High Hrothgar High Hrothgar or Hrothgar is an ancient monastery located in the peaks of the Throat of the World , the tallest mountain in all of Tamriel . High Hrothgar is the home of the Greybeards , a group of powerful monks that dedicate their lives to studying the Way of the Voice . Description . Geography . High Hrothgar is located on the peaks of the Throat of the World , perhaps the largest mountain in Tamriel . This was done to isolate themselves from the rest of the province in the effort to study quietly and without disturbance . The only way to reach High Hrothgar was through the small town of Ivarstead , located on the Western edge of the Rift . Ivarstead is the beginning of The Seven Thousand Steps , a long spiraling road on the Snow Tower that leads to the temple . Along the path are several etched tablets that describe the origins of Man and the Dragon War . High Hrothgar has a decent sized courtyard in the back and a pathway that leads to the Summit . The Inner Temple is dark and cold , the winter breeze seeps into the walls and leaves a hollowing echo across the hallways . History . First Era . During the First Era , the Nordic Empire was present at the Battle of Red Mountain , a momentous event for the many denizens of Northern Tamriel , same goes for the Nord s . Jurgen Windcaller was one of the Tongues , a warrior capable of using the Voice and he utilized this ability in his campaign in Red Mountain . However , after the Battle and the loss of his men , Jurgen began to undergo seven years of meditation to learn why the power of the Voice had failed him in Resdayn . Jurgen built High Hrothgar as a place to hone his skills and to undergo his meditation . He eventually took on disciples and the Greybeards was formed . Jurgen would later pass away and be buried in the ruins of Ustengrav . His teachings would be passed on for generations . At one point , the 418th Step to High Hrothgar was destroyed by a Dragon . It was repaired by King Wulfharth . This moment was recorded in the Five Songs of King Wulfharth along with , defeating the Orcish chieftain of the Eastern Orcs and swallowing a thundercloud , so his men would not catch a cold . Second Era . During the Interregnum , the Greybeards of Hrothgar were uninvolved with the matters of the Alliance War nor the Ebonheart Pact . During the Second Akaviri Invasion , the city of Windhelm was besieged by the Snow Demons of Kamal led by Ada ' Soom Dir - Kamal . There were many casualties such as High Queen Mabjaarn Flame - Hair and Princess Nurnhilde of Windhelm . Mabjaarn ' s son , Prince Jorunn was fighting the Akaviri in Southern Eastmarch with his Pack of Bards . When he heard the news , he traveled to High Hrothgar to seek aid from the Greybeards , to stop the Akaviri before it is too late . The Greybeards conjured the shade of Wulfharth the Ash - King to help him defeat the Kamal . Jorunn and Wulfharth built an army in the city of Riften , which the Akaviri avoided , they entered the Stonefalls region in Morrowind to reach the city of Mournhold in Central Deshaan . The war continued in Stonefalls in the infamous Battle of Stonefalls . The Greybeards had foreseen the coming of the Third Empire for quite some time . A New Emperor that would defeat the High Elves of the Summerset Isles and would unite the continent under a single banner . Wulfharth overheard this and traveled to High Hrothgar , assuming that he was this chosen person . When he spoke with the Greybeards , they shattered him , reducing him back to ash . He was not the chosen one ; it was a man from the island kingdom of Alcaire . This warrior youth was Hjalti Early - Beard , a warrior under King Cuhlecain , the leader of Falkreath . Hjalti would later follow Cuhlecain to Cyrodiil as Cuhlecain would become the Emperor of Tamriel , Emperor Zero . Cuhlecain would later be assassinated , and Hjalti assumed the throne as Tiber Septim . Third Era . Around the time of the Oblivion Crisis in 3E 433 , the settlements of Whiterun and Hrothgar was under constant attack ranging from the Horme Bandits and the Frost Troll s of the northern mountains . The raging blizzards of the north did not make the situation any better . Fourth Era . Amidst the Dragon Crisis in 4E 201 , the Greybeards of High Hrothgar called to the Dovahkiin after they revealed themselves by slaying the Dragon known as Mirmulnir outside of Whiterun . The Last Dragonborn traveled to Ivarstead and climbed the Seven Thousand Steps to speak with the Greybeards themselves . The leader of the Greybeards , Arngeir taught the Dragonborn in the Way of the Voice , to help them defeat the rising threat of Alduin . Eventually , the Dragonborn had mastered the voice and continued to climb the Throat of the World to the summit . There he met , Paarthurnax , the true leader of the Greybeards and a reformed general of the Dragon War of ye old . The Dragonborn needed to learn the shout that could bring a Dragon down from the sky , a shout called the Dragonrend . They traveled to the northern snow lands of Winterhold to find the Elder Scroll in Alftand . With the Elder Scrolls , the Dragonborn manipulated the Time Wound at the summit to learn the words for Dragonrend . After they have learned it , Alduin himself appeared and dueled the Dragonborn in a Battle of Tongues . He was defeated and fled to Skuldafn and eventually Sovngarde where he was actually defeated by the Dragonborn .