How to Find Azura's Star in Skyrim

Talk to innkeepers to find the Shrine of Azura. Ask innkeepers about the latest rumors as you explore Skyrim, and one of them will eventually tell you about the shrine. This will result in a quest marker popping up to lead the way.

Head to the Shrine of Azura. The easiest way to reach it is to travel to Winterhold and make your way south-southeast to the shrine.^[1]

Talk to Aranea Ienith. Your quest marker will lead to a female Dunmer named Aranea Lenith right on the Shrine of Azura. Talk to her, and she will speak of a prophecy about a fortress and an elven mage. She will then leave you with instructions to look for clues in Winterhold.

• There might be a bug where she is hostile on meeting her. Just run away, wait for a few in-game days, and return.

Speak with Nelacar. Travel to Winterhold, ask people about an elven mage, and they will direct you to Nelacar who can be found in the Frozen Hearth inn. Or you can just go straight to the Frozen Hearth and talk to Nelacar.

Convince Nelacar to talk to you. He will be reluctant to share information about Azura's Star with you. Pressing him on the issue will result in a Speech check with three options: Persuade, Bribe, or Intimidate. The easiest way to get him to talk is to intimidate him, though all options are open if you have enough Speech skill to pass them. Once you get him to open up, he will start explaining the properties of soul gems as well as sharing the story of Malyn Varen, a former College teacher who tried using the Star to make himself live forever and lost his sanity as a result. Nelacar will then task you with finding the star in Ilinalta's Deep while pleading with you to not return the Star to Azura.^[2]

Find Ilinalta's Deep. This will be easy if you have discovered the Lady Stone, as the dungeon is right next to the Standing Stone. If not, then you can travel to the three Guardian Stones you encountered at the start of the game as you were making your way to Riverwood. Cross the river to the north of the Stones and follow the northern bank of the river all the way to Ilinalta's Deep. You will find the dungeon's trapdoor entrance atop a large sunken tower.^[3]

Make your way through Ilinalta's Deep. You will be facing a lot of skeletons and necromancers in Ilinalta's Deep. The skeletons are not that difficult to deal with, but the necromancers can prove to be a serious pain if you are not properly prepared to deal with them. Kill the necromancers as fast as you can, but don't be too aggressive and let yourself be struck down by their attacks. Retreat to an easily defendable choke point when you get swarmed by undead, and use the tight corridors to take cover against spells. Continue following your quest marker, and you will eventually find the broken Azura's Star in a room with Malyn Varen's remains.

• A high resistance against frost and magic will prove useful against the necromancers in Ilinalta's Deep. You can gain these resistances by quaffing the respective potions and donning equipment enchanted with the appropriate resistances.

Decide whether to give the Star to Aranea or Nelacar. Once you have Azura's Star in your inventory, you will be given a choice between giving the Star to Nelacar or Aranea Ienith. Giving the Star to the latter will lead you to a conversation with the Daedric Prince Azura. Giving the Star to Nelacar, on the other hand, will lead to him to think about finishing what Malyn Varen started. Both options will ultimately lead to you entering the Star to defeat Malyn Varen, who is trapped inside the Star and whose presence prevents it from being fully restored.

• Choosing to give the Star to Aranea Ienith will ultimately reward you with the restored Azura's Star. It will trap the white souls of creatures, which you can then use for your own purposes. You will also gain Aranea as a potential follower if you choose to have her accompany you.
• Giving the Star to Nelacar will lead you to the Black Star, which should, according to the lore, only be able to contain the black souls of sapient beings. In the game, however, the Black Star is capable of holding both white and black souls, making it the more practical choice from a purely pragmatic point of view. You will not, however, gain Aranea as a follower. In fact, she will threaten to kill you for defiling the Star if you ever talk to her again.