Cyrodiil/Hulgard

Hulgard, a Nord blacksmith, is the owner of   in   and an expert-level   in smithing. 

His brother,   has gotten in trouble with the criminal gang  , and will ask you to   to Hulgard, explaining the situation. Once you do, Hulgard will reward you with leveled gold.

Hulgard wakes up early every morning at 6am and grabs a quick breakfast before opening his store for trading at 8am. For the next twelve hours he can be found at the forge inside or at the smelter just outside, toiling away. During this time, he will buy and sell weapons, armor and crafting components, as well as offering expert training in Smithing.

At 8pm he locks up and heads to the  , where he will enjoy a two-hour dinner before heading down to the bathhouse for two hours of relax. At midnight, he will return home and head to bed. The only exception to this schedule is on weekends, when he locks up early at 6pm and visits the   to pray for three hours.

Hulgard wears a blacksmith's apron and matching shoes, and is armed with a   and  . He also carries the key to the  , a few tools of the trade (bellows, hammer and tongs) as well as a random selection of gold, lockpicks, gems, jewelry, food and drink.

When walking into his store, Hulgard will modestly greet you: "''I've honed my craft for years. I may not be  , but then again, this ain't Skyrim.", "Always glad to have a customer. This here's Northern Arms, and the guy you're looking at is a master blacksmith... even if I do say so myself." and "Blacksmithing takes a lot of time and effort to master, but the results speak for themselves."

If you ask how his business is going, he will admit: "Relatively good as of late, I'd say. Hostilities are boiling under the surface here in Cyrodiil. Have been for a while. No one dares make the first move, but everyone's waiting for it with bated breath. That means they're arming themselves in preparation for rainy days to come, and that means customers for blacksmiths such as myself. Not to sound like a war profiteer, of course." 

If you ask why people are arming themselves, he explains: "Sure, they're not walking around in armor with swords in their scabbards all the time, but people are keeping a weapon handy a lot more these days. Never know when you'll need to defend yourself from a party of Thalmor justiciars. Err, don't tell   I said that. They know a storm is on the horizon, and soon enough their - all our - lives are about to become a lot more dangerous. They want to be prepared."

Asking where he learnt his craft will net you: "You're asking a Nord where he learned to smith? Ha! That's like asking an Altmer where he learned to make you want to punch him in the face! I learned all over Tamriel. I learned near enough my whole life. When I was ten, my mother would always be boasting, y'know. "Damn it, Hulgard, I haven't seen you with a hammer out of your hands for years! I don't even remember what your empty hands look like! By now I'd believe it if someone said you were born with a smith's hammer in your hand and burn marks to match!" The bottom line is that blacksmithing is as much a part of being a Nord as the beards and the drink. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

If you notice how well decorated the store is, he will be pleased: "Ah, glad to see you noticed! These furnishings don't come cheap." If you manage to persuade him (Speech over 75) he reveals how much it all cost: "Heh, well, normally I keep my finances private, but just this once...for the whole smithy? And the furnishings outside? 10,000 septims.''" Remark that it's a hefty sum for a blacksmith and he explains: "Indeed it is. I am, however, in a rather fortunate position. I have a contract with the count to outfit his forces with arms and armor, and, because of that, I have a steady source of income. Beats the on-and-off work I used to rely on."

His assistant,  , is clearly infatuated with him, although she has never plucked up the courage to declare her love: "''Me and Hulgard? We're, umm... not quite engaged, but... we're...I..." If you ask whether she loves him, she admits: "I, err...well, yes. Why?" although when asked if he loves her, she stammers: "Yes. Yes, of course he does. Even if he doesn't know it yet." If you ask Hulgard he remarks: "Eddvia? She's a fine lass and a good shop assistant. Girl can wear me out sometimes, though, with the endless compliments and flirting.''" If ask whether he's his wife, mistress or girlfriend will net you the following responses: "Haha... no.", "Hahaha... also no. Absolutely not." and finally "''Hahaha, n- well, I mean- err... umm, err... Listen, stranger, I don't mean to be rude but my personal affairs are just that. You want to buy or sell?''" Indeed, on Tirdas and Turdas, Eddvia will sneak out of her house at 1am to visit Hulgard for six hours of passion.

 
Related Quests
 

Conversations
You may sometimes overhear Eddvia's awkward attempts at flirting in the store:

Eddvia: "Hey, Hulgard? Can I ask you something?" 
Hulgard: "Yes, Eddvia? What is it?" 
Eddvia: "''Well, I just wanted to ask...I just was wondering if...if... ...if we had any extra leather strips? It's just, uh - we seem to be running out." 
Hulgard: "Oh. Okay, well, I'm sure I saw some lying around the shop. I'll take a look. Anything else?" 
Eddvia: "No. No, that's it."

You may also witness Eddvia, Hulgard and   discussing business:

Eddvia: "Good to see you, Ralgar. What can I do for you today?" 
Ralgar: "Eddvia. Hello. I came some time ago about repairing a bow of mine. Do you know what became of it?" 
Eddvia: "No, but let me ask Hulgard. I sure he knows what happened to it." 
Ralgar: "That's okay, child. I can ask him myself."

Ralgar: "Greetings, Hulgard. Dropped off my bow here for repair a while ago. You taken care of it?" 
Hulgard: "Ah, yes. Sorry, Ralgar, it must have slipped my mind to bring it back to you. Here you go - restrung and everything." 
Ralgar: "Not a problem - I'm just glad there weren't any issues. ...And, you know, for a blacksmith you're a damn good bowyer." 
Hulgard: "I try to stay rounded.''"