In The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, the Greybeards are one of the driving forces that push the player to defeat Alduin. Their group is an ancient and sacred one, comprised of members that have devoted their lives to mastering the Thu’um, or “the Voice.” Given this, they prove invaluable to the Dragonborn’s quest of mastering the Voice.
To meet the Greybeards in Skyrim, the player must undertake the main quest until they trigger “The Way of the Voice.” This prompts them to journey up the 7,000 Steps to High Hrothgar at the Throat of the World.
The Origins of Skyrim's Greybeards
The Greybeards were founded in the First Era by a Nord named Jurgen Windcaller, a wise and peaceful man who was also known as Jurgen the Calm. Before this, Jurgen was a warrior who had mastered the power of the Voice, a gift from Kyne and Paarthurnax to the ancient Nords. As a warrior and leader, he led Nord troops to the Battle of Red Mountain. Unfortunately, in the conflict between the Chimer (ancestors of the Dunmer) and Dwemer (also known as the dwarves), Jurgen’s army was wiped out.
This led to what modern Greybeards refer to as the “Seven Year Meditation,” wherein Jurgen pondered how he and his troops could have lost even with the power of the Voice. Eventually, he concluded that the Nords had been misusing the Voice, and that their losses were a punishment from the gods. Thus, Jurgen turned his back on the violent ways of the Voice and created a pacifist creed known as the Way of the Voice.
However, many Nords disagreed with this new creed, believing in the older, more militant methods of the Voice. It is said that 17 other masters of the Voice sought out Jurgen and confronted him in battle. Jurgen did not attack them and merely “swallowed” their Shouts for days until his foes exhausted themselves. Seeing just how powerful Jurgen was, the same 17 who had opposed him became his disciples. After this, Jurgen and his followers built High Hrothgar, where they first established the Greybeards.
Much later, Jurgen died from unknown circumstances, and his body was buried in Ustengrav. Despite his absence, the Greybeards remained active, practicing his pacifist creed. The player can later find Jurgen in the Hall of Valor in Sovngarde.
The Way of the Voice in Skyrim
Away from Skyrim and its social and political affairs, the Greybeards devoted their lives to learning and perfecting the Voice. As per Jurgen’s philosophy, students of the Voice must not use its power for violence, they can only ever use it in times of “True Need.” Moreover, the Greybeards do not see the Voice as a weapon, but as a way of worship. As such, studying the Voice is a means of glorifying the gods.
Given these beliefs, the Greybeards remained silent for a long time. They only spoke with the Voice again during the Second Era. The Greybeards summoned Tiber Septim to High Hrothgar and ordained him Dovahkiin. He would later become the first Emperor of Tamriel, and following this the Greybeards grew silent once more.
Unfortunately, as time passed, the members of the Greybeards grew smaller. By the Fourth Era, only four human believers remained. Ulfric Stormcloak joined their ranks for a time, learning how to harness the power of the Voice, but his time there was short-lived as he later left to form the Stormcloak rebellion.
The Greybeards in The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Much later in the Fourth Era, the Greybeards would gain another new student: the Last Dragonborn. When the player first absorbs a dragon soul, the Greybeards will unleash their Voice, summoning the player to High Hrothgar. There, they will assist the Dragonborn in understanding what their powers mean and how they can use them to defeat Alduin.
Eventually, the Greybeards will permit the player to meet their leader, who resides at the peak of the Throat of the World. Upon climbing to the summit, the player learns that their leader is a dragon named Paarthurnax. Paarthurnax is an interesting character in that he initially served Alduin but later defected to the side of the humans. Some say that it was Kyne who convinced Paarthurnax to do so.
After Alduin’s defeat, Paarthurnax feared his innate lust for power would overcome him. Thus, he isolated himself at the summit of the Throat of the World, where he eventually became the leader of the Greybeards and meditated on the Way of the Voice. By the time the Last Dragonborn arrives, Paarthurnax is a changed dragon, secure in knowing that he would never turn on humankind. He assists the player in their quest to defeat Alduin. Once the enemy dragon is defeated, however, another conflict arises as the Blades - who have also been helping the Last Dragonborn - want the dragon Paarthurnax dead.
The Clash Between the Greybeards and the Blades
The Greybeards and the Blades have long been in conflict. For one, the Blades have criticized the Greybeards for refusing to involve themselves in Skyrim’s affairs like the civil war. They’d even go so far as to call them a “pesky cult.” Things only get worse when the Blades learn of Paarthurnax’s existence, as they find it unacceptable to ally with a dragon who had enslaved the Nords’ ancestors.
On the flip side, the Greybeards have plenty of reason to distrust the Blades. For one, they understandably wouldn’t welcome a group that so vehemently wants to kill their leader. Even beyond that, the Greybeards view the Blades as overly violent, meddling in affairs that they don’t fully understand. What’s more, they believe that the Blades seek to pull the Dragonborn away from “the path of wisdom.” Who the Last Dragonborn chooses to side with is completely up to the player.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
