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Though surrounded by large and imposing walls, the historic city of Windhelm is not without its own problems. If you happen to walk through its graveyard after several visits, you might be roped in to help investigate a murder in one of Skyrim's most challenging quests.
Your investigation will let you get familiar with the many people that call its city home and grapple with a series of horrific murders in a bid to stop the perpetrator from striking again. Your success in Blood on the Ice is not guaranteed, and you may find yourself reaching for a guide to see you through.
Starting Blood On The Ice
The quest will only start once you pass through the graveyard after visiting the city at least four times. You will be stopped by a guard inspecting a crime scene. One of the tavern's workers, Susanna the Wicked is dead and mutilated. She is the third woman to have been murdered in the city in recent days.
Occupied with the Civil War, the guard is unable to investigate and asks for your assistance by questioning the three witnesses. You will need to talk to the three civilians surrounding the corpse. None of them provide any definitive evidence, though Helgird mentions that it is not a robbery, and Calixto Corrium claims that the killer is male.
The guard will claim that the Civil War is keeping them busy even if you have concluded the conflict.
With nothing else to go on, you can volunteer to investigate further. The guard asks you to get permission from Jorleif, the Jarl's steward, before he gives you all the details. You can find him at the Palace of the Kings. He grants his blessing quickly, hoping to bring the killings to an end.
Despite his offer to help, Jorleif rarely has good advice to give despite being indicated with a quest marker. You can ignore him for the majority of the quest.
Buying Hjerim
This quest can also start if you had bought Hjerim and entered it. In this instance, you will be unable to renovate your home and will need to uncover the killer by yourself. You can jump to Searching Hjerim to complete the quest.
Investigating The Crime Scene
Speak to the guard at the crime scene with Jorleif's permission. He will be happy to give two pieces of useful information.
- The priestess of Arkay, Helgird, is conducting an autopsy on the body.
- There is a trail of blood leading away from the crime scene.
Helgird is located next to the crime scene, inside the Windhelm Hall of the Dead. She tells you that the wounds on the body could only be inflicted by embalming tools like the ones she has. Though you can accuse her of being the killer, the conversation ends there with nothing else to learn.
You will be unable to speak to Helgird if you choose to pursue the trail of blood first.
Return to the graveyard to look for a trail of blood leading from the crime scene to Hjerim, the residence of another victim, Friga Shatter-Shield. The door is shut with a Master-level lock.
Entering Hjerim
If you are unable to pick the lock, you can speak to a guard or Jorleif about getting the key. They will tell you that Tova Shatter-Shield, Friga's grieving mother, currently has it. You can ask Tova for the key to get it.
If you had killed Nilsine Shatter-Shield in the quest Mourning Never Comes, Tova will have committed suicide. You will need to break into the house of Clan Shatter-Shield to take the key from her body.
The house is unlocked during the day though remaining inside will be considered trespassing.
Tova can be found wandering between the house of Clan Shatter-Shield, the Windhelm Market, and Candlehearth Hall. She is eager to bring the Butcher to justice and hands over the key with little fuss.
Searching Hjerim
Once inside Hjerim, you need to find four items to continue your investigation.
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Butcher Journal #1 |
This journal can be found in a chest in the southeast of the house. It is on your left as you enter. |
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Strange Amulet |
This amulet is also in the western part of the house, buried under a pile of Beware the Butcher! flyers. |
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Butcher Journal #2 |
This journal is found behind a suspicious wardrobe in the western part of the house. The wardrobe is nailed into the wall and has a false back. Interact with it to find the gristly remains of the victims and the journal. |
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Beware the Butcher! |
These are found throughout Hjerim Hall. Make sure to take one before you leave. |
With your search concluded, bring the Amulet to a guard or Jorleif. They will ask you to show it to Calixto at the House of Curiosities. He tells you that the amulet belongs to the Court Wizard and offers to buy it from you for 500 gold.
Calixto will also offer you a tour. While interesting, it is optional, and you can safely ignore it.
Bringing a flyer to a guard will have you directed to Viola Giordano. Showing her the journals and amulet will give her enough information to accuse Windhelm's Court Mage, Wuunferth. She urges you to inform Jorleif immediately.
As this is a guide, the next steps will focus on the optimal way to complete this quest.
Going to Jorleif will have Wuunferth arrested and allow a fourth murder to happen without any way of stopping it. To continue, you will have to speak to Wuunferth in the Windhelm Jail.
Stopping The Butcher
Ignore Viola's urgings and confront Wuunferth with the evidence instead. He is offended by the accusation but is otherwise cooperative. He dismisses Calixto's explanation about the Amulet and shares what he knows. He had been observing the murders and had been slowly recognizing a pattern. The Amulet is the final piece of the puzzle.
Wuunferth is found inside the Palace of the Kings Upper Floor, on the left. His room is easily identified thanks to the enchanting table.
The Amulet in question is the Necromancer Amulet. Using it as a clue, he pinpoints where the next murder will be and figures out that it will happen imminently. Go to Windhelm's market and stand watch at night.
The Necromancer Amulet is a powerful necklace that increases your Magicka by 50 points and makes Conjuration spells 25 percent cheaper to cast. It will reduce your Health and Stamina regeneration by 75 percent.
It will not be long before Calixto appears, tailing a woman. You will have a short window to intervene before he claims his fourth victim. He will not put up much of a fight and will need to be killed.
Looting Calixto's body will get you the Necromancer Amulet if you had sold it to him and a key to his home, which will shed some light on his motivations.
Regardless of your success in saving his fourth victim, the Butcher is dead, and the women of Windhelm are safe. Return to Jorleif to end the quest. It will allow you to renovate Hjerim if you have bought it.