Spoiler Why don't the guards help when jorrvaskr is attacked

[spectre thief]

When the silver hand magically stroll into whiterun without any doubt or suspicion from the guards they assault jorrvaskr and kill kodlak. If weren't for the ineptitude of the gaurds kodlak would still be alive

 

[ColleenG]

The Companions manage all their own business. They stay out of the guards' way, and the guards leave the companions alone. Try stealing something inside Jorrvaskr and getting caught. They take back the item, but the guards don't get called, and you pay no fines. Then they caution you to change your ways or something.

 

[spectre thief]

But the silver hand are a known bandit gang and the guards let them enter without a single thought, they could of killed a civilian while they escaped

 

[JoeReese]

But the silver hand are a known bandit gang and the guards let them enter without a single thought, they could of killed a civilian while they escaped

That's assuming they let them in at all. Not impossible to sneak over a wall at night, especially when so many points at the perimeter are deserted and/or meet the ground level. Or, maybe they know about the Underforge entrance.

 

[Chadonraz]

It's always bothered me how the Silver Hand are apparently able to stroll through the city without the guards interfering. They are considered bandits, after all - every time I run into them on the roads, they're attacked by any nearby soldiers, mercenaries, Vigilants etc. Hold guards included.

The Underforge secret entrance isn't usable to get in the city, because it's simply too high.
I've tried getting up there, out of curiosity.

 

[JoeReese]

It's too high for you, as the player, because you're stuck following the game mechanics, but there are crates and barrels. Since we're left to role play them entering the city, it's not hard to roleplay them stacking the barrel on the crate and using it as a step. The mechanics make it static for the player, but we're left to assume the items in the world aren't oddly immovable for the NPCs. I suspect the developers wanted it vague, so we could each role play it in our own way.

 

[Hildolfr]

For what it's worth, I've always rationalized they found out about the Underforge entrance, too. It's the only logical explanation on how the attack happened. I do wonder how they escaped, though. They could have easily jumped over the wall or something. I doubt they got out through the Underforge especially since everyone is standing outside Jorrvaskr by the time you get there.

 

[JoeReese]

I wondered about that. I figure they escaped early, while the ones we see laying around were still keeping the Companions distracted. Nobody knows what's going on in the hall...hit, two or three break off and run, while the rest keep them occupied. Out the back door, right back through the forge, and long gone by the time the fight spills outside to be noticed.

 

[tx12001]

Wait if the Silver Hand used the Underforge entrance how did they get out of the Underforge to begin with, last I checked only a Lycanthope can open it. I believe they snuck in casually disquised as civiilians one by one through the front gate and then all got to together outside jorrvaskr and attacked

 

[JoeReese]

Also entirely possible, but why couldn't a group who spends their waking moments pursuing, capturing, and torturing lycanthropes not be able to get through a lycanthrope only door?

 

[Raijin]

Skyrim's guards are overall lazy. Look at the Windhelm guards for a prime example. A kid ran away from Riften and now they don't want to deal with him because the kid is contacting the Dark brotherhood.

Laziness plays a big factor.

 

[raido KASAI]

I never thought too much about it since they were able to fight their way through jorrvaskr to the point of killing the leader, I strongly doubt mister arrow in the knee could slow them down

 

[JoeReese]

I kind of imagined it as a surprise attack during dinner, or the middle of the night while they slept.

 

[CaptMorgan72]

The Silver Hand are not your run of the mill bandits. They are skilled warriors that almost wiped out all the werewolves in Skyrim. I like to think that they used grappling hooks to scale the walls and surprise attacked the Companions. Skjor underestimated them and was killed for it.

 

[Kalin of High Rock]

The Silverhand don't wear..gang tattoos, or colored bandanas. They're not The Crips or The Bloods. Until they attacked Jorrvaskr, they were just a group of travelers dressed plainly.

If they slowly trickle into the city, one or two at a time over the course of a few days how are the guards to know them from any other traveler?

 

[JoeReese]

The Silver Hand are not your run of the mill bandits. They are skilled warriors that almost wiped out all the werewolves in Skyrim. I like to think that they used grappling hooks to scale the walls and surprise attacked the Companions. Skjor underestimated them and was killed for it.

Well...mostly killed. He still shows up at Jorrvaskr and talks pl***.

 

[Alexstrasza]

The Silver Hand are not your run of the mill bandits. They are skilled warriors that almost wiped out all the werewolves in Skyrim. I like to think that they used grappling hooks to scale the walls and surprise attacked the Companions. Skjor underestimated them and was killed for it.

^ This

Plus they are not bandits or a group of thugs, they are an organization of hunters formed to hunt down were-beasts (think Dawnguard but for weres.) And seeing how many armed people enter and leave cities at will, its quite possible that they just entered the city and struck.