had some encounters while wandering the reach hunting goats that i'd thought i share.

First i came across a group of forsworn and vilkas (yes vilkas the companion) ganging up on a saber cat then after killing it they all just standed over the body staring at it for awhile then parted ways peacefully.

Then after wandering some more i noticed a battle happening so i raced to see who was fighting and there was a group of bandits and a group of forsworn at the bottom of a hill getting pelted by fireballs from a wizard in full ebony armor...since the bandits were dead and the friendly forsworn were standing there getting hit by fireballs, i raced up the hill to the wizard and cut him down before he could kill any more forsworn. Another strange thing about this wizard aside from him wearing full ebony armor was that his name was "breton". Has anyone encountered him and is there some sort of easter egg/back story to this unnamed breton? After looting him i noticed he was old with a moustache and the cul-de-sac balding long hair.

Lastly on the roadside i found 2 alik'r interrogating a redguard woman with mai'iq the liar standing beside her...as i approached i heard the alik'r say something like "tell us the truth" and i laughed when mai'iq chimed in with "M'aiq knows much and tells some. M'aiq knows many things others do not"

ah i love the quantum randomness of these games

The hostile "Breton" is a random encounter, I have been attacked by him all over Skyrim. Usually it's an ambush when I'm going down the road to somewhere. There are also random spawnings of generic attackers of other races, identified only as "Imperial," "Dunmer," etc. I believe the armor they wear is leveled.

I've run into Vilkas fighting wildlife in the Reach as well, also there is a group of "friendly" Forsworn that spawns sometimes and don't seem attached to any particular quest or location that I can figure out. There will just be four or so of them standing together in a spot and they are not hostile on sight like other Forsworn and they respond with generic greetings when approached. I've never seen them helping out a friendly NPC though.

The Alik'r warriors and the redguard woman is part of "In My Time of Need".

The friendly Forsworn... I met four Forsworn women hanging out just nearby the Imperial camp - I couldn't help but jump to conclusions...

Yeah, they do seem to turn up near the Reach Imperial camp. Altho in my case it's usually a man and three women. Well, you know what they say... what happens in the Legion, stays in the Legion.

Resident_Within had a theory about the man being their pimp. But I guess the man could be working as well as the girls.

It is of course possible that they are just hanging out. Having a picknick, trash-talking Madanach, whatever.