I know this quest is quite bugged so I'll skip to the point. I've already cleared kolskeggr mine and have been there once or twice and Pavo, his orc friend and the "reach guard" are all there fine and happy. However I've just returned there after a long time and the forsworn repawn outside when I get there and kill the guard before I can stop them. Then when I enter the mine there are more forsworn, all of whom I kill but then I can't find Pavo or his orc friend anywhere, even their bodies.

Has anyone had this before? I know they aren't much use but I hate losing npcs like this

Its a glitch that bethesda just kinda ignored, happens to me all the time. Same thing happens at the mine with the spiders in Shors Stone.

What so if you go back into kolskeggr mine after clearing it they have disappeared in your game too?

Yep. Either that or they are getting killed. I dont understand how they could overlook this either.....

Snap

I have found one or more of their bodies outside the mine in multiple games, killed by the random Forsworn Foragers who appear to kill chickens every once in a while. Guess they were too cheap to hire a competent guard force. If you like someone, don't clear a mine out for them, you are just signing their death warrants.

Ha. Yes but their bodies are nowhere to be found which I suppose means they were inside and are just removed from the world entirely when the mine respawns. Pretty ridiculous really that the losers at bethesda have ignored things like this and have only included things that should have been in the game in the first place in the latest "patch". Pathetic but I guess that's bethesda for you