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Skyrim:Raerek

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Raerek
(RefID: 00019904)
Home City Markarth
Location Understone Keep
Race Elder Gender Male
Level 6 Class Citizen
RefID 00019904 BaseID 000133B2
Other Information
Health 50 Magicka 50
Stamina 50
Morality No Crime Aggression Unaggressive
Essential Yes
Voice Type MaleOldKindly
Faction(s) CrimeFactionReach; Imperial Government; Ruling Government; TownMarkarthFaction
Raerek

Raerek is an elderly citizen who lives in Markarth. He is the steward of Jarl Igmund, who rules from Understone Keep. He is also Igmund's uncle and assists him running in his administration. Before serving as Igmund's steward, he held the same position in the court of his father, Hrolfdir. If the Stormcloaks take control of Markarth and Raerek has been replaced by Reburrus Quintilius, you can then find him in the basement of the Blue Palace In Solitude.

A house may be purchased from Raerek after retrieving a shield for Jarl Igmund.

If you side with the Stormcloaks in the civil war, you will be sent by Galmar Stone-Fist to find material you could use to attempt to blackmail him to obtain information that could assist in the Stormcloak takeover of the Reach. In the process, you discover that Raerek still worships Talos, which could potentially land him and his family in some very hot water with the Thalmor.

He wears a set of fine clothes and a pair of fine boots. He is equipped with an iron dagger, and carries a selection of upper-class loot and gold.

Related Quests[edit]

Dialogue[edit]

His greetings:

"I'm Igmund's uncle as well as his steward."
"I advise Igmund the same way I advised his father. Caution, caution, caution."
"The Forsworn know every stone in the Reach. We have to wait them out."

When exiled:

"I can't believe we lost Markarth. Igmund's family has ruled there for generations."
"I don't think we have anything to discuss, Stormcloak."

His goodbye:

"I have letters to read."

Quest-Related Events[edit]

Bothela's Discreet Delivery[edit]

According to Bothela, the local alchemist, some of her clients are reluctant to be seen purchasing her potions. As a result, she requests that you deliver the Stallion's Potion to the unlucky steward. Once you have handed the potion to him, Raerek will stutter,

I have a delivery from Bothela.
"Oh... yes... um... thank you. Here you go. Some gold for your assistance and your, discretion."

He will then reward you with a leveled amount of gold.

Compelling Tribute (Stormcloaks)[edit]

During the Stormcloaks' campaign to liberate the Reach from Imperial control, Galmar Stone-Fist states Raerek "is a faithful Talos worshipper, if not a true son of Skyrim." Armed with this knowledge, you will be tasked with convincing Raerek to covertly aid the Stormcloaks. In order to accomplish this goal, you must break into his quarters in Understone Keep and steal his Amulet of Talos.

After obtaining this blackmail material, you may approach him:

Recognize this? (Show him Raerek's Inscribed Amulet of Talos)
"Not here. Come with me. Stay close and the guards will leave you alone."

He will proceed to lead you back to his quarters. When you are secure from any potential eavesdropping:

"I suppose you're here to extort something from me? Is that it? Well, what is it you want?"

You may then choose to ask either or both of the following questions:

You Raerek
If you believe in Talos, why don't you join our cause? "So. You're one of Ulfric's spies. I can't deny the man is right about a few things... But I've seen first hand what Ulfric is capable of, given the chance. Suffice it to say, he is no friend to Markarth, and no friend of mine. My first and only loyalties are to my nephew, and to this city."
What if this was made public? "The Thalmor would need to make an example of me... I'd be thrown into prison, but our family's honor would be stained for generations. I'm the Jarl's uncle. He, his father, and I, swore oaths to the Empire to abandon Talos, as conditions of our return to the city."

After selecting either or both of these possible responses, you may then ask:

Perhaps we could come to some kind of agreement?

This suggestion will prompt Raerek to propose a lucrative deal: "What if I told you about a large shipment of silver and weapons?"

You Raerek
Go on. I'm listening. "Oh, no. I won't tell you anything more until we have an agreement."
How much are we talking about? "Enough to make a significant difference in the war."
All right, it's a deal. Where can I find this shipment? "They're taking it by wagon to Solitude. If you hurry, you'll catch them before they get far. It'll be a fairly slow moving caravan. The shipment is quite heavy, and guarded by many men. Now, let's pretend we never had this discussion."

If you do not immediately accept the deal, selecting either of the first two responses, you may ask:

And what about something for me, right now? (Persuade)

Depending on whether or not you pass this easy Speech skill check, you will either attain a leveled amount of gold or be rebuffed:

Result of Speech Check Raerek
Success "Well I... I suppose I'm not left much choice in the matter, am I? Very well. I trust a hefty purse of septims will suffice?"
Failure

"I don't think so. How do I know you won't continue to extort me? A wagon loaded with silver isn't good enough for you?"

Ultimately, once you have finalized your deal with Raerek, you must return to Galmar Stone-Fist to plot your ambush on the caravan.

Conversations[edit]

The very first time you near the Mournful Throne, this scene will play out between Igmund and Raerek:

Raerek: "My Jarl, we need to discuss the Forsworn."
Igmund: "The only thing we need to discuss is how many men it'll take to flush them out of the hills."
Raerek: "It's not that simple, Igmund. There are reports of Forsworn here in the city."
Igmund: "It doesn't matter if they're in the city. We fight them where they live, we won't have to fight them here."
Raerek: "They live here too, my Jarl. That's what I'm telling you."

He can also be overheard discussing the ever-present topic of the Forsworn later on:

Igmund: "Raerek, how is The Reach faring against this Forsworn menace?"
Raerek: "Things are bad, Igmund. Our forces are barely able to keep the Forsworn in check. Merchants are reporting the loss of more of their shipments."
Igmund: "This is why I say we take the fight to them. Gather the Legion and drive those blasted beasts out of the Reach for good."
Faleen: "And what do Legion soldiers know about the hills the Reach? And the caves that make up those hills? The Forsworn can hide and ambush every assault."
Raerek: "The safety of the city and our settlements must be our only concern, Igmund. The rest of the Reach is on its own."
Igmund: "Cowards, the both of you. My father would not sit idly back and wait while evil men take over his lands. We're done discussing this for now."

He might also discuss the topic of Markarth trade:

Raerek: "My Jarl, we need to discuss Markarth's collapsing trade with the other Holds."
Igmund: "Of course there's a collapse in trade. The Stormcloaks stalk every road and the Forsworn attack every caravan."
Faleen: "Not to mention the rebels completely control Windhelm and all of Eastmarch hold."
Igmund: "Why do you pester me with battles we can't win? I need my steward to plan for victory, not nag me with every ill account."
Raerek: "Forgive me for worrying about the future of Markarth. The lifeblood of the city is gold, Igmund, and it doesn't stop beating because there's a war on."
Igmund: "Very well. I'll send the request for additional Legionaries to protect trade to the other Imperial holds. Hopefully, Solitude can spare more men."

Or the Silver-Blood family:

Raerek: "Igmund, we need to talk about the Silver-Blood family."
Igmund: "What about them? They seem loyal enough."
Raerek: "Loyal? Thongvor supports Ulfric and his Stormcloaks! We should imprison the entire family as a precaution."
Faleen: "I second that, Igmund. Who knows what that family will do for power? They could be working with the Forsworn for all we know."
Igmund: "Enough! We can't imprison the very people who own the jail we would be throwing them into. The Silver-Bloods are to be left alone, am I clear?"
Raerek: "Yes, my Jarl."
Faleen: "Yes, my Jarl."

Once the dragons return, Raerek can be overheard discussing the problem with Igmund:

Raerek: "More settlements have sent riders to say dragons are being spotted throughout Skyrim."
Igmund: "The Forsworn ambush our roads and dragons cloud the skies. Is there any good news?"
Raerek: "Umm... No, my Jarl. I'm afraid there isn't."

Notes[edit]

  • In the Prima Official Game Guide, the summary for him reads: "Igmund's Steward and successor manages the household, serves as the treasurer, and commands the palace guard."
    • This is odd for two reasons, as it's never implied that he's Igmund's successor in any way in-game, and commanding the guards is usually a task reserved for the housecarl, rather than the steward.
  • Due to the name and function (a stamina potion) of the Stallion Potion, and him thanking you for your discretion upon delivering it, it can be inferred Raerek has some sort of embarrassing bedroom malady.
  • When in exile, Raerek states that "Igmund's family" has ruled Markarth for generations. This is worded strangely, considering he is part of the same family. While never explicitly stated, it's heavily implied through dialogue that he's the brother of Igmund's late father, although he may also be Igmund's maternal uncle.
  • Raerek will also always refer to you as "Stormcloak" when he's in exile, even if you haven't joined the Stormcloaks, and the city's turnover has been caused by Season Unending. This is due to the dialogue checking whether or not he's in exile, and not the cause of said exile, as specific dialogue for different causes doesn't exist.

Bugs[edit]

  • After purchasing all possible house upgrades, Raerek, unlike other stewards, will not tell you this, due to the response records being in the wrong order.
  • When buying house upgrades from him, his dialogue menu for purchase options closes after each purchase, going back to the main "menu" and you have to select again each time "I'd like to buy upgrades for my house" in order to buy anything.
    • PC Only The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 2.0.1, addresses this issue. (details) Unlike other stewards, the dialogue option for Markarth stewards wasn't linked properly.
  • The very first scene between Igmund and Raerek may repeat every so often due to the scene trigger erroneously being flagged to respawn every time the cell resets.
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