So apparently as a Thane not only am I suppose to be recognized by the guards as a figure of respect, but should I need to beat someone down they'll look the other way... yet what's the first things guards say to me after becoming the Thane of Whiterun?

"Let me guess, someone stole your sweetroll?"
Or,
"Cause any trouble and I won't hesitate to throw you in Dragonsreach Dungeon myself!"

HEY! RESPECT MAH AUTHORIIIIII!!

What gives??! Anyone notice this? I thought I was suppose to be respected! I didn't mind their snarky comments when I was just common rabble but now that I'm a Thane I wasn't expecting them to continue being douches.

Is this intended? Was the Jarl just blowing smoke?

Yeah, no guards ever treated me with respect. I have the same problem in Winterhold.

Maybe the Jarl forgot to send the little paper boy who runs around town and passes out flyers that say: "IF YOU SEE THIS MAN. *your picture here*. RESPECT HIS AUTHORITAH!!"

Commit a smaller crime and Guards are like I'm letting it go this time but don't think your excused form everything.

Actually... if you (like me) used that on a small crime, you wasted your Get-out-of-Jail-Free card.

Yeah, I expected the title of Thane to be a buffer against small bounties too, instead of a one-shot deal.

They don't really know who you are till you tell them though, at least from what I've seen. I got arrested after becoming thane and there was a new dialogue option saying something (very loosely) along the lines of "Don't you know who I am? I'm the frikkin' thane! lol" And the guard will turn away saying "I'll let it go this time but don't think you can get away with everything". Idunno, I guess for petty stuff like stealing they'll turn a blind eye to, but if you hack somebody down in the street of course the guards gotta do their job.

Edit: Oh really, THAT's how it is? Damn, guess that means I used my freebie up too. :S

This is SKYRIM where no one is beyond a verbal jab or two. Maybe you should try clocking them a few times then yielding afterwards for some of that manly Nord fighting goodness.

the random dialogue is terrible... they repeat so much of what they say in a completely random cycle. instead of only being [censored]s if your a known criminal, theyre [censored]s to you all the time no matter what. instead of people respecting you for all the amazing things youve done they still threaten to bash your face in after youve ALREADY BRAWLED THEM.

i dont get this. oblivion didnt have this problem. people were incessant schizophrenic aliens who had no idea how a normal human conversation went, but they greeted you properly. they didnt give you their life story every time you passed by, they treated you better the higher their disposition was, and they would acknowledge your accomplishments. why are people of skyrim just the inverse of oblivion, able to talk normally with each other but never treating you any differently despite the wealth of things that can happen to drastically change their opinion of you?

and why the hell do guards say "hail harbinger" and then immediately deride me for being the "new" member of the companions?

Bah, these are Nords. Trash talk is a mark of respect. Also, punching in the face means roughly the same as a firm handshake means on Earth.

It's the same with the Imperial Legion, unfortunately. I've reached the highest possible rank in the legion and we've won the war against the Stormcloak traitors, and still, whenever I meet a Legion patrol out on the roads, they go "This is Imperial business, citizen!" and shove me out of the way. I'm wearing my uniform and all.

It's going to be interesting being a Thane, though. I just discovered I have a 1040 gold bounty on me. I have no idea why or where that came from, but none of the Jarl's guards are taking me to jail lol.


The only thing I can think of is, I was in Riverwood (can't remember the exact name of that place) and wanted to fast travel to my home, and the game refused stating you can't fast travel when enemies are around. Next thing I know, this dragon was going around, trying to set the place on fire.

Me and Lydia where doing the archery thing, and finally it landed in the main street, I switched to 2H sword to apply the finishing touch, and jumped in the middle of the fight, and may have killed one of the Jarl's guards - I found him dead two days later when the dragon's body finally disappeared.

I got away with killing someone in winterun as thane so it's worth it.