Vignar Gray-Mane

"We Gray-Manes have been feuding with the Battle-Borns for years. There's no more bitter enemy than an old friend."

- Vignar Gray-Mane

Vignar Gray-Mane, also known as Vignar the Revered, is a Nord member of the Gray-Mane clan in Whiterun. He is a die-hard supporter of the Stormcloaks and respected figure in the city, albeit not by Olfrid Battle-Born. If the Dragonborn sides with the Stormcloaks during the Civil War questline, he will become the Jarl of Whiterun.

Family
Vignar has a brother, Eorlund Gray-Mane, who's married to Fralia. He is the uncle of Avulstein, Olfina and Thorald Gray-Mane.

Great War
Vignar was a commander in the Imperial Legion for thirty years; he fought in the Great War. He says when the Empire signed the White-Gold Concordat, it shamed everyone. The Gray-Manes and the Battle-Borns used to be friends, though that was until the Battle-Borns chose the Empire's side during the Civil war.

The Companions
He seems to be the oldest member of The Companions; Kodlak suggests that he witnessed the rise and fall of about half a dozen Harbingers. Vilkas also mentions that he knows the Companions' history "as well as Vignar by now," except he can actually remember it.

Clan Battle-Born
Of all the Gray-Manes, Vignar seems to be the one who is most opposed to the Battle-Borns, with both women in the family having lines about the two clan's feud's stupidity, and the other men not commenting.

Civil War Aftermath
Vignar Gray-Mane replaces Balgruuf the Greater as the Jarl of Whiterun, if the Dragonborn helps the Stormcloaks take over Whiterun in The Battle for Whiterun. He also mentions plans to build a Temple of Talos in Whiterun, and makes Heimskr the High Priest.

Quests

 * Battle for Whiterun (Stormcloaks)
 * Season Unending
 * The Fallen
 * Thane of Whiterun

Battle for Whiterun
During the final moments of the quest "Battle for Whiterun," Vignar Gray-Mane will enter Dragonsreach and a final conversation will take place between him and Balgruuf:

Vignar: "Balgruuf!"

Balgruuf: "Vignar Gray-Mane! Your family was noticeably absent from the walls. Now I know why. Wouldn't a dagger in the back have sufficed?"

Vignar: "You think this is personal? The Empire has no place in Skyrim... not any more. And you? You have no place in Whiterun anymore."

Balgruuf: "A convenient position to hold now. But mark my words, old man, in the days to come, Ulfric will spread his rebellion thin. And what then? We need the Empire, as much as it needs us. We Nords are the Empire! Our blood built it. Our blood sustains it! You of all people should know that."

Vignar: "If this was my Empire, I'd be able to worship whoever I damned well pleased. You wish to see an Empire without Talos? Without its soul? We should be fighting those witch-elves, not bending knee to them. The Emperor is nothing more than a puppet of the Thalmor. Skyrim needs a High King who will fight for her, and Whiterun needs a Jarl who will do the same."

Balgruuf: "Tell me, Vignar. Was all this worth it? How many of those corpses lining our streets wear the faces of men who once called you friend? What about their families?"

Galmar: "Enough! Both of you! There is a burning city out there that needs a government."

Vignar: "He's right. Galmar, come, let us restore order."

Balgruuf: "This isn't over. You hear me you old fool! This isn't over! You'll all come to regret this day."

If spoken to after that in the palace during the quest, he will only say, "They will sing stories of this day."

A chill in the air
Vignar: "There's a chill in the air. Ysmir's beard, it gets colder in here every day."

Brill: "That's just you getting skinnier every day, old man. You're losing your padding. You need to eat more."

Vignar: "Well, if my layabout manservant fed me more, that wouldn't be a problem."

Brill: "Oho! Manservant? Is that what I am now?"

Vignar: "My mistake. A manservant wouldn't let me starve or freeze. I let you live here, and now I'm two steps closer to the grave."

Brill: "Old man, without me, you would have withered away a long time ago."

Vignar: "Hmph. Damn you for being right."

Mutton stew
Vignar: "You ain't made me that stew in a long time."

Brill: "Which, the mutton or the vegetable?"

Vignar: "Mutton."

Brill: "Hmm, so I haven't. All right, I'll buy the ingredients tomorrow and we can have it for dinner."

Iron Hearts
Brill: "Fancy a game of Iron Hearts later?"

Vignar: "You going to lose horribly, and then say you let me win?"

Brill: "Probably."

Vignar: "Then you're on."

Loyalties
Balgruuf: "I won't say it again, Vignar; Talos worship is forbidden. It's the Empire's law, and we're still a part of the Empire."

Vignar: "A law made at the tip of an Aldmeri sword, aye. A sword stained red with Nord blood. Is this what our people fought and died for? To forsake our most beloved ancestor and divine?"

Balgruuf: "I'm no happier about this than you are, but I don't want theto [sic] see the Thalmor rounding up people in the streets and throwing them in prison."

Vignar: "Do your loyalties lie with the Thalmor, then?"

Balgruuf: "I warn you, Gray-Mane, you are treading on dangerous ground."

Vignar: ""Don't threaten me, boy. You're either a Nord who respects our traditions, or you're not. If not, it isn't me you'll have to answer to, but the people of this city and this Hold." Note: the preceding conversation never actually occurs during the game, as Balgruuf and Vignar never have the chance to speak of it.

Quotes

 * "When the Empire surrendered to the Aldmeri Dominion, they shamed us all!"
 * "You're lookin' at a real warrior! At least I used to be."
 * "Look at you! Betcha think you're something, huh?"
 * "'For thirty years, I served the Legion as a commander. Fought in the Great War."

Trivia

 * Occasionally, if a bugged Stormcloak Soldier spawns in Whiterun, and the guards of Whiterun attack him, Vignar may attack the guards.
 * Vignar has dark skin similar to a Redguard, despite being a Nord.
 * Vignar was voiced by Jim Cummings, who amusingly also voiced his rival, Olfrid Battle-Born.
 * Vignar will comment on a fight that takes place between two companion members when the Dragonborn first enters Jorrvaskr.
 * Brill feels like he owes Vignar something, so he helps him because Vignar helped him when he was an alcoholic.
 * Before the Dragonborn joins the Companions, Vignar says that they are just a squabble now and advises them to keep away.
 * Even as the Jarl he may still attend the Dragonborn's wedding.

Bugs

 * If he is nearby when a Whiterun Guard is attacked, he will draw a sword and fight alongside the attacker.
 * He may attack the player for an unknown reason, it could be because of accidentally killing a Companion follower. Brill may also join in the fight against the Dragonborn but no other Companions will help either side even though they wake up when the fight comes near and run away. If the Dragonborn is married to Aela she will help, which can result in their deaths.
 * When he becomes the Jarl he will sometimes fail to give the option to become a Thane.
 * After becoming Jarl, he may simply stand in front of the gate, occasionally wandering to Dragonsreach at night, but returning in the morning.
 * If he becomes Jarl, he will not go to Dragonsreach until you have joined the Companions, as he and Brill will be in Jorrvaskr watching two of the Companions brawl.
 * If the Dragonborn attacks a child in Whiterun, Vignar may try to attack the child and chase them around Whiterun until the child flees or goes into a building. The same thing occurs to Eorlund Gray-Mane and all Companions members in the area at the time.