Windhelm is defined by the thick stone walls, as deep and anchored as its history. The city is one of the oldest in Skyrim, rumored to have been established by Ysgramor himself and earned the moniker "The City of Kings" from its reputation. It has grown wealthy from its highly lucrative trade routes and strategic location.
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This rich history hides a city that holds its Nordic heritage sacrosanct to the extent that racial tensions and discrimination between the local Nords and the many refugees from Morrowind fracture it. It is home to the Stormcloak Rebellion and its leader, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak.
Updated December 1, 2022 by Nicolas Ng: This article has been updated with the rest of the walkthrough to give visitors a better idea of what to expect within the city.
Quests
While the Skyrim Civil War hangs over every aspect of the ancient city like a deep fog, the people of Windhelm find themselves occupied with other matters. Instead of looking outwards with their jarl, they focus on internal struggles.
Main Quests
Windhelm does not feature heavily in your journey as the Dragonborn. The only time you would visit is to ask Ulfric to attend a peace conference in the quest Season Unending, a quest you will only receive if you have yet to participate in the Civil War.
Side Quests
Windhelm has some of the most interesting quests in the game. It plays host to a high-stakes murder mystery, a quest to find and restore an ancient artifact, and even a contested beach landing against pirates.
Blood On The Ice | You are roped in by the guard to stop a serial killer targeting Windhelm's women. |
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The White Phial | A sickly and aging alchemist needs you to find the mythical White Phial, an artifact he spent his life searching for. |
Repairing The White Phial | You need to restore the damaged White Phial for the alchemist. |
Rise In The East | A group of pirates has disrupted the valuable trade from Windhelm to the rest of Tamriel. |
Stormcloak Rebellion
The Stormcloak Rebellion is led by Ulfric Stormcloak, the Jarl of Windhelm, and is based in the city. You can join the rebellion by talking to Galmar Stone-Fist in the quest Joining The Stormcloaks.
They are the same faction that you nearly got killed alongside in the very first quest in the game, Unbound. The Stormcloaks are far less professional than their imperial counterparts and thrive on warrior spirit and Nordic grit more than logistics and organization.
If you want to remove the weak elf-controlled Empire from Skyrim's land, the Stormcloaks fight for the very same thing. You will accept quests related to the Liberation of Skyrim from Windhelm.
The Dark Brotherhood
While not based in this city, you join the Dark Brotherhood when helping Aventus Arentino in Windhelm. You can start this quest, Innocence Lost, by visiting the Arentino Residence within the city.
You can receive a miscellaneous objective to visit the residence by speaking to guards and innkeepers throughout the province.
The Dark Brotherhood is a dysfunctional family of assassins who offer a lengthy questline that drips with intrigue, blood, and gold. It has some of the most open-ended quests, though it is certainly not for the faint of heart or morally righteous.
How To Become Thane Of Windhelm
Thanks to how personally involved Ulfric Stormcloak is with the Civil War, you will need to fight for his cause to earn the title. He will offer you the chance to become a Thane after completing the quest Rescue From Fort Neugrad and freeing Falkreath from Imperial rule.
Alternatively, you will get the option after overthrowing him after the Battle for Windhelm. The new Thane, Brunwulf Free-Winter, will offer you the same opportunity.
You will have to help five citizens of the Hold and purchase property in the city to earn the title. You will receive and enchanted weapon and be assigned a housecarl, Calder. The people below are easy to help.
- Give a piece of gold to Silda the Unseen and/or Agrenor Once-Honored. These two count as two separate ones.
- Give Torbjorn Shatter-Shield alcohol.
- Give Viola's ring back to her from Revyn Sadri.
- Win a brawl against Rolff Stone-Fist at the Candlehearth Hall.
- Help Shahvee find her Amulet of Zenithar.
- Agree to steal double-distilled Skooma for Stands-In-Shallows.
How To Buy A House In Windhelm
Windhelm's real estate offering is a good example of why you should inspect prospective purchases before paying. Assuming you have not investigated already, you find Hjerim Hall in a sorry state. It is covered in dust, cobwebs, and blood from the Butcher.
It has been used as the serial killer's base of operations throughout the quest Blood on the Ice. You will have to complete the quest before you can fully upgrade and live in it.
It is a large and spacious home that has ample storage space with facilities for Enchanting and Alchemy. Unfortunately, it has a price tag to match. It costs 12,000 gold to purchase with another 9,000 gold for a full upgrade. The total cost is 21,000 gold.
Merchants
While there's no general goods store in Windhelm, the marketplace and the Gray Quarter offer three different merchants who can buy and sell a large variety of items just like a regular general goods merchant.
Sadri's Used Wares | Located in eastern Windhelm, he buys and sells a variety of items, and also has the rare and unique Copper and Onyx Circlet worth collecting. |
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Aval Atheron | He is located in the marketplace, he's also a general merchant despite having food on display. |
Niranye | She is also at the marketplace, she's the best general merchant in Windhelm, especially after she's unlocked as fence in the Thieves Guild questline. |
For more specialized merchants, visit the blacksmith just opposite of the marketplace, or The White Phial located right next to the marketplace. These are all found in western Windhelm. Additionally, for spells and enchanting, visit the Palace of the Kings to see the Court Wizard.
Blacksmith Quarters | The people working here provide arms and armor for any adventurer that needs it and has the coin. |
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The White Phial | You can buy potions and alchemical ingredients here. |
Wuunferth the Unliving | He sells a selection of spells and soul gems on the second floor of the Palace of the Kings |
For food and drinks, there are two inns and one food merchant you can visit.
Candlehearth Hall | It is facing the main entrance to the city, you can find drinks and food here, as well as get a room for a night. |
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Hillevi Cruel-Sea | Her stall is set up at the western marketplace where she sells food items for cooking. |
New Gnisis Cornerclub | This is found in eastern Windhelm in the Gray Quarters, it's a smaller inn but still ideal for food and drinks, without the option to stay the night. |
Crafting Stations
Windhelm has an unremarkable collection of crafting facilities. Blacksmiths can find their tools at the Blacksmith Quarters while alchemists and enchanters can visit their vendors respectively.
Forge | At the Blacksmith Quarters. |
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Blacksmith's Table | At the Blacksmith Quarters. |
Grindstone | At the Blacksmith Quarters. |
Tanning Rack | At the Blacksmith Quarters. |
Smelter | At the Blacksmith Quarters. |
Alchemy Lab | At the White Phial. |
Arcane Enchanter | At Wuunferth the Unliving's room inside the Palace of Kings. |
Trainers
Windhelm lacks any well-established institutions that have experts in their fields. Still, you can find a variety of trainers for a limited variety of skills nearby.
Proficiency Level | Skill | Trainer |
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Expert | Pickpocket | Silda the Unseen, usually found around Candlehearth Hall. |
Expert | Two-Handed | Torbjorn Shatter-Shield, typically found wandering the marketplace and Blacksmith Quarters. |
Adept | Speech | Revyn Sadri, found at his store, Sadri's Used Wares. |
Adept | Destruction | Wuunferth the Unliving, always inside the Palace of the Kings on the second floor in his room. |
Adept | Light Armor | Scouts-Many-Marshes, found at the docks just outside the city. |
Followers
Windhelm does not have many followers available. None of them are particularly interesting or powerful.
Stenvar | A hireling that resides at Candlehearth Hall, waiting for clients. He charges 500 gold for his services. |
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Adelaisa Vendicci | She will become available as a follower after completing Rise in the East. |
Calder | He will be your housecarl after you become Thane. |
Marriage Partners
Quite a few NPCs in Windhelm are available for marriage only, without offering any follower or hireling services. If you're just looking for someone to stay home and keep up a shop, here's what you have to choose from when it comes to Windhelm. Remember to have an Amulet of Mara equipped.
Revyn Sadri | He is the Dunmer owner of Sadri's Used Wares, he lives in the Gray Quarters. If you side with him during Viola's quest concerning her ring, he'll be available as a follower. |
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Shahvee | An Argonian worker outside the city at the Argonian Assemblage, she'll agree to marry you if you help her find her Amulet of Zenithar. |
Viola Giordano | An Imperial older woman who wanders the streets of Windhelm looking for clues on the Butcher, if you let her know Revyn has her ring she'll agree to marry you. |
Angrenor Once-Honored | He is a beggar at the Candlehearth Hall, after you hand him a piece of gold he can be married. |
Quintus Navale | He is Nurelion's assistant at The White Phial, once you've completed both Phial quests and repaired it, he'll agree to marry you. |
Scouts-Many-Marshes | He is a worker at the Argonian Assemblage, he will marry you if you speak to Torbjorn about the rights of the dockworkers. |
Calder | He is your housecarl after you become the Thane of Eastmarch, he can be married immediately. |
Notable Loot
If you're looking to get some quick loot by simply visiting the city and not completing any of its quests, keep an eye out for these following skill books.
Alchemy | A Game At Dinner, found at the New Gnisis Cornerclub |
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Sneak | The Red Kitchen Reader, found at the New Gnisis Cornerclub |
Illusion | The Black Arts On Trial, found at The White Phial |
Destruction | A Hypothetical Treachery, found inside the Aretino house |
Conjuration | 2920, vol 10 - Frostfall, found inside Belyn Hlaalu's home |
Heavy Armor | The Knights of the Nine, found inside the Palace of the Kings |
The quest No Stone Unturned will also have you hunting down those pesky Unusual Gems. There are two in total to be found in Windhelm.
- One inside the house of Clan Shatter-Shield.
- One inside the Palace of the Kings, where Wuunferth the Unliving stays.
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