Skyrim:Olfrid Battle-Born

Olfrid Battle-Born (RefID: 0001A687)
Home City	Whiterun
House	House of Clan Battle-Born
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Level	4	Class	Warrior
RefID	0001A687	BaseID	00013BB4
Other Information
Health	85	Magicka	50
Stamina	60
Primary Skills	One-handed, Two-handed
Class Details	CombatWarrior1H
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Essential	Yes
Voice Type	MaleOldGrumpy
Faction(s)	CrimeFactionWhiterun; TownWhiterunFaction; Whiterun House Battle-Born Faction

Olfrid Battle-Born

Olfrid Battle-Born is a Nord warrior who is widely known in Whiterun as head of the Battle-Born Clan. He and his family are known to harbor animosity for the rival clan in the city, the Gray-Manes, as well as being staunch supporters of the Empire. Aside from feuding with the Gray-Manes, Olfrid is also known to be an important client to the Thieves Guild, which after helping him save a friend, he helps to spread influence of the guild to Whiterun.

Olfrid paces around his house for most of the morning, first heading outside to go drink at The Drunken Huntsman for five hours, after which he will start wandering around the city for four more hours. After his patrols are done, he will head over to The Bannered Mare for his evening meal. At 11pm he leaves the establishment and heads back home for some rest.

Olfrid wears a set of fine clothes and a pair of fine boots, and is equipped with an iron war axe. He carries a key to the clan's house, and a selection of common loot and gold.

Related Quests

• Imitation Amnesty: Help get a convicted prisoner released from jail.
• Missing In Action: Rescue a missing Stormcloak supporter from the Thalmor.

Dialogue

When you approach him, Olfrid will quickly show his pride in his family name:

"Olfrid, patron of the great Clan Battle-Born, a name I'm sure you know well."

He will then quickly begin to give you his opinion on the Gray-Manes:

"I'm as much a Nord as the next man, but I'm no fool. I don't live in the past, like those Gray-Manes."

He will elaborate on this subject, talking about a former friend who is part of Clan Gray-Mane, Eorlund:

"Eorlund Gray-Mane's a stubborn fool. Our friendship ended when he turned his back on the Emperor."

If Eorlund is no longer alive, he will instead say:

"Eorlund Gray-Mane was a stubborn fool. Our friendship ended when he turned his back on the Emperor. Now he's dead."

He may also provide you with another reason as to why he feels the Battle-Borns are a stronger clan than the Gray-Manes:

"Clan Battle-Born's got a proud lineage in Whiterun, but unlike the Gray-Manes, we've also got wealth."

He may also tell you about his son, Idolaf:

"My bloodin' days might be over, but my son Idolaf is out there fightin' for Skyrim! Fightin' for the Empire! Ha!"

Tell me about Clan Battle-Born.

"Battle-Born is a name out of legend, sung in the songs of old and heard in deeds of valor for a hundred generations. 'For Clan Battle-Born!' they cry in the mead halls. 'First into the fray and last to quit their ale!' We've got honor. Wealth and titles, too. Aye, and buxom women to warm your bed on a cold Skyrim night. Now if that don't answer your question, then no words will."

What about Clan Gray-Mane?

"Uncivilized, pelt-wearing axe-draggers. It's a wonder they don't still live in a cave like those ancestors they keep boasting about. It's true the Vignar Gray-Mane and his lot are one of Whiterun's oldest and, depending on who you ask, most respected clans. I don't dispute that. But it's one thing to take pride in your lineage, and another to cling blindly to the past. What they call honor and tradition, I call ignorance."

Why the feud with Clan Gray-Mane?

"Money, you laggard! What else? It always comes down to coin. The Gray-Manes have deep roots in Whiterun, but so do we. Difference is, we're rich, and Vignar hates it. Oh, and they hate it, too. All their big talk of pride and honor, and what have they got to show for it? Beggar's rags and stale bread. We've got the same pride, the same honor, and we've got wealth. No wonder they envy us."

If the Stormcloaks control Whiterun, you can ask him about life under their reign:

Have the Stormcloaks treated you roughly?

"Of course they have! I've made no secret of my loyalty to the Empire. I'm no coward. Twice I've been robbed, and good luck getting any kind of justice from Vignar now that he's the Jarl. He probably told the Stormcloaks to do it. Lately, they've been threatening to send my whole family into exile if we're caught collaborating with the Empire. They think we're spies! Needless to say, these rebels and I have no love for each other."

Due to this harsh treatment, Olfrid can now also be found saying:

"I hope the Empire is sending reinforcements to drive these heathens out of Whiterun."

Conversations

Olfrid can be found having an argument with his rival Vignar Gray-Mane:

Olfrid: "Someone's been pilfering crops from my farm. If I find out it's one of your kin, I'll see the culprit rot in prison."

Vignar: "I'm surprised you had the wits to notice, Olfrid, what with your nose buried so far up the Emperor's backside."

Olfrid: "You won't be laughing when the Thalmor come to root out Stormcloak sympathizers. I've already put in a claim to the land and property you'll forfeit when you're found to be a collaborator."

Vignar: "I'll remember that when the Stormcloaks liberate the city. No amount of money will protect you then, Battle-Born."

Quest-Related Events

Imitation Amnesty

Olfrid will be interested in an alliance with the Thieves Guild and, after performing the necessary jobs to justify a meeting, Delvin Mallory will tell you to meet with him:

"We actually got a request from one of the most powerful families in Whiterun, the Battle-Born's. Make your way up there and look for Olfrid. He says he's got a matter that requires a delicate touch, and I suggested you for the job. Don't make me the fool and let me down, all right?"

Traveling to Whiterun and speaking to Olfrid will allow you to discuss the work:

Delvin Mallory sent me.

"You're here! And not a moment too soon. If anything should happen to Arn, there'll be hell to pay."

Calm down. Who's Arn?

"A close friend of mine. We fought together on the battlefield for many years until old age got the better of us. Now it's up to me to save him one more time... this time from the executioner's block in Solitude."

Solitude? Then why am I here in Whiterun?

"The city guard in Solitude is seeking Arn for a serious crime. When he fled here, he was arrested for drunken behavior. Can you imagine? Fortunately, his identity isn't known to the authorities in Whiterun, so there's still a chance to save him."

All right. Just point me to the prisons.

"Hold a moment. This is more than a simple prison break. I want to have Arn's name stricken from the record books permanently. I'm setting him up with a new identity. It's the only way to throw the guard permanently off his trail."

So what's the job?

"The job is two-fold. First, steal a letter that was sent from Solitude warning Whiterun's guard to be on the lookout for Arn. The second is to change Arn's name in the prison registry to his new identity."

Sounds easy.

"If it was easy, I would have hired a local thug instead of a professional. You see both of these items are kept inside Dragonsreach, and they don't allow visitors inside the Jarl's or the Steward's chambers. One more thing. If you get caught, I can't afford to be connected to you. Remember that before you do anything stupid."

Where's the letter being kept?

"I have eyes within Dragonsreach. They tell me that all correspondence from other holds are sent to the Jarl's private chambers."

Any information on the prison registry?

"It's a well-known fact that the steward keeps all of the records on Whiterun's prisoners in a large book. My sources tell me you can find that book in a study in his quarters. Change Arn's entry in the book to anything you want and they'll be forced to let him go after he serves a few weeks."

Despite his claim, you can actually get access to the Jarl's chambers by completing Bleak Falls Barrow or the Stormcloak Battle for Whiterun. This makes this job very easy. Once the work has been done, you can report back to Olfrid:

Everything's been done. Arn should be safe.

"Arn? Never heard of him. I guess that means you're finished. Here's your payment. Tell Delvin that he has my support and all the weight it carries in Whiterun from now on. I think he'll be quite pleased.

Olfrid will also send a message to Delvin ahead of you, which Delvin will mention:

"Olfrid sent ahead his compliments. Looks like his friend Arn is soon to be released thanks to his brand new identity. More importantly, he's pledged the full support of the Battle-Born clan to the Thieves Guild."

Missing In Action

Olfrid's taunting will be what alerts you to the fact that a Gray-Mane son is missing:

Olfrid: "Foolish old woman! You know nothing! Nothing of our struggles, our suffering!"

Fralia: "Nothing? And what of my son? Hmm? What of Thorald? Is he nothing? So don't talk to me about suffering!"

Idolaf: "Your son chose his side, and he chose poorly. And now he's gone. Such is the way of war. The sooner you accept his loss, the better."

Fralia: "I will never accept his death! My son still lives. I feel it in my heart. So tell me, Battle-Borns, where is he? Where are you holding my Thorald?"

Olfrid: "Do you believe this old hag? 'Holding him'? Why I've got him in my cellar. He's my prisoner. Face it, cow! Your stupid son is dead! He died a Stormcloak traitor. And you... you best keep your mouth shut before you suffer the same."

Idolaf: "Come on, father. There's nothing more to be said here."

You can ask him about this argument if you speak to him before meeting with Avulstein Gray-Mane:

What was that argument all about?

"Just one more thing the Gray-Manes want to blame on others. It's not my fault they turned their backs on the Empire, or their mule of a son raised arms against it. And yet they want to heap the fault on my family's good name? Bah."

You can also ask him about Thorald Gray-Mane while you are still looking for clues:

What do you know about Thorald Gray-Mane?

"What's there to say? You go against the Empire, you wind up dead. Thorald got what was coming to him. Best not to ask too many questions about it. People might get the wrong idea about you."

Notes

• Olfrid's essential status is not cleared after Imitation Amnesty like the other Thieves Guild quest NPCs.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 3.0.6, fixes this bug.
• Although none of Vignar's administration can be questioned about the veracity of Olfrid's claims to have been victimised by their rule, the fact that a guard will be removed specifically from Battle-Born Farm after the Stormcloaks take over seem to indicate this is the case.