Skyrim:Imitation Amnesty

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Help get a convicted prisoner released from jail. Quest Giver: Delvin Mallory Location(s): Whiterun Prerequisite Quest: Five Thieves Guild Special Jobs in Whiterun Next Quest: Under New Management Concurrent Quest: The Dainty Sload, Silver Lining, Summerset Shadows 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've completed five additional jobs in the city of Whiterun, speak to Delvin at the Ragged Flagon to receive a 'special job'. Delvin explains that he has received word from Olfrid Battle-Born about a special job. 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. Your job is to steal a letter to the Jarl warning of Arn's true crime. Having done so, you must find the Whiterun prison registry and change Arn's name, which will ensure his prompt release. Further inquiry will reveal that the letter is in the Jarl's chambers and the registry is on the steward's desk.

Rename the Prisoner

No matter Olfrid's protestations that this is difficult, it is extremely easy to complete. If you have completed the quest Bleak Falls Barrow, then simply walk in to the Jarl's quarters. If not then during the day go to Dragonsreach Palace, sneak through the servants entrance to the Jarl's Quarters located in the kitchen, and head up to the steward's room.

Now run to the Jarl's study up the stairs and to the right of the dining table, the guards will be telling you to get out, sneak, close the door behind you, steal the letter, run back to the stewards room, sneak, activate the register, then exit as quick as possible.

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 with lockpicks and random leveled treasure in them. The barrels are easily distinguishable from others, since they're all marked with Thieves' Cache Shadowmarks.
• The quest is actually fairly easy if you've completed either Bleak Falls Barrow or the Battle for Whiterun for the Stormcloaks, because those quests, you will be on friendly terms with whichever Jarl is in charge, allowing you enter the Jarl's area without trespassing, take the incriminating letter in plain sight (it is a low-value item, so the Jarl will allow his friends to take it), and close the door in the Steward's quarters when that room is empty, so no one can see you alter the prison ledgers. This makes Imitation Amnesty the easiest of the four Thieves Guild Special Jobs.
• 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.

Quest Stages

Imitation Amnesty (TGTQ03)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
0
10		Olfrid Battle-Born, a wealthy Nord residing in Whiterun, has requested assistance from the Thieves Guild. (Objective is assigned): 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 is assigned): Steal the letter incriminating Arn
30		(Objective is assigned): Forge the prison registry
40		(Objective is assigned): Return to Olfrid Battle-Born
45
50
200		Arn is now a free man and the Thieves Guild can now count on Olfrid Battle-Born as an influential ally in Whiterun.

 

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.