Skyrim:Mistwatch (quest)

Quick Walkthrough
#Enter Mistwatch and deal with the bandits outside.
#Drop the drawbridge and enter Mistwatch North Tower.
#Speak to Christer and agree to help him find his kidnapped wife.
#Proceed through the tower to the Mistwatch Lower Balcony.
#Enter the Mistwatch West Tower.
#Proceed through the tower to the Mistwatch Upper Balcony.
#Enter the Mistwatch East Tower.
#Deal with the bandit leader.
#Return to Christer.

Detailed Walkthrough
North Mistwatch Tower
right|thumb|Drawbridge lever to access the Northern Tower.
Once you have breached the outer region of Mistwatch, find a lever located on the first level above ground. This will lower the bridge to enter the North tower. Once inside you will encounter a Nord named Christer. Speaking with him and accepting his request will initiate the quest. Entering the North Tower through any other entrance makes Christer inaccessible, as the room he is in requires the key he is holding to enter from the other side (see Notes at the end of the page for details). As you speak to him he will tell you that his wife Fjola is missing and believes she is being held here. According to his story the Mistwatch bandits started kidnapping and ransoming people around the time of her disappearance. He has managed to sneak in past the initial guards in the courtyard, but can't make it any further. That he hasn't been contacted by the bandits despite their ransom motives foreshadows a situation in which you will have to make a difficult decision should you choose to accept his quest. If you accept he will provide the key that is needed to unlock the gate leading to the rest of the tower. Past the locked door will be two leveled bandits and the ladder exit to the lower balcony.

West Mistwatch Tower
right|thumb|Trap door access to Mistwatch from the cliffs above.
The West Mistwatch Tower has four leveled bandits who will ambush you immediately upon entry. There is a chest to the left of the first unlocked cell containing a dead Imperial, but this isn't Fjola. A note on the table next to the cell provides some insight into the situation. There are two bottles of Ale next to a lantern with a Long Taffy Treat on one table. You will find several beds scattered throughout the lower tier of the tower, as well as one more table with two bottles of Ale but nothing more of interest.
Moving up the first flight of stairs you will encounter a table with a quiver of Dwarven Arrows next to a few drums and some food items. A final table with a kettle and an iron dagger marks the entry way to the Higher Balcony.

East Mistwatch Tower
right|thumb|The bandit leader approaches.
The East Mistwatch Tower is through the upper balcony. Unlocking its door requires the Mistwatch Key given to you by Christer. Inside is a single room and only one person — the leader of the bandits. Instead of attacking, she will start talking to you, revealing that she is in fact Fjola. She was never kidnapped and the kidnappings only started happening after she disappeared because they were her idea. She will explain that she couldn't take her life anymore and quickly joined and whipped these bandits into shape when she returned to Skyrim. She still holds some sort of love for Christer and doesn't want him harmed, but doesn't want him in her life anymore. You will be presented with two options. Don't forget to pick up a copy of the Heavy Armor skill book ''Hallgerd's Tale'' from Fjola's dresser in her sleeping quarters, located just beyond where she approaches you in the east tower before leaving to make your decision.

Kill the Bandit Leader
One choice is to kill Fjola. You don't even have to hear Fjola's story. By killing her you are left with only a hint of her true identity given by the wedding band found on her corpse. At this point you need to return to Chister and tell him the bad news. If you do this your only option will be to tell him that you killed Fjola because she attacked you, in which case he will become enraged and attempt to take revenge for her death.

Trick Christer into Leaving
The other choice is to agree to lie to Christer and get him to leave. Fjola gives you her wedding band as proof to present to Christer and tells you to keep it once he has left. You can tell Christer either that Fjola is dead or you only found her ring. Either way he is relieved, gives the ring back to you as reward, and takes off to start living again.

You can complete the quest by telling Fjola that you have convinced Christer to leave — which only requires going a short distance up the stairs, because Fjola has followed you down into North Mistwatch Tower. She'll promise to return the favor one day in the future and the quest will end (including marking Mistwatch as cleared on your map).

Notes
If Christer dies at any point before the quest is completed, it becomes impossible to finish the quest.
 You can use the console command   to bring him back. You should be able to talk to him and finish the quest. 
If you drop down onto the roof of Mistwatch from the mountains at the rear, and work down through the towers instead of up, you cannot open the final door before reaching Christer, because the Mistwatch key can only be obtained from Christer. To proceed, you will need to go back out through the trapdoor at the top of the North Tower, jump down, and re-enter the North Tower through the main door. With the key you will then be able to go back up and enter the East Mistwatch Tower to complete the quest.
It is possible to obtain a copy of the Mistwatch key without speaking to Christer if you have the  Wax Key perk and unlock any of the master-locked entrances. After obtaining the key, if you speak to Fjola without speaking to Christer, the quest will proceed as if you had.
If you drop down onto Mistwatch from the mountains after receiving the quest and Mistwatch key from Christer, you can directly enter the East Tower without fighting any more Mistwatch bandits. If you then tell Fjola that you will convince her husband to leave, the Mistwatch bandits will subsequently not attack you, leaving you free to explore the towers.
A copy of the Heavy Armor skill book ''Hallgerd's Tale'' can be found on a dresser in Fjola's sleeping quarters, located just beyond where she approaches you in the east tower.
It is possible to stop the kidnappings without killing Christer. If you kill Fjola, you will be forced to admit it to Christer and render him hostile, but if you cast a Calm spell on him after he attacks you, you can talk to him again, and all three dialogue options (admitting you killed her, claiming you found her dead, or denying that you found her at all) will be available. If you lie to him, he will forget your earlier conversation, and he will not become hostile after the spell wears off.

Bugs
 
However, you can use the console to bring Fjola back and finish the quest. In console, type  ,  , and   then talk to her.
 
 
 

Quest Stages