Haelga

Haelga is a Nord who lives in Riften, where she runs Haelga's Bunkhouse with her niece, Svana.
==Background==
According to her niece, Haelga is a very loose woman who slept with three men in one month. Her reputation is further justified with contextual evidence from her bedroom: a bed with shackles, a shelf full of stamina potions, a horker tusk and leather strips underneath her bed, a jar of honey and more leather strips on the dresser, The Lusty Argonian Maid Vol 1 and Vol 2, a bottle of Falmer Blood Elixir (which Brynjolf says will allow one to "make love like a sabre cat"), as well as a Shrine of Dibella, a deity that Svana claims she worships too much. Haelga wears an Amulet of Dibella and there is also a note on her store counter from a "Secret Lover."
If the Dragonborn kills her niece, Haelga will flee the bunkhouse. When she comes back, she states she is too upset to talk.
==Interactions==
===Taking Care of Business===
When asked to pay her debts, Haelga will refuse. The Dragonborn can either steal her Dibella Statue and blackmail her to pay or win a fight with her during a brawl. If she is visited last, she will pay the gold demanded without any trouble.
===Caught Red Handed===
Svana will ask the Dragonborn to collect Haelga's Marks of Dibella from the men she slept with.
==Dialogue==
"You looking for something or what?"
:Are you the only one that works at the Bunkhouse? "Of course not. You expect me to take care of it by myself? My niece Svana helps me with the chores. She'd be more help if she kept her head out of the clouds. She's been with me ever since her parents were killed by bandits and she was dropped in my lap."
:What is this place? "This heap of matchsticks is what everyone calls Haelga's Bunkhouse. Can you stay here? No. The Bunkhouse is for the working man, not some sort of a luxury inn for tourists."
:Where can I learn more about magic? "There's a College in Winterhold that teaches magic. It's very secretive, though, and you know how people hate secrets. The Jarl's court wizard was taught there. That one's full of secrets."
;Caught Red Handed
:I believe these are yours? "What? How... where did you get these? No, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Look, we need to keep this quiet... between you and me, okay. No one else needs to know about it. If word got out that I'm practicing my Dibellan Arts in Riften, they'll run me out of town. Here, take this and don't mention a word of this to anyone, especially Svana!"
;Taking Care of Business
"What did you want?"
:I have a message from Brynjolf. "What does he want now? I already explained to him that you can't get blood from a stone."
::This isn't about the money anymore. "Look, I can't make the coin appear out of thin air. Please, be reasonable. I'll... I'll pay next month."
:::We've run out of patience. "And so have I. What's the point of paying anyway? Your outfit can't even fend for itself. I could do better tossing the gold into the sewer. You can't scare me with your tough talk. I'm not paying you people a single coin."
::Then you'll pay in more than just coin. (Brawl) "Ha! We'll see about that!"
After taking the statue:
"Please! Don't take the statue! It's the only thing of value I have left!"
:I have a message from Brynjolf. "You... you have my statue! What are you going to do with it?"
::So, should I drop this statue down a well? "Not Lady Dibella! No, please! I can't lose her! I get the message. Here, take your gold. I hope you choke on it!"
After winning the brawl:
"Here... take your damn coin and get out of here!"
==Conversations==
;Bolli
Bolli: "Haelga, we need to stop seeing each other."
Haelga: "Oh, Bolli you silly man. You weren't saying that when you were licking that honey off my..."
Bolli: "Haelga! That's just it. I can't keep up with you. Your Dibellan techniques... they're exhausting."
Haelga: "Is it really me, or is it your wife? You need to make a choice Bolli. The honey or her."
Haelga: "When are you going to take me away from here Bolli?"
Bolli: "I told you, I can't just pick up and leave. I have my wife, my business... not to mention you have the Bunkhouse."
Haelga: "That old place? I could care less about it. It's you I want, Bolli."
Bolli: "I... I'm sorry Haelga, I can't. Not yet."
;Grelka
Grelka: "Oh, Haelga!...There you are. Your special shipment just came in from Hammerfell on the Khajiit caravan."
Haelga: "Oh, good. I want to try it on as soon as possible."
Grelka: "'Try it on'? What do you need a leather harness for anyway?"
Haelga: "It's [pause] a religious thing."
;Madesi
Madesi: "Lady Haelga, so pleased to see you. Your Marks of Dibella are ready."
Haelga: "Oh, splendid! I can't wait to use them."
Madesi: "Begging your pardon milady... I know these have something to do with Dibella, but whatever are they for?"
Haelga: "Maybe I'll show you one day, Madesi. Have them delivered to the Bunkhouse, won't you?"
;Maven Black-Briar
Maven: "Haelga, I like you, so I'm only going to say this one time. If you ever try and 'practice the Dibellan arts' with Hemming again, I'll make sure that pretty little face loses its beauty."
Haelga: "He wasn't protesting, Maven."
Maven: "Of course he wasn't you stupid whore; he's a man. Now I'm not going to warn you again. Is that clear?"
Haelga: "Very well."
;Svana Far-Shield
Svana: "Aunt Haelga, why do you...demean yourself with these people you barely know? They show no real love for you."
Haelga: "Its only a bit of fun. You're a lovely young thing, you should try it sometime."
Svana: "No! I'm saving myself for someone special. Someone who loves me dearly."
Haelga: "You mean Sibbi? You must be joking! All he wants to do is bed you and be done with it. You may as well get it over with and let him."
Svana: "You're wrong! Sibbi and I are in love and you're just jealous."
Haelga: "Svana, has that Skooma-riddled addict paid her rent yet? Or does she have more excuses?"
Svana: "She said she'll have it soon. She still has her job at the Meadery for now, so she'll be able to pay us."
Haelga: "Why do you insist on defending that woman? All she does with her money is spend it on that Dark Elf garbage."
Svana: "Just be patient, aunt. She'll have it, I promise."
;Tythis Ulen
Haelga: "So, Tythis... you coming by the Bunkhouse later?"
Tythis: "Of course. I rented a bed there. Where else would I sleep?"
Haelga: "I have plenty of room in my bed."
Tythis: "Good, that must be very comfortable for you. I think mine's a bit too small. Perhaps we could trade?"
Haelga: "Sigh."
==Quotes==
*"I don't know why I bother."
*"New around Riften? Take my advice. Stay at the Bee and Barb... the Bunkhouse isn't for you."
*"Oh, it's you. Come to extort more from me?"
*"Huh? Oh. Sure, whatever. I prefer Dibella's teachings myself." – When given a The Warmth of Mara pamphlet
*"There's a College in Winterhold that teaches magic. It's very secretive, though, and you know how people hate secrets. The Jarl's court wizard was taught there. That one's full of secrets."
*"Ask all you want, you can't squeeze blood from a stone. Not in this part of the world anyway."
==Trivia==
*Despite Haelga claiming to practice the "Dibellan Arts," or have intercourse, out of religious devotion, such practices are considered immoral by most followers of the Nine Divines. The Temple of Dibella has no overtly sexual items, however, and no priestess inside mentions that Dibellan worshipers should have sex outside of marriage.
*Sometimes, Haelga will not be at the bunk house late at night; if Bolli's house is checked, they will be found sleeping together. They also share a table every night at The Bee and Barb.
*A letter addressed to Haelga mentions her wearing Daedric boots during intercourse. However, there are no Daedric boots anywhere in Haelga's Bunkhouse.
*There is a jar of honey found in her bedroom. This jar of honey is one of the only two in Skyrim without installing downloadable content.
*She will sometimes flirt with male characters, regardless of race.
*If the Dragonborn is married to Haelga through console commands, she has a special dialogue option that allows conflict to be avoided during "Taking Care of Business."
*Despite giving tokens to her lovers, each of the three men she has been with actually have a low opinion of her; Indaryn says that she would not "be worth the hassle" were he to go through with Maven about his connection to Haelga, Bolli insists that she "slipped something" in his drink, and Hofgrir says that she is "crazy" and "out of control."
==See also==
*Until Next Time
==Appearances==
*
de:Haelga
es:Haelga
ru:Хельга (Skyrim)
fr:Haelga
Category:Skyrim: Riften Characters
Category:Skyrim: Essential Characters