Windhelm ( Online ) Windhelm , also known as the City of Kings , is an ancient city in the region of Eastmarch , Skyrim . It is currently under the control of the Ebonheart Pact , which is led by Jorunn the Skald - King . While Windhelm is not the oldest city in Skyrim , it is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement of men , and is possibly the oldest inhabited settlement in Tamriel altogether . The Vestige arrives at Windhelm during the annual festivities of the Konunleikar , where the whole kingdom celebrates the 10th year of Jorunn ' s reign and where clans from all the holds and visiting dignitaries engage in revelry , festivities and contests . The Pact also holds a council with all its members convening for the future of the Pact . Both the Fighters and Mages Guild s have chapters in the city . History . During The Return in the late Merethic Era , Yngol , the son of the legendary Nord ic warrior Ysgramor , was separated from the rest of the fleet in a terrible storm . Ysgramor eventually found the shipwreck of Yngol ' s longboat , the Harakk , and discovered that his son and his crew had been slain by the Sea - Ghost s . Ysgramor , in grief , decided to build a great city where the nearby river met the sea . It was built as a monument to mankind . The city was built in traditional Atmoran fashion and was constructed by Elves prisoners . Ysgramor ordered for a great bridge to be constructed . Forever striding the river so that no elf might sneak through to avenge his brethren . As the bridge was built long , so too was the palace built high , spires reaching the sky to show domination even over the very winds . Once Ysgramor and his men had settled in this new land , the reign of the Ysgramor Dynasty began , and Windhelm served as the capital city of the First Nordic Empire . It is said that a huge tomb was prepared for Ysgramor in the deep hallows beneath the city . However , Ysgramor chose to be buried at sea , facing his homeland , Atmora . Ysgramor ' s burial place is known simply as Ysgramor ' s Tomb . In 1E 369 , Windhelm was sacked in the War of Succession . Over 3000 years later in 2E 572 , it was sacked once again by the Dir - Kamal and his forces in the Second Akaviri Invasion . Today , Windhelm is a bustling center for commerce and war activity . While most of the town ' s buildings have been restored since the Akaviri invasion , King Jorunn requested that the Palace of Ysgramor be repaired last . It is home to Thane Mera Stormcloak , Ulfric Stormcloak ' s ancestor and daughter of the city ' s former captain of the guard . The Stormcloaks are said to have helped establish Windhelm in ages past along with Ysgramor . Geography . The city sits on the northern bank of the great White River which flows out into the frigid Sea of Ghosts . It also has a port , accessible via a gate in the southeastern part of the city . Windhelm is located near the northern border of the hold , near Winterhold and The Pale . It is also close to the border with Morrowind , but there are no roads leading into the ash - cloaked province from Eastmarch . The city has very cold weather , being in the frigid , snowy tundra of Skyrim , however travelers heading toward The Rift or Whiterun will see the landscape turn green and lush almost immediately south of the city limits . Travelers to the city are greeted by the ice - covered bridge leading to the main gate , but it is the ancient , majestic Palace of Ysgramor , towering over all other structures in the city , that is truly breathtaking . The palace is considered to be one of the oldest human - constructed buildings still standing in Tamriel , and one of the only First Empire structures remaining . The city slopes slightly northward and has different levels of elevation , with the Palace located at the city ’ s highest point , making it even more visible and striking . The streets have high , thick walls around them , giving the city something of a claustrophobic feel ; the sky is almost always white or overcast , and fierce blizzards batter the city with alarming regularity . It is within these snow - strewn streets and icy alleys that Windhelm ' s hardy inhabitants live . Quest related :