Stone Guardians

There are thirteen standing stones (large patterned stones standing vertically on the ground) scattered throughout Skyrim. They provide two achievements: finding one and receiving its blessing and finding all thirteen (but for some reason, I was given one for 10; there is a suspicion that another value is counted for the achievement, either including something else, or due to a bug some stones are counted multiple times).

“Blessed.” Receive the blessing of a standing stone. “Standing Stones.” Find all 13 standing stones.

Each stone grants a blessing (to receive it, approach the stone and press the action key), and you can only be blessed by one stone at a time (previous effects are removed).

Below I will describe the effects and locations of the thirteen stones. Photos are attached. Don't forget to use the compass at the top to accurately find the next stone.


The Thief, Mage, and Warrior Stones



Effect. The Thief Stone allows you to learn stealth skills 20% faster. The Mage Stone – magical skills. The Warrior Stone – combat skills.

Location. Southwest of Riverwood and northwest of Helgen, by the river at the bend in the road.

The Ritual Stone



Effect. Once a day, you can raise nearby dead to fight for you.

Location. East of Whiterun, on a hill, on the southern bank of the river. About midway between Whiterun and the Valthume Towers.

The Atronach Stone



Effect. Adds 50 magic points and gives 50% spell absorption, but magic regenerates twice as slowly.

Location. A group of stones west of the Misty Crag. You can also head east-southeast from the shrine of the Great Tree, which is in the swamps between Riften and Windhelm.

The Shadow Stone



Effect. Once a day, you can become invisible for a minute.

Location. South of Riften, on a hill.

The Steed Stone



Effect. The most useful stone for adventures. Adds a hundred to carry weight and any armor you wear weighs nothing.

Location. To the west-northwest of Solitude, north of the Wolf Skull Cave.

The Lady Stone



Effect. Health and stamina regenerate 25% faster.

Location. On an island in the lake west of Riverwood.

The Apprentice Stone



Effect. Magic regenerates twice as fast, but you are twice as vulnerable to spells.

Location. South of Solitude and northwest of Morthal, on one of the islets.

The Tower Stone



Effect. Allows you to automatically unlock expert-level locks and below.

Location. Halfway from Dawnstar to Winterhold, on an icy cliff by the shore.

The Lover Stone



Effect. All skills increase 15% faster.

Location. East of Markarth, on a mountain by the river. I went west-southwest from Karthwasten, I had to resort to climbing with my trusty steed and cross two mountain ranges. You can also get there from the river, in principle.

The Lord Stone



Effect. Provides resistance to magical and physical damage ("50 damage resistance, 25% magic resistance").

Location. On the northern peak of the mountain range (stands out in height relative to the surrounding terrain) southwest of Dawnstar. You need to approach it from the east, and you can head directly west from Fort Dunstad.

The Serpent Stone



Effect. Once a day, you can use the ability to paralyze a distant target for 5 seconds, dealing 25 damage.

Location. Almost directly east of Winterhold and significantly north of Windhelm, you can find the wreck of "The Pride of Tel Vos." East-northeast from there, there will be an iceberg with the stone on it (there is a whole cromlech, visible from the sea). From the crash site, the stone marker should already be displayed on the compass.

When creating this post, I referred to the guide: Skyrim Standing Stones Location Guide.

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