There are legions of incredibly dangerous enemies scattered all across Skyrim. Those known as The Forsworn have particularly deadly members that go by the moniker of Briarheart. This makes happening upon a Forsworn encampment by accident a foolhardy mistake for The Elder Scrolls V players and their followers, as the Briarheart can quickly become aware of the Dragonborn’s presence and tear the protagonists asunder.
These partially undead warriors are unique because, through their prowess and skill in battle, they’ve proven themselves worthy of a special gift. Through Hagraven necromancy, their hearts are cut from their chests and replaced with rare potion ingredients known as Briar Hearts. This unnatural practice not only provides them their names but makes them extremely powerful and durable.
When it comes to harvesting potions ingredients, there is none more treasured than the Briar Heart. Briar Hearts can certainly be found in the occasional herbalist’s pouch or near an alchemist’s table but plucking one right from the source is a reward unto itself. Whether the Briarheart is a magic user or a brutal warrior, they are tasked with protecting their people against any threat.
Eerily enough, their greatest weakness is the very alchemical heart that beats in their chest. Without their hearts, they fall down dead in the blink of an eye, which begs the question: How easily can their hearts be taken? The truth is that they may be stolen, and the brutes dispatched of, without even needing a weapon.
Dragonborns who follow the path of the Thief have a rare opportunity to avoid battle with these bloodthirsty beasts entirely and simply pluck the heart from the stitched-over wound in their chest, but serious skill is required to pull this off successfully. The trickiest part is getting close to the Briarheart without being detected. Briarhearts have incredibly keen senses and can hear a clumsy enemy sneaking up on them from a distance. First and foremost, it’s recommended not to bring a companion along when attempting this trick, as even the stealthiest of companions may give away the Dragonborn’s position.
To get close enough to the Briarheart, the Dragonborn needs to focus heavily on their Sneak skill. Pouring a minimum of 30 points into the Sneak skill offers muffled movement, which makes it much harder for enemies to detect the player. Pouring 70 points into Sneak grants the player Silence, which does not give them away regardless of whether they are walking or running.
However, getting close to the Briarheart is only half the battle. Getting the Pickpocketing skill as high as possible is required to reach it undetected and pluck the heart from his chest. Whether the heart counts as an equipped piece of armor or not, maxing pickpocketing to 100 almost guarantees success. If the Dragonborn is stealthy enough, they may slip in and out of a Forsworn encampment completely undetected, with the heart of their bravest warrior in their backpack.
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