- For other uses, see Courier.
Couriers are characters in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim who deliver messages to people throughout Skyrim, including the Dragonborn. Often a letter being received starts a new quest.
Characteristics[]
- "I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only."
- ―Courier[src]
The courier may take up to 24 hours or more to deliver the letter, depending on how much the Dragonborn travels. They can also be found with messages to other people and will tell the Dragonborn that they are "in a hurry." All couriers are either Nords, Imperials, Dunmer or Bosmer.
Encounters[]
Dragon Shout[]
A courier will bring a letter to the Dragonborn for the first time after they use a dragon shout in virtually any location. This activates a radiant quest, in which the Dragonborn learns the locations of new Word Walls throughout Skyrim.
Letters revealing the locations of Word Walls can be stolen from the couriers. This can sometimes result in the courier sending Hired Thugs after the Dragonborn.
Homestead[]
In The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire, couriers are one way of activating the process of buying a plot of land to build a homestead on, as they will bring a letter from one of the three Holds.
Enchanted weapons[]
Couriers can bring letters when the Dragonborn acquires certain enchanted weapons or types of weapons or armor from vendors or from smithing/enchanting them. These quests usually ask the Dragonborn to deliver said weapon to a rich researcher who offers suitable reward for bringing them the item. A good example is the Letter from Calcemo.
Letter of Inheritance[]
Couriers will deliver the Letter of Inheritance when someone close to the Dragonborn dies. Often, these letters are accompanied by various sums of 
.
Inns and taverns[]
Couriers can be found in inns across Skyrim. They do not deliver anything to the Dragonborn, but can be pickpocketed for a radiant Courier's Letter. Sometimes a courier may enter an inn or tavern but, if followed inside, will not be there.
Civil War[]
Couriers may be found in the wild, either being a Stormcloak or Imperial courier. They run to an area and respond generically when talked to. They can also try to get the Dragonborn to join whatever faction they are affiliated with. If the courier wanders into an area controlled by the opposite faction, they will be attacked and killed. Despite being named Courier, these characters do not carry any messages, except during certain civil war quests.
Discerning the Transmundane[]
If the Dragonborn has completed the first half of "Discerning the Transmundane" and has reached level 15, they will receive a Letter from Septimus Signus.
Pieces of the Past[]
After the Dragonborn reaches level 20, a courier will deliver a Museum Pamphlet from Silus Vesuius inviting them to visit his Mythic Dawn Museum in Dawnstar.
Repairing the Phial[]
After the quests "The White Phial" and "Throat of the World" have both been completed, a courier will deliver the Letter from Quintus Navale asking the Dragonborn to return there.
The Man Who Cried Wolf[]
Elisif the Fair and Falk Firebeard will both send a letter by courier to the Dragonborn upon completion of this quest, requesting their service once again.
With Friends Like These...[]
After killing Grelod the Kind for Aventus Aretino, a courier brings a Mysterious Note to the Dragonborn from the Dark Brotherhood.
Unearthed DR[]
Various couriers will deliver notes from Ralis Sedarys. Each new letter will bring annoyance from the courier at having to constantly deliver letters from Ralis.
Quotes[]
- "Important deliveries to make! No time for chatting!"
- "Nope, sorry. Nothing."
Trivia[]
- Due to their essential status, when attacked, couriers sending messages to the Dragonborn cannot be killed, do not retaliate and do not incur a bounty if one attacks them in public; instead, they draw their weapon and flee. If the Dragonborn attacks a courier in a public place, passersby will sometimes attack him as well. The player may use this as a means to level up combat skills quickly without repercussions.
- In rare cases, shouting indoors then exiting the building a very few in-game minutes later can make him appear almost immediately with a Letter from a Friend.
- Couriers may also appear on Solstheim if Dragonborn is installed, provided that the Dragonborn is on the island and not the mainland.
- Couriers may ask if they can take items that the Dragonborn has dropped.
- A courier can be used as a safe, if irregular, storage space for weapons. Pick a courier's pocket and plant a weapon, then attack him but sheath the weapon, and he will return the planted weapon to its sheath. When he is next seen, the weapon will still be at his side, and can be stolen back.
- Waiting for a courier could take weeks of in-game time. If one needs to summon a courier to continue a Dark Brotherhood quest for example, there is a way to make him show up quicker. Go to the Data Files from the game's launcher, and disable the Hearthfire extension. Launch the game, save and exit. Then, enable Hearthfire again, launch the game and enter any big city. A courier will approach the Dragonborn and give them any letters that may await them. It is important to note, however, that this method will restart any progress made with the Hearthfire DLC.confirmation needed
- The Courier is voiced by Jason Marsden.
- The Courier who delivers letters to the Dragonborn will always look the same, but wear different clothes.
Bugs[]
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This section contains bugs related to Courier (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- PC 360 PS3 In rare cases, a courier can appear wearing nothing but gloves, boots, a hat, and underwear. If pickpocketed, the clothes can be seen still in the courier's inventory.
- On rare occasions, the Dragonborn, when accepting a letter from a courier, may be attacked by them. The courier may say they are stealing after giving the letter.
- PS3 Very rarely, a courier may have Hamelyn's Journal in their inventory, which may be pickpocketed from him.