Skyrim's many holds vary greatly, from their Nordic subcultures to their ecosystems, politics, and more. Only loosely connected by the concept of fellow Nord kinship and the High King, each region is almost self-autonomous.

Related: Skyrim: How To Become Thane Of Winterhold

Therefore, any claims to greatness players amass in one hold mean nothing in another. Fortunately, though, every hold – from temperate Falkreath to icy Winterhold – offers players the chance to still earn the title of Thane. Hjaalmarch and its capital of Morthal are no different in this regard. And so, here is a small debrief on how to become thane of this marshy region.

7 Investigate Some Dark Rumors

The first time players set foot in Morthal, they'll find a gaggle of townsfolk haranguing Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone's housecarl, over a series of horrible events that have recently happened. Said events? A recent house fire that killed a small family, save the father, Hroggar. And Hroggar, now almost a completely different man, already moved on to another woman, Alva. Almost everyone, even Idrgrod herself, suspects foul play on the husband's part, but with no hard evidence that he did it, what can they do?

Related: Skyrim Morthal Guide: Merchants, Loot, Quests, And More

That's where players come in. Idgrod will request their outside help to provide a more objective lens into this tragedy, officially setting off the Laid to Rest quest. Players' first stop will be to investigate the scene of the maybe-crime, and they'll quickly find a rather interesting piece of evidence: an apparition of the dead daughter, Helgi. At the first meeting, she'll be a bit vague when conversing, only offering the vague implication that something dangerous resides in Morthal, and the request to find her body, though only at night.

6 Desecrate A Grave Or Two

After encountering Helgi, players can report this finding to the Jarl for a small reward. From there, though, it's a matter of waiting for nightfall and locating Helgi's grave, which is on a small hill, north of the town. There, players will find Helgi's unearthed coffin, alongside Laelette, another Morthal resident who recently went missing. In reality, she was turned into a vampire, will be hostile upon spotting the player, and will have to be dispatched.

Related: Skyrim: The 5 Best (& 5 Worst) Races to Play as a Vampire

Once she's gone, Helgi will reveal, that it was, indeed, Laelette who set fire to her home, but attempted (and failed) to save her by also turning her into a vampire. One tragedy solved, but who originally turned Laelette and what spurred her to kill Hroggar's family still remain mysteries...unless players talk to her husband, Thonnir.

And, by pure luck, he'll just so happen across this gruesome scene immediately afterward. After a bit of lamenting and grief, Thonnir will point players back to Alva, Hroggar's current mistress, and Laelette's brief friend, before she disappeared. As it turns out, this mysterious temptress is a relatively new resident to Morthal, and it's only after her arrival that all these tragedies unfurled.

5 Do Some Not-So-Petty Thievery

Skyrim screenshot showing Alva in a coffin.

While all the information gathered sheds greatly condemns Alva, there's still no solid evidence directly tying her to these events, as the Jarl will gladly point out. Fortunately for players, though, she'll also turn a blind eye if, say, they decide to go snooping around Alva's home for said proof.

Once broken in, this small house seems normal at a first glance, save a set of stairs that leads down into a cellar. But said cellar is far from ordinary, featuring a singular empty coffin, blood-stained ground, and Alva's personal journal. As it turns out, she's a vampire, sent to infiltrate and slowly enthrall the entirety of Morthal into servitude for a much stronger Vampiric lord. She is, indeed, the cause behind all these tragedies.

Now, depending on when players decide to break into her house, Alva may or may not be there herself. If done during the day, she will be resting in her coffin, and justice can be dealt swiftly to her. But if done at night, she'll be gone, fled back to her fellow vampires. As for Hroggar, he'll be protecting the house, entranced by her spell and hostile if he spots players. For those seeking to spare him, it's best to come prepared with some calming spells, high sneak, or both. For those less merciful, he'll fortunately not prove much of a threat.

4 Exterminate A Vampiric Threat

Speaking of threats, though, players will finally have enough evidence to bring to Idgrod. While undoubtedly appreciative of unraveling this mystery, she'll also ask that they deal with the bigger vampiric threat. At which point in time, players, alongside a group of townsfolk, will rally and march over to the vampiric dungeon, Movarth's Lair.

Related: Skyrim: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Vampirism

Unfortunately, most of the people will chicken out, save Thonnir, who wants to avenge his wife. It'll be up to players to let him come or convince him to stand down. Either way, it'll be a typical enemy-hunting dungeon crawl from there, killing every vampire and thrall in the lair (including Alva if she wasn't at her home, and Movarth himself). But beware, as the vampires within are adept with magic, and it's quite possible for players to contract vampirism themselves (unless, of course, that's what they want).

3 A Wartime Sidenote

Skyrim is currently undergoing a civil war, and normally, the outcome of this war affects who rules what hold, and by extension, how to become thane. Morthal, however, is the exception. The hold is allied to the Empire, and if a player does a pro-Imperial campaign, or doesn't participate at all, then Idgrod will remain Jarl, and players will have to complete the Laid to Rest quest as usual to become thane.

Of course, should players do a pro-Stormcloak campaign, Idgrod will be replaced with Sorli the Builder. However, unlike all other holds, the path to thanehood remains the same. If players have not completed Laid to Rest before finishing the war, Sorli will simply be the one to initiate the quest, not Idgrod. There is no circumventing this vampire extermination, no matter which side players fall on.

2 Be A Good Citizen

Whether Sorli or Idgrod is Jarl, they will reward the Dragonborn for saving Morthal from the vampires. Not with thanehood, of course, but that next step will be unlocked, which involves helping three people of Hjaalmarch with menial tasks. Worry not, though, as most of these tasks are relatively easy.

Related: Skyrim: How To Become Thane Of Dawnstar

The three easiest tasks don't even require the player to set foot outside of Morthal. However, it also means sparing Hroggar may be best, as he's one of three people giving the quests. He and another character can be sold firewood, and the third requires having a small fist-fight with them. If, however, any of these three are dead by the start of this quest, there are still a variety of citizens around the hold, offering anything from deliveries, fetch-quests, selling ore, investments, and more. How players choose to pursue these tasks is ultimately their choice.

1 Purchase Some Property?

After all is said and done, Jarl Idgrod or Sorli will bestow thanehood to the Dragonborn. This comes with the usual perks, alongside the Blade of Hjaalmarch – a radiantly leveled weapon, dependent upon the player's level at quest completion – and, with the Hearthfire DLC, the housecarl Valdimar.

Morthal is, of course, one of four holds that does not have a base-game house available. By extension, it's then a hold that does not require the player to purchase property to become Thane. However, with the Heartfire DLC installed, players will only be able to purchase this hold's property, Windstad Manor, by becoming Thane. Is it necessary? No. Is it a nice caveat to a newly-earned title? Absolutely.

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