MARKARTH-buying house and becoming Thane of Reach

[Zementschleirentferner]

Good evening everyone! This is my small attempt at giving back to all the generous souls that ever helped me in the Nexus. If this helps anyone, I'll be happy.

 

I thought i should share my method of getting around several bugs related to this quest. I suffer from Igmund (the Jarl of Markarth) not offering any work. I've spend way too many hours trying to come up with a solution. My game is patched with USSEP and my version is SE 'Best of both worlds'- meaning i have the AE content but i downgraded the patch so my mods will work.

 

Here are my recommendations:

 

1- Before you ever enter Markarth save your game. This works if this is your first time in the city.

 

2-As soon as you enter the Forsworn attack happens. I tend to kill Weylin (the murderer).

 

3- DO NOT SPEAK TO ANYONE!!! I mean it. Run away from Eltrys, don't allow him to catch you. If he does, for whatever reason the Jarl won't have the dialogue! I did extensive tests (this was really bothering me!) and you shouldn't talk to anyone! Don't accept a quest from anyone! DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE! The only exception is Faleen, who will ask you what you're doing in the palace. Answer her that you're a traveler and you have questions.

 

4-Talk directly to Igmund. Do NOT approach the steward!!! If you do, the quest breaks!!! Ask him "Are you the Jarl? I'm looking for work." he should now tell you that he wants you to take care of a Forsworn leader. Fast travel directly to the place or nearby the place he sends you, take care of the poor soul.Avoid going through the city!! When you come back, fast travel directly to the palace! if you arrive at the main gate Eltrys will stop you and force you into conversation. THIS BREAKS THE QUEST! I saw it happening so many times in my tests.( I now have a hatred for Eltrys so deep, i allow his wife to be murdered in the Treasury House during the Conspiracy quest.)

 

5-Report back to Igmund, and he'll reward you. Now you should choose "Do you have any more work for me?" He should send you to get his father's shield. Again, do not leave the city through the main gate! Go directly to the place he sends you and come back directly to the palace!!

 

6-You should see an option now that says something akin to "Is there anything else you need?" He should tell you that you have to assist 5 people in the Hold and buy Vlindrel Hall.

 

7- Make sure you have 8000 Septims on you, and buy the house from his steward. Buy furniture if you so desire.

 

8-Help 5 people and for the love of everything that you hold sacred, avoid Eltrys!! I helped Gorza (the blacksmith); the guy who works at the smelter; Bothela with the 'Stalion potion' for the steward; the guy at the stables who sends you with spiced beef to the Keep and Calcelmo with his gigantic spider.

 

9-The mission for the Temple of Dibella does not count for this for whatever reason.

 

10- Come back after helping the five people, talk to Igmund and he should make you his Thane.

 

I hope this helps anyone out there. I wish i knew why Eltrys breaks the quest, but he does. Talking to anyone breaks the quest too. In my tests i would start with helping the guy with the dogs (Banning) and when i reached Igmund the option to talk to him would be gone.

 

Good luck!

[scorrp10]

Not sure what you mean there. My latest playthrough, I was already half-way through Forsworn Conspiracy, killed a spider for Calcelmo, and rescued Fjotra (ands a bunch of other things) when I went to have a chat with Igmund. I told him I want to buy property in Markarth, and he told me to talk to steward about jobs. I tried talking to steward, but he did not have the 'looking for work' option. However, I exited the palace, re-entered it, talked to steward again and this time he had it.

 

The branch dialogue topic is 'DialogueMarkarthIgmundHouse', and the response "I don't know you, steward will handle things" is triggered if player to Jarl relationship rank is 0.

The quest of relevance here is 'BQ02' (BD77F), and the trigger point for "I am looking for work" at the steward is this quest must not have stage 10 done. Means quest needs to be running. The quest trigger is "Change Location Event", but occasionally it gets a bit stubborn and fails to start.

 

So, if you talk to Igmund, and Raerek does not have the "Looking for work" option, AND you can't get it to appear by going to other cell and back, try following:

In console: getstage BD77F

If you get back a non-0 number, it means you already somehow have a Forsworn Bounty quest in progress. You can go finish it, or you can: resetquest BD77F

If you get back a 0, and steward does not have the dialog option, it means quest failed to start. In console: startquest BD77F

Once you got that quest going, complete it at your leisure. Once you turn it in (stage 200), you get a relationship rank boost with Jarl to 1. At this point, he should have the 'Do you have more work' option.

 

Thing is, the 'recover shield' (Favor157, A3503) quest also has Change Location Event trigger. So, if you do Forsworn bounty, and Jarl does not have the dialog option, do : startquest A3503