So I just finished the quest for the White Phial, it was a pretty easy dungeon but I really kind of felt bad for the old fella I gave it too. His whole life spent looking for this thing and its damaged therefore useless. He chased it across the world only to find it broken thus its potential will never be discovered. Anyone else feel pangs of sadness for this old guy? Then the guy at the desk tells you he's dying and he's going to make his last few days "more comfortable".

Really sad quest imo, but very satisfying to complete.

He only gave me 5 gold that lousy cheat! I went into a dangerous, life-threatening area for a MEASLY 5 GOLD? I was really angry with the selfish owner at that point. HE'S DYING! What possible use could he have for ANY of his money once he's dead? As far as I could tell he lived at the shop and only had that whiny shopkeeper or apprentice or whatever he was, and he surely didn't seem too fond of his master.

I see you were saddened by his situation. I on the other hand was quite irritated. I have much more important things to do than find this old man's magical broken worthless item. I have dragons to kill, world's to save, Thalmor legions to dispatch and thwart, Daedric Princes to connive with, guilds to become the leader of, not to mention a slew of other massive landscape changing events like the civil war to take care of, but no. I decide to take the time out of my day to help this old man with his LAST LIFE REQUEST and all he thinks my life is worth is 5 pitiful gold pieces? He could have at least given me a few fly aminatas or maybe some butterfly wings, but APPARENTLY butterflies and mushrooms just got placed on the endangered species list.




I did the rational thing and murdered him on the spot. Saves him suffering and his shopkeeper pal gets a fancy new alchemy shop! That way everyone wins! In fact, the apprentice was so displeased with his master's stinginess as well he gifted me with an extra 500 gold. I now rob this place occasionally for more supplies, just to keep the fairness in place.

Turns out there's a second part of the quest where you fix the vial. Now you've deprived the guy of ever seeing the Phial ever completed. Hope you're proud of yourself

Do not have a briarheart in your inventory prior to starting the second half. The quest will glitch and become unfinishable. At least it did for me.

Can't imagine the fixed item is so necessary that I'll really feel the difference not having it whatever it may be. Weren't you AT ALL displeased with the old coot when he only gave you 5 gold for what you did to complete the quest?

I'm trying to save the entire world here from being consumed by Alduin. I can make 5 gold running out into a field and picking a few flowers.

Aside from that, playing as a morally grey Thieves guild GM // DB Listener // Werewolf // Stormcloak I saw no particular reason why I should have any sympathy for the old man in the first place. Sure he lives in Windhelm, but he never really seemed like a True Son of Skyrim to me and since we're all about getting everyone out and having only the true Nords around, I felt it was entirely within my RP to do as such.



Hence I feel no regret whatsoever for my actions. Not only am I completing his last request, but I also am actively saving the world and aiding the main military cause of the hold in which he claims to call home. The fact I even patronized his shop should be enough for him to offer to wash my feet every time I step into that dirty, run-down cesspool he claims is an alchemy store.

.
Meanwhile, if you talked to his assisant, he would have given you 500 gold.

Reading comprehension critically strikes you for all your health and you die. My original post in this thread may enlighten you as to what this cryptic riddle entails.

Dont get snarky with me young man.
Now get off my lawn before I turn on the sprinklers

My apologies of course, but your lawn was so green and glorious I could not but help myself from taking a snooze in the lush and luxurious green meadow before me.



Methinks it was the greatest snooze of all time!


And then you had to go and turn on your sprinklers .

Thank you for warning me, on my current character i horde everything i can get and would have certainly had one at the time

It is not done bro.

As other people said, there is a second part to the quest that starts later by talking to the assistant (who now runs the shop).

Also, after the first part of the quest, if you talk to the assistant after you give the master the phial, the assistant will give you more money and apologize for his master's behavior.

The old man screwed me with just 5 gold...

He's getting his dues.

Really? I didn't have one in my inventory, though I did have a few at my Alchemy satchel in White Run and I had no problems. The restored White Phial is pretty awesome, I haven't used it yet though.

If you do have one, you can put it in a container and pick it up again to use it for the quest.

The second stage won't start until you've gained access to the Throat of the World, or so it seems - as soon as I'd finished that stage of the MQ, a courier showed up with a note from the apprentice. That's a reasonable prerequisite since you can't actually acquire one of the required ingredients until that point.