Rebuilding the Blades is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This will not appear by this name in the journal. Instead, there will be a miscellaneous quest to "Bring a follower to Delphine." Delphine has requested the Dragonborn to bring her three followers who will then take an oath and be inducted into the Blades.
Objectives[]
- Bring a follower to Delphine (three times)
- Ask Esbern about dragon lairs
Walkthrough[]
After completing the main quest Alduin's Wall, the Dragonborn can talk to Delphine and ask "So this is all the Blades? Two people?", at which point Delphine will say that eventually the Blades will be rebuilt. The Dragonborn can offer to bring new recruits to the Blades. Talking to Delphine while having a follower will allow that follower to be inducted into the Blades.
Followers who can join the Blades are listed in the table below. A maximum of three followers can be recruited.
Once a follower becomes a Blade, they will move to Sky Haven Temple and are no longer found at their original location when dismissed. The only exception is Derkeethus, who will be at his original location due to a bug.
Once three followers are sworn in to become Blades, the "Dragon Hunting" quest becomes available which involves slaying a dragon at a random dragon lair with the new recruits.
Should a Blade recruit die, they cannot be replaced by inducting another follower. As such, choosing an essential character (such as Erandur, Frea or Mjoll the Lioness) to become one of the three Blade recruits is a strong strategic choice.
A Blade member's combat morale varies whether they are a Housecarl, Companions, Dawnguard, magician, mercenary, citizen or other class. Some characters will fight until defeated while others will flee from battle when their health is low.
Housecarls[]
| Name | Location | Prerequisite | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argis the Bulwark | Vlindrel Hall, Markarth | Become Thane of Markarth | Nord | No |
| Calder | Hjerim, Windhelm | Become Thane of Eastmarch | Nord | No |
| Gregor HF | The White Hall, Dawnstar | Become Thane of the Pale | Nord | No |
| Iona | Honeyside, Riften | Become Thane of The Rift | Nord | No |
| Jordis the Sword-Maiden | Proudspire Manor, Solitude | Become Thane of Haafingar | Nord | No |
| Lydia | Breezehome, Whiterun | Become Thane of Whiterun | Nord | No |
| Rayya HF | Jarl's Longhouse, Falkreath | Become Thane of Falkreath | Redguard | No |
| Valdimar HF | Highmoon Hall, Morthal | Become Thane of Hjaalmarch | Nord | No |
College of Winterhold[]
| Name | Class | Location | Quest | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brelyna Maryon | Mystic | Hall of Attainment | Brelyna's Practice | Dunmer | No |
| J'zargo | Sorcerer | Hall of Attainment | J'zargo's Experiment | Khajiit | No |
| Onmund | Sorcerer | Hall of Attainment | Onmund's Request | Nord | No |
The Companions[]
| Name | Class | Location | Quest | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aela the Huntress | Thief | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Nord | Until the questline is complete |
| Athis | Warrior | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Dunmer | No |
| Farkas | Blacksmith | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Nord | Until the questline is complete |
| Njada Stonearm | Warrior | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Nord | No |
| Ria | Warrior | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Imperial | No |
| Torvar | Warrior | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Nord | No |
| Vilkas | Warrior | Jorrvaskr | Glory of the Dead | Nord | Until the questline is complete |
Dawnguard[]
| Name | Class | Location | Prerequisite | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingjard | Warrior | Fort Dawnguard | Complete A New Order | Nord | No |
| Durak | Ranger | Fort Dawnguard | Complete A New Order | Orc | No |
| Agmaer | Bandit | Fort Dawnguard | Complete A New Order | Nord | No |
| Beleval | Bandit | Fort Dawnguard | Complete A New Order | Bosmer | No |
| Celann | Warrior | Fort Dawnguard | Complete A New Order | Breton | No |
Mercenaries[]
| Name | Class | Location | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belrand | Spellsword | The Winking Skeever, Solitude | Nord | No |
| Jenassa | Ranger | The Drunken Huntsman, Whiterun | Dunmer | No |
| Marcurio | Mage | Bee and Barb, Riften | Imperial | No |
| Stenvar | Warrior | Candlehearth Hall, Windhelm | Nord | No |
| Teldryn Sero DR | Spellsword | The Retching Netch, Raven Rock | Dunmer | No |
| Vorstag | Warrior | Silver-Blood Inn, Markarth | Nord | No |
Quest reward followers[]
These followers typically have a quest attached to them and it must be completed in order to gain them as a follower.
Miscellaneous followers[]
These followers have no specific quest attached to them. Gaining them as a follower may sometimes be a trivial affair, such as brawling against them and winning the match.
| Name | Class | Location | Prerequisite | Race | Essential |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benor | Warrior | Morthal | Beat him in a brawl | Nord | No |
| Borgakh the Steel Heart | Warrior | Mor Khazgur | Pay her dowry or persuade her | Orc | No |
| Cosnach | Warrior | Silver-Blood Inn, Markarth | Beat him in a brawl or give him a drink | Breton | No |
| Derkeethus | Ranger | Darkwater Pass | Free him from captivity | Argonian | Always (due to a bug) |
| Ghorbash the Iron Hand | Ranger | Dushnikh Yal | Convince him to travel with the Dragonborn | Orc | No |
| Uthgerd the Unbroken | Warrior | The Bannered Mare, Whiterun | Beat her in a brawl | Nord | No |
Journal[]
| Rebuilding the Blades – FreeformSkyhavenTempleA | |
|---|---|
| ID | Journal Entry |
| 10 |
|
| 20 |
|
| 30 |
|
| 40 |
|
Trivia[]
- Cicero, Serana and Dark Brotherhood initiates are the only followers that cannot become Blades.
- It is possible to begin this quest without killing Paarthurnax by talking to Delphine after the completion of "Alduin's Wall."
- Mercenaries can follow the Dragonborn for no charge if recruited into the faction.
- Recruits who die by any means cannot be replaced by inducting new members.
- Since all Blades recruits are given the heavy armor set of the Blades along with the shield and the one-handed weapon Blades Sword, followers that are skilled in Heavy Armor, One-Handed, and Block will benefit most from the new gear, while followers without these skills may be handicapped.
Bugs[]
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This section contains bugs related to Rebuilding the Blades. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:
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- Armor given to Blades inductees prior to their induction may be removed from their inventory.
- Housecarls who are chosen to become Blades will say "I will be back at your house if you need me, Thane.", though they will return to Sky Haven Temple.
- Occasionally, Blades inductees will return to the place they where recruited despite Delphine having accepted them.
- Loading a save game before recruiting the previous Blade follower, which is only possible if the inductee if not the first to be recruited, will fix the issue.
- Esbern not respond properly to the Dragonborn's attempts to interact and instead only say "Did you say something?"
- When recruiting Mjoll the Lioness, Aerin can still follow her around, keeping him at Sky Haven Temple for the rest of the game.
- He will also follow Mjoll when sent by Esbern to slay a dragon.
