Skyrim Missing In Action Quest [Walkthrough]

Skyrim has Main Questlines, but they aren’t as immersive as it is in other games. That is why, Skyrim has tons of interesting Side quests. These quests help players better understand the world of Skyrim and its people. One such quest is the Skyrim Missing in Action, which is a morally conflicting questline that often ends in fights between Gray-Mane and Battle-Born clans of Whiterun.

Starting The Missing In Action Quest

The Skyrim Missing in Action is one of the various different side quests that players can tackle midway through the game. The quest is a feud between the Gray-Mane and Battle-Born, two of the oldest families of Whiterun in Skyrim. To start the quest, you will have to go to Whiterun Market.

There, you will see Fralia Grey-Mane arguing with Idolaf and Olfrid Battle-Born. The Battle-Born will be taunting Fralia that they have her son Thorald locked up. And they will quickly change their statement that Thorald died in the Skyrim Civil War and leave the area.

When you go and talk with Fralia about it, she will tell you that she believes her son is alive. If you ask her more about it, she will say that it’s better that you go to her home and then talk about it. Her home is in The Wind District of Skyrim.

When you enter the house, you will be confronted by Avulstein Grey-Mane. He is another son of Fralia and Eorlund Gray-Mane. He will tell you that he believes that Battle-Born is hiding his brother. And now it is your job to get the evidence related to it from the Battle-Born’s house.

Finding Evidence

To find the evidence, you will have to go to their house, where they will be hiding it. Now there are a few methods that you can use to acquire the Evidence.

• Lockpicking: The first and simplest method is to lockpick the main door to their home. For that, you will have to enter their home at a time when they won’t be there. Enter through the main entrance, which will be locked.
• Confronting: Another method is to confront Idolaf Battle-Born. For that, you will need a Level 75 Speech or more. When you confront him about Thorald, he will tell you that he knows where Thorald is held captive. He will be willing to give you a copy of Imperial Missive.
• Pickpocketing: The third method involves pickpocketing one of the Battle Borns. Your target is Jon Battle-Born. Pickpocket the Letter from Jon and confront him about it. As the letter shows his proof of his love for Olfina Gray-Mane, he will be willing to give you the Imperial Missive for it.
• Befriending: The final method involves befriending one of the Battle-Borns to enter their home. For that, you help Lars Battle-Born or buy crops from Alfhild Battle-Born. In addition to that, if you answered Idolaf ‘Battle-Born’ on his question ‘Gray Mane or Battle Born?’, you will get access to his home.

Once you’re inside their house, then go to the small office to the left. It also will be locked. Unlock it and there will be the Imperial Missive lying on the table. It will tell you where Thorald is held captive. Bring it back to Avulstein.

Rescuing Thorald

When you show proof of transfer to Avulstein, he will then say that he would like to go himself to rescue his brother. But you will have a few different options to persuade him to stay at home. You can either go with him to rescue his brother, find a peaceful method, or go there all by yourself. Whatever method you choose will have the same result, with Thorald rescued.

• Going with Avulstein: If you want to go all out and deal with the Thalmor Soldiers, then this is probably the best option. The Thalmor will be more powerful than you; they will have Elven or Glass Armor. But you will have Avulstein and two other mercenaries to help you. That will make the fights a lot easier.
• Without Bloodshed: If the Dragonborn is on a higher level on the Imperials side, specifically at the Legate rank, they can successfully do the Peaceful method.
  • For that, you will have to visit General Tullius at the Castle Dour in Solitude. He will then give a letter of release to Thorald. Take it to the Guards at Northwatch Keep. They will release Thorald for you.
• Going Alone: The hardest method is to go there alone. You will have to deal with all of the Thalmor at Northwatch. Keep it all by yourself. It will work if you’re at a higher level. Or if you want to try out the Stealth method. Unless you’re fully confident in yourself, we recommend that you go there with Avulstein.

Northwatch Keep

If you decide to go with Avulstein Gray-Mane, you will find him behind some rocks near the Northwatch Keep. He will be there with two other warriors. You will barge into the Keep and fight with any Thalmor that you come across. We recommend that you keep your distance as they can deal high damage to you.

Go inside the Keep and the way is pretty straightforward. Make sure that you get rid of every elf that you come across before going into the next section. That will allow you to clear the Keep fairly easily.

In the last area, you will come across the Thalmor Interrogator. He is a powerful foe. That’s why you should again let your comrades take his damage while you deal the damage from behind using Bow and Arrow. Once he is dead, you can then loot his body for the Northwatch Keep key. That will come in handy in setting Thorald free. There is a Chest filled with loot in the area. Take care of that before you head on to rescuing Thalmor.

Once you’re done with everything, you can set Thorald free and get out of the Keep. He will then tell you that he can’t go back home as Thalmor will come looking for him there. But instead, he will go and join the ranks of Stormclocks against Thalmor. He will then give you a message to give to his mother Fralia.

When you go to Fralia back in Whiterun, she will then ask if you’re telling the truth or not. Tell her the phrase that Thorald said. She will complete it and understand his purpose.

Rewards

Now the quest itself isn’t that much rewarding. When you go to Fralia, she will give you an enchanted weapon as a reward. It isn’t worth much. The real reward is what you’ll get off of each Thalmor that you kill. They wear powerful Armor that you can then sell to get Gold. If you have that goal in your mind, then you can take a follower with you to carry all the weight. That will end in a bigger reward than what you’ll get.

Final Words

Although the Skyrim Missing in Action quest is one of the aspects of Skyrim Civil War, according to this Subreddit Post, it has no role in that. So you can go and get your anger out on a few Thalmor Soldiers for ruining Skyrim, and go back to fight for them. But for that, you’ll need the best Swords, Two-Handed weapons, and the Best Build you can have in Skyrim.

Apart from that, there are some other interesting quests in the game. Check out Blood on The Ice and In My Time of Need. Apart from that, you can head to Raven Rock where there are interesting Quests. Or you can go on a hunting spree to discover all Standing Stones in Skyrim.

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