How to be GOOD when a quest wants you to do BAD things?

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Irishman

Well-Endowed Member
So im usually a bad guy.

I lie
I steal
I trespass
I fight
I even murder those who trust me...

... in skyrim of course :D

But recently iv decided to have a playthrough as a 'good' character. Never stealing or even being In possession of a stolen Item, no lockpicking and just being, in general, a polite young altmer. Its been going well, although sometimes it is difficult to walk past a locked door that my follower blatantly refuses to even attempt to open, even though just seconds ago they were busting into an expert locked chest like a pro.

Very recently however iv hit a moral brick wall (1st time in my life:p) when i decided to do the quest 'Rise in the east.' Iv never done this mission but as the reward is a new follower, and my playthrough demands the use of many different followers, i went ahead with it...

... until I was asked to STEAL something!

So appaled and confused, i turned around and walked straight back home to Solitude (I was in windhelm) for some soul searching. To be honest, im at a loss, i dont no what to do. Im bad at being good and really need some advise. Im obviously not going to do the TG or DB quests but i realise this is probably not the 1st time i'll asked to do such a demeaning and outright illegal mission... so what to do?
 

Irishman

Well-Endowed Member
you are stealing off bad people< think Robin Hood style

Just coz their 'suspected' of being involved in some shady deals, doesnt give Elenwen the right to steal a private logbook.

+ its easy for you to say... a character that kills without hesitation than reanimates them for his own sick pleasure and gain ;)
 

tx12001

I will not tolerate failure...
you are stealing off bad people< think Robin Hood style

Just coz their 'suspected' of being involved in some shady deals, doesnt give Elenwen the right to steal a private logbook.

+ its easy for you to say... a character that kills without hesitation than reanimates them for his own sick pleasure and gain ;)
but you are helping the East Empire Company, A Great souce of wealth for the people of Skyrim and Cyrodiil, think about it, what will they lose, A log book and 1 or 2 shipments from PIRATES that a good thing, helping the East Empire Company could save Lives as it could be food they transport among other things like that
 

Wildroses

Well-Known Member
This reminds me of my first playthrough. I was pretty new to role playing video games, and my desire to be good was warring with my desire to do what the game told me to do. I was also starting every single quest possible while completely blind.

I got used to having a lot of active quests I had no intention of finishing in my journal. You might have to as well. Skyrim has a tendency to force quests which require you to act out of roleplay character into your journal without your consent.

Having a messy journal is easy to get used to and has no serious penalties attached. Sure Molag Bal tells you to rescue a priest for the purpose of beating him to death, or Eola tells you to bring back a nice priest to eat, or Ja-Ree tells you to put out a lighthouse fire, or an East Empire Employee tells you to steal a private logbook, but there is nothing that says you have to say "yes." Saying "no" by never completing the next stage of the quest is an option. All that refusing to finish Rise in the East will do is deny you access to a follower, and there are plenty of other followers in Skyrim you can acquire without violating your character's moral principles and sticking with your need to have many different followers. From the sounds of it, I think you've already decided Elenwen wouldn't steal that private logbook.

For dealing with this situation in the future, I suggest deciding right now under what circumstances Elenwen would decide stealing, murder, or general criminal acts is the right thing to do. This step also includes deciding whether or not their are ANY circumstances Elenwen would decided stealing, murder or general criminal acts is the right thing to do. Then continue to play Skyrim, refuse to be a thief, murderer or criminal unless those conditions are met and get used to the idea of quests you can never finish cluttering up your journal.
 

Irishman

Well-Endowed Member
This reminds me of my first playthrough. I was pretty new to role playing video games, and my desire to be good was warring with my desire to do what the game told me to do. I was also starting every single quest possible while completely blind.

I got used to having a lot of active quests I had no intention of finishing in my journal. You might have to as well. Skyrim has a tendency to force quests which require you to act out of roleplay character into your journal without your consent.

Having a messy journal is easy to get used to and has no serious penalties attached. Sure Molag Bal tells you to rescue a priest for the purpose of beating him to death, or Eola tells you to bring back a nice priest to eat, or Ja-Ree tells you to put out a lighthouse fire, or an East Empire Employee tells you to steal a private logbook, but there is nothing that says you have to say "yes." Saying "no" by never completing the next stage of the quest is an option. All that refusing to finish Rise in the East will do is deny you access to a follower, and there are plenty of other followers in Skyrim you can acquire without violating your character's moral principles and sticking with your need to have many different followers. From the sounds of it, I think you've already decided Elenwen wouldn't steal that private logbook.

For dealing with this situation in the future, I suggest deciding right now under what circumstances Elenwen would decide stealing, murder, or general criminal acts is the right thing to do. This step also includes deciding whether or not their are ANY circumstances Elenwen would decided stealing, murder or general criminal acts is the right thing to do. Then continue to play Skyrim, refuse to be a thief, murderer or criminal unless those conditions are met and get used to the idea of quests you can never finish cluttering up your journal.

I guess by playing my other characters not so strictly iv gotten used to having a fairly tidy looking journal. I really appreciate your answer though and I dont think I will steal anything in the foreseeable future.

Gr8 idea about deciding what circumstances Elenwen would break the law or lower her moral standards are though!
 

Chadonraz

Well-Known Member
The first time I started "Rise in the East" I ended up with the exact same problem. I remember solving it by loading an earlier save, from before talking to the Solitude Guard. :D
 

Wildroses

Well-Known Member
The first time I started "Rise in the East" I ended up with the exact same problem. I remember solving it by loading an earlier save, from before talking to the Solitude Guard. :D

That's how I ended up dealing with Jaree-Ra's quest first time around. Most quests from NPCs there is a point where you can say no to the NPC and avoid a quests, but not Jaree-Ra's. Talk to him long enough and even if you haven't actually said: "Sure I'll put out the lighthouse fire" the game acts like you have.

Although the reason I chose not to do that quest wasn't because I didn't want to do something so obviously criminal, it was because I grew up in a port town. Say to me: "Turn off the mechanism which guides ships safely into port" and my instant reaction is: "OMG NO WAY ARE YOU INSANE DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS CLEARLY NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE A COMPLETE MORON AND I AM TURNING YOU INTO THE AUTHORITIES FOR BEING CRIMINALLY INSANE JUST AS SOON AS I'VE FINISHED YELLING AT YOU!"
 

seeker23

Looking for the Snitch in Skyrim...
Can you always only be good in life??? (Did I just sound like a zen master???:confused:)

I agree with tx12001. The quest is robin hood type. It is for the greater good of skyrim. So I wouldn't mind doing that if I played a completely good character. Also like LotusEater says you could claim you were drunk.

And by the way do you kill NPC when playing this character??? Is it your follower that does all the killing???
 

LuChao

The Martial artist
I have never done this quest but my thief archer assassin might be good at it
 

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
you are stealing off bad people< think Robin Hood style
Doesn't matter. Stealing is stealing. Period. My characters (even the evil ones) DO NOT STEAL (unless, of course they're a thief character and belong to the TG).

Murder: Cool! All in a days work. Looting dead bodies: Cool! A great way to make some extra cash. Stealing: Not in this lifetime bub. Somebody worked for that stuff and I have absolutely no right to take it away from them (and yes, before you say something, even if they stole it from someone else, they still had to go through the work of stealing it in the first place.

As to the lock-picking, I usually play good characters as well (although they are really murderous thugs that prey on the baddies!). I really don't see it as an issue. Do you consider the Locksmith a criminal? How else are you going to satisfy your curiousity about those locked chests and doors in those abandoned places. I draw the line at breaking and entering and will not do it to the living (example: in Falkreath the Old Coot/Old Jarl wants me to break in to Hod's house and steal a letter. No can do. I like Hod and have no right to do that for anyone. Besides, if Beth had thought about it, they should have put an option in where I could just ask him about it. He probably would have answered honestly. That's the way he is!). (Another example: Morthal - trying to get at the lady vampire's journal. Supposed to break in to her home. No way! It's easier just to kill her boyfriend discretely and take his key. That way you're not breaking and entering, you have the key).
 

LuChao

The Martial artist
I'm gonna do this Rise of the East quest just to see what it does I've never done it on any character
 

Suleku

The Grey Knight
Sometimes Apathy is the best way, let others solve their own problems I say... o_O however! I'd punch Ja-Ree in the mouth for even bugging me with such nonsense lol it's easy to be good or evil but hard to roleplay a normal azz character in skyrim it seems. Being good is just blah! *yawns*, and being evil all the time makes me feel like I'm walking in the middle of the street blindfolded because they fail hard see the big picture at the end of the day.
 

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
polite young altmer

Meh, in my experience, "polite" and "Altmer" doesn't add up. Unless you're polite towards Elves only. ;)
We can be polite, but only if it serves a purpose. It's the accent and tone of voice that seem like we aren't being. Actually, we aren't polite, or even pleasant to each other either, unless, by polite, you mean we apologize while we slip the knife in your back by whispering it in your ear sibilantly and with an evil chuckle. Hey, it's how we move up the food chain. :)
 

Rimfaxe96

Well-Known Member
We can be polite, but only if it serves a purpose. It's the accent and tone of voice that seem like we aren't being. Actually, we aren't polite, or even pleasant to each other either, unless, by polite, you mean we apologize while we slip the knife in your back by whispering it in your ear sibilantly and with an evil chuckle. Hey, it's how we move up the food chain. :)

Altmer got a sassy voice, I won't deny that. But backstabbing isn't really the way Altmer work, they rather try to burn your butt or house down, maybe both. For elves, humans are the treacherous beings, and for humans elves are friggin' gullible.
Move up the food chain? Lorkhan doomed them all to mortality. And it's humans that still have the most control over Tamriel, and will have it again once the Dominion is burned down.
ceelo.gif
 

Daelon DuLac

How do you backstab a Dragon?
We can be polite, but only if it serves a purpose. It's the accent and tone of voice that seem like we aren't being. Actually, we aren't polite, or even pleasant to each other either, unless, by polite, you mean we apologize while we slip the knife in your back by whispering it in your ear sibilantly and with an evil chuckle. Hey, it's how we move up the food chain. :)

Altmer got a sassy voice, I won't deny that. But backstabbing isn't really the way Altmer work, they rather try to burn your butt or house down, maybe both. For elves, humans are the treacherous beings, and for humans elves are friggin' gullible.
Move up the food chain? Lorkhan doomed them all to mortality. And it's humans that still have the most control over Tamriel, and will have it again once the Dominion is burned down.
ceelo.gif
Good luck with that my friend. Take it from a former Justiciar with a grudge. It isn't Tamriel that we want. Of course we wouldn't backstab a human any more than we would use a crossbow on a skeever. A waste of energy on a lesser being. Much better to crush them, burn them or simply step on them. Ants don't deserve that much regards. Yes, they are numerous, but the right measures will guarantee that they do not become a problem. Keep your little land human. We have bigger fish to fry. You only provide a diversion.
 

Sahdira

Member
Sahdira agrees with the others; Irishman cannot complete this quest and still be 'good'. This sort of moral ambiguity makes it hard to be a purely good person since most are neither extreme. While it is still a bad thing to steal, Sahdira would do this thing if it was to help someone.
 

Rimfaxe96

Well-Known Member
Good luck with that my friend. Take it from a former Justiciar with a grudge. It isn't Tamriel that we want. Of course we wouldn't backstab a human any more than we would use a crossbow on a skeever. A waste of energy on a lesser being. Much better to crush them, burn them or simply step on them. Ants don't deserve that much regards. Yes, they are numerous, but the right measures will guarantee that they do not become a problem. Keep your little land human. We have bigger fish to fry. You only provide a diversion.

After reading that one text that started with "To kill Man is to reach heaven", I'm aware of that. And yet, as long as humanity exists, those plans are useless. Which is why they'd eventually need to conquer it all, can't rid Tamriel of humanity if you don't have the power.
Pfft, it's your land that will be fried by nuclear bombs once we can create a way to reach our cousins of the Blue Planet. :cowboy:
 

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