Two plot points that confuse/bug me

[diosoth]

I found 2 things that seem to just puzzle me-

 

The start of the game: you're in the Imperial prison for some unspecified crime and suddenly escape from your cell when the Emperor makes his escape with the Blades. Afterwards, you're out free to do whatever you want. NO ONE in the Imperial legion is looking for you, your apparent, undefined crime is forgiven. Why was that? Did Baurus tell the Empire that you were on a chosen mission by Uriel Septim himself? I could see that but it wouldn't explain guards arresting you for every crime again, after all, if the Empire knew you were on a mission for the Emperor, they'd leave you be. Did Baurus tell them you died in the event? Perhaps, but I've heard a Dark Brotherhood NPC is aware you're the escaped prisoner. Maybe Baurus just paid your fine to clear your record.

 

Though given you can escape from prison later on with no consequence, maybe the Cyrodill legal system just has a goofy clause of "escape from here and we'll forgive you" as a fun challenge.

 

 

Dark Brotherhood: They see your first murder no matter where you are(though given the buggy crime system it's possible to "murder" enemy NPCs- I managed to get 3 murders during the latter half of Shivering Isles somehow, even though I never got the message of someone seeing a murder) and Lucien will visit you when you sleep. From there you can continue on with joining but aren't given a choice to refuse unless you either ignore it or kill Lucien which ends the quest. My confusion is... if you kill Lucien, why doesn't the DB try to seek you out for revenge? Why don't they even see you do this? The quest just ends. No revenge or anything for killing one of their top members when he offers you a place.

 

And on that... if you have Vile Lair installed, the PC learns that they had a recent ancestor who was a DB member but betrayed the group horribly. I find it odd the DB would willingly want to accept Greywin's family member given how bad he betrayed them.

 

 

Personally, I passed on DB. My character is perhaps too "noble" for it. Reviving the Knights Of The Nine and defeating Umaril, becoming the Master of the Fighter's Guild, saving the Shivering Isles and becoming Sheogorath(and thereby literally sparing everyone in the SI from their deaths) as well as working to stop Mehrunes Dagon. I was also unaware of the 3 murders and had stopped at the Fighter's Guild hall to check the monthly gold haul. Though it was rather satisfying, attacking Lucien and suddenly he's got 3 or 4 Fighter's Guild members on him, it felt like pure justice. I looked into the mods on here for any future plays to deal with the murder limit and such but I just found one that lets me hunt and kill the rest of the group which I think I'll try. I find the group a bit disturbing- sure, the initiation guy they want you to kill is asking for it given his past, but the DB isn't honorable. They kill for money or just to kill and will easily take out innocents as well because they can. Any bad people they kill are coincidental to the end result.

[Etemnatus]

I enjoyed DB. It was a change of pace from the "Slay evil things and help the less fortunate" That I found a bit tacky after the 3rd-4th time.

 

The satisfaction you get from eliminating a target in the appropriate, specified manner was great.

 

A quest that continued on from killing Lucian would have been great. Considering the betrayer in the Black Hand would've been grateful of you dispatching him and likely asked for your help destroying the rest of the Brotherhood. Though, the betrayer guy was completely crazy, so he could've turned on you or tried to set you up to die or get arrested in the end and you could have eliminated him as well and started your own assassin's guild for some reason or another.

[ffa1mf]

The start of the game: you're in the Imperial prison for some unspecified crime and suddenly escape from your cell when the Emperor makes his escape with the Blades. Afterwards, you're out free to do whatever you want. NO ONE in the Imperial legion is looking for you, your apparent, undefined crime is forgiven.

 

Erol Eslafs book on Oblivion explained this:

You are locked in a cell no one is supposed to be in - its a standing order from the Blades - obviously someone made a mistake putting you in there.

Any crime in Cyrodiil is a fine or jail time no matter how serious. There is no death penalty - unless you fight the arresting guard and he kills you.

So how long is jail time? Overnight in most cases, 1 day for every 100 gold in bounty, so unless you have done something pretty serious (stole a horse, murdered someone or stole 1000 septims worth of stuff), the vast majority of crimes is 1 night in jail, that is if you cant/won't pay the fine.

So, you did some minor crime that you probably were not even aware was a crime (hence your question to the Emperor, Why am I in jail?) and a guard placed you in a cell, one he wasnt supposed to put anyone in, for your overnight sentence. The next morning when he comes into work, youre not there. The guard wouldnt be concerned as he thinks you have been released as per normal for an overnight sentence. Hence, no one is looking for you and no consequence exists for you. No one goes in to check the cell because no one is supposed to be in there anyway.

 

Dark Brotherhood: They see your first murder no matter where you are (though given the buggy crime system it's possible to "murder" enemy NPCs- I managed to get 3 murders during the latter half of Shivering Isles somehow, even though I never got the message of someone seeing a murder) and Lucien will visit you when you sleep. From there you can continue on with joining but aren't given a choice to refuse unless you either ignore it or kill Lucien which ends the quest. My confusion is... if you kill Lucien, why doesn't the DB try to seek you out for revenge? Why don't they even see you do this? The quest just ends. No revenge or anything for killing one of their top members when he offers you a place.

 

Again, I turn to Eslafs book:

The Night Mother sees only your first murder, and tells the Listener to inform the Speaker to try and recruit you. One murder, thats all it takes to be considered for the DB. The Night Mother has no interest in any more of the murders you commit as the first is the important one to know of in order to consider if you have the potential to be a DB member. Besides, if she saw every murder everyone ever committed, shed be too busy to do anything else, so all she needs to see is your first murder.

If you kill Lucien, how does anyone know, unless you do it in the DB HQ, and thats not likely as Lucien comes to see you when you sleep and typically there is only you and Lucien in the room.

Its also not likely someone is following Lucien to see if hes OK or doing his job. Its also not like Lucien has only one thing to do in his day either or reports back to someone after each and every little duty he does. He also has a weeks worth of work to do as the Listener is only required to go to the Night Mother once a week.

So, if Lucien disappears, the DB is going to have to wonder of the thousands upon thousands of victims they have killed over the years, whose friend, relation or whom ever caught up to and killed the Speaker. Considering the DB's role in society, why would they even be concerned if Lucien got killed, its a job hazard and if he couldn't take care of himself, well that's his fault and besides, there's lots of "brothers" to take his place.

Edited October 5, 2011 by ffa1mf

[dapdelval]

its actually quite simple the cell in wich you appear its not supposed to be occupied it was the gods that placed him in there thats why the "hero" doesnt know a thing about how when or why he got there and no one nows about him because he is supposed to stay ther and other 3 days or so to well... rot starve to death and turn to bones like the ones you see at the begining of the game(as the dunmer valen dreth the one taunting you at the beggining of the game thats why you start out so weak and low leveled you were supposed to die soon)or atleast that would be looking at his point of view the reason why he doesnt know anything its for the gamer to know as well but its still part of the story line

any other question ?

[dapdelval]

its actually quite simple the cell in wich you appear its not supposed to be occupied it was the gods that placed him in there so the "hero" would meet and help the emperor (as uriel septim said) thats why the "hero" doesnt know a thing about how when or why he got there and no one nows about him because he is supposed to stay ther and other 3 days or so to well... rot starve to death and turn to bones like the ones you see at the begining of the game(as the dunmer valen dreth says, the one taunting you at the beggining of the game thats why you start out so weak and low leveled you were supposed to die soon)or at least that would be looking at his point of view the reason why he doesnt know anything its for the gamer to know as well but its still part of the story line

any other question ?

 

(just clearing a few misspellings and missing words=))

[diosoth]

Most of these sound plausible. Though there is that Dunmer who saw you escape but I somehow bet that no one in the prison system even pays attention to him or what he says anymore, because he's been a long-term resident who rambles a lot. Though I do question putting the corrupt guard captain in the same cell- someone had to see the open passage because no one closed it.

[dapdelval]

Most of these sound plausible. Though there is that Dunmer who saw you escape but I somehow bet that no one in the prison system even pays attention to him or what he says anymore, because he's been a long-term resident who rambles a lot. Though I do question putting the corrupt guard captain in the same cell- someone had to see the open passage because no one closed it.

oo you mean the guard of the quest of imperial corruption that escapes the prison and tries to kill you at the end of the quest with an iron dagger? i didnt know that he was put in the same cell i was wondering how he got out in the first place with no armor and a low level knife.