Filial Bonds is a short but melancholy Dragonborn side quest from Skaal Village. Wulf Wild-Blood, the village’s First Hunter, once hunted alongside his brother Torkild, until Torkild wandered off with a wild look in his eye. Wulf suspects the worst: that his brother has become a werebear. Finding Torkild is the hard part, because he only turns up as a random encounter somewhere on Solstheim.
How to start
- Complete The Fate of the Skaal so the villagers are free of Miraak‘s control.
- Talk to Wulf Wild-Blood in Skaal Village and ask about his time as First Hunter and what happened to his brother.
Walkthrough
Look for Torkild
Wulf has no real idea where his brother went; he jokes it could be Hammerfell for all he knows. In practice Torkild appears through a random encounter, so there is no fixed spot. Places where he has been seen include:
- The coast between Glacial Cave and Bujold’s Retreat, a favourite haunt: west of Glacial Cave, just south of Bujold’s Retreat, or halfway between Glacial Cave and Haknir’s Shoal.
- The coastline west of Damphall Mine.
- The coastline west of Broken Tusk Mine.
- Just north of Raven Rock, near the mine.
- East of Saering’s Watch, on the path below the cliff east of the Word Wall.
- At the bottom of the waterfall beside Castle Karstaag Caverns.
- Near a cliff southwest of Northshore Landing, easiest reached by heading west from Castle Karstaag Ruins.
The most reliable trick is to save before talking to Wulf, then fast travel to these spots after the quest starts. If he is not around, reload and try again; he shows up eventually.
Examine Torkild
When you find him, Torkild can be spoken to, but his answers are feverish nonsense. Once the conversation ends he turns into a werebear and attacks, so be ready to fight. You can also skip the chat and simply kill him. Either way, search his body for a letter addressed to Wulf. If something else (a dragon, wildlife) gets him first, the quest still works.
Return to Wulf
Give Wulf the letter. He is saddened but also relieved that his brother is finally at rest, and his reaction varies slightly depending on what you tell him about the fight. Grateful, he shares some Skaal combat wisdom with you.
Rewards
- A skill increase in Archery, Block, One-Handed and Heavy Armor.
Tips and notes
- The quest fails if Wulf dies before you can tell him about his brother.
- If you fight Torkild while in werewolf form, his marker can disappear and his body may become unlootable after you change back, so stay in normal form.
- If the marker is missing, Clairvoyance can still get you close enough to search the area.
- After the quest you can pickpocket the letter back from Wulf if you want it.
- Killing Torkild before accepting the quest can leave it stuck in your journal.
