Missing in Action: Can't enter Grey-Mane house without them going hostile

[Megiddo]

I've run into a bug, possibly known, but not documented well, in the Missing in Action quest. After Fralia Gray-Mane asks me to speak with her in her house, I went to the house, but both doors are locked. When I break into the house, she calls for the guards and goes hostile. I'd like to advance the story with minimal consoling, so I don't miss out on anything. I've tried settinig their faction to ally, but they still go hostile. Is it there a command that I'm missing to reset the doors to unlocked status? Any help is appreciated.

[Ilja]

Known bug with game AI. There is no need to use console.

Just leave the hold. Travel or fast travel to another hold, spend some time there (day, two) and come back. AI should work normally after that.

This bug will appear even with (current version of) Unofficial Skyrim Patch installed. Conformed by myself, after I just recently experienced the same thing.

[Megiddo]

Thanks for the quick reply. I don't think it's an AI bug, though, as they are responding normally to me breaking into their house. Both of the doors are locked. I've started the quest before and I've been able to enter the house normally, without breaking in before. This time both doors are locked, though. I'll try the suggestion, though, and leave the area.

Edit: Leaving the area didn't help. I went out and waiting for a week, but when I returned, both doors were still locked. When I broke into the house, they still went hostile on me. I'm not sure what the unlock command is supposed to do. It's not unlocking the doors.

[Ilja]

Character AI may have been strange term here, but they would be hostile to you even if you would clip trough the door. House is temporarily marked as trespassing area and character AIs do not recognize you as an ally. House and characters need to refresh, before considering you as their friend.

There are similar glitches in Windhelm as well.

[Panda]

Happens to me every now and then. What I do is wait in one hour increments at the door until they either unlock the house so it's open for visitors or personally walk out of their houses so you can talk to them. NPCs have schedules they follow. Sometimes, I'd complete a few missions and come back to find this fixes itself.

NPCs lock their houses at night and maybe they don't want visitors over the weekend or something, I dunno.

[Fafnir]

I had this glitch and found a way to fix it without commands. If the door is locked then you have to pick it or use a stolen key. Once you are inside wait until you see a message in teh corner of the screen saying you have a 5 gold bounty. Quickly go back outside before you are attacked. Then go up to a gaurd and talk to him until he reconizes you. Pay off your bounty. Then go back to the Gray-Manes house and the door should still be unlocked. When you go back in the quest should continue as normal.
By the way, I paid to have my bounty erased as a member of the Thieves Guild since I did the whiterun quest. I am not sure if this works by paying the bounty the normal way.

[Icedfate]

Originally posted by Fafnir:

I had this glitch and found a way to fix it without commands. If the door is locked then you have to pick it or use a stolen key. Once you are inside wait until you see a message in teh corner of the screen saying you have a 5 gold bounty. Quickly go back outside before you are attacked. Then go up to a gaurd and talk to him until he reconizes you. Pay off your bounty. Then go back to the Gray-Manes house and the door should still be unlocked. When you go back in the quest should continue as normal.
By the way, I paid to have my bounty erased as a member of the Thieves Guild since I did the whiterun quest. I am not sure if this works by paying the bounty the normal way.

I just tried this. . . didn't work.

I go back and he still trespasses me.
and if I leave town and wait a while and come back, the house is locked again.

[JT]

I ran into the same issue, even with the unofficial patch installed. Super late but oh well. I found this Googling the issue so others may still be looking for it. If both doors are locked, break into the house. Talk to them as much as possible before the guards get there, just skip through the dialog. Once Avlustein or whatever the Gray-Mane guys name is tells you where to go, the mission will progress. Problem is by this point, Fralia has already called the guards. Flee the city. Come back, pay your fine, and you can continue the mission.

It's a dumb bug, honestly. But I thought guards attacking me was a great time to train up my restoration.

[Iceira]

work around, im orc lesser acceptence then normal, do save game first
i notice same as you both door locked, and it same midday best option reason is only 2 people in house , and after hes twohand axe i was fast to chat with her, and then gotr quest i was out of door without to many warnings. ( i bet race faction is part of this, then i was nord never got this issue )

[Myrek]

Enter these two separate commands with the tilde (~) key

Prid 1A686

moveto player

They will move Thorald outside of the building and allow you to speak to him. For anyone in the future who needs help with this.

[alexander_dougherty]

Originally posted by Jidokwon:

Edit: Leaving the area didn't help. I went out and waiting for a week, but when I returned, both doors were still locked. When I broke into the house, they still went hostile on me. I'm not sure what the unlock command is supposed to do. It's not unlocking the doors.

Try entering during the day, the game sets the insides of other peoples houses as off limits during the night, so if you break in at night.....

I know it's counterintuitive to complete a thieves guild quest during daytime, but it's worked for me in the past.

[KING-Erik]

Originally posted by Myrek:

Enter these two separate commands with the tilde (~) key

Prid 1A686

moveto player

They will move Thorald outside of the building and allow you to speak to him. For anyone in the future who needs help with this.

IT rly work , thank you

[kidfribble]

Amazing. Worked like a charm. Now I’ve got him with me in Windhelm. After all the effort I’ve put into this bug, I wish that he’d be stuck here. Wandering aimless for all eternity, without narrative.

Originally posted by Myrek:

Enter these two separate commands with the tilde (~) key

Prid 1A686

moveto player

They will move Thorald outside of the building and allow you to speak to him. For anyone in the future who needs help with this.

[GreyDruidess]

Originally posted by Myrek:

Enter these two separate commands with the tilde (~) key

Prid 1A686

moveto player

They will move Thorald outside of the building and allow you to speak to him. For anyone in the future who needs help with this.

Thank yooou!!! 🤍🌿

[Cronos]

Just follow Fralia Gray-Mane then go to her house together and then just simply approach Avulstein. works perfectly fine without using console.