The Forgotten Vale hides some of Skyrim‘s best-kept secrets behind a magical puzzle that most players stumble across without understanding how it works. Tucked away in this frozen, ethereal landscape are five mysterious gemstones called paragons, each unlocking unique platforms loaded with rare loot when socketed into the Paragon Portal. If you’ve ever wondered what those frost giants are carrying or why there’s a weird glowing pedestal near a frozen lake, you’re in the right place.
This guide breaks down every skyrim paragon location, how to navigate the treacherous terrain to claim them, and exactly what rewards wait on each platform. Whether you’re hunting for the Amethyst Paragon near the waterfalls or tracking down the Ruby Paragon on a frost giant’s corpse, we’ve mapped out the most efficient routes and detailed the loot worth your time. Let’s get hunting.
Key Takeaways
- Five unique paragons—Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire—are hidden throughout the Forgotten Vale and unlock special treasure platforms when socketed into the Paragon Portal.
- Skyrim paragon locations are guarded by frost giants (except Sapphire, which is hidden in an ice ruin), so prepare with fire-enchanted weapons, heavy armor with frost resistance, and healing potions before hunting.
- The Paragon Portal is located in the western section of the Forgotten Vale south of the Wayshrine of Resolution and serves as the central hub for accessing all five paragon platforms.
- Diamond and Sapphire paragons offer the most valuable loot, with the Diamond platform providing high-level enchanted weapons and the Sapphire platform containing rare spell tomes like Detect Life.
- Collecting paragons in questline order (Amethyst → Ruby → Emerald → Diamond → Sapphire) minimizes backtracking and aligns with Dawnguard progression for efficient loot gathering.
What Are Paragons in Skyrim?
Paragons are rare gemstones introduced in the Dawnguard DLC, found exclusively in the Forgotten Vale. Each of these five unique gems, Amethyst, Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire, functions as a key to unlock special hidden platforms scattered throughout the Vale. They’re dropped by specific frost giants roaming the area, though one requires a bit more exploration to find.
Unlike regular gems you’d sell to a vendor, paragons serve a singular purpose: activating the Paragon Portal. Once you locate this mystical device, you can socket any paragon to teleport to its corresponding platform, claim the loot, and return. Each platform visit is repeatable, so you can revisit them as many times as you want, though the loot doesn’t respawn.
The beauty of the paragon system is its integration into exploration. The Forgotten Vale already rewards curious players who poke into every corner, and the paragons double down on that philosophy. They’re not quest items, so there’s no hand-holding. You either find them or you don’t.
How Paragons Work with the Paragon Portal
The Paragon Portal is a circular stone platform with a glowing basin in the center, located in the western section of the Forgotten Vale. When you approach it, you’ll see a prompt to place a paragon into the receptacle. Socketing one immediately teleports you to a hidden platform somewhere in the Vale.
Each paragon corresponds to a specific location:
- Amethyst Paragon: Teleports to a platform overlooking a waterfall near the Darkfall Grotto.
- Diamond Paragon: Takes you to the Paragon Portal’s twin platform in a separate area.
- Emerald Paragon: Warps you to a secluded platform with a hidden frost giant.
- Ruby Paragon: Transports you to a treasure-filled platform near the Shrine of Learning.
- Sapphire Paragon: Sends you to a platform housing unique spellbooks.
Once you’re on the platform, grab the loot and step back into the portal basin to return to the main Paragon Portal. The paragon remains in your inventory, so you can swap them in and out freely. The system encourages backtracking with a full set, turning the Vale into a five-stop loot tour once you’ve collected all the gems.
Rewards and Loot from Paragon Platforms
Each platform offers different rewards, ranging from enchanted armor and weapons to spell tomes and crafting materials. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Amethyst Platform: Random enchanted loot and a chest.
- Diamond Platform: Access to the inaccessible Frost Giant area, plus leveled loot.
- Emerald Platform: Unknown Helmet and other random enchanted gear.
- Ruby Platform: Treasure chests containing jewelry, enchanted weapons, and gold.
- Sapphire Platform: Spell tomes for Detect Life and other useful spells, plus leveled enchanted gear.
The loot scales to your level when you first visit, so it’s worth waiting until higher levels to maximize the quality of enchantments and base gear. That said, completionists might prefer snagging them during the Dawnguard questline to avoid unnecessary backtracking.
Finding the Paragon Portal in the Forgotten Vale
The Paragon Portal isn’t marked on your map, and no quest directs you to it, so finding it requires deliberate exploration. It’s located in the western section of the Forgotten Vale, south of the Wayshrine of Resolution.
From the Wayshrine of Resolution, head southwest across the frozen lake. You’ll pass clusters of chaurus and several frost giants along the way, avoid unnecessary fights unless you’re farming paragons. Continue west until you reach a riverbank lined with rocky cliffs. The terrain gets tighter here, funneling you toward a secluded alcove.
Look for a distinctive circular stone platform with a central basin glowing faintly blue-white. That’s the Paragon Portal. It sits on the shoreline overlooking the water, surrounded by ancient Nordic architecture and a few ambient light sources.
If you’re having trouble spotting it, use the following landmarks:
- It’s west of the main frozen lake, near the river that feeds into it.
- It’s directly south of the area where you fight the twin dragons during the Dawnguard questline.
- The portal is on the same elevation as the water, no climbing required.
Once you’ve found it, mark it on your map (mentally or with a mod that allows custom markers) because you’ll return here multiple times. The portal itself is inert until you socket a paragon, so don’t expect a quest marker or dialogue prompt, just walk up and interact when you’ve got a gem in your inventory.
Amethyst Paragon Location
The Amethyst Paragon is one of the easier skyrim paragon locations to pinpoint, though reaching it requires navigating some vertical terrain. It’s dropped by a frost giant found near the northern waterfalls of the Forgotten Vale, close to the entrance of Darkfall Grotto.
How to Reach the Amethyst Paragon
From the Wayshrine of Learning (the second wayshrine you encounter during the Dawnguard questline), head north along the riverbank. You’ll follow the water upstream toward a series of cascading waterfalls. The terrain here is rocky and uneven, so watch your footing.
As you approach the waterfalls, you’ll spot a frost giant wandering near the base of the cliffs. This giant is carrying the Amethyst Paragon. Frost giants hit hard, expect heavy physical damage and knockback effects, so come prepared with potions, solid armor, or a ranged build to kite it around the rocks.
The frost giant doesn’t respawn, so you only get one shot at the paragon. Loot its corpse immediately after the fight: the gem is a guaranteed drop, not subject to RNG. If you’re having trouble finding the giant, look for the area where the river splits into multiple waterfalls, it patrols the grassy section just below the cascades.
Amethyst Paragon Platform Rewards
Socketing the Amethyst Paragon into the portal teleports you to a small platform overlooking a waterfall near Darkfall Grotto. The platform is narrow, surrounded by mist, and contains a single leveled chest.
The chest’s contents scale to your level and typically include:
- Enchanted weapons (one-handed or archery gear most commonly)
- Enchanted armor pieces (light or heavy, random slots)
- Gold (200-500 depending on level)
- Random gems and jewelry
The platform itself offers a scenic view of the Forgotten Vale’s northern section, but there’s no enemy encounter or additional loot beyond the chest. Grab what you need, step back into the portal, and you’re done. The Amethyst platform is one of the simpler stops, making it a good first test of the paragon system if you’re new to it.
Diamond Paragon Location
The Diamond Paragon is arguably the most rewarding of the five, both for its unique loot and the platforming challenge required to reach it. It’s found on a frost giant near the Glacial Crevice, a frozen ravine in the southeastern corner of the Forgotten Vale.
Navigating to the Diamond Paragon
From the Wayshrine of Radiance (the fourth wayshrine in the Dawnguard questline), head east along the frozen river. You’ll cross several ice bridges and narrow ledges. The terrain here is treacherous, falling into the river below isn’t fatal, but it’s annoying and forces you to backtrack.
Continue east until you reach a series of ice formations jutting out of the river. The Glacial Crevice is a narrow canyon carved into the ice, identifiable by its steep walls and the frost giant patrolling inside. The giant is carrying the Diamond Paragon.
This frost giant is tougher than most due to the confined space. Ranged builds excel here: melee fighters should use the terrain to their advantage, ducking behind ice columns to heal or reposition. Kill it, loot the paragon, and you’re set.
Many players recommend tackling challenging navigation scenarios with careful preparation, especially in areas with environmental hazards like the Glacial Crevice.
Diamond Paragon Platform Rewards
The Diamond Paragon platform is located high above the Forgotten Vale, accessible only via the portal. It’s one of the few platforms that doesn’t just offer a chest, it provides access to an entirely separate area.
Upon teleporting, you’ll land on a small platform surrounded by snow and ice. Directly ahead is a frost giant (yes, another one) carrying leveled enchanted gear. Defeating it nets you:
- High-level enchanted weapons or armor
- A guaranteed ebony or glass weapon (depending on level)
- Additional gems and gold
Beyond the giant, there’s a chest containing more leveled loot, plus crafting materials like refined moonstone and malachite ore. The Diamond platform is the jackpot stop, offering more raw value than any other paragon location.
Emerald Paragon Location
The Emerald Paragon is hidden in the southwestern reaches of the Forgotten Vale, guarded by a frost giant near the Shrine of Learning. It’s one of the more remote paragon locations, requiring a longer trek from the nearest wayshrine.
Finding the Emerald Paragon
Start at the Wayshrine of Resolution and head southwest across the frozen lake. You’ll pass several chaurus and a few ice wraiths along the way. Continue until you reach the southwestern shore, where the terrain transitions from ice to rocky cliffs.
The Shrine of Learning is a small stone structure nestled against the cliffs, marked by a word wall for a dragon shout (Drain Vitality). The frost giant carrying the Emerald Paragon patrols the area just east of the shrine, near a cluster of frozen trees.
This giant is isolated, making the fight straightforward if you’ve got decent gear. Snipe it from range or close the distance quickly to avoid its stomp attacks. Loot the paragon from its corpse, then move on.
Emerald Paragon Platform Rewards
The Emerald Paragon platform is tucked into a secluded corner of the Forgotten Vale, accessible only via the portal. It’s a small, circular platform with a single chest and a unique item: the Unknown Helmet.
The Unknown Helmet is a leveled heavy helmet with random enchantments, often carrying useful perks like Fortify Smithing or Fortify Archery. The chest also contains:
- Enchanted jewelry (rings and necklaces)
- Random potions (healing, stamina, magicka)
- Gold (150-400 depending on level)
The platform itself is unremarkable visually, but the Unknown Helmet makes it worth the trip, especially for heavy armor builds looking to round out their gear.
Ruby Paragon Location
The Ruby Paragon is located in the central region of the Forgotten Vale, dropped by a frost giant near the Inner Sanctum. It’s one of the mid-game paragon pickups, accessible during the main Dawnguard questline.
Locating the Ruby Paragon
From the Wayshrine of Sight, head northeast toward the Inner Sanctum entrance. You’ll traverse a frozen river flanked by snow-covered cliffs. The frost giant carrying the Ruby Paragon patrols the riverbank just before the bridge leading to the Inner Sanctum.
This giant is often aggro’d by nearby falmer or chaurus, so you might find it mid-combat when you arrive. Let the enemies soften each other up, then clean up the survivors. The Ruby Paragon drops from the giant’s corpse, make sure to loot it before proceeding into the Inner Sanctum.
Some guides highlight effective enemy farming routes for areas dense with high-value drops, and the Ruby Paragon’s frost giant fits that bill perfectly.
Ruby Paragon Platform Rewards
The Ruby Paragon platform is one of the most visually striking, perched on a cliff overlooking the Forgotten Vale’s central lake. It’s a medium-sized platform with two chests and scattered loot containers.
Expect to find:
- Two leveled chests containing enchanted weapons, armor, and jewelry
- Random soul gems (filled and empty)
- Potions and scrolls
- Gold (300-600 depending on level)
The Ruby platform is a solid mid-tier stop, offering more loot than the Amethyst or Emerald platforms but less specialized gear than the Diamond or Sapphire stops. Still, the dual chests make it worth the detour.
Sapphire Paragon Location
The Sapphire Paragon is the trickiest of the five skyrim paragon locations to find, not because of enemy difficulty but due to its hidden placement. It’s not dropped by a frost giant, instead, it’s tucked inside a frozen structure near the Forgotten Vale’s eastern edge.
How to Find the Sapphire Paragon
From the Wayshrine of Learning, head east along the riverbank until you reach a large frozen lake. On the eastern shore, you’ll spot a partially submerged structure, a collapsed Nordic ruin frozen into the ice.
Inside this ruin is a small chamber accessible via a narrow opening in the ice. The Sapphire Paragon sits on a pedestal in the center of the room, guarded by a few ice wraiths. Clear the wraiths, grab the gem, and you’re done.
The tricky part is spotting the entrance. It’s easy to walk past if you’re not actively looking for it. The opening is marked by a faint blue glow, if you see it, you’re in the right place. Some players miss the Sapphire Paragon entirely on their first playthrough, so don’t feel bad if you need to consult a map.
Sapphire Paragon Platform Rewards
The Sapphire Paragon platform is a mage’s paradise. It’s located on a small, icy outcrop accessible only via the portal, and it’s loaded with spell tomes and enchanted gear.
Key rewards include:
- Spell Tome: Detect Life (a rare and useful utility spell)
- Additional spell tomes (random, usually Alteration or Illusion schools)
- Enchanted robes or circlets (leveled, often with Fortify Magicka or Magicka Regeneration)
- Soul gems (grand and greater, some filled)
The platform also contains a chest with random leveled loot, but the real draw is the spell tomes. If you’re running a mage build, the Sapphire platform is essential. Melee and archery builds might find it less exciting, but the enchanted gear is still useful for roleplay or sale.
Tips for Efficiently Collecting All Paragons
Hunting down all five paragons can feel overwhelming if you’re not prepared, especially given the Forgotten Vale’s size and enemy density. Here’s how to streamline the process and maximize your time.
Best Route for Paragon Hunting
The most efficient route follows the natural progression of the Dawnguard questline, picking up paragons as you encounter them:
- Amethyst Paragon: Grab this near the northern waterfalls after reaching the Wayshrine of Learning.
- Ruby Paragon: Collect it from the frost giant near the Inner Sanctum entrance.
- Emerald Paragon: Detour southwest to the Shrine of Learning after completing the Inner Sanctum.
- Diamond Paragon: Head east to the Glacial Crevice before leaving the Vale.
- Sapphire Paragon: Search the eastern frozen ruins near the Wayshrine of Learning.
This route minimizes backtracking and aligns with quest objectives, allowing you to knock out paragon hunting without dedicating a separate trip. If you’re collecting paragons post-questline, start at the Paragon Portal and work outward in a clockwise loop.
Also, using quest tracking tools can help you stay organized when managing multiple collectibles across large zones.
Essential Gear and Preparations
Frost giants are the primary obstacle in paragon hunting, so gear up accordingly:
- Armor: Heavy armor with frost resistance enchantments or perks. Frost giants deal massive physical damage plus frost damage over time.
- Weapons: High DPS weapons with fire or shock enchantments. Frost giants resist frost damage but take bonus damage from fire.
- Potions: Stock up on healing potions, stamina potions (for power attacks or sprinting), and frost resistance potions.
- Shouts: Unrelenting Force is useful for crowd control: Dragonrend won’t work on frost giants (they’re not dragons), but Marked for Death shreds their armor.
For spellcasters, fire-based destruction spells (Fireball, Incinerate) are your best bet. Illusion spells won’t work on frost giants (they’re immune to Calm and Fury), but wards can block their projectile attacks if you’re maintaining distance.
Finally, bring a follower or summon. Frost giants are tough solo, especially at lower levels. A tank follower like Serana or a flame atronach summon divides aggro and speeds up fights.
Conclusion
The paragon system is one of Skyrim’s best hidden features, rewarding exploration with unique loot and a clever teleportation mechanic. Each paragon offers something different, whether it’s spell tomes, enchanted gear, or just a hefty pile of gold, and collecting all five turns the Forgotten Vale into a personal treasure vault.
The key is planning your route, gearing up for frost giant fights, and keeping an eye out for the Sapphire Paragon’s hidden location. Once you’ve socketed all five into the Paragon Portal, you’ll have access to some of the best leveled loot in the game, scaled perfectly to your character’s progression.
Whether you’re a completionist chasing every collectible or a min-maxer looking for optimal gear, the paragons are worth the effort. Now get out there, punch some frost giants, and claim your rewards.
