Thane of Falkreath: how to earn the title
Thane of Falkreath is one of the quicker thane titles in Skyrim because you only need to help three people and there is no house to buy. The catch is that the hold has very few favor quests, and the two Jarls, Siddgeir and Dengeir of Stuhn, want different things from you first.
This guide covers the prerequisite for each Jarl, every favor that counts, the Blade of Falkreath, and how Hearthfire adds the housecarl Rayya and the Lakeview Manor plot.
Favors that count toward Thane of Falkreath (three needed)
| Quest giver | Where to find them | Quest | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hert | Half-Moon Mill | Chop Wood | Chop firewood at the mill's block and sell it to her (5 gold each) |
| Mathies | Corpselight Farm | Gather Wheat | Harvest cabbage, gourds or potatoes and sell them to him |
| Dengeir of Stuhn | Dengeir's House | Some Light Theft | Steal the Private Letter from Lod's bedside table and bring it back |
| Thadgeir | Dengeir's House | Delivery | Carry Berit's Ashes to Runil at the Hall of the Dead |
| Runil | Hall of the Dead | Dungeon Delving | Fetch Runil's Journal from a radiant cave |
| Solaf | Gray Pine Goods | Investment | Invest 500 gold with the Investor perk (Speech 70) |
Step 1: do a job for the Jarl
The Jarl sits in the Jarl's Longhouse in Falkreath. What he wants depends on who he is.
- Siddgeir (the Imperial-aligned Jarl you meet by default) first asks for a bottle of Black-Briar Mead in Rare Gifts, then sends you to clear a bandit camp in Kill the Bandit Leader. With Hearthfire, a letter from the Jarl can arrive at level 9 and skips the mead errand. If Siddgeir was removed in Season Unending and put back by the Stormcloak-side Battle for Fort Neugrad, that already counts as helping him.
- Dengeir of Stuhn becomes Jarl if the Stormcloaks take Falkreath, either through Season Unending or the Imperial-side Rescue from Fort Neugrad. Installing him is the only prerequisite; he asks for nothing else.
After that, ask about becoming thane and the objective "Assist the people of Falkreath" appears. There is a separate page for every task that counts.
Step 2: assist three people of Falkreath Hold
Any three of the favors in the table above will do, and favors you completed before the objective appeared still count. Some things that look like favors do not count:
- Dark Ancestor, Dengeir's vampire hunt, gives no disposition because Some Light Theft is its prerequisite and already used up the credit.
- Anything done inside a Daedric quest, such as helping Lod find his dog in A Daedra's Best Friend.
- Investing in Zaria's shop, Grave Concoctions, only works with the Unofficial Skyrim Patch.
A timing warning: once Dengeir is Jarl he no longer hands out his personal quests, so do Some Light Theft while he is still a thane living in his own house. If you conquer Falkreath for the Stormcloaks before ever visiting the town, Dengeir is removed as a favor giver and the quest becomes very hard to finish.
Step 3: rewards for the Thane of Falkreath
Return to the Jarl once three favors are done. You receive:
- The title Thane of Falkreath Hold, which lets you talk your way out of one minor crime per offence with the hold's guards.
- The Blade of Falkreath, a random leveled enchanted sword. It has a 50 percent chance of being a one-handed sword and 50 percent of being a greatsword.
- A small amount of gold.
- With Hearthfire, a personal housecarl, Rayya.
Unlike Riften, Whiterun, Windhelm, Markarth or Solitude, no property purchase is required. The base game has no house for sale in Falkreath at all.
Hearthfire: Rayya and Lakeview Manor
Hearthfire adds a plot of land north of Pinewatch, between Falkreath and Riverwood, called Lakeview Manor. It costs 5,000 gold from the steward: Nenya under Siddgeir (after Kill the Bandit Leader) or Tekla under Dengeir (no extra quest needed). The plot is not required for the thane title, but Rayya, the Redguard housecarl you get as Thane of Falkreath, moves in once you have built the small house layout. Until then she waits near the Jarl's Longhouse. See Hearthfire houses for the other two plots.
Bugs that can block the title
If you were caught killing Siddgeir's housecarl Helvard during the Dark Brotherhood contract, Siddgeir treats you as an enemy and never grants the title; a new Jarl will. On PC the relationship can be repaired with a console command listed on UESP. Also save before talking to the Jarl after your third favor, in case the dialogue does not appear.
On the map: 7 locations
Thane of Falkreath: how to earn the title: FAQ
How do you become Thane of Falkreath?
Help the Jarl first (Kill the Bandit Leader for Siddgeir, or install Dengeir through the civil war), then assist three people of Falkreath Hold and return to the Jarl's Longhouse for the title.
Do you need to buy a house to become Thane of Falkreath?
No. Falkreath has no purchasable house in the base game, and the Hearthfire Lakeview Manor plot is optional for the title.
Who is the housecarl for the Thane of Falkreath?
Rayya, but only with the Hearthfire add-on. She moves to Lakeview Manor once the small house is built.
What is the Blade of Falkreath?
A random leveled enchanted sword given as the thane reward, with an even chance of being a one-handed sword or a greatsword.
Does Dark Ancestor count toward Thane of Falkreath?
No. Some Light Theft counts, but Dark Ancestor, which follows it, does not raise Dengeir's disposition again.
Which Falkreath favors are fastest?
Chop wood for Hert at Half-Moon Mill and gather crops for Mathies at Corpselight Farm; both take a minute or two and need no skills. Thadgeir's delivery of Berit's Ashes to Runil is a short walk across town.