FewRPGfranchises can match the immersive qualities thatThe Elder Scrollsbrings to the table. Filled with hundreds of quests and locations to explore, every mainlineElder Scrollstitle does an excellent job of immersing the player into a fantasy world for hundreds of hours.
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Even withBethesda’sgreat environmental storytelling and the franchise’s deep lore, there are still hanging narrative threads that never get resolved. Whiterun is a great example of this. The first major Hold capital in the game is missing quite a few conclusions for various plot threads. Here are 10 unanswered questions we have about Whiterun inSkyrim.
10Gray-Mane Vs. Battle Born Post Civil War
The Gray-Mane and Battle Born factions date back as far as the Merethic Era. Both factions used to get along well until the Civil War drove a wedge between them, with the Gray-Manes supporting the Stormcloaks while the Battle Born support the Empire.
Thing is, this conflict never changes after the Civil War ends. Nothing developsin this small conflictwhatsoever. How do the parties treat each other after the war? Bethesda never gave an answer.
9Where Does Nazeem Live?
For someone that crows about the Cloud District every chance they get, it sure is strange that Nazeem rents a room at The Drunken Huntsmen for the entirety ofSkyrim. Where does Nazeem actually live? It’s clear he is rather wealthy and has ties with other businesses.
There is somewhat of an answer to this. Pickpocketing Nazeem will reveal a key to the Wintersand Manor, most likely where Nazeem lives. The issue is that this manor doesn’t exist. It can’t even be accessed by traveling to a certain cell;Bethesda cut this locationentirely before release. As it stands, it seems that Nazeem’s permanent home is a small room inside of a tavern.
8Where Are The Frost Troll Attacks?
The Pocket Guide to the Empire, Third Edition is a common book inSkyrimthat talks about the political climate and importance of each Hold within the province. It’s invaluable for newerElder Scrollsfans wanting to learn about the game’s lore, yet some of the book’s details don’t line up with the game.
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Part of the book mentions that the reason Whiterun is in its current state is due to frequent banditand frost troll attacks. Bandits aren’t far-fetched to imagine, as they have encampments all across the Hold, yet frost trolls are seen much further to the north or on the path to High Hrothgar. Where are these attacks coming from, and why don’t players ever witness such an attack during a given playthrough?
7Why Is Jarl Balgruuf Essential?
Essential NPCs refer to characters that are unkillable until they are marked as otherwise by the game. This is done to make sure critical characters tied to questsdon’t die out of the player’s sight, but some NPCs are considered essential that shouldn’t be. One of these NPCs is Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun.
While Balgruuf can die during the Civil War and be replaced with Vignar Gray-Mane if the player sides with the Stormcloaks, there is a safety in place in case he dies sooner. If Balgruuf ever dies, his brother Hrongar would have taken his place. Hrongar’s voice lines are fully recorded and implemented in-game for every quest Balgruuf the Greater was part of. With all of this being considered, why is Jarl Balgruuf unkillable for most ofSkyrim? It was likely an oversight due to most of “The Whispering Door” quest being cut but no one knows for certain.
6Is Ysolda A Drug Dealer?
Whenever players travel to the Sleeping Tree Camp and enter the nearby cave, they can talk to Ulag who will have a notefor Ysoldaregarding a Sleeping Tree Sap shipment. Confronting her about this will unlock the option to sell the sap to her for 150 Gold apiece.
Sleeping Tree Sap is said to grant those that ingest it hallucinations while disorienting them. This sounds like an illegal drug on the same level as Skooma, yet Sleeping Tree Sap is perfectly legal in Skyrim. Since Sleeping Tree Sap is typically sold by those who deal with Moon Sugar and Skooma, does this mean that Ysolda might be dealing with even shadier goods? It would explain her connection with the Khajiit caravans.
5How Did Jarl Balgruuf Obtain The Ebony Blade?
Locked under Jarl Balgruuf’s throne is the Ebony Blade, apowerful Daedric artifactthat belongs to Mephala. It’s understandable why he chose to lock it away in Dragonsreach, but what doesn’t make sense is how he obtained it in the first place. Does Balgruuf have ties with Daedric Princes that no one but himself knows about? The game never attempts to answer these questions.
4Why Is There A Skeleton In Dragonsreach’s Moat?
A skeleton can be found floating in the water moat surrounding Dragonsreach. It can typically be found directly under the wooden bridge that connects the Cloud District to the castle.
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Who is this person? Some theorize that it is Christophe Bartlet, someone who worked for Maven Black-Briar but failed a critical task for her. Others theorize that it’s an assassin that Irileth took care of. Searching through the Creation Kit reveals no unique name for this skeleton, either.
3Where Does Irileth Sleep?
Speaking of Irileth, where does she sleep? Nearly every NPC in Dragonsreach has a designated bed they sleep in at some point, all except Irileth. If players stay in Dragonsreach past sunset and wait, they will see everyone go to bed except Irileth, who stands at her post indefinitely. She might be the most skilled Housecarl in Skyrim, but that doesn’t make her immune to basic needs such as rest and food.
2Why Did Irileth Leave The Morag Tong?
Calling Irileth the most skilled Housecarl in Skyrim is no understatement. According to the Official Guide forSkyrim, Irileth was trained by the Morag Tong at a young age. For those unaware, the Morag Tong is a guild of assassins that predate the Dark Brotherhood splinter guild. In other words, Irileth was trained by the most influential and powerful assassin guild in Tamriel.
How exactly did she leave this guild and, more importantly, why? Jarl Balgruuf and Irileth both mention their relationship that stretches back many years. It could be that Irileth left the guild after meeting Balgruuf. Again, the game gives no answers to this.
1Was Saadia Telling The Truth?
“In My Time of Need” is a quest where players look for a missing Redguard woman for a group of Alik’r Warriors. The woman in question, Saadia, will tell players that she spoke out against the Aldmeri Dominion and the Alik’r are hired by them. Conversely, the Alik’r will tell the player that Saadia fled from Hammerfell after betraying her people.
Unlike most quests inSkyrim, it’s hard to tell who is telling the truth. Players can develop compelling reasons for either side since no hard evidence is provided. No one knows definitively which party was telling the truth.
