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Elder Scrolls

For other uses, see Butcher.

Calixto Corrium is an Imperial shopkeeper in Windhelm. As the owner of Calixto's House of Curiosities, he offers tours of the items he and his sister collected during their travels in Tamriel.

Background[]

"My sister and I once traveled the world to assemble our collection. Such adventures we had!"
―Calixto Corrium[src]

During his adult life, Calixto and his sister, Lucilla, were bequeathed a large fortune.[1] Traveling Tamriel, they collected several rare items, such as The Book of Fate, The Dancer's Flute, and Ysgramor's Soup Spoon. Unfortunately, his sister died during this time, and so after settling in Windhelm, he opened a curiosity shop in her name to display their collection.[1]

Hjerimsecretroom

The scene of Calixto's ritual in Hjerim.

Secretly, the grief of losing his sister was too much for him to bear, and Calixto began to lead a life of necromancy in hopes of resurrecting Lucilla, which involved the murder of several young women in Windhelm.[2] The basis for this ritual appears to be of Aldmer origin, and was then interpreted by the Ayleids and first transcribed by the Altmer.[3] To help this, he authored a journal in three parts, which describe the exact elements needed for the magic to work,[3] and for this purpose, he acquired the Necromancer's Amulet[4][5] and Nordic embalming tools to use on the victims.[6]

In addition to an unknown first murder, his second victim in the necromantic ritual was Friga Shatter-Shield, the twin sister of Nilsine;[7] doing so gave him access to Hjerim, which he took up residence for the ritual.[4] He then planned to kill Susanna the Wicked, believing her tendons to be of exquisite quality, and apparently came close to doing so before being thwarted by the appearance of guards.[8] The ritual is almost complete as the Dragonborn arrives in Windhelm.[2][3] His actions have earned him the name "the Butcher,"[7][9][10] to which Viola Giordano has placed letters all throughout the city in order to warn the people of Windhelm about him; however, Calixto has taken most of these down so they do not hinder his efforts.[4][7][10]

Personality[]

"Welcome to the House of Curiosities! I offer a brief tour for a few coins, or you can simply browse at your leisure."
―Calixto Corrium[src]

Necromanceramulet

The Necromancer's Amulet, which Calixto uses for his necromantic goals.

Calixto is a relatively jovial man, happily proclaiming for all to visit the House of Curiosities for their enjoyment. He appears to enjoy displaying his collection, saying that he believes his sister would be proud to bring smiles to visitors.[1] That being said, after Wuunferth reveals the true nature of the Strange Amulet, he claims that Calixto and his books are "often confused" on such matters, although Wuunferth does say that it happens to "the best of us," suggesting that the mage holds some respect for Calixto.[5] Guards also seem to respect him to a degree, saying he "has a good eye" for strange trinkets.[7] Jorleif believes Calixto to bit a bit "odd," although he stops short of suspecting anything dubious about the imperial.[11]

Calixto secretly criticizes the mages at the College of Winterhold for dabbling in magic with which they are already familiar, glamorizing the possible innovations of necromancy.[8] He also appears to have little respect for Windhelm, calling the guards "idiots"[8] and describing portions of the city and its populace as "rugged bits."[2] He is completely devoted to the necromantic ritual, to the point of showing little to no remorse for murdering women besides a passing comment at Susanna's murder scene;[1] however, this could be but an act. His devotion appears to come from his relationship with his sister, whom he loves dearly, and describes as someone who loved the world so much while he did not.[2] On top of everything, though, he appears to hold a sense of righteousness to what he is doing, believing that the women he has murdered "would surely thank me for the great gift I give them."[2]

Interactions[]

Blood on the Ice[]

Susanna Murder Scene

The murder scene of Susanna, where Calixto stands as a "witness."

Calixto Corrium appears at the scene of Susanna the Wicked's murder. When questioned by the Dragonborn, he says he saw the culprit run off, but can give little else. He, along with Silda the Unseen and Helgird, are released as suspects after their questioning. After learning that the killer used Nordic embalming tools from Helgird, the Dragonborn later discovers a Strange Amulet at Hjerim, and are directed towards Calixto for further investigation into it. Calixto claims the amulet to be a ceremonial Wheelstone, and that it belongs to Wuunferth the Unliving, the court mage. After lying that Wuunferth dabbled in necromancy before serving the Jarl, Calixto requests to buy the amulet for 500 Gold. The Dragonborn can accept this or refuse, although refusing will make the Necromancer's Amulet unobtainable.

Based on this information, the Dragonborn will accuse Wuunferth of the crime. If they choose to speak to Jorleif, he will shortly arrest the court mage, and the case will close. Windhelm will appear safe again for a few days. Unfortunately, the Dragonborn will find a new female body outside of Candlehearth Hall, where guards will be in disbelief since the killer had been caught; Calixto will be at the scene again, although he will have nothing special to say. The Dragonborn goes to the imprisoned Wuunferth, who will make it clear that the true murderer eluded capture. He will then assist the Dragonborn in catching the Butcher. Alternatively, the Dragonborn can speak to Wuunferth directly in the Palace of the Kings, who will prove his innocence by telling that he was investigating the murders himself. In this case, Calixto will not claim a fourth victim. Regardless of the path chosen earlier, Wuunferth predicts where and when the next murder will occur and, suspecting the killer will strike again that same night, he sends the Dragonborn to the Stone Quarter.

Calixto Murders Arivanya

Calixto as he murders Arivanya in the Stone Quarter.

Arriving in the market, the Dragonborn will find Calixto standing to the side; unlike everyone else in the market, he will keep to himself. After a moment, his next victim—Nilsine Shatter-Shield, Jora, Hermir Strong-Heart, Idesa Sadri, or Arivanya—will suddenly scream as Calixto approaches. The guards do not react to the murder, and so it is up to the Dragonborn to save the victim. If not stopped in the marketplace in time, Calixto will kill his target and then run to Hjerim, where he will be hostile to the Dragonborn upon entering. Calixto is shortly killed and the murderous streak is brought to an end.

Tour[]

While in the House of Curiosities, Calixto offers tours of the trinkets he and his sister collected for 2 Gold; paying this will begin the tour of his collection. Of The Book of Fate, he will claim that it displays the destiny of those who read it, although it appears blank to the Dragonborn. He will then direct the Dragonborn to Ysgramor's soup spoon, where he will remark that it is indeed a fork, but that this did not stop Ysgramor from using it. He will next inform them of The Dancer's Flute; he tells that it has destroyed empires and won wars, claiming that it will force those around to dance uncontrollably, although he will stop short of activating it. The tour completes after this, although it can be repeated as many times as desired.

Dialogue[]

General

Inside Calixto's House of Curiosities:

"Welcome to the House of Curiosities! I offer a brief tour for a few coins, or you can simply browse at your leisure."

How did you assemble this collection? "My sister and I inherited a modest sum of money. We decided to travel and seek out whatever adventures we could find. As we journeyed across Tamriel, we encountered tales of exotic and wondrous artifacts. We decided to collect as many as we could. My sister passed away some years ago, so I settled down here and opened the House of Curiosities. I think she would be happy to know that our collection has brought smiles to faces both young and old."
You mentioned a tour? "Indeed I did! For a few septims, I'll tell you about some of the most interesting curiosities in my collection."
I'll take the tour. (2 gold) "Splendid! If you'll just follow me, I'll tell you tales and show you wonders such as you've never seen."
Another time, maybe. "Very well. If you change your mind, you can usually find me here. In the meantime, feel free to look around."
Blood on the Ice

"Always a shame when someone has to die."

Did you see what happened here? "Sorry. I thought I saw a fellow running away, but didn't get a good look at him."

After investigating Hjerim:

"Welcome to the House of Curiosities! I offer a brief tour for a few coins, or you can simply browse at your leisure."

Do you know anything about this amulet? "Let me see... ah, yes. This is the Wheelstone. It's an heirloom symbol of power in Windhelm. Traditionally it's carried by the court mage. I would... eh... be interested in acquiring it. If you're willing to part with it, that is. For a piece like this, I could pay... 500 gold?"
You have yourself a deal, sir. "Wonderful. This will be a splendid addition to my private collection."
Shouldn't the court mage have it? "Wuunferth? Bah. It's purely ceremonial, and he has no use for it. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the one to give it to him. Gives me the creeps. They say he dabbles in necromancy."
I think I'll hold on to it for the time being. "Suit yourself. It's only of value to collectors, though. Good luck finding anyone else who will appraise it that highly!"

If the Amulet was not sold yet:

About that amulet... "The Wheelstone? Have you decided to sell it, yet?"

Conversations[]

Elda Early-Dawn

Elda: "Calixto, someone left an interesting ring in here a few weeks ago. Would you like a look?" Calixto: "Of course, my dear. It may prove to be quite the curiosity! One must always be alert." Elda: "Well, I seem to have misplaced it at the moment. But it was white, like alabaster, with three bright rubies set in it." Calixto: "Be very careful with that. It sounds as if it may be the Death Ring of Dro'farahn. A ring of the most dangerous sort." Elda: "Oh dear. What should I do?" Calixto: "Bring it to me straight away when you find it. Don't dally. I can keep it safe." Elda: "Oh, thank the gods you're in Windhelm, Calixto!" Calixto: "Think nothing of it."

Elda: "Calixto, do you know if there's any truth to these rumors of dragons?" Calixto: "Eh. I try not to trouble myself with stories of the outside world. Now, if someone brings me a dragon scale, that's a different story." Elda: "But how would you know it's real?" Calixto: "Ah, I can't reveal all my secrets to you. But rest assured, I would know."

Quotes[]

  • "If you've got some time, stop by the House of Curiosities. I promise you'll see wonders!"
  • "Welcome, friend, to Calixto's House of Curiosities!"
  • "My sister and I once traveled the world to assemble our collection. Such adventures we had!"
  • "I don't care much for the war one way or the other."
  • "It bothers me that fewer people come to Windhelm these days."
Tour

Calixto will say the following statements, in order, when showing the Dragonborn his collection of mysterious objects:

  • "These tools were found in a crypt outside Windhelm. They belonged to the ancient Nords who dwelt in Skyrim before the days of the First Empire. Most scholars believe that the Nords of old used these implements to prepare their dead for burial. What macabre mysteries would these tools reveal if they could but speak?"
  • "Here is the Book of Fate, discovered in a secret room in the Arcane University. The writing in the book describes the destiny of its reader, so the words change from one person to the next. Some see only blank pages, and nobody knows why. Perhaps some of us are born with no destiny, or maybe the blank pages signify an imminent death."
  • "Ah, now here is an item out of legend. This is Ysgramor's Soup Spoon. Now, I know what you're thinking - this is no spoon, it's a fork! Nobody can eat soup with a fork! Well, my friend, you did not know Ysgramor."
  • "Don't let this innocent-looking flute fool you, for this is the Dancer's Pipe. Legend holds that the Dancer's Pipe has won wars, toppled empires and changed the very course of history. None know its origins, but the stories say that men who hear its music are compelled to dance uncontrollably, no matter the peril. To activate this strange power, one must only speak the magic words, which are... Oh my, I very nearly got us both into a nasty predicament, didn't I?"
  • "And with that, the tour is over. I thank you for your patronage, and I hope to see you again soon!"

Trivia[]

  • Calixto possesses a key that will open a key-only chest in the House of Curiosities. Opening it will reveal Nordic embalming tools and Butcher Journal 3.
    • By pick-pocketing the key, it is possible to discover this journal before discovering that he is the killer, and before he blames the murders on Wuunferth the Unliving; however, doing this will not affect the quest in any way, and the Dragonborn will still have to discover who the killer is.
  • During "Summerset Shadows," Niranye will reveal that Calixto's first victim was Fjotli Cruel-Sea.

Bugs[]

This section contains bugs related to Calixto Corrium. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:

  1. Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening.
  2. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.
  3. 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.
  •  360   PS3   During "Blood on the Ice," after obtaining the Strange Amulet, it is possible to sell it to Calixto, then pickpocket it back, then sell it to him again endlessly for 500 Gold each time. This can be easily exploited for a lot of money, as well as easily training Pickpocket.
  • If Calixto is asked to give a tour while not in his house, he may enter the building, leaving the door locked behind him. The lock can be picked, after which the tour may or may not resume normally.
  •  360   PS3   During the quest "Blood on the Ice" he may become immortal and stay in Hjerim, and every time it is entered he will attack.
    • Also, during the same quest, he may not attempt to murder someone but start running like a normal civilian. Both attacking and killing him will add bounty and guards will start to attack.
  • After obtaining the Strange Amulet it is impossible to sell it to Calixto.
  •  PC   Sometimes, as Calixto goes to the Stone Quarter for the final murder, he and the other character may get stuck, and will stand in the Quarter indefinitely. Calixto cannot be spoken to during this time. The only way to finish the quest is through console commands, but the characters will remain stuck there. Wuunferth will also remain, in the jails, despite being exonerated.

Appearances[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dialogue with Calixto Corrium
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Butcher Journal 3
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Butcher Journal 2
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Events of "Blood on the Ice."
  5. 5.0 5.1 Dialogue with Wuunferth the Unliving
  6. Dialogue with Helgird
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Dialogue with a Windhelm Guard
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Butcher Journal 1
  9. Beware the Butcher!
  10. 10.0 10.1 Dialogue with Viola Giordano
  11. Dialogue with Jorleif
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