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Elder Scrolls

For other uses, see Ivarstead.

Ivarstead (Dragon Language: HILLGRUNDHOFKAH Hillgrund-Hofkah: "Hillgrund-[?]," also known as Hillgrund's Steading in the First Era[1]) is a town of a small community in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim that is located far west from Shor's Stone and west-northwest from Riften. It serves as a rest stop for pilgrims before they make the journey up the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar.

Location[]

Ivarstead is roughly halfway between Riften and Whiterun. Despite its distance, it is still within the Rift and is therefore governed by Riften, indicated by the Hold Guards wearing Rift-aligned armor and shields. It is, in fact, the only town in Skyrim that is not along a major road travelling between two Hold capitals. The citizens are often heard complaining about how they want to leave Ivarstead, as there is little to do there.[2][3][4]

Apart from buying and selling food at the inn, no merchants are available in Ivarstead. If fast travel is not an option or not desired, the quartermaster at the Rift Imperial Camp due south of town (or, alternatively, the Rift Stormcloak Camp due east of town across the lake) is the closest resupply point.

Boti, resident of Fellstar Farm, buys leeks, wheat, cabbage, and potatoes from the Dragonborn. However, due to a faltering economical situation in Ivarstead,[source?] no leeks are grown in the village. Temba Wide-Arm will also purchase any available firewood chopped for 5 Gold a piece.

The river is abundant with many kinds of fish and dartwings of both colors. The surrounding area is ripe with game, with many deer, bears, and rabbits to hunt.

Characters[]

Points of interest[]

Inns[]

Houses[]

Other[]

Ivarstead quests[]

Quest Description Quest Giver Location
Climb The Steps Speak to Klimmek and agree to deliver some goods and supplies to High Hrothgar Klimmek Klimmek's House
Lifting the Shroud Speak to the innkeeper Wilhelm at Vilemyr Inn Wilhelm Vilemyr Inn
The Straw that Broke Find out what's bothering Narfi Wilhelm Vilemyr Inn
Bounty Quests Get paid to slay a Dragon or kill a Bandit Chief Wilhelm Vilemyr Inn
Grin and Bear It Collect 10 Bear Pelts for Temba Wide-Arm Temba Wide-Arm Vilemyr Inn
Woodcutting Get paid to chop firewood Temba Wide-Arm Vilemyr Inn

Quests[]

Quest Description Quest Giver Location
Way of the Voice Pass through Ivarstead on your way to High Hrothgar Balgruuf the Greater Dragonsreach
The Book of Love Help Fastred persuade her parents to allow her to move with her lover to Riften or convince Klimmek to show his love for her. Dinya Balu Temple of Mara in Riften
Contract: Kill Narfi Kill Narfi in Ivarstead. Nazir Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary
Discover Svidi's Wherabouts Locate Sibbi Black-Briar's ex-fiancée—so he can kill her. Sibbi Black-Briar Riften Jail
Help Wylandriah Retrieve Wylandriah missing items Wylandriah Mistveil Keep
Smuggler's Run Deliver a smuggled Black-Briar Mead Keg to Wilhelm in Ivarstead. Romlyn Dreth Black-Briar Meadery

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Ivarstead is one of the few towns outside of hold capitals to have their own guards.
  • If the Dragonborn has started the "Alduin's Bane" quest and heads down to Ivarstead without defeating Alduin, they will still be able to hear Paarthurnax's dialogue and see Alduin flying around the mountaintop.
  • A Nirnroot plant can also be found just west of Vilemyr Inn by the riverside.
  • A troll's lair is nearby, in the direction of Riften, with two dead Stormcloaks carrying a note about investigating mysterious attacks.
  • If Hearthfire is installed, one Clay deposit can be found southeast of Narfi's broken down house, one stone quarry can be found west of it, and the Grain Mill at Fellstar Farm can be used to convert 3 samples of wheat into one Sack of Flour.
  • After the main quest is over, Odahviing may be seen flying around the Throat of the World.
  • Even though Ivarstead is in The Rift, the guards are not named "Riften Guard." Guards in Ivarstead are called "Ivarstead Guard," but still wear the Riften Hold emblem on their shields. In addition, they still wear the same Riften Hold color (purple) on their armor and helmets. However, if the Rift is captured by the Empire or traded during "Season Unending," the Ivarstead guards will be replaced with Imperial soldiers.
  • All of the residents, except for Narfi, can be asked what they know about High Hrothgar.
  • This is one of the few places where the waterwheel on the mill rotates clockwise.
  • Ivarstead's Dragon name, like Whiterun, Rorikstead, Granite Hill and Old Hroldan's, is written without the combined letter for "AH" (Ah), instead using "A" (A) and "H" (H) separately.[1]

Bugs[]

This section contains bugs related to Ivarstead (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:

  1. Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening.
  2. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.
  3. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.
  • All of the characters in Ivarstead may be duplicated, and, every time one is killed, they respawn the next time the location is loaded. There will always be two of every citizen.
  • All of the Ivarstead residents may only say specific quotes when exiting conversation with them.
  • At the beginning of the game, despite Riften being controlled by Laila Law-Giver and therefore the Stormcloaks, the bard there may still sing The Age of Aggression instead of the pro-Stormcloak's song, The Age of Oppression.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Holdings of Jarl Gjalund
  2. Dialogue with Bassianus Axius
  3. Dialogue with Fastred
  4. Dialogue with Jofthor
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