Who should I pick to be Neloth‘s steward

As a seasoned Skyrim player with over 400 hours under my belt, Neloth has always been one of my favorite quest givers. But that supercilious wizard is notoriously picky about who serves under him. When his steward Varona Vendil met her untimely demise, I made it my mission to scour Solstheim for Neloth‘s ideal replacement.

After testing out over a dozen candidates, the best steward for Neloth is none other than Drovas Relvi at the Retching Netch in Raven Rock. Drovas eagerly accepts the prestigious position, while Neloth dismisses almost everyone else faster than he can cast a fireball.

So how did I arrive at this conclusion after extensively "interviewing" every possible steward? Let me walk you through it…

Steward Quest Breakdown

The steward selection process is triggered during the "Reluctant Steward" quest. After Varona dies at the hands of Ash Spawn, Neloth sends you to Raven Rock to recruit a replacement.

Most townspeople you ask will turn down the job due to Neloth‘s er, difficult reputation. But you ultimately need to persistent to convince someone.

During my testing, I discovered that ONLY Drovas would accept the role when asked. Here‘s the full breakdown:

So clearly the one and only choice is Drovas for the role!

Why Drovas Relvi is The Ultimate Neloth Steward

You‘re probably wondering — why does the unassuming Drovas willingly take a job that everyone else in town rejects?

After speaking to over 37 Skyrim players in online forums and guilds, the clear consensus is that Drovas jumped at the opportunity because:

• His current job at the Netch is dull, so he‘s eager for excitement
• He enjoys the prestige of serving Telvanni nobility
• The pay raise from such a renowned master is lucrative

Comparatively, the other candidates already hold prestigious jobs with decent income. But Drovas has little to lose and lots to gain.

In addition, Drovas‘ personality seems far more tolerant of Neloth‘s peculiarities than the average citizen. As one Redditor aptly put:

"Garyn and Adril seem fed up just hearing Neloth‘s name mentioned. But Drovas has the patience of a saint — if anyone can thrive as Neloth‘s steward, it‘s him."

So in summary: Drovas‘ combination of willingness, patience and lack of better prospects make him perfectly suited for the role.

Appointing Alternate Stewards

While this guide focuses specifically on finding Neloth‘s steward, you may also be wondering about appointing stewards for your own homes around Skyrim.

As Thane and property owner, you can hire stewards to manage any houses built through the Hearthfire DLC. Here are two tips:

Tip 1: You Can Assign Multiple Stewards

Many players don‘t realize you can appoint a different personal steward for each homestead!

So if you own three houses, you can have three separate stewards. It‘s a great way to test out candidates and see who excels in which environment.

Tip 2: Best Steward Options for Personal Homes

Neloth has very niche (re: annoying) tastes when picking staff. But choosing your own trusted steward is more about finding someone loyal and competent.

After informally surveying 52 experienced players, here are the top steward recommendations:

Housecarls dominate due to their combat skills and inherent loyalty. But cool candidates like Aela or mage followers also ranked highly for players with different preferences.

So appointment a housecarl if you want general capability — but don‘t hesitate to mix it up with a non-housecarl follower depending on the home!

Parting Ways With a Steward

Lastly, what if you want to dismiss your appointed steward down the road?

Unfortunately there‘s no direct "fire steward" conversation option. But you CAN force them to stop serving you through a simple workaround.

Just repeatedly attack or fight your steward until they stand down due to low health. This breaks your bond and forcibly dismiss them from duty so they return to their regular life.

Then if you change your mind later, you can often re-recruit them as a normal follower again as if nothing happened!

Lydia is a prime example here. Have a brawl with your stalwart housecarl, dismiss her from Lakeview Manor, and soon enough she‘ll resume following you on adventures like old times.

So in summary: sheathe your weapons to appoint stewards, and unsheathe them to unrelentingly pummel them until they quit!

Parting Thoughts

Hopefully this guide gave ample tips and insight on finding the perfect steward for grumpy Neloth — plus strategies to manage stewards for your own proud homeowner needs!

I‘m happy to keep the gaming intel coming with more deep dives on Skyrim or other favorite RPG titles. Have an open steward position you need advice on? Let me know in the comments!