Oblivion talk:Ulterior Motives

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Problem[edit]

I had 2 quests at the same time so my game is messed up. I had cure for vapirism at the part where i had to give antidote to the count and ulterior motives where i had do kill necromancers when count had to come. Put the thing is that the count didn´t come and i cannot finish ulterior motives because count didn´t come and can´t finish cure for vapirism beacause i cannot speak to the count and give him the antidote, what should I do — Unsigned comment by Tompson3 (talkcontribs) at 11:26 on 28 June 2006‎

I have the same problem--70.235.86.89 04:10, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Reactions to necromancer robes[edit]

Surely the reactions mentioned in the notes aren't specific to this quest, are they? If so, wouldn't this information make more sense on the Necromancy page? — Unsigned comment by JustTheBast (talkcontribs) at 08:25 on 16 February 2007‎

I dont see any notes about reaction to Necromancer Robes either on this page or the Necromancy page169.145.3.12 12:38, 12 June 2008 (EDT)
There were notes as of Feb 16, 2007 when the comment was initially made; they have since been removed. JustTheBast was correct that the comments made by various people are not specific to this quest. --Robin Hood (TalkE-mailContribs) 12:40, 18 June 2008 (EDT)

Guards attacking Count[edit]

If this is a relativity new game and you haven't spent time in Skingrad ( or talked to Glathir ) and he talks to you on your way out there is a chance the guard captain will talk to you when you go outside and wait. The count came and while he walked back after the fight the guard was still there and for some reason attacked the count (could be because he is a Vampire or due to him attacking the necromancers.) This can be solved by killing the guard.

This note was added to the main article, but it still needs more cleanup and in particular a bit more in the way of reasons about why this happened and how to prevent it (e.g., would a calm spell or demoralize spell work instead of killing the guard?). --NepheleTalk 16:29, 22 April 2007 (EDT)

Killing them fast[edit]

I find it amusing that I managed to kill all three attackers before the count showed up, and that the game wasn't scripted for that eventuality. When the count shows up he just goes on about how he saved your life. Ya thanks Mr Vampire, like I really needed your help. Come on I'm in the Mage's guild, of course I've taken the time to make some nice spells that end conflict quickly. I understand the Count is an Noble and is still likely to mock you for walking into a trap, but the least they could have done was had him have a script in case he shows up and finds all the attackers dead. --Djsyntic 16:52, 5 May 2007 (EDT)

Glitch on Save[edit]

I'm not sure what's causing it, but every time I attempt to save or wait (and the game auto-saves) where you're supposed to meet the Count, my game crashes. My 360 just freezes and I have to do a hard shut down. I can save before I get there, and if I leave it works fine, but right there it won't work. Has anyone else seen this happen, or do I just have a really weird bug? --Mikekearn 23:40, 11 June 2007 (EDT)

This has also happened, but the previous save for me I can't leave the area where I was saved without crashing. — Unsigned comment by 174.102.168.230 (talk) on 23 November 2009

Bounty on Count's Head[edit]

This never really happened to me, but I was wondering what would happen if you yield to the other two necromancers very quickly? Since the count attacks them anyways, will he get wanted for murder? Would this lead to an annoying thing where it says the Count is fleeing or something similar (like Bralsa Andaren)? You would need to wait until he kills every guard in the city to talk to him :P... Anyways, should this be noted in the bugs section if it is true (I haven't tested it)? CRACK-A-BACK 16:03, 26 July 2007 (EDT)

First, I doubt that the other two necromancers would even yield to you. Second, even if they yielded to you, that wouldn't mean that they had yielded to the count, so they'd still go after and attack him. Third, bugs should only be included in an article if they've been tested and are reproducible. So, no, I don't think it should go in the article. Sorry :) --NepheleTalk 22:50, 1 August 2007 (EDT)

How come the Count doesn't want to talk to me???[edit]

I did everything in the quest and I killed the necromacers, but when the count comes he keeps on walking and dont even stop for me to talk to him.What can i do to prevent this? — Unsigned comment by 68.219.67.120 (talk) at 00:45 on 28 October 2007

See the bugs section. To finish the quest you need to talk to Raminus Polus. --NepheleTalk 21:32, 27 October 2007 (EDT)

Help with the quest!!![edit]

When i killed the necromancers, the count comes and doesnt talk to me. he just keeps on walking and when i went to talk to Ramus, he still asks me if i went to Singkrad yet.How can i fix this??? — Unsigned comment by 68.214.5.23 (talk) at 16:19 on 28 October 2007

ME TOO THIS HAPPENS!! PLEASE HELP!! — Unsigned comment by 70.82.85.173 (talk) at 17:30 on 15 July 2008
Me three. I kill the necromancers and mercator(or whatever his name is) and then the count just say, "Hello," without giving me the needed quest dialogue to progress further in the quest. If I go back to Ramus, he asks if I've gone to Skingrad yet. Please help. — Unsigned comment by 108.47.43.189 (talk) at 19:05 on 3 July 2014

Battle Glitch[edit]

If you begin combat after the necromancer ambush and have one or more necromancers chase you into a nearby Oblivion Gate, strange things will happen. This was my experience:

1) Once inside the gate, not sure whether it is time-related or location-related, but at some point the one Necromancer that followed me into the gate froze in an attack crouch position. You can kill him, but he cannot follow, talk, or fight back.

2) Once I exitted the gate, I ran to the edge of the map near Skingrad with daedra, random animals, townsfolk, and necromancers in tow. Obviously this chase would cause one or more of those groups to get in a fight with each other. What was strange was that when that fight happened, the fight spilled over into map regions outside the Oblivion map boundary.

3) Finally, after the fight at the edge of the map, I ran by the Skingrad town gate. The daedra ran into the home of the Horse Stable owner and four townsfolk ran in after it. When I walked inside immediately after them, the daedra was nowhere to be found and the four townsfolk laid right next to each other in perfect symmetry.

4) Was unable to end the quest. Could not find Mercator or the Count anywhere.

So the moral is: Don't run into an Oblivion gate to escape an ambush that is part of a quest. 169.145.3.12 12:58, 12 June 2008 (EDT)

Cannot get a meeting with the count??[edit]

when his servent tells me to wait a day, i waited a day, came back to him and he keeps saying that i have not waited a day. i have probably waited 2 months game time and he still refuses to get me a meeting, i even waited outside the castle and in a different city. i need help bad ‡ — Unsigned comment by 72.240.170.71 (talk) at 05:23 on 14 June 2008

This happened to me too. I installed the SI patch, went to jail in Anvil, leveled up (also in Anvil) then went back to Skingrad, waited another day, and he would talk to me. Good luck, hope this helps :) Count Marius Caro 15:00, 13 April 2011 (UTC)
You are right, you just need to go to jail in Anvil — Unsigned comment by 64.92.144.121 (talk) at 03:08 on 12 September 2011

Waiting Glich[edit]

OK this is another glich with waiting for the count. It seems that if you start any more wait 24 hour quests in my case Seeking Your Roots because it will replace the waiting time. I'm a noob to wiki editing so I was hoping somone else could put this up. Dron 21:21, 11 March 2009 (EDT)

Count's dialogue missing?[edit]

I recently finished this quest, and was checking here to see if I missed anything. I see references in this article to the Count telling me (after the ambush) that he is a vampire. Although this is pretty obvious from his looks, there was nothing in the dialogue that specifically said this -- I even reloaded from before the ambush and tried again, in case I accidently skipped something. All he says is that I was a fool, that the Council of Mages shouldn't send someone under false pretenses, and that I need to let them know. That's about it. When I asked him who he was, he said he's the Count, and shouldn't I thank him for saving me... nothing about being a vampire? When I get back to the Arcane University and talk to Raminus, he does refer to the Count as a vampire -- so it seems some dialogue might be missing. I'm using the latest official patch and the latest UOP, but no other mods. I have the Frostcrag Spire plug-in and Horse Armour plug-in, with the latest UOMP. Delron 16:17, 13 March 2009 (EDT)

You're right. He says no such thing. I've checked in-game and in the CS and can't find anything during this quest where Janus admits to vampirism. I've deleted that line from the article. –RpehTCE 09:11, 15 March 2009 (EDT)

Quest stuck until Necromancers are dead[edit]

Just when Mercator started walking up to me I ran past him and engaged both Necromancers in conversation and managed to raise their deposition enough to yield to them once the fight began. Of course, Hassildor came and killed Arterion, but for some reason Henim got in a fight with Uuras the Shepherd, and when the latter tried to flee, he followed. All the way into the city in fact. I ran after them and the moment they got into he got into Skingrad, Henim abandoned his murdering ways, and started walking back to where I met him. I was able to talk to him and everything, and when he got back he stopped right next to Hassildor who didn't attack him. However, Hassildor refused to talk about the quest, I just got the usual conversational topics, until I killed Henim. So, no, there really is no way you can finish the quest with the Necromancers alive. — Unsigned comment by 83.181.15.98 (talk) at 20:54 on 15 May 2009

I did the same thing as you, befriended them both and I actually fast traveled away and returned (Mercator had vanished, I had to run out a ways for him to reappear and he didn't have his pursuit phase any more...I had to speak with him to initiate the battle). After that, I just simply yielded to both and they stood by normally, though Hassildor showed up and killed Mercator and then invoked their rage. Interestingly, after they knocked him out (I just kind of stood on watching), they turned on each other...then Hassildor walked off kind of moving in circles somewhere else (he no longer had his focus on the necromancers). One of them, I believe Henim, died and then Arterion just remained standing. Any attempt to talk to Hassildor was met with the regular options if you try to talk to him in the Castle on non-quest related business...so I regretfully also had to kill Arterion. To doubly confirm the above statement, no way to progress until all Necromancers are dead. TVthePunisher 08:39, 25 August 2011 (UTC)

Polus dialogue missing[edit]

I've completed the whole quest but when I went back and talked to Polus he asks if I've talked to the count but after that there is no talk options, only the exit square. Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thank You — Unsigned comment by 67.246.113.76 (talk) at 18:45 on 30 May 2009

im stuck[edit]

im trying to do the quest in the mages guild where you have to get a book of the count of skingrad, but i think i may of killed the appointment person or i just can't find him.. anyone know what to do ? — Unsigned comment by Monster kill6 (talkcontribs) at 11:53 on 21 June 2009

Can't wait a day[edit]

Mercator Hosidus keeps telling me to wait a day. I waited, I waited elsewhere, I did another quest, what does he want from me? How can I fix this? I don't want the mages guild quest line to be ruined forever. — Unsigned comment by 58.165.31.24 (talk) at 06:15 on 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Please read the article page:
If you wait inside the castle for 24 hours after Mercator Hosidus tells you to come back tomorrow, it is possible that Mercator just keeps telling you to come back tomorrow. If this happens, go outside the castle before waiting (or finish other quests).
Found in the Bugs section. —Elliot(T-C) 06:19, 30 June 2009 (UTC)
Tried this, but without luck. BrenMan 94 12:33, 2 August 2010 (UTC)
Tried everything found online, nothing has worked. Leveled up in another city. Stayed 24 hours both in and out of the castle. Got arrested elsewhere. Leveled up elsewhere. Finished other quests, both 24-hour quests and non. Even waited 1 hour at a time, speaking to him each hour of the day; did this once for 24 hours inside and once for 24 hours outside the castle, returning to speak to him each hour. Reloading from previous saves yields the same results. Paying on Xbox 360. There don't appear to be any updates available that haven't already been downloaded. This is stopping the Mages Guild quest line dead and it's not worth starting over to try to get to this point in a new game file. Has there been any progress or newer resolutions to this bug, yet? The latests posts seem to be from almost a year ago.Chikininabizkit 22:12, 29 May 2011 (UTC)
I had the same experiences as the above poster. Tried all the tricks called out and none of them seemed to work. I'm also playing on the 360 and ultimately this bug caused me to have to restart my game. — Unsigned comment by 67.171.163.245 (talk) at 17:03 on 9 October 2011

HELP PLEASE[edit]

Janus won't talk to me and i followed him back to the skingrad castle. (trying to talk to him on the way) Now he is just walking into the wall. I don't know what to do at all and i was really hoping to be arch-mage like i am in my other saved game. please help! Thanks.

BTW i waited an hour and the count wasn't there any more. The marker on the map is still there and i don't know what to do. I don't want the quest line to be ruined. :( please help!!! Kajiitlover 02:02, 31 August 2010 (UTC)

What is wrong[edit]

I have waited I have saved and reloaded waited out side did other quest waited outside saved reloaded over and er buy I still hear come back tommorrow what do I got to do to get this done — Unsigned comment by 184.40.0.147 (talk) at 04:54 on 21 October 2010

It also has to be at the same or a later hour in the day than when you first spoke to him, so if you spoke to him at 4:03pm, you need to wait until at least 4pm any day after that to try again. I'll update the note on the page as well, thanks for pointing it out. Robin Hoodtalk 10:50, 21 October 2010 (UTC)
This has happened to me to anyone got a way around this ?? He also will not speak to me where is wife is I walked out when he gave his wife the vampire cure and now his wife is alive but does not leave that crypt and he his wife or the witch will not speak to me ?? HELP — Unsigned comment by 193.63.226.10 (talk) at 19:05 on April 2, 2011

Moved note.[edit]

  • If you are quick enough, you can talk to Arterion and Mondrar and raise their disposition high enough before you engage in conversation with Mercator. You can then succesfully yield when they attack you, leaving only Mercator to fight with you (all of them will still fight with Janus Hassildor). This may help you if you have difficulties with confronting three enemies at the same time, although you eventually have to kill all of them to advance in the quest.

Has this ever been confirmed ? JackTurbo95 08:37, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

It sounds valid to me. It should be tested before being removed from the page, though. Legoless 09:52, 17 April 2011 (UTC)
I waited for Mercator to finish his speech and then killed the bad guys. This gave me a bounty for assault! The count took some damage, but I don't think that is the problem. In the past, I've beaten him unconscious with no bounty. — Unsigned comment by 152.23.19.113 (talk) at 16:25 on 2 May 2011

dion attacked[edit]

the guard captain Dion attacked the count during the fight a little help?and neither is winning because there both essential (Timedragon1 00:17, 21 May 2011 (UTC))

Try leaving the area and coming back a day later. Legoless 00:47, 21 May 2011 (UTC)
ok that worked thanks (Timedragon1 13:58, 21 May 2011 (UTC))

Deleted Bug[edit]

I never could make this bug appear, but since the UOP addresses it, it could be wrong to remove it entirely:

  • If you wait inside the castle for 24 hours after Mercator Hosidus tells you to come back tomorrow, it is possible that Mercator just keeps telling you to come back tomorrow. If this happens, go outside the castle before waiting (or finish other quests). If this fails, save and reload the game, then talk to Mercator again.

Can anybody trigger this bug and test it - or maybe you can explain further, Manic? --Krusty 20:59, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

I have covered this entire quest today several times. The bug below triggered, but not this one. I have a feeling the UOP addresses the below bug. Location has no effect what so ever. The only thing that I find causes these bugs is when you have multiple quest involving the Count open. I had the Vampire Cure and the Ulterior motives active and this bug never happened once. I did find some different occurence to do with the keys and the Necromancer robes he supposedly has. See here. This is not related to this topic, but its something that repeatedly occured. --Manic 21:37, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

Strange bug when Fast Traveling[edit]

In curiosity from the bug I ran into with Noveni Othran (refer to the talk page there for more info), I attempted to see if Mercator would fall under the same issue. Apparently, it had a much rather opposite effect. Fast traveling away and waiting for some 14 some hours to get him to appear didn't work...and upon returning, he has completely vanished. I don't know if that means he is pursuing me on the map or not, but all that's left are his two followers (which I can talk to). Basically, it's obvious for the quest that you shouldn't fast travel away but if you do...looks like he disappears completely.

An edit to my previous statement, apparently he WILL show up and lose his confronting nature if you move away a bit onto the road. I had life detection on to search for him and I spun around to see him move between his two friends. You have to initiate conversation yourself by speaking with him to force the attack.

Interesting...just an extra tidbit but all the Necromancers were set to high levels of disposition thanks to me persuading them both and they didn't attack, though after Janus was knocked out, they turned on each other. After one emerged victorious, he stood there and Janus walked off forgetting about them both...odd. Had to end up killing the remaining friendly necromancer to get Hassildor to speak to me and it seems that the quest will progress normally.

Anyways, not really worth putting on the main page I already know that just an observation really. TVthePunisher 08:19, 25 August 2011 (UTC)

solution to count not talking[edit]

Several people on this page have reported a bug where after the battle is over and the count speaks to you, he only has the standard conversational topics and does not discuss the quest with you. If anyone else has that problem, here's the solution. Open the console, click on the count, and type: startconversation player mg09choice1a. Hit enter, close the console, and the count will initiate the proper conversation. — Unsigned comment by 173.59.59.14 (talk) at 18:49 on 14 August 2015

Added it to the page. -- SarthesArai Talk 09:10, 15 August 2015 (UTC)