Skyrim:Imitation Amnesty

Help get a convicted prisoner released from jail. Quest Giver: Delvin Mallory Location(s): Whiterun Prerequisite Quest: Five Thieves Guild Special Jobs in Whiterun Reward: Leveled jewelry, Thieves Guild is improved ID: TGTQ03

The incriminating prison registry

Quick Walkthrough

1. Talk to Delvin Mallory in Riften.
2. Talk to Olfrid Battle-Born in Whiterun for the details.
3. Steal the incriminating letter.
4. Forge the prison registry.
5. Tell Olfrid the job has been done.

Detailed Walkthrough

A Special Job

Once you have completed five Thieves Guild extra jobs in the city of Whiterun, Delvin at the Ragged Flagon will have a "special job" for you. Delvin explains that he has received word from Olfrid Battle-Born, a wealthy Nord living in Whiterun, with a unique request. Travel to Whiterun and speak to Olfrid, who explains that "Arn", one of his old war buddies wanted for murder in Solitude, has been arrested for drunkenness in Whiterun. In order to save his friend from the executioner's block, he wants to set Arn up with a new identity. To accomplish this he asks you to steal a letter warning of Arn's true crime and then change Arn's name on the Whiterun prison registry. With these done the guards will be permanently off the trail and Arn will be given a prompt release. Olfrid warns you the job will not be easy; both items are located in Dragonsreach: the letter is in the jarl's chambers and the registry is on the steward's desk.

Rename the Prisoner

The jarl's chambers are always accessible, but your status with the jarl determines whether you can simply walk off with the letter in his room or if you must steal it. If you do not have a standing relationship with the jarl, the guards will be on alert, so you will want to sneak through the rooms. Closing the chamber doors before taking the letter and altering the prison ledger minimizes your chances of being caught.

The Payoff

Olfrid is grateful that his friend will only have to spend a few days in jail for his drunkenness instead of facing an executioner's axe for murder, and gives you a random enchanted ring as a reward.

Report back to Delvin for your pay. Delvin will inform you that Olfrid has "pledged the full support of the Battle-Born clan to the Thieves Guild", and that a new merchant has set up shop in the Flagon.

Notes

• After completing this quest, three Thief Cache barrels will appear around Whiterun.
• The quest is actually fairly easy if you've completed either Bleak Falls Barrow or the Battle for Whiterun for the Stormcloaks, because after those quests, you will be on friendly terms with whichever jarl is in charge, allowing you to take the letter from his rooms freely.
• Although Olfrid's friend, Arn, is supposed to be in Whiterun jail for drunken behavior, he is nowhere to be found in Dragonsreach Dungeon, or anywhere in the game for that matter.
  • Even the Official Prima Guide lists Arn as an NPC present here, and states that: "A man named Arn is imprisoned in this location, but only after you undertake Thieves Guild City Influence Quest; Imitation Amnesty." Implying that Arn was indeed meant to appear in-person at one point.

Bugs

• You may need to complete six Whiterun jobs for Delvin/Vex in order to unlock this quest. ^?

Quest Stages

Imitation Amnesty (TGTQ03)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		Olfrid Battle-Born, a wealthy Nord residing in Whiterun, has requested assistance from the Thieves Guild. Objective 10: Speak to Olfrid Battle-Born
20		Olfrid Battle-Born has a good friend residing in Whiterun's jail who is slated for execution. In order to free him, a prisoner registry in the steward of Whiterun's quarters must be changed and a letter stolen from the Jarl's quarters in Dragonsreach. Objective 20: Steal the letter incriminating Arn Objective 30: Forge the prison registry
50		Objective 40: Return to Olfrid Battle-Born
200	Finishes quest	Arn is now a free man and the Thieves Guild can now count on Olfrid Battle-Born as an influential ally in Whiterun.

• The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0, 30, 40, 45.

Notes

• Any text displayed in angle brackets (e.g., <Alias=LocationHold>) is dynamically set by the Radiant Quest system, and will be filled in with the appropriate word(s) when seen in game.
• Not all Journal Entries may appear in your journal; which entries appear and which entries do not depends on the manner in which the quest is done.
• Stages are not always in order of progress. This is usually the case with quests that have multiple possible outcomes or quests where certain tasks may be done in any order. Some stages may therefore repeat objectives seen in other stages.
• If an entry is marked as "Finishes Quest" it means the quest disappears from the Active Quest list, but you may still receive new entries for that quest.
• On the PC, it is possible to use the console to advance through the quest by entering setstage TGTQ03 stage, where stage is the number of the stage you wish to complete. It is not possible to un-complete (i.e. go back) quest stages, but it is possible to clear all stages of the quest using resetquest TGTQ03.