The Tool Desk
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The quest and what “helping” means
The quest is labelled “Jailbreak the Forsworn” in the community Skyrim wiki’s quest entry. Helping Madanach means working with him to free the Forsworn prisoners held at Cidhna Mine, not simply talking to him. Both branches begin at the same place, so the choice comes down to whether you stay loyal to Madanach through the escape or turn against him at the end.
Branch one: helping Madanach
This is the branch that pays out in armor. According to the community walkthrough, the sequence runs as follows:
- Prove your loyalty to Madanach during the prison break.
- Escape with the Forsworn through the Markarth Ruins.
- Collect your confiscated equipment from Kaie, who returns it once the escape is complete.
- Receive the Armor of the Old Gods, a four-piece set made up of the helmet, armor, gauntlets and boots.
When the group reaches Markarth, Madanach kills Thonar Silver-Blood, and the Forsworn attack guards as they leave the city. The walkthrough describes this as the consequence of the branch rather than an optional extra. If you want a calm exit from Markarth, this branch will not give you one.
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- Winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards, Skyrim Special Edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail.
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- All-new features include remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more.
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, use of alcohol
Branch two: killing Madanach
The opposite choice is to turn on Madanach and escape through the mine route instead. The walkthrough says you then speak to Thonar, who returns your confiscated equipment, clears your name with a pardon, and awards the Silver-Blood Family Ring.
The ring’s effect is listed on a separate community wiki item page as a 15 percent improvement to weapon and armor improvement. That figure comes from a fan-maintained wiki entry, not from a game-developer statement, and it is the only effect recorded for the ring in the sources used here.
Rank #2
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Can you get both rewards?
A community walkthrough reports a workaround: help Madanach first to receive the armor, then kill him and his men before leaving the ruins. According to that account, Thonar may then pardon you and award the ring. Treat this as a reported sequence, not a guaranteed one. The same source does not establish that it works reliably across game versions or saved games, and it does not say how often it succeeds.
Comparing the outcomes
| Outcome | Help Madanach | Kill Madanach and escape | Reported workaround: help, then kill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor of the Old Gods | Received | Not stated | Received (reported) |
| Confiscated equipment returned | Yes, returned by Kaie | Yes, returned by Thonar | Not stated |
| Pardon from Thonar | Not stated | Yes | Possible (reported) |
| Silver-Blood Family Ring | Not stated | Yes | Possible (reported) |
| Forsworn attack Markarth | Yes, as they leave the city | Not stated | Not stated |
The “not stated” cells mean the walkthrough does not describe that outcome for that branch. They do not mean the outcome is confirmed absent.
Rank #3
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What the Forsworn say about it
Braig, an imprisoned Forsworn character, delivers a line that frames the conflict in the game: “There are no innocent onlookers in this struggle, just the guilty and the dead.” The quote is in-game dialogue reproduced by the community walkthrough, so it is Braig’s line within Skyrim’s story, not a statement from outside the game.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- EPIC FANTASY REBORN - Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose.
- LIVE ANOTHER LIFE, IN ANOTHER WORLD - Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
- YOU ARE WHAT YOU PLAY - Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.
- BATTLE DRAGONS - Battle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.
- INCLUDED CONTENT - The Anniversary Edition includes the core game, pre-existing and new Creation Club content, plus all three official add-ons: Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.
Rank #4
- Winner of more than 200 game of the year awards, Skyrim special edition brings the epic fantasy to life in stunning detail
- The special edition includes the critically acclaimed game and add-ons with all-new features
- All-new features include remastered art and effects, volumetric god rays, dynamic depth of field, screen-space reflections, and more
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, use of alcohol
What the sources can and cannot confirm
- The branch descriptions and dialogue come from a community-maintained Skyrim wiki, not an official Bethesda guide.
- The wiki does not state which game version or edition its walkthrough covers, so the sequence may differ in other versions or in mods.
- No statistics on how many players choose either branch, or how often the workaround succeeds, were found.
- The ring’s 15 percent effect comes from a separate fan wiki item page.
Choosing a path
- Pick helping Madanach if the Armor of the Old Gods is your goal and you are willing to accept the attack on Markarth’s guards.
- Pick killing Madanach if you want the pardon and the ring and prefer a quieter exit from the mine.
- Try the reported workaround only if you are prepared to play it as an experiment, and keep an earlier save so you can return to either branch.
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