No One Escapes Cidhna Mine picks up right where The Forsworn Conspiracy ends. You dug too deep into the murders in Markarth, so the corrupt city guards frame you for Eltrys‘ murder and throw you into the Silver-Blood silver mine in the Reach. The only person who can get you out is the man behind the Forsworn, Madanach, and you have to decide whether he leaves with you.
How to start
The quest starts automatically after you complete The Forsworn Conspiracy and get arrested. You wake up in Cidhna Mine with your gear taken away. Quest weapons are removed too, but spells such as Bound Sword and Bound Bow still work.
Walkthrough
Find Madanach
Ask a prisoner about Madanach. Uraccen tells you he lives in a private cell guarded by the Orc inmate Borkul the Beast, who wants a shiv as a toll.
Get past Borkul
The standard route is a short trading chain:
- Get a bottle of Skooma from Duach or Braig by pickpocketing, persuasion or a brawl.
- Trade it to Grisvar the Unlucky in the south tunnel for a shiv.
- Give the shiv to Borkul, who hands over the key to Madanach’s cell.
Borkul can also be persuaded, given the Skooma directly, pickpocketed or beaten in a brawl. Do not attack him outside a brawl unless you are confident: every prisoner joins in, and attacking any prisoner makes Madanach hostile too. If it does go wrong, a ledge above Borkul (reached by jumping from the raised wooden platform) lets you attack from above, and conjured atronachs help.
Talk to Madanach
The King in Rags sizes you up and argues that the Forsworn are in the right. Here the quest splits.
Option 1: Side with the Forsworn
Madanach sends you to hear Braig’s story. Return to him, and he offers you freedom if you prove your loyalty by killing Grisvar the Unlucky, who is no longer useful to the rebellion. Once Grisvar is dead, report back. Madanach gathers the prisoners and leads them out through a tunnel into the Markarth Ruins. At the end, the Forsworn agent Kaie returns your belongings and Madanach gives you the Armor of the Old Gods.
Outside, Thonar Silver-Blood and several crooked guards are waiting. The Forsworn charge, killing Thonar and any guards or citizens in their way, then run off to Druadach Redoubt, where you will be welcome from now on. To spare innocent bystanders such as Ghorza gra-Bagol, wait in the mine until late night or early morning so mostly guards are on the streets.
Option 2: Side with the Silver-Bloods
Kill Madanach in his cell, quietly so the other prisoners and guards do not notice. A sneak attack with a pickaxe is unlikely to do it in one hit. With the Assassin’s Blade perk, a shiv works far better because it counts as a dagger (15x sneak damage): follow the Forsworn route until Madanach asks you to kill Grisvar, kill him and loot two shivs from his body, then backstab Madanach. He may survive the first strike, but not by much.
Search his body, read his note and use his escape route through the Markarth Ruins. Frostbite spiders and Dwarven Spheres stand in the way. You can run or sneak past them (Become Ethereal and Throw Voice help a lot), or lead the spheres back to the spiders and let them fight. When you come out, Thonar rewards you with the Silver-Blood Family Ring and your gear.
Choices and consequences
- Forsworn: Armor of the Old Gods, Thonar dies in the breakout, Madanach goes free and the Forsworn take credit for your “crimes”, clearing your name. Druadach Redoubt becomes friendly.
- Silver-Blood: Silver-Blood Family Ring and a pardon from the Jarl. Jarl Igmund thanks you for freeing Markarth from Madanach.
- Both rewards: Side with Madanach until he gives you the armor at the end of the ruins, then attack him close to the door to Markarth so his followers come back inside to fight. Kill them all, loot his note, then exit and talk to Thonar for the ring and the pardon. Attacking further from the door risks the Forsworn waiting outside and killing Thonar before he can pay you. Stalling Madanach and pickpocketing him also makes him hostile.
Townsfolk react to the outcome. Sided with Madanach, the guards mutter about all the dead and Thongvor Silver-Blood wants Madanach’s head. Killed Madanach, and people in the Warrens such as Hathrasil talk about your escape and pardon, while Thongvor thanks you for the service.
Rewards
- Armor of the Old Gods (Forsworn route)
- Silver-Blood Family Ring, which lets you improve weapons and armor 15% better (Silver-Blood route)
- Your name cleared in the Reach either way
Tips and notes
- With high Pickpocket you can reverse-pickpocket gear onto Urzoga gra-Shugurz before she locks you in. Be quick, because the door shuts as soon as she walks off.
- To avoid killing Grisvar yourself, use the “Madanach says hello” line and wait. Grisvar panics and attacks, and the other prisoners finish him off.
- The escape route is a large, rather obvious hole leading straight into the city, and Thonar and his guards seem to know exactly where it comes out.
- If you kill Madanach and sneak out alone, the other prisoners will all be dead if you come back through the ruins later.
