Lucan Valerius is an Imperial merchant in Riverwood who runs the Riverwood Trader, the village general store, together with his sister Camilla Valerius. When you first meet him he has a bigger problem than slow sales: thieves have just made off with the shop’s prized golden ornament.
Where to find them
Behind the counter of the Riverwood Trader. On your first visit you walk in on him and Camilla in the middle of a heated argument – she wants to chase the thieves, he flatly forbids any adventures or theatrics – before he remembers he has a customer.
Quests
The Golden Claw – Ask what happened and Lucan explains that the robbers took only one thing: a solid gold claw shaped like a dragon’s. Offer to help and he promises you the money from his last shipment. He points you to Bleak Falls Barrow, and Camilla insists on guiding you to the edge of town. The thief is Arvel the Swift. Bring the claw back and Lucan is delighted, though he swears it looks smaller than he remembered.
Lucan is essential until the quest is done. The quest also has a fallback: if Lucan dies, Camilla sends you after the claw instead.
Services
The Riverwood Trader sells weapons, apparel, food and assorted bits and bobs, plus a handful of spell tomes. For serious magic he suggests the College of Winterhold.
Personality & relationships
Lucan is a practical, slightly frazzled shopkeeper who spends a lot of time shooting down his sister’s bright ideas – a grand half-price sale with jugglers, silver buckles for “eclectic” customers, a travelling shop. As he points out, everyone in Riverwood already shops with him. He also nags Camilla to finally choose between her two suitors, Sven and Faendal. Local brat Frodnar once nailed a coin to his doorstep, which nearly drove him mad.
Good to know
- You can’t hand the claw back straight after taking it from Arvel – you have to clear the whole barrow first.
- Until you return the claw, his shop stays open around the clock.
- Want to marry Camilla? Don’t kill Lucan first, or she won’t have you. If you do marry her, he attends the wedding.
Also in Riverwood
Race, level, class and factions read from the Skyrim game files; story details checked against community wiki articles and written in our own words.
