The Palace of the Kings is the jarl’s seat of Windhelm and the beating heart of the Stormcloaks. It is reportedly the oldest building in the city, maybe in all of Skyrim – Ysgramor’s own castle, built so he could keep an eye on his son Yngol’s barrow. Come here to join the rebellion, chase a serial killer, or just to see who is plotting what over the war table.
What you’ll find
- Ulfric Stormcloak on the throne in the main hall, next to a long banquet table.
- The war room to the left, where Galmar Stone-Fist and the other officers move markers around a map of Skyrim. The Jarl’s Quarters and several bedrooms branch off from it.
- Steward Jorleif and Sifnar Ironkettle among the household.
- Court wizard Wuunferth the Unliving, who trains adept-level Destruction; his chambers hold an arcane enchanter.
- A kitchen to the right of the war room and, beside it, the dungeon known as Windhelm Barracks – the prison for anyone caught breaking the law in Eastmarch.
- Three plaques outside honouring the High Kings Harald, Olaf One-Eye and Wulfharth.
Quests
- Joining the Stormcloaks – talk to Ulfric here, follow Ralof out of Helgen in Unbound, or hand Ulfric The Jagged Crown instead of the Legion.
- The Civil War – this is Stormcloak headquarters. If you finish the war for the Imperial Legion after the Battle for Windhelm, Brunwulf Free-Winter becomes jarl with Captain Lonely-Gale as steward, and the deposed rebel jarls and their courts end up exiled here.
- Blood on the Ice – Jorleif helps with the Butcher case, and the accused ends up in the palace dungeon.
Notable items
- The Knights of the Nine (Heavy Armor skill book) – upstairs, first room on the left, on a bookcase.
- An Unusual Gem on a table in the court wizard’s laboratory at the end of the long upstairs hall.
- Five Songs of King Wulfharth under the end table in Ulfric’s bedroom, plus a copy of Report: Disaster at Ionith somewhere in the palace.
Tips
Grab the skill book and the gem early – nobody upstairs seems to guard the hallway very closely, but sneaking is still wise. If you plan to train Destruction, Wuunferth is your man, assuming Blood on the Ice hasn’t landed him in a cell first. And yes, Ulfric and Galmar will have the exact same chat about Whiterun every time you walk in until that battle is over; consider it Windhelm’s version of hold music.
Good to know
The layout is split into four wings around the main hall, with heavy Gothic touches typical of old Nord buildings – fitting for a hall that once housed Ysgramor’s dynasty.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.