Markarth (Skyrim)

Markarth is the westernmost city of the province of Skyrim. Markarth is the capital city of the Reach under the regency of Jarl Igmund. When the Dragonborn arrives, an assassination is in progress.

Overview
The city comprises two parts: Markarth, which houses all houses and shops, and Understone Keep, which contains the house of the Jarl, the Hall of the Dead, the Dwemer Museum, the Nchuand-Zel Excavation Site (Dwemer) and the blacksmith, Moth.

Background
Markarth was the former city of Nchuand-Zel, belonging to the ancient Dwemer, also known as the Dwarves, who resided in Morrowind, Skyrim, and Hammerfell during the First Era, and whose origin was located in the west-central region of Skyrim, the homeland of the warlike and barbaric Nordic tribes. Following the disappearance of the Dwemer from the face of Nirn after they attempted to control the power of the Numidium, Markarth was abandoned until the rise of the Septim Empire, the third of the Cyrodiilic Empires which arose under the leadership of Tiber Septim and his successor, Pelagius Septim. Emperor Tiber Septim established the Imperial College of the Voice in Markarth, which, subsequently, attracted the Nords to establish it as one of the nine cities of Skyrim.

Unlike the Dwemer cities and strongholds located in Morrowind and Hammerfell, the city of Markarth was not constructed out of metal, but instead was built out of stone, likely due to the abundance of stone found in the mountains of Skyrim. Another theory that could explain why Markarth was constructed out of stone is that the Nordic occupiers of Markarth had constructed their own city over the ruins of the metallic Dwemer city of the same name, which may thus be underground.

Residence
When the Jarl approves the Dragonborn becomes eligible to buy a house in Markarth from his steward, Raerek.
 * Vlindrel Hall: 8000 gold

Inns

 * Silver-Blood Inn

Shops

 * Arleif And Sons Trading Company
 * The Hag's Cure
 * Ghorza's smithing stall
 * Hogni's meat stall
 * Kerah's jewelry stall

Houses

 * Endon's House
 * Nepos's House
 * Ogmund's House
 * Smelter Overseer's House
 * Vlindrel Hall (For sale)

Jarl's Residence

 * Understone Keep

Other

 * Abandoned House
 * Cidhna Mine
 * Markarth Lumber Mill and Forge
 * Markarth Guard Tower
 * Markarth Stables
 * Shrine of Talos
 * Temple Of Dibella
 * The Treasury House
 * The Warrens

Understone Keep

 * Aicantar - Nephew and Assistant of Calcelmo.
 * Anton Virane - Cook in the keep.
 * Calcelmo - Court Wizard of Markarth.
 * Legate Emmanuel Admand
 * Faleen - Jarl's Housecarl.
 * Jarl Igmund - The Jarl of Markarth.
 * Ondolemar - One of the leader of Thalmor.
 * Raerek - Uncle and steward to the Jarl.
 * Rondach - Servant in the Keep.
 * Thongvor Silver-Blood - Thonar Silver-Blood's Elder brother.
 * Brother Verulus - Priest of Arkay in Hall of dead.
 * Voada - Servant in the Keep.

Others

 * Adara - Daughter of Endon & Kerah.
 * Anwen - a Priestess of Dibella.
 * Betrid Silver-Blood - Thonar Silver-Blood's wife.
 * Bothela - an elderly alchemist and owner of The Hag's Cure.
 * Cairine - a Resident of The Warrens.
 * Cosnach - Local drunk often found at the Silver-Blood Inn.
 * Degaine - Beggar.
 * Donnel - an elderly servant of The Treasury House.
 * Dryston - a Messenger.
 * Eltrys - a Resident of The Warrens.
 * Endon - Husband of Kerah.
 * Frabbi - Wife of Kleppr.
 * Garvey - a Resident of The Warrens.
 * Ghorza gra-Bagol - an Orc Blacksmith.
 * Hamal - the Mother, a Head priestess of Dibella.
 * Hathrasil - Smelter.
 * Hogni Red-Arm - Meat vendor.
 * Hreinn - Kleppr's son.
 * Hroki - Kleppr's daughter.
 * Imedhnain - Assistant of Lisbet and nephew of Cosnach.
 * Kerah - Jewelry Merchant and wife of Endon.
 * Kleppr - Owner of the Silver-Blood Inn.
 * Lisbet - Owner of Arleif And Sons Trading Company.
 * Nana Ildene - an Old servant of The Treasury House.
 * Margret - a traveler from the Imperial City.
 * Morven - a servant to Nepos the Nose.
 * Muiri - Old alchemist Bothela's assistant at The Hag's Cure.
 * Mulush gro-Shugurz - the Foreman of Markarth Smelter.
 * Nepos the Nose
 * Ogmund -
 * Omluag - Smelter.
 * Orla - a Priestess of Dibella.
 * Reburrus Quintilius - Stays at The Treasury House.
 * Rhiada - Owner of The Treasury House.
 * Senna - a Priestess of Dibella.
 * Tacitus Sallustius - an Apprentice Blacksmith to Ghorza gra-Bagol.
 * Thonar Silver-Blood
 * Tynan - a Servant to Nepos the Nose.
 * Uaile - a Maid to Nepos the Nose.
 * Verulus - a Priest of Arkay.
 * Vigilant Tyranus - a Daedra hunter.
 * Vorstag - Mercenary for hire at the Silver-Blood Inn.
 * Weylin - a Murderer.
 * Yngvar the Singer - Works for the Silver-Blood family.

Cidhna Mine

 * Braig - Forsworn prisoner.
 * Borkul the Beast - Forsworn prisoner.
 * Duach - Forsworn prisoner.
 * Grisvar the Unlucky - Prisoner.
 * Madanach - Leader of a prisoners.
 * Odvan - Forsworn prisoner.
 * Uraccen - Forsworn prisoner.
 * Urzoga gra-Shugurz - Mercenary of the Silver-Bloods.

Nearby Points of Interest
Following is a list of some surrounding points of interest.
 * Bard's Leap Summit
 * Blind Cliff Cave
 * Dushnikh Yal
 * Four Skull Lookout
 * Left Hand Mine
 * Karthspire
 * Karthspire Camp
 * Kolskeggr Mine
 * Markarth Stables
 * Old Hroldan
 * Reachcliff Cave
 * Red Eagle Redoubt
 * Salvius Farm
 * Sky Haven Temple
 * Soljund's Sinkhole
 * The Lover Stone

Easter Eggs

 * Under the waterfall by the blacksmiths lay two skeletons. This apparent danger may be referenced by some of the guards' saying, "Don't trip."

Bugs

 * If you choose to help the Forsworn in the quest Forsworn Conspiracy, it is possible your bounty will never be able to be removed from the city. After finishing No One Escapes Cidhna Mine guards approach the player and enter the dialog to start the quest again. If the player chooses to be arrested and thrown into Cidhna mine, the dialog loops back to he beginning again. It is impossible to do quests in the city as canceling the dialog results in the guards going hostile. Confirmed for all systems.
 * Though this is not a solution, the best way to get around this bug is to complete all the quests in and involving Markarth before returning to Eltrys at the end of The Foresworn Conspiracy. If you don't all the quests within the city will be significantly more difficult as you will not only have to somehow sneak your way about the city but also constantly escape the guards trying to arrest or even attack you. If you are forced to fight your way out of Markath you may want to consider lowering your difficulty level as the guards each have a high amount of health and deal good damage combined with the number of them. This could make the battle especially tough on lower level players and those who specialize in ranged or sneak attacks.
 * There is a glitch to get a free house in Markarth. it involves finding the Jarl while he is sleeping. Go into his room and put money in a dresser. Either leave the money in the dresser and wake him up and he will say "You have done me a great service," or the money will have to be removed from the dresser and the Jarl will need to be woken up to talk to him.
 * If the Dragonborn negotiates a truce between the Imperials and the Stormcloaks before visiting Markarth for the first time, the scripted event that triggers upon entry (in which Weylin attempts to murder Margret) will amusingly cause both Imperial guards and Stormcloak guards to spawn. The outnumbered faction will fight until killed by the city guards, causing no other problems.
 * Helping Madanach escape may trigger all the guards to constantly chase the Dragonborn in an attempt to arrest them, even long after the quest (it can also occur if the Dragonborn commits a crime in Markarth and reaches a high bounty). On the PC There is a solution to this by opening your console and setting all 3 factions that rule Markarth back to 0 fine. Codes being, player.setcrimegold 0 00018aac, player.setcrimegold 0 0008e764, player.setcrimegold 0 0002816c.
 * To fix make sure your level is high enough and enter Markarth. Upon entering the city, do not have any guards spot you, and enter the Shrine of Talos. The three guards from the previous quest "The Forsworn Conspiracy," will still be there, and the middle guard will engage in the same conversation as at the end of that quest. The other two guards will attack you, and because you are in conversation, there is no way to fight back, so be prepared. Answer the guard with "You're corrupt, Thonar is paying you," and then again with "Fine, I'll come quietly." The guard will then do nothing, so heal yourself. After a few seconds, the same guard will attempt to arrest you, and give you the option to pay off your bounty.
 * If you have already completed this quest, return to Markarth, and end up getting arrested by the guards again, and you comply with them and tell them to take you to jail, they will tell you that you will rot in the mine, as when you got arrested beforehand, but it will glitch and take you right back to the apprehension dialogue again. If your bounty is high enough (which it probably is after the quest) you will have no other options but to resist arrest from the guards, even if you wish to surrender.
 * Another way to fix this bug is to give Martkarth to the Stormcloaks at the negotiations near the end of the game. All of the Markarth guards will be replaced with Stormcloak Soldiers who will no longer try to arrest you for your involvement in the quest. However, if you commit any criminal acts such as tresspassing, theft, or murder it will start up again.
 * PC: In some cases you can't change 0002816c to 0. When you try to do that, it will add 15000 to the existing bounty. For example: If you change the bounty to 10 it will actually change to a 15010 bounty. (Targeting a guard in Markarth and using 'paycrimegold' in the console will force the debt to be paid).
 * Even if the Forsworn questline went off without a hitch, the corrupt guards may still be present in the Shrine of Talos and attempt to arrest/attack you. The only real solution is to avoid this place all together after completing the quest..

Gallery
Markarth