What Are Flawed Varla Stones in Skyrim?

Skyrim Anniversary Edition comes with a lot of Creations. One of them is Rare Curios, which adds a lot of new items to the game. Flawed Varla Stones are one of these new items, but there isn't much out there about them to be found in-game.

Full details on the Flawed Varla Stones can be found in this guide, which is useful for Skyrim players who are trying to figure out what to do with them. That being said, it's very useful, but not very powerful. However, for the serious Enchanter, it's an item worth having on hand.

Varla Stones and Flawed Varla Stones are new items in Skyrim since the Anniversary Edition came out, but Elder Scrolls fans will know what they are right away. Flawed Varla Stones were first found in Oblivion.

They are a powerful tool for people who like magic, and having a lot of them instead of just one type can save you room and time. Skyrim Varla Stones have some problems.

For example, there is a bug that can delete the souls that are trapped on a stack of them. Even though they have a rare bug, Flawed Varla Stones are still worth knowing about because they're easy to get despite their effect.

What Is A Varla Stone, And What Is a Flawed Varla Stone?

A Varla Stone is an item that can be found in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's old Ayleid ruins. It was added back to players' inventories in the Anniversary Edition. But they don't work the same way anymore.

Varla Stones and Flawed Varla Stones work the same way as Soul Gems, with one big difference: you can use them more than once. Varla Stones do not break when they are used, so players can charge them up and use them again and again.

Flawed Varla Stones are "flawed," but they can still be used again and again, and their power is the same as a Common Soul Gem.

This makes the Flawed Varla Stone a great item for Skyrim fans who want to enchant their weapons and armor because it pretty much gets rid of the need to save up Common Soul Gems.

With a few of these, players can regularly level up their Enchanting, and they sell for a good price when they're no longer useful.

It's not very exciting to have a charm at the level of a Common Soul Gem, so players may want to look for the regular Varla Stone rather than this one.

Alternatives to Flawed Varla Stones In The Base Game

In this famous RPG, you can use more than just flawed Varla Stones as Soul Gems. Azur's Star and the Black Star can also be used again and again.

These two Soul Gems can be found in the base game as well, but players can't have both at the same time.

You can get these unique Soul Gems by finishing Skyrim's Black Star quest. To start the quest, talk to Aranea Lenith at the Shrine of Azura, which is just outside of Winterhold.

The Black Star is usually thought to be the better of the two rewards. That being said, players should feel free to choose Azur's Star if it fits better with their character.

How To Get A Skyrim Flawed Varla Stone

These stones can be purchased from Khajiit caravan traders, who move between the settlements that are scattered across Skyrim's map, just like the other items featured in the Rare Curios Creation. Although extremely rare, they can also be found in some caves.

Flawed Varla Stone Locations: Caravan

In Skyrim Anniversary Edition, players can run into three Khajiit trade caravans. One caravan runs between Whiterun and Markarth, another between Windhelm and Solitude, and the final caravan runs between Dawnstar and Riften. Varla Stones with flaws are easy to find from vendors in these caravans.

It's easier to find the Khajiits' travels between these two points of interest than to try to find them on the road.

People in the caravan will stay and camp for a few days in these towns. To avoid this, it's better to go to a city and wait outside until they load.

Flawed Varla Stone Locations: Bosses and Chests

Bad Varla Stones can also be found sometimes in the boxes of bosses, but players shouldn't expect to find them this way very often.

Actually, it looks like they can only be used in Anniversary Edition areas or areas that have been updated with Anniversary Edition material. Specifically, they can only be used in areas that have to do with Saints and Seducers.

Normal and flawed Varla Stones don't spawn in the normal Merchant loot table, and they can only spawn on the ground in areas that are only for Saints and Seducers.

Some of these can be found in the ruins of Ayleid that players find during the Saints and Seducers questline. They should return after a short time, just like other crafting materials.

Reports say that some players are having trouble with how Flawed Varla Stones stack. Sometimes, stacks of Flawed Varla Stones act like a single stone, wiping out the trapped souls on each one and making them mostly empty and useless.

When this happens, drop the Flawed Varla Stones that are affected and pick them back up. This seems to fix the problem most of the time. Even after this fix, the Flawed Varla Stone souls will still be missing for some players, so you might want to shorten the timer for automatic saving or make it a habit to save by hand more frequently.

How to Use Flawed Varla Stone in Skyrim

If you use a Flawed Varla Stone, it works the same way as a Common Soul Gem and gives you the same 1,250-point weapon charge.

The power of the stone to charm people in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is different in that it won't be lost after just one recharge.

The Flawed Varla Stone can be used over and over again, just like Azura's Star, which makes it a great early option to the star.

Flawed Varla Stones are not cheap, Skyrim players should keep that in mind. Khajiit traders charge 1,000 gold for each stone.

The value of the stone makes this price a worthwhile purchase for those who frequently use soul-enchanted weapons.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.