Quest "Missing in Action" woes

[MobySlick]

OK, so I'm wandering around Whiterun and suddenly I get the notification that Missing in Action just failed. I've had the quest for a long time, just didn't get around to completing it yet. I had done a few stages to the point where my objective was "Find a way to release Thorvald from Thalmor custody".

Naturally I turned to the internet for help, read about some console commands to fix the quest but nothing is working. I've tried "setstage ms09 40" and when that didn't work, "resetquest ms09". No effect. Prefixing the commands with "player." doesn't work. No matter what, the quest just stays failed in my journal. Does anyone know how I can fix it? It's annoying, and if I can't complete the quest I'm going to kill all NPCs!!!

[pedantic_roc]

It'll always fail anyway because Bugsoft never completed the Tullius option. Feel free to go and kill every Thalmor at the Northwatch Keep and see if Thorald will follow you outside. You might need to sprint into him to get him to budge. I don't see the point in killing "everyone" just because you left everybody involved hanging to the point where um.. Alvestein (spelling) has most likely reset. Take a follower to carry all that easy armor and weapons loot :-)

[Daywalker]

i did the mission fine you need to tell the guy to wait for you and not that he should go there to free his brother. after i joined the imperials and did the first mission i got a letter from tullius to release the prisoner.

[[GER] Bangada (V) (o,,o) (V)]

did you try reinstalling windows?

[Tryst49]

I always tell Alvestein to wait and I'll go alone. I hate followers at the best of times due to their 'rush in and hope' tactics while I'm trying to reduce their numbers a bit with a bow from stealth. I've never had a problem with it failing nor with getting Thorvald to follow me, by which time, I've completely cleared all the Thalmor anyway and I'm just leading him out of an empty fortress.

[pedantic_roc]

Originally posted by Daywalker:

i did the mission fine you need to tell the guy to wait for you and not that he should go there to free his brother. after i joined the imperials and did the first mission i got a letter from tullius to release the prisoner.

That only works if you join the legion AFTER you get the quest Missing in Action - otherwise Tullius simply won't give you the order.

[nand633]

Maybe the quest giver and receiver was killed by dragon/vampires when you were wandering in the city?

[Swordgun]

Originally posted by GER Bangada (V) (o,,o) (V):

did you try reinstalling windows?

lmao