I hadn't done the Main Quest for ages and picked it up again with my new PC. I remembered that Alvor got killed in a dragon raid early in my first play through and that bugged me. First, he's a great vendor and second, you get sentimental with him because he be-friends you early in the game, let's you take stuff, gives you lessons etc. So this time around, I was determined to protect him.

I finished the quest in the Thalmor embassy, after which, you go meet Delphine in the Riverwood. I fast traveled to Riverwood directly and, sure enough, dragon attack .... and there's dead Alvor. D***! I revert to the earlier save, fast travel to Whiterun stables and walk to Riverwood. BAM - dragon attack and dead Alvor. I'm also stripped of my gear (cause you give everything to Delphine before the embassy party) so I'm not up to speed. I can't kill the dragon quickly.

I re-played this attack something like seven times (pretty much my entire free time for the night) and couldn't save Alvor once! The only time he survived was the one time I hit an NPC with destruction magic and they all turned hostile so I had to scrap that play through and revert. SIgh - so is he destined to die? I gave up, he's lying in the street in front of the Sleeping GIant Inn.

And why didn't bleeping Delphine come out of the inn to fight the dragon? Hello? Dragon fighting member of the blades? There's a DRAGON in TOWN! Frustrating.

Anybody have thoughts on keeping Alvor alive? (I also tried going in to get my gear and then fighting but it took too long).

Thanks!

Well... More than 1000 hours, done the main quest (or at least initiated dragon attacks) five times, and so far, Alvor has never died in my game. I've very rarely have had any dragon attacks in Riverwood, though - quite often, there's a dragon circling around outside town (close to Anise's Cabin and the Guardian Stones) but it never attacks.

I have a theory (and now there probably will be some posters that will prove me wrong) that lots of people FT to Riverwood a lot to sell things, and dragon have a tendency to spawn after FT.

For me, there have been plenty of attacks in Rorikstead, Riften, Windhelm stables, Whiterun stables, Danwstar and Winterhold. Despite this, I must say, very few NPCs have died on me that way.

Also, a tip for future Thalmor Embassy missions - bring a follower. Before you talk to Delphine, give that follower everything. Tell the follower to wait at the stables, talk to Delphine, put on the clothes she gives you, do mission, return to stables, take back all your stuff from you follower. heck if I'm going all the way to Riverwood to get my things back!

oh man! 1000 hours, five iterations of the MQ and Alvor has *never* died!? Geeze, svcks to be me. In my defense, I did FT to Whiterun and then walk to Riverwood. I'd postpone the whole thing but Delphine's got my stuff and you can't advance the MQ without talking to her in Riverwood.

I've actually lost very few NPC in the game. Alvor just seems destined to die.

Thanks!

You're not the only one, I've seen plenty of reports of him (and Gerdur) dying. Maybe I'm just lucky.

I have over 10 characters and each one has alvor being alive...one case where Gerdur dying but that's it.

If you do FT, do it to the Western Watchtower and run around there for a little bit. There is a spawn location nearby between it and Fort Greymoor. If no dragon spawns head across the Tundra toward the Halted Stream Camp as there's another dragon spawn location there. If you get your dragon to spawn out there and deal with it you shouldn't get another one for about 5 in game days even if you FT (at least that's been my experience). And if you are short on dragon souls simply wait 5 full (24 hour) in game days and one will usually spawn the next time you FT or are just wandering around! Cheers!

Wow - thanks. So you've done the MQ in all of them? Did you fight off the dragon at Riverwood really quickly?

SWEEEET! I can do that. Thanks! Alvor's back, baby.

I have lost him several times, the bard also. Since the town has guards at that time the smart AI would run inside and let the re-spawning guards handle it. In fact this would fix Dawnguard's biggest problem also.

When I get the letter and money I usually go back to his house and put it in one of the dressers. I figure they need the money more than I do. Too bad the daughter isn't old enough to take over the forge.

The dragon at riverwood sounds more like a random dragon attack and not a scripted event unless you mean after you leave the burrow where the dragonstone is, because I always encounter a dragon there when I do a rerun of it.

Alvor has never died in my game as well. but if I am at Riverwood during an attack, I usually make a pretty good search to make sure everyone is still alive afterwards. If someone died then I re-load.

For PC players (I installed this mod and it works) Run for you Lives is a great mod. Last dragon attack I had in Riverwood and most everyone ran in doors except for those immortal children, the chicken, Durak the Dawnguard orc and the guards. Everyone else fled to the Sleeping Giant.

awww - that sounds like a great mod, but I'm on the Xbox so my NPC don't have any whits. Interestingly, in one of the fights, Alvor was dead with a guard's arrow in his head (kind of a Steve Martin thing).

http://i1.minus.com/iFc7pO8ayMaCb.jpg Time to play Where's Waldo?

Off topic but what mod did you use for the kids. I'd love to get rid of that freaky look they all have.

google xvision children mod. I'm at work so I don't have the link. Its not on Nexus but it can be installed through the NMM

ha I wouldn't say "inevitable" but it is highly likely to happen given his location and the amount of dragons that spawn there if you fast travel. He died on one my characters early on and months later his body is still dead on his doorstep as a painful reminder that I couldn't save him

Crap. First link went to some forum called LoversLab that was full of porm ads. I may have to skip this one.

Which is why I didn't want to look for the mod link while at work

But here ya go

http://bagserk.blogspot.com/2012/05/xvision-children-skyrim-children.html

*giggles* Today's weather report there is a 90% chance of pormados!

Much better. Thanks.