| “ | I am Frea of the Skaal. I am here to either save my people, or avenge them. | „ |
| ~ Frea introducing herself to the Dragonborn |
Frea is the deuteragonist of The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim: Dragonborn. She is a member of the Skaal tribe on the island of Solstheim and the daughter of Storn Crag-Strider. After the ancient Dragon Priest Miraak begins corrupting the minds of the island's inhabitants, she works with the Dragonborn to defeat him and end his hold over Solstheim forever.
She was voiced by Elle Newlands.
History[]
Like all Skaal, Frea was born on the island of Solstheim, disregarding worship of either the Nordic pantheon or the Nine Divines in favor of worshipping the All-Maker, a mysterious deity revered as the wellspring of creation. When she was little, Frea's mother was caught in a violent snowstorm looking for firewood. Though she mourned her mother, as a Skaal she understood the dangers of the land and moved on.
Frea fondly remembers herself as an angry child. The chieftain at the time, Skaf the Giant, took notice of Frea's warrior spirit and taught her how to fight. Frea recalls being terrified of him initially due to his size but remembers him as a good mentor who taught her everything she knew about fighting and misses him in the present day. Despite Skaf's teachings, as the daughter Storn, Frea was expected to one day take his place as the Skaal's next shaman. Though this wasn't the life she wanted for herself, she understood it was for the greater good of her people and gracefully accepted that it was her duty.
In the year 4E 201, many of Solstheim's inhabitants began to fall under a strange trance, muttering their reverence for a mysterious being known as "Miraak" and constructing strange structures around the All-Maker Stones, magical stones dotting Solstheim's landscape that maintain the balance of the land. Besides this, the hypnotised victims began unearthing and rebuilding a giant temple in the middle of the island. Though the Skaal knew of Miraak and his downfall, they were left confused on how he could be corrupting Solstheim centuries after his death.
To counter this, Storn and several others constructed a magical storm surround the Skaal Village in an attempt to stave off further corruption, at the cost of draining those powering it physically and mentally. After learning of several villagers who had become part of the temple's reconstruction, Storn tasked Frea with investigating how Miraak could still be alive after centuries and possibly end his influence. To prepare herself for the task, Frea fashioned a special Skaal amulet which would hopefully prevent her from suffering the same fate.
Frea made her way to the temple, where she found two of her fellow villagers, Oslaf and Ysra there, trying unsuccessfully to snap them out of their trances, While doing this, she was approached by the Last Dragonborn, who had come to Solstheim to investigate why Miraak had sent cultists to kill them. Though initially wary, once they both realized they were both there to find Miraak, they agreed to work together and made their way into the temple.
As they explored the temple, Frea was disgusted at the various torture chambers within still containing Nord remains, questioning whether it was in service to the Dragons or himself. As they progressed further down, Frea took notice of how Miraak had begun to inflict the same pain on his former Dragon masters, killing and hanging their remains up in chambers like trophies, wondering what had possibly changed or knowledge he had learned to invoke such betrayal. She also noted how it was likely these actions that had enraged the Dragons enough to burn the temple down.
The further down they went, the more Frea began to take notice of how the typical Dragon Cult statuary and decorations were replaced by that of strange, eldritch creatures she didn't recognise. Eventually, after fighting through waves of Draugr and Miraak's cultists, the two finally came across a chamber containing a statue of a grotesque, tentacled being and in front of it, an altar holding a mysterious Black Book. The Dragonborn volunteered to read it only to be pulled into by green tentacles into the plane of Oblivion Apocrypha, leaving Frea to worry over their non-corporeal form still there. Though the Dragonborn found Miraak, he quickly subdues them and has Seekers force them back to Tamriel while he rides away on a Dragon.
Once back in the temple, the Dragonborn explains what happens to Frea, who suggests they take the Black Book to her father Storn, confident that he would be able to identify it's source. Making their way out of the temple and going to the Skaal Village, Frea was relieved to see the barrier still holding. Showing the book to her father and confirming Miraak as the culprit. While not able to determine the Black Book's origin, upon learning Frea's companion is the Dragonborn, Storn sends them to a Dragon lair to uncover the power that caused Miraak to betray his masters.
After the Dragonborn learns the first word of the Bend Will Thu'um, they use it to break Miraak's hold on the Wind Stone, freeing the hypnotised Skaal and allowing Storn and the others to drop the barrier protecting the village. Though Storn still doesn't know how to identify the Black Book, he directs them to the Telvanni wizard Neloth on the south-west border of Solstheim. At this point, the Dragonborn can converse with Frea who offers her gratitude over their actions to free the Skaal. From here they can learn more about her past and even offer Frea the chance to leave the Skaal Village and accompany them on their journey. With the right amount of persuasion, she agrees though insists this is temporary as her duty is ultimately to the Skaal.
Should Frea be accompanying them, the two make their way to Neloth's home of Tel Mithyrn. While on the way, Frea warns the Dragonborn of the Black Book's darkness and how they risk walking the same road as Miraak, while also revealing the Skaal know Neloth can help as he already has a Black Book in his possession. Once at Tel Mithryn, Neloth identifies the Black Book as an artifact of Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and an ancient enemy of the Skaal known as "Herma Mora", thanks to his desire to learn the Skaal's secrets and numerous attempts to steal them at any cost. Neloth reveals he also knows of another Black Book in the Dwemer ruins of Nchardak which might possibly contain the means to defeat Miraak.
The three make their way to Nchardak, with Frea noting that the Skaal had always avoided the ruins on account of how the Dwarves made a mockery of nature. Disposing of the local Reavers, they find the Black Book sealed within a glass case in the floor, With Frea guessing the Dwarves had feared the Black Book as much as they respected it's knowledge. Neloth reveals that the the pumps inside could still be activated via placing control cubes onto control pedestals, therefore opening the seal.
As the three progressed through the ruins, Frea marvelled at the Dwarven structure and engineering, noting how it had survived thousands of years after the Dwemer had vanished. As they drain most the pumps, Frea notes they only need one more control cube, with Neloth commending her sarcastically, noting that someone had been paying attention. Frea gets her own back as once they have to start swimming through the flooded Aqueduct, Neloth begins complaining, with Frea joking he should leave it to the "youngsters". Once they finally collect all the cubes, Frea will joke to the Dragonborn that they can finally get the book and not have to listen to Neloth's complaining anymore.
After they deal with the last Centurion guarding the Black Book, they are able to open the seal and take it. The Dragonborn reads the book and is transported back to Apocrypha. Once there, the Dragonborn is greeted by Hermaeus Mora, who gives them the second word of Bend Will and offers the third (which can bind Dragons like Miraak can) in exchange for the Skaal's secrets, which he's sought for centuries. After returning to Solstheim, the Dragonborn discusses with Frea about Mora's offer. While Frea herself cannot give Mora the Skaal's secrets, Storn can as their chief shaman and keeper of knowledge. Taking the offer to Storn, he ultimately accepts, realizing that giving Mora what he wants is worth the price of saving the island.
Despite his decision, Frea urges him against it, citing his various lessons to her of Hermaeus Mora's depravity and untrustworthiness. Nevertheless, Storn opens the book only for Frea and the whole village to watch in horror as Mora extracts Storn's knowledge via tentacles bursting through the book and impaling him. A horrified Frea begs the Dragonborn to stop this to no avail. After dropping Storn's corpse, a satisfied Mora keeps his end of the bargain, giving the Dragonborn the final word of Bend Will and a portal to Apocrypha to confront Miraak. Distraught over her father's death, Frea kneels beside his body and while she affirms she does not blame them, she orders the Dragonborn to go kill Miraak and not let Storn's sacrifice be in vain, watching with the rest of the Skaal as they go back to Apocrypha.
After Miraak is defeated by the Dragonborn and killed by Hermaeus Mora, the Dragonborn is sent back to the Skaal Village to find Frea waiting for them. Frea admits she already knows the outcome given that the local All-Maker Stone has been purified but is still relieved when they confirm Miraak is dead, freeing Solstheim of his tyranny and avenging her father's death. Before she and the Dragonborn part ways, she offers them one last word of advice: As the Skaal's new shaman, she was tasked with their spiritual well-being and though they are not a Skaal, the Dragonborn is their friend and warns them that while they were able to defeat Miraak, it came at the cost of replacing him as Hermaeus Mora's new Dragonborn servant. Frea cautions them to not fall to Mora's temptations as Miraak did and bids them farewell.
Though Frea still occasionally travels with the Dragonborn (if they convinced her) and considers them "Skaal-Friend", she mainly stays in the Skaal Village, taking to her duties as the new shaman and helping her people heal from Miraak's corruption. Though she admits that she would have preferred to be a hunter rather than a shaman, she is more than ready to take over her father's role and accepts that it the destiny the All-Maker gave her.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Elder Scrolls - Frea (Skyrim).jpg (890 KB)")
Trivia[]
- Besides Cicero and Serana, Frea is the only permanent follower with a unique voice.
- Should Lydia be a follower during the quest Temple of Miraak, she will appear to have a small rivalry with Frea, remarking "She fights well enough, for a Skaal."
- Frea has no level cap, and will thus continuously accumulate experience along with the player.
- As an essential character, Frea cannot be killed but will nevertheless use Restoration and Alteration flesh spells on herself when needed.
- By default, Frea dual wields a Stalhrim Axe and Nordic War Axe (or any other weapons given to her), without the need to put a pickaxe or a Forsworn weapon in her inventory as with most other followers.
- Her default armor is heavy Nordic armor, despite being highly skilled in light armor.
- The name Frea resembles the name of the Norse goddess Freyja, who is associated with love and passion.
- f the Black Book was not regained by the Dragonborn from Storn then she will have it added to her inventory. Likewise, if the player drops a control cube in Nchardak, she will urge them to pick it up.
External[]
Frea on the Elder Scrolls Wiki- Frea
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  Heroes
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Protagonists Nine Divines / Aedra Greybeards Companions Imperial Legion The Five Companions Daggerfall Covenant Aldmeri Dominion (Elder Scrolls Online) Ebonheart Pact House Ravenwatch Stormcloak Rebellion Nightingales Dawnguard Dragons Daedra Law Enforcement Others | ||