Game Mechanics question: Town vacancy

[toastysquirrel]

I have a rather morbid question, and it goes something like this:

 

If my character was feeling particularly moody one day and decided to slaughter every single non-essential NPC within a town (including guards, shopkeepers, guild members, nobility, *everyone*), like let's say Chorrol... what would happen to the population?

 

Would it remain a veritable ghost town?

Or would it repopulate, and if so after how long?

 

I'm curious because for some reason that town's been irking me lately and I'm tempted - oh so tempted! - but I don't unleash upon the towns folk out of fear that the place will turn into a ghost town from then on.

[Switch]

Well obviously the essential NPCs will remain as you can't kill them. The guards all respawn and will harass you endlessly until you pay your fine or go to jail. Apart from that yes, everyone will be dead, their corpses disappear after 3 days, and then all that will be left is some unkillable NPCs and some very pissed guards. :P Also if you did this there's a chance that you'll kill an NPC involved in a quest you want to do later.

[toastysquirrel]

Well obviously the essential NPCs will remain as you can't kill them. The guards all respawn and will harass you endlessly until you pay your fine or go to jail. Apart from that yes, everyone will be dead, their corpses disappear after 3 days, and then all that will be left is some unkillable NPCs and some very pissed guards. :P Also if you did this there's a chance that you'll kill an NPC involved in a quest you want to do later.

Thanks Switch! I was definitely hoping for a different answer, but alas.... there will be no blood spilled this day.