- "Strength and steel are well and good, but magic is the true power in this world."
- ―Wuunferth the Unliving[src]
Wuunferth the Unliving is an elderly mage serving as the court-wizard for Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak. He also teaches Adept-level Destruction magic.
Location
Wuunferth resides in the Palace of the Kings in Windhelm. He has a room at the end of the hall on the second floor (first door on the left when entering the Palace of the Kings), which has an arcane enchanter and alchemy lab. Wuunferth may attend the wedding of a person who invests in him.
Interactions
Hired Muscle
It is possible that Wuunferth is the target of a radiant quest for the Companions. Farkas asks the Dragonborn to intimidate a random NPC in Skyrim. It is the Dragonborn's duty to track down the person of interest and "rough them up" by initiating a bare-knuckle fight with them until they yield. Returning to Farkas completes the quest. Killing the target while on the job will result in failure of the quest.
Blood on the Ice
He is framed by Calixto as "the Butcher" of Windhelm during the Dragonborn's investigation into a series of murders most foul, and depending on the Dragonborn's decisions, he may be wrongly imprisoned and if so, will mock his accuser's "detective" skills. Even if his jail cell is unlocked, he remains in the cell and appears oblivious to the fact.
He may also send hired thugs after the culprit if something is stolen from him.
Quotes
| Quote | Condition |
|---|---|
| "Mind what – or who – you practice this on." | Training |
| "Ah yes, the extract, good. Poisonous, of course, but it has its uses. I suppose you want something for your trouble? Here." | Delivery |
| "Strength and steel are well and good, but magic is the true power in this world." | End Conversation |
| "A strong sword-arm wins battle, but a keen mind wins wars." | |
| "What is the meaning of this?" | Accusation |
| "Has the whole city lost their brains? I've been scrying and auguring to find the murderer myself." | |
| "My what, now? I've never kept a journal, I can assure you. What exactly did this amulet look like?" | |
| "I beg your pardon? Necromancy? I am a member of the College of Winterhold, in good standing! They haven't allowed necromancy for hundreds of years!" | |
| "This isn't over, Jorleif!" | |
| "Oh, isn't that a shame. And here I am in the Bloodworks. Looks like you aren't such a sharp investigator after all." | Barracks |
| "What made you think I was to blame in the first place? I've actually been after the killer myself." | |
| "I know it well. Or at least, I've heard of it. I would wager that carving once depicted a skull. That is the Necromancer's Amulet, of legend. It appears you were at least half-right. There is necromancy at the heart of this." | Investigation |
| "Eehh.. Calixto and his books are often confused about such matters. It happens to the best of us." | |
| "I've been noting a pattern to when the killings happen. Now that we know they're tied in to some sort of necromantic ritual, I think I know when the next might occur. Let's see. From a Loredas of Last Seed until a Middas of Heartfire... it will happen soon. Very soon. Keep watch in the Stone Quarter tomorrow night. That's almost certainly where the killer will strike next." | |
| "Yes, I'm a powerful wizard. No, I won't put on a magic show for you." | General |
| "Whatever you've heard I can do is probably true." | |
| "If Ulfric needs a favor, he has it. Anyone else better pay well for the service." | |
| "I'd explain my research, but you'd just be confused." |
Trivia
- During the quest "Blood on the Ice," Wuunferth may be confronted with the possibility of being the Butcher. He denies the allegations by mentioning that, as a Mage of the College of Winterhold, Necromancy is not allowed. However, when asked, Phinis Gestor, will specifically mention that Necromancy was in fact never disallowed at the College. He considers the Mages Guild's ban on Necromancy to have been an "archaic policy."
- Wuunferth seems to be unhappy if the Dragonborn sides with Imperial Legion and finishes the quest line. He will have dialogue such as "Leave me alone! Can't an old man have some peace!"
- If an atronach is summoned in his presence he may shout "You're going to get us all killed, you damn fool!"
- Despite what his name suggests, Wuunferth is not a vampire. He will show up with the Detect Life spell and not show up with the Detect Dead spell.
Bugs
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This section contains bugs related to Wuunferth the Unliving. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- PC 360 PS3 The game may fail to load Wuunferth, and any quests that involves him cannot be completed.