Skyrim:Balance of Power - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) (2024)

Quick Walkthrough[edit]

1. Speak to Ri'saad and read his note.
2. Locate and kill the Saints and the Seducers in their camps near Whiterun. You will then learn the location of their leaders.
3. Track down both Kinthal and Svarig to their respective camp, kill them, and read their journals to begin the mission Restoring Order.
4. Return to Ri'saad for your reward.

Detailed Walkthrough[edit]

To begin the quest, locate the Khajiit trader Ri'saad. He and his caravan often travel through Skyrim, but will stop for several days outside major cities such as Whiterun or Markarth. Upon locating him, you will have a new dialogue option to ask about the trouble his caravan has been running into. Wishing to remain discreet, he will give you a note, which explains the situation. As the note states, recently his caravan has been beset by strange new bandits at two locations: one near North Brittleshin Pass and another near Fort Kastav. The only other information he can provide is that one group wears gleaming golden armor while the other wears dark armor.

Tracking down the two camps, you will find each location containing 3-4 bandits and a cage. Each group's leader will have a journal indicating the location of the leader of their respective gang, along with a key to the camp's cage. Inside each cage is an Elytra Nymph that you can talk to and obtain as a pet. Obtaining both pets will complete their respective miscellaneous quests. At the first Saints bandit camp, be sure to loot and read the Notes on the Blacksmith off the corpse of the Saints Bandit Leader to begin a quest to unlock Golden and Dark smithing. At the first Seducers bandit camp is a knapsack containing the Bandit's Note on Hidden Treasure; reading it will start the miscellaneous quest to unlock a Daedric artifact.

Using the information from the bandit leader journals, locate and kill the true gang leaders: Kinthal for the Saints and Svarig for the Seducers. Be sure to loot the two unique soul gems at the altar where Kinthal is located. Combining the information from both journals will explain that the bandit gangs were funded by a wizard named Thoron, and that he seems to be hiding out in the sewers beneath Solitude. Reading either of the leader's journals will start the next quest, Restoring Order, although you must read both journals to discover Thoron's exact location.

With this information in hand, return to Ri'saad and let him know the two groups are no longer a danger. He will thank you and reward you with 300 gold, thus completing the quest.

Notes[edit]

• The camp near Fort Kastav is next to the soldiers that will aid during Rescue from Fort Kastav. They will aid in the fight and start this quest if not already obtained.
• After you've killed Kinthal or Svarig (or both), you may be randomly attacked by bandits from either group, or both at the same time. One of the bandits will have a note from Thoron commanding them to kill you as revenge for their leader's death.
• With ^CC also installed, a destroyed caravan loaded with Dwemer artifacts will appear right next to Svarig's camp whether you have started that creation's main quest or not. Reading the Carriage Driver's Note, which is found among the wreckage, will start that quest with the first stages skipped.
• This quest can also be triggered when stumbling upon a Seducer's camp by accident.

Bugs[edit]

• After defeating Svarig, the quest to defeat him will not show as completed.

Quest Stages[edit]

Balance of Power (ccBGSSSE025_QuestA)
Stage	Finishes Quest	Journal Entry
100		I've heard a rumor that a Khajiit caravan merchant has been running into trouble with bandits along the road, and is in need of assistance. I should speak to him if we ever cross paths. Objective 0: Speak to Ri'saad about trouble along the road
200		I spoke to Ri'saad, the traveling caravan merchant, about trouble along the road. He handed me a note that has more details. Objective 10: Read Ri'saad's note
300		In Ri'saad's note, he details that he has been attacked by bandit gangs calling themselves the "Saints" and "Seducers" wielding strange weapons and armor. He noted the location where they were each last seen along his route. Ri'saad is offering a reward for defeating these new bands of thugs. Objective 20: Locate the Saints bandit camp Objective 21: Locate the Seducers bandit camp
400		I've located the bandits that call themselves the Saints. I must deal with them in order to make this trade route safer to travel. I've located bandits wielding strange weapons and armor; these must be the bandits the Khajiit caravan merchant was rumored to be having trouble with. I should deal with them in order to learn more and make this trade route safer to travel. Objective 30: Defeat the Saints bandit leader
420		I defeated the Saints bandits. I should investigate the campsite. I defeated the bandits. I should investigate the campsite. Objective 40: Investigate the Saints bandit camp
425		I discovered a journal on one of the bandits. I should read it to learn more about who they are. Objective 45: Read the Saints bandit leader's journal
430		It seems like more of the Saints bandits have set up camp elsewhere, along with their leader. The location of their leader's camp was detailed in a journal I discovered. It seems like more of the roadside bandits, who call themselves the Saints, have set up camp elsewhere with their leader. The location of their leader's camp was in a note I discovered. Another group of bandits, the Seducers, are also causing trouble for travelers. Objective 50: Locate Kinthal's Saints bandit camp
440		I've located more of the Saints bandits, along with their leader. I will need to defeat them. Objective 60: Defeat Kinthal
450		I have defeated the Saints bandit leader. I should look around for more information. Objective 70: Search Kinthal's Saints bandit camp
455		I found a journal on the leader of the Saints bandits. I should read it to see if there is anything more to learn about these strange criminals. Objective 75: Read Kinthal's journal
460		I discovered a note that detailed how the Saints bandits are being assisted by a conjurer who seeks strange artifacts. The note was vague about his whereabouts, only noting that he is somewhere in Solitude. I should now finish eliminating the Seducers, the other bandit group causing trouble for Ri'saad's caravans. Perhaps I can learn more about this conjurer and where to find him.
500		I've located the bandits that call themselves the Seducers. To make the roads safer to travel, and learn more about the bandits, I will have to defeat them. I've located bandits wielding strange weapons and armor; these must be the bandits the Khajiit caravan merchant was rumored to be having trouble with. I should deal with them in order to learn more and make this trade route safer to travel. Objective 31: Defeat the Seducers bandit leader
520		I defeated the Seducers bandits. I should investigate the campsite. I defeated the bandits. I should investigate the campsite. Objective 41: Investigate the Seducers bandit camp
525		I found a journal on the bandit leader. I should read it to learn more about who they are. Objective 46: Read the Seducers bandit leader's journal
530		It seems like more of the Seducers bandits have set up camp elsewhere, along with their leader. The location of their leader's camp was detailed in a journal I discovered. The bandits, who call themselves the Seducers, are using an artifact to summon Daedra into our realm through a ritual in order to obtain their equipment. The location of the ritual site was in a note I found at their camp. Another group of bandits, the Saints, are also causing trouble for travelers. Objective 51: Locate Svarig's Seducers bandit camp
540		I've located more of the Seducers bandits, along with their leader. I will need to defeat them. Objective 61: Defeat Svarig
550		I have defeated the Seducers bandit leader. I should look around for more information. Objective 71: Search Svarig's Seducers bandit camp
555		I found the journal of the leader of the Seducers bandits. I should read it to see if there is anything more to learn about these strange criminals. Objective 76: Read Svarig's journal
560		I discovered a note that detailed how the Seducers bandits are being assisted by a conjurer who seeks strange artifacts. The note was vague about his whereabouts, only noting that he is somewhere in a sewer. I should now finish eliminating the Saints, the other bandit group causing trouble for Ri'saad's caravans. Perhaps I can learn more about this conjurer and where to find him.
900		I have defeated the Saints and Seducers bandit leaders, and now the roads should be safer to travel. I should speak to Ri'saad to let him know. Objective 80: Return to Ri'saad Objective 81: Speak to Ri'saad
2000		I spoke to Ri'saad, who rewarded me for defeating the bandits and helping make the roads safe to travel.

• The following empty quest stages were omitted from the table: 0.

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