I have a quick question - how long after I have finished Unbound do I have to return to Helgen Keep and loot any NPCs? I'm using the latest patch and the Unofficial Skyrim Patch, so that might impact it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Thanks.

It resets as soon as unbound is complete.

There are a few burned corpses to loot. Of course, it's nothing to be excited about.

Perhaps it IS possible if you "untie" yourself via CC and loot Torolf. No idea, though.

I actually mean inside Helgen Keep itself rather than the ruins outside.

Oooh, well, no. Just spam attack Hadvar/Ralof during "Unbound" and invest in Stamina. The only way to get everything in one go.

After a few weeks, bandits will appear inside the keep.

Well, there's this http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim_talk:Helgen_Keep on the UESP about perma-corpses in Helgen Keep, while on http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/615803-the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/66623751?page=1 someone mentione about there being one in-game day post patch 1.3. It's not that I'm in a rush through Helgen Keep, I definitely don't need to level up or put any points into Stamina. I'm just wondering about how long it takes for the NPCs killed in the keep during Unbound to despawn as I might go back and loot some heavy Imperial Armour (I prefer not to reload, it breaks the immersion and my dead is dead approach).

EDIT: Checking over my screenshots from the start of the year, I believe I had some screenshots of Demeter when she returned to Helgen Keep after Unbound, and it appears the two Stormcloaks inside the store room are still there, so they have to remain for a short time (with the USKP, I'm hazarding 12-24 in-game hours at most - it's very efficient at despawning NPCs to reduce clutter). I remember the one screenshot since it was one of a meal Demeter had 'prepared', and it had to be after Unbound (too busy escaping during the quest to take some time out to hone her culinary skills).

Well, at least Helgen doesn't have eternal flames like Kvatch...

However, the Draugr ruins seem to... They've got to do something with their time when not slaughtering grave robbers and adventurers.

IIRC, enter Whiterun four days after Unbound, and the bandits will appear the next time you're at Helgen.

I was asking about how long it is until the NPCs killed during the escape through the keep itself despawn, rather than when the bandits start spawning.