Gray-Manes or Battle-Borns? Skyrim's Whiterun Choice Explained

screenrant.com:

Skyrim's famous Whiterun city is home to two clans with a long history of friendship and rivalry: the Gray-Manes and the Battle-Borns. The Gray-Manes and Battle-Borns have similar family ties and once shared the same values, but now the two clans couldn't disagree more and have their hands tied to many of the biggest secrets in Skyrim's city of Whiterun. And — depending on what Skyrim players agree with in the political world of Tamriel — it'll influence their decision to side with one clan over the other.

Both the Gray-Manes and Battle-Borns are native Nords to Skyrim. The history books of Tamriel say they are descendants of the great warrior, Ysgramor, and his Five Hundred Companion army. It was because of their conquest during the Merethic Era that Nords first stepped foot on Tamriel, which eventually gave birth to the Gray-Mane and Battle-Born clans. For a time, peace and friendship helped both sides of the family sustain a working relationship in Whiterun, but that would eventually change into a feud once civil war broke out in Skyrim. Said civil war came about following the White-Gold Concordat — the treaty that saw the Empire surrender to the Thalmor, who subsequently banned Talos worship throughout Skyrim.

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Players can ideologically side with the Gray-Manes or the Battle-Borns depending on what side of the Skyrim civil war conflict they agree with — either the Stormcloaks or the Imperials. While both clans aren't technically a part of either military group, each openly sides with a faction and specific members have enlisted in either army. The Gray-Manes support the Stormcloaks while the Battle-Borns' allegiance lies with the Imperials, and both have their reasons for doing so.