Nils is an elderly Nord cook who can often be found working inside Candlehearth Hall in Windhelm.
Background[]
- "When I'm cutting wood, I pretend there's an Imperial soldier's head on the stump."
- ―Nils[src]
Serving as a cook up at Candlehearth Hall, his daily activities consist of chopping wood for the fire and cooking for the patrons at the Hall. He is also the author of the book Chaurus Pie: A Recipe; he authored it because Susanna wanted him to make a recipe for it.[1]
He owns a room at Candlehearth Hall in which he sleeps in from 10 pm to 8 am. When he wakes up he goes out to the wood chopping block near the marketplace and chops wood for two hours. At 10 am, Nils goes out to unload the chopped wood in front of Sadri's Used Wares. Two hours later, he goes out to chop wood again for another two hours, then unloads the wood outside the Blacksmith Quarters. At 4 pm, Nils finally returns to Candlehearth Hall and spends the rest of the day there.
It is evident from dialogue between Elda Early-Dawn (his employer) and Brunwulf Free-Winter that, although he is a hard worker, Elda does not see him completely fit for the task of running the inn if she ever retires:
Brunwulf: "How long have you run this place, again?"
Elda: "Nearly thirty years now."
Brunwulf: "Just wondering when you'll be ready to give it up and settle down. Seems like you're always working."
Elda: "I just feel like if I'm not here, then something could go wrong. Nils is a hard worker, but I wouldn't trust him to run things."
Brunwulf: "One of these days he'll have to learn."
Elda: "Perhaps. But not today."
Personality[]
Nils seems to hate the Imperials, whom he considers "stodgy."[1] His hatred towards the Imperials can also be seen when he is chopping wood near the market, where he states that he "pretends there's an Imperial soldier's head on the stump."
Quotes[]
- "Name's Nils. I'm the cook up at Candlehearth Hall."
- "Can't just throw the big logs on the fire. Got to have the little bits too."