The Bannered Mare is the beating heart of Whiterun‘s social life: a tavern and inn in the Plains District where half the city seems to gather once the market stalls shut. Mead, roast meat, a roaring fire and a steady trickle of rumours make it one of the first places any new arrival should visit. Its sign shows a horse carrying a banner, and the publican will happily tell you why.
What you’ll find
- Hulda, the owner and publican, who sells food, rents rooms and passes on rumours. She tells the tale of a Nord king’s filly that kept carrying his banner after he fell, rallying his warriors to win the day.
- Saadia, a Redguard serving woman with a mysterious past, whom Hulda sends over whenever you sit by the fire.
- Mikael, the bard, playing The Age of Aggression and Ragnar the Red, plus the Tale of the Tongues once the main quest is done.
- Uthgerd the Unbroken, who will brawl you and can become a follower afterwards.
- Ysolda, a possible spouse who dreams of buying the inn one day, and Sinmir, another regular. Olfina Gray-Mane and Sam Guevenne may also turn up.
- A central bar, a kitchen with a roasting spit, ledger and strongbox, a small back office for shady deals and two separate bedroom wings up short flights of steps.
- A thieves’ “loot” shadowmark beside the front door.
Quests
- In My Time of Need – Alik’r hunters are looking for a fugitive, and the trail leads straight to Saadia’s room.
- To Kill an Empire – after meeting him at Volunruud, Amaund Motierre waits here (with his bodyguard Rexus) for news of the Emperor, and then never leaves.
- A Night to Remember – Sam Guevenne may challenge you to a drinking contest that ends with you waking up in the Temple of Dibella in Markarth.
- Argonian Ale Extraction – lift a rare bottle of Argonian Ale from a shelf in the back room near the spit (it only appears while you have the job).
- Also tied to the inn: The Whispering Door, The Blessings of Nature, The Black Star, First Lessons, Dampened Spirits and Hired Muscle, plus talking Mikael out of pestering Carlotta Valentia.
Tips
Sell Hulda firewood (5 gold a piece) and she becomes your friend: you can then sleep in the rented room or the small room opposite Saadia’s for free for the rest of the game, and grab most things in the inn without a theft warning. Once In My Time of Need is underway, that small bedroom is yours for free anyway. Don’t store gear in the room containers, though – they are not safe and items can vanish. And if Sam offers you a drink, clear your schedule for the next few days.
Good to know
If Hulda dies and Saadia is taken away, Ysolda finally gets her wish and becomes the permanent innkeeper – she is essential, so the Mare will never run out of management again.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.