The Gray Quarter, formerly the Snow Quarter, is the district of Windhelm where all of the city’s Dark Elves live. It grew out of the refugee wave that followed Red Mountain’s eruption in 4E 5, and today it’s poor, bleak and mostly avoided by the city’s Nords. Come for the tavern and the second-hand bargains; stay for the politics, which are thicker than the ash ever was.
What you’ll find
- New Gnisis Cornerclub – the local tavern, run by Ambarys Rendar with help from Malthyr Elenil.
- Sadri’s Used Wares – Revyn Sadri‘s second-hand shop.
- Homes – the Atheron Residence and Belyn Hlaalu’s House.
Residents
- Aval Atheron – hunter and trader.
- Faryl Atheron – farmhand for Bolfrida Brandy-Mug.
- Suvaris Atheron – dockmaster for Clan Shatter-Shield.
- Belyn Hlaalu – farmer and owner of Hlaalu Farm.
- Malborn – turns up in the Cornerclub if he survives Diplomatic Immunity.
Quests
- Blood on the Ice
- Find the Thalmor Assassin
Tips
The Cornerclub and Sadri’s shop are handy stops in Windhelm, and the residents here know a lot about the city’s tensions. Listen in on the street talk: you’ll hear plenty of Nord grumbling about Dark Elves, and plenty of Dunmer grumbling back. Pick your side in the Civil War with them in mind.
Good to know
The name shifted from Snow Quarter to Gray Quarter in reference to Dunmer skin colour. Some Stormcloak sympathisers suspect the Dunmer of being Imperial spies, and a few, like Elda Early-Dawn, just dislike them for no stated reason. Feeling ignored by Ulfric Stormcloak, the Dark Elves look to Brunwulf Free-Winter instead – and if the Imperials win and he becomes Jarl, he talks about renovating the quarter, giving its people real hope.
Not everyone in the quarter is a saint: some Nords blame the Dunmer for Windhelm’s crime, and some of the Reavers later found on Solstheim (Dragonborn) once picked pockets here. Others argue Ulfric should tax the neutral Dunmer more heavily. Mind your purse, and maybe your opinions.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.