Although Meridia is one of theDaedric Princes, they are generally considered to not be evil or self-serving, unlike nearly every other Prince inOblivion, and have dedicated their existence to ridding the world of the undead. If the player completes Meridia’s quest inSkyrim, they will be granted the ultimate weapon for slaying the undead:Dawnbreaker.
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This unique weapon, which can be obtained after finding Meridia’s Beacon once the player has reached level 12 or higher, will inflict Fire damage on any enemy hit with it as well as sometimes causing a magical explosion that deals area of effect damage in the process. However, this enchantment isn’t the only thing that makes Dawnbreaker so unique, as there are many aspects of this weapon that are hidden from the player, especially if they haven’t played pastElder Scrollsgames.
10Its Enchantment Is Called Meridia’s Retribution
While Dawnbreaker seems like it behaves in the same way as a sword that is enchanted with Fire damage and a Turn Undead effect, the enchantment itself is actually uniquely named. TitledMeridia’s Retribution, Dawnbreaker stands out from other similar weapons not only due to its effects but also by the fact that its effect is uniquely named and can’t be placed on any other weapon in the game.
9Its Fire Damage Is Increased By Ahzidal
In theDragonborn DLC, the player has access to three new, uniqueDragon Priestmasks that augment each type of magical damage. For Fire damage, this mask is Ahzidal, which also comes with an accompanying armor set that increases Enchanting skills and has several very unique enchantments. The mask itself increases all Fire damage by 25%, which also affects the Fire damage inflicted by Dawnbreaker with every hit. If the player is looking to use Dawnbreaker frequently, Ahzidal may be a useful mask to wear alongside it.
8Fire Damage Is Increased By Augmented Flames
Not only is Dawnbreaker’s effects improved by certain gear items, but it is also improved with some skill perks, including the Augmented Flames perks in theDestruction skill tree. With both points in this skill taken, the damage inflicted is increased from 10 to 15 per strike, though this isn’t a particularly large amount of damage.
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That being said, if the perks are paired with Ahzidal or the sword is used against its intended targets, all of which are weak to Fire damage, this increase can make quite a large difference in how easily the player can re-kill undead enemies.
7It Has A Very High Number Of Charges
One of the most annoying things about staves and enchanted weapons is the necessity to recharge them over time, as each strike uses up a percentage of the overall charge and the weapon will stop granting its additional effects once this wears down. However, Dawnbreaker has an unusually high number of charges and can’t be fully recharged with a single Soul Gem, even if it is a Grand Soul Gem, meaning the player won’t have to recharge the weapon as many times as some other enchanted weapons.
6The Effect Can Damage The Player
While the explosive area of effect damage is very powerful and useful against the undead, it has the unfortunate side effect of also affecting the player if they are avampire. It is a little strange to think that a Daedric Prince that is so against undead will reward the player if they are one themselves, but there is nothing in the game stopping a player that is a vampire from obtaining Dawnbreaker. With this in mind, players should be extra careful if they plan on using Dawnbreaker while being a vampire, as the damage inflicted can build up rather fast.
5The Explosion Can Be Triggered By Ash Spawn
One of the new enemies introduced in the Dragonborn DLC was the Ash Spawn, strange, humanoid creatures that accost the player while they explore Solstheim. These enemies, while they don’t exactly look undead, are classed as such as, despite the fact that they resist the Fire damage inflicted by Dawnbreaker, will have a chance to trigger the explosive effect if it is used against them in battle.
4It Can Be Duplicated
There are a handful of unique items inSkyrimthat can beduplicated in one way or another, usually through some convoluted Pickpocket method, though one that can be done by just about every character is Dawnbreaker, which only requires that the player know the full Unrelenting Force shout to pull off.
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Once the player reaches the room with Dawnbreaker on its pedestal, if the player uses a fully charged Unrelenting Force on Dawnbreaker, a version of the sword may fly off into the room, which can be picked up without ending the quest and allows the player to potentially have multiples of this sword.
3Dawnbreaker Wasn’t Meridia’s Artifact In Past Games
Despite the fact that Meridia is vehemently against the undead, her artifact wasn’t always Dawnbreaker. In fact,Skyrimis the first game where Dawnbreaker is present, as, in all previous games, her artifact was the Ring of Khajiiti, which granted the player increased stealth abilities when worn. This isn’t the first time a Daedric Prince has altered their artifact between games, as both Boethiah and Hircine did similar things betweenOblivionandSkyrim, but it is still noticeable.
2Dawnbreaker May Have Replaced The Ring Of Khajiiti
In the main quest Blood of the Daedra inOblivion, the player is tasked with finding a Daedric Artifact for Martin Septim to open a portal to Mankar Camoran’s Paradise, with the caveat that the item will be destroyed in the process. With this in mind, it is possible that the Hero of Kyvatch, canonically, destroyed the Ring of Khajiiti during the Oblivion Crisis, which is why it doesn’t appear later inSkyrim.However, the same could be said about Boethiah’s artifact, Goldbrand, which is replaced by the Ebony Mail inSkyrim.
1The Enchantment Is A Little Strange
While the Meridia’s Retribution enchantment is good, it is also a little strange compared to just about every other enchantment inSkryim. The Fire damage inflicted is consistent, but the chance for a magical explosion increases the more times the target is hit with Dawnbreaker, as well as only triggering if the killing blow is on an undead enemy. The chance increase also only occurs if the player attacks an undead enemy, making it quite a bit less powerful against every other enemy in the game.
