Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls series has a plentiful amount of lore and history written into its fictional world of Tamriel, much of which comes through in the quests and side content of Skyrim. Dragons take most of the spotlight in the main quest and beyond, but their influence and long rule in the history of Skyrim and the rest of Tamriel is felt in many of the game's locales.
Thousands of years before the events of Skyrim, dragons ruled the land and subjugated all other beings, which the dragons viewed as inferior. Just below the dragons in their hierarchy were the Dragon Priests, who ruled over the denizens of Skyrim, enacting the commands of the dragon overlords. Eight Dragon Priests were venerated in mainland Skyrim, with five more ruling over the island Solstheim to the northwest.
All but one of Skyrim's Dragon Priests - Vahlok the Jailor - are in possession of a magical mask, which can be obtained by the Dragonborn upon defeating the undead Dragon Priests when confronted at their burial sites, many of which are found near the Word Walls that teach the player Dragon Shouts. Each mask has special attributes for the player when worn, but some are better than others.
Worst Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Wooden Mask
The Wooden Mask has no statistical value when worn by the player's Dragonborn character. It is simply a quest item to allow the player to time travel in Bromjunaar Sanctuary and access the Dragon Priest shrine in a time before it was destroyed. Bringing all eight Dragon Priest Masks and placing them on the shrine will grant the player the Konahrik mask.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Otar
While all of the Dragon Priest Masks in Skyrim are very helpful items, Otar in particular does a few things well, but none of them great. Wearing the Otar mask will increase fire, frost, and shock resistance by 30%, a feat that is more effectively done by the Dragon Priest Masks found in Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC. The mask is taken from the undead Otar the Mad, an ancient chieftain that was driven mad by unknown forces. He became a Dragon Priest and used his power to rule with incredible cruelty over his subjects before he was locked away in his sarcophagus by two heroes, Saerek and Torsten.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Vokun
The mask that formerly belonged to the Dragon Priest Vokun grants the wearer a 20% reduction in Magicka cost when using Alteration, Conjuration, and Illusion magic spells. In a similar manner to Otar, this mask has its benefits, but there are others that are probably more useful to magic-using Skyrim characters.
Not much is known about the Vokun the Dragon Priest, but he was buried at High Gate Ruins, which lie almost directly west of Dawnstar in Skyrim.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Hevnoraak
The Hevnoraak mask in Skyrim can be very helpful in specific situations, since it makes the wearer immune to disease and poison. These effects may be the result of the Dragon Priest Hevnoraak's attempts to become a lich. Hevnoraak apparently feared his own death, and obsessively drained his own blood so that it could be returned to his body after he died. Hevnoraak was also a master of mind-control magic, and commanded an army of indoctrinated slaves.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Nahkriin
Wearing Nahkriin's mask will reduce the cost of Restoration and Destruction spells by 20%, and also grants an additional 50 Magicka. Nahkriin was a servant of the powerful dragon Alduin, the main antagonist of Skyrim. Guarding the gate into the Nordic afterlife Sovngarde, Nahkriin is encountered by the player during Skyrim's main quest line.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Masks - Ahzidal, Dukaan, & Zahkriisos
Three of the four Dragon Priest Masks found on Solstheim during Skyrim's Dragonborn DLC, these masks do nearly the same thing. Ahzidal's mask will grant 50% resistance to fire damage, and increase the damage of the wearer's fire spells by 25%. Likewise, the Dukaan and Zahkriisos masks will do the same for frost and shock damages respectively.
There is not much info on the Dragon Priests Dukaan and Zahkriisos, but Ahzidal holds a special place in Elder Scrolls history. Before becoming a Dragon Priest, Ahzidal was the first human to master elven magic techniques. He was highly ambitious, and his lust for power led him to dragon magic, and subsequently Dragon Priesthood. Ahzidal even explored the Planes of Oblivion in his quest for magical power before retiring to Solstheim.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Krosis
The Krosis mask is helpful for Skyrim players that use a combination of stealth and archery - anecdotally, the most popular character build in the game. Wearing Krosis give the player a 20% increase to Lockpicking, Archery, and Alchemy abilities. Instead of being found in the depths of a tomb like most Dragon Priest Masks, Krosis can be obtained on the peak of one of Skyrim's tallest mountains called Shearpoint, where the Dragon Priest Krosis was laid to rest.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Rahgot
Skyrim is a big place filled with frightening monsters. The Rahgot Dragon Priest Mask can help players with traversal and combat by granting the wearer 70 additional Stamina points. The mask has a dark past in the history of Skyrim, though. Rahgot managed to survive the ancient Dragon War, and presided over a group of dragon cultists who lived hidden, high in the mountains. When the cultists were hunted down, Rahgot ordered his subjects to commit mass suicide, and entombed himself inside of their temple.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Miraak
Miraak's mask is awarded to the player upon completion of the Dragonborn DLC, and is the final Dragon Priest map on the island of Solstheim. This mask will be helpful to any magic user by granting them an additional 40-70 Magicka dependent on character level. The Dragon Priest Miraak is the primary antagonist of Dragonborn, and is himself the first Dragonborn.
Miraak was taught the power of Dragon Shouts by a Daedric Prince, and used the knowledge to rebel against the dragons he served. He was eventually bested by another Dragon Priest, Vahlok, who became Miraak's jailor and did not possess a mask of his own.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Konahrik
Konahrik is the final Dragon Priest Mask that can be obtained on mainland Skyrim. It is granted to the player when all other Dragon Priest Masks are placed on their shrine. This mask has a chance to heal the player and damage nearby enemies when the player's health is low. Because of the special circumstances of acquiring Konahrik, it does not have a particular Dragon Priest associated with it.
Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Morokei
Morokei is generally the best Dragon Priest Mask for magically inclined characters since it grants double Magicka regeneration. The Dragon Priest who wears the mask also possesses another powerful artifact: the Staff of Magnus. The Dragonborn encounters Morokei in Skyrim when the Arch-Mage of the Mages Guild at Winterhold requests that they retrieve the staff from Labyrinthian.
Best Skyrim Dragon Priest Mask - Volsung
The mask with the most widespread appeal for Skyrim players is the mask formerly belonging to Volsung. This Dragon Priest Mask grants the wearer additional carry weight, 20% better prices from merchants, and the ability to breathe underwater. Like a few other Dragon Priests, not much is known about Volsung, but the fight against his undead form shows that he is a very powerful magic wielder.
The world of The Elder Scrolls is filled with magical artifacts of all kinds. Each game in the series has arcane mysteries to be solved and powerful artifacts to be found. Skyrim excels in this regard, containing a plethora of magic items such as the Dragon Priest Masks that offer a variety of character buffs, but also flesh out the game's narrative.