Not to be confused with Hermeskr.

Heimskr Basic Info Race Nord Gender Male Level 4 Class Priest Essential No Respawn No Ref ID 0001A682 Base ID 00013BAC

"Trust in me, Whiterun! Trust in Heimskr! For I am the chosen of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the Ninth to spread his holy word!" ―Heimskr[src]



Heimskr is a Nord priest and a preacher who can usually be found in the Wind District of Whiterun, delivering sermons about Talos. He is also an ardent supporter of the Stormcloaks, primarily due to the prohibition of Talos worship imposed by the Empire.

He lives in a small home located next to Jorrvaskr. Sometimes he can be found at the Bannered Mare inn having a meal and a drink, at which time he will engage in some amusing dialogue with the waitresses asking if a "strong man" can do anything for them; the waitresses make humorous jests at his expense, to which Heimskr mutters "Harpies, all of them."

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Interactions Edit

His house will be destroyed during the battle; in the aftermath, he will reside in a small tent next to the shrine of Talos, or he can be jailed if the Legion wins the battle. Should the Stormcloaks take over Whiterun, Jarl Vignar Gray-Mane mentions building a temple of Talos in Whiterun, and making Heimskr the high priest. Despite his home being destroyed in the process of the battle, he will be glad of the outcome if the Stormcloaks take over the city.

His house may be the target for one of Vex's burglary jobs, in which the Dragonborn must steal a specific item. If his house has been destroyed, it becomes impossible to complete the burglary. See bugs.

Dialogue Edit

Talos Edit

What can you tell me about Talos? "Hello, my friend! If you seek knowledge about mighty Talos, you have most certainly come to the right person. In mortal life, Talos was a Nord possessed of unmatched tactical skill, limitless wisdom and the power to see into men's hearts. Talos mastered the power of the Voice, and with it he united the lands of men into a great Empire. In southern lands, he was known by the name Tiber Septim. Here in Skyrim, we honor him by his proper Nord name. So great was his reign in life, when he ascended to the heavens he was made lord of the Divines. If you want to know more, I'm sure you can find any number of tomes on the subject."

Why was Talos worship outlawed? "Because the so-called Emperor is a coward! That's right, I said coward! Oh yes! He agreed to banish the worship of Talos at the tip of an Aldmeri sword. They called it the 'White-Gold Concordat.' Well, I call it blasphemy! A true son of the Empire would never have turned his back on our greatest hero, not at any price. Well, let me tell you something, friend. Cyrodiil is a long way from here, and in Skyrim, we will never forsake mighty Talos!"

Aren't you worried you'll be arrested? "Let them come! I have no fear, for Talos is my ally and I am his prophet. His word is upon my lips, his voice in my throat."

Stormcloak Victory Edit

No doubt you welcomed the Stormcloaks with open arms. "With open arms, with cheers and song, with joy in my heart and tears in my eyes! Praise be to Talos, this is a glorious day for Whiterun and for all Skyrim! Our liberators have come at last!" Did the Imperials try to arrest you? "Oh yes, many times. But mighty Talos was my keeper, my shield against the heresy of the south! If not for Talos, and a few modest bribes paid to the right jailors, why, I would not be standing before you today, resplendent in my faith!"

Sermon Edit

During the day, Heimskr can be found under the statue of Talos giving a passionate sermon to the passing townsfolk:

Talos the mighty! Talos the unerring! Talos the unassailable! To you we give praise! We are but maggots, writhing in the filth of our own corruption! While you have ascended from the dung of mortality, and now walk among the stars! But you were once man! Aye! And as man, you said, "Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you." [note 1] Aye, love. Love! Even as man, great Talos cherished us. For he saw in us, in each of us, the future of Skyrim! The future of Tamriel! And there it is, friends! The ugly truth! We are the children of man! Talos is the true god of man! Ascended from flesh, to rule the realm of spirit! The very idea is inconceivable to our Elven overlords! Sharing the heavens with us? With man? Ha! They can barely tolerate our presence on earth! Today, they take away your faith. But what of tomorrow? What then? Do the elves take your homes? Your businesses? Your children? Your very lives? And what does the Empire do? Nothing! Nay, worse than nothing! The Imperial machine enforces the will of the Thalmor! Against its own people! So rise up! Rise up, children of the Empire! Rise up, Stormcloaks! Embrace the word of mighty Talos, he who is both man and Divine! For we are the children of man! And we shall inherit both the heavens and the earth! And we, not the Elves or their toadies, will rule Skyrim! Forever! Terrible and powerful Talos! We, your unworthy servants, give praise! For only through your grace and benevolence may we truly reach enlightenment! And deserve our praise you do, for we are one! Ere you ascended and the Eight became Nine, you walked among us, great Talos, not as god, but as man! Trust in me, Whiterun! Trust in Heimskr! For I am the chosen of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the Ninth to spread his holy word!

Quotes Edit

"You have come! You have come to hear the word of Talos!"

"The Imperials silence us because they fear us! They are cowards! Cowards and fools who have forgotten the truth!"

"There are those who would silence the Dragon's truth! But not I! Not Heimskr! His word will be known!"

"The truth, child of Talos, is that the Dragon's children have come! To purge the world in fire and righteousness!"

"He has returned... Oh, how Talos has returned. Helgen has been purged in his light. Will Whiterun be next?"

"May Talos guide you. Always."

"Stay vigilant! Our enemies are legion!"

Trivia Edit

After killing Heimskr, unlike the many residents of Whiterun, his body may immediately be placed within a coffin in the Hall of the Dead.

Heimskr quotes part of From The Many-Headed Talos, an unlicensed text written by Michael Kirkbride prior to the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Bugs Edit

This section contains bugs related to Heimskr. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template 360 / XB1 , PS3 / PS4 , PC / MAC , NX , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

PC 360 PS3 XB1 Vex may give the Dragonborn a quest to plant evidence in his house. This quest becomes impossible if the quest The Battle for Whiterun is completed, as his house will be destroyed.

Vex may give the Dragonborn a quest to plant evidence in his house. This quest becomes impossible if the quest The Battle for Whiterun is completed, as his house will be destroyed. PC Sometimes, Heimskr may disappear, then reappear within two in-game days. PC(Fix) Possible fix: use the console command player.placeatme 0001A682 to spawn him back.

Sometimes, Heimskr may disappear, then reappear within two in-game days. If the Dragonborn is tasked with rescuing Heimskr by Vilkas, Heimskr will unexpectedly appear outside of Whiterun. If this happens, talk to Heimskr again after talking with him when he appears.

Heimskr will sometimes stand in front of the Shrine of Talos during his sermon hours, but will not speak. It seems that if he spawns with this bug, he will remain silent for the rest of the game unless interacted with directly.

↑ From The Many-Headed Talos, where it is explained how This paragraph is a direct reference to the text, where it is explained how Tiber Septim transformed the landscape of Cyrodiil from a vast jungle into a temperate climate.