The Dragonborn can attain the title of Thane throughout the many holds of Skyrim. Being Thane of an area will grant benefits to the Dragonborn. They can purchase houses/land in that particular hold, convince guards to let small crimes go and receive a Housecarl bodyguard. Players need to befriend the Jarl of the city they wish to become Thane in and then assist a set number of citizens in small tasks.
It's best to assist citizens as soon as possible due to random dragon and vampire attacks. Many of Skyrim's citizens are not marked essential which means they can be permanently killed. Follow this walkthrough to learn how to become Thane of Dawnstar.
Complete Waking Nightmare
When players first arrive at Dawnstar the town is stricken with horrible nightmares disturbing their sleep. Head to the Windpeak Inn and speak to Erandur. He believes the source of the nightmares is the nearby Nightcaller Temple. Offering to help him will begin "Waking Nightmare."
Follow him to the temple and learn about the cult of Vaermina. The Dragonborn must fight their way through the straightforward quest. The Daedric Artifact called The Skull of Corruption is revealed to be causing the nightmares. Players can let Erandur destroy the artifact or kill him and take the skull for themselves. Either way, the town will no longer suffer from awful dreams.
Slay The Giant
Players can now speak to Jarl Skald and ask to become Thane. He will be thankful for the Dragonborn finally stopping the nightmares. The player needs to be at least Level 22 to receive the Jarl's task to slay a giant.
This is a simple radiant quest that will take place at one of three possible locations. These locations are Blizzard Rest, Red Road Pass, or Tumble Arch Pass. Be prepared with potions and strong armor before taking on this task. Giants can be extremely dangerous and easily kill players in a single blow. They can also be joined by mammoths that are just as powerful. After slaying the giant return to the Jarl for payment in gold. Skald will offer up the title of Thane along with the Heljarchen Hall property where players can build a house as part of the Hearthfire Expansion.
Assist Three Citizens
These are the citizens that the player can assist in the Pale area of Skyrim. Completing the Dawnstar Thane questline will reward players with the Blade of the Pale.
|
Aeri |
Speak to her at Anga's Mill and deliver her note to Jarl Skald |
|---|---|
|
Aeri |
Chop wood and sell it to her and Anga's Mill |
|
Beitild |
Mine iron ore from the Dawnstar iron mine and sell it to him |
|
Captain Wayfinder |
Speak to the captain on his boat at the center of town and find Fine-Cut Void Salts for him |
|
Frida |
Speak to Frida at the Mortar and Pestle Alchemy shop and bring her the Ring of Pure Mixtures |
|
Karl |
Give him an alcoholic beverage |
|
Leigelf |
Mine some quicksilver ore from Dawnstar's quicksilver mine and sell it to him |
|
Rustleif |
Speak to this blacksmith and recover a copy of the Night Falls on Sentinel book for his wife |
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.