Tsun is the gatekeeper of the afterlife for Nord heroes. In the old Nordic pantheon he is the god of trials against adversity, once shield-thane to Shor, who fell defending him from foreign gods during the Ehlnofey wars of the Dawn Era. Ancient Nords often pictured him as a bear. In Skyrim you meet him in Sovngarde, standing guard over the Whalebone Bridge to the Hall of Valor, and he is far larger than any mortal.
Where to find them
He waits at the near end of the Whalebone Bridge in Sovngarde. You only reach him during the closing stretch of the main quest.
Quests
In Sovngarde, Tsun asks by what right you, a living person, want to enter the Hall of Valor. You can claim the right of birth as Dragonborn, or lean on achievements: leading the Companions, heading the College of Winterhold, serving the Night Mother or being a Nightingale. He reacts to each, warmly to the warrior and the mage, coldly to the assassin and the thief. Whatever you say, you still have to beat him in a trial by combat before he lets you pass to meet the heroes inside.
After you defeat Alduin in Dragonslayer, Tsun congratulates you and sends you back to the world of the living with a parting gift from Shor: all three words of Call of Valor, which summons a hero of Sovngarde to fight beside you.
Personality & relationships
Tsun speaks in a grand, alliterative style that suits a god of trials. He is generous with praise for worthy fighters. If you are Harbinger of the Companions, he mentions having watched in vain for Kodlak Whitemane. Thieves and assassins get a frosty welcome, but he won’t block their errand if they can stand up to him in battle. Once beaten, he declares you worthy and wishes you Shor’s favour.
Good to know
Tsun is enormous, bigger even than the Ebony Warrior, and wears unique armour with a unique ancient Nord battleaxe. Trying to sprint across the bridge without fighting him gets you killed halfway, and no protection saves you. Knock him off the bridge and he simply vanishes, then walks back out of a Hall of Valor door. Fail to pickpocket him and he turns hostile, though the heroes of Sovngarde will help you if you lead him into the hall. His role echoes Módgud, the bridge-guard of Hel in Norse myth. He is voiced by Thor Edgell.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, written in our own words.
