Part of what makes Skyrim such a renowned RPG for many is its immersive world. Every area is packed with hidden stories, details that allude to events, or hidden quests that evolve into memorable experiences. Hold capitals are a great example of this. Out of Skyrim's nine Holds, Haafingar's Solitude arguably has the most hidden details.
Unique Daedric quests, Dark Brotherhood contracts, and information about the Civil War are all housed in this proud city of the Empire. While plenty of quests offer unique details about not just Solitude but Tamriel itself, just as many details in Solitude go unnoticed by many. Here are 10 things players never noticed about Solitude in Skyrim. This article contains spoilers for The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall's main story.
10 NPCs Can Enter Sewer Manholes
Some players might have noticed that Solitude has manholes that lead to the city's sewer system. They are inaccessible to the player, yet NPCs can enter them as they please. Players can sometimes catch guards entering these manholes. Where does it lead to?
It turns out that one of the exits from Solitude's jail cell is one of these manholes. If players pick their way out of their jail cell, they can interact with a fake wall to destroy it. Walking through their will lead through Solitude's sewer system. The exit out is one of these manholes.
9 Civil War Safeguards
Many of the Dark Brotherhood's quests involve assassinating targets inside of Solitude. Since the Civil War can result in Solitude being left under siege, what exactly happens if the players need to complete a Dark Brotherhood quest during this part of the Civil War questline?
Bethesda actually thought of this and made a rather simple solution. Should the player ask the Dark Brotherhood for their next assignment, the members will scold the player and demand that they finish their "mess" in Soltidue first. Conversely, attempting to start the siege of Whiterun after accepting the "To Kill An Emperor" quest will have Ulfric Stormcloak state that killing the Emperor during the siege would spark an all-out war with the Empire that would surely doom the Stormcloaks. It's a fantastic touch from Bethesda that few players will ever notice.
8 Arrow Duplication Glitch
Solitude is the perfect place to stock up on arrows. Not because merchants sell a ton of them, but because they can easily be duplicated. Enter the Castle Dour and sneak down to the barracks. When the guards are sleeping, steal their arrows, and give each of them a more valuable arrow. Wait until morning when they have practice. They will fire an infinite amount of the new arrows, effectively duplicating the arrows given to them. While this can be done with any NPC that fires arrows, this is the easiest to do in Solitude due to the number of target dummies in the city.
7 "The Man Who Cried Wolf" Quest Skip
One of Solitude's questlines involves Potema the Wolf Queen. It spans not one but two quests that involve a summoning ritual right under the city itself. "The Man Who Cried Wolf" and "The Wolf Queen Awakened" are some of the coolest quests in the game, but those that wish to go through the first quest quickly only need a bow and arrow.
During the objective that asks players to clear out Wolfskull Cave, players only need to kill the Ritual master atop the tower to finish the quest objective. It's a tough shot to land but dramatically cuts down on the quest's length.
6 Bryling's Secret Lover
Bryling is one of the Thanes in Solitude that assists Jarl Elisif. Nothing seems out of the ordinary for her, but players that do a little bit of digging on her might notice something odd. Bryling can frequently be seen with Falk Firebeard, the steward of Solitude. These types of relationships are forbidden, hence why they keep it a secret. Should the player finish the Civil War, however, Firebeard will make the relationship known to others and attempt to step down as steward.
5 No One Relights The Lighthouse
During the "Lights Out" quest, players are tasked with extinguishing the Solitude Lighthouse's flame to help Jaree-Ra and his crew rob the ship. Besides the consequences of having the ship crash on the coast, extinguishing the lighthouse should also result in someone noticing and relighting the flame.
Except that doesn't happen. Well after the quest is finished, not a single person from Solitude will attempt to relight the lighthouse. No one will even mention it's out, either. Even if the player lights it back up with torches once the quest is over, the light will still be extinguished when looked at from a distance.
4 King Lysandus's Ghost
While players are in the presence of Sheogorath in "The Mind of Madness," the mad prince might mention a certain King Lysandus and his ghost. For veteran Elder Scrolls players, this name might sound familiar. That's because this was the main antagonist of the second game The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall.
In Daggerfall, players are sent on an important mission from Emperor Uriel Septim VII to uncover the paranormal activity occurring throughout Daggerfall. It turns out that King Lysandus, the former king of Daggerfall, was murdered. As a result, his ghost—along with his spectral army—have invaded the province looking for vengeance. Players avenge the king and lay his soul to rest. It seems that Sheogorath isn't aware that this was resolved well over an era ago.
3 Jarls Seek Refuge At The Blue Palace
Should the player side with the Stormcloaks during the Civil War, they might wonder where the Jarls go when their cities are captured. Instead of being executed, they flee and seek refuge in the Blue Palace in Solitude. Head to the basement of the Blue Palace to hear comments about the Civil War.
2 Jarl Never Changes
Jarl Elisif will always be the Jarl of Solitude regardless of the Civil War's outcome. She is the only Jarl in Skyrim that does not get replaced when their city gets taken over. It seems that Ulfric understands that she is a puppet for the Empire and has no ill-will against her, hence why he accepts her request to rule Solitude while following Ulfric's demands.
1 Captain Aldis Reaction To Stormcloak Armor
Speaking of Stormcloaks, it seems that Captain Aldis is so opposed to the rebellion that he has unique dialogue for those wearing their attire. If the player talks to Aldis in non-Stormcloak apparel, he is more than willing to explain his role in the war and the state of Solitude's soldiers. Should the player dawn Stormcloak gear, however, he becomes incredibly short with the player and demands that they unequip the armor. Refusing to do so will result in a 40 Gold bounty, causing every solider and guard in Solitude to become hostile.