Skyrim:Old Orc

Old Orc
Location	Random Encounter
Race	Orc	Gender	Male
Level	Radiant (1-25)	Class	Bandit
RefID	N/A	BaseID	00062128
Other Information
Health	35-489
Magicka	25
Stamina	70-246
Primary Skills	One-handed, Two-handed, Block, Light Armor
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Unaggressive
Voice Type	MaleOrc

Old Orc

The Old Orc is an Orc bandit who can be randomly encountered with two dead sabre cats near him at an exterior location after you reach level 5.

If spoken to, he will say that he wants a "noble death", which the Daedric Prince Malacath has promised him, and asks you to deliver it. You may oblige, in which case he will attack you. There is no reward for killing him, except for the experience you will gain if you defeat him and the objects you can take from his corpse. Killing him does not constitute a crime.

If you refuse, attempt to talk him out of his death wish, or disengage from the conversation, he will suggest that you leave him so he can wait for his wish, or otherwise do nothing. He can, for some, present a moderately challenging battle.

Dialogue

Speaking to the Old Orc will have him say:

"I am waiting for a good death"

Ending the dialogue and speaking to him again will have him instead greet you by saying:

"If you are not here to grant me a good death, then you can leave."

Either way you can reply with:

A good death?

"Yes. Were I to simply lay down and die, it would not please Malacath."

Why do you wish to die?

"My time has come. I am old. Too old to become chief. It would be wrong for me to take wives at this age. So I will die. Malacath has given me a vision of a glorious death. I am to wait here until it finds me. As you can see, it has not yet arrived."

You don't look that old to me. Certainly you're still a strong, capable warrior.

"Indeed. One should find his death while he can still call himself a proper man. We Orc men are not like these Nords and Imperials who carry on until they are grey and feeble and their hair falls out. To cling to something past its usefulness is unseemly, how much more so when that thing is you?"

It seems there's no talking you out of this?

"You should leave. I don't want you scaring off my good death."

Perhaps I could give you the death you seek?

"Perhaps... Are you sure about this?"

Yes, I am sure. I will give you a good death.

"Hmm. We shall see."

On second thought, maybe not.

"You should leave. I don't want you scaring off my good death."

Unused Dialogue

The game's DialogueViews files contain early versions of the dialogue with the Orc, these early lines notably include the term Mauloch, instead of Malacath. Both names are in use by the Daedric Prince, but Malacath is much more prominently used:

A good death?

"Yes. We're [sic] I to simply lay down and die, it would not please Mauloch."

Why do you wish to die?

"My time has come. I am old. Too old to become chief. It would be wrong for me to take wives at this age. So I will die. Mauloch has given me a vision of a glorious death. I am to wait here until it finds me. As you can see, it has not yet arrived."

Notes

• His script notes describe him as an "old warrior sitting patiently waiting for a good death after a good fight".
• There was a similar encounter with the Orc Umbra in Morrowind.
• The Old Orc does not have a unique facial model, he instead uses the default male Orc face.

Bugs

• The wilderness encounter "A Good Death" does not properly unload and remove him and the two sabre cats if you kill him, or if you ignore him and leave the area.
  • The Unofficial Skyrim Patch, version 2.0.4, fixes this bug.