Grelod the Kind is the elderly headmistress of Honorhall Orphanage in Riften, and her nickname is pure sarcasm. According to her assistant, the townsfolk know full well how she treats the children in her care, which is exactly why they call her ‘the Kind’. The game lists her race as ‘Elder’, but her name marks her as a Nord.
Where to find them
Honorhall Orphanage is her little kingdom. Don’t expect a chat: she’s hostile to everyone, and any attempt to talk to her gets you sent packing.
Quests
Innocence Lost – Aventus Aretino escaped Honorhall and wants her dead. When he mistakes you for a Dark Brotherhood assassin, he asks you to do the job. You can cut her down in front of all the children with no bounty at all; they cheer instead of calling the guards. Only Constance Michel panics, and if you hang around too long the guards may come in. Afterwards Constance runs the orphanage, the children are far happier, and a coffin with Grelod’s name turns up in Riften’s Hall of the Dead. Guards all over Skyrim will gossip about it, but nobody ever charges you.
Confront her after taking the contract and you can even announce that the Dark Brotherhood has come for her. She isn’t the least bit scared, and mentioning Aventus only makes her promise him the beating of his life.
Spread the Love – Offer her one of Dinya Balu‘s Warmth of Mara pamphlets and she’ll snap that Mara’s blessings mean nothing unless the goddess comes down to help with the brats.
Personality & relationships
Grelod beats the children, promises extra beatings to anyone who slacks, tells them no one will ever want to adopt them, and then makes them thank her for her kindness. Constance gets a steady stream of orders and complaints: Samuel is acting like a leader and won’t stop talking about his parents, Hroar‘s crying keeps her awake, Runa supposedly pinched seven septims, and the milk needs watering down again. Small wonder Francois Beaufort suspects she’s part hagraven.
Good to know
- (Hearthfire) You can’t adopt from Honorhall while she’s alive, and Constance stays on edge until you finish Innocence Lost by reporting back to Aventus. That means starting the Dark Brotherhood questline, even if you later choose to destroy the Brotherhood instead.
- If a Fear spell sends her fleeing outside and the beggar Edda spots her, Edda will chase her down and kill her.
- The ‘We love you, Grelod’ routine is a nod to Miss Hannigan, the cruel orphanage boss from Annie.
Quick facts
- Gender: Female
- Level: 1
- Class: Lumberjack
- Status: Killable
- Found in: Riften
- Base ID: 0001335E
Also in Riften
Haelga, Hafjorg, Harrald, Hefid the Deaf, Hemming Black-Briar, Herluin Lothaire, Hewnon Black-Skeever, Hofgrir Horse-Crusher, Hroar, Indaryn, Ingun Black-Briar, Iona.
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.