Aranea Lenith. She seems to be very confident about her vision. She said that she had a vision, and you are destined to help her. If you believe her no-proof-seems-to-be-bullshit vision, she will continue to tell her vision. She saw a wood elf that can “turn the brightest star as black as night” in her vision. She tells you to look for this elf dude in Winterhold. The as-black-as-night star, is obviously the Skyrim Black Star.

When you arrive at Winterhold, you can easily look for your man just by asking the townspeople. The man is called Nelacar and he is in Frozen Hearth waiting for someone to talk him into sense. There are three ways to make him talk. Give him freebies (read : bribe), persuade him, or scare the crap out of him with badass intimidation. And because he is so easily convinced, he will tell you straightforward about the Azura Star that his master, Malyn Varen, is experimenting with. Malyn think that trapping his own soul inside the star could prevent death from reaping his soul. In order to make that possible, the Azura Star have to be modified into Skyrim Black Star so that it can absorbs “black” souls. Eventually, gradually, beautifully, silly, he lost his sanity. He decided to herd his pupils to Ilinalta’s Deeps along with him. Now, get your ass to Ilinalta’s Deeps to loot him!

Illinalta’s Deeps is located on Lake Ilinalta, just in case you don’t know, the lake’s west of Guardian Stones. Now the fight starts. You’ll encounter necromancers in the tower. If you somehow can’t proceed because of a giant boulder, just re-enter the dungeon and it will magically disappear to thin air (it’s a crappy bug). When you arrive at the top of Illinalta’s Deep, you’ll find Malyn Varen in skeleton mode. He’s just lying there with his hand holding broken Azura Star. At this rate, two choices will come to you. You can get Azura Star by talking to the devout worshipper, Aranea Lenith, otherwise if you want the Skyrim Black Star, bring the goods to Nelacar.

After talking to either of them, you will be teleported inside the star to beat Malyn’s crap outta him. Don’t underestimate him since he brings his bodyguards, three Dremoras. Actually, you don’t have to be that anxious. Dual-casting Ice Storm will send them back to their maker for good.

Let’s talk about the stars. The Azura Star is said to be a soul gem used to trap all kinds of souls except “black” ones and souls from sentient beings. And if you choose this as your reward, you’ll get a follower in the form of a deprived she-mage. Not bad eh?

In Black Star’s description, it is written that the thing can only trap “black” souls and souls from sentient being and no “white” souls can be trapped with it (didn’t mean to be racist). The fact is, the infamous Skyrim Black Star can be used to trap any type of souls (including whites) and it is also the most expensive soul gem in the game. I highly recommend you, sir, to take it with you instead of the Azura Star with the follower.

Don’t know if this Skyrim Black Star capability is whether an unfixed bug or the developer’s effort to avoid lawsuits regarding racism.