Tamriel Rebuilt:Caught Off-Guard

Spring a trap to catch a burglar. Quest Giver: Relamus Saravyne Location(s): Bosmora Prerequisite Quest: The Company We Keep Reward: 500 gold OR 300 gold and the Watchman's Ring ID: TR_m3_Bo_Burglar2

You must spring a trap in the vault of Bosmora

Quick Walkthrough

1. Speak to Relamus Saravyne.
2. Wait two days.
3. Enter the vault in Bosmora between 5 and 7am, and speak to Ararvyne Saram.
4. Wait until evening and apprehend the thief. Either:
   • Arrest them for 300 gold and the Watchman's Ring.
   • Kill them for 500 gold.
5. Return to Relamus for your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough

This quest follows directly on from The Company We Keep. Relamus Saravyne asks for your assistance with his cunning plan. It turns out that the guards of the Indoril vault in Bosmora are being called away to attend a lecture by the usually reclusive Meris Denaven of Denaven Manor, for a lecture on 'the nonviolent resolution of conflicts'.

While the guards are gone, he wants you to hide in the vault and apprehend the thief. You need to sneak into the vault before dawn on the day of the lecture, and wait until evening for the thief to appear.

This quest is timed - once you've been given it by Relamus, you must get into the vault 'before dawn' in two days time, and speak to Ararvyne Saram inside. A journal update will trigger at the start of the day in which you need to enter the vault, so keep an eye out for it. You must enter the vault between 5am and 7am. Speak to Ararvyne and he will unlock the door. Your job is to guard the corridor between the two level 100 locked doors, and you'll need to wait until evening for anything to happen (activate the chair in the corridor to do this).

You will be awoken from your wait by muffled noises. The door at the top of the stairs will unlock, and an invisible thief, Balamus Arthre will walk down the stairs. Talk to him. You can convince him to stand down and be arrested: appealing to reason ("Be reasonable...") needs 40 Speechcraft to succeed, appealing to good nature ("you're just a thief") needs 65 Speechcraft and 30 Personality). If a high strength or level, you can intimidate him into surrender. You can alternatively kill him there and then.

If you kill him, use the chair to wait for Relamus's return, and then speak to him in his quarters for your reward of 500 gold. Having him arrested yield slightly less gold (300) and a Watchman's Ring.

Sadly, whatever happens, he will not unlock the vault door for you - he will simply leave if not challenged, having seen Araryvyne guarding the door. You can pick the lock yourself however, and rob the vault - but you will need to kill Ararvyne Saram to get away with it, and pin the burglary on him.

Quest Stages

Caught Off-Guard (TR_m3_Bo_Burglar2)
Index	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
10		Relamus Saravyne is setting up a trap. I will have to get inside the Indoril Vault before dawn in two days, and wait for the thief who he expects will be lured in.
19		The plan to catch the thief will be set in motion tomorrow. I need to get to the vault before daybreak in order to ensure my presence there goes unnoticed.
20		Dawn approaches, and I have not yet entered the vault...
21		The trap is set. All that is left is to wait for the evening, when the guards leave Bosmora.
25	Finishes quest	The sun is up, and I didn't get to the vault in time. I doubt the plan can still be enacted now.
26	Finishes quest	I didn't initiate setting up the trap in time, and Ararvyne Saram isn't willing to go along with the plan anymore.
27	Finishes quest	I gave up and left the vault. Bosmora can look out for the thief on its own.
30		Ararvyne Saram somehow managed to take notice when I opened the "locked" door behind which he was standing, and didn't seem too pleased.
40		I have convinced the thief to stand down. He turned out to be Balamus Arthre, a local Dunmer.
41		I have subdued the thief, who turned out to be Balamus Arthre, a local Dunmer.
42		I have killed the thief, who turned out to be Balamus Arthre, a local Dunmer.
43		I stood guard in the vault until nightfall, but nothing happened.
44		Night falls. It is by now unlikely for anyone other than the guards to show up in the vault. I may have heard some noises during the evening, but if they indicated the presence of a thief, they must be gone now.
96	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne is dead.
98	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne scolded me about not following his plan, and wants nothing to hear from me anymore.
99	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne was disappointed that his plan yielded no results, but paid me for my time spent guarding the vault.
100	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne had his guards take care of Balamus Arthre, and asked me to go see him in his quarters.
101	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne took note of Balamus Arthre's end, and asked me to go see him in his quarters.
110	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne rewarded me with some gold and his enchanted ring for catching the thief.
111	Finishes quest	Bosmora's thief having been put permanently out of action, Relamus Saravyne rewarded me with some gold.
112	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne seemed to accept the idea that Ararvyne Saram was the thief, and asked me to go see him in his quarters.
113	Finishes quest	Relamus Saravyne rewarded me with some gold for catching the "thief".
122	Finishes quest	I've been accused of murdering Ararvyne Saram, which doesn't bode well for the vault job.
130	Finishes quest	It seems some of the Indoril vault's contents were misplaced, and Relamus Saravyne blames me... for letting it happen. This is probably the end of our business together.
131	Finishes quest	It seems some of the Indoril vault's contents were misplaced, and Ararvyne Saram has taken the fall for that too. Being dead, he probably won't mind the subterfuge.