Heimskr

"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

Heimskr is a Nord priest and a doomsayer 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".

After Battle for Whiterun
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 Stomcloaks take over Whiterun, Jarl Vignar Gray-Mane mentions building a temple of Talos in Whiterun, and making Heimskr the high priest.

The Burglary Job
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.

Sermon
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."

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? 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 the words of Heimskr! For I am the chosen of Talos! I alone have been anointed by the Ninth to spread his holy word!

Quotes

 * "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?"

Trivia

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

Bugs

 * If the Empire wins the Battle for Whiterun, Heimskr may still not be jailed.
 * Vex from the Thieves Guild may give you a quest to plant evidence in his house. This quest becomes impossible if you have already completed The Battle for Whiterun because his house becomes impossible to enter. You should just cancel the quest and ask for another side job from Vex immediately if you see this is the mission you just got.
 * Heimskr may sometimes just disappear and never come back. It has been reported that after 2 days he may come back.
 * Possible fix: use the console command  to spawn him back.
 * If the Dragonborn is tasked with rescuing Heimskr by Vilkas, Heimskr will unexpectedly appear outside of Whiterun just as the player is going to rescue him. If this happens, then it is impossible to complete the quest, or 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 remains silent for the rest of the game unless interacted with directly.

Appearances


Хеймскр Heimskr Heimskr Heimskr