Madanach: To Kill, or Not to Kill? : V - Skyrim

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:28 pm

While the author of "The Bear of Markarth" is certainly in favor of the Forsworn -- by which I mean that the author believes that the Forsworn are generally demonized and he wishes to paint them in a more neutral light, similar to how a modern author might attempt to defend native practices considered "barbarian" by calling them part of a unique culture -- there is no suggestion that his information is innacurate.

Igmund flat out contradicts it when he states he was the one that offered the free worship condition. It IS inaccurate.
The book states ALL forsworn officials were put to death, yet Nepo and Madanach remain.

Less certain, but still pretty strong evidence is Thonar's journal where he notes he should have let Igmund execute Madanach instead of imprisoning him.

This isn't even the first time the empire's written propaganda. But this subject has nothing to do with the civil war. It's about the forsworn. We do have records on their past actions(The nords took over the land relatively recently, and they acted exactly the same before that happened), and they've generally been unkind to everyone that goes into the reach.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 3:30 pm

Igmund flat out contradicts it when he states he was the one that offered the free worship condition. It IS inaccurate.
The book states ALL forsworn officials were put to death, yet Nepo and Madanach remain.

Less certain, but still pretty strong evidence is Thonar's journal where he notes he should have let Igmund execute Madanach instead of imprisoning him.

This isn't even the first time the empire's written propaganda.

Also, the Forsworn in the mine all talk about how THE JARL executed people (in fact, many years after Ulfric was imprisoned).

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:37 pm

Their conflict is not mine. I have no interest, nor stake, in their dispute. And so to kill him or let him live holds no moral compass for my characters. Madanach is little more than a fiddle, and so I play him as such. It's a lovely tune when handled with care. - I agree to help him, but I do not kill the prisoner. I simply speak to start the confrontation, then back up and let the others shiv the git. - I follow through the tunnels, always careful to let his minions forge a clear path ahead. - I accept his gift of armour, but neither help nor hinder the escape plan. - I wait for all forsworn to exit, then and only then pass through the door. - Upon exiting and hearing the conversation begin between Madanach and Silver Blood, I immediately turn around and re-enter the escape tunnel. - I then turn 180 and, again, emerge into the now-calm-and-clear Markarth. - No one has died. Not one guard, Forsworn, citizen or other. - Not one ash pile in Markarth. - No bounty and no hostilities. - Madanach and his cronies have retreated to Druadach Redoubt, a now lovely and friendly cavern. - I can slaughter their Forsworn brethren with impunity throughout the Hold, yet find sanctuary in their hideout. By playing Madanach like the fiddle he truly is, I circumvent any quest complications and garner some nice benefits in the process. Life is good.

Wow, I was right with you until you described how to get the situation to play out with no deaths on either side!! I didn't know you could do that! One playthrough, I let him live. On another, I waited until he was just about to go through the final door and aggro'ed him; he came back hostile but his followers didn't follow him back in, so all I had to do with kill him and leave.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:37 pm

Kill him (which you've already done

). I thought the Forsworn worshipped Hagravens.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:40 am

I kill him.

He got caught.

He's weak.

His "resistance" is less than organized.

He deserves nothing more than a quick, paupers death.

Reminds me of someone else...

On topic though: From a RP perspective, the first time I did the quest, I helped him, and was shocked when he slaughtered half of Markarth. So I rebooted, and helped him get to the end, but my character refused to go any further once she learned that he was planning to attack the townspeople. So Madanach ordered her death, and she had to fight and kill the Forsworn. Now she has their Armor of the Old Gods in storage in her home in Markarth, and the Silver-Blood Ring is at the bottom of the water in Markarth.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:32 am

Every playthrough I like to find new ways of killing him.
-Aggro him and lure him to the other prisoners, frenzy.
-Stealth attack with bound bow.
-Turning into a Vampire Lord.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:44 pm

While I try both in real life and in-game to be tolerant of differences in religion and culture, I draw the line at religions that involve kidnapping children and travelers to sacrifice them, creating undead warriors who know only vengeance, and putting Hargravens(which thanks to the Darklight Tower quest, we know were women who murdered someone and used the blood magic to twist themselves somehow).

So I kill Madanach, and I make it a priority for my character to root them out from their redoubts and put them down.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:53 pm

I always help him escape. He is a useful tool for distracting Markarth while the thieves guild infiltrates the city and tightens it's grip. Mwuhaha.

» Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:51 pm

Kill him. Then stab Thonar in the back for all the people unjustly murdered on his orders.