Season Unending is the third quest of the third act featured in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and our Skyrim Season Unending walkthrough explains how to complete it.
The quest starts during the events that take place in the first quest of the last Skyrim act, a quest named The Fallen.
It is important to know that Season Unending can be played only if the Civil War takes place in Skyrim and only if the Stormcloaks and the Imperials have more than one Hold under their control.
Season Unending is a quest that must be completed in order to play the second part of The Fallen quest; however if one of the factions (the Stormcloaks or the Imperials) have been defeated or have only one Hold, the quest can be skipped.
Players should also know that this quest requires the presence of General Tullius and Jarl Ulfric, which means that players may have to complete any active Civil War Quest they started.
During the Season Unending quest, the following locations must be visited: High Hrothgar, Solitude, Castle Dour, Whiterun, Dragonsreach, Windhelm, and Palace of the Kings.
The Skyrim Season Unending walkthrough is a step-by-step text guide, created with the purpose of helping those who wish to complete this quest.
When Season Unending starts, its first objective also appears in the quest log.
Objective 1: Get Greybeards’ help in negotiating a truce
Objective 1.1: Talk to Arngeir
Travel to High Hrothgar and talk to Master Arngeir.
Tell him that you came because you need help in order to stop the Civil War.
When he agrees, he asks you to talk to General Tullius and Ulfric Stormcloak.
Objective 1.2: Talk to General Tullius
Travel to Solitude and enter the city.
Find Tullius and tell him that his presence is required in order to negotiate a truce.
If needed, you can persuade him by telling that Ulfric Stormcloak agreed to join (if you visited Ulfric first).
Eventually, Tullius will accept and you can leave the place.
Objective 1.3: Talk to Ulfric Stormcloak
Journey to Windhelm and find Ulfric inside the city.
Tell him that the Greybeards request his presence and that General Tullius will be there (if this is true).
The objective changes when he agrees to show up to the meeting.
Objective 2: Talk to Arngeir
Go back to High Hrothgar and you will find Arngeir near Delphine and Esbern. Both of them want to participate to the meeting.
NOTE: If you managed to complete the quest called Paarthurnax, the dialogue between these three characters will change, but the next objective remains the same.
Objective 3: Take your seat
Enter the grand hall and take a seat on the other side of the hall.
During the meeting you will see the following characters:
– Jarl Vignar of Whiterun if the Stormcloaks control Whiterun
– Galmar Stone-Fist – Ulfrics hausecarl
– Ulfric Stormcloak – Jarl of Windhelm
– Elenwen – Ruler of the Thalmor observers
– Jarl Balgruuf the Greater – Jarl of Whiterun
– General Tullius – Leader of the Imperial forces
– Jarl Elisif the Fair Head of Solitude
– Legate Rikke Loyal to the Imperial forces
– Arngeir
– Delphine
– Esbern
Objective 4: Negotiate a truce
NOTE: Before starting this objective, it is important to understand the mechanics of this negotiation. The only method to fail this quest is to draw your weapon and attack the members of the council; however, you should know that the answers you give during this meeting, affect your standings with the Skyrim factions. From time to time, the members of the council will ask your opinion. At this point you must favor a faction or another; or simply remain impartial, which means you have three options:
Option 1: Favor the faction you are helping or you intend to help in the Civil War.
Option 2: Favor the opposite faction. Your allies will get angry and you will be forced to give away the Holds you control.
Option 3: Do not favor any factions, if you are not interested in the Civil War.
Another important aspect of the meeting is the Holds, and how they are divided throughout Skyrim. A Stronghold is the most important type of a Hold, being an operation base.
The Stronghold is followed by a Major Hold and by a Minor Hold, based on their importance. The full list of Skyrim Holds includes:
Haarfingar City: Solitude Type: Stronghold (Imperials)
Eastmarch City: Windhelm Type: Stronghold (Stormcloaks)
The Reach City: Markarth Type: Major Hold
Whiterun City: Whiterun Type: Major Hold
The Rift City: Riften Type: Major Hold
Hjaalmarch City: Morthal Type: Minor Hold
The Pale City: Dawnstar Type: Minor Hold
Winterhold City: Winterhold Type: Minor Hold
Falkreath City: Falkreath Type: Minor Hold
Objective 5: Elenwen Negotiation
The first negotiation of the meeting refers to Elenwens presence. You will be asked by Ulfric and Tullius what do you think, and you can:
Agree with Ulfric and send Elenwen away.
Agree with Tullius and keep Elenwen at the meeting.
Objective 6: Markarth or Riften Negotiation
The second negotiation is focused on two Major Holds: Markarth and Riften. You must give up one of these Holds.
If you side with Tullius, he will ask for Riften, but if you side with Ulfric, he will ask for Markarth.
In both cases, the faction that controls Riften or Markarth will ask for your opinion and you have two choices:
Exchange a Major Hold controlled by the opposition
Exchange a Minor Hold controlled by the opposition
No matter what you pick, the council will continue, but it is important to know that if you trade a minor hold, you will upset the faction that controls Riften or Markarth.
After this negotiation, the less favored faction will want to leave the meeting, but Esbern will restore order.
Objective 7: Concessions
During the last part of the meeting, the un-favored faction will ask for additional concessions. You can agree or disagree, but this part ends only when the faction finishes its demands, or you agree with them.
NOTE: Depending on how you have played the Civil War Quests until now, and which faction you favored, the Civil War Quests will change, which means that it is a good idea to side with your enemies, especially because you will gain access to additional side-quests.
When the meeting ends, you will be able to play the second part of The Fallen quest, as you will receive help from the leader of your new allies.
