Please excuse my poor grammar and structure. I am in no mood to be a grammar nazi. I’m going to dive right in, because the more I think about this the more of a headache I get. This is the Conspiracy Quest in Markarth.

I'll start where the problems begin occuring. So I go over to meet the guy that’s trying to silence me, Thalorn. I’m talking to him he tells me to leave and all of a sudden strangers are attacking and kill his wife. I kill them and save his life. He calls me an imperial dog or something for supporting the Imperials I think he was referring to saving Margarets life. But my character is sided with the stormcloaks, so that doesn’t make sense. He tells me character he will have me killed… I’m like okay stupid I could kill you right here but I’ll carry on and meet the other conspirator, Nepo. So I meet him and aparantly he has been Madanock’s agent for years killing random people, which does not make much sense. If they’re killing imperials to keep in control, then why does Mekils note say strike terror into the hearts of the Nords? So I kill Nepo and then go to meet my contact.

At this point, everyone and their dog is getting killed or doing the killing in Markarth so I walk into the Talos shrine expecting a fight. Lo and behold it’s the city guard. They killed my contact, an innocent civilian who had a wife and baby that was soon to be born (which I never even saw). And apparently they have been bought out and are working for Madanock which has an agreement with Thalanor who works with Nepo who tried to kill him. Along with the complete this cluster [censored] of confusion, if Madanock had bought out the guards, why is he still in jail? So the guards offer me a choice, come peacefully to jail to spend eternity there or fight my way out. Well my character is an Orc that is level 24… No way I’m being taken to jail by corrupt guards.

So I take them out. But here’s the odd part, as soon as the conversation began with the guards, the quest completed thingy popped up. So after I killed them I was wondering how the quest was even complete for many reasons: why did the Forsman try to kill Thalanor, I need to kill Madanock, I need to kill Thalanor, is it just these guard or are the other guards involved to, is the Jarl involved? Lots of unfinished business so how the hell could the quest be over. So I killed all the guards in the shrine, so no witnesses. I step outside to go to the jail to finish what I started and apparently all the guards have been bought out because they attack me. At this point I’m thinking this is a seriously bugged quest because every time I killed a corrupt guard I increased in bounty… So I decided maybe I wasn’t supposed to choose that route because I’m supposed to die. So I reloaded a save and choose to be taken as a prisoner (which is [censored] because it’s a death warrant). The prison that was supposed to be “the most secure prison in all of tamriel” was a joke. It was ridiculously small, and I laughed at the notion that this supplied half the silver for all of tamriel... It was just a cave that had a locked gate... Not very advanced so I don't understand why such a big deal was made about it. I decided this was a mistake. So I reloaded a save and choose to fight my way out again.

So I kill the guards inside then I kill all the guards outside by going Berserk mode. I go in to kill Thalanor, he attacks me before I even attack him, but lo and behold he is unkillable! I dropped his health completely twice, very easily… So at this point I’m really confused. So I reload to before I walked in the Treasury to kill him. I decide to go to the prison and take out Madanock. I go in there and take out the guards. And for some reason I can’t even open the prison bar door, like no text even appears. Well what the hell. So now by this point I am quite agitated. I decide to meet the jarl and figure out what the hell is going on. So I go in and kill a few more guards, and as I’m attacking these guards this higher ranking guard carries out a conversation with some hooded person about some random quest. Didn’t notice the homicidal orc tearing through guards right in front of him. So I go to take him out next, believeing he is also bought out. Well turns out he is also unkillable. Which leaves me with nothing else to do.

This quest makes no sense at all. On any level. Once I was killing the guards I was thinking, well hell everyone in this city is corrupt and both anti-imperial empire and and anti-stormcloak. How do they even exist at all? How has the Imperial Legion not walked up and killed all of these idiots instead of sending in agent after agent that apparently get killed. So I’m thinking am I going to become the Jarl of this city since I’m going to have to wipe the slate clean and take out everyone? Am I going to protect the city until stormcloak reinforcements relieve my position even though Im deep behind enemy lines? Am I going to have to make a speech and inform the citizens of what happened and let them decide which side they want to join? Am I going to have to kill the imperial agent Margaret or try to convince her to join the rebellion because she was essentially sent to her death? Am I going to have to enlist civilians into a milita and dress them up as the regular Markath guards so no Imperial agent or Thalmor is any wiser, and if they show up on patrol will I have to ambush them or let them walk around twidling my thumbs? Will I have to send a messenger to inform Ulfric Stormcloak of the situation? There is so much possibility for this quest, assuming it ever gets fixed.

Well I am going to have to reload a save from way before all of this. I have wasted so much time replaying this quest and writing this post. And then to top it off, how will I know when and if this gets fixed? Am I just going to try again in a few weeks hoping I don’t waste more time? This is game breaking. A quest that involves the entire city of Markath is full of plotholes and what I believe are bugs; this makes one of the cities nonexistent in my mind. Which is ridiculous If these are not bugs, then whomever made this quest was incredibly sloppy and seriously out of it. I have had a great experience cup until this point. There are some things I am critical of, but this is a disgusting and embarrassing mess up. : (

P.S. For all of those who think I'm a troll because I have a new account, I'm contacting the admins/mods about that. Apparently my other account got messed up. I haven't logged in in a long time, but I did change my password the last time the site got hacked so I don't know what happened. But anyway I'm not a troll. Been playing Elder Scrolls since Morrowind, over ten years ago when I was 9. So I have a lot of credibility and experience with this series. Please fix this. This is embarrassing.

Edit: I went through and cleaned it up, including adding some ideas to improve the quest.

Bump. Any one want to comment on my ideas or problems? This is a pretty big quest that involves an entire city... It's not some random glitch involving my character on the edge of the map doing random combinations until a glitch appears.

I just started this same quest and found the same problem no matter how I tried to do it, but when I chose to go willingly with the guards inside the Temple of Talos it opened up a side quest. I have a hunch that you pretty much have to do it this way or the quest just can't go anywhere. I have to wait a few hours before I can go back to the game and see, but I think I'm on the right track. I also bet that Thalmor can't be killed because of the quest line, but not 100% sure.

You mean Thalanor, not Thalmor right? If so I know who you mean. If it's true that going with the guards is the only option, that's really messed up for roleplaying. If you're character is a thief then it's better if he goes willingly and peacefully to escape later. But if you're character is a heavy hitting melee monster, going peacefully is not really an option. Don't take this the wrong way but I am glad to see I am not alone in this issue.

I saved just before I go to meet the contact and decided to go to jail, as I'm breaking out with the other prisoners, it occurs to me that it doesn't look like I'm getting my stuff back at all. So I reloaded my save and 18 levels later, I haven't finished it still.

I went with the fighting route. I killed all of the guards inside the Talos chambers, and walked out killing a couple more guards. Then I figured that I didn't want to take down the entire city so I put away my mace and let the guards arrest me.

Once I was in prison I talked to Madanack. I didn't want to help him but the game really didn't give me any other clear choice, so I did what he asked and he got us all out of the prison.

Anyway, once we're all out I get my gear back, and the Forsworn prisoners start to fight the city guard. I figure this is my opportunity to clear my name, so I rampage and kill every single one of the Forsworn INCLUDING Madanack. At least 8 guards were killed but not by my hand.

Now, here's where it gets screwed up. All Markarth guards try to arrest me (as per the Talos Shrine conversation - same wording and dialogue choices) every time I talk to them, or if I walk past I hear "In the name of the Jarl, I order you to stand fast!". Luckily they don't actively chase me. I have bounty with Markarth that cannot be paid, and I cannot go to prison again - it doesn't let me; if that option is selected the dialogue just starts over in a loop.

So basically I can't get caught doing any crime in that city or I can't return to it ever again.

Well...if you let the forsworn masacre the city...I dont think they'll let you in.

Rootbeer, you are pretty confused about what was going on in that quest. Anyway, this is not a Stormcloak/iImperial thing. Its a thing between the Forsworn and the Nords, whether allied with Ulfric or not.

Also, its OBVIOUS that Cidhna Mine is bigger than what you are shown. Actually, if you look the way you come in to the main cave with the fire, the passage goes on and on, clearly implying you are not in a little enclosed space. They are not gonna show you a prison with hundreds upon hundreds of prisoners. They are gonna put you in the relevant parts of the mine. Thats what, in narrative, its called SHOW DONT TELL. Nobody cares about the huge mine; what one is concerned of is with Madanach.

Avenger, are you saying that because you have a separate bounty that cannot be paid, the guards don't attack you? I have the same glitch, as well as a bounty for the city that I CAN pay. My question is, are you able to actually move about the city temporarily until another guard bothers you? Because I can't even step foot inside the city without ten guards already charging me.

Same issue. Bumping to ensure it gets seen. (I'm sure if this many people have had it though, they've long since reproduced it and will patch it.)

Well, I have a bounty of 40, but I can't talk to a guard to pay it off because I get the "You framed me" quest dialogue. Also, I don't know of anywhere else I can pay the bounty. That's why I said if I get caught doing any other crime in the city I won't be able to ever go back.

I have the same thing i also went down the route of the Thieves Guild to try and pay the bounty off through the guild but i can't, every time a guard comes up to me i say "i submit, take me to jail" and then the conversation goes to me asking "what's the problem" if i leave the conversation at that point i can run with out them being aggressive, but if i leave the conversation at any other point then they will, also if i got into a building i get multiple guards come up to me and i get stuck in a loop between the guards, and then one will attack me if he can't talk to me.

Please get this fixed! I really wanted to do the Dark Brotherhood quest and i need to talk to Muiri, but can't because of this, if i stop running a guard will catch me.
I hope that i don't have to come here for any other quests either until this is fixed or i might cry.

NOTE: My experience is on the PC. Don't know if it's different for 360 users.

So, let me get this straight...

After completing the quest by helping Madanach escape the prison (where he gives you the Old World suit of armor), when you go back into Markath the guards run up to you and start a conversation and the only dialog you get is the quest dialog when you want to talk to Eltrym in the Temple of Talos and they intercept you?

I JUST completed that segment, where Madanach gives you your stuff back and I haven't left the Dwarven ruins yet. Am I not going to be able to talk to Jarl, access the shops, or whatever in Markath???

If that's the case, I'm going to have to reload an autosave and not go into the Temple and let the quest just sit there.

I had a similar experience, like the OP. I figured killing ALL the corrup ones would resolve the situation. You can't kill Thonar of the Silver-Blood house. Don't know why... and it seems killing the guards doesn't net any result at all other than guards and Thonar attacking you on sight.

Once you meet Nepos, the part you have to do before you go back to Eltrym(sp?) in the Temple of Thalos to tell him what is going on, you HAVE TO kill Nepos. There's no way that you can leave without doing so.I haven't tried going to the Jarl's but, I doubt it was fit into that storyline.

I do feel that story seems a little disjointed, but in some way it does make sense. The OP didn't quite get the story straight, so here's MY take on it.

20+ years ago there was an uprising by the Forsworn after the Nord had taken Markath and the Reach. The Forsworn won, but Ulfric Stormcloak fought back and they massacred the Forsworn and wanted to execute Madanach. Nepos, one of the Forsworn, was left alive to live out his days. Thalmor Silver-blood was an influential person in the Reach and was able to convince Ulfric to leave Madanach alive, but imprison him in the mine. Now here's where it get a bit sketchy for me...

To what end did Thonar use the Forsworn? What was/is his purpose? I know he owns a lot of Markath. But, why would the Forsworn King allow his people to be used as cannon fodder? That doesn't make much sense. Is it to keep authorities out of Markath, so Thonar can have full reign of Markath? But, then why all the corruption? How are all the guards involved, since they're the ones that CONSTANTLY seem to have to keep busy with quelling hate and discontent?

This brings me to Nepos... he was Madanach's right hand man for all these years. Creating that hate and discontent in Markath? I guess? So... how does Thalmor benefit from this???

Behind the scenes, Nepos was basically doing guerilla warfare against Thonar, taking over the gold mine for example... I get that.... But someplace, I think is a disconnect.

Thonar, other than owning a lot of, if not all, of Markath and the surrounding mines, making a lot of wealth, how do the Forsworn fit into that picture? Guards can be bought, you don't need the Forsworn for this...??? So, now we have these Forsworn, that once owned Markath, that were destroyed, were used (for what purpose???) and are making a comeback against the current rulers of Markath, the Nords.

Then we have Margaret, she gets killed right off the bat by Forsworn(?), when you enter Markath. She apparently was investigating Thonar Silver-blood. What authority was she from? Was she working with Markath's Jarl?

We also have Eltrym(?sp), the guy you meet at the front gates, that slips you the note when Margaret dies, and you meet in the Shrine of Talos. If I recall he's trying to avenge his father's death, but I don't remember why his father was killed. So, Margaret and Eltrym seem to be tie ins... but I'm still a bit sketchy on this.

Am I getting that right? What am I missing?

UPDATE: If I leave the Dungeon, but decide to let Thonar's group and Madanach battle it out by themselves everything seems to work fine? Haven't found a guard yet

UPDATE 2: Well, the guards in Markath, EXCEPT FOR the shrine in Talos, leave you alone and let you continue about your business. If you go to the Talos Shrine, the same three guards that arrested you, will say the same thing they said before they arrested you the first time. There's a new thread in the talk options though, and it was a "pay the bounty" type thing for 1000 gold. They'll take you to the front of the prison and I guess that's that. I didn't try any other talk option as I think they're all counter productive. I've actually reloaded the game to before entering the shrine, and I will just avoid that shrine.

I think the problem with this quest is that there only seems to be one way to finish it. It's like the quest designers never thought that someone wouldn't want to side with Madanach even though it seems quite clearly like the wrong thing to do.

I also have a problem with this quest.

When I first went to the Shrine of Talos to see my contact and inform him of my findings, there was a guy from the legion who started talking to me, saying that I should join..., the legion guy leaves, my contact is dead and there is 2 guards standing there doing nothing.

I went out the Shrine and went back in, nothing, I get out of the the city and get back and back to the Shrine, nothing...

If I attack the guards, more guards come and attack me, but the quest never end.

Is there something I can do?

If they fix that bug, will I be able to complete it or is it just going to stay like that?

If so, I'll restart a game instead of wasting my time on trying to figure something out, but I think I'll wait at least for the next patch before starting a new game.

I guess I'll buy Assassin's Creed Revelations this week after all.

I finished this quest successfuly, though it was a pain so i'll tell you how i did it.

Firstly i obtained the evidence from both people, starting with Weylin first.
Then i went to Nepo and killed him, then i want Thalanor and I let him attack the forsworn who killed his wife - I stayed out the fight completely because i found that attacking the attackers stuffed the quest up.

Once he had killed them all i spoke to him and he told me to get out. So i went back to the Talos temple and the guards tried to arrest me.
I went with them.

In the jail i challenged the Orc to a brawl, beat him, and he unlocks the door to go to the Forsworn King.

This is the severe glitchy bit, I was going in with the intention of killing him, so i walked in, saved it (save here is a must!) i pulled out my fists and attacked him, he killed me.

So reloaded, turned into a werewolf and decimated him. I killed all the prisoners in the jail just for the fun of it. Then changed back, looted his body and preceded down the escape tunnel (note that i still do not have my gear) and as i was escaping down the tunnel, the giant spiders and dwemer centurions proved way too much for my fists, so escape was impossible.

reload.

So i talked to him this time, and you are forced through dialogue to aid him. I then exhausted all dialogue options, finished talking, killed him again and now i cannot loot his body because the game says he is busy. (You cannot loot him after you talk to him - so glitch there.)

Reload.

I talked to him and agreed to help him, then him, me and all the other prisoners (who were forsworn) proceed down the tunnel. Due due to our numbers we make short work of the enemies.

We arrived at the door back to Markarth and it was only here that Ir received all my stuff back from the king. I decided however to kill his [censored] ass now while i have all my gear back.
So i kill them all, which is a pretty hard fight, then i leave the jail. I meet Thalnaor outside and he thanks me for killing the king, gives me all my stuff back, and removes any bounty i have.

Quest completed.

You have the option to go with the king and aid the forsworn, though i am a Nord and finished all the Stormcloak quests so this was not in my RP ^^

EDIT: Fixed bad grammar and spelling.

After I get the info for the contact, I go to the shrine and he is dead and the gvards never attacked me. Now I can't complete it from the qvest is trying to tell me to go to the contact..... Any help on this?

sorry. the most i can do is tell you how i managed to complete it successfully. try reloading, or fast travelling away then back.

Thanks man. I will try that ovt when I play it later. Also thanks for responding on the other post, too!

I just got in a big mess with this quest. I found Talos guy dead, they sent me to the mine. Did all the side quests in the mine with the people, me and the guys went through the dwemer ruins. Then all the guys but the forsworn king walked out into makareth. So it's at this point I decide to kill him, loot his body and walk outside.

And here comes the bugs...

The quest still wants me to escape the mine, I go back in...all the way back to the mine, twice. But it won't accept I'm free, then...

I walk outside to find every forsworn person standing in front of me trying to kill me, along with the Thalamor guy. The guards just watch and laugh as I run out of the city (many reloads from dying). I'm out of the city and come across Old Hrothgar Inn. She talks to me about Tiber Septim's room, so I say sure I'll take it. Go to sleep in the double bed, and it asks me if I want to serve my time in jail. So I thought maybe this was my way out of getting the quest to be finished (I realize this is not suppose to happen.) I appear in the front of Makareth mine with all the forsworn people just up the stairs in front of the dwemer ruin door. In fighting them I accidentally hit a guard, which then proceeded to go into the whole "I was framed" loop mentioned above.

It may seem like I'm complaining, but I've been playing since Daggerfall 1997-98. I'm used to the bugs with these great games. I share my experience for other people and perhaps if the devs read these it will help fix them.

lol

Update:

I led the forsworn out of the city and killed them outside, then went back to the ruin door in the city and there was the Thalmor guy standing there. I talk to him and the bounty is removed, quest is finished.