The Riverwood Trader is the small general goods store of Riverwood, and for many new players it is the first shop they ever walk into. It is run by the Imperial siblings Lucan Valerius and Camilla Valerius. Walk in and you will immediately hear about a recent break-in – and that is your cue.
What you’ll find
- Lucan – the merchant behind the counter, still fuming about the burglary that cost him his prized Golden Claw.
- Camilla – his sister, who takes over the shop if anything happens to Lucan. If both are gone, the store stays empty.
- An upstairs area with several volumes of Songs of the Return.
- A cupboard behind the counter that feeds directly into Lucan’s trade inventory.
Quests
- The Golden Claw – Lucan asks you to recover the claw from Bleak Falls Barrow, offering the gold from his latest shipment in return. While the quest is active, the shop stays open around the clock.
- A Lovely Letter – Sven wants a letter delivered to Camilla, and you get to play messenger.
Notable items
- Songs of the Return, Vol 2, along with Vols 7, 19 and 56 upstairs. Taking them counts as theft until you finish The Golden Claw.
Tips
With the Investor perk you can put 500 gold into the business. After patch 1.9 that leaves Lucan with roughly 1,250 gold to trade with – handy for unloading early dungeon loot. Once his purse runs dry, he restocks after about 48 hours.
Players report that items placed in the cupboard behind the counter show up in Lucan’s stock, and buying stolen goods back from him removes the stolen tag. Use that knowledge wisely. Also note that even after the Golden Claw quest, the chest next to the first-floor dresser may still count as someone else’s.
Good to know
Bring the claw back and Camilla becomes a marriage option. Lucan, sadly for his admirers, does not. Also: the thieves did break in for a reason – that claw opens the way to something much bigger under Bleak Falls Barrow.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.