The Blessings of Nature quest that has the player restore life to the Gildergreen tree in Whiterun is one of the earlier side quests the Dragonborn can accept, assuming they’re feeling brave enough to fight Spriggans. Completing the quest gives the player Nettlebane, a unique dagger that does extra damage to supernatural beings. However, even this straightforward side quest holds a few secrets.
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What is the Gildergreen Tree?
The Gildergreen Tree is the huge tree in Whiterun, near the Temple of Kynareth. Much like the White Tree of Gondor in Lord of the Rings, the Gildergreen Tree is sick and appears to be dying, although really it has just fallen dormant and needs healing. Danica Pure-Spring, a priestess of Kynareth, says that trees like this do not really die, they merely slumber.
The Gildergreen Tree grew from a small piece grafted from the Eldergleam Tree, an ancient and magical tree that was blessed by the goddess Kynareth. According to Danica Pure-Spring, the Eldergleam Tree is the oldest living thing in all of Skyrim, possibly in all of Tamriel. In order to revive Whiterun’s Gildergreen tree, the player must take the Blessings of Nature quest from Danica Pure-Spring and obtain sap from the mythical parent tree.
The Blessings of Nature Quest
To start on the Blessings of Nature quest, players need to hunt down Danica Pure-Spring. Thankfully, she isn’t that hard to find. Danica should either be by the Gildergreen Tree itself, or in the Temple of Kynareth. Interacting with her can spark a conversation about the tree, and she requests that the Dragonborn heal it by collecting sap from the Eldergleam Tree. Administering the sap to the Gildergreen is the only way to revive it.
This is a two-step quest, but it leads to some special locations and rewards the player with Nettlebane and an extra point of Restoration, which is always a plus. The first step in the quest is retrieving Nettlebane, a unique dagger needed to extract the sap from the Eldergleam Tree. Nettlebane can be found at Orphan Rock, which is guarded by four witches and a Hagraven. They can be formidable foes if not prepared, but they can be stealthed or killed off from afar.
Once Nettlebane has been acquired, the Dragonborn must return to Danica… only to be sent out once again. Despite having sent the Dragonborn to get the dagger, Danica refuses to touch the “foul thing,” presumably because it has the unique power to damage the Eldergleam Tree. The player must then travel to the Eldergleam Sanctuary use the dagger to withdraw sap from the tree.
The Eldergleam Sanctuary is a truly beautiful location in Skyrim. Inside, players will find an assortment of pilgrims from far and wide who’ve come to pray to the tree and the goddess, Kynarneth. All is peaceful until the Dragonborn harms the Eldergleam Tree with Nettlebane, and then the Sanctuary bursts to life with Spriggans.
When the fight is over, the Spriggans guarding the tree will be dead, and unfortunately, most of the NPCs will be dead too. Violence is a part of Skyrim, but it’s never ideal when a lot of innocents have to die. Especially for the sake of a tree that isn’t even dead. It stands to reason that Kynareth would probably not approve, and based on Danica’s reaction to Nettlebane, should the Eldergleam Tree have been harmed in the first place? Funny enough, there’s actually a completely pacifist way to complete this quest where no one has to die and the tree is not harmed.
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How to Complete the Quest Peacefully
Many players might not be aware that there’s actually a way to complete the Blessings of Nature quest without harming the Eldergleam tree and fighting the Spriggans that protect it. The secret lies in an NPC named Maurice that players may have not even encountered. When the player accepts the quest from Danica, they may be approached by Maurice, a man who has always wanted to see the Eldergleam Sanctuary.
If players accept Maurice’s request to accompany them and safely escort him to the Eldergleam Sanctuary, the Dragonborn is given an option for how to approach the quest. The player can use Nettlebane to hurt the Eldergleam Tree and get the sap, or slow down and follow Maurice’s lead. Maurice will kneel by the roots of the tree and pray to it. Following suit will cause the tree to gift the player an entirely new Gildergreen Sapling without having to fight the Spriggans or murder any of the innocents in the Sanctuary praying.
The pacifist approach to this Skyrim quest might not be the most exciting, but considering that the alternative is killing a lot of innocent people for a few drops of sap, it’s definitely the way to go from a moral stance. The catch is that not every player has the option to take this route, because Maurice will only be available under certain conditions.
If the player has a follower, Maurice will not appear at all. Followers are incredibly helpful in Skyrim and a lot of players use them, making it impossible to complete the Blessings of Nature quest peacefully. The other condition is actually getting Maurice to the Eldergleam Sanctuary alive. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer and isn’t essential to any part of Skyrim’s story, so it is very possible to kill him. He’s also very brave (or reckless, depending on how you look at it), and eager to assist the Dragonborn in battle. This means that without fast traveling, it can be very hard to get Maurice to the Sanctuary alive.
After a decade of playing Skyrim, players are still being surprised by the game. Most players probably never thought there was a peaceful way to complete the Blessings of Nature quest and, upon entering the Sanctuary, took the more traditional and violent approach. But knowing there’s another way to approach this quest that still isn’t completely common knowledge might indicate there are still some secrets in Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim Anniversary Editon is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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