Chapter 21: Surviving the Rift The key to surviving the rift is to never go there. The Rift is no place for anyone but Nords. If you're not a Nord and you end up in the Rift, you will die in a horrible fashion. If you don't freeze to death or get lost and fall off a cliff, you're going to be killed by wild animals. bears and sabre cats are only too happy to eat you. Mammoths go out of their way to step or sit on travelers. Giants will kick you into the highest reaches of the nearest tree. So, don't go to the Rift.