No One Escapes Cidhna Mine

No One Escapes Cidhna Mine is a quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's started after completing The Forsworn Conspiracy.

Objectives

 * Ask a prisoner about Madanach 2011-11-20_00020.jpg
 * Get past Borkul the Beast
 * Talk to Madanach
 * Hear Braig's story
 * Return to Madanach

From here, you can choose how you finish this quest:


 * Kill Grisvar the Unlucky
 * Return to Madanach
 * Follow Madanach

or

or both
 * Kill Madanach (or steal)
 * Search Madanach's body
 * Read Madanach's note
 * Escape Cidhna Mine
 * Kill Grisvar the Unlucky
 * Return to Madanach
 * Follow Madanach
 * Kill Madanach (and followers) before exiting mine.
 * Search Madanach's body
 * Read Madanach's note
 * Escape Cidhna Mine

Loot
There are two main paths for escape, and each carries a valuable reward: However, it is possible to obtain both rewards. If the player kills Madanach after receiving the Armor of the Old Gods (as well as their belongings), but before leaving the Markarth Ruins, then Thanor will greet him outside with the Silver-Blood Family Ring and the quest will be considered completed. This is notably the hardest path, as Madanach and his Forsworn men are certainly a challenge if the player chooses to fight unarmed. Werewolves or Mages should have less of a problem with this approach, however the battle will be made easier if the player re-equips their weapons and armor.
 * Killing Madanach and escaping alone will reward you with the Silver-Blood Family Ring that grants a bonus 15% effectiveness to improvements on equipment.
 * Killing Grisvar will reward you with a full set of enchanted Forsworn Armor, known as the Armor of the Old Gods, which is Light Armor.

Walkthrough
Leave your cell and talk to one of the prisoners inside the mine. You soon learn that Madanach is located in a private cell which is being guarded by Borkul the Beast. After telling Borkul that you need to see Madanach, he tells you that he will only let you pass if you give him a shiv as a toll. A prisoner named Grisvar the Unlucky will have a shiv, but he will only give it to you in exchange for Skooma, which Duach will have. Alternatively, you can beat Borkul in a brawl.

After gaining entrance to Madanach's cell, the player has three options:
 * Help Madanach and earn your freedom. Madanach will try and convince you that he and his Forsworn are justified in their actions and asks you to seek out the prisoner Braig and hear his story. After hearing his story, return to Madanach and he will tell you he can offer you freedom, but he requires proof of your loyalty. He requests the assassination of Grisvar the Unlucky. Kill Grisvar and return to Madanach. Upon hearing news of the Grisvar's death, Madanach gathers all the other remaining prisoners and leads them to an escape tunnel that runs through the Markarth Ruins. At the end of the tunnel, you regain all of your belongings from Kaie, Armor of the Old Gods from Madanach, and your freedom. Once outside, you witness a confrontation between Thonar and Madanach. The Forsworn and Madanch charge the city, killing Thonar and all guards in sight.
 * Pickpocket Madanach, and use his key to escape without harming anyone.
 * Kill Madanach in his cell, read the note on his body and use his escape route on your own. Upon exiting, you are greeted by Thonar Silver-Blood, who rewards you with Silver-Blood Family Ring. The ring is enchanted so that weapons and armor can be improved 15% better.

Also, if you're married to Vorstag or engaged to him, he will turn on you and you'll have to kill him. (If which path is taken?)

Glitches

 * Xbox 360 and PC: It is possible that after completing this quest, guards will still try to arrest you for murder and conspiracy against Markarth. If this happens, hit the B button, and he will stop talking to you. (Confirmed)
 * It seems that if you have killed the prisoners previous to this, you can NEVER do this. ( what does this abberation of words even mean? - It seems that if you have killed the prisoners prior to this quest you cannot complete the quest?)
 * PC: It is possible that Madanach will not have the key in his inventory when you pickpocket him.
 * Glitches are less likely to occur if you go to jail peacefully.
 * If you pickpocket the note from Madanach, it will not let you read it properly, therefore not allowing you to complete the quest. Thonar will attack you upon exiting the ruins
 * PC: I start the quest in the cell, but both doors are locked with no way to open them. Open the console and enter "'setstage ms02 0".