Skyrim: The Biggest Secrets In Whiterun Players May Not Know

There are plenty of hidden items, enemies, and full-on locations to be found in Skyrimas a reward for players who venture off the beaten path, and Whiterun features a number of them. Whiterun and its surrounding area are packed with interesting things to see and do, and there’s a lot to be found if players take the time to venture through the city’s various areas and storylines. Here are some of Whiterun’s most interesting secrets that players may not be aware of.

Skyrim is home to nine major cities, each of which resides in a different one of the game’s primary Holds and is home to unique characters and loot. Whiterun is located in Whiterun Hold, the largest one featured in Skyrim, which holds around 40 map markers. The area around Whiterun is distinguished by its large number of farms and camps, though there is also a significant number of Nordic Ruins to explore.

Arguably, Whiterun is the most central of Skyrim‘s cities in regards to the main questline. It’s likely the first location that new players will visit upon leaving the game’s tutorial in Helgen and Riverwood, at least if they follow the promptings of story-central NPCs. It also plays a significant role in the Civil War questline, and its location near High Hrothgar makes it a convenient place to visit, as does the fact that Breezehome is the cheapest of Skyrim‘s player houses.

Worthwhile Loot On Skyrim NPCs In And Around Whiterun

Whiterun Hold is home to valuable loot on fallen NPCs, such as a leveled dagger on a dead alchemist located directly to the east of Talking Stone Camp. A Light Armor skill book can additionally be found on a dead hunter west of Drelas’ Cottage. An additional Skyrim NPC is more of an Easter egg than a source of loot, but he’s still worthwhile to visit: following the main storyline quest “The Fallen”, during which the dragon Odahviing grabs and throws a Whiterun guard, said guard can be found outside the city at the base of Dragonsreach lying in a pool of blood. There is also a chest located near the body.

There are various other skill books to be found within the city proper as well, and many can be discovered just by searching through the shops in Whiterun. Others are slightly more difficult to get to. For example, The Marksmanship Lesson, an Archery skill book, can be found inside a locked display case in Jorrvaskr’s basement – the home of Skyrim‘s Companions faction. The Illusion magic skill book Before the Ages of Man can only be found in the Jarl’s quarters at Dragonsreach, and the Block skill book The Death Blow of Abernanit will require players to venture into the Whiterun catacombs through the Hall of the Dead to find. Any Whiterun NPCs killed throughout Skyrim will also appear in these catacombs, which makes them an interesting place to stop by on occasion.

Beyond skill books, players can find other worthwhile loot by beginning secondary quests, many of which can be found in NPC houses such as those of Ysolda and Farengar. Farengar’s personal library is likewise worth visiting for any collection-focused players who are in search of additional Skyrim books. There are also three Stones of Barenziah to be found in Whiterun, making it a useful city to visit for any Skyrim players working on the Thieves Guild side quest.

Challenging Skyrim Enemies To Defeat In Whiterun Hold

The Wispmother’s Well is an unmarked location on the east side of the Throat of the World, which players are likely to encounter when they journey through Ivarstead to reach High Hrothgar. The location is named for the Wispmother that lives there, a powerful enemy who guards a basket containing a Conjuration skill book as well as a locked strongbox. Later on in Skyrim‘s main questline, players will also resurrect a dragon from the burial mound located southwest of Sleeping Tree Camp.

While she isn’t necessarily an enemy, the Daedric Prince Mephala can also be encountered in Whiterun, and the reward for completing the Daedric quest she’s a part of is one of the most powerful weapons in Skyrim. The quest can be started by investigating the Jarl’s children in Dragonsreach, and doing so will lead players to a locked door in the building’s basement where they can encounter the manifestation of the Daedric Prince.

Finding Hidden Chests In Skyrim’s Whiterun City

There’s additional hidden loot to be found thanks to hidden chests located around Whiterun Hold, several of which appear at unmarked locations on the map. The first is an apprentice-level strongbox located just southeast of Sleeping Tree Camp, hidden in the bushes and marked by a skeletal arm. Upon opening the box, two wolves will spawn and attack the Dragonborn, perhaps indicating the fate of the first person to have found the treasure. The second is northwest of Fort Greymoor and features a strongbox being held by a skeleton, which may be a challenge to unlock unless players have the Skyrim’s Skeleton Key artifact. A sabre cat can also be nearby, so low-level Skyrim players should be wary trying to find it.

For players in Skyrim‘s Thieves Guild, there are also quite a few Shadowmarks in Whiterun, and taking note of them can enable players to find valuable chests and even a couple of Thieves Caches throughout the city. One Cache can be found behind The Bannered Mare, and many of the homes and shops located within the city contain the Loot mark, meaning that there are worthwhile items to be stolen provided players have enough points put into Sneak skills.

There are a few more chests to be found for players willing to utilize some of Skyrim‘s more notorious glitches, as well. In order to access it, players should turn right upon entering Whiterun, entering the alcove that will allow one to jump onto and then off of the city’s walls. The Dragonborn should then walk around the city to Jorrvaskr, more specifically the underside of Skyforge. The chest can be found floating in midair underneath the forge. It can be difficult to obtain the chest without glitching through the map entirely, though, so it may not be worthwhile for most to try and reach it. For those Skyrimplayers who have already discovered just about everything the game has to offer, though, it’s a unique piece of loot that can prove a fun challenge to get to.

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(528 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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