Thane of Winterhold is the title of honor offered by the jarl of Winterhold, the half-collapsed town on the northern coast next to the College of Winterhold. It is the cheapest Thane title in Skyrim: there is no house to buy, and you only need to help three citizens instead of the usual five.
How to start
- Under Jarl Korir: speak to Korir in Winterhold and take on Retrieve the Helm of Winterhold. The Helm of Winterhold is in a radiant dungeon chosen by the game.
- Under Jarl Kraldar: if the Imperial Legion wins the civil war (after Rescue from Fort Kastav), Kraldar becomes jarl. Just talk to him and skip the helm entirely.
Walkthrough
Befriend the jarl
Bring the Helm of Winterhold back to Korir, or speak with Kraldar if he rules. The jarl then offers you the title once you have helped the people of the hold.
Assist three citizens of Winterhold
Most of the easy favors are at the College or in the Frozen Hearth inn:
- Faralda: First Lessons, simply joining the College counts.
- Brelyna Maryon: Brelyna’s Practice, let her test spells on you.
- J’zargo: J’zargo’s Experiment, test some of his scrolls.
- Drevis Neloren: Out of Balance, cleanse the College’s focal points.
- Sergius Turrianus: pick up an item for enchanting from a client.
- Haran: convince Ranmir to settle his bar tab.
- Ranmir: give him an alcoholic drink.
- Malur Seloth: Some Light Theft, steal the Staff of Arcane Authority.
Return to the jarl
The journal only tracks the final step, returning to the jarl. Once three citizens are helped, speak to him to be named Thane and receive the Blade of Winterhold.
Rewards
- Title of Thane of Winterhold
- Blade of Winterhold
Unlike most holds, Winterhold offers no house to buy and no housecarl. It is the one hold that cannot supply a housecarl for Rebuilding the Blades.
Tips and notes
- If you have joined the College, you can usually finish all three favors in one evening, since most givers are a few steps apart.
- With Dawnguard, turning Haran into a vampire during New Allegiances on the vampire path also counts as helping a citizen.
- Ranmir can be killed by the magical anomalies during the College quest Containment, which removes his favors from the pool.
- Because the Helm of Winterhold sits in a radiant dungeon, the location differs between playthroughs; check the quest marker after Korir gives you the task.
- Kraldar only becomes jarl on the Imperial side of the civil war, so Stormcloak characters always go through Korir and the helm.
- Compare with Thane of Haafingar and Thane of Whiterun, which require a house and five favors.
