Skyrim:Greybeards

Greybeards in High Hrothgar, led by their Speaker, Arngeir

High Hrothgar

The Greybeards, an ancient and honored cult of monks, live at the ancient monastery of High Hrothgar, high on the Throat of the World. They are the most famous of the Tongues, or masters of the Voice. Jurgen Windcaller founded the order in response to the Nord army's defeat at the Battle of Red Mountain, preaching a philosophy known as the Way of the Voice, a lifestyle of meditative study of the Voice which the Greybeards carry on to this day.

Followers of the Way are expected to remain peaceful, with violence being considered a last resort, to be used only in times of "True Need". The coming of the Dragonborn is considered such a time, so any violence committed by the Dragonborn will be overlooked. While the Greybeards accept almost all who show a talent for the Voice, few can handle the demands of their lifestyle. A prominent example of this is Ulfric Stormcloak, who felt he could no longer live by the Way when the Great War came.

When you enter High Hrothgar, you will find four Greybeard Elders living there: Arngeir, Borri, Wulfgar, and Einarth. Arngeir, the eldest and most powerful, is the only elder who speaks more than a few words to you, explaining that the others are so powerful that if they were to utter more than a whisper, the force of their thu'um would destroy you. Arngeir may only speak because of his extensive training and age. Thus, the Greybeards spend most of their time in silence, which is only broken to revere the gods with Unrelenting Force and Clear Skies shouts directed at the sky.

As part of the Main Quest, the Greybeards will tell you about themselves and the Way of the Voice. After a series of trials, they proclaim you Dragonborn and will begin to teach you to master your Voice. Once The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller is complete, the Greybeards will officially welcome you, at which point all of High Hrothgar's items become available to you. After the quest Alduin's Wall, they refer you to the grandmaster of their order, who lives at the summit of the mountain. The grandmaster is, in fact, an ancient dragon named Paarthurnax, who is willing to aid you in defeating Alduin.

The Greybeards stand in opposition to the Blades, whom they view as intolerant barbarians. If you side with the Blades following the Main Quest, the Greybeards will become borderline hostile towards you and refuse to help you find any more Words of Power.

For more information, see the main lore article.

Notes

• If you try to talk to another Greybeard besides Arngeir, their answer depends on your advancement in the main quest:
  • If you manage to enter High Hrothgar before they call you during Dragon Rising (by scaling the mountain and entering through the back door), they will simply give a neutral Hrm sound for an answer.
  • After starting The Way of the Voice, they will switch to a different, more welcoming Hrm sound. The first time they do this, Arngeir may explain that they do not speak.
  • After finishing The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller, the ground will shake and rumble as they whisper "Dovahkiin". This happens after the Greybeards have acknowledged you as Dovahkiin in a formal ceremony.
  • If you kill Paarthurnax, they will switch back to the second Hrm sound.
• If attacked, all of the Greybeards use the Ice Form and Fire Breath shouts in retaliation.
• The Greybeards do not attack a Stage 4 Vampire.
• The Greybeards will automatically attack if you transform into Vampire Lord.

Related Quests

Main Quest

• The Way of the Voice: Meet the Greybeards.
• The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller: Retrieve a Greybeard artifact from Ustengrav.
• The Throat of the World: Receive a lesson from Paarthurnax.
• Season Unending: Enforce a ceasefire to secure Dragonsreach.
• Paarthurnax: Deal with a potential threat.

Miscellaneous Quests

• Climb the Steps: Deliver a load of goods up to High Hrothgar for Klimmek.
• The Words of Power: Follow the Greybeards' advice to learn a Word of Power from a word wall. (radiant)