No One Escapes Cidhna Mine

No One Escapes Cidhna Mine is a quest in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. After completing The Forsworn Conspiracy, the Markarth city guards frame the Dragonborn, starting this quest. You are locked in Cidhna mine at one point deciding whether or not to free Madanach and become Forsworn. Depending on what you choose you can either receive the Armor of the Old Gods or the Silver-Blood Family Ring.

Quick Walkthrough

 * 1) Ask a prisoner about Madanach, then get past Borkul the Beast.
 * 2) Talk to Madanach.
 * 3) Speak to Braig and listen to his story.
 * 4) Return to Madanach.
 * 5) Options
 * 6) Kill Madanach and leave Cidhna Mine through the secret escape path mentioned in Madanach's note.
 * 7) Kill Grisvar the Unlucky and follow Madanach.

Walkthrough
After entering the mine and talking to Uraccen the Dragonborn learns that Madanach is located in a private cell which is being guarded by Borkul the Beast. After speaking to Borkul he tells the Dragonborn that he will only allow passage in exchange for a shiv as a toll. A prisoner named Grisvar the Unlucky will have a shiv, but he will only trade it for Skooma, which can be pickpocketed from Duach or Braig. Alternatively, Borkul can be challenged to a brawl, persuaded or given the Skooma directly. It is also possible to pickpocket the key to Madanach's cell from Borkul.

After gaining entrance to Madanach's cell, the player has four options:
 * Help Madanach. Madanach will try and convince the Dragonborn that he and his Forsworn are justified in their actions and sends the player to seek out the prisoner Braig and hear his story. After listening to Braig, return to Madanach and he will offer freedom, but he requires proof of loyalty. He requests the assassination of Grisvar the Unlucky, who has outlived his usefulness to the Forsworm Rebellion. After killing Grisvar, return to Madanach. Upon hearing news of the Grisvar's death, Madanach gathers the remaining prisoners and leads them to an escape tunnel that runs through the Markarth Ruins. At the end of the tunnel, the Dragonborn's belongings are returned to them by Kaie and Madanach rewards the player with Armor of the Old Gods. Once outside, there is a confrontation between Thonar and Madanach. The Forsworn and Madanach charge the city, killing Thonar and all guards (and citizens) in sight. After they leave the city, they will continue running to Druadach Redoubt which will have several friendly Forsworn inside.
 * Kill Madanach in his cell, read the note on his body and use his escape route. Upon exiting, Thonar Silver-Blood greets the Dragonborn and rewards them with with Silver-Blood Family Ring. The ring is enchanted so that weapons and armor can be improved 15% better.
 * Kill everyone. After attacking a prisoner or Borkul, everyone (except Grisvar the Unlucky) becomes hostile. Thonar Silver-Blood will reward the Dragonborn with the Silver-Blood Family Ring. Essentially the same outcome as the second option. (Being a Werewolf is very useful in this method.)
 * Initially side with Madanach, then after being given the Armor of the Old Gods, kill him and the other Forsworn. Upon leaving, Thonar Silver-Blood will give the Dragonborn the Silver-Blood Family Ring.

Notable Loot
There are two main paths for escape, and each carries a reward:
 * Helping Madanach by killing Grisvar rewards the Armor of the Old Gods, a full set of enchanted Forsworn Armor (Light Armor).
 * Madanach's new headquarters at the Druadach Redoubt cave contains more valuable loot, free for the taking, and a map of all Forsworn encampments.
 * Killing Madanach and escaping alone rewards the Silver-Blood Family Ring, providing +15% Smithing.
 * If the player kills Madanach after receiving the Armor of the Old Gods and their belongings, but before leaving the Markarth Ruins, Thonar will greet him outside with the Silver-Blood Family Ring and the quest will be completed.

Bugs

 * Xbox 360, PS3 and PC: After completion of this quest, guards will repeatedly attempt to arrest you for murder and conspiracy against Markarth; the option to go to jail results in the conversation starting over. Exiting the conversation may result in the guards becoming hostile or in some cases ending conversation normally. It may or may not be possible to act within the city, for some there is time to move around before guards initiate the conversation again, for others the guards simply go hostile immediatley. Bounty collectors will be sent into the reach to collect the bounty or kill the dragonborn. Paying the bounty to a bounty collector will not absolve the dragonborn of his/her "crimes" in Markarth, even though the bounty collector says it will. (Confirmed)
 * PC Solution: Enter the console outside of Markarth and enter TCAI (Toggle Combat Artificial Intelligence). After doing this, the AI will not attack you. Enter Markarth and head to the Shrine of Talos where the three guards confronted you, and then turn TCAI off by entering it in the console again. Here, the guards will speak to you. Select come quietly, and then when the guards start the next conversation with you there should be three dots above the normal response. Select this, the guards will continue their conversation, and afterwards the guards will return to normal and no longer try to arrest you.
 * If you killed the guards before going to jail (a bad idea) you will obviously need to resurrect them for this fix. Resurrect alone did not work for me, I also needed to do in the console "setstage MS02 100" (sets quest to complete helping Madanach escape and he clears your name for his crimes - but not of you killing the guards in the shrine), then "prid 00036f3b" (selects the guard) then "resurrect". Then continue as above with the surrender, go to jail. You might need to select chat option "..." with the guard and repeat the go to jail dialogue. In jail get a pick and start to mine, a dialogue asking if you wish to do your time comes up, select yes, but it's not a life sentence, it's less than one day.
 * The solution above works, but you might have some problems after the guard say "No one escapes Cidhna Mine, no one", such as the three men attacking, bringing the whole city after you. Then you must run away from Talos' Shrine and escape the city. While running from the guards, you have a good chance that the guard outside the city abords you and then you can surrender, going properly to Cidhna Mine and serving your time in jail, having your bounty cleared.
 * PS3 Solution: Sneak into the shrine of Talos where 2 or 3 guards will be waiting as if you are finishing The Forsworn Conspiracy quest again. When I entered two guards attacked and I killed them. I had to press select and wait a few hours for the third guard to spawn. The third guard will then talk and you should choose the dialog options: "You're Corrupt, Thonar is paying you" and "Fine, I'll come Quietly". At this point the third guard atttacks you, kill him. Now exit the shrine of Talos. You will know you are glitched if they respond to the "pay off bounty" option with: "We have multiple witnesses, you're not getting away with this." But now you should be able to pay off the bounty like normal.
 * PS3: If you choose the jail option, it is possible to be trapped in the mine for good since no one else is there and the gate next to the Orc requires a key, which is not possible to pick. No one escapes Cidhna Mine for the second time...
 * Xbox Solution: 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. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4cgvCPRunU
 * Second Solution - Don't enter the Shrine of Talos in Markarth. The above did not work for me.
 * Glitches are less likely to occur if you go to jail peacefully. (Confirmed)
 * PC, Xbox 360: ANY quest items in your inventory (which you cannot remove otherwise) will be permanently removed following the break out from the mine, this includes dragon claws, amulets, gems, anything. On the PC version all items from completed quests will sometimes stay, however items like the Elder Scroll will disappear forever.(Confirmed) (patched on Xbox)
 * Xbox 360,(1/10/2012): Just finished got my gear back and all quest items are gone. Ever single Stone of Barenzia is gone, along with Finn's Lute and multiple items that go in the 'Books' catagory. Cheers for a fail patch. Im reloading for sure.
 * PC, Xbox 360, and PS3: You may not receive all quest items from Kaie that you had before this quest began. However, (not sure if its a bug) you get them when the forsworn start fighting the guards outside the ruins. If you kill the forsworn in the ruins, then Thonar gives them to you after the conversation.
 * PC, Xbox 360, and PS3: It is possible upon arriving in Cidhna Mine, Urzoga gra-Shugurz (the guard) has no dialogue options but instead fights you until death.
 * Xbox 360: After completing this quest, a glitch occurs that will prevent the PC from being able to Fast Travel or Wait, stating that you are still being pursued by guards. Fix: Commit a crime and allow yourself to be caught. Paying the fine or going to jail will fix the bug.
 * PC: It is possible that Madanach will not have the key in his inventory when you pickpocket him.
 * 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: If you 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".
 * Xbox 360/PS3: If you had the skeleton key from the thieves guild missions in your inventory when you went to jail you wont get it back with the rest of your belongings.
 * If Madanach does not complete his dialogue before leaving the mine, after leaving the mine, Madanach and his men, as well as Thonar and his guard, will just stand outside and do nothing. The event where they're supposed to fight just doesn't happen. Killing Thonar completes the quest and initiates the fight but incurs the 1000 bounty in Markarth. The bounty can be avoided by killing the last witness (the guard) or making other people kill Thonar by casting a strong enough Fury/Frenzy effect on him.
 * After completing the quest, first helping Madanach to get the armor and then later turning on him by helping the guards kill him so you could also get the ring from Thonar Uraccens dead body is laying along the path just before the entrance to Druadach Redoubt. It is unknown how he made it all the way there and then died.
 * PS3: Sometimes, when the quest is completed by killing the prisoners, there will be 3 guards standing outside with no one to give the Silver-Blood Family Ring. (Update: to fix this the player must reload to a point before he talk to Talnor in the Treasury house and make sure that Talnor is not attacked by the player during the battle).
 * Xbox 360: When starting the quest, you may notice an item you had equipped in your inventory is still in your favorites, and is there and can be used throughout the quest. However, when you get your gear back the item, while still appearing in your favorites, will not appear in your inventory. Even under the favorites section in your inventory. The only way to equip or remove this item is by pressing up on the d-pad. No fix.
 * Xbox 360: all pick-up sounds for items will not sound.
 * PC: It is possible to recieve both rewards with the completion of this quest.
 * Xbox 360: after breaking out of jail, do not kill any guards. This will give you a 1040 bounty. If any guards see you, they will say they are taking you to jail without the option to persuade or bribe. The dialogue will repeat but you'll never go to jail. If you hit B to exit, they will attack.
 * PS3: If you pickpocket Madanach and read his note before killing him, you cannot complete the quest as you'll never be able to complete the "Read Madanach's Note" requirement.
 * Upon exiting the prison, Thonar may be hostile. He is marked essential and cannot be killed, therefore the battle will never end. Casting Calm on him will work in the short term, long enough to complete the quest and get the ring. If you cannot manage to cast Calm on him, just run out of the town, exit combat, fast travel to some place far away then travel back to Markarth . Head to the exit of the Cidhna Mine (door left to the Understone Keep 's door) and Thonar will be waiting you there, not hostile anymore. He'll start conversation and you can finish the quest peacefully.
 * You might also permanently lose any dragon priest masks or daedric artifacts on your person at the time of arrest (even after being given your belongings by kaie). I personally lost the krosis mask and the mace of Molag Bal.
 * PC If one skips the dialogue where the guard says "no one" with enter, the guards will draw, you will be transported to the prison, and the orc lady will attack you. You will be defenseless
 * If you were in Cidha Mines as a prisoner before, do not kill Grisvar. If you do, when Madanach tells you to kill him, he willnot be there and you won't be able to tell Madanach he is already dead.
 * PC: If one kills Madanach and the Forsworn after receiving the reward armor and then goes out and receives the ring from Thonar, the game registers the quest as the Forsworn wreaking havok in Markarth and killing the townspeople, causing passing citizens to scold you for helping the Forsworn break out.
 * PC: You killed Madanach after recieving his reward, receive the reward from Thonar upon exiting the mine, and no one treats you as hostile or engages dialouge that reflects you helping the foresworn, but you may be prevented from fast-travel or sleeping as it says guards are pursuing you. To fix, go back to the shrine of Talos and simply interact with the guards inside. This seems to clear up the pursuit bug
 * Xbox 360: after getting taken to jail, if you rest for one hour, your follower will appear beside you. you could load up your follower before getting arrested to have your gear even while in the prison.