People of Whiterun Hold
Whiterun Hold is centrally located, with an expansive sub-arctic tundra. The hold is bordered by two major rivers to the north and south and thus the land is well-suited to farming; there are many villages and farmsteads in Whiterun Hold and the roads are well-maintained. Its capital shares its name, and the town's central location, stone walls, rich history and status as a booming trade hub all make it a strategically vital possession for both sides in the civil war. Its banner is a stylized horse head on a yellow background. Its Jarl is the (very tangentially) Imperial-aligned Balgruuf the Greater, a direct descendent of King Olaf One-Eye and admirer of the Greybeards.
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Alvor, Sigrid, and Dorthe
Voiced by: Michael J. Gough (Alvor); Colleen Delaney (Sigrid); Harley Graham (Dorthe) (English)note
A Riverwood family who runs the village smithy. The Legionnaire Hadvar is Alvor's nephew by blood.
- The Blacksmith: Alvor is the town blacksmith, and since he is likely the first smith you come across, he is also likely the smith who gives you the Smithing tutorial.
- Cool Uncle: Hadvar is clearly very fond of both Alvor and Sigrid, and they of him; Sigrid's first remark when she sees him is to say how worried they've been about him.
- Daddy's Girl: To a degree with Dorthe. She much prefers being a junior apprentice to Alvor in the smithy than doing womanly chores with Sigrid."My father is Alvor, the blacksmith. I'm his assistant. I mean, apprentice."
- Fair-Weather Friend: Defied by Alvor's speech, saying Nords are not fair-weather friends, and that the Stormcloaks are wrong for turning their back on the Empire because of its recent hardships.
- Family of Choice: It's very possible to get an inheritance from Alvor if he dies in a dragon attack (he's likely to charge the dragon bare-handed if Riverwood is attacked).
- Feminine Mother, Tomboyish Daughter: Sigrid and Dorthe respectively. Dorthe spends most of her time helping her father at the forge and dreams of becoming a smith herself when she grows up - much to the chagrin of her mother, who keeps trying to push her into more "ladylike" interests like cooking, sewing, and gardening.
- Good Parents: Both are nurturing to their daughter Dorthe, but Dorthe seems to gravitate towards her father.
- Happily Married: Implied by Sigrid's preemptive rebuffing of a male Dragonborn, though her warning a female Dragonborn to stay away from Alvor makes her come across as a Clingy Jealous Girl.
- Mr. Exposition: Alvor gives an Imperial-biased one to the player concerning the Civil War, as well as a few other things.
- My Country, Right or Wrong: Alvor has his grievances with the Empire, but as he states above, he believes True Nords aren't just Fair Weather Friends, and that the right thing to do is to stick together with the Empire.
- Nice Guy: Alvor is very kind and welcoming to the player, allowing you to take "whatever you need, within reason" and compliments your smithing skills when you help him at the forge.
- Sacred Hospitality: Somewhat. If you go with Hadvar, Alvor takes both his nephew and the Player Character into his home and offers some supplies and food for free. For the rest of the game, the higher level of relationship makes many of his household stuff (under a certain coin value) available simply for the taking. However, unlike Gerdur, he does not give you a key and free rein to come and go within his house as you please. Still, since he's the village smith, going with Hadvar makes it much easier to get equipment upgrades early in the game than going with Ralof to his sister's family.
- Tomboy: Dorthe is turning into one, much to Alvor's delight (he wanted a son but sufficed with Dorthe), while Sigrid is concerned she isn't ladylike enough."Dorthe, listen to me. Your father and your friend may treat you like a boy, but you're not. Do you understand? So please. Be a girl. For me."
- Unreliable Narrator: Alvor never outright lies but as an Imperial supporter, he gives a very biased view of the Civil War, shifting most of the blame onto the Stormcloaks. For instance, his statement that secret Talos worship was common for years until those evil Stormcloaks started kicking up a storm and forced the Empire's hand conflicts with the fact that the Markarth incident (where the Empire promised Ulfric open Talos worship only to betray him afterwards) happened very shortly after the Great War.
- Women Are Wiser: Dorthe has a more sensible head on her shoulders than her friend Frodnar, and takes common sense to his prank plan to dress up his dog as a frostbite spider; either no one would believe it, or they'd kill the dog if they did.
- Wanted a Gender-Conforming Child: Dorthe is enamored with her father Alvor and his profession of Blacksmithing. Her mother Sigrid is not thrilled with this.
- Ye Goode Olde Days: Defied as well. Alvor calls Ulfric's barbaric means of "succession" a hearkening back to the "bad old days".
Amren
Voiced by: Jon Curry (English)note
A Redguard in the city of Whiterun, and a retired mercenary, who requests the Dragonborn's help in retrieving his family's ancestral sword.
- Ancestral Weapon: He sends you on a quest to retrieve his family's sword.
- Happily Married: To Saffir, a Redguard woman.
- Honor Before Reason: His wife thinks he is this because he values his father's sword so much that he intends to go take it back from thieves, risking his life in the process. However, his approach of the task is fairly reasonable, as he intends to recruit either mercenaries or members of the Companions to help him, and will agree to let you find it for him.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: Given that he's one of the nicer people in Whiterun, it might come as a surprise to learn that his daughter is Braith, although his own unwillingness to address his daughter's concerns are part of what makes Braith so unpleasant.
- Nice Guy: Virtually nothing you can say to him will annoy him, plus he's a good husband, though he's a mediocre parent.
- Parental Neglect: While Amren is kind to his daughter, he also is dismissive of the problems she brings him, telling her to ask her mother instead. This begins an unwitting feedback loop, since Saffir sends her back to her father or just dismisses her because she prefers to be reading above all else...Saffir: I just want to go home and read.
- Amren does demonstrate some good parenting, when Braith asks if she could be his squire. He points out that he's not a knight and that it would be very dangerous for her if he brought her along to battle. He's better if Saffir has died; instead of telling Braith to ask her mother, he says he'll think on her problem with Lars.
- Retired Badass: Amren used to be a mercenary, and will help improve your block and one-handed weaponry skills if you complete his quest. He'll also recommend you try mercenary work.
Proventus Avenicci
Voiced by: Richard Epcar (English)note
Imperial man, and Steward to Jarl Balgruuf. Doesn't get a lot of the Nordic culture.
- Commander Contrarian: May come across as this often. Example about how he's against sending troops to defend Riverwood against a real dragon for fear of provoking the Jarl of Falkreath (who doesn't even care about bandits) and how he's expecting "a dagger in the back" from Ulfric despite Ulfric's by-the-book ultimatum.
- Good Parents: He's implied to be this, given how often his daughter asks if you've met him and boasts that he's the steward at Dragonsreach.
- Innocently Insensitive: Refers to the legend of the Dragonborn as "Nord nonsense." Hrongar chews him out for it, but Avenicci claims he meant no disrespect.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He comes across as a bit stuck-up, but he's polite and does his best to help, as out of touch as he may be.
- Puppet King: Puppet Adviser, anyway. Apparently, half the advice he gives the Jarl is actually from his daughter, or so she claims.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: In term of Jarl Balgruuf's advisers, he's the blue oni to Irileth and Hrongar's red.
Danica Pure-Spring
Voiced by: Martina Lotun (English)note
The high priestess in the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun. However, due to the civil war and her eminent skill in Restoration magic, she's finding herself doing more healing than preaching lately.
- Healing Hands: She's the Restoration magic master trainer.
- In Harmony with Nature: Though she needs to be reminded of that if you opt to replace the dead Gildergreen tree in Whiterun's forum with a new sapling.
- Nun Too Holy: Consoles Ahlam on the fact that her husband Nazeem is a total lout, noting on the bright side that, if the Stormcloaks ever decide to attack the city, he might get himself killed. This can happen.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Toned-down example, in that she doesn't seem to realize she is acting like one; in her quest, she asks you to use a Hagraven weapon to get a sample from the Eldergleam in order to revive the Gildergreen in Whiterun, apparently not realizing that this involves hurting the Eldergleam and profaning a sanctuary of the very Goddess she is worshiping. Fortunately, there is another way to resolve the quest without doing this, and upon hearing your explanation, she very reasonably accepts it.
Farengar Secret-Fire
"Come to Dragonsreach to discuss the recent hostilities, like the rest of the 'great warriors'?"
Voiced by: Christian Svensson (English)note
Court Mage for Whiterun. The first magical vendor you're likely to encounter, and involved in the initial main quest as pertaining to Whiterun. Fascinated with dragons.
- Absent-Minded Professor: If you make your way to him before ever speaking to the Jarl of Whiterun, it's possible for you to point out something he forgot in his research like a Thunder Rune he's about to step into (provided that you have at least decent skill in that Magic).
- Badass Bookworm: He is a scholar first and foremost, but that doesn't mean he cannot do tremendous damage with his magic. He is also of the opinion that the most dangerous weapon a person can have is their mind.
- Brutal Honesty: He is nothing if not honest when he explains to you why he needs your help - namely, going through a tomb full of bandits and Draugr to get a mysterious stone that might or might not be there.
- Bullying a Dragon: Literally. When Odahviing is first captured, he tries to get samples of blood and scales from the very unwilling and unhappy dragon. Odahviing then scares him off with a fire Shout.
- Court Mage: For Whiterun.
- Ditzy Genius: Trying to take samples from Odahviing without his consent was not smart.
- Enraged by Idiocy: He is condescending and terse towards people he regards as intellectual idiots - which, being him, is anyone not pursuing scholarly affairs or incapable of magic. Case in point, if you try visiting him first in Dragonsreach before ever speaking to the Jarl like you're supposed to, he will irritably dismiss you as a waste of his time. If you have a decent level in Destruction, Enchanting, or Alchemy, however, you can make a remark that only another Mage would be able to reasonably make, and he will realize that you're the real deal.
- For Science!: Farengar seems to be more interested in researching dragons for the research's own sake, rather than the urgently-desired "how to fight them" intel that the Jarl wants him to focus on. When Odahviing is captured, he tries to take some samples for research. The dragon strenuously objects.Irileth/Olfina: Farengar. Very bad idea. Even for you.
- Insufferable Genius: He can be rather supercilious at times, but most of it stems from bitterness that Nordic culture distrusts magic.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He is an Insufferable Genius, but he respects people who prove themselves to be somewhat intelligent or skilled with magic.
- Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: Especially not from angry dragons. He's also frustrated with people who are too closed-minded.Farengar: One sure mark of a fool is to think anything outside of one's experience is impossible.
- No Social Skills: Farengar doesn't go out of his way to be condescending or dismissive, but it's clear that he's not good at the whole "social interaction" thing.
- Oblivious to Love: It's heavily implied that Arcadia, the owner of the Whiterun alchemy shop, has a crush on him, and he almost certainly isn't aware of it.
- Secret-Keeper: One of only two people aware of the Ebony Blade's existence in Dragonsreach's basement, the other being Jarl Balgruuf himself. He also may be aware that Delphine is one of the Blades, although this is not confirmed.
- Speech Impediment: Has a very noticeable lisp.
Hod, Gerdur, and Frodnar
Voiced by: Michael J. Gough (Hod); Martina Lotun (Gerdur); Reese C. Hartwig (Frodnar) (English)note
A Riverwood family. Gerdur is the sister of Stormcloak soldier Ralof. She owns the town sawmill.
- Action Girl: Subverted. Gerdur mentions that she's very proud of Ralof taking up the sword to free Skyrim and laments that she's gotten too old to fight herself.
- Bratty Half-Pint: Frodnar shows shades of this, being rather bossy towards the player (no matter how intimidating the player can be) and coming up with plans to make his dog look like a frostbite spider (which Dorthe talks him out of doing, because it would either fail or get his dog killed by the adults of the town)."You're new around here, so I'll go easy on ya, but don't get on my bad side."
- Good Parents: Both Hod and Gerdur are this to Frodnar.
- I Own This Town: Gerdur owns the sawmill, which is the main business of the town and the reason Riverwood exists, according to Alvor, and certainly his smithy gets most of its work from Gerdur's mill. In a subversion of the trope, though, Gerdur doesn't really use that influence over the village for anything in particular. If anything, Frodnar shows a more entitled attitude than she does (see Bratty Half-Pint). She mostly just uses her position to provide employment to the rest of the town; Sven, Faendal and Alvor are all technically in her employ.Gerdur: It's my mill... some folk think it's my town too, but it ain't. The Jarl of Whiterun owns both the land and the town; I just pay the taxes.
- Loyal Animal Companion: Frodnar has one in his dog Stump.
- The Prankster: Frodnar, much to his friend Dorthe's displeasure, according to him. His father, however, approves of and encourages it."My friend Dorthe doesn't like my pranking. 'You're being mean, Frodnar!' So what if I am?"
"Get me mad, and I'll prank ya. And not a little. A lot." - Reasonable Authority Figure: Balgruuf himself says that Gerdur is a pillar of the community. But Gerdur, being a firm Stormcloak supporter, doesn't care much for him.
- Ms. Exposition: Gerdur gives a Stormcloak-biased one to the player concerning the Civil war, amongst other things.
Clans Gray-Mane and Battle-Born
The two major families of Whiterun driven into a grim rivalry when they took opposite sides of the war, Battle-Born with the Empire and Gray-Mane with the Stormcloaks. Tropes specific to Vignar Gray-Mane can be found on the Skyrim: Civil War page, and tropes specific to Eorlund Gray-mane can be found on the Skyrim: Factions page.
- Awful Truth: The truth about the disappearance of Thorald Gray-Mane. He was taken prisoner by the Thalmor. If you ask Idolaf Battle-Born about the matter directly, he says this is why he refuses to tell Fralia what happened to her son.
- Badass Family:
- Clan Gray-Mane has the Ultimate Blacksmith, a former Companion member, and one man all too eager to launch a three-man raid (four if you come) on a Thalmor stronghold.
- The Blacksmith: Eorlund Gray-Mane spends most of his time at the Skyforge, making weapons for the Companions or anyone who wishes to buy.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Clan Battle-Born's battlecry paints them as this somewhat."For Clan Battle-Born! First into the fray and last to quit their ale!"
- Call to Agriculture: At some point in Clan Battle-born's history, since their clan sobriquet is now that of a family that owns a farm around Whiterun.
- Catchphrase: Both Olfrid Battle-Born and Vignar Gray-Mane have comments that will burn themselves into your brain if you wander around Whiterun (or in Vignar's case, inside Jorrvaskr) very much.Olfrid: Olfrid! Patron of the great clan Battle-Born! A name I'm sure you know well.
Vignar: When the Empire surrendered to the Aldmeri Dominion, they shamed us all! - Cool Old Guy: Vignar's a bit grumpy, to be sure, but he's also a lot more humble and respectful when you decide to chat with him than Olfrid is. He's also well-respected by the Companions for having a long history as a warrior, and he served in the Imperial Legion during the Great War. When the Battle of Whiterun kicks off (Dragonborn is on the Stormcloak side), Vignar pulls out a Skyforge Steel sword in the chaos and starts picking apart Imperial soldiers in their twenties and thirties when he looks pushing seventy.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Olfrid. See below.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Idolaf Battle-Born considers being captured by the Thalmor to be a Fate Worse than Death, which is why he refuses to tell Fralia about what happened to Thorald, even though she's absolutely convinced they know.
- Expy: They're basically "Capulets and Montagues: Skyrim edition." Complete with their own Romeo and Juliet who are keeping a relationship with each other secret from their families (namely, Jon Battle-Born and Olfina Gray-Mane).
- Friend in the Black Market: Olfrid becomes the main contact of the Thieves' Guild in Whiterun after contacting them to help bail a friend out from prison for murder.
- Feuding Families: Complete with Montague and Capulet style Star-Crossed Lovers. They also nicely represent the Imperial/Stormcloak conflict; one side is wealthy and practical but cares little for old Nord ways, the other is proud and definitely cares for Nord traditions.
- Gameplay and Story Segregation: Avulstein Gray-Mane will remain in hiding even if his uncle Vignar becomes Jarl of Whiterun, and insist on carrying out a covert mission to rescue his brother even if the Stormcloaks have won the civil war and control all of Skyrim.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Olfrid Battle-Born suggests that Clan Gray-Mane started the feud because they were jealous of the Battle-Born fortune.
- Played for laughs in some of the interactions between Jon Battle-Born and Olfina Gray-Mane. Among other things, she's trying to encourage him to return to the Bards' College and continue his work there, and he doesn't want to leave her, making jokes about how she's waiting for him to go so she can find herself a rich husband and have a ton of babies. She jokes in return that now he's uncovered her master plan and will probably never leave.
- Grumpy Growler: Idolaf Battle-Born, the most morose of the children of the two families, has a very coarse, gruff voice.
- Happily Married: Eorlund and Fralia. One of the rare examples in Skyrim, a province full of bickering married couples.
- Impoverished Patrician: Clan Gray-Mane has fallen on hard times. They still carry themselves proudly despite their currently modest circumstances (though whenever you offer to buy from Eorlund, he always says "Gods be praised!").
- Grumpy Old Man: Both Olfrid and Vignar. Amusingly, they share a voice actor (Jim Cummings).
- He Knows Too Much: An interaction between Olfina Gray-Mane and Anoriath, the hunter who runs the meat stall at the marketplace, has Anoriath implying that he knows about her relationship with Jon Battle-Born, to which she replies that such knowledge can be dangerous to one's health. Given that Anoriath is an assassination target in the Dark Brotherhood questline, it's not hard to piece together the implications.
- Jerkass: Neither clan is particularly nice overall. The Battle-Born males openly mock the grandmotherly Fralia Gray-Mane when her son is missing, asserting that he's dead when they know he's actually a prisoner of the Thalmor; and if the Stormcloaks take Whiterun and Clan Gray-Mane rises to power, the Battle-Born family is subjected to at least two robberies. While Vignar doesn't specifically target them, he doesn't allow them justice either, saying that they made their choice when the troubles began.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Idolaf Battle-Born might be stand-offish to the Dragonborn at first, asking to them point blank to choose a side between Gray-Manes or the Battle-Borns first talking to him, but choose his family, and his dispostion immediately warms. If befriended, it becomes easier to talk him into revealing what he knows about Thorald Gray-Mane's fate, revealing in the process that despite the hostility between their families, he still considered Thorald an old friend, and tried looking into his sudden disappearence by pulling some of his own strings in the Legion.
- Vignar Gray-Mane helped out his alcoholic friend Brill, giving him a job.
- Kick the Dog: Both clans can do this to the other.
- The Battle-Borns will frequently brag about their wealth. They also mock Thorald's disappearance to Fralia's face. They know Thorald is a Thalmor prisoner and if Thorald escapes, then he'll join the Stormcloak rebellion. If the Dragonborn joins the Empire, then Thorald may become an unnamed victim of the war.
- If the Stormcloaks conquer Whiterun, the Gray-Manes will use their newfound authority to punish the Battle-Borns for abandoning long-standing traditions. They punish the Battle-Borns by allowing the Stormcloak soldiers to bully and rob them.
- Meaningful Name: Everyone in Clan Gray-Mane has white hair, for one reason or another.
- Nice Guy: Jon Battle-Born, who's also the Only Sane Man. Olfina Gray-Mane is also a nice person as well (if you're female) and takes the position of Only Sane Woman for her family. Fittingly, the two are more than a little fond of each other.
- Only in It for the Money: The Gray-Manes assert that the Battle-Borns are weak and only care about their money.
- Red Herring: During your investigation into the disappearance of Thorald Gray-Mane, it turns out that not only are the Battle-Borns not responsible for his disappearance, but that Idolaf made attempts to find out what happened to him, and did, but kept it from them because of it being such an Awful Truth. In actuality, the Thalmor are behind his disappearance.
- Retired Badass: Vignar Gray-Mane served in the Legion for thirty years, fighting in the Great War and living to tell about it. He has the respect of the Companions for it, and as such can often be found in Jorrvaskr.Vignar: You're looking at a real warrior! At least I used to be.
- Spartan Sibling: Lars Battle-Born, a child, will say that his family regards him as a milk-drinker and a weakling due to 'allowing' himself to be bullied by Braith.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Jon Battle-Born and Olfina Gray-Mane, the sole members of each clan who don't care for the feud, are in a secret relationship. The player can overhear interactions which illustrate this clearly, and can even pickpocket Jon's love letter from Olfina.
- Straw Feminist: Olfina Gray-Mane can come across this way. She'll hail a female Dragonborn by telling her not to let the men treat her badly, but snaps (unprovoked) at a male Dragonborn, asking if he just can't stand the sight of a strong woman. She also angrily comments on how much sexism she perceives everywhere in Skyrim. The straw part comes in when you realize there is no such on-screen sexism in the game, and that both sexes being pretty badass is a documented part of Nord culture that goes back literal centuries.
- Warrior Poet: Jon Battle-Born wants to study at the Bards' College and is very proud of his profession as a skald, upholding the history, honor, glory, and tradition of his people through song and poetry. He finds men who practice the bardic arts solely for coin and women insulting. But more than anything, he laments that Nords are forgetting poetry and romance, becoming "obsessed with death."
- We Used to Be Friends: The two families used to be very close, but were driven apart after taking opposite sides in the war.
- With Us or Against Us: Idolaf Battle-Born tries to invoke this after you enter Whiterun for the first time, asking, "Gray-Mane or Battle-Born?" If you ask for clarification, he elaborates and repeats the question. How you answer the question determines his disposition towards you: answering "Battle-Born" has him calling you a good friend even though he's known you for all of ten seconds, while answering "Gray-Mane" earns his everlasting hostility. If you remain neutral, he simply asserts that everyone chooses a side eventually, but will not pester you again about it.
Heimskr
"Trust in me, Whiterun! Trust in Heimskr! For I am the CHOSEN of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the Ninth to SPREAD... HIS HOOOOLY WORD!!!"
Voiced by: Michael J. Gough (English)note
Self-professed prophet of Talos, he perpetually preaches about the God-Emperor by his shrine in Whiterun.
- Butt-Monkey: He's only involved in one minor quest (a potential kidnap victim in a Companions radiant quest), does nothing of importance, and can be incredibly annoying, so it's not uncommon for players to kill him in whatever way they deem fit. Achievement Hunter even made a video
solely dedicated to showcasing the numerous ways a player can mess with the poor guy. - Canon Immigrant: Not the man himself, but his speech, which was first written as canon (but unofficial) background lore by The Elder Scrolls writer Michael Kirkbride for display on the Imperial Library lore website. You can find it here.
- Character Filibuster: He never shuts up about the glory of Talos and his disdain for those trying to snuff out his worship.
- The Cuckoolander Was Right: It's implied that Talos actually does take some interest in him. At the very least, he has some understanding of the fact that Tiber Septim used CHIM.
- Despair Speech: Part of his speech: "We are but maggots! WRIIIIIIIIITHING in the filth of our OWN CORRUPTION!"
- Enemy Mine: He seems to want the Empire and the Stormcloaks to put aside their differences and remember that their true enemy is the Thalmor. And given the Thalmor's interests and agenda, he's got a point.
- Expy: Of Cromwell, the preacher of the Children of Atom in Fallout 3, who was likewise encountered singing the praises of his god in the center of the first major town you visit. However, Heimskr is louder, and what he preaches make more sense in universe.
- Fearless Fool: Openly proclaims his zealotry and devotion to Talos, in the most central location possible in Skyrim. The only thing preventing him from being Too Dumb to Live is the total lack of Thalmor presence in Whiterun and Whiterun's (technically) neutral status in the civil war, though it is possible for him to end up imprisoned if the Imperials take control.
- Irony: Considering his zeal when it comes to Talos, it can easily be inferred that he would rather side with the Stormcloaks over the Imperials... but during the Battle for Whiterun, his house gets destroyed by a Stormcloak catapult.
- Large Ham: Note the amount of caps, italics, and bold in his quotes here, used to emphasize the hamminess of his sermon.
- Love Freak: "And as man you said, 'Let me SHOW you the power of Talos, Stormcrown, BORN of the North, where my breath is looooooong winterrrrrr. I breathe now in royalty and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I LOVE YOU!' Aye, love! LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!"
- Meaningful Name: Heimskr in Old Norse means "foolish/silly". Likewise, the similarly spelled word "Heimskur" is Icelandic for "stupid". Though possibly subverted, as he seems to have some grasp of the existence of CHIM, which, even if he only knows of it by proxy of the text he quotes which goes into how Tiber Septim warped the climate of Cyrodiil, would perhaps make him more privy into the true nature of the Aurbis than virtually anyone else in the game with the possible exception of Fallion.
- No Indoor Voice: Extols the glories of Talos to anyone who'll listen, or indeed anyone within earshot, which is most of Whiterun because he does it at the top of his lungs.
- Only Sane Man: Sees himself as this.Heimskr: Trust in me, Whiterun! Trust in Heimskr! For I am the chosen of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the Ninth to spread his holy word!
- Preacher Man: He's a priest of Talos, and preaches non-stop. One has to wonder if the townsfolk are grateful to the Dragonborn for talking to him at any point, since it forces him to pause.
- Rousing Speech: He certainly thinks he is giving one: "So rise up! RIIIIIIIIIIIIISE up, children of the Empire! Rise up, Stormcloaks!" It's literally a long loop of dialogue - it has no clear beginning or end, but simply repeats over and over.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Though it crosses into Too Dumb to Live, because while the Empire and the Jarls may not enforce the ban on Talos worship that strongly, belting out his glories in a town known to be a trading hub of the country is a good way to attract the wrong kind of attention. Tellingly, after the Imperial Battle for Whiterun that puts the hold solidly on the Imperial side, he is supposed to be imprisoned in Dragonsreach, though a couple different bugs can prevent this.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Downplayed. At worst, he annoys the ever-living crap out of anyone within earshot of his very loud sermons; he never does anything morally ambiguous. As annoying as he might be, keeping Talos worship alive is basically him doing his part to stave off metaphysical annihilation.
- You Can't Go Home Again: When his house gets destroyed in the Siege of Whiterun, he instead camps out in front of Jorrvaskr. It’s not much of a downside for him since now he's only a few inches away from the statue of Talos and doesn’t have very far to walk to start his sermons.
- You Have to Believe Me!: As per his character quote.
Hrongar
Voiced by: Paul Ganus (English)note
Member of the Dragonsreach court and younger brother to Jarl Balgruuf. Staunchly pro-Imperial.
- Badass Boast: "I'm not a man, I'm a weapon in human form. Just unsheathe me, and point me at the enemy."
- Mr. Exposition: Serves as this about the legend of the Dragonborn, once the Greybeard summons goes out and you report back in to Jarl Balgruuf after your first dragon kill.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Proof that classical barbarian Nords exist on the pro-Imperial side too.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Red to both his elder brother Jarl Balgruuf and the court steward Proventus. He encourages Balgruuf to take part in the Civil War on the Imperial side, whereas Balgruuf prefers to stay neutral as long as he can and Proventus favors a more careful approach.
- Spare to the Throne: In a
Dummied Out quest portion that would have resulted in Balgruuf's murder by his own children, Hrongar would have inherited the title of Jarl of Whiterun Hold. - Tyrant Takes the Helm: In the Dummied Out quest outcome where he becomes Jarl, he would have proved to be this, over-pledging the Hold's soldiers, gold and resources towards aiding the Legion, overtaxing the population to compensate for overspending on guards and weapons, and having anyone dissenting against these new policies thrown in jail or sent to the stockades to be made examples of.
- War Hawk: He is constantly agitating for Whiterun to enter the Civil War on the side of the Empire. Jarl Balgruuf can even be overheard telling Hrongar to stop pestering him with his warmongering.
Hulda
Voiced by: Martina Lotun (English)note
The owner of the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. Like other innkeepers, she will rent a room to the Dragonborn and sell them food, as well as telling them about local gossips.- The Bartender: She's Whiterun's resident inkeeper.
- Cool Old Lady: She doesn't look that old, but she's been in charge of the inn for many years and will often mention that she's considering selling it to Ysolda so she can retire. She's also very kind, will buy redwood from the Dragonborn and is always polite to them, the only exception being listed under Proud Warrior Race Guy below.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Only apparent if you ask her where you can learn more about magic; she will make her disdain for the arcane arts very obvious, even moreso if the Dragonborn is an Altmer, a Bosmer or a Dunmer. That being said, her lines towards a Mer Dragonborn asking about magic seem to imply that she does have some respect for Nord mages such as Farengar.
- Older Than They Look: Jon Battle-Born calls her "old Hulda" and Hulda herself often mentions that she wants to retire, but she really doesn't look a day over 40. Then again, maybe this is considered "old" in Skyrim...
- Retirony: She's not flagged as "essential", which means she can be killed. Given how often she mentions her desire to retire, her death can be seen as this should the player decide to kill her. If she does die, Ysolda will take over the inn. It should be noted, however, that Ysolda will not talk about the rumors that allow the player to begin the Daedric quest "The Whispering Door". As such, if Hulda is killed beforehand, that quest and the Ebony Blade will be gone for good.
Irileth
"I've got my eye on you."
Voiced by: Lani Minella (English)note
Dunmeri housecarl to Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun Hold.
- Action Girl: Pretty much a prerequisite for a female housecarl, and she gets to show it by leading the charge against Mirmulnir.
- Dare to Be Badass: When rallying the Whiterun guards in "Dragon Rising": "Now what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon?"
- Dub Personality Change: Less condescending in the Japanese dub based on her tone of speaking.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Is this with Balgruuf. Before his days as a Jarl, they were adventurers together.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Best demonstrated where after chewing her fellow soldiers for being amazed by the Dragonborn, she's immediately praising the Dragonborn for winning the fight against the dragon.
- Magic Knight: That lightning bolt you saw flying at Mirmulnir during the first dragon fight? Irileth. She's also packing a frost-enchanted sword.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Again, with Balgruuf. It's incredibly obvious how much he trusts her and respects her opinion, and she would lay down her life for his in a heartbeat. But there's no romantic chemistry whatsoever.
- Properly Paranoid: Apparently attempts on Balgruuf's life are not unusual. She keeps a wary eye on the player even after they've ingratiated themselves to the Jarl, and her suspicion is proven correct should the player join the Stormcloaks.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The red to Proventus Avenicci's blue as Jarl Balgruuf's advisers.
- Seen It All: According to her, at least. Her reaction to the Dragonborn is "I've seen plenty of things just as outlandish as this."
- Token Minority: She is the only non-human housecarl at the start of the game, being a Dark Elf instead of a Nord.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: She considers stabbing a viable solution against obsequious functionaries and incompetent bureaucrats that hound the Jarl. Unfortunately, she's not allowed to actually do it.
Lokir
Voiced by: Richard Epcar (English)note
A Nord horse thief from Rorikstead who's captured along with the Dragonborn, Ulfric Stormcloak, and Ralof by the border to Cyrodiil. After realizing that he'll be executed, he tries to run but is killed by Imperial archers.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: As he comes closer to the execution, he begs for the Divines to save him.
- Death by Irony: Had he waited, he may have had a chance to escape thanks to Alduin's attack.
- Dirty Coward: He constantly pleads that he's not deserving of his fate, and once he's let out of the cart to get in line for execution, he books it for the exit and is shot down for his trouble, contrasting Ralof who chooses to Face Death with Dignity, and the Dragonborn and Ulfric, who don't resist the execution.
- Disproportionate Retribution: He seems to think his fate is this as, while he did steal a horse before getting caught trying to cross the border, he doesn't enjoy being executed for it and constantly repeats that he's not with the Stormcloaks in hopes that he'll be let go.
- In the Back: Gets shot down by archers as he's running away.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Helps establish that in Skyrim, people can and will die.
- Tempting Fate: Yells "You're not gonna kill me!" as he runs away and immediately gets shot by archers.
- Undignified Death: He runs away but gets shot by archers before he can get far.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: The first character to die in the game and who bites it roughly four minutes and thirty seconds into it.
Lemkil
Voiced by: Stephen Russell (English)note
A farmer living in Rorikstead with his daughters, twins Sissel and Britte. His wife died giving birth to them, and he's basically resented them ever since.
- Abusive Parents: He beats both of his children and considers them worthless. Most of his dialogue in some way or another is complaining about what a burden they are. His children in turn thank you if you kill him.
- Always Identical Twins: Sissel and Britte are only distinguishable by the color of their dresses and their personalities. (Of course, all of the children in Skyrim look more or less alike, so it's hard to say whether they're this trope or not.)
- Asshole Victim: Though it is possible to incur a bounty unlike Grelod the Kind, practically nobody in Rorikstead will mourn his death should you kill him, and his daughters even say he will not be missed.
- Child Hater: "Do yourself a favor and don't have children, they're good for nothing at all!"
- Death by Childbirth: His wife died giving birth to their children. He apparently blames them for it.
- Hate Sink: Yeah, he's up there as one of the most unpleasant characters you may have the misfortune to meet.
- Bethesda outright encourages you to kill him. How? His name is an anagram for "kill me".
- Jerkass: Again; most of the guy's dialogue is to complain about how much he hates his daughters, and he beats them to boot. It's a common tale among players that, opting out of the four orphans Hearthfire added, they chose to kill Lemkil and adopt at least Sissel to give his kids a better home.
- Papa Wolf: Horribly inverted. He will pay you should you assault one of his daughters.
- Pet the Dog: For all his bad attitude, he will still pay you for harvesting crops. You even raise his disposition toward you by doing so... thus making him, say, a viable guilt-free target for the Ebony Blade, if you're so inclined.
- Significant Anagram: Possibly. As noted above, the letters in his name can be rearranged to spell "kill me," suggesting that even the devs intended the Dragonborn to murder him.
- Very Punchable Man: There's nothing forcing players to kill the guy, but given his dickishness, abuse of his daughters, and his name literally anagramming into "kill me" along with a lack of positive interactions you can have with him... well, what's the loss?
- Video Game Caring Potential: Quite a few people kill him to be this towards his daughters. Britte is a bully, but mostly only because he's such a dickbag to her, and Sissel is a frequent target of adoption after he's killed, not just because she's a sweetie, but also because she has dreams of Paarthurnax.
Nazeem
"Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying, of course you don't."
Voiced by: Keith Silverstein (English)note
A "successful" Redguard trader who wanders around the Plains District of Whiterun, insulting the merchandise and talking down to the vendors. He owns Chilfurrow Farm, though he apparently sleeps in the Bannered Mare whilst conducting business in Whiterun. His incredibly pretentious and supercilious manner, his naked condescension, and his total lack of relevance to any story-related activity make him one of the most detested characters in Whiterun.
- Asshole Victim: To give you a clue as to how pretty much everyone hates this guy's guts, even his wife says he won't be missed if the Dragonborn ends up killing him, which probably won't be long until they do so.
- Catchphrase: "Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you don't." Of course, at no point in the game does he actually go the Cloud District; his schedule involves him walking around the Plains and Wind Districts all day, unlike people who have actual business in Dragonsreach. It verges on laser-guided stupidity when you remember that (unless you're doing a non-dragon run) Whiterun is the Hold in which you will most likely become Thane first - yet he continues to say this to you even once you've been made a member of the Jarl's court.
- Dirty Coward: If you fight him, he'll run away incredibly quickly.
- Hated by All: Pretty much no one likes him, and his wife is no exception, to the point where she and Danica can be found jokingly discussing the possibility that he might be killed if the Stormcloaks ever decide to attack the city. If he is killed, his wife makes only one comment about it, showing how much he's (not) missed.
- Hate Sink: He's pretty easy to dislike both in and out of universe. Even his wife talks crap about him.
- Jerkass: Listen in on the market conversations and you'll note that he's unpleasant to pretty much everybody.
- No Accounting for Taste: Even his own wife wonders why she's married to him.
- Pet the Dog: He'll occasionally state that you're "less insufferable" than most people he has to deal with, and give you a random gift in appreciation.
- Professional Butt-Kisser: Very much so. His wife comments on this frequently.Ahlam: Looking for my husband Nazeem? Check the Jarl's backside — that's usually where he stuffs himself these days.
- Self-Made Man: He sees himself as one, though there's the fact that his farm is actually rather small. Still, given his upper-class clothes and loot, he obviously did something right on the way to where he is now.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Completely convinced that he's more important than everyone else in Whiterun. Amusingly, one radiant vampire faction quest in Dawnguard tasks you with murdering a citizen of a major hold, and an optional objective is to kill a "high profile" citizen. You will fail this objective for killing Nazeem, proving just where he actually stands.
- Smug Snake: Not outright villainous, but very smug.
- Too Dumb to Live: He will always talk crap to just about anyone... including the Dragonborn, who can literally blow him across town with "Fus-ro-DAH!"
- Very Punchable Man: Between his condescending attitude, snide remarks, and the fact that no one cares if he dies, it's pretty clear that he's a walking punching bag.
Saadia (Unmarked Spoilers)
Voiced by: Susan Eisenburg (English)note
A Redguard woman who works in the Bannered Mare Inn for Hulda. She has a central role in the "In My Time of Need" sidequest.
- Ambiguous Situation: The game never gives you any indication whether she or her pursuers are in the right. Whether you believe her story or Kematu's is entirely up to you.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: According to Kematu, she betrayed Taneth to the Aldmeri Dominion and fled to Skyrim under a new alias to avoid execution.
- Consummate Liar: According to Kematu, she's changed her identity multiple times before coming to Skyrim. She tells the Dragonborn that she's the victim of the Thalmor but the in-game narrative doesn't give a clear answer.
- If she spoke out against the Thalmor, why did she run to Skyrim? A place that's currently occupied by the Thalmor during the civil war.
- If she did speak against the Thalmor, why are the Alik'r after her and not Thalmor soldiers or The Dark Brotherhood? Adding to that, the Alik'r don't act like regular assassins and Kematu confirms they are actually mercenaries.
- In the game, there is a book called "The Great War" and it states that the emperor had denounced Hammerfell as part of Skyrim and handed it over to the Aldmeri Dominion, something that infuriated its inhabitants and convinced them to keep fighting against the Dominion. The Empire also removed Hammerfell from their rule to maintain The White Gold Concordia. The citizens of Hammerfell kept fighting for 5 more years until they agreed to stop fighting and for the Aldmeri Dominion to leave them alone. This means that Hammerfell was never part of The Empire and never had an alliance with the still-hated Aldmeri Dominion.
- Damsel in Distress: If you believe her side of the story, she's a victim of the Alik'r for speaking out against the Aldmeri Dominion.
- The Last DJ: If you believe her side of the story, she openly spoke against the Thalmor after they had gained influence in her city.
- Mysterious Past: A traitor that sold her city to Thalmor, or a rebel that openly spoke against Thalmor when their influence spread throughout Hammerfell? The game never reveals which side, if either, is telling the truth.
- Older Than They Look: Both sides of story indicate she is at least in her 30s.
- Take a Third Option: The Dragonborn can lure her to a stable, accept the payment from Kematu, kill Kematu, cast Calm on Saadia, accept payment from her, and kill her. At least one of them was lying to you, so why take the risk?
- Too Dumb to Live: She is a fugitive on the run unwilling to trust the local authorities because how easily they can be bribed... yet she places her trust on a complete stranger like the player character, who might decide to sell her out to her enemies. Meanwhile the local authorities put more attention to the Alik'r looking for her because of their constant frisking of any Redguard woman in Skyrim they encounter.
- The Unreveal: It's not made clear whether she was a traitor or not, and there is no way to determine the truth:
- For what it's worth, if you look into any Thalmor documents, there are no mentions of her nor of any supporter/traitor from Hammerfell in Skyrim, which implies that both she and Kematu are lying.
- Saadia is a law-abiding Whiterun citizen with proper job, proper residence, and no attention from the authorities, while the Alik'r looking for her go around frisking every Redguard woman they encounter in the land, not just Whiterun, to the point that the Alik'r are disliked by the city guard, and one of them ends up imprisoned for it.
- Adding to this is the fact that if you let Kematu take her, Saadia's belongings will eventually show up in the Whiterun Hall of the Dead just like when a hold citizen dies, despite Kematu's reassurance that she wouldn't be harmed prior to arriving in Hammerfell unless she tried an escape attempt but was killed during her attempt. However, it could be that she was convicted in Hammerfell and executed, with her remains being sent back to Whiterun. If you kill Saadia before Kematu can take her to Hammerfell, he will be infuriated since he can't take for a public execution. Saadia's belongings will be found in the Hall of the Dead because of a glitch from Bethesda because anyone killed in their respective hold will automatically be put in their hold's Hall of the Dead.
- Unstoppable Rage: Should you decide to sell her out to Kematu and then kill him, she will attack you whenever she sees you, requiring you to either use Calm or kill her (you won't incur a bounty since it was in self-defense).
- Walking Spoiler: She's far more than your average tavern waitress. The reason her folder has all spoilers unmarked is because otherwise it would just be a massive block of white considering her role in her sidequest.
Severio Pelagia
Voiced by: Gideon Emery (English)note
An Imperial farmer who owns Pelagia Farm just outside Whiterun. Most of his produce goes to Carlotta's stall.
- Call to Agriculture: He used to be a soldier, likely in the Imperial Legion, but by the time of the game he's content to settle down on a farm.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: During the Battle for Whiterun, courtesy of a Stormcloak catapult destroying his house with him inside it.
- Mauve Shirt: You can sell vegetables to him for a small amount of gold and he has a couple of lines, but otherwise he's another generic NPC who doesn't last too long.
Sild the Warlock
A necromancer who has set up a lair in the Nordic tomb of Rannvieg’s Fast. He has been luring adventurers into a trap and enslaving their ghosts to protect him.
- Apologetic Attacker: The ghosts who protect him really, really don’t want to fight you, but if you draw too close, his enchantment will force them to.
- Sadist: He really gets a kick out of torturing people who fall for his trap.
- Schmuck Bait: What his trap boils down to- it’s a chest placed over a trap door leading to a cage where he tortures his victims. Adding insult to injury, there’s nothing in the chest anyway.
- Smug Snake: He smugly monologues about the wicked things he's going to do to you and how foolish you are for falling into his trap... without bothering to make sure that you've been injured by it (which you weren't thanks to Soft Water) nor doing anything to relieve you of anything you might have on hand (such as, say, a bow or lockpick). He likely won't get to even finish his speech before getting his head bashed in. That is, if you even fall for the trap anyway- if you enter his room a different way without bothering with the trap, you can hear him commenting on why it's taking so long.
Lucan and Camilla Valerius
Voiced by: Stephen Russell (Lucan) and Corri English (Camilla) (English)note
Imperial immigrants to Skyrim, siblings, and proprietors of the Riverwood Trader. Camilla journeyed from Cyrodiil to start a new life with Lucan after the war with the Thalmor left the province in ruins. When the Dovahkiin meets them, they are arguing over what to do about the theft of the Golden Claw, ostensibly a bauble that Lucan found on his travels, but actually much more... They are the owners of the first general store in the game and give one of the first quests.
- Alpha Bitch: Camilla surprisingly turns out to be one to a female Dragonborn. She warns her not to intrude on her turf:Camilla: The men here like my attention and I like theirs. Best know your place.
- Though a female Dovahkiin can still marry her, nonetheless...
- Brainless Beauty: Camilla has shades. In idle conversation with Lucan, she suggests a sale to attract new customers with jugglers, going on the road to sell their wares, or carrying specialty merchandise for picky customers. Lucan points out that everyone in Riverwood already shops at their store, so there are no "new customers" to attract, and the other two ventures would be a major investment of resources they lack.
- Brother–Sister Team: They run the Riverwood Trader. Camilla will take over selling gear if, at any point, Lucan is killed.
- Dogged Nice Girl: Camilla to a male Dragonborn who doesn't romance her.
- Dude Magnet: Camilla has basically every guy in town after her; even Hod, who is by all appearances Happily Married, will candidly admit to the Dragonborn that he finds her rather alluring. This can also include the Dragonborn. Good thing she doesn't live in a bigger town.
- Girl Next Door: Camilla.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Lucan. He's a bit abrasive and Camilla calls him "a child;" but if you help him out, he pays you well, lets you grab some supplies for free off his shelves, and declares that you and he are the only people in the world who are "not fools." He also sincerely loves his sister, despite how much they sometimes snipe at each other, as indicated by the Heroic BSoD entry below.
- Heroic BSoD: Lucan basically has one of these if his sister is killed; he never really recovers from the shock of her loss. He only snaps out of it somewhat if the Dragonborn murders her and he's aware of it, as he basically growls at you about it.
- Love Interest: Camilla becomes a potential one after you return the Golden Claw.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Camilla and Lucan respectively. Lucan waits for someone to get the Golden Claw back for him. Camilla is willing to go to Bleak Falls Barrow herself until the Dovahkiin shows up.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Camilla. And neither of the two men courting her are that great. The Dovahkiin can Take a Third Option for the Love Triangle and marry her themselves.
Ysolda
Voiced by: Corri English (English)note
An aspiring Nord merchant who can often be seeing wandering the marketplace in Whiterun.
- Affably Evil: She's a friendly person, but she's also a drug dealer who sells Skooma and Sleeping Tree Sap.
- Dark Secret: If you enter the cave in the Sleeping Tree Camp, you will find a dead orc with a note from Ysolda, which says that he was supplying her with Sleeping Tree Sap and it also mentions a "Skooma trouble", which concludes that Ysolda's "merchant trade" also includes drug dealing. The Dovahkiin can confront her about it, which will make them able to sell Sleeping Tree Sap to Ysolda.
- Fantastic Racism: Completely averted, at least toward the Khajiit. She seems to admire them and is trading with their caravans.
- Go-Getter Girl: She hopes to buy The Bannered Mare from Hulda one day, and is an entrepreneur, currently.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Among the drunken antics in the quest "A Night to Remember", the Dragonborn buys a wedding ring off Ysolda and runs off to get married to a Hagraven of all things. This will occur even if they are already married to Ysolda.
- Love Interest: Ma'dran, the leader of one Khajit caravans, asked her for a Mammoth Tusk. If the Dovahkiin brings one to her, she will become available for marriage.
- Made of Iron: She's permanently essential as of Patch 1.5, due to her involvement with the "A Night To Remember" quest.
- Nice Girl: She is generally friendly and polite towards the Dovahkiin and the other NPCs, with a few exceptions such as Nazeem for obvious reasons.
