Hi,

I'm pretty new to Skyrim having decided I should complete Oblivion before starting and have been caught-out by a new feature.

I'm several days play into it but have just encountered the "we're here to teach you a lesson" brigade. I was somewhat non-plussed by this and assumed they were just random NPC that would maybe lead on to a mission.
Having read a few postings I now get a bit of "feeling" for this side of things and guess it's a way to make it less simple to plunder your way to riches and equipment through theft, fair enough, although it's a bit harsh when you appear to have got a clean steal only to find goons turn up a few hours later, hired by someone with psychic abilities to "know" you've lifted something. I just wish they'd highlighted this new feature before I got embroiled in it!

Anyhoo....

When I got jumped by these thugs I was actually in the forge of the blacksmith who (for what ever reason) has hired them. After a couple of fails I eventually dispatched them and also the blacksmith who was also there and showing as an enemy. When I went outside I promptly got nabbed by the guards and had to pay 50% of my damn gold! I don't mind the extra action but object to being screwed over for half my cash!

Question:

If I let the thugs get 1st swipe at me (as I let fly with fire as soon as the utter the phrase), would that prevent me getting a bounty on my head or am I already screwed due to the alledged crime they were hired to exact revenge for?

Cheers

Maybe the blacksmith got caught in the crossfire and you didn't notice.

They are a random event, but triggered by your stealing stuff. The reason the blacksmith aggro's is likely because you hit him via AOE or something else in the ensuing battle. It's really unfortunate that they found you in town and thus got a vendor killed. If you haven not played too far along, I would suggest reloading a save from before that battle. If they are approaching - just start to run out of town. Just keep pelting down the road until you are not in combat and can FT someplace. Chances are good you may never see them again, or they will pop up when you exit some dungeon... but hopefully by then you will have a follower and be better prepared but mostly, be able to avoid friendly fire against townies.

I ran into them exiting a cave and just around, eventually separating them and picking them off, My housecarl who kept two of them busy for a bit.

(Also, I moved this to Skyrim CHS... It's not specifically a dragonborn thing. )