Who is the friend that sends you letters?

[Blake]

If you played Skyrim, chances on you have been visited by a courier who gives you a letter from someboboy only known as "A Friend". The courier is triggered by shouting in any location and the note will lead the player to a Word Wall. Never in the game do you find out who this friend is.

Although there isn't really any proof as to who it is, who do you like to think is this friend? The only stupid theory is one that you don't share with me and instead accidentally let it slip out during your weekly trip to your psychiatrist I had a gay experience at summer camp. Here are my favorite two theories.

[*]Your stalker is a Master Illusionist named Arnold Friend, or his pen name, A. Friend. He turns invisible and muffles his footsteps as he follows you where ever you go. May or may not also be the courier.

[*]Talos. THINK ABOUT IT. He sees you wherever you go. He wants you to perfect your shouting abilities. Clearly the only logical idea.

[David]

It's Delphine/The Greybeards.Delphine admits to sending you on some goose chase like this, I don't remember the specifics to say whether or not it was this one though.

[cheekychips]

I enjoyed the "where are you going where have you been reference." Yes. I bets its men excite me Talos

[Blake]

It's Delphine/The Greybeards.

Too obvious of answers. Besides, neither one makes sense.

1. The courier says something along the lines of "He only said he was a friend". Of course there is a chance Delphine could of hid in robes to hide her gender. Also, you can get these letters before you meet Delphine, yet Delphine had to get the horn before you did to find out who was the so called Dragonborn. I guess it could be the guy at the bar handing off the letters, but doesn't really explain the whole "Hey. I know where a bunch of Words of Powers are, but instead of telling you, I"m going to wait until you shout somewhere, then have a courier hand it off to you in the form of an anonymous letter. Now go save the world!!!"

2. A bit more probable, but they don't really leave their mountain so I don't see how they would know when you shouted, Then again they heard you when you first killed the dragon, but still don't have access to a courier. And they already tell you where Words are without any retarded waiting and doesn't make sense they will do this two ways.

[David]

The Greybeards know most of what you do and other things going on in the world without ever leaving. That's part of their enigma. They could easily just summon a courier themselves or use that dude that brings them supplies at the bottom of the mountain. The letter could have been a test, they don't actually tell you where words are until after you've completed most of their little quest line.Basically it is the Greybeards.

[Blake]

But why would they go through this letter technique as well as tell you where they are upfront? Also why don't they ever tell you they are sending you letters with locations on them?Basically, it isn't the Greybeards.

[David]

The letters are tests. They're also not upfront at all in the beginning. You haven't come up with a single reason why it can't be the Greybeards besides reasons like "They can't find a courier!" when they're the same people that summon a thunderstorm and call you out from the SKY.Meanwhile your best theory is a stalker named Arnold with no motives other than lulz. Does he open all of his letters with "Hey!"? How does he contact couriers if he's invisible? How can he pick up a pen without seeing his hands? If he's the courier how the ef did you get the letter in the first place, did you just see it "floating in the wind" and catch it (i.e. Arnold try to play keep away like a little school girl.)?Talos is an INANIMATE God yet can still write a letter, give it to a courier, and even cares enough in the first place to help you? Lies. Why would he even bother with a letter? Besides, Talos doesn't give a damn. In fact he probably wants you to fail because you joined the Legion and tried to stamp out his Nord worshippers.

[Blake]

Obviously Arnold can control his invisibility, but the Arnold thing wasn't serious, so I'll skip that.As for the Talos, the letter says he wants to see the player develop his/her talents because Skyrim needs a true hero, maybe such as himself when he was alive. Also a God caring enough to play an active role isn't something that hasn't happened before, hell Tiber Septim himself manifested himself as an Imperial named Wulf and gave you an item to help you kill Dagoth Ur in Morrowind. It isn't unlikely that he would intervene again to stop the Aludin crisis. As for the war thing, like you said, maybe no matter who wins the war you'll be set up as the person who will unite the Empire again.As for the Greybeards, there isn't any good reason as to why they aren't it except the whole telling you where two words of power are at the same time. Even if this was some "test", cause we all know how telling you where words are via letter instead of directly to you tests your abilities to the max, they continue the letters and directly telling you where the words are throughout the main quest and after.

[David]

Skyrim needs a true hero, maybe such as himself

He's the hero Skyrim deserves, but not the one it needs right now.So we'll worship him. Because he deserves it.Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector.A dead Nord.

Also a God caring enough to play an active role isn't something that hasn't happened before, hell Tiber Septim himself manifested himself as an Imperial named Wulf and gave you an item to help you kill Dagoth Ur in Morrowind. It isn't unlikely that he would intervene again to stop the Aludin crisis.

True. But really, sending a letter by courier? What is he, a God or the Dovahkiin's aging grandmother? As a God, if it were really him who sent the message, I'm sure he would do something much more badass. Think about all of the quests that involve divines/gods/etc in Skyrim. One talks to you inanimately through a haunted house. One makes you create some type of super-LSD substance in a pot and makes you snort it. Talos is not going to follow those acts up by sending a quaintly written parchment letter. He's going to zap you in the ass with a thunderbolt and tattoo his message on your rectum.

As for the Greybeards, there isn't any good reason as to why they aren't it except the whole telling you where two words of power are at the same time. Even if this was some "test", cause we all know how telling you where words are via letter instead of directly to you tests your abilities to the max, they continue the letters and directly telling you where the words are throughout the main quest and after.

I meant it was a test before (or for when) you even met them, you get the letter one quest before you're summoned by the Greybeards if I'm not mistaken. Also, I was not aware that there were multiple letters from "A Friend" besides the one.

[Blake]

Yeah you can keep shouting in public places and getting more.As for the whole letter thing, only the Daedric princes contact you in badass ways. Maybe Talos is going for the subtle approach?Or maybe it is a plot device created by Bethesda to help guide the players along the game by finding more word walls and getting stronger. I doubt that is the real answer though.

[Unknown ProbLem]

Best shouting experience to get a letter was accidentally casting Storm Call in solitude. the man who wrote it apparently enjoyed my prowess for calling down ruthless NPC killing thunderbolts that don't understand the difference between friend and foe.As for a theory, i have no idea. from reading the arguement/debate, I agree with David because his points seem to be more valid. I've played and done a lot of research about Elder Scrolls stuff and Divine beings have never really chosen the "subtle" route, as david gave examples of. maybe though, and who knows, it could just be a random non-named traveler like yourself who happens to notice it (he is probably a spellcaster since if i remember correctly he mentions something about power coming from there) however my parenthases could also work for the greybeards as they are superior wizards, so again, who knows. Honestly, they do seem subtle laid back and very very Swedish as far as problems go. (no offence, Sweden is the shit)

[Phantom]

It's either Delphine, or, you know, some unimportant NPC. Someone once said Paarthurnax, which makes no sense. Someone also once thought it was Alduin who was trying to make you a more worthy opponent.But Delphine does sign the Jorgen Windcaller note 'a friend', so it makes sense.It would NEVER be a Divine. The Divines don't deal with the mortal realm; even Talos or Arkay (who were once men). That's the main difference between aedra and daedra.The only real instance would be the Oblivion Crisis where the DIRECT intervention of the gods was needed, even then it was only an avatar of Akatosh, using Martin Septim as a catalyst.

[Blake]

It's either Delphine, or, you know, some unimportant NPC. Someone once said Paarthurnax, which makes no sense. Someone also once thought it was Alduin who was trying to make you a more worthy opponent.But Delphine does sign the Jorgen Windcaller note 'a friend', so it makes sense.It would NEVER be a Divine. The Divines don't deal with the mortal realm; even Talos or Arkay (who were once men). That's the main difference between aedra and daedra.The only real instance would be the Oblivion Crisis where the DIRECT intervention of the gods was needed, even then it was only an avatar of Akatosh, using Martin Septim as a catalyst.

Talos did deal with the moral realm in Morrowind. :PAlso Delphine doesn't make sense as she didn't even know who was the Dragonborn until she stole the horn.

[Unknown ProbLem]

Talos did deal with the moral realm in Morrowind. :PAlso Delphine doesn't make sense as she didn't even know who was the Dragonborn until she stole the horn.

Or does she? we'll probably never know, I think Bethesda sends those, just to troll us

[Phantom]

Then it might be just a game feature. Just something of the random Dragonborn who doesn't follow a path and just follows shiny things.And yes... Wulf.Even that was restricted.Taken from the wiki, "Unlike the powerful Daedra, the Aedra do not have their own native planes within Oblivion. Rather, the act of creation bound them permanently to the mortal plane. Additionally, their power was so reduced that the Aedra lost the ability to manifest themselves physically or to interact directly with their creation. This limitation is one of the prime forces behind the existence of daedra worship; since the Daedric Lords did not give up their strength to create Nirn, they retain the power to interfere with the mortal world and are thus attractive to the power-hungry among the mortals."Since Talos wasn't one of the original, and rather he became Divine a la apotheosis, he can manifest on Nirn. But he is still limited.Take my fanfiction for example, I have Talos reborn as a Nord. He inhabits the same body he left in, but he is devoid of his Divine 'powers', instead (and this is a huuuge spoiler for my fic) he has the ability to channel the Divine power from the world around him. He's not Talos-the-Almighty-I-turn-you-to-dust-with-one-glance Talos.

[Omega Dragon Warlord]

I honestly never thought about until I just now saw this thread.What about one of them guards that saw you absorb the dragon and immediately claims you're Dragonborn? Or maybe the Jarl of Whiterun, Balgruuf himself? He does take on the friendly approach soon as you reach Dragonsreach.(As far as Talos goes, I could've sworn the Dragonborn gets referred to as Talos near the end of Skyrim's main storyline or in some sidequest around then?)

[Divesh98]

Well this reply is very late since i only just saw this thread after thinking about who really writes these letter...

And i think i have a simpler or at least a new explanation as to why these letters are sent to you the Dragonborn

Recently i started a new save file(tho not much different from the 1st) and i was merrily shouting my way around the city known as whiterun with my follower Uthgerd the Unbroken

i was interupted by a courier shortly after while i was in her presence and given the letter to go to Shearpoint and get the throw voice shout as well as one of the dragonpriest masks

after this i again began shouting around whiterun but mainly because i was overweighted with loot from that last trip

i even shouted with whirlwind sprint in breeze home itself where my other follower Lydia (who never went with me anywhere in this save file) asked "Are you Dragonborn?"

after unloading my heavy loot i went outside to be greeted by another courier(naked for some reason even tho i never picked his clothes and it was still in his inventory, not sure why this happens to me at all >.<)

So i guess that two other people that may be that friend are either Uthgerd the Unbroken and your housecarl Lydia

[FilipeClem]

Its the ebony warrior, makes sense, he wants an epic battle so he trains the dragonborn, and so when the dragonborn is powerful enought he invites him for a battle, so that the apprentice overcomes the master.

 

P.S Apologies for my english its not my native language

[Khaos456]

Honestly, If we need an absolutely CANON reason for the individual behind the letters I'd like to think it was the nerevarine. Talos did indeed make an appearance in morowind where he manifested himself. Why not manifest himself this time if it was him? During the events of Morrowind the nerevarine became immortal. During Oblivion he is said to have ventured to Akavir to investigate the tiger dragon's intent. So what if he came back to do a little recruiting? (honestly before I get ripped about nerevarine being female in some playthroughs Oblivion books distinctly called him a he)

[Anyname]

I think it is the ebony warrior he wants you to get stronger so he has a better chance at a decent fight with you but idk how the fuck he knows when you shout but yk