Blood on the Ice

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Blood on the Ice
The scene of the murder of Susanne the Wicked in the Windhelm graveyard.
Quest Giver	Windhelm Guard
Location	Windhelm
Reward	Necromancer Amulet Hjerim
Type	Side quest
Quest ID	MS11 MS11b

"Another girl killed. This is Susanna, from Candlehearth Hall. Served me a drink just a few nights ago... but I can't say I knew her. Susanna's the third. It's always the same: young girl, killed at night, body torn up."

―Windhelm Guard

Blood on the Ice is a quest available in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, in which the Dragonborn must investigate a series of murders in the city of Windhelm that has seen several young women dead and mutilated.

Background

Windhelm is plagued by a shadowy killer. I've been asked to help investigate the latest murder.

Objectives

1. Question the witnesses
2. Report to the guard
3. Talk to Jorleif
4. Examine the crime scene
5. Talk to Helgird
6. Get access to Hjerim
7. Look for clues
8. Follow up on clues from Hjerim
9. Meet Viola outside of Hjerim (if spoken to)
10. Invetigate Hjerim with Viola (if spoken to)
11. Talk to Jorleif
12. Patrol the streets of the Stone Quarter at night
13. Catch the murderer
14. Talk to Jorleif for reward

• Get assistance from Jorleif (continuous until the murderer is caught)

Walkthrough

The quest takes place exclusively in the city of Windhelm, the capital of Eastmarch, where several young women have been killed alone at night by an unknown murdered dubbed "the Butcher", all in a similar manner, left mostly naked with distinctive lacerations indicative of the use of traditional Nordic embalming tools.

The Dragonborn will encounter one of the murder scenes at night, from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM, with several bystanders and a guard standing around the corpse of Susanna the Wicked atop a burial slab in the graveyard of the city. The guard will approach the Dragonborn telling them to keep their distance from the scene. After asking what happened and offering to help investigate, the quest will begin.

"Hold it there. Keep your distance."

What happened here? "Another girl killed. This is Susanna, from Candlehearth Hall. Served me a drink just a few nights ago... but I can't say I knew her. Susanna's the third. It's always the same: young girl, killed at night, body torn up."

Are the murders being investigated? "We're stretched thin as it is with the war. Nobody has the time to spend on this. Not pleasant, but it's the truth."

Sounds like the guards aren't doing their job. "Look, there's a war going on, if you hadn't heard. We barely have enough soldiers to walk the stretts, much less patrol every corner."

Could you use some help? "If you want to help, ask some of these gawkers if they saw anything useful. I'm going to examine the body before the rats can get to it."

As the guard directed, the Dragonborn should ask the witnesses gathered around the body if they say anything. The witnesses include Calixto Corrium, Silda the Unseen, and Helgird.

Corrium will have the following conversation with the Dragonborn:

"Always sad when someone dies."
Did you see what happened here? "Sorry. I thought I saw a fellow running away, but didn't get a good look at him."

Silda will have the following conversation with the Dragonborn:

"Another one. Terrible."
Did you see what happened here? "I heard a scream and came running, but she was already... like this... when I got here."

Helgird will have the following conversation with the Dragonborn:

"This is a shame."
Did you see what happened here? "Eehhh… no. Sorry. But I did notice that her coinpurse was still intact, so whoever did this wasn't after gold. I'm going to keep prepared the body, if you'll excuse me."

Also note that although the corpse of Susanna will not have any clothes, she will have various items such as gemstones, jewelry, gold, lockpicks, weapons (usually a low-level dagger), and food.

After the Dragonborn has spoken to all three of the witnesses, they should speak again to the guard at the scene of the murder.

I've spoken to the witnesses. "Just like always – nobody saw anything useful. The bastard's escaped again."

There might be more to this if you'll let me help. "Look, friend, if you think tou can do better than the legion of guards, be my guest. You'll need to talk to Jorleif, though. We can't just let anyone go around claiming to be on official business. If he's willing, then we'll talk."

Although the Dragonborn can directly begin looking for hints into the murders, they will not receive any hints from the guards or the steward. If the Dragonborn reports to the steward, Jorleif, he will have the following conversation:

I've heard about these murders. "These are difficult times indeed, when men stalk their brethren like beasts. My men are stretched thin as it is. If you offer your aid, I gladly accept. The guards will be told to assist you as necessary. I'm happy to lend my hand as much as I can, as well."

Once the Dragonborn has received permission from Jorleif to investigate the murders, the guards will assist the Dragonborn by providing advice and hints that will lead to the advancement of the quest. Upon returning to the guard at the crime scene, the body of Susanna will be gone and the guard will render assistance.

Jorleif has granted me permission to aid in the investigation. "All right, then. I noticed a trail of blood away from here. Helgird's taken the body into the Hall of the Dead to prepare for burial. She's a little crazy, but if she knowns anything, it's dead bodies."

Investigation

The Dragonborn can choose to follow the trail of blood that leads away from the crime scene up to the higher residential level of the city or enter the Hall of the Dead to speak with Helgird who will have the following conversation:

Have you noticed anything strange about the body? "Well, she's dead. But I guess that's not unusual, at least not for somebody in here. I mean, someone who's not me, that is. Sorry, was only joking with you."

It's all right. But have you found anything? "Not really."

So, the body? "Oh, yes, right, of course!"

"The only unusual thing is the shape of the cuts. They look like they were made with.. well, the ancient Nords used these kinds of curved blades when they embalmed their dead. I don't know who in Windhelm would even have something like that. Other than me, of course."

Let me know if you find anything else. "I wouldn't hold out too much hope"

Did you have anything to do with this? "I'm too busy tending to the dead to spend my time making more of them. And I wouldn't very well tell you about the cuts if I had made them, now would I?"

"Now, I really got to get back to the body. Lot of work to prepare her for the grave."

Talking to Helgird will only reveal that the lacerations on the bodies of the victims were unmistakably caused by curved blades indicative of ancient Nordic embalming tools. Despite Helgird being the only person to obviously possess ancient Nord embalming tools, she insists that she had nothing to do with the murders. This indicates that the murderer also possesses such tools.

Additionally, after reading one of the pamphlets across the city, the Dragonborn can ask a guard about the killer who the pamphlet has been calling the "Butcher":

Can you tell me anything about the "Butcher"? "Uf. Have you been talking to Viola Giordano? She posts those all over the city, and someone keeps taking them down. Ask her about it if you want an earful."

The Dragonborn can proceed to follow the trail of blood leading from the cemetery to Hjerim, a manor in the upper residential area of the city. Approaching the door will complete the "Examine the crime scene" objective and remove the marker over the tomb near where the victim was found. The manor is master locked and can be opened if the Dragonborn successfully lockpicks the door, which can be quite difficult, or by retrieving the key. Speaking to a guard will reveal that the only person with a key to the house is Friga Shatter-Shield's mother, Tova Shatter-Shield, as the house once belonged to her daughter before she was murdered by the Butcher.

How do I get into Hjerim? "Friga Shatter-Shield's old place? It's been abandoned ever since she was killed. I think her mother, Tova, has the key. (If Nilsine Shatter-Shield was killed during the quest "Mourning Never Comes": "Her mother would have had the key, but she... that family is cursed, I tell you.")"

The Dragonborn does not need to talk to a guard before speaking with Tova. The Dragonborn, if skilled enough, can pickpocket the key from Tova directly or can just speak with her to gain access to the house. With the key, the Dragonborn will be able to access Hjerim without needing to pick the lock.

"Not really sure what to do with myself anymore. I just miss her so much."

I have some questions about your daughter. (If the Dragonborn has asked before: "I'm sorry to trouble you, but I have some more questions.") "I'm sorry – she was very dear to me, and it's rather painful to think about. I'd rather not talk about my daughter, if you'll excuse me."

I have authority in this matter, and need your cooperation. "Well... all right. What exactly do you need to know?"

I'm trying to find out who did this. I was hoping you'd help. "Well... all right. What exactly do you need to know?"

Do you want to find your daughter's killer or not? "I've had enough troubles recently. What is it that you're after?"

I'd like to investigate her house, but I'll need the key. "Hjerim? Well, I'm not sure what you think you'll find there, but you're welcome to have a look."

I'm sorry to have troubled you. "Good day."

When the Dragonborn enters Hjerim, they will need to investigate the seemingly abandoned property, including the furniture. Upon inspecting various elements throughout the house, it will become obvious that the house is not, in fact, abandoned, but has been recently accessed. A bloody chest against the wall of the left of the entrance contains Butcher Journal 1, which details the Butcher's activities. The wardrobe on the right in the northwest room of the first floor has a false back panel that hides a secret room containing an altar for the purposes of necromantic magic, bloody remains, and Butcher Journal 2, the second half of the Butcher's personal details of his murderous activities. On the dresser in the same room is a stack of pamphlets entitled "Beware the Butcher!" by Viola Giordano and obscured underneath is an amulet with a jade carving of a skull, the Necromancer Amulet, called the "Strange Amulet".

Additionally, if the Dragonborn did not retrieve the second journal of the Butcher, the Dragonborn can speak to Viola Giordano, the author of the pamphlets, who can assist the Dragonborn in investigating Hjerim. Initially speaking to her will yield the following conversation:

What can you tell me about the "Butcher"? "I've been following him for months now. Well, not actually following. Trying to find him. The guards won't help. The people won't help. I'm the only one who thinks he can be caught."

Why can't the guards help? "They say they're too busy with the war – I say what good is winning a war if we're still terrorized by one of our own?"

How can the rest of the people not care? "Oh, they care all right. Just none of them thinks to do anything about it. They say I'm just snooping around bothering people, but I'm trying to save lives!"

I found this poster in Hjerim "I've been trying to put those up around the city, to warn people. Have them keep their eyes open. But someone keeps taking them down. You say you found it in Hjerim? Friga's old place. Let's go have a look around there. I've got a feeling about this one."

The Dragonborn can then lead Giordano to Hjerim or meet her there. Once outside the house, the Dragonborn can have the following conversation with her:

Ready to check out the house? "Let's go. I'd rather not stay out here longer than I have to."

Inside, Giordano will move through the first floor of the house towards the room straight ahead with the false back wardrobe.

Find anything? "Look here. There's something strange about this cabinet."

The Dragonborn should then, upon inspecting the cabinet, open the false back panel and enter the secret room. The Dragonborn should then pick up the journal on the altar and speak to Giordano:

"What's it say?"
It sounds like the court mage has been experimenting. "Wuunferth. There have been rumors swirling around him for years. As long as I can remember. But he's a dangerous man. It's why they call him "the Unliving". I wouldn't approach him directly. This information needs to go straight to the steward. He'll listen to you."

The Dragonborn can then go straight to Jorleif and accuse Wuunferth the Unliving of being the Butcher. However, the Dragonborn, after recovering the Strange Amulet, can ask a guard about it, in which they will direct them to Calixto, the curator of Calixto's House of Curiosities:

Do you know what this amulet is? "I've never seen anything like it. I would take this to Calixto at the House of Curiosities. He has a good eye for strange trinkets. Might even give you a bit of gold for it."

Calixto is often located at Calixto's House of Curiosities, his house and business, and will discuss the amulet with the Dragonborn, identifying it as the symbolic Wheelstone belonging to Wuunferth and offering to buy it.

Do you know anything about this amulet? "Let me see... ah, yes. This is the Wheelstone. It's an heirloom symbol of the power of Windhelm. Traditionally it's carried by the court mage. I would... eh... be interested in acquiring it. If your willing to part with it, that is. For a piece like that, I could pay... 500 gold? (Subsequent responses: "The Wheelstone? Have you decided to sell it, yet?")"

Shouldn't the court mage have it? "Wuunferth? Bah. It's purely ceremonial, and he has no use for it. Besides, I wouldn't want to be the one to give it to him. Gives me the creeps. They say he dabbles in necromancy."

You have yourself a deal, sir. "Wonderful. This will be a splendid addition to my private collection."

I think I'll hold on to it for the time being. "Suit yourself. It's only of value to collectors, though. Good luck finding anyone else who will appraise it that highly!"

Arresting Wuunferth

The Dragonborn can decide to go directly to Jorleif and tell him that the Butcher is Wuunferth, the court wizard. If this is done, Wuunferth will be arrested and taken to the dungeon in the Palace of the Kings.

I believe the killer is Wuunferth the Unliving. "That's quite an accusation. I assume you have proof?"

We have evidence of necromancy, and found his amulet. "I don't want to believe it. Wuunferth has been a trusted friend to Ulfric for many years. It pains me to see that the whispers had truth to them. Wuunferth shall be apprehended. I thank you or your diligence in getting to the bottom of this matter. The streets of Windhelm are now safe."

Jorleif will then direct a guard to follow him to arrest Wuunferth and proceed to his location, usually his quarters. It is not necessary to witness Wuunferth's arrest and he will be present in a cell in the dungeon. However, following a period of three days, the body of a young female with similar cuts to the previous victims will appear outside of Candlehearth Hall. A guard will have the following conversation with the Dragonborn if spoken to:

What happened here? Another killing? "Indeed. I... I thought you captured the Butcher. You said the city was safe, now. How could this have happened?"

The killer must still be out there. "Obviously. You should visit the Bloodworks to talk to Wuunferth – we need to figure out where the evidence went wrong."

Talking to Wuunferth in his cell in the Bloodworks of the Palace of the Kings will reveal that Wuunferth had been tracking the killer before he was arrested and is able to determine when and where he will strike next according to his journals.

The killer has struck again. "Oh, isn't that a shame. And here I am in the Bloodworks. Looks like you aren't such a sharp investigator after all."

I'm sorry. Please help me find the real killer. "What made you think I was to blame in the first place? I've actually been after the killer myself."

You can be resentful or you can help me. Your choice. "What made you think I was to blame in the first place? I've actually been after the killer myself."

I found one of your journals, all about necromancy. "Necromancy? I am a member of the College of Winterhold, in good standing! They haven't allowed necromancy for hundreds of years!"

So what can we do now? "I've been noting a pattern to when the killings happen. Now that we know they're tied in to some sort of necromantic ritual, I think I know when the next might occur. Let's see. From a Loredas of Last Seed until a Midas of Heartfire... it will happen soon. Very soon. Keep watch in the Stone Quarter tomorrow night. That's almost certainly where the killer will strike next."

I found your journals and amulet where the Butcher worked. "My what, now? I've never kept a journal, I can assure you. What exactly did this amulet look like?"

Eight-sided. Jade, ringed with ebony. A worn carving. "I know it well. Or at least, I've heard of it. I would wager that carving once depicted a skull. That is the Necromancer's Amulet, of legend. It appears you were at least half-right. There is necromancy at the heart of this."

I guess Calixto was wrong. "Eehh... Calixto and his books are often confused about such matters. It happens to the best of us."

Alternatively, if the Dragonborn speak directly to Wuunferth instead of having him arrested, he will have a similar conversation with the Dragonborn, also direct them to keep watch in the Stone Quarter at night. The Dragonborn can then proceed with the quest without having to wait for the next victim and wrongfully imprisoning Wuunferth.

Catching the Butcher

In the markets in the southwest corner of the city, the killer will strike again. Calixto will be present and draw a knife before slowly approaching his next victim, revealing himself to be the Butcher. Calixto may attempt to kill Nilsine Shatter-Shield, Hermir Strong-Heart, or Arivanya if Wuunferth was not accused of being the Butcher. The Dragonborn, without incurring a bounty, may attack and kill Calixto at any time, including before he draws his knife, when he is approaching his victim, and after he has killed her. If Calixto is able to kill his victim, he will proceed to run to Hjerim and attack the Dragonborn inside. Calixto cannot be detained and the quest will only progress once he has been killed. The Dragonborn should then speak with Jorleif to confirm that the Butcher has been stopped.

Calixto Corrium was the real killer. "Ysmir's beard! The man was always a bit odd, but I wouldn't have expected... I'm glad you were able to correct your mistake. I'll release Wuunferth immediately. (Only if Wuunferth was initially accused and jailed) You've done this city a mighty service, friend. I believe you'll find the guards to be a bit more cordial with you in the future.

At this point, the quest will be completed and the Dragonborn will now have the ability to purchase and decorate Hjerim from Jorleif. As Calixto is now dead, it is easy to simply enter and steal any items within Calixto's House of Curiosities without repercussion. Also, Calixto carries a key that unlocks a chest that cannot be lockpicked that lies on the small second level of his house close to the entryway. This chest contains items such as ancient Nordic embalming tools, indicating that he was definitively the Butcher. If the Dragonborn sold the Necromancer's Amulet to Calixto previously, it can be recovered from his corpse.

Journal

Blood on the Ice – MS11
ID	Journal Entry
10	Windhelm is plagued by a shadowy killer. I've been asked to help investigate the latest murder. Objective 10: Question the witnesses
20	Objective 20: Report to the guard
30	Objective 30: Talk to Jorleif
40	Windhelm is plagued by a shadowy killer. I've been asked to help investigate the latest murder. Jorleif, the steward, may have advice from time to time. Objective 40: Examine the crime scene Objective 41: Talk to Helgird
50	Objective 50: Get access to Hjerim
60	Objective 60: Look for clues
70	Objective 70: Follow up on the clues from Hjerim
76	Objective 76: Meet Viola outside of Hjerim
80	Objective 80: Investigate Hjerim with Viola
90	Objective 90: Talk to Jorleif
100	I discovered that Wuunferth the Unliving was the Butcher of Windhelm, and helped bring him to justice. Quest complete
110	Objective 1: Get assistance from Jorleif Objective 120: Patrol the streets of the Stone Quarter at night Objective 130: Catch the murderer Objective 150: Talk to Jorleif
250	I've discovered that Calixto Corrium was the Butcher of Windhelm, and helped bring him to justice. Quest complete
Blood on the Ice – MS11b
15	The Butcher has struck again in Windhelm, after Wuunferth the Unliving was imprisoned. It appears he may have been innocent. I need to find the real killer. Objective 110: Speak to Wuunferth Objective 120: Patrol the streets of the Stone Quarter at night Objective 130: Catch the murderer Objective 150: Talk to Jorleif for reward
20	I've discovered that Calixto Corrium was the true Butcher of Windhelm, helped bring him to justice, and exonerated Wuunferth. Quest complete

Trivia

• If the Dragonborn is part of the Dark Brotherhood and completes the quest "Mourning Never Comes," which results in the killing of Nilsine, Tova will be dead on the floor next to a suicide note in her house. Instead of talking to her, the key to Hjerim can be taken from her body.
• The blood trail leading to Hjerim may not be visible on low graphical settings.
• After killing Calixto and obtaining the key from his body, the Dragonborn can go into Calixto's house. Another Butcher's Journal is in a chest upstairs. It tells the reason for all of the killing.
• Pickpocketing the key from Calixto while he is alive and stealing his journal is not enough to get him arrested.
• When visiting Calixto Corrium (quest step 11), it is possible to sell him the Necromancer Amulet and then pickpocket the amulet in order to then sell it back. Each successful attempt is rewarded with 500 and a high Pickpocket experience (no Pickpocket perks are required). Once Calixto's shop is left, it will remain open for the rest of that day, but will lock and stay locked (Master) from then on. He will not be in there ever again. This only works for one day.
• If the Dragonborn approaches the Windhelm Guard with a weapon drawn, the Guard will suspect them of being the killer. However, proclaiming innocence will be enough to convince them.
• If the corpse is turned into a pile of ashes at the start (using a Raise Zombie, Reanimate Corpse or Revenant spell), it will "reassemble" back into the regular body when Helgrid takes it into the Hall of the Dead.
• If Hearthfire has been installed, Calixto may try and kill Sofie. However, since Sofie is a child, she will not die.
• If the Strange Amulet is not sold to Calixto, he may send hired thugs after the Dragonborn. The Dragonborn will also not receive the Necromancer's Amulet at the end of the quest.
• When attacking Calixto in the marketplace at night (or late afternoon), there is a chance that he will flee to a nearby store, such as The White Phial, and try to hide within. If the store owners had been helped in a quest beforehand, they will likely help the Dragonborn in killing Calixto.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Blood on the Ice. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

Click to show

Fixed Bugs Patch 1.5 resolved the bug where Calixto did not die properly on some occasions.  PS3   Patch 1.5 fixed the issue where if Viola Giordano is killed before purchasing Hjerim, the quest will start but be impossible to complete, and no upgrades will be purchasable for the house. Unpatched Bugs After Dawnguard is installed, vampires may attack Windhelm at night. If the Windhelm guard who initiates the quest is killed by the vampires or their thralls, the quest cannot be initiated. Therefore, the only option is to acquire the key to Hjerim, and start the quest alternatively, skipping most of the dialogue. If a dragon attacks the city before the Dragonborn starts this quest and kills too many guards, there is a chance that the quest cannot be "started," even though there is a murdered body in the cemetery.  After chasing Calixto into Hjerim he cannot be killed, and will become hostile when the Dragonborn enters. After starting the quest, the quest journal permanently states "Get Assistance from Jorleif," rendering the quest unable to be finished. Jorleif will also bug, so he will be unable to provide any assistance. A possible fix for this is to pick up a butcher flyer and show it to Jorleif, who will then direct the Dragonborn to Viola. As long as they picked up the amulet and showed it to Calixto, they should be able to question Viola about the flyer and then accuse Wuunferth. Sometimes, going to the marketplace shortly after the conclusion of the quest may cause nearby townsfolk to become hostile for no apparent reason (no bounty added). A way to avoid this is to leave Windhelm and return a few days later. Killing any of the Windhelm guards may cause the quest to never start.  PC   Even after taking the Strange Amulet, the Butcher journals and the pamphlets in Hjerim, the quest may not progress beyond "Look for clues" objective. The quest marker will point at Jorleif, but he will not have any dialogue option to advance the quest.  PC (Fix)   Enter setstage MS11 70 in the console.  PC   Sometimes after investigating Hjerim, Calixto is untraceable, making it impossible to sell him the amulet. Talking to Viola Giordano still completes the quest.  PC   If the Dragonborn proceeds with the quest by showing the evidence to Viola and speaks to Wuunferth without speaking to Calixto about the amulet, the option to say to Wuunferth "I guess Calixto was wrong" will still appear, and the Dragonborn will speak of the amulet as through they no longer have it. The quest will still proceed and be possible to complete, but after speaking to Wuunferth, Calixto's house will be locked and he will not be there, making it impossible to sell him the Strange Amulet and thus the Necromancer Amulet cannot be obtained.  PC   If Civil War Questline has been completed, the mission may not be able to be started as it is necessary to be able to talk to a Windhelm Guard and there are only Imperial Guards. Attempted workarounds such as entering Hjerim (after finishing Mourning Never Comes), reading the Butcher Journal and Beware the Butcher!, talking to the Priestess of Arkay, Viola or Nilsine's father, breaking into Calixto's house, or taking the third journal do not work. It is also impossible to buy Hjerim, as Jorleif (who is still the only one selling Hjerim) says, "There is a house available but there was some... unpleasantness," however this does not start the quest.  PC   Sometimes, the previous map markers will not go away when proceeding to the next objective, causing them to all stay marked at once. This will occur if all of the marked locations have been visited properly.  PC   The quest will start, but no journal entries will show up; only the title will.  PC   Sometimes, as Calixto goes to the Stone Quarter for the final murder, he and the other character may get stuck, and will stand in the Quarter indefinitely. Calixto cannot be spoken to during this time. The only way to finish the quest is through console commands, but the characters will remain stuck there. Wuunferth will also remain, in the jails, despite being exonerated.  PS3   If the clues at Hjerim are investigated before Friga Shatter-Shield brings the Dragonborn to the house, the clues may not be findable again and there will be no dialogue allowing continuation.  360   Sometimes after completion of the quest, even if Calixo is caught and Arivanye is saved, she may randomly turn up dead at the stables or around Windhelm.  360   On some occasions when Calixto runs to Hjerim, after being caught, the marker on the map says that he is outside the city walls, although he is not. If the local map is followed, it indicates his true location (Hjerim).  360   If the magician is accused before speaking to Calixto it will complete the first part of the quest. However, the amulet can not be removed from inventory. The new quest says to capture the butcher, but he will immortal, thus rendering the quest unable to be completed.  PC   360   If the Dragonborn accumulated a bounty during the first part of the investigation and bribed the Windhelm Guards, they cannot be interacted with afterwards and will only respond with "Wait, I know you." This will cause the second part of the investigation be unable to start. Fix: Commit a crime. This will cause the guards to apprehend the Dragonborn. After the Dragonborn has paid the fine or served their sentence the guards will now be able to be interacted with.  360   If, during the quest, the step to talk to Jorleif for the first time is skipped, Susanna's body may not be moved to the Hall of the Dead. A simple reload to an earlier save and then talking to Jorleif for that step may fix this.  PC   360   Susanna the Wicked may never leave the Candlehearth hall, and therefore will never be killed. Commands cannot be used to force start quest.  PC   360   The door to Calixto's House of Curiosities may remain permanently locked. If Calixto's key is stolen and the Butcher's journal taken from the locked chest above the entrance, Calixto may disappear entirely. Finding said journal does not start the quest nor does killing Susanna or Calixto himself.  360   PS3   Sometimes, after accusing Wuunferth, the body will not appear outside Candlehearth Hall. This can be remedied by talking to Wunnferth, who can be found in jail via the barracks. Trigger the next part of the quest by choosing "the killer has struck again."  360   PS3   During the second half of the quest, the quest objective to search for the killer in the Grey Quarter at night may be given then immediately completed. Upon leaving the building, Calixto will be seen running through the city. If any attempts are made to stop him in any way, he will call for help and the Windlhelm Guards will come to his defense. If Calixto escapes, he will eventually make his way to Hjerim, where he will be hiding in the room hidden in the wardrobe, becoming immortal. He will not leave Hjerim, and since he cannot be killed, the quest will not end.  360   One may have to repeat the quest if they do not properly complete it the first time. Dead bodies will continue to show up in the streets even after the Dragonborn completes the quest. If this occurs, the Dragonborn can either ignore the repeat quest, or finish it a second time. If the latter option is chosen, then the "strange amulet" will be regarded as a quest item for the remainder of the game.  PS4   If the player completes the quest and then loads an earlier save point, they may find that the Butcher Journals are still in their inventory, Calixto is missing, and Susanna's body has been moved to the Hall of the Dead, but the quest is not logged as having been completed and it is impossible to begin. Helgrid may only repeatedly say "Large diagonal cut from left shoulder..." during and after completion of the quest for the remainder of the game. The objective "Get assistance from Jorleif" may be permanently listed as incomplete, even after completion of the quest. If the player does not sell the amulet to Calixto, this item permanently becomes assigned to one's inventory and can never be dropped, given to somebody else or sold. The only way to get rid of it is to place it on Susanna the Wicked or Arivanya on consoles, though PC players can use console commands to dispose of it. The door to Calixto's house may always be locked, making it difficult to sell the Strange Amulet to him. Entering his house will count as trespassing and may incur a bounty if caught. Talking to him will only make him ask the player to leave.  PC (Fix)   If he does not leave by himself, using Player.PlaceAtMe 0001414A outside on the streets will allow normal dialogue again, including selling the amulet.