Iona is a Nord warrior who becomes your housecarl when you are made Thane of Riften. She doesn’t exist in the world at all until Laila Law-Giver names her in that ceremony – after which she’s sworn to guard you and your property. Unlike most housecarls, who greet you with quiet reverence, Iona all but shouts her hellos.
Where to find them
She waits for you at Honeyside, the house you can own in Riften, and treats guarding it as her job whenever she isn’t travelling with you. If you marry her, she can move with you to another home you own.
Quests
With Dawnguard installed, Florentius Baenius may tell you she has been kidnapped by vampires, sending you off to rescue her and wipe out her captors (Dawnguard). She can also be brought into the Blades as a recruit.
Follower & marriage
Iona’s level scales with yours, from 10 up to 50, and she is built as a classic frontline fighter: strongest in One-Handed, Heavy Armor and Block. By level 50 she maxes out One-Handed, Heavy Armor and Block at 100, with Archery right behind at 98 and Two-Handed a respectable 72 – so handing her a decent bow is a smart move, and she’ll happily swap between steel and arrows as the fight demands. Like some other followers, she switches to whatever suits the enemy, even reaching for a Staff of Repulsion against the undead. She also has an odd soft spot for daggers and may pick one over a heavier weapon you’ve given her.
To marry her, wear an Amulet of Mara and talk to her – no grand courtship required. With Hearthfire, she can also serve as steward for one of your homesteads if you speak to her near the property (Hearthfire).
Personality & relationships
Iona takes her duty to Honeyside very seriously. Kill a chicken in its garden and she may treat you as a threat, even abandoning you as a follower and turning hostile. Her spouse lines are the same as everyone else’s, but her delivery is famously flat and a little forced, which some players find charming and others find unnerving.
Good to know
If Iona dies, a courier eventually brings you a letter of inheritance and some gold, minus the Jarl’s tax. Be aware that she can vanish after finishing Meridia’s quest The Break of Dawn, so it’s worth saving before you take her along.
Quick facts
- Race: Nord
- Gender: Female
- Level: levels with you (x1)
- Class: Warrior
- Status: Protected
- Found in: Riften
- Services: Follower; housecarl; steward (Hearthfire)
- Base ID: 000A2C91
Also in Riften
Keerava, Knjakr, Louis Letrush, Madesi, Maramal, Marise Aravel, Maul, Molgrom Twice-Killed, Niluva Hlaalu, Niruin, Nivenor, Nura Snow-Shod.
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.