my last char was a mage and was given a focusing sphere through one of the guild quests which is how i found my way down to blackreach with that char. this time round im playing a fighter bow user. is there another way down to blackreach that doesn't require a focusing sphere or another way to get a hold of one that doesn't require me joining the mage guild and doing various quests until i get one please help would love to go down and explore it properly. thanx jasp

Several dwemer ruins exit to it i'll get the names in a sec.

• http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Alftand
  
• http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Mzinchaleft
  
• http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Raldbthar

Those have exits to it. Edit: going back and reading that most of those are quite useless without doing that quest so not sure

thanks have tried aftland and mzinchaleft but couldnt access/unlock without focus sphere will try raldbathar

I don't know if it works, but try discovering the http://images.wikia.com/elderscrolls/images/2/27/Tower_Of_Mzark_Map.jpg and going through it into Blackreach. Note that it has a tricky lever inside the elevator that seems to open only from the inner side, but it might work from outside. If you're playing on a PC, just disable clipping and go into the elevator, pull the lever to remove the gate, and go inside.

unfortunately im playin on 360 so no console commands for me i think that is where i came out of with me previous character and on 360 you cant pull the lever from the outside. their is a book in aftland which mentions three dwemmer ruins which access blackreach aftland mzinchaleft and one other i cannot remmember i hope i havent sold the book by accident some where. am gonna head back to me house in solitude i hope i have shelved it there for safe keeping.

i did shelve the book for safe keeping it mentions Alftand , Mzinchaleft and Irkgnthand. Irkgnthand i havent tried yet nor have i tried Raldbthar as mentioned by Lethofroxian. so it looks like i got a bit of work to do unless somebody else knows of a definate place to pick up a focusing sphere or of a way down without one. i gotta feeling though i'll do all this and find that the only way is to join mage guild and do the quest in wich i am given one.

You can always find Septimus at his http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111208212343/elderscrolls/images/thumb/7/77/Septimus_signus%27s_outpost.jpg/602px-Septimus_signus%27s_outpost.jpg, he'll give you a Daedric Quest for Hermaeus Mora (Discerning the Transmundane). You don't have to complete it, just do the part where you unlock Blackreach. The http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Attunement_Sphere can be reused to enter Blackreach from the other ruins, you just have to take it out of the Alftand lift before you go to Blackreach.

thanks bud will try that now and let u know if it worked

yes this is it not a focusing sphere as i falsely remembered but an attunement sphere. thanx arcona cor you were most helpful