Skyrim:Thane of the Reach

Radiant Options
This is a radiant quest which you can receive from Igmund or Thongvor Silver-Blood, whichever is Jarl of the Reach. The jarl lives in Understone Keep in Markarth. The jarl can be found in multiple places - arguing with Calcelmo, roaming the halls, sleeping in his bedroom or sitting on the throne.

Quick Walkthrough
# Befriend the Jarl of the Reach.
# Assist five people of the Reach.
# Purchase Vlindrel Hall.
# Return to the jarl for your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough
This is an umbrella quest for several other quests that must be completed if you wish to become Thane of the Reach. The jarl requires you buy the house in town as well as performing five favors for the townsfolk. Once this is achieved you can become Thane.

In order to receive this quest you must first aid the current jarl. If the jarl is Igmund, then you must usually kill a Forsworn leader and Find Hrolfdir's Shield; however, if he was ousted from Markarth during Season Unending and reinstated following The Battle for Fort Sungard, that is sufficient to begin this quest. If the jarl is Thongvor, whether he was installed via Season Unending or The Battle for Fort Sungard, then the completion of that quest is sufficient to fulfill the prerequisite.

Once you have completed the prerequisite, speak with the jarl again and he will ask you to assist the people of the hold. You must assist five people in the hold, usually by completing favor quests for them. Note that many of the quest givers are non-essential NPCs, so their deaths would result in a loss of potential quests to complete. If they die after you assist them, they still count towards your Thane status. You can also befriend merchants if you have the Investor perk by investing in their stores.

Note that there are several favor quests involving members of Orc strongholds in the Reach; assisting Orcs living in strongholds does not count towards your Thane quest, but Orcs in Markarth do count.

You may consider completing The Heart of Dibella as successfully completing it befriends all four of the priestesses of Dibella, which is almost enough to qualify for thaneship alone. It also requires you to visit Karthwasten; resolving the Sanuarach mine dispute there (for either side) will be enough to complete this requirement.

You must also purchase Vlindrel Hall, which costs 8,000 gold. Simply purchasing it is enough, there is no requirement to decorate, although it becomes more useful if decorated.

The Reach Favor Quests
Highlighted quests can be easily completed without any skill use. If any citizen offers multiple favor quests, only the first completed one will count towards Thaneship.


The Reach Stores
Investing 500 gold in certain stores will count towards Thaneship if you have not befriended the store's owner by other means. If the original owner dies and you had already invested in their store, you [can / cannot  ] also befriend their replacement.


Other Quests
The following quests also increase the disposition of citizens of the Reach, and therefore count towards this objective:
 
 

Reward
After helping five inhabitants and purchasing Vlindrel Hall, the journal tells you to return to the jarl. The reward, the Blade of the Reach, is a random, leveled, enchanted axe. There is a 50% chance that it will be a war axe (one-handed), and a 50% chance it will be a battleaxe (two-handed). You will also receive a housecarl named Argis the Bulwark, who will be waiting for you at Vlindrel Hall.

Bugs
 
 

Quest Stages