Unearthed

Walkthrough
The Dragonborn may have heard of a rumour from Geldis Sadri about the dig or simply stumbled into the camp and talked to Ralis Sedarys to begin the quest.

Fund the excavation of Kolbjorn Barrow (1000 gold)
Geldis Sadri is searching for relics of Ahzida for parties unknown and thereby discovered Kolbjorn Barrow, where he thinks Ahzida was entombed. But since he only gets paid on delivering the relics, he had to put in some muscle and shovel out the barrow himself, not yet having any funds to speak of.

The Dragonborn can offer to fund the dig with 1000, to speed up the whole process.

Wait for a message from Ralis
Now the Dragonborn needs to wait for a courier for a few days. It seems the courier has an easier job of finding the Dragonborn when e.g. in Raven Rock. Usually waiting at the The Retching Netch for 2–3 days, then exit to the streets, helps.

The courier will hand over a Letter from Ralis Sedarys.

Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow
At the barrow it becomes clear that the first miners hired have been killed. So it is up to the Dragonborn to clear out the draugrs (×7).

Find a way deeper into the Barrow
Once inside the barrow, there seems to be a large stone door that is closed. To open it remove the the bloodied skull from the flat pedestal on the altar in the middle of the chamber. This opens up the next chamber with another pedestal and Ahzidal's Boots of Waterwalking on it.

Speak to Ralis
Well, with all the miners found dead (×3), the site needs a new workforce, and this will cost.

Fund the next phase of the excavation (2000 gold)
So another 2000 need to be invested.

Wait for a message from Ralis
After about two days, the courier will hand over a Letter from Ralis Sedarys 2.

Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
And again, the dig uncovered more draugr killing off the workforce.

Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow
With each dig new areas of the barrow become available to exploration. This time six miners are found dead, and sixteen draugr await.

Search for the missing miners
A puzzle gate has four switches, pull the bottommost one first then the second one from the top. Two named miners need to be found: Bradyn and Mireli.

Near Mireli to the north-east a switch opens a secret chamber with Ahzidal's Ring of Necromancy.

Speak to Ralis
Ralis did not expect less from the Dragonborn, but again more funding is needed, this times guards will be hired additionally.

Fund the next phase of the excavation (3000 gold)
And so another 3000 are passed along.

Wait for a message from Ralis
After about three days, the courier will hand over yet another message: Letter from Ralis Sedarys 3.

Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
As was to be expected the digging went well, but more draugr showed up cutting down the pretty worthless guards and also more of the miners.

Clear the Draugr from Kolbjorn Barrow
Twelve draugr show up, eight miners and this time additionally four Kolbjorn guards are found dead.

On the lower floor behind a stone door opened via chain: Ahzidal's Gauntlets of Warding.

Puzzle: 5x5 switch floor grid... to unlock the metal gate to the pool room, start at a corner of the grid and then take an ever decreasing spiral path around the grid without stepping on any switch twice to end up right at the middle. This unlocks the gate to another relic: Ahzidal's Ring of Arcana.

Speak to Ralis
Yes, more workforce is needed, but this should be for the final push in the dig.

Fund the next phase of the excavation (5000 gold)
Another 5000 change hands.

Return to Kolbjorn Barrow
After another four days, the courier will hand over the final message: Letter from Ralis Sedarys 4. The courier mentions that he will never again bring a message from Ralis, that person creeps him out.

Locate Ralis
Returning at the barrow, Ralis is no longer outside. But six dead miners and one Kolbjorn guard did not make it. Inside another four dead miners and eleven draugr appear.

At the bottom of the tall chamber the word wall for the shout Cyclone can finally be accessed.

In a room with a grated floor the combination to open it is "hawk and hawk", as indicated by the two plaques just above the grate in the room. Also there is a iron gate, to open this you will have to activate the two chains. Behind the rotating stone there is a symbol. Put these symbols on combination and active lever again.Down the spiral steps leads to a Stalhrim Deposit. And the next puzzle door (the combination is "snake and snake") yields the relic: Ahzidal's Helm of Vision.

Defeat Ahzidal
In a huge chamber Ahzidal rises from the dead and needs defeating. Eight draugr will also attack, but once the dragon priest dies, so do his minions.

Be sure to pick the final relic, Ahzidal's mask, from his body.

Scattered in the round chamber the Dragonborn will find another six miners having been drained of their blood as part of a ritual that Risal performed to awaken Ahzidal.

Confront Ralis
Now it is time to have a stern talk with Ralis. As he explains, and as his journals found up in the camp show, he has been under the influence of Ahzidal this whole time, being forced to do the priests bidding, and cannot remember what he actually did.

It is up to the Dragonborn to spare his life, seeing Ralis as the victim of Ahzidal's will, or hold him accountable for his deeds (slaughtering the miners apparently).

Kill Ralis
The Dragonborn may decide to kill Ralis and collect Hoarfrost.

Epilogue
Should the Dragonborn let Ralis live, the latter will return to Raven Rock and from then on be available as a follower.

Continued exploration of the barrow not only reveals another book, Black Book: Filament and Filigree, but also another Stalhrim Deposit when about to take the stair well up.

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