- "Skyforge Steel is my art and honor. The Companions need the best, so they come to me."
- ―Eorlund Gray-Mane[src]
Eorlund Gray-Mane is a Nord blacksmith and is widely considered to be the best blacksmith in Skyrim, forging weapons and armor for The Companions at the Skyforge in Whiterun. However, he is not a direct member of the Companions. Eorlund can usually be found working at the Skyforge, just north of Jorrvaskr, up the stairs. He is normally seen crafting Skyforge Weapons for The Companions. Eorlund makes weapons such as the Skyforge Dagger which can be found in the Inventory of Aela the Huntress if she is the Dragonborn's companion.
Family
As a member of the Gray-Mane family, he strongly supports the Stormcloaks. If the Stormcloaks capture Whiterun, Eorlund's brother, Vignar Gray-Mane, becomes Jarl. Eorlund's children are Avulstein, Thorald, and Olfina.
Eorlund is married to Fralia Gray-Mane, who can be found at her market stall in the Plains District of Whiterun selling any jewelry Eorlund crafts. According to Fralia, the only topic Eorlund will talk about is the Skyforge, though she mentions that the Dragonborn might be able to get him to talk about "those dung-sniffing Battle-Borns."
Interactions
Skyforge Steel
After passing the trial and joining The Companions, Eorlund crafts a special Skyforge weapon of the Dragonborn's choice. He also teaches Master level Smithing after completing the quest Take Up Arms.
Training
He is the master trainer of Smithing, and can train up to level 90.
Companions Main Questline
Take Up Arms
After Vilkas tests the Dragonborn's arm in the training area behind Jorrvaskr, he sends the Dragonborn to Eorlund Gray-Mane in the Skyforge to get his sword sharpened. Eorlund mentions that his wife is in grieving (probably a reference to his missing son Thorald; see Missing in Action) and that he needs to get back to her, he asks a favor of the Dragonborn: to bring Aela back her shield. Completion of this task makes the Dragonborn part of the Jorrvaskr faction, and enables Eorlund Gray-Mane as a trainer.
Purity of Revenge
Eorlund informs the Dragonborn that the Skyforge has become "young" once again. This specifically alludes to the option to craft Nord Hero Weapons and Ancient Nord Armor at the Skyforge.
Glory of the Dead
After Kodlak's funeral, Eorlund will ask the Dragonborn to give him the collected fragments of Wuuthrad so he can prepare them for mounting. Then, after tasking the Dragonborn with retrieving the final piece of Wuuthrad in Kodlak's personal chambers, Eorlund will thank the Dragonborn and tell him/her that the Circle is waiting for them in The Underforge. After the conversation in the Underforge, Eorlund will appear with Wuuthrad, fully reforged, which he passes to the player.
Conversations
Fixing up a meal
Fralia: "Eorlund, dearest, are you hungry? Would you like me to fix you something?"
Eorlund: "Hrm."
Fralia: "A venison pie, maybe? With a nice cup of mulled mead?"
Eorlund: "Hrm."
Crafting jewelry
Fralia: "When will you be makin' some more jewelry, love? Some silver lockets and amulets would fetch a nice price at the stand."
Eorlund: "Hrm."
Fralia: "Wonderful, dear. Thank you."
Eorlund: "Hrm."
Quotes
- "Gods be praised!" When asked "What do you have for sale?"
- "The flames of a hero can reforge the shattered."
- "A blade is a weapon, a tool, and tools are made to be broken, and repaired." —After repairing Wuuthrad.
- "By Ysmir's beard, I'm not one for humor. You know who the Companions are, so quit your askin'." —When asked about the Companions, after having already become a Companion.
- "Huh? Are you blind, girl/boy? I'm a blacksmith. Any fool can see that." —When asked what he does.
When asked for a new weapon, after Companion initiation:
- "A blade! It shall be as sharp as Fraila's tongue." —When asked for a Skyforge Steel Sword.
- "Ah, the sneaky type, eh? I think we can fix you right up." —When asked for a Skyforge Steel Dagger.
- "Just like Ysgramor himself." —When asked for a Skyforge Steel Battleaxe.
- "Sure you can handle it? Ha! Of course you can." —When asked for a Skyforge Steel Greatsword.
- "Now that's a smart weapon. Light, strong, useful. Crack some skulls for me." —When asked for a Skyforge Steel War Axe.
Trivia
Eorlund Gray-Mane, preparing to work the Skyforge.
- Despite claiming he can forge any weapon the player chooses, Eorlund cannot be asked to forge a mace or warhammer. This corresponds with the strange lack of their Skyforge steel variants.
- It is possible for him to die during dragon attacks on Whiterun, leaving the Skyforge unoccupied.
- Should Eorlund die before he is spoken to after Purity of Revenge, it is impossible to forge draugr and Nordic items using the Skyforge.
- Everything sold to Eorlund is put in the chest under the Skyforge.
- When Fralia Gray-Mane is asked who the best blacksmith in Skyrim is, she will respond that those from around Skyrim don't ask questions like that, and will say that it is Eorlund, but if he is dead, she will curse the Dragonborn for bringing sad memories to her and will say that the Skyforge runs cold.
- If Fralia Gray-Mane should die, Eorlund will make no comment about her death and will keep his shop running even though they're married to each other.
- Upon his death, Adrianne Avenicci will say, "I don't claim to be the best smith in Whiterun, Eorlund Gray-Mane was that and more. But now he's dead. All I ask is a fair chance."
- Eorlund is voiced by Paul Ganus.
Bugs
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This section contains bugs related to Eorlund Gray-Mane. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- PC 360 PS3 Sometimes Eorlund appears to randomly get knocked off of the Skyforge, with his dead body usually landing next to Jorrvaskr. (Whether he dies from the fall or something else is yet to be known.)confirmation needed
- PC 360 PS3 If he catches the Dragonborn pickpocketing him, he may not react at all.
- 360 Texture glitch can cause the entire forge/hill to disappear, aside from objects. If this happens while Eorlund is working, he can fall to his death in empty space. At this point he either disappears, or his body gets thrown to a random location within Whiterun.
- PC 360 PS3 If the Dragonborn attacks a child in Whiterun, Eorlund may try to attack the child and chase him/her around Whiterun until the child flees or goes into a building. The same thing occurs to Vignar Gray-Mane and all Companions members in the area at the time.
- PC When Eorlund enters the Underforge, he is holding an iron sword and a hammer in one hand.
- 360 Occasionally Eorlund will train the Dragonborn in Smithing up to level 100 not the default 90.
- 360 If the Dragonborn uses the Whirlwind Sprint shout to get on top of the Companion's main building, then gets to the very top near the wall of Whiterun, Whirlwind Sprint can be used again to get on the outcrop near your right. Jumping off this outcrop means the Dragonborn ends up outside Whiterun, and most of the hill disappears. If you scale the hill, there will be a slanted rock. If you jump into it it allows you to go under the city, allowing you to access Eorlund's merchant chest nearby.
- PS3 Eorlund may suddenly and inexplicably die after completing the Companions questline, even if there have been no dragon or vampire attacks. He will have no grave in the Whiterun Catacombs if this happens.