Who Should I Bring to Boethiah? A Skyrim Sacrifice Guide
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Choosing the right follower to sacrifice to Boethiah in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a decision fraught with moral implications and strategic considerations. The most direct answer is: it depends on your character and your goals. If you’re playing a morally ambiguous or outright evil character, any follower will do. However, if you’re looking for a choice that minimizes your character’s guilt or even contributes to a sense of twisted justice, there are a few options that stand out.
The follower most commonly cited as “deserving” of Boethiah’s attention is Ralis Sedarys. His involvement in the Kolbjorn Barrow excavation on Solstheim, where he willingly raised and unleashed dangerous Draugr to line his pockets, paints him as a greedy and reckless individual. Sacrificing Ralis can be seen as a form of punishment for his actions. Another common target is any generic hired mercenary from a tavern. Since their primary motivation is monetary gain and they lack significant backstories or relationships, their loss is unlikely to weigh heavily on your conscience. Ultimately, the “best” choice is subjective and dependent on your roleplaying preferences.
Weighing Your Options: A Deeper Dive
The decision of whom to sacrifice to Boethiah is rarely simple. It requires careful consideration of the follower’s personality, backstory, and your own character’s motivations.
Morality and Sacrifice
For players concerned with the morality of their actions, the ideal sacrifice might be someone who has wronged them, others, or even someone whose potential future actions could be detrimental. It’s a dark twist on justice, using a Daedric ritual to enforce a grim form of accountability.
The “Expendable” Follower
Many players opt for followers who have limited impact on the game world. These are typically hired mercenaries, such as Jenassa from the Drunken Huntsman in Whiterun, or those whose stories are less fleshed out. Sacrificing these characters allows you to complete the quest without significantly altering the game’s narrative or your personal attachment to any particular individual.
Exploiting the System
Some players exploit glitches or use console commands to avoid sacrificing a meaningful follower. One common method involves completing the quest while making sure to not lose a key follower. The Games Learning Society (GamesLearningSociety.org) explores these kinds of player interactions and their impact on game experiences.
The Consequences of Your Choice
Regardless of your chosen sacrifice, completing Boethiah’s Calling has several significant consequences.
Acquiring the Ebony Mail
The primary reward for completing the quest is the Ebony Mail, a powerful piece of Daedric armor that muffles your movements and damages nearby enemies with a poisonous aura. This armor is particularly useful for stealth-oriented characters, making the quest a worthwhile endeavor for many players.
Roleplaying Implications
The decision to sacrifice a follower to Boethiah can profoundly impact your character’s roleplaying experience. It can reinforce a path of villainy, highlight a character’s descent into darkness, or serve as a turning point that shapes their future actions.
FAQs: Answering Your Burning Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions to help you make the best decision for your playthrough:
1. Can I sacrifice any follower to Boethiah?
Yes, you can technically sacrifice any follower who is not flagged as essential (i.e., cannot die) by the game. However, essential followers are typically important to the main story or other questlines, so sacrificing them wouldn’t make sense from a gameplay perspective.
2. What happens if I don’t want to sacrifice anyone?
There are workarounds, such as exploiting glitches or using console commands (if playing on PC), but the quest is designed to require a sacrifice. Without a sacrifice, you cannot complete the quest and obtain the Ebony Mail.
3. Is it possible to complete Boethiah’s Calling without killing a follower?
No. The initial stage of the quest specifically requires you to lure a follower to the Pillar of Sacrifice and have them trapped, leading to their death.
4. What level should I be before starting Boethiah’s Calling?
You must be level 30 or higher to start the quest.
5. Are there any followers I shouldn’t sacrifice?
Avoid sacrificing followers who are essential to other questlines, such as companions from the Companions guild, or those with unique storylines that you enjoy. Also, think twice about sacrificing followers you have a personal connection to or those who offer valuable services.
6. Can I use the Dark Brotherhood Initiates as a sacrifice?
No, the Dark Brotherhood Initiates are marked as essential and therefore cannot be killed or sacrificed.
7. What happens if my follower dies before I reach the Shrine of Boethiah?
If your follower dies before you reach the shrine, you will need to recruit another one to complete the quest. The quest requires a living follower to be sacrificed at the Pillar.
8. Does my choice of sacrifice affect the reward I receive?
No, the reward for completing Boethiah’s Calling is always the Ebony Mail, regardless of who you sacrifice.
9. Is Boethiah a good or evil Daedric Prince?
Boethiah is generally considered to be aligned with the “good” Daedra by the Dunmer people, but their methods are often brutal and manipulative. Their sphere of influence includes deceit, conspiracy, secret plots, and overthrowing societal structures.
10. Who are Boethiah’s enemies?
Boethiah is considered an enemy of Molag Bal, Ebonarm, and Peryite. In Morrowind, Molag Bal is considered Boethiah’s “arch-enemy”.
11. What happens after I sacrifice someone to Boethiah?
After the sacrifice, Boethiah will speak through the follower’s body and command the remaining cultists (and you) to fight to the death. The survivor will become Boethiah’s champion and must then cleanse Knifepoint Ridge of its current inhabitants.
12. Can I get my sacrificed follower back?
No, once a follower is sacrificed to Boethiah, they are permanently dead and cannot be resurrected or retrieved.
13. Where is the Shrine of Boethiah located?
The Shrine of Boethiah is located east of Windhelm, in the mountains. It is a remote and easily missed location.
14. How do I start Boethiah’s Calling?
You can start the quest by reaching level 30 and either discovering the Shrine of Boethiah or finding the book “Boethiah’s Calling” randomly in the world.
15. What are the stats of the Ebony Mail?
The Ebony Mail is a piece of heavy armor that provides a significant armor rating. It also has the unique enchantment of muffling the wearer’s movements and creating a cloak of poison that damages nearby enemies. The effectiveness of the poison scales with the wearer’s level.
Making the Choice
Ultimately, the decision of who to sacrifice to Boethiah is a personal one. Consider your character’s morality, your roleplaying goals, and the potential consequences of your actions. Whether you choose a morally reprehensible individual like Ralis Sedarys, an expendable mercenary, or someone else entirely, remember that your choice will shape your character’s journey through Skyrim. The ethical considerations in choosing which character to sacrifice in video games are fascinating and something that the Games Learning Society takes into consideration.