So i was just on my way to Markarth and i find a prisoner being escorted by a few Thalmor.
I decided i was going to free him since he was a fellow Nord, and gave him some nice gear and untied him.

With him helping me i should easily take down these elves!

...except he doesn't equip anything and runs off in the distance, leaving me to take down 3 angry elves.
After a heated battle, i killed them all and was on my Markarth again. Until i get arrested at the gates.

Took me a while to realise but i obviously got a bounty from killing those elves... but why, surely i killed any witness to it?

Suspicious, i reload a game close to the incident and re-enact it, though this time i kill the prisoner too.

"Last Wtiness Killed, Bounty Removed"




Oh thats cool, so i save a man from the horrors of Thalmor custody, for him to run off with my gear and report me for murder of his captors!

What is it with the people of Skyrim and showing gratitude?!

See Nords are evil, Thalmor are awesome.
Keeping dirty snitches locked up is the right thing to do.

Just one of those bugs. Considering chickens and mudcrabs will report any crime they see you doing to the local guards....

Of course, you can get around the bounty with the Thalmor by getting them to attack first...

Yeah, the devs should've taken their time on with this game.

It appears so!

Wow that is whack. That happened to me too wit hImperials and a stormcloak prisoner. Had to reload and lose a lot of time. UGH!!

Life is unfair even in video games lol

That's nothing. Apparently helping the guards deal with members of an enemy civil war faction is considered a crime. Next time a dragon attacks, those guards are on their own.

Is that still true? Seriously? Mods fixed it in Oblivion and it was one of those things I was sure would get fixed for Skyrim.

Prisioner's have nothing excpet their robes.They could at least teach you some skills.But just 1.Like Sneak+1.

You were probably charged with murder because you attacked before they became hostile to your character.

If you talk to the leader, and get him angry then they will attack, and you can kill them in self defense. If you free the prisoner first I think they also get quite upset and attack.

Yep. Antagonize the Thalmor first into attacking, then unrelentingly force them off a nearby tall cliff.

Or cut them down where they stand and toss their bodies into the middle of the road for all to see.

Personally, I like option B. Then wearing their snazzy robes with the Amulet of Talos over top.

Whenever this event occurred to me,i accidentally killed the prisoner too...

Just curious, but did you do the civil war quests? Did you side with the Empire or the Stormcloaks?

Whenever I see imperials escorting a stormcloak prisoner, I sneak up behind the last guy in the chain and slice his throat. This draws the attention of the two others who end up seeing me. I simply take them out toe to toe and then free the prisoner. I don't get any bounty. Same for the imperial camps. I run in and do lvl 3 storm call, all but the invincible guy dies and no bounties stack up.

Yep, its just a bug. Mudcrabs will report you too.

Yup the prisoner equipping thing seems to bug nicely. I wonder how on earth they managed to get that segment of the game through QA, it just fundamentally does not work.

Another undetailed thing [unfinished]
hh.

On a side note, the lack of any kind of "alignment" through deeds and people acting differently towards you due to choices is kinda weak.

couldn't have said it better, myself.

I always play it down like this.

"Hey, that Orc in menacing armor with dried blood on his battleaxe is approaching from the direction that Thalmor patrol was scheduled to arrive in, and he's attempting to sell Elven Armor and Thalmor Robes to us, and he's slightly burned from what appears to be lightning or fire."
"STOP RIGHT THERE, CRIMINAL SCUM!"

Really, your guy isn't very good at being inconspicuous.

I usually just go up and talk to them, asking question after question. Eventually, I pester them enough that they attack. That's provided, of course, that they aren't a hit squad that attacks outright (three of those so far).

I have yet to see any escorting a prisoner, though.

I have to say, i've ran into a few patrols where Imperials have captured a Nord. Yet every time i give the Nord a weapon and untie him, he only ever fights with his damn fists. I've done this about 4-5 times and they never use the weapons i give them.

Why would Bethesda fix something that was fixed in the last game by modders? They know the modders will fix this, so they don't have to.

My way?
Dual-Cast Frenzy spell from a hiding spot nearby.
Watch the Thalmor (and prisoner) kill the hell out of each other... Laugh ... Then run in at the end to finish off the survivor.
Works quite well with the Master-rank Mayhem spell too.