Letter From A Friend? - Elder Scrolls Detective

🐫 MERCH - camelworks.creator-spring.com/
🐫 / camelworks
🐫 / camelworks_official
🐫 / camelworks
🐫 / camelworks
🐫 / camelworks
🐫 / camelworks
🐫 / discord
♛ Elder Scrolls Lore - goo.gl/LCy25A
🏰 Elder Scrolls Detective - goo.gl/ah5OBI
☢ Fallout Detective - goo.gl/gsswA4
🎥 TES Detective Videos:
50 SHADES OF SKYRIM, Naris' Red Room - goo.gl/YdxVPA
Arondil, Skyrim's Necrophiliac Ghost Fondler - goo.gl/95AhHn
Bugs In Jars SOLVED - goo.gl/Pa9aVt
Dwemer Lesbians CONFIRMED In Lore?! - goo.gl/iJ6Xhe
Did THE SUNKEN ONE Destroy Kvatch? - goo.gl/SHvAAd
Emperor Killed Himself? - goo.gl/dJYJ5V
Is Fultheim A Secret Blade? - goo.gl/X1UR01
Is Sybille Stentor The TRUE Ruler Of Skyrim? - goo.gl/L5oPhE
Moon Sugar For The Children! Uncle Sweetshare - goo.gl/sDFVQs
Revealing Rorikstead's Sacrificial Soil SECRETS - goo.gl/ddq9DR
Secret Gauntlet Of The Pirate King - goo.gl/vKuAw3
Sheogorath's HIDDEN Door & Realm In Skyrim - goo.gl/JygNjQ
The Most DANGEROUS Tree In Skyrim - goo.gl/RHV1dx
They're Doing WHAT With The Dogs?! - goo.gl/okmNyv
Thomas Of Skyrim!?... Who?... Exactly! - goo.gl/LB1Mlm
Was Skyrim's ONLY Gay Couple Destroyed By The Dwemer? - goo.gl/He7ytW
Weaponized SPIDERS Of Skyrim - goo.gl/iZLeZH
Who Are THE DEEP ONES & What Do They Want? - goo.gl/rnMqND

[@Camelworks]

Hit up my social media. Sincerely, a friend. 🐫 twitter.com/Camelworks 🐫 instagram.com/camelworks_official/ 🐫 www.twitch.tv/camelworks 🐫 facebook.com/camelworks/ 🐫 kzbin.infosponsor 🐫 www.patreon.com/Camelworks 🐫 kzbin.info

[@fusrodahdaily9664]

:)

[@IndridCold]

I need to ne more awake i know theres some of these i keep forgetting to follow, unfortunately my memory is bad so i am commenting here so ill see it if i forget i watched it. [ I took some pretty serious damage and went from a great me ory to like a gold fish. So relying on seeing this >.>]

[@stevenbills2600]

To be honest it could be anyone because you can get one in volkihar castle

[@user-qv1gc1vn7o]

IT'S FROM MIAD THE LIAR! HE KNOW MORE, TELL SOME, AN INVINCIBLE CHARACTER THAT RUN AROUND THE WHOLE CILRODIL SKYRIM, ALSO MORROWIND, NO PLACE THAT HE DIDN'T SET FOOT ON

[@higoodbye8061]

KNOWLEDGEEEE

[@adamthomas1852]

The courier could just be using Clairvoyance to track you down. Novice level skill.

[@andrewbear1057]

Or by just following the quest marker over your head.

[@elijahcaudle7365]

Literally both of those answers is acceptable

[@finnthorsland1952]

Probably lol

[@meatbicycleman4544]

Nah. The courier is omnipresent and omnipotent.

[@kingmasterlord]

Clairvoyance absolutely devours your magicka, tho

[@Doom_Guy__]

Nazeem is sending the letters to distract you from getting to the cloud district.

[@deaineraturner4917]

😂

[@slickboi762]

Thank you my fellow comrade

[@jessiehogue.]

...The clever devil.

[@harkon7618]

This guy gets it!

[@ChouhouinNeko]

but how can he send them form beyond the grave? i always kill him the 1st time i see him

[@rithrius5384]

**Courier wakes up in the morning.** Huge black tentacly blob in the doorway of his bedroom: _"Yo dude, can u deliver dis?"_

[@shiro4833]

He can take any form. For example...a simple courier? One that always knows, where we are and will always reach us there? One that noone can escape from? Think about it...Also "very nice" profile pic

[@ceasefire2825]

@@shiro4833 the thing with Herma mora is that he doesn't want to take any other form. the fucking bastard likes being a black blob of hentai.

[@TheHuskyK9]

Courier: *”S u r e !”*

[@Saiyan0X]

That would explain why he goes thought Heaven and Earth to search for YOU, no matter where you go. Dragonborn: Why do you keep following me? Courier: Because I dont want a giant tentacle blob of eyes and darkness to fuck me in the morning. Dragonborn: ... understandable.

[@manofthehills5001]

More like “Yoooooooo duuuuuude… caaaan youuuuu Deliverrrr thissssss?”

[@sultanofsauce9816]

There’s one other character that is sorely missing from this list: The nameless Whiterun Guard that first tells us we’re Dragonborn.

[@eh7558]

This Is what I always thought.

[@digitoki6886]

Most likely outcome

[@Ragnar_ice-veins]

His name was Steve. He took an arrow to the knee soon after that and got married to a barmaid. They bought a small farm near bruma where they raised their 3 children and lived a good life together.

[@JBrander]

There is a mod that gives the names of the four whiterun guards who went with us to battle the first dragon fight. And then after the fight, we become best bros with them and see them patrolling Whiterun.

[@finalaleks.6663]

@@JBrander do you happen to know the name of that mod?

[@Bobosquishythe1]

J'zargo is the one sending the letters to distract you from becoming a better mage than him.

[@lossyoko6112]

But wouldn't shouts be considered a form of magic ?

[@daws1620]

"J'zargo could be the person who sends the letters. Or he might not. We'll see" Would be the best J'zargo quote ever

[@JoeySchantz]

J'zargo likes this idea

[@decoywitha3]

Maiq' the Liar says J'Zargo is a liar

[@dragondemonsss]

Lol

[@chaddo1809]

Dragonborn: *walking through black reach* Courier: *pops up from no where* "I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only."

[@KingRoony20]

Love the comment. But wtf is your picture?

[@chaddo1809]

stubby hands its a letter and a lot of gold something about it being your...uh, inheritance? Oh, and sorry for your loss. *opens letter* i dont even know who this is

[@toe_sucker_4165]

@@skeletundra- got this letter here. "From who?" Don't know. Shadowy fellow, payed me a lot to get this to you. Welp, looks like that's it. Got to go.

[@cromabu5090]

Chaddo I found an imperial courier down there fighting a centurion.

[@davidhatcher7016]

XD

[@jimi_jams]

I really like the idea of Paarthunax daintily writing these letters with a quill in his giant clawed hands, and handing the letter off to a courier that has to climb the Throat of the World every time.

[@rachdarastrix5251]

"It is not easy to write on this small paper with this small pen when my talon is way down here and my face for seeing the paper is way up here, but I have had 11 thousand years of practice. I also write poetry. Sadly no one buys it because they all hate dragons." ~Paarthunax.

[@marintoss]

Maybe he says it to Graybeards, maybe they do it instead of Paarthunax?

[@nojusticejustus2912]

@@marintoss it's wulfrud n partysnaxxx. Remember in high Hrothgar wulfrud teaches yuh your very first shout. Partysnaxxx per the letter is showing yuh where every shout is so yuh can defeat alduin. The whole " caused quite a stir" is because they know if yuh keep shouting out in public alduin or another dragon might hear yuh n might make a visit and destroy 💩. Yuh find this out when yuh refuse to off partysnaxxx and Delphine gets pissed n bans yuh from the temple.the dragonborn response is that partysnaxxx has been helping him defeat alduin and the rest of the dragons. But if yuh off partysnaxxx angier will get pissed and ban yuh from high Hrothgar because he knows partysnaxxx was helping yuh save the world. Enjoy!!!

[@marintoss]

@@nojusticejustus2912 I didn't want to kill him and I never went to Delphine so Im missing something here 😂

[@Mninja888]

Dragons can shout their words, and engrave them on stone. I wonder if they could do something similar to paper?

[@tlotpwist3417]

Random guy: "Deliver this letter to the Dragonborn, wherever he or she is" Courier: [TARGET ACQUIRED]

[@shayposting]

*Mandalorian theme starts playing*

[@mecanwinmac2796]

@@shayposting way to ruin the joke

[@brodybrown6921]

@@mecanwinmac2796 how?

[@lucassinclair2392]

I have no idea why but in my head I heard the Kim possible notification noise.

[@brodybrown6921]

@@mecanwinmac2796 Salty middle schooler

[@huskobyte]

You picked a bad time to get lost, *friend* Oh yeah, it’s all comin’ together.

[@silverwolf2676]

The bandits are finding them for us ... now I feel bad for blowing them up.

[@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149]

@@silverwolf2676 They're sacrificing themselves for the sake of the Dragonborn's practice. The bandits were the true heroes.

[@silverwolf2676]

@@sirreginaldfishingtonxvii6149 Thank you bandit number 527, you were so brave when I disintergrated you with my newly learned lightning storm. A minutes silence please...

[@gabrielkellar1935]

Of course, right under our noses... Every single bandit in the game sent us a letter.

[@ZyliceLiddell]

@@gabrielkellar1935 😂

[@SadButter]

"You caused quite a stir in Abandoned Shack when you demonstrated the power of your Thu'um." - Probably my favourite letter I got.

[@Kostadin_Arolski]

We need to start a petition so we can watch the whole night

[@darrennew8211]

"You caused quite a stir in Aethereum Forge..."

[@SuperMrDoctorwho]

"You caused quite a stir in the mind of a madman when you demonstrated the power of your Thu'um." ... Yeah beat that.

[@Trewop957]

You caused quite a stir in dark brotherhood sanctuary

[@fwkhrome]

i got "you caused quite a stir in svens house"

[@abrafo1891]

I always assumed that the friend was not a singular person but simply a random citizen sending the famous Dragonborn fan mail along with a quest.

[@cat_astronaut_]

exactly!

[@Mninja888]

Ha! I never thought of that.

[@theweedphilosopher]

Yeah of course

[@betokun3462]

The dedication going to apocrypha just to stalk me is crazy

[@soffran2010]

The funniest one I got is “you caused a bit of a stir in Apocrypha” lmao

[@rdnkbear872]

How could they tell?

[@generalgarchomp333]

my favorite was in 'lakeside manor' AKA my fucking house.

[@user-tp5yb4hr4w]

which brings us back to the theory of the courier being the messenger of Hermaus Mora as he's the one sending these letters to the last dragonborn as he already sees the potential for a replacement for Miraak.

[@danielbob2628]

I got one for Giermund's Hall. A Nordic tomb.

[@ab12345cdf]

I got one that said it for the Soul Cairn 💀

[@philthebarbarian5063]

It was always suspicious, since I have no friends.

[@fusrodahdaily9664]

mmmm whacha saaay

[@user-rt4og9ci2o]

Ayyy same guy

[@artorias1172]

This hits hard right at home

[@isaiahnavarro8268]

Awesomness The Barbarian hmmmm something doesn’t seem right here unless YOU HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES AGAINST SKYRIM AND HER PEOPLE WHAT DO YOU HAVE SAY IN YOUR DEFENSE

[@dracodeanglicus3857]

_What’s that!? Mother?...is that your voice I hear? Oh, no, just my head playing tricks, Foolish Cicero..._

[@pyrocent6469]

So, I defeated Miraak and, after heading back to Skyrim, I got another letter that read "You caused a bit of a stir in Apocrypha when you demonstrated..." Got a hunch Herma Mora might be to blame.

[@josephrobinson6171]

Yeah it’s obviously an aedra or daedric prince.

[@chaddo1809]

Lmfao,

[@why-qz6zq]

I got one from mind of a madman

[@gourdguru]

@@why-qz6zq sheogorath is obviously the culprit, then. the one suspect with the omnipresence necessary, who has no need for motive, and no lust for result, who gets the benefit of watching a man topple entire empires by screaming inane gibberish at the top of his lungs. CHEESE FOR EVERYONE!!!

[@joshuabeard8218]

I think it could be Talos...

[@Lyrog]

Regarding the courier thing, I'm gonna use his own famous words here: "I've been looking for you..." So he doesn't actually know where we are. He might from a game mechanic point of view, but lore-wise, he simply looks for us until he finds us.

[@filthycasual8187]

Yeah, he plainly spells out his own lore when he runs up to you.

[@TheButcherCat]

Yeah I just figure as he travels to make deliveries he asks about if they’ve seen the Dragonborn lately, has any idea where they’re headed, etc.

[@lu.d76]

As it's the first thing he says, I can agree that It is should be understood in the literal sense.

[@RedShirtGuy96]

@@TheButcherCat Spawns in Blackreach: "I've been looking for you" -The courier stands before the dragonborn with tattered clothes, many bruises and cuts.

[@funnycat9962]

Speaking of the courier’s lines, he also says “your hands only” right before giving you a letter from the orphanage that he was specifically asked to distribute to everyone he meets, which I find very funny.

[@tristencox5914]

Hermaeus Mora: *stabs Miraak* Dragonborn: Damn, that would’ve been useful five minutes ago

[@troodon1096]

Always hated that since he turned Miraak into a skeleton, I never got to see what he looked like under his mask.

[@logancluer1141]

@@troodon1096 he’s got 2 different faces he can spawn with. Ones slightly more unique but the other is just a basic face that bandits can spawn with lol

[@yes_man212]

@@troodon1096 lore wise miraak doesn’t have a form

[@EnclavegovtofficialUSA]

​@@yes_man212bullshit!

[@tanehickey9887]

The dragon cult were nords and all the dragon priests were nords miraak is Nord height as they are always in the game and if console commands are used on pc u can take the mask off him and he’s a randomly generated nord guy and solstheim was actually part of Skyrim until it was split from the mainland by miraak and vahloks fight when miraak was defeated by him all in the merethic era it was always a Skyrim owned land from then until the high king gave it to morrowind when red mountain f**ked it again

[@potassium5398]

“You caused quite a stir in Honorhall Orphanage when you demonstrated the power of your Thu’um”

[@newmexicogunnigga9145]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@bootybouncinblood3390]

Epic Spaghet funnies one yet

[@tgr3423]

Probably the funniest one because of the implications of the letter lmao

[@Ghost-rb5tg]

Lol "We love you Grelo-" "FUS..."

[@jackofastora8962]

*cue Seinfeld theme

[@alexarrowood3070]

I think it is the Chicken in Riverwood

[@elijahcaudle7365]

That actually pisses me off lol

[@LucaNiki0303]

The chicken truly is an omnipresent Mastermind

[@thundershock_326]

But. I killed him...

[@MrMathGames]

Nah, can't be. Install the mod NARC so animals stop paying attention and reporting you, and you *still get the letters*. :D

[@DrumMajorsAMM]

True story; my first ever play through I killed that chicken and it cause my first death

[@basilsaurus1311]

The first time I received the Letter from a Friend, it directed me do Rannveig’s Fast, implying that the whole thing was just a trap set by Sild the Warlock. Never felt so betrayed.

[@catlover2223]

Talos: "I'm not having any Level 5 scrub running around as my aspect. Go here and learn some Shouts Noob!"

[@theirresponsibleghost7748]

Yet the level 5 can murder about anyone if they play their cards right

[@darkbrotherhoodassassin7642]

A level 1 scrub can become a god of undeath in just a few minutes, let us say Skyrim is not a perfectly balanced game.

[@litewave5186]

@@darkbrotherhoodassassin7642 who needs "builds" when you can just beat Skyrim with buckets?

[@mcolman303]

​@@darkbrotherhoodassassin7642 The Spiffing Brit would definitely beg to differ lol . Watch his videos. As he says all the time "It Just Works" 🤷‍♂️😏😂🤣

[@sarugakuza5108]

The reason why the courier always finds you is cause he just follows the quest marker

[@blackbeard0074]

Lol

[@xxwoodenswordxx3488]

That’s so true tho!

[@spillingthetea2519]

Just a game about being the courier and having to give people their letter. Giving the dragonborn letters is the highest honour.

[@solitudeguard7673]

"You caused quite a stir when you demonstrated the power of your Thu'um in Sovngarde "

[@worlds_worst_tf2_player]

wut lol

[@ShysteCapone]

@Diplomatic immunity how tho

[@_b_moll]

I got Apocrypha

[@undeniablyemma]

mine was “Riften Mercer’s House” because i used whirlwind sprint 👀

[@vvwnnm0]

I got the soul cairn

[@spider-spectre]

Courier was shot in the head and still got his package back, I am sure finding the Dragonborn is an easy quest for him.

[@bigboss4178]

New Quest added: AIN'T THAT AN ARROW TO THE KNEE

[@LoganAppel]

@@bigboss4178 “Let me guess, someone stole your platinum chip?”

[@bigboss4178]

@@LoganAppel fken lol

[@williamtruett3421]

@@LoganAppel what's ur name you do remember ur name

[@jackgreenwood2jg]

I thought the friend was Parthonax, being a dragon himself can hear the shouts and being an elder dragon he knows where the walls are from the old tombs.

[@iceblade019]

Im picturing paarthurnax writing a letter lmao

[@ZachRoDah]

Paarthurnax with his big ass dragon wings, writing a tiny ass note to tell you where a word of power is.

[@madara992]

@Holy Diver parthur said no one has converse with him besides the Dragonborn in a century

[@LoganAppel]

@@madara992 also why would Paarthurnax feel the need to remain anonymous? The daddy dragon himself can talk to dragonborn if he wants too

[@madara992]

@@LoganAppel he said it himself that the wild urges of the dragon is still in him that’s why he stays isolated for himself and for others to try to slay him

[@Lucky-yl2wb]

"You caused a bit of stir in inside the mind of a madman" Probably the best letter I've ever gotten

[@butterysnail2537]

I once got the soul cairn

[@thomasjenkins7506]

@@butterysnail2537 serves you right. such a peaceful place.

[@butterysnail2537]

a peaceful place filled with former McDonalds employees

[@ElMoShApPiNeSs]

This just shows Bethesda didn't think this through as much as Camel has

[@butterysnail2537]

@@ElMoShApPiNeSs Not really. I just think the friend wasn't meant to be anyone. Just a gameplay mechanic

[@powerchordgamer]

17:26 "Miraak has been hermaous moras porn for 1000's of years, and a valuable porn at that" accents are weird man

[@rubikubegd408]

*It just works.*

[@seoulmew]

subtitles misheard it too

[@alexdelafuente7273]

It's pawn not porn😂

[@powerchordgamer]

For the record I know what he said, I'm not an idiot. But with his accent, to an american it *sounds* like he is saying porn. It was a joke

[@EdwardoLover]

@@powerchordgamer People don't understand jokes on the internet unless you use 100 emojis.

[@MisterJoshuaTree]

For the record, the only reason Delphine knows about the dragon burial sites is because of the Dragonborn. She transcribes their locations from the dragonstone of bleak falls barrow after we give it to Farengar.

[@birdiepitchfeather63]

That’s true, you can even see that the map itself is actually a rubbing of the stone

[@sassaetcie2925]

"Hermaeus Mora had an eye on you" Only one?

[@ZyliceLiddell]

“I’ve got my eye on you.” - Nicholas Fury.

[@NiCoNiCoNiCola]

He has like billion looking over other people, dude

[@cptjackpl8690]

*I've been looking for you, got somethin' I'm supposed to deliver*

[@Lucky-yl2wb]

Your hands only

[@fusrodahdaily9664]

Lets see here...

[@deni6943]

@@Lucky-yl2wb Let's see here...

[@matthewacker7796]

"Who gave you this letter?" No idea, didn't get a name. "What did they look like?" Looks like that's it! Gotta go! "Answer the relevant questions!"

[@deni6943]

@@fusrodahdaily9664 damn you beat me to it

[@fixfireleo]

"M'aiq knows much, and tells some. M'aiq knows many things others do not."

[@azzie4437]

and M'aiq is a liar too

[@LegendStormcrow]

@@azzie4437 M'aiq may be a liar, but are his words the lie or the claim that he is a liar a lie?

[@Conqueror2077]

@@azzie4437 some people say that alduin is akatosh, and some people say that M'aiq is a liar... You should not believe either of those theory's

[@StDomBz]

@@LegendStormcrow Considering he had us go on wild goose chase for items that'd perform the ritual supposedly for becoming a lich that didn't actually work... Nah. He's definitely trustworthy. He still gave me my fishy stick.

[@antaila]

@@azzie4437 Some say M'aiq is a liar. Soem say Alduin is Akatosh. Don't you believe either of those things.

[@krl97a]

The real mystery you should focus on isn't who sent the letters (Delphine), but how Delphine stole the Horn of Windcaller without the Dragon Shouts apparently needed to complete the quest.

[@Jaann1919]

She lifted the gates

[@stevepalpatine2828]

She used a bucket to glitch her way in the back way.

[@RosieSquall]

@@stevepalpatine2828 This is the correct answer.

[@sneezyfido]

Maybe she slept with the right dragonborn

[@jamclone]

She called Miraak (dead or alive) on an old dwemer flip phone and he retrieved it for her before returning to Apocrypha.

[@QueenBoudicca125]

I think Baalgruf is the friend. He actually is your friend from near beginning of the game, he grew up in Dragonsreach which is specifically designed to house dragons, and will likely know a fair amount of dragon related legends as a result. He is also known to do sneaky things like sneaking out to the bannered mare at night etc. He's also made the pilgrimage to see the greybeards and is the only Jarl who seems to have set their court wizard to finding out more about the dragons. He clearly has an interest even before the dragonborn pops up.

[@thomasvincent9353]

"the graybeards would never tell you where a word wall is" you can literally go ask them for a random word wall location and they will point you to one lol.

[@thebrad1134]

If you've killed Paarthurnax the Graybeards won't tell you where a word wall is. However you still get letters from a friend even after ol' Partysnacks dies. Edit- Also after defeating Alduin when you ask where a word wall is they just say that can't find any. That would mean either they aren't as omnipotent as you think, or they are just lying to you because you don't need anymore power now that Alduin is gone. The Blades might have more leverage finding notes or sneaking around dungeons to find more walls unlike the Graybeards who just keep themselves on top of a mountain. Perhaps somebody should kill Partysnacks, Alduin, and all the Blades, cause a quite a stir, and then see if you get a note from a friend.

[@ragnarr7965]

@@thebrad1134 lol the greybeards will still give u locations of the word walls even after u defeated Alduin. I Doubt its a bug in my Safegame since I Played Skyrim over 2000 hours on different Platforms. Wether some of us is getting something wrong or ur Safegame is bugged.

[@thebrad1134]

@@ragnarr7965 Ah, must be bugged on my part. #Bethesda Also sorry about the whole head getting cut off thing... makes for a nice song though.

[@MatmoeLP]

@@thebrad1134 But you don't kill Paarthurnax...

[@oilyfrog5022]

@@thebrad1134 I'm pretty sure they say that only after you have found all the word walls, perhaps your last word wall was before you defeated alduin

[@rojaws1183]

The Courier is more powerful than you may think. He can travel anywhere in these dangerous lands, sometimes equipped with nothing but a hat and underwear. No one else can do that.

[@FjreHazard]

They often die if you follow them for a while.

[@rojaws1183]

@@FjreHazard Or is that just what the Courier want you to think? He will be back sooner or later with a letter.

[@dieselface1]

If New Vegas taught me anything it's that Couriers are way more powerful than you'd think

[@jonhoefs5594]

@@rojaws1183 Couriers are Faceless Men confirmed.

[@the11382]

Maybe he is the servant of herma-mora?

[@bobbywienke1971]

During the Dark Brotherhood quests, the quest "The Silence Has Been Broken", the Dragonborn meets with someone named Amaund Motierre, and he give you a letter of instructions and signs it "a friend"

[@nojusticejustus2912]

Go get the horn of jorgen windcaller. "A friend "directs yuh to the Riverwood inn. The letters are coming from partysnaxxx. He's helping yuh strengthen your voice to beat alduin. This is why Delphine gets pissed if yuh don't off partysnaxxx. The dragonborn response to Delphine is that partysnaxxx was helping him thru the whole quest to off alduin. Enjoy!!!

[@_b_moll]

The courier is only his first form and it is immortal as well as omniscient,his sixth is the courier of New Vegas and has the power of role playing on his side

[@horacio1464]

I think that the friend is Todd Howard

[@Wulfjager]

"i will tell you where the word wall is if you buy skyrim"

[@yourbabushka3750]

@@Wulfjager "I'll tell you where another is if you buy Skyrim Special Special edition on your microwave"

[@elkevinski]

Mastiff Yes he is, he is everyone’s friend. He’s our lord. Our saviors. Praise Godd Howard!!

[@svenswizzle8271]

@@elkevinski that bitch better fix his games, skyrim special edition is still bugged, same as fallout 76

[@paullilly7921]

If you buy fallout 76 and fallout first ill give more mod options to play station!

[@daedriccheddar]

"You caused quite a stir when you demonstrated the power of your Thu'um in _The Mind Of A Madman._ "

[@mr.comedy213]

Mine was in apolcrafa

[@mr.comedy213]

Apocpha

[@JoshSweetvale]

It's deeeeeeeeefinitely Talos

[@eyereign5730]

@@mr.comedy213 Apocrypha?

[@shamimaramannan375]

Sheogorath!!! That boi

[@dork_mork6953]

Hermaeus Mora definitely makes the most sense, but I'm honestly in love with the idea of the courier being a literal god lmao

[@detectivewiggles]

or M'aiq

[@Caramelhorse1]

I always assumed the letters were coming from Farengar every time he learned of a new word wall, since he knows you're the dragonborn and he's clearly knows a lot about dragons.

[@Benji-ml7je]

It was nazeem, his hints at the cloud district are hints at being closer to akatosh

[@fusrodahdaily9664]

It's always Nazeem.

[@guiguithebeast]

@@fusrodahdaily9664 the one who send at you bandits /(and dark brotherhood) is always nezeem using another people name

[@motazfawzi2504]

@FusRoDah Daily @Veine Maybe he - As every creature on Nirn - also hates himself; so he wants you to become stronger and eventually end his life sooner.

[@Benji-ml7je]

Oh of course , good thought

[@monke5403]

Little did we know the whole time nazeem is the level 35 mafia boss and we are just low worm lvl 1 crooks

[@milkmuhn3774]

_courier wants to know your location_

[@ahyes2921]

Milk Muhn *already knows your location*

[@snowman2116]

@@ahyes2921 he IS the location

[@troyshadowens8087]

*Big Iron intensifies*

[@whiterunguard9872]

*hermaeus mora wants to know your location*

[@Zaire82]

He already knows. *_HE ALWAYS KNOWS_*

[@melancoliemelancolie9081]

i love how a game design concept of having an unknown guiding you towards things has become a lore integrated thing with this theory

[@actiniumanarchy9237]

“You caused quite a stir when you demonstrated the power of your Thu’um in Azuras Star

[@brycemilleroutdoors1725]

The letters are obviously fan mail from our adoring fan

[@andraslukacsovits2349]

Oh, the one from Oblivion, right? (Haven't played it, yet I know about him thanks to Camel)

[@marvinj7317]

Oh no, he survived 😂

[@bloodletterforkhorne7864]

@@andraslukacsovits2349 yes that brainless guy tha follow you all over cyrodill i leave him in the first dungeon lol you have to try oblivion nice game nice mods also for it to i play all the elder scrolls morrowind and all past to but now whit skyrim the have very nice mods but the engine is so buggie but thanks to the nice modders its not a problem to have a compleet outher game now that is no buggy at all

[@marcosdominguez6413]

He he

[@AdoringFan000]

It has been a long time...

[@StormyDino]

I think its todd howard giving us the letters.

[@andraslukacsovits2349]

Saaaaame

[@CynicalAnomaly205]

Stormy Dino I know, it just works.

[@EmmaSpAce111]

Todd keeps re-releasing skyrim because the dragon born is how he makes friends.

[@theblancmange1265]

Then it wouldn't direct you to wordwalls, cuz you know...sweet little...

[@paddyfedora3661]

We'd be charged a monthly fee to read them if it were him

[@equesdeventusoccasus]

I've always suspected that The Friend was one of the Greybeards, who secretly doesn't agree with the Way of the Voice. He might want to do these things himself, but instead lives vicariously through the Dragonborn.

[@thomaspaine7098]

Honestly think it either the psijics or greybeards

[@mcjd931]

"Who doesn't love a tentacle now and then" .....

[@milkmuhn3774]

It's obviously M'aiq

[@resul282]

Milk Muhn actualy this can be cause m'aiq mysterious character in tes series and may he knows about future

[@tombkeeper1397]

The theory M'aiq is a god in mortal form actually makes this legit

[@viturino7891]

Yeah, M'aiq knows many things.

[@elterga6224]

@@tombkeeper1397 m'aiq is the son of m'aiq who is the son of m'aiq, etc. M'aiq is not the same character across tes but is an Easter egg.

[@dirkbaldorad3634]

Maybe Maiq is the reincarnation of Maiq?

[@Halfhuman42]

The Greybeards aren’t these big pacifists everyone makes them out to be. If you attack them they will shout you off that mountain without a second thought.

[@falkenvir]

There's a difference between being a pacifist and a pushover

[@orangeminotaur4668]

Its called Instant knock out.......or You done f@#ked up

[@HimitsuYami]

Funny, they never shouted me off the mountain no matter how much I attempted them and I was TRYING to get shouted off so I could tgm and laugh my ass off

[@paulwilliamgoyeneche6494]

This happened to me literally, I was in werewolf form and just salvaging everything in my path and decided to visit the Grey Beards in said form. They attacked me and I ran out to the back court yard and was cornered by the cliff, decided to jump, lycanthrophy times out and I was frozen solid by an ice shout, forgot which one it was. Rolled down the mountain, tumbled into a river while still a big block of mer-cicle, and washed up on the side of a river north of lake Ilianolta all naked. 😂 🤣 Was too stunned by the whole thing happening forgot to record it.

[@the_blind_hearing6]

@@paulwilliamgoyeneche6494 welp, don't fuck with the Greybeards I suppose

[@rogerballoujr.6244]

I always assumed our mysterious friend was either Parthunax or the Greybeards....with Parthunax being a dragon of immense power I always just assumed he was attuned to others using the Thu'um anywhere in Skyrim and sent letters via the Greybeards signed as "a friend".

[@keeganfritz1141]

It’s definitely Delphine

[@SilverQuartz13]

I am surprised Kyne/Kynareth wasn't mentioned since She order Parthuunax to teach humanity to Shout.

[@dovahkiin3853]

I think the letter is from a friend

[@sukmanutzak9547]

I heard he got banned for rw trading tho...

[@caballthesayiangodofwar9426]

smartass

[@FatShitsWonderboy]

Bold statement

[@mway5061]

OH! That makes so much sense dude! Thanks, now i can finally sleep again.

[@mcbadrobotvoice8155]

Dovah kiin proof?

[@kaipollarf635]

Since I first started, I always thought that it was delphine. When you ask her who she is, she says 'a friend', and I'm pretty sure the note in Ustengrav says a friend.

[@jasminey4824]

I always thought it was delphine bc she's a blade sworn to look for the dragonborn and she's close with the greybeards and they should know where the words are and whenever the dragonborn shouts. Plus she takes jurgens horn to lure in the dragonborn to her shop bc dragonborns can only get this quest and that's basically the only way of getting to meet the dragonborn, So I just assumed they were coming from her and the greybeards. There's more connections I can make but I'm currently fighting 3 fucking dragons with 5 cavebears rn

[@devanbarr8472]

This makes sense couldnt somebody just take her essential status and kill her and see if the letters stop to prove it

[@Ghost-ql3hl]

That is the exactly what I thought

[@lsswappedcessna]

"You've caused quite a stir in Apocrypha when demonstrating your thu'um..." So apparently Delphine is an extremely powerful sorcerer capable of interdimensional scrying, and not a dried up old hag who has it in for an old grey dragon who's just minding his own business and bettering himself after serving an atrocious warmonger.

[@kaipollarf635]

@@lsswappedcessna I'm almost convinced Hermeaous Mora (I hope I'm spelling that right) is telling her where I am. I mean, I got a letter saying, ' you caused quite a stir whilst demonstrating your thuum in Kagrenzal cavern', Kagrenzal is nowhere near any civilization, there's no other way for her to know where I am.

[@eamonngeraghty3107]

Actually, about the Greybeards, I'm pretty sure they mention something about, potentially not denying the end of time, as the world is a cycle and even ponder if the Dragonborn fully killed Alduin, as he didn't absorb his soul and that he is still considered the end of time. I believe they mention the first part right after they help negotiate a cease fire in the civil war, or after you ask them about the Blades wanting you to kill Paarthurnax.

[@matthewtucker2103]

Todd Howard is our friend. He's been guiding our path the entire time. After all, how would you explain all the "bugs" and "glitches" that work in our favor? How would you explain the restoration / alchemy glitch? He is truly the one looking out for our best interests.

[@brinstarmedia1411]

It was Lydia. I got a letter about my thuum in Breezehome. She was the only one in there. It was Lydia. Freaking Lydia.

[@Mrphilipjcook]

Lydia just died in my game, and the letters have stopped. Coincidence!?

[@mettawatkutaninwat5411]

@@Mrphilipjcook I think not.

[@kadenkennett1298]

I cant even find my Lydia.

[@mettawatkutaninwat5411]

@@kadenkennett1298 She's in the breezehome.

[@Hopscotchpro11]

i lost lydia after leaving her on a mountain after calling inigo a better friend, she isnt at my house

[@cupcakesandrose]

"The future Dragonborn would know where they were at any given time." Meanwhile, I can't remember everywhere I went yesterday

[@evo_is_confused]

They can see previous save files

[@saladmancer4802]

This theory is funny because I never checked my letters, youd think future me would know this and come up with a different idea.

[@BenjaminWater]

I never leave my house so I remember everything I do

[@theirresponsibleghost7748]

@@saladmancer4802 lmao relatable. I only check the letters when i have nothing to do, then I'll go and get the word, but not before fucking around for hours than remembering my personal goal.

[@travisleemusictx]

Ulfric Stormcloak acknowledges the player as Dragonborn throughout the Civil War if you are a Stormcloak. He is one of the first NPCs we meet,and is also well connected throughout Skyrim, so anything of interest happening around the holds would probably reach his ear, especially regarding a dragonborn, because a dragonborn is a matter of immense significance to someone as steeped in Nord culture and history as he is. He knows and reveres the Greybeards, knows we probably have a bone to pick with the Empire and Thalmor after almost being executed, and sees us as a potentially powerful ally. Not to mention the fact he can shout is actually a big deal. Whereas the dragonborn instantly learns and can use new shouts, according to the Greybeards, it takes YEARS for most to master a shout. Ulfric knows multiple, which means he has studied and meditated on the way of the voice for many years and is probably privy to the locations of word walls. Also he's got his stormcloaks and allies everywhere so it's probably not too hard to keep tabs on our general location and get a courier to us.

[@naveyard]

I always thought it was just a friend ( for example, faendal after you solve his love problem) and they just did their research on word walls and also know where the dragon born is going so he can tell you where you caused "a bit of a stir" in

[@ashtonpeterson4618]

Maybe it's a bunch of people, but they're all too embarrassed, so they just all sign it as "From a friend."

[@LawrenceReamon]

It’s none other than J’zargo, future Emperor and secret Dragonborn

[@meatbicycleman4544]

It was Count Hassildor. That vampire had obviously ascended to divinity and has been sending the Dragonborn letters.

[@sadsworth4605]

I like that kids he's nice

[@timothymiller9067]

M'aiq the liar. He knows about crossbows, he probably also knows about the dragonborn

[@madjaded]

If anyone sneaks up on us, Jzargo will smell them coming. Or not. We'll see.

[@maiqtheliar2465]

Timothy Miller how did you know

[@sleeklaberdo808]

The dragonborn actually just has the king of the hill mark so everyone can find him

[@pleaseuseOdysee]

Propane?

[@ayo_ocho8861]

please use bitchute 共匪 五毛 ن lol

[@codyglenn7231]

Honestly you're not wrong

[@alexteague9075]

No they just have a quest marker above their head...

[@NotDalesDeadBug]

I'll kick hermas' a s s just as I did mirak and alduin before then I'm gonna take it to the thalmor tell ya hwat

[@SmuggledPineapples]

On a play through I was able to ask the courier who the letter was from and he said a creepy guy in a robe.

[@silentwitness9255]

Esbern was who first came to my mind early during my first play-through. But then I met Hermaeus Mora. The common thread with Esbern is his interest in ancient artifacts such as Alduin’s Wall-the letter also revealing another, ancient wall. The letter also conveys an interest in the wellbeing of Skyrim, saying that Skyrim needs a hero. I can’t imagine Hermaeus Mora showing more regard for Skyrim’s wellbeing than he showed his previous servants. It is possible that Delphine had someone follow the Dragonborn. She tells us in the Inn, “Hey, aren’t you the new stranger in town?” She would’ve had a strong motive to behave in this way since she was investigating the whereabouts of Esbern who was hiding.

[@thegameknight8916]

Actually, Akatosh IS still a contender. If memory serves me correctly, Alduin is not only rebelling against his father, he's outright defiant, refusing to follow Akatosh's will and instead rampage across Skyrim and the rest of Tamriel out of his desire to control. Akatosh, heartbroken at the betrayal Alduin instigated, could have turned to the Dragonborn to destroy his eldest son.

[@mcjd931]

also you have to remember that Akatosh created the Dragonborn why would he do that if he didn't want him to defeat alduin that's legit the Dragonborn's sole purpose

[@thegameknight8916]

@@mcjd931 An excellent point.

[@ooi97]

Yes! I was looking through the comments for someone pointing out Akatosh not being the all-powerful ruler of dragons. Also, there's Akatosh and then there's Auriel. Both are pieces of Aka, who was cut in half to 'purify' him from his human-loving ways. Those ways went to Akatosh, so he's a strong contender. Auriel is the one who would see the world eaten, since he's the one who hates being in the physical form so much he murdered Lorkhan and shot an arrow through his ripped-out heart. Also, Alduin isn't even eating the world.

[@xaproxiex]

This is a problem w the video too but WHY THE FRICK WOULD THE GODS SEND A LETTER VIA COURIER even Hermars mora if a god appeared in front of you and told you where a word wall is to make you more powerful why would you refuse

[@MorrowindES17]

@@xaproxiex yh it dosnt make sense wouldn't Dragonborn just have divine intervention or had sign idk

[@SuperminingJohn]

What if “a friend” is actually an abbreviation and it’s something like Antonio Friend

[@loudassvictor]

Ah. Read the store story "Where are you going, where have you been?" There's a guy named Arnold Friend..

[@myfriend7917]

I've been looking for you, got something I'm supposed to deliver. Your hands only.

[@entity8353]

Are you high

[@catlover2223]

Is he related to Sir Fineas Cursed?

[@cdogthehedgehog6923]

@@loudassvictor Arnold Fiend, not friend.

[@Tengasta]

Doubt it is Delphine. At first that was my thought for a long time but after a while if you don't kill Pathanax, the Blades will be forced to deny you aid. You can get these letters even when they deny you aid.

[@cescurin]

I always have thought that “the friend” is really Hermaeous Mora. It is the Lord of Knowledge, so it always knows where the Dragonborn is, and it has a really huge interest to make him stronger to be able to defeat Miraak. The other other option for me is Akatosh, for the reasons that You have pointed. Great video as ever!

[@NWolfsson]

"[As Delphine has a map of burial mounds] she has some knowledge of dragon geography."You mean the map WE got to get and she made a rubbed copy?

[@SaDMSOfficial]

I always thought it was delphine

[@NWolfsson]

@@SaDMSOfficial Nah, Delphine was there shortly after we get the Dragon Stone, her map has clearly the same outline and etching... I can't confirm this, as she doesn't state it clearly (I think, at least) but it's really plausible her map was done thanks to the map we retrieved from Bleak Falls Barrow. (also, she could have found Sahloknir's tomb before meeting us, and would have probably investigated prior to the quest if she did) Therefore she wouldn't have knowledge of "dragon geography" before that we know of...

[@apstudios8407]

Also I find it funny that he uses the fact she signs ONE letter also as “a friend” as evidence

[@whitty1405]

@@SaDMSOfficial if she knew you where dragonborn and knew about your use of the shout then why would she ask you to prove your dragonborn by killing a dragon with her

[@SaDMSOfficial]

@@whitty1405 I guess so

[@christopherspaulding9283]

Delphine... Calling herself my _friend?_ *H A R R R U M P H!!*

[@dumpster9048]

begone *T H O T*

[@nightmarefanatic1819]

@@dumpster9048 Where do you learn that shout?

[@SebasTian58323]

Please. No friends of mine wants to kill Party Snacks

[@Wavewave3161]

Fuck Delphine she wants to kill my homie

[@GodsThirdEye]

@@SebasTian58323 We all love Partysnaxxx. He's a ride or die homeboy.

[@manfredgesink8514]

"I was once a adventurer myself, but I got an arrow to the knee." guard, is my favourite and most hillarious candidate for the mysterious friend. ^^

[@massonslaught4879]

You know if the dragonborn "time traveler" holds onto the letters from a friend he received he can just send it to himself again which brings to question in this theory how old are those letters.

[@ashtonpeterson4618]

That's how I would do it. Just make sure they are dated and have the locations so you would know exactly when and where to send them. Assuming that it doesn't create a time paradox

[@creed1567]

If you kill Paarthurnaxx you receive the letters still so it cant be him or the Greybeards because they refuse to help you. Same goes with the blades they refuse to aid you if you dont kill Paarthurnaxx. They cant be it either.

[@publiusdraco2557]

The Greybeards wouldn't have any reason to be secretive about helping you, unlike the Blades.

[@darthnecrosaberjacobrandal4247]

Hell the greybeards tell you where are the word walls are so it can't be them

[@katiedoodles]

Damn I forgot about that cause I never kill paarthurnax XD ruins my theory lol

[@anewtypeoftomato1565]

Maybe it is the greybeards, and killing paarthunaxx was only added afterwards as a joke, because nobody in their right mind would ever actually do it?

[@creed1567]

@@anewtypeoftomato1565 ummm i do it... every few often when i need dragon souls or bones

[@Jayzgrouse]

The Stormcloaks and Imperials both acknowledge that you're Dragonborn, especially Ulfric.

[@xaosbob]

They acknowledge, but they don't really ~care~. It always struck me as odd that here we are, dragonborn, able to speak with the Thu'um, effectively a very portable weapon of mass destruction, and the leaders of two armies that are at war with one another don't pull out all the stops to exploit us against their enemies.

[@omegakaoz3658]

Towards the end yes they do but they don't know you once you stepped into the Palace or Castle Dour.

[@HH-qn9lu]

Omega Kaoz that’s because the game assumes you start the civil war before you kill the dragon

[@xaosbob]

True, but joke's on them! My first playthrough, I completely ignored the war and went all-out against Alduin.

[@Ineedwork87]

@@xaosbob i guess their culture just knows to mind their own buisiness and let a dovahkin do what a dovahkin wants.

[@justtom8978]

I always thought it was jarl balgruuf (whiterun). His court wizard was looking into dragon related things when we first meet them. Also i assumed he has a vast web of spies and informants throught skyrim. So that’s how he knows where you are and where the words of power are. Balgruuf always seemed to be encouraging towards the dragon born throughout the main quest and I like to think he considers us a friend or at the very least an ally. Also as the letter says not everyone is happy the dragon born is back so that’s why hed want to keep his help anonymous

[@darkdekmaster760]

It was the guards. They would have information on walls back before they took an arrow to the knee. They saw your heroics and wrote you their letters in thanks of saving them. Each one signing as a friend because it would interfere with their position as guards.

[@THDAMAGINGSILVERSTAR]

“You caused quite a stir in Soul Cairn when you demonstrated the power of your thu’um.”

[@joseffliegl4167]

Then it must be serana or her mother

[@Matheus21video]

@@joseffliegl4167 Or Jiub, or the Ideal Masters, or Duurnehviir.

[@Blackarrow145]

Josef Fliegl I think it’s akatosh

[@Jay-mq2ng]

Blackarrow 145 nah, it’s Mundus. The world is giving him lettare

[@JayRyaGaming]

@@Jay-mq2ng Mundus is just the mortal realm Nirn is the planet I think its most likely the gray beards as they hear your voice from the first time you use it and from Parthanax would know where word walls would be

[@thaguy69]

I always assumed the couriers used the Clairvoyance spell.

[@Cx10110100]

Dragonborn would always be one step ahead though.

[@bandawin18]

The couriers are incarnations of the hermes-esque god of TES in my opinion, it's a fun thought and it makes sense

[@designergoose1938]

I assumed they were looking for you for a long time

[@kermitlaranja]

_Illusion lvl 100_

[@commanderl.2368]

Personally I believe it might be the, he knows about us being Dragonborn, is interested in beating Alduin. He is an expert on dragon law and might know about the locations of the dragon walls. And he is a magician who could Devine our location. And as a court mage of the trade capital he might hear a thing or two about us using our thu’um. Also he might want to keep his involvement a secret, so no one disturbs him and it doesn’t look like the jarls court is helping one specific citizen, even though he is a Thane. Edit: It might also be the Jarl of Whiterun with accessories Farengar. He also has the same reasonings and he also calls us “a friend”.

[@cryptopsyrin4425]

"Fus Ro Dah" - Dragons -The Greybeards -The Dragonborn

[@surg30n24]

"sincerely a friend" I've been here two weeks. I have friends?

[@enasnI99]

@Whiterun Guard "You picked a bad time to get lost, friend"

[@enasnI99]

@Whiterun Guard Hmm, I'm no expert but that sounds like it could possibly be something conflicting (if you're running mods-that is) or as you said corrupted files of some sort because I've definitely heard the line from male NPCs-and thats with 178 mods (151 active ESPS)

[@chillipepperjotaro6288]

The courier is like nurse joy and officer Jenny from Pokemon. They are cousins that live around Skyrim.

[@yourehereforthatarentyou]

"im the second cousin of the step brother of the courier from darkwater crossing"

[@raywicks2781]

If you kill a courier, another one shows up so yeah

[@CheezeWolf]

Holy shit I forgot about that

[@nocturnal101ravenous6]

This is a mod that needs to happen....

[@Rce12808]

8:28 if you side with the storm cloaks and have done the first main quests, when ulfric gives a speech in solitude he acknowledges that you are the Dragonborn

[@dymoure]

Farengar Secret-Fire is a huge candidate you missed. You meet him before you learn how to shout, he studies everything about dragons, and he considers you as a friend once you bring him the Dragonstone. I personally still think it’s Delphine. I actually never thought of this dilemma much because I assumed it was just Delphine. However, it could be Farengar too. By that logic though, it could also be Ireleth, Whiterun Guards, Proventus, Nord warriors from Whiterun (including those from Dragonsreach), or even Jarl Balgruuf himself. Heck, maybe it’s a combination of the last group; everyone seems to talk a lot about you when you’re not around. Remember that a random Whiterun Guard is the first to tell you that you’re Dragonborn. I definitely don’t think it’s a divine, though. Divines always do things as theatrically as possible in TES, so I don’t see any of them writing a small letter as their first impression.

[@ciberzombiegaming8207]

i think its M'aiq the Liar, THE tenth divine , one who lived atleast since planemeld, the end of second era, the only one (except tod howard) who knew about both previous and upcoming games features

[@mjag2834]

The tenth Divide is Nirn?!

[@elijahcaudle7365]

Possible but you can kill him...?

[@EmmaSpAce111]

Elijah Caudle but for how long? In the next game he will likely be back.

[@toe_sucker_4165]

@@mjag2834 no, the tenth Divine is Ma'iq the liar, learn to read

[@shadysam7161]

I think hes just an easter egg, which makes him non-canon (you thought he was canon when he was talking about fast-travel and multiplayer in Morrowind?)

[@danshiba1498]

I just know it's the guard I mean it's the perfect cover Hates the dragonborn shouts openingly while simultaneously helping him develop them

[@MiyaMam948]

just one guard in the whole game

[@kyleninjagokyle6717]

Miya there is only one Guard. He is everywhere always. Do you really think multiple guards would have the same voice?

[@macanaeh]

Now THAT'S a theory. What if there is only one guard and he's a god?

[@matthewlondberg7992]

@@macanaeh with the asspulls and asshattery Bethesda been up to im gonna go with you and just follow your lore and say the guard is a godd

[@matthewlondberg7992]

@@macanaeh auto correct I meant Todd ;)

[@anondutchie7127]

Actually.. I solved this mystery as there is really no mystery to this matter. Wuulfgar or whatever that greybeard is called. Is the ONLY NPC IN THE WHOLE GAME to carry a quill and paper in his inventory when you pickpocket him. Suggesting he's the one writing the letters as he feels the locations of the word walls ánd he hears the shouts the dragonborn does, which explains how the courier always seems to find us. And he actually is a person who knows the Dragonborn personally. Hence he can't talk due to the 'power' of his voice.

[@vibes5805]

My headcannon is that things like this are how Ebonarm still projects his will unto the Mundus, helping warriors, guiding them to great things. So as a result it would be the Ebony Warrior, who I believe is an avatar of Ebonarm

[@nathanieldurfee5419]

Jarl Barlgruf, hear me out. For someone to fit the bill as the potential “friend,” there are several key boxes they need to check. Barlgruf checks every box. 1) Knowledge of the dragonborn’s actions. Who would have their finger on the pulse of Skyrim more than a Jarl? He has to have informants and hear rumors of nearly everything of note in every hold of the realm. If someone was running around using the Voice in, say, Markarth, it’s completely plausible he would hear of it within a short timeline. If you want to argue that the sender seems aware of different realms and dimensions, I think we can easily chalk that up to convenient game programming. The letters follow an obvious pattern and it would have required much more work and time to essentially have dozens of unique letters instead of a template with changing values. Speaking as someone that has designed a game, what the devs did makes a lot of sense and likely doesn't reflect any lore hints, just smart timesaving. 2) Usage of a letter. It would be incredibly easy for Barlgruf to dispatch a messenger to the Dragonborn, and much more plausible for him to use a courier than, say, a Daedra or Paarthunax. We can see throughout the game that Daedra can speak directly into the mind of the Dragonborn, so a letter seems unnecessary, and Paarthurnax is too isolated to send a letter. He would have to use the Greybeards as a medium, but they seem to be against the dragonborn learning shouts too quickly. I doubt they would go along quietly. 2) Knowledge of the Voice. The letter references the Dragonborn using his “Thu’um.” Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s not a term the average person knows. Only people who have visited the Greybeards or studied The Voice would reference a shout as thu’um. For example, the guards at the Watchtower after your first dragon fight reference it as a shout. Jarl Barlgruf makes a point of informing us that he made the pilgrimage to High Hrothgar when he was younger. Mind you, this is a pilgrimage that requires you to literally climb a mountain and fight dangerous wild beasts. It’s not something you do without being interested in or passionate about the Way of the Voice. He doesn’t expand too much on his experience there, but given the difficulty of the journey, it seems unlikely he would have gotten there and left without getting something out of it. This is an assumption, of course, but I think it’s plausible that he attempted to learn The Way of the Voice while up there, but simply lacked the time, capability, or patience. His knowledge of the Greybeards seems more comprehensive than most. When he initially says he visited the Greybeards, it's a seemingly random bit of world building. If we assume he's the sender of these letters, it becomes a vital hint. 3) Knowledge of the word walls. Again, as a Jarl, he has access to a lot of knowledge. With dragons running around again, a Jarl would be remiss to not seek out information about them. We even see how he encourages Farengar to research more into dragons. Farengar is a smart guy with a connection to Delphine; him learning of and passing along the information to Barlgruf is completely possible. 4) Calling you “friend.” By the time you start getting these letters, you’re already a Thane of Whiterun. Barlgruf would certainly address you as a friend in correspondence. A few other small notes on why I think it’s Barlgruf. First, look at the specific language used. When referencing the word walls near the end of the letter, the phrase used is “I understand that...” Now, the phrase “I understand that...” when used to introduce knowledge or information is almost always used when the knowledge presented is indirect knowledge. If the sender of these letters had visited the word walls themselves, a much more likely phrasing would have excluded the “I understand” phrase and simply stated the fact. The sender may even have referenced their own visit there, assuming the letter was confidential. Long story short, the person sending these letters likely was informed of them by someone else and is passing along the knowledge. If we go with the earlier assumption, that Farengar is doing the research and informing Barlgruf of what he learns, it makes even more sense. He fits this requirement perfectly. Secondly, look at how this person speaks about Skyrim. He/she talks about it as a collective, from a macro level. They see Skyrim as a unified place facing dangers and threats, and have conflicting feelings about it. The type of sentiment expressed in the letter is one of melancholy; the sender wants Skyrim to succeed, but is all too aware of the problems it faces. This could be the Civil War, the Dragons, the Thalmor and Aldmeri Dominion...but crucially, there are very few NPCs we see express this kind of sentiment in game. Most NPCs fall clearly on either side. Barlgruf is one of the few NPCs and really the only Jarl we see in game who seems genuinely conflicted. He clearly treasures Nordic customs and values, as seen in how he sends his axe to Ulfric instead of a letter and how he shouts down Proventus about him signing the White-Gold Concordant. Hell, there’s a Shrine to Talos directly under his own castle. However, we can also see how conflicted he is by Ulfric’s actions. He understands the importance of a unified Empire and how Ulfric could cause greater harm than good, even if he agrees with his complaints. Such a conflicted person with a macro view of Skyrim is exactly who the letter is sent by. The sender wants a hero for Skyrim because they know painfully well how divided it is and the need for a hero everyone can respect. Barlgruf, to me, is the only NPC we see who would have knowledge of the Dragonborn’s actions, would actually use a letter to communicate, possesses deeper knowledge of The Voice, possesses a view of Skyrim that only high-level politicians and strategists would have, and has a conflicted sentiment about Skyrim. Last note: Ulfric checks most of those boxes using the logic I’ve presented, but the key here is that Ulfric sees himself as the hero Skyrim needs. He wouldn’t send a letter to help someone else become powerful enough to be a hero for the country. He IS the hero of the country in his eyes.

[@coysteen2716]

You my guy... you just converted me. Thank you for showing me the light.

[@jsmit9063]

That's makes sense. He has farengar for research, the steward for rumors, it just makes sense

[@daws1620]

Could be Ulfric since he actually knows shouts, but considering the storyline, prolly not him

[@Nekophy_]

But if you join the stormcloaks and finish the quest line doesn't he get arrested and taken to solitude? You still get friend letters after that and by that point balgruuf would have no reason to help the dragonborn (presuming the stormcloaks even let him send letters) since after you take over whiterun he's expresses distaste for the dragonborn and their choice of joining the stormcloaks. it's an interesting theory though ☺

[@fred5594]

@@Nekophy_ actually if you side with the stormcloaks ulfric wins and becomes high king.

[@boertje1998]

Delphine literally admits to sending at least some of them

[@merkules6]

But the one that was left where the horn was supposed to be was signed "A friend", while the others showed here are "A Friend". A small detail, but since there's only the one handwriting font, maybe it's intentional.

[@pelinalwhitestrake4196]

I always thought it was Delphine just because she's the only person with the interest, resources, knowledge, and reason in doing it. Plus she probably has the records of word walls in Skyrim because of the blade temple.

[@KennyPW]

@@pelinalwhitestrake4196 Also the Thalmor are looking for her. So it would be logical to not sign with her name in case the letter falls in Thalmor hands.

[@Whisperblade]

@@pelinalwhitestrake4196 Actually it's more likely to be Esbern (or whatever his name is -- The old guy hiding in The Lower Ratway tunnels - until you save him and take him to Alduins Wall) oddly at the same time as the letters end, and you need to start going to him or the grey beards to get locations.

[@TrickyTrickyFox]

@@Whisperblade they end when you have all of the shouts that can be tracked this way xD

[@alyxxpratt678]

bless you Camel, I was thinking about this and hoped you had a video on it 🙏🏼

[@matthewbrewer3357]

Oof, when you realize your actually helping the villain instead of defeating them lol

[@pancakes8816]

I remember once, I was in the soul carin, and this damned courier comes up to me and is like "got something for you, your hands only". Like damn, hes dedicated

[@Hopscotchpro11]

man really became a vampire

[@woahmyguyyouneedtochill416]

@@Hopscotchpro11 that or just sold half his soul 😅😅

[@Allantitan]

Neither rain nor shine nor dimension hopping will stop the courier from finding you

[@cardinalsausage8486]

*HE HAS ASCENDED*

[@Bropower125Games]

Not even the mind of a madman will save you from the courier

[@michaelbarton1157]

My theory is that 'A Friend' is a standard anonymous greeting from the faithful to Talos in Skyrim. The letter from a friend reads that your Thu'um raised a stir in some location, which is only important to a local, and would not be important to Hermaeus Mora or to Delphine. Delphine has no need to be anonymous (aside from the threat of interception of the Courier by the Thalmor or by Imperial loyalist agents) once you know who she is. I think the letters come from townsfolk of Skyrim who worship Talos and have random knowledge of where some word walls are - Nords know how to shout and some are traditionally trained - and are signed anonymously for protection from interceptions or missed deliveries. My final piece of evidence is that the letter states "SKYRIM needs a true hero these days..." - HM and Delphine would not care that Skyrim needs a hero, only that the Dragonborn needs power. Friendly townsfolk on both sides and on neither side of the Civil war would say that, however. Two strong bits of evidence pointing to 'The good people of Skyrim who have befriended the Dragonborn and the causes of the Dragonborn', the need to be anonymous (common fear) and the desire for the good of Skyrim, and random knowledge of 'a few word walls and rumors' - local gossip. It's the locals! Added - It also "does not matter" if the sender of the note can or cannot find the Dragonborn. That is exactly the job of the courier and no one else. ADDED IN EDIT ON DECEMBER 18, 2020: I play Skyrim every day. One day, after slaying Mirmulnir at the Whiterun Watch Tower I returned to Dragonsreach and as I ran by Hrongar, Jarl Balgruuf's brother, he said THIS: "If you really are Dragonborn, then Skyrim needs you. Go to High Hrothgar and talk to the Greybeards." -- This ONE LINE of dialogue that you can ONLY HEAR DURING the quest "The Way of the Voice" convinces me that Hrongar might be sending the letters. He passes all of the tests. He is concerned about Skyrim, he is AGAINST the Stormcloaks BUT he is more concerned with the safety of Skyrim. He has to be anonymous so that he is not openly defying the Jarl or the Thalmor. He has easy access to couriers. And, he KNOWS you are the Dragonborn. Also, it is reasonable to think that he would know where some of the word walls are.

[@dreamsscream]

I like this theory. I always just assumed it was the Greybeards and left it at that but what you say makes sense. Even if the locals have an affiliation with one side of the war or the other, no one really wants the war in the sense of they don't want to war just to war and every one wants it to come to an end no matter which side they stand on.

[@arthurschamne9804]

I personally still think it's Hermaeus Mora, due to the fact that the thu'um is knowledge. Meaning if he can get a dragonborn that knows all the words of power, he'd have a very powerful champion.

[@socallednedjmax]

I mean this is obviously the real answer bethesda would have given if we asked them. but it is a bit dull this is why we try to overthink this.

[@michaelbarton1157]

@@arthurschamne9804 Here are my reasons for disagreeing with you. 1. Hermaeus Mora has no need to be anonymous. 2. Hermaeus Mora is many things, but he is certainly no "Friend". It is a Daedric Prince. He requires obedience from the Dragonborn, not friendship. 3. Hermaus Mora communicates by appearing, not by writing letters. Why write letters if you can teleport?

[@arthurschamne9804]

@@michaelbarton1157 But if it wasn't a Daedric prince, then how can you get letters from friends when you shout in places that only a Daedric prince could see

[@JonborgVA]

Im glad I found these some how its really fascinating

[@S0n0fG0D]

I always thought the friend was one of the graybeards. Makes sense considering the letter gives shout locations each time. Theyre masters or the shout, so they know the locations to the word walls. Also they are slightly omnipresent, or its heavily implied.

[@ImaginaryTerrie3]

You forgot the Bards College. They want you to learn the words so that can be the greatest singer in all of Tamriel with your thu'um.

[@daws1620]

Sing your enemy's way to Sovngarde

[@donniejefferson9554]

Think about it. As the dragonborn gets more powerful, more and more people would want to hire them and would most likely be willing to pay more for the dragonborn's services. Not only that but they'd likely pay more th o even get in touch with the dragonborn. The couriers are clearly building the dragonborn's strength in order to make more money sending letters. They're basically war profiteers

[@kredonee]

Donnie Jefferson this is the best

[@Zaire82]

_Spread The Word Sheeple_

[@GiganFTW]

I don’t get it

[@idc.magna.7169]

@@GiganFTW the courier is making the dragon born stronger so people will hire him/her and pay the courier to bring letters to the dragon born the courier would be benefitting a lot from it

[@iyasnatamenggala4760]

The courier is actually a friend

[@codebrowne02]

I think the letters have something to do with the greybeards, because I’m pretty sure if you choose to kill parthurnax and join the blades you stop receiving them. Also the greybeards will be able to hear the shouts from across Skyrim I’m assuming.