My dark-elf wandered into Windhelm to correct some badly kept business ledgers for the TG, otherwise she would have avoided the place. First thing she saw was Rolff-Stonefist verbally abusing another Dunmer woman. So my dark elf told him where to get off and they started to brawl.

After warning her not to use any of that magic stuff, pulled out a staff of frostbite and used it on her. My character still won, but Rolff refused to acknowledge that there ever was a fight, even though she'd put down her 100 septims. Seems he really is slime.

I'd heard about him pulling a dagger, but I'd never using a staff of any kind.

I wish the nasty little jerk wasn't essential.

Yeah same thing happened with me with the ugly lady in the Bannered Mare.

There's a mod that retires his essential tag. Well, assuming you're on PC, that is.

if you inflict to much damage an NPC can draw a weapon. I'd say reload from walking into the city and try again.

An old character of mine brawled an orc chief once who drew his axe. Whats funny is he got suplex'd on his head and died. Wasn't essential I guess. I reloaded.

Bah, Rolff's hatred for the Dunmer is just for show. Well, it might be true that he hates Dunmer men. But I have proof that he in fact has a thing for Dunmer women...
http://i1073.photobucket.com/albums/w384/Auroratiger/Skyrim/Ettovntatmte.jpg
http://i.minus.com/iY4HbnlMSdu8.jpg (The funny thing with this was that it happened right after that threatening-Dunmer-woman incident - in fact, my own Dunmer (to the left in the pic) came walking from the Grey Quarter, saw Rolff and his buddy harassing the woman, but since I had no interest in discussing that further (this Dunmer started in the Grey Quarter thanks to Alternate Start, and has lived there all his life, so he knows how the situation is), I didn't stop to listen, and instead walked straight to Candlehearth Hall - where Rolff mysteriously had teleported himself to the top floor and was having fun with the Dunmer chicks there.