SOLVED: Blood on the Ice Side Quest Glitch (Quest Spoilers Mentioned)

[Teleported Bread]

So I managed to complete the first part of the Blood on the Ice side quest and accuse Wuunferth of being the Butcher. I didn't sell the Strange Amulet to Calixto. As intended, I waited three days before the body of Arivanya would appear beside Candlehearth Hall with similar wounds, though I should probably note that on the last day, I was in the Palace of the Kings, still technically in Windhelm when the body appears. However... I'm stuck. After going back to my quick save in the Palace of the Kings several times, doing some experimenting with time by waiting in place and more, I've learned I likely can't progress through Skyrim without losing the chance to truly complete Blood on the Ice, for good. When I go out, the body is there but no guard. Any NPCs that go down the path where the body is and reacts to it, both civilians and the guards, do default reactions they're coded to have with any body. Talking to the guards doesn't do what it's supposed to and therefor the side quest isn't starting again. What's more, after a certain time - in my case, at least, in the day or afternoon, since it's night time while I'm in the Palace - the body vanishes as it's probably supposed to, except, as I've been saying, I hadn't and seemingly can't start the second part of Blood on the Ice. So yeah, if I need to elaborate anything further, please ask what and I'll clarify or add to what I've already said. I need help. I'll even take a console command that will allow me to spawn the guard that's supposed to be standing over Arivanya's body. On top of everything else, I had finished the Civil War questline as an Imperial while the Blood on the Ice quest was still active, cause it was buggy with trying to enlist the Stewart's aide in the first part of Blood on the Ice. I'm just glad there were seemingly-other ways I was able to get the first part of the quest completed after I walked up to the house.

[smr1957]

From https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Blood_on_the_Ice Bugs section:

"If you capture Windhelm for the Imperials before triggering the graveyard scene, the witnesses and the corpse will still show up, but the guard may not, since the Windhelm guards have been replaced by Imperial Legion soldiers. This makes it impossible to start the quest.
- This issue has been addressed by version 1.4 of the Official Skyrim Patch; note that the fix only works if you have not yet triggered the graveyard sequence when attacking Windhelm.
- The remaining portion of this bug has been fixed by version 1.2.4 of the Unofficial Skyrim Patch. [Note: this is another reason to be using USSEP if not already - smr1957]
- Use the console command sqv ms11 to bring up a list of quest variables and search for a RefID labeled "CrimeSceneInvestigator", then use the commands prid <Investigator's RefID> and moveto player. This will move the guard to your location, allowing you to start the quest.
- This bug can trigger even if you join the Stormcloaks. Try reloading a previous save from before you entered Windhelm.[verification needed — is this true?]
- Follow the blood splatters to Hjerim and pick the lock to the front door. Once you walk inside you will get the quest."

Good luck!

[TAGma]

I always choose the short route: sell the amulet to Calixto and speak to Wuunferth personally, rather than accusing him, this route doesn't have a part 2 - it's less glitched in my experience.

Advancing the stages may work as smr1957 explained.
If it doesn't work, "completequest MS11b" should remove it from your questlog/journal and "Player.additem c891d 1" (adds 1x Necromancer Amulet to your inventory).

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by TAGma:

I always choose the short route: sell the amulet to Calixto and speak to Wuunferth personally, rather than accusing him, this route doesn't have a part 2 - it's less glitched in my experience.

Advancing the stages may work as smr1957 explained.
If it doesn't work, "completequest MS11b" should remove it from your questlog/journal and "Player.additem c891d 1" (adds 1x Necromancer Amulet to your inventory).

No offense intended but you probably couldn't tell that this was my first time doing this side quest

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by smr1957:

From https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Blood_on_the_Ice Bugs section:

"If you capture Windhelm for the Imperials before triggering the graveyard scene, the witnesses and the corpse will still show up, but the guard may not, since the Windhelm guards have been replaced by Imperial Legion soldiers. This makes it impossible to start the quest.
- This issue has been addressed by version 1.4 of the Official Skyrim Patch; note that the fix only works if you have not yet triggered the graveyard sequence when attacking Windhelm.
- The remaining portion of this bug has been fixed by version 1.2.4 of the Unofficial Skyrim Patch. [Note: this is another reason to be using USSEP if not already - smr1957]
- Use the console command sqv ms11 to bring up a list of quest variables and search for a RefID labeled "CrimeSceneInvestigator", then use the commands prid <Investigator's RefID> and moveto player. This will move the guard to your location, allowing you to start the quest.
- This bug can trigger even if you join the Stormcloaks. Try reloading a previous save from before you entered Windhelm.[verification needed — is this true?]
- Follow the blood splatters to Hjerim and pick the lock to the front door. Once you walk inside you will get the quest."

Good luck!

Thanks, but will any of this work for part 2 of the Blood on the Ice that occurs after you wrongfully accuse Wuuferth, cause that's the point I'm having issues with. The guard over *that* body, Arivanya's, is the one I'm having issues with, the one that's not appearing.

[smr1957]

If you do not have the Unofficial Patch, then install it - it may fix this issue. The alternative would be to load an earlier save and try the alternate quest progression following these steps:
Blood on the Ice steps:

-Search crime scene
-report to the guard and Jorleif
-search clues at the hall of the dead
-look at the blood trail to the house
-back to jorleif
-get the key to the house and investigate inside
-back to jorleif
-talk to viola
-sell the amulet to calixto (optional)
-immediately go to Wuunfurth instead of jorleif
-catch the killer, just kill him before he strikes and you're done

Blood On the Ice is probably the buggiest quest in the game - so do not feel alone in having issues with it, or in having to redo it following a cheat sheet listing steps or by reading and following the walkthrough in the uespwiki.

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by smr1957:

If you do not have the Unofficial Patch, then install it - it may fix this issue. The alternative would be to load an earlier save and try the alternate quest progression following these steps:
Blood on the Ice steps:

-Search crime scene
-report to the guard and Jorleif
-search clues at the hall of the dead
-look at the blood trail to the house
-back to jorleif
-get the key to the house and investigate inside
-back to jorleif
-talk to viola
-sell the amulet to calixto (optional)
-immediately go to Wuunfurth instead of jorleif
-catch the killer, just kill him before he strikes and you're done

Blood On the Ice is probably the buggiest quest in the game - so do not feel alone in having issues with it, or in having to redo it following a cheat sheet listing steps or by reading and following the walkthrough in the uespwiki.

It's installed but I gotta double check and see if it's disabled. I'll come back to you on that.
Edit: Yes, it's enabled - Unofficial Skyrim Special Edition Patch, right?

[smr1957]

Yeah, that's it. I think your best bet might just be to redo Blood on the Ice following the walkthrough - at least just to get it out of the way and done with. Trying to fix the bugs in it that have cropped up just isn't worth the effort - the thing is loaded with them (as you can see just by looking at the Bugs section on the uespwiki page).

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by smr1957:

Yeah, that's it. I think your best bet might just be to redo Blood on the Ice following the walkthrough - at least just to get it out of the way and done with. Trying to fix the bugs in it that have cropped up just isn't worth the effort - the thing is loaded with them (as you can see just by looking at the Bugs section on the uespwiki page).

Can't I just spawn or teleport the guard that's supposed to stand over the second body that appears by Candlehearth Hall to my location? I made this post because he's not appearing, so I can't talk to him, and if I wait a certain amount of time then that second body near Candlehearth Hall vanishes and I won't be able to proceed.

[smr1957]

Since the guard is not just a generic guard but is a quest tied one that has those specific lines, you would have to know the FormID for that specific guard - and even then, it might not work. Hence why I say your best bet is to just redo the quest - you would spend less time redoing the quest than you would spend trying to figure out ways of avoiding redoing it by just fixing it from the point you reached.

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by smr1957:

Since the guard is not just a generic guard but is a quest tied one that has those specific lines, you would have to know the FormID for that specific guard - and even then, it might not work. Hence why I say your best bet is to just redo the quest - you would spend less time redoing the quest than you would spend trying to figure out ways of avoiding redoing it by just fixing it from the point you reached.

I don't mind doing it from where I left off. Is there a place I could maybe find him? Like an Elder Scrolls wiki?

[smr1957]

You could look in xEdit for the specific NPC, but, even for someone who knows their way around xEdit, it is not really advisable (and as someone who know their way around xEdit literally better than anyone else, I would say don't waste your time). Just restart the quest - you could have redone it and finished it by now. Anyway, there is nothing else to really add to this conversation, just about everything has been covered - LOL! Good luck!

[Ozymandias]

I'm not sure the guard is anything special (same as guard telling you Whiterun's gate is closed and others). For instance, 'he' can be male or female. IMO it's just a random guard, but the relevant dialogue is only available to him.

There's a wiki though: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skyrim

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by Ozymandias:

I'm not sure the guard is anything special (same as guard telling you Whiterun's gate is closed and others). For instance, 'he' can be male or female. IMO it's just a random guard, but the relevant dialogue is only available to him.

There's a wiki though: https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skyrim

Could I use a console command to force start the second part of Blood on the Ice? I'm pretty certain I saw that you can start a Quest with a console command, not just complete it. I'd just need to know the ID of the other, or maybe do a trick by starting the first Quest again? Though doing a Quest like that after completing it already sounds like a game breaker, if not on paper...

[smr1957]

I'm only going to post this once - Using the console is a last resort when there are no saves to roll back to and nothing else works, and the only alternative is starting a new game. You've been given the best advice there is - now, whether you choose to follow that advice, that is up to you. But as I said, had you just restarted the quest, you would have been done by now, And now, I'm done, as well - LOL!

[Teleported Bread]

Originally posted by smr1957:

I'm only going to post this once - Using the console is a last resort when there are no saves to roll back to and nothing else works, and the only alternative is starting a new game. You've been given the best advice there is - now, whether you choose to follow that advice, that is up to you. But as I said, had you just restarted the quest, you would have been done by now, And now, I'm done, as well - LOL!

I already worked it out, but now I can't delete this post so I'm stuck with looking like an idiot. Turns out, in classic Skyrim confusion, I didn't have to talk to the guard, I could still talk to Wuunferth while he was behind bars.