The Whispering Door

Murmurs at the Whispering Door

Once you’re an experienced adventurer (and reached Level 20 or higher), and you’ve helped Jarl Balgruuf the Greater of Whiterun during Main Quest: Dragon Rising, speak to the Innkeeper at the Bannered Mare in Whiterun. Rumor has it that the Jarl is having some trouble with his children. Ask him about this, and Balgruuf tells you Nelkir has become brooding and is prone to violence. He asks whether you could speak to him and ask why he’s acting the way he is.

Nelkir is wandering somewhere inside Dragonsreach, usually near the great hall or the war room atop the steps, or in the Jarl’s quarters. When you greet Nelkir, he’s suitably petulant. Once you’ve faced the verbal abuse, Nelkir mentions that he knows more about his father than anyone thinks he does. Ask him to clarify, and he says his father still worships Talos and hates the Thalmor almost as much as the Stormcloaks do. Ask how he knows this, and he mentions a place where he overhears murmuring: Nelkir listens to Lady of Whispers from the locked door in the basement. She talks to him. She’ll probably talk to you, too.

Head northwest through the great hall and down the steps close to the large fireplace. Open the basement door, and enter the tiny storage room with a locked door in the far left (eastern) corner. Listen at the door, and a strange woman’s voice echoes through the keyhole. Regrettably, the voice cannot reveal itself in this plane directly, and few hear the words of Mephala, the Lady of Whispers. She expects you to take an active role in sussing out secrets. This starts with you opening the locked door, as a piece of her power has been locked away behind it. The dark child Nelkir holds knowledge that will further your new cause.

When you meet Nelkir again, he already knows you’ve met the Whispering Lady. Speak to him, and he tells you that only two people can open the door: Balgruuf and Farengar Secret-Fire the court wizard. You must decide who to interact with and take the key from them.

This leaves two possible keyholders to choose. You can:

• Pickpocket Balgruuf: Wait until Balgruuf moves from his throne and you aren’t being watched, then sneak up and pickpocket him. He can be asleep or simply facing away from you.
• Kill Farengar: Wait until Farengar retires to his quarters, ideally moving into his adjacent bedroom, and then kill him while he sleeps. This isn’t that wise, unless you’ve purchased all the spells you need to from him.
• Pickpocket Farengar: Wait until Farengar retires to his quarters, and then sneak up and pickpocket him. He can be asleep or simply facing away from you.

Once one of these plans works, you manage to obtain a prized key.

• Whispering Door Key

Quest Conclusion

Head back down into the storage cellar, to the door at which you listened to Mephala, and open it with the key. Inside is a simple storage room. On the wooden table rests a long Ebony Blade and an admonition against it. The book tells you to resist the temptation of taking this indestructible, madness-inducing, cursed sword. When you pick up the blade, the whisper in your head congratulates you, but then informs you that the blade must be returned to its past glory. The blood of deceit must be drunk! You are now bound to the will of Mephala!

• Admonition Against Ebony
• Ebony Blade

Postquest Activities

This powerful Daedric weapon is currently underwhelming and lacks power. However, for every friend (i.e., someone you’ve completed a favor for, completed a task for, or won over during any type of quest) that you kill with it, the blade becomes more and more powerful, as it absorbs life from its victims.