I'm new to the forums but would appreciate some help. I'm trying to get the blood on the ice quest to start. I've tried a variation of starter tips I've read offline from stealing the key to start it and to becoming thane and no avail. I also noted the women scripted to die by the butcher in windhelm is still alive don't know if that's important or not? My other dilemma is I really want to temper the final version of the nightingale blade but its glitched to where you can't. My buddy however was able to and he plays 360 as well but doesn't know how he did it. Anyone got any tips on solving either problem or know if a patch is releasing soon to fix it?

If I remember the blood on the ice quest starts automatically if you walk into a certain area. It is near the house of the dead in the area just to the right.- I think it was at dusk when I came across a group of people standing over the body of a woman.

The only way to upgrade the Final Version of the Nightingale blade is on the PC, so there is a good chance that you buddy ported his save over to a friends PC that has skyrim with the MOD that fix's the glitch then put his save file back on his xbox. That or he is the luckiest person in all of skyrim, but I am going with option one.

Thanks. But the blood on the ice won't start in any way I've been everywhere in windhelm at all hours of the day with no avail.

Enter, Hjerim that will automatically start the quest for you

The option to get "Blood on the Ice" won't be there until you've been to Windhelm and then left the city at least 4 times. (And I mean leave the city and go to another). After the 4th time, the dead bhody and guards should be there by the grave stones near the center of the town (right next to the hall of the dead). All you'll need to do is walk by the guards and they'll automatically talk to you about the murder and the quest starts. Or you can enter the house itself. But you still have to leave and re-enter the city 4 times.

Be careful though. This questline is very buggy. Save before doing each objective. And only save again after you recieve the next objective. You'll save yourself some headaches.

Four time seem a lot ; last time I played the quest, it took me only two times. I wonder if you must get some "fame" in the city by helping people around so that the quest can begin.

I got the quest on my very first trip to the city while I was wandering around trying to find the house to the the DB questline.

^{I didn't have to do anything else in the city other than leave and come back 4 times for the murder scene to trigger. Even the game guide states this at the beginning of the quest as a pre-requisite.}

another thing that might be important is the time of day.

blood on the ice takes place during the wee hours of the morning.

I've done all the above and none have worked.