First released in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim quickly became a fan favorite amongst the gaming community. Continuing the legacy of previous Elder Scrolls games, Skyrim featured a rebuilt engine which helped to create a massive and diverse open world for players to explore with improved graphics and customisable options. Skyrim revolved around your player, the Dragonborn, and their quest to defeat the dragon Alduin the World-Eater, who was prophesied to destroy the world. Along the way to this showdown with the all mighty dragon, you perform a number of quests and mission that help propel the story along. But sometimes you just wanted to explore the beautiful world and find out what else is happening in the land of Skyrim. Straying off the beaten path may not be advised in other games, but in Skyrim, it can lead to hidden treasures, secret locations, and other wondrous discoveries. What helped make Skyrim such a success was the amount of interesting side quests you could complete alongside the main story.

Skyrim is chock full of these random and weird side quests to keep you busy for hours on end, once you've completed the main story arc. Some of these are well known like Blood On The Ice, where you must try and stop a serial killer from continuing his murderous spree, or A Night To Remember, a Hangover-style tale whereby you must retrace your steps to find out what happened after a heavy night on the booze. Along with these favorites, there are a vast amount of side quests just as enjoyable and interesting that many players don't know about or are yet to experience. To make sure you're getting the full Skyrim experience and not missing out, here are 25 awesome Skyrim side quests you didn't know about.

25 What's Lurking In The Shadows? (The House Of Horrors)

If you're up for some supernatural frights be sure to head along to Markarth and look for Vigilant Tyranus. You'll find him hanging around outside an abandoned house. If you have a chat with him he'll convince you to accompany him into the house to look for proof of Daedric activity. It's not until you head down into the basement that things get a little freaky. The room will start to shake, the lights dim, and objects move by themselves. The voice of Molag Bal, the God of Schemes, will command you to kill Tyranus. Unfortunately, you have no choice in the matter and once you've put an end to Tyranus, Bal will instruct you to find the priest Logrolf the Willful. Bring him to the house and you're once again forced into murder, whereby you'll receive the powerful Mace of Molag Bal. This is a great reward but comes at the cost of two innocent civilians, demonstrating how harsh life is in the world of Skyrim.

24 A Powerful Reward (Dragon Research)

The majority of side quests in Skyrim are fun additions to the world that either provide small rewards or interesting diversions. The Dragon Research quest is one of the few that has a very beneficial reward; being granted the permanent ability of the Dragon Infusion, which gives a 25% resistance against dragon melee attacks.

To receive this very helpful ability, all you need to do is visit Esbern at Sky Haven Temple and talk to him about dragon hunting. He will reveal he's found a dragon lair and wants you to accompany a group of new Blade recruits to defeat the dragon. Complete the task and return to Esbern with one dragon scale and one dragon bone for his research and he will gift you Esbern's Potion. Drink the potion and you'll receive the Dragon Infusion ability, making your dragon slaying days that much easier.

23 The Pale Lady

You can normally find all sorts of danger near tombs and crypts in Skyrim and the ancient Frostmere Crypt is no different. Coming across the crypt, you'll find a woman named Eisa Blackthorne being attacked by her fellow bandits. If she survives, she'll inform you that a mystical sword is causing the bandits to go crazy, but if she doesn't make it, all the information can be found in her dairy.

Enter the crypt and you'll encounter the bandit Ra'jirr. He stole the infamous sword from the leader of the bandits, Kyr, to kill the Pale Lady who has been haunting his dreams. Chasing after both bandits, you'll eventually find them dead at the hands of the Pale Lady. You can then either kill her and take The Pale Blade for yourself or place the weapon on the alter, pleasing the Pale Lady who will then disappear into the air. Although there's plenty of loot to find in the crypt, I suggest killing the Pale Lady so you can keep the enhanced sword as it's another handy weapon to have in your arsenal.

22 J'zargo's Experiment

J'zargo is an apprentice sorcerer studying at the College of Winterhold who has created ten Flame Cloak Scrolls. These scrolls are said to be good weapons against the undead, but J'zargo needs someone to test them to make sure they work. Here's where you come in. Taking the scrolls to The Midden, a dungeon below the college, you'll encounter some skeletons for target practice. Using the scrolls in melee range of the skeletons, they last for 30 seconds and kill any undead within your vicinity instantly, which is great. The problem is they also damage anyone else nearby, including your character.

Returning to J'zargo with this information results in a small reward and the opportunity to keep the remaining scrolls. J'zargo can also become a follower and is highly regarded as he has no level cap, meaning he will continue to level up the longer he follows you.

21 What Legends Are Made Of (Forbidden Legend)

This quest surrounds the legend of the long-lost Gauldur Amulet. The story goes, three brothers stole the powerful Gauldur Amulet from their father, divided it into three pieces, and went on a rampage throughout Skyrim pillaging villages and causing all sorts of chaos. High King Harald heard about the brothers' misadventures and sent his best warriors along with his personal battlemage Lord Geirmund to find them. This led to a great chase across the land and the eventual downfall of all three brothers.

To complete this quest you must scour the land and visit ancient Nordic ruins and retrieve the three pieces of the amulet. Return to Reachwater Rock, put the amulet together, and the three dead brothers will confront you. Once defeated, their father suddenly appears and banishes the ghost brothers to the netherworld, offering you the reforged amulet as a gift, which grants you extra health, magicka and stamina points.

20 Glowing From The Sky (The Black Star)

Seek out Aranea Lenith at the Shrine of Azura and you'll learn all about Azura's Star, a contraption that has the ability to trap souls inside it. Infiltrating the underground complex, Ilinalta's Deep, you'll battle a number of conjures and skeletons before coming across the body of Malyn Vare, a sorcerer who achieved immortality by transporting his soul into the Azura Star laying next to his skeleton. You must enter the star and cleanse it of Vare's soul, whereby you are given the choice of receiving the now complete Azura's Star or turning it into the Black Star. As Wesley Snipes famously said in Passenger 57, "Always bet on black." The Black Star means you can trap the souls of any human character, making the amulet a powerful enhancement to have going forward.

19 Drink To Your Madness (The Mind Of Madness)

If you're a fan of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland then you'll want to make sure you give this side quest a crack. Looking for a homeless man's master, you are directed to the Pelagius Wing of the Blue Palace. Once here, you will find yourself transported inside the mind of Pelagius the Mad, formerly Emperor Pelagius Septim III who has been deceased for centuries. If that's not weird enough, his mind is reminiscent of the Mad Hatter's tea party. You must overcome three trials; paranoia, night terrors, and anger issues, to successfully escape his mind and return to the world of the living.

This quest is an absolute mind trip and you'd be forgiven for thinking it was all in your head, until you realize completing it rewards you with the Wabbajack, a mysterious and powerful staff that's of great value.

18 Missing In Action

Poor Fralia Gray-Mane's son Thorald has gone missing but the old lass believes he's still alive despite everyone telling her he's most likely dead. Do a little investigating for Fralia and you'll discover Thorald has been captured by the Battle-Born's clan, the sworn enemies of the Gray-Mane's. Head to Northwatch Keep and enter through the front gates and battle a horde of guards or sneak in via a back entrance and you'll come upon Thorald chained to the wall in a back room. Upon freeing the lad he'll help you fight your way to freedom through the remaining Battle-Born. Once on the outside, Thorald will thank you for your assistance and tell you to pass a message onto his mother to let her know he's free, but can never return home to Whiterun for fear of being captured again. Return to Whiterun and pass on Thorald's message and Fralia will be eternally grateful for your efforts.

17 Rise In The East

Exploring the seas is another enjoyable aspect of the Skyrim experience that also leads to a number of appealing side quests. Venture to the Windhelm Docks and you'll be asked to assist the East Empire Company with their pirate problem. The bandit group known as Blood Horker have been terrorizing the seas and you'll be tasked with ending their reign. Tracking the pirates down to their headquarters on the island Japhet's Folly, you'll need to defeat a number of warriors before taking on the leader Haldyn at the top of the tower. Return to Windhelm Docks victorious and East Empire Company head honcho Orthus Endario will reward you handsomely for your service. He'll also become an important ally in the game going forward, particularly during the quest Diplomatic Immunity, so be sure to get this side quest out the way early.

16 Laid To Rest

You might want to stock up on garlic and wooden stakes before attempting this nightmarish quest. The house of Hroggar was burned down, killing the man's wife and daughter Helgi. Although labeled an accident, many suspect Hroggar was the culprit as he's now shacked up with a shady woman named Ava. Investigating the tragic house fire leads you to discover the house was actually burnt down by a woman named Laelette, who was being controlled by Ava (who it turns out is actually a vampire).

Breaking into Alva's house, you'll come across her journal that proves all this and explains she herself is under the power of the master vampire Movarth. You and the townsfolk then proceed to Movarth's lair and defeat the master vampire once and for all. Helgi's ghost will appear and thank you for allowing her and her mother to rest peacefully, giving you a warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach.

15 Attracted To Ghosts (The Book Of Love)

After you've traveled the world of Skyrim multiple times, the excitement of new journeys will dissipate and you'll yearn for the simple pleasure of someone else's company. If you speak with Dinya Balu, the Head Priestess of the Temple in Riften, and ask for Mara's Blessing, she will send you on three separate quests to prove your worth so you can find your one true love.

The first involves helping a woman in Ivarstead who is caught in a love triangle. The second sees you help court wizard Cancelmo overcome his fear of speaking to women by helping win the heart of a woman named Faleen, with a poem. The third requires you to reunite the spirits of two lost lovers who pledged their eternal love to each other. Complete these tasks and you will be rewarded with a permanent +15% Magic Resist Agent of Mara blessing and receive the prized Amulet of Mara, increasing the chances of you finding a suitable soul mate.

14 Bugs In A Jar

One of the weirdest quests in Skyrim involves collecting bugs in jars. There are five jars to collect throughout the game, with each holding a different insect (Bee, Dragonfly, Moth, Butterfly, and Touchbug). On closer inspection, you'll discover each jar has strange markings on the lid, but aside from that there is no other information regarding these jars.

One reddit user thinks the inscriptions are runes with titles such as JOY - ICE - YEAR, leading others to think this may be a reference to Shadowmere. Others believe they might be the remnants of an abandoned side quest while others think it has something to do with the Thalmor trying to erase mankind form existence. Whatever theory you adhere to I imagine Bethesda are having a good laugh at all the effort being put into finding out the reason behind the bugs in the jars.

13 Golden Claw

Enter the Riverwood Trader and you'll hear Lucan and Camilla Valerius debating the value of an item that was stolen from them known as the Golden Claw. Being the good natured adventurer you are, you decide to help them out and head to Black Falls Barrow to find the bandits responsible for stealing the fabled item.

During this quest, you will encounter bandits, puzzles, a larger frostbite spider, the undead Nordic warriors known as Dragur. You'll also encounter Arvel, the man responsible for stealing the Golden Claw. Once you have dispatched him you can use the claw to unlock a final chamber in the dungeon where you'll learn the Dragon Shout spell Unrelenting Force. Return the Golden Claw to Lucan and he will reward you with the gold he promised, while Camilla will be impressed with your skills and become a marriage prospect.

12 Kyne's Sacred Trials

Located high up in the cliffs near Autumwatch Tower is the small decrepit shack of Froki Whetted-Blade. A believer in the god Kyne, the warrior widow of Thor, he will challenge your hunting skills and request you kill a variety of beats to prove your worth. The first three animals are a wolf, skeever, and a mudcrab, all relatively easy to kill. Returning to Froki, he will then send you out to kill a sabre cat, a mammoth, and a bear. After those three animals have been hunted he will finally give you one last quest; hunt down and dispatch the beast he calls the "troll champion."

Return successful and Froki will anoint you a true hunter and gift you Kyne's Token, an enchanted amulet that reduces damage from animals and bows. Not bad for a day's hunting.

11 Coming Of Age

Trekking through the stark wilderness south-east of Dawnstar, you'll chance upon Salma and Been-Ja outside the Nordic tomb Ironbind Barrow. The two are arguing about whether they should venture into the tomb and see what treasures lie in wait. Buoyed by your appearance, they'll enlist you to help explore the tomb. The three of you will have to defeat a number of dragur along the way before finally coming across the Warlord Gathrik in the throne room. This is where it all goes a bit pear shaped. It turns out Been-Ja is a crafty one and attempts to sacrifice you to steal Gathrik's power. As you can imagine, this doesn't end well for Been-Ja and leaves a sour taste in Salma's mouth. She's left distraught and can't believe her companion would betray her. The silver lining to all this is Salma leaves you with her share of the treasures, making this little adventure extra rewarding.

10 Ill Met By Moonlight

While visiting Falkreath, you may hear rumors of a man who savagely murdered a little girl without reason. If you're inclined to find out more, you can visit Sinding, the man responsible, in Falkreath Jail. Of course, meeting the man only leads to trouble. Sinding is a werewolf and gives you the Cursed Ring of Hircine, turning you into a werewolf as well. He goes on to say the ring can only be removed by killing a white stag to appease Hircine, the Daedric Prince of the Hunt. You must then pursue the stag and upon killing it will be confronted by Hircine. He commands you to find and kill Sinding who has now escaped jail. You can then track down Sinding and kill him or join with him and attack the hunters trying to recapture him. Either way Hircine is happy with the outcome and rewards you handsomely.

9 Composure, Speed, And Precision

Improving your combat skills is always handy, especially when a reward is on offer. Seek out Angi at her camp high in the Jerall Mountains and she'll train you in the ways of archery. She'll guide you through three events that must be completed to become a skilled archer. The first involves shooting three targets without a time limit (composure), the second centers on shooting the same three targets in eight seconds (speed), and the third and final task requires you to hit the furthermost target without a time limit (precision). Once these tasks are completed, Angi will challenge you to hit all four targets in 1o seconds. I must admit, this took a few turns but once I managed to nail all four targets I was pretty chuffed. Even better was the addition of another skill point in archery and Anti rewarding me with her bow. Practice makes perfect.

8 Evil Is Waiting

Valdar is a Nord warrior who helped entomb the evil dragon priest Hevnoraak inside Valthume. Over the years, Valdar's ghost has kept Hevnoraak in check but as his strength has slowly faded, so has his power. Fearing the worst, he enlists you to help make sure Hevnoraak never escapes. Instructing you to collect three vessels found in various areas of the cave, with one being guarded by a Giant Frostbite Spider, he then tells you to pour out the contents of each vessel and sit on the throne. This will cause Hevnoraak to be resurrected, albeit with less power than normal, giving you the best chance at defeating him for good. Avoid his lightning strikes and you should be able to dispatch him fairly easily. You will be gifted his mask, granting you immunity to all disease and poisons. Fun fact; this side quest is named after the Bethesda Softworks game, Evil Is Waiting.

7 A Return To Your Roots

This is one of the most enjoyable side quests in Skyrim and also the most simplistic. A Return To Your Roots requires you to collect 30 crimson Nirnroots, that can only be found in Blackreach. This might sound rather boring and futile but this is more about the scenery you encounter than the actual collecting of Nirnroots.

Blackreach is a massive abandoned underground city located underneath the Tower of Mzark. What makes it so enthralling is that the decaying city is overrun with glowing mushrooms. It's easy to spend ages wandering through the city and getting lost in the hazy colors illuminating it. Once you've collected the crimson Nirnroots and had enough exploring, give them to Avrusa Sarethi at the Sarethi Farm southwest of Rift Watchtower and you'll receive The Nirnoot Missive book and the Sinderion's Serendipity active effect.

6 Repentance

If you respond to the request for help from the witch Illia, you'll find yourself traveling to the Darklight Tower southwest of Riften. The ruined watchtower is now home to a covenant of dark witches but Imperial Mage Illia wants out and needs your help. You'll travel with her through the spider and Hagraven infested dungeons before making your way to the top of the tower. Illia's plan is to offer you as a sacrifice to her mother Silvia - the leader of the coven - but double cross her and take her out. Things don't go to plan and you end up having to save Illia and kill her evil mother. Grateful for your assistance, Illia offers you her mother's Staff of Hag's Wrath that can spew walls of fire. Pretty neat.