Skyrim:Courier

A Nord courier

Courier (RefID: 00039FB7)
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	00039FB7	BaseID	00039F83
Other Information
Essential	Yes
Voice Type	MaleYoungEager
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun

Courier
Race	Dark Elf	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	N/A	BaseID	0006A11A
Other Information
Voice Type	MaleDarkElf
Faction(s)	FavorExcludedFaction

Courier
Race	Wood Elf	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	N/A	BaseID	001065EE
Other Information
Voice Type	MaleYoungEager
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun

Courier
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	N/A	BaseID	001065EF
Other Information
Voice Type	MaleYoungEager
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun

Courier
Race	Imperial	Gender	Male
Level	1	Class	Warrior
RefID	N/A	BaseID	001065F0
Other Information
Voice Type	MaleYoungEager
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun

A Dark Elf courier

A Wood Elf courier

An Imperial courier

A dead courier

Couriers are generic NPCs who travel to deliver messages. They can be randomly encountered, and will appear to hand you letters related to certain quests. A courier can appear anywhere in the province of Skyrim, as well as on Solstheim.

The randomly encountered courier can either be an Imperial, Nord, or Wood Elf. The Wood Elf is clad in a set of farm clothes and boots, and carries a leveled dagger that can be up to Daedric in quality, a random book of low value, a courier's letter that you can pickpocket, and an assortment of middle-class items and gold. The Imperial carries the same items as the Wood Elf, but wears a hat as well as different clothes. Likewise, the Nord courier has the same inventory as the Wood Elf, except for an additional random book and wears a different hat, clothes, and boots.

Related Quests

• Arniel's Endeavor: Uncover an ancient Dwemer secret. (radiant)
• Battle of the Champions^CC: A battle between two Civil War champions is about to begin.
• Buy Dwarven artifact: Bring your newly-obtained Dwarven artifact to Calcelmo in Markarth. (radiant)
• Discerning the Transmundane: Uncover the secrets of the mysterious Dwemer lockbox.
• Inheritance: A friend has died. (radiant)
• Missing Merchant^CC: A powerful set of armor has come on the market.
• Pieces of the Past: Retrieve the scattered pieces of Mehrunes' Razor and reforge this deadly blade.
• Repairing the Phial: Acquire the materials necessary to repair the White Phial.
• Scare my Enemy: Assault a target. (radiant)
• Shout - learn about word wall: Explore a location and learn a Word of Power. (radiant)
• Unearthed^DB: Assist Ralis Sedarys in his search for the relics of Ahzidal in Kolbjorn Barrow.
• With Friends Like These...: Repay your debt to the Family, and show you are willing to kill on command.
• The Wolf Queen Awakened: Potema must be stopped.

Dialogue

They can be found walking along a road. Any attempts at conversation will only have them tell you, "Important deliveries to make! No time for chatting!"

During the quest Arniel's Endeavor, you are to locate a different courier from Morrowind, albeit already dead when you arrive. He was a Dark Elf and wore a set of farm clothes and boots, and carried Keening.

The courier that delivers letters to you is a Nord wearing random farm clothes, boots, as well as a hat. Unlike the other couriers, he carries nothing else with him. He will only appear as part of certain quests, tasked to ensure important messages are in your hands. Using a dragon shout in public view can increase the probability of a contact with him; after doing so, he will usually appear some time later with a letter that activates a miscellaneous quest. He will also occasionally bring other kinds of messages, as detailed below.

He will approach you and say, "I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only." He will mumble, "Let's see here..." before saying one or more of the following lines, depending on what he has for you:

• "Yeah, got this note." (Mysterious Note)

"From who?"

"Don't know. Creepy fella, black robe. Couldn't see his face. Paid me a pretty sum to get that into your hands, though."

• "I have a letter here from Quintus Navale in Windhelm. He said it was urgent." (Letter from Quintus Navale)
• "I've got a letter and a lot of gold. Something about it being your inheritance? Oh, and... sorry for your loss." (Letter of Inheritance)
• "A letter... not sure who from. He wouldn't say. Just that he was a friend of yours." (Letter from a Friend)
• "I have a letter here for you." (Letter from)
• "A note from someone named Calcelmo, in Markarth." (Letter from Calcelmo)
• "It's from... Falk Firebeard at the Blue Palace? You've got friends in high places." (Letter from Falk Firebeard)
• "There's a new museum opening up in Dawnstar. The owner is asking me to hand out invitations to travelers." (Museum Pamphlet)

As soon as Hearthfire is installed, he will randomly appear to give you additional letters:

• "Here's a letter from the Jarl's steward. Looks like official business." (Breezehome Furnishings or Letter from Steward (Steward name) of (hold name))
• "There's a new lady in charge of the Orphanage in Riften. She asked me to hand out these notices to everyone I met." (Consider Adoption)
• "Ah, a letter from the Jarl! Moving up in the world, eh?" (Letter from Jarl (Jarl's Name) of (Jarl's City) or Letter from Jarl (Jarl's Name))

With the Dragonborn add-on, he will arrive to give you messages from Ralis Sedarys:

• "Got this from a pretty excited looking dark elf around Raven Rock. He said it was important I got it to you as soon as I could." (Letter from Ralis Sedarys)
• "Another note from your friend Ralis. I hope everything is all right." (Letter from Ralis Sedarys 2)
• "Another letter from Ralis. He's starting to scare me a little." (Letter from Ralis Sedarys 3)
• "I've got another letter from Ralis, but this is the last thing I'm delivering for him. That place is just too much for me." (Letter from Ralis Sedarys 4)

Once he is done, he will say, "Looks like that's it. Got to go." and walk away from you. If you talk to him again, he will only say, "Nope, sorry. Nothing."

Notes

• You can read the note while looking at the random encounter courier's inventory via pickpocketing, therefore avoiding any risk of being caught. Reading the courier's letter will add the named location to your map, if you haven't already found it.
• While attacking random encounter couriers found along the roads will net you a bounty for assault, you can freely attack the courier that approaches you in villages and cities without reprisal from various NPCs and guards. In addition, if you have made any friends in that particular location (such as Adrianne Avenicci in Whiterun, or Brand-Shei in Riften) and/or are a Thane of that particular hold, the NPCs and guards will actually attack the courier once he turns hostile. Since this particular courier is essential, he can be used for skill grinding by using magic and weaponry on him.
• If you are still on Solstheim while doing Unearthed, the courier will approach you there, in Raven Rock. This is the only time he will not be on mainland Skyrim.

Bugs

• The courier occasionally arrives wearing little or no clothes, which he never replaces. Each subsequent meeting with him will either see him wearing the same or even less clothing.
  • The Official Skyrim Patch, version 1.9, fixes this bug.
  • This can sometimes be fixed by reverse-pickpocketing new armor or clothes onto him.