The Winking Skeever is the inn of Solitude, and the city guards are happy to advertise it: warm beds, cold mead, and apparently you look like you need both. It is owned by the Imperial Corpulus Vinius and makes a handy base while you sort out business in the capital – food, drink and a bed are all a short walk from the city gate.
What you’ll find
- Corpulus Vinius – the owner, with a surprisingly sweet story behind the inn’s name.
- Sayma – works at the inn.
- Lisette – the house bard.
- Gulum-Ei – an Argonian regular, and the man you’ll want to talk to for the local quest.
- A Giant Club displayed on a shelf. You can admire it, but it is firmly part of the decor and cannot be taken.
Quests
Scoundrel’s Folly is tied to this inn and its shady Argonian regular.
Notable items
- The Real Barenziah, Book II
- Amongst the Draugr
- The Wolf Queen, Book III
- The Wolf Queen, Book VII
That is a decent little reading list for a tavern – handy if you’re collecting the Wolf Queen series.
Tips
Ask Corpulus about the name. According to him, he had a pet skeever as a child that used to wink at him, and he insists skeevers were much smaller back then. Whether you believe him is between you and your mead. If you’re working through the Civil War, keep an eye on the guest list too: if Dawnstar goes to the Imperial Legion during Season Unending and is later taken back after the Battle for Fort Dunstad, Brina Merilis and Horik Halfhand end up banished to this very inn.
Good to know
Listen closely to Lisette: she sometimes plays the tune that was heard in shops back in Daggerfall, a nice nod for long-time fans of the series.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.