Vekel the Man is a Nord who owns and runs the Ragged Flagon, the tavern tucked away in the Ratway beneath Riften that serves as the front room of the Thieves Guild. He is a Guild associate, a bartender with no patience for freeloaders, and one of the best sources of gossip in the sewers.
Where to find them
Behind the bar of the Ragged Flagon. He is essential, so he’ll still be pouring drinks no matter how rowdy things get.
Quests
- A Cornered Rat – When you come looking for Esbern, Vekel is the man to ask. Pass a persuasion, intimidation or bribe check and he tells you where to find the old man. If Gissur survived Diplomatic Immunity, a Thalmor agent may later turn up asking Vekel about you – and gets sent packing.
- Toying With The Dead – He wants four journals written by the necromancer Arondil, which you’ll find in Yngvild.
- Guild gossip – Ask him what’s new and the answer tracks your progress: a curt ‘mind your own business’ at first, then his take on Loud and Clear, Dampened Spirits and Scoundrel’s Folly, all the way to celebrating once Mercer Frey is dead.
Services
Vekel sells food and drink. Bring coin, though – he makes it very clear there are no handouts at his bar.
Personality & relationships
Vekel is gruff but loyal. He warns newcomers that people get hurt in the Ratway and threatens to have Dirge ‘walk’ troublemakers out. Prove yourself and he warms up: he admits the Flagon used to be packed every night before the Guild’s bad years, and later tells you he hopes you had good reason for siding with Karliah. He also nurses a grudge against Gulum-Ei over a bad shipment of Shadowbanish Wine.
He is in a relationship with the Guild’s fence, Tonilia, though they don’t agree on where it’s heading: Vekel wants her to slow down and live with him, while she is happy with things as they are. Dirge, for his part, suspects she is seeing Brynjolf on the side, which she flatly denies.
Good to know
According to the Official Game Guide, Vekel grew up in Honorhall Orphanage, where he kept getting in trouble for mixing strange, potent drinks that left the other orphans in a permanent haze. He eventually ran off, saved up from pickpocketing, and bought the tavern.
Also in Riften
Vipir the FleetThief
Vulwulf Snow-Shod
WujeetaQuest Giver
WylandriahCourt WizardAAerinAAlessandraQuest GiverAAnurielQuest GiverAArnskar Ember-MasterBlacksmithAAsbjorn Fire-TamerBlacksmith
Asgeir Snow-ShodBBalimundBlacksmithBBersi Honey-HandMerchantRace, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.
