Beyond Skyrim:Cyrodiil/Bjarni Shatter-Stone

Bjarni Shatter-Stone (RefID: xx08ACC4)
Location	Fort Pale Pass
Race	Nord	Gender	Male
Level	PC×1.2 (range=15-60)	Class	Soldier
RefID	xx08ACC4	BaseID	xx08ACC1
Other Information
Health	80+(PC)×?	Magicka	50
Stamina	50+(PC)×?
Primary Skills	Block, Archery, Two-handed, One-handed
Class Details	CWSoldierClass
Morality	No Crime	Aggression	Aggressive
Faction(s)	CYRPrisonerFaction; CYRFortPalePassPrisonerFaction; CYRStormcloakFaction

Bjarni Shatter-Stone

Bjarni Shatter-Stone is a Nord Stormcloak soldier who is held captive at Fort Pale Pass. During the related quest, Legate Precilius Varro will enlist your help in interrogating him.

You will first find Bjarni sullenly kneeling in his cell in the dungeon and fairly unresponsive to your questioning, unless you have a high Speech skill. If you manage to ferret out the necessary information from him and report back to the jailer, a number of his companions will try to break him out of his cell. Once you have dispatched them, two Penitus Oculatus agents will show up and teleport Bjarni to Blue River Prison with them.

If at any point you decide to side with Bjarni and help him escape, you can lead him out of the cells and to freedom, where he will be rescued by a band of fellow Stormcloaks. After you have aided them in defeating the fort's garrison, Bjarni will thank you and ask for your name. If you tell him, a few days later you will be approached by a courier with a letter from Bjarni and 500 gold.

Bjarni wears a roughspun tunic and footwraps, although he will immediately equip any items you give him if you help him escape.

Related Quests

• A Stormcloak in Chains: Help or hinder a captured Stormcloak.

Quest-Related Events

When first arriving at Fort Pale Pass, you will witness Legate Precilius Varro talking to one of his soldiers:

Varro: "Report, soldier. Any luck?"

Soldier: "None, sir. We persuaded him, we threatened him, we even beat him... still wouldn't talk."

Varro: "Gah, damn it all. Unsurprising, though, sadly. This one's stubborn. Too stubborn for his own good. Still, you did all you could, and that's admirable in itself. Now go, get back to your regular shift. Damn it all. I'm at a loss. Divines - how can I get that damned guy to shut up and comply?"

If you approach the Legate, he will reveal who he is talking about:

What was that conversation all about?

"What was that conversation about? It was about possibly the most stubborn prisoner we've ever captured and incarcerated here. We caught him crossing the border a few days ago. Since then, he's been raving incoherently. Well, he's coherent, but near delusional. We've been meaning to interrogate him, but every time I've sent one of my soldiers to do it he's refused. And, you know the worst damned part? I feel for him. He's clearly somewhere between naive and insane, and the Penitus Oculatus aren't the most merciful sort. They'll come for him soon, make no doubt about it. And when they do - he'll face a fate much worse than any of my troops could dispatch. It's not the best situation, but my hands are tied."

What will happen if you can't get the information out of him here?

"He'll be carted off by the Penitus Oculatus, the Empire's secret police. I've heard a lot about how they operate, none of it pretty. I'd prefer to resolve this situation here before sending this guy off to them. Divines know it'd probably be a fate worse than death. But if no one's able to successfully interrogate him, well, my hands are tied."

A sullen but unbroken Bjarni

If you agree to help, he will send you off to the prisons to interrogate Bjarni. When you first speak to him, he will say:

"What? Who are you? You're not one of these damned Imperial soldiers. Are you here to rescue me?"

I have some questions for you.

"Questions! Ha! Do your worst, dog. I will never break. Never!"

I'm with the Imperials. And you're going to answer my questions.

"What? You think you're going to get me to betray my cause? Betray my oath? Ha! Imperial dog, you are nothing!"

At this point, you can either proceed with the interrogation or rescue Bjarni:

Help Varro

Should you continue with your questioning, you will have a choice of three approaches: Persuasion, Intimidation and Illusion. To be successful you will need to pass an Average Speech challenge for the first option; have a combination of a Speech skill above 40 and at least level 12 for the second; and an Illusion skill above 50 for the third:

Answer	Success	Fail
It's in your best interests to comply. The Penitus Oculatus... (Persuade)	"The Penitus Oculatus? After me? Oh, by Talos... what have I done? What have I gotten myself into? Fine, fine. I'll comply. I mean, no, I won't - Talos... I... oh, by the Divines..."	"Ha! You're bluffing. The Penitus Oculatus! They don't even exist! An old wives' tale!"
Tell me everything. Now. Or face the consequences. (Intimidate)	"Whoa, whoa, easy, easy! Don't kill me."	"Ha! You think I'm scared, Imperial dog? I will never break..."
You will tell me everything. You have no choice. (Illusion)	"Wha? I will never- Oh. Oh, my. I don't feel so good. What... was I saying? I... yes. I'll... tell you what I know. I... of course."	"Ha! I'm not going to tell you a thing."

Whatever the approach, if you succeed he will reveal:

All right. Tell me: why did you cross the border?

"Because Skyrim is suffering under the Empire's yoke! We're not even allowed to worship our own damned gods. You wouldn't understand. You're an Imperial dog, a toadie for the Thalmor. But we deserve freedom! And to truly achieve freedom, we need to end the Empire - strike at its heart - Cyrodiil, the Imperial City - and the rest will crumble."

At this point, the Jailer will walk over and ask you for a private chat:

Bjarni: "Oh, Talos. Here comes the damned jailer. Just what I needed. Someone else to rub salt in the wound."

Jailer: "I see your interrogation's going well. Better than any of the other sops that've tried, at any rate."

Bjarni: "Bloody jailer. Come to gawk at the poor, helpless Stormcloak? You'll pay, damned Imperial. You'll all pay!"

Jailer: "You say that every day. Still haven't found a way to break through those bars, though, have you?"

After you return from the chat with the Jailer, Bjarni will defiantly say:

"You know what? While you were back there exchanging poisonous words with your jailer friend, I've decided. I'm not talking. Mhm. No more!"

Again, you will have various options. Extracting the next piece of information will require even higher levels of Speech or Illusion to persuade or mind-read: passing a Hard Speech challenge or having a minimum skill of 75. Intimidation skill and level requirements remain the same as above:

Answer	Success	Fail
Whose orders do you follow? It's in your interest to comply. (Persuade)	"Fine, fine."	"Ha! I'm not going to tell you a thing."
Tell me whose orders you're following or you'll wish for death. (Intimidate)	"Woah, woah, okay, okay!"	"I'm not afraid of you, coward."
Your protests are in vain. Speak, worm. (Illusion)	"No! Don't you dare-"	"Ha! I'm not going to tell you a thing."

Whichever approach you utilize, he will then admit:

"I... I crossed the border through... Serpent's Trail. An old... smuggling route. I... We're not part of the main Stormcloak army. At least, not any more. We call ourselves the Stormcloak Breakaways."

The usual three choices are again available to extract the final bits of information. To be successful you will need to pass a Very Hard Speech challenge for Persuasion or having an Illusion skill of 100. Intimidation skill and level requirements remain the same as above:

Answer	Success	Fail
Don't resist. Tell me the whereabouts of your accomplices too. (Persuade)	"Fine, fine. I'll tell you everything, silver-tongued scamp."	"Ha! Trying to sway me with your honeyed words? Afraid it's not going to work."
The whereabouts of your accomplices? Tell me. Now. (Intimidate)	"All right, all right! No need to get violent."	"I'm not afraid of you, Imperial dog. Your threats are hollow!"
I want more, worm. Do you have any accomplices? Where are they? (lllusion)	"Aaaaaaaaggggh! My mind! You're - you're wracking my brain!"	"Ha! I'm not going to tell you a thing."

Broken, he will then reveal:

"There are... others. Not sure how many. I was never in command. Just their... forward scout. One of them, at any rate. But I know of... at least six others. Three of them crossed the border. Came down here. Not reported back in weeks. The others? Three of them. Waiting on the Skyrim side of the border. Lying in wait. Waiting for my report. Given that I've been stuck in here for days... bet they're running out of patience, right quick."

While you are reporting back to the jailer, you will be interrupted by Bjarni and his comrades attempting a jailbreak:

Bjarni: "Quickly! Get the door open! Before the jailer and his little bootlicker come back!"

Stormcloak: "Shut up and keep it down! I'm working on it, but, turns out, buying stacks of black market invisibility potions leaves little coin for lockpicks."

"I'm not afraid of whatever you're going to do to me, Imperial dogs."

After you've dispatched Bjarni's companion, defeat the other Stormcloaks who have infiltrated the fort. Once you reach the main courtyard outside, you will find two Penitus Ocalatus agents ready to spirit Bjarni away, at which point he will make a final attempt to bring you to his side:

Penitus Oculatus: "Ah. It seems the prisoner is here now. I must say, Legate - your operation is quite efficient."

Bjarni: "I'm not afraid of whatever you're going to do to me, Imperial dogs. Give it your best."

Varro: "Are you really going to take him away? His plot was stupid, there's no way he could have done it. He might be insane, for all we know."

Penitus Oculatus: "The security of the Empire comes before all else, Legate. You will come to understand in time."

Bjarni: "You, there! You may be a lapdog of the Imperials, but it's not too late. Put down these damned Imperials. Free me! Don't let them cart me away!"

Penitus Oculatus: "Enough of these foolish overtures. This way."

If you do nothing, the agent will then teleport himself, his comrade and Bjarni away from the fort.

Help Bjarni

Should you instead decide to assist Bjarni, when you are first meant to interrogate him you can say:

I'm a Stormcloak, too. Just keep it down and tell me what's going on.

"Oh. Oh! A true Son/daughter of Skyrim! My heart gladdens to see you in this hive of Imperial bootlickers."

I want to free you.

"You want to free me? Oh, praise Talos!"

At this point you can actually still change your mind and interrogate him:

Actually, I have some questions for you.

"What? You don't want to - fine, then, dog. Do your worst."

Otherwise, you can confirm:

Yes, let's hurry!

"It's time for you to go."

The jailer will now come over to ask for a private chat. Once that's done, return to Bjarni to put the plan in motion:

"All right, friend. First thing that needs done if I'm to get out of here is simple - unlocking the damned cell. Way I see it, best way is to jam something in the lock and fiddle it open, if you've got some breaking and entering experience under your belt. If you're not a born thief, though... the jailer. He has a key. But he won't give it up easy. Good luck, friend. Watch yourself. And may Talos guide you."

After you've managed to free him, he will give you a choice:

"All right, friend. It would seem Talos smiles on me today. Here's hoping I remain in his favor in the moments to come. We're going to have to get out of the fort, one way or the other. Question is - how will we do it? We've got a jail full of bitter prisoners here, ready to take up arms against the Empire for their freedom. I say we give them that chance. But what say you?"

Let's take the stealth approach - sneak out of here without an armed mob.

"Aww, really? I always liked the idea of being a bold leader of men. Even if it's part of a jailbreak, and the 'men' are random filthy prisoners."

I say we free the prisoners. Start an uprising.

"Haha, friend, I like the way you think! I knew we were kindred spirits the moment I set eyes on you through the bars of my cell."

Either way he will continue:

"Well, then. Best hop to it, eh, friend? May Talos guide us."

If you do choose to cause a mass jailbreak, he will be delighted:

Bjarni: "Haha! Today is a glorious day! Today is the day that Bjarni Shatter-Stone is freed of his captivity! I thank you for releasing me from my captivity, friend. But as you no doubt know, this is only the first skirmish in the war. The war for my freedom! So, fellow prisoners. Fellow captives of these Imperial Legion dogs. I ask you this - do you stand with me?"

Prisoner: "By "stand with me" you mean "get the Oblivion out of here", right?"

Bjarni: "Yes, of course, you will. But you'll also get to stand with the mighty-"

Prisoner: "Yeeeaaahhhh!"

If you initially decided not to free any other prisoners, he will instead say:

"It's now or never, friend. Rescue the other prisoners if you want to build up a little entourage to help us get out of here alive. Otherwise... we'd best get cracking."

Whatever your choice, after you've dispatched the jailer and another guard, you will emerge into the fort proper. Bjarni will now suggest:

"Hey! I heard talk amongst the guards on my way in. To the right - that leads to our freedom. But to the left... the captain's quarters. Might be worth skulking around in there. I bet the captain has some things we could use."

If you take him up on the suggestion and scour Varro's quarters, you will make an interesting discovery:

"Hang on a minute, would you look at this! An old Imperial horn! These things are what the superior officers use to make commands. Summon reinforcements. Sound alarms. And lord their authority over their underlings, if my experience is any indication. I have an idea. I have a few allies - breakaways from the main Stormcloak army - waiting for me on the other side of the border. I say you grab the horn quickly. Then we take it up top and blow it, loud as we can. Summon some help for the confrontation ahead! Up to you, though."

Fight or sneak your way through the fort with Bjarni in tow until you reach the common dining area. From here, if you have the horn, you can make your way up to the tower. Once you're outside Bjarni will ask:

"All right. We're here. Are you ready to summon the reinforcements?"

I'm not ready to call the reinforcements yet.

"All right. Let me know if you change your mind."

I'm ready. Blow the horn - call the reinforcements.

"Gods, I hope this works."

As he blows the horn he will say:

"All right. Here goes nothing."

After blowing it, he will comment:

"All right... I think that about did it. Told the lads and lasses beforehand to listen out for a signal. Hopefully they put two and two together. Right, well... I think we'd best get back to the whole "getting the Oblivion out of here" thing, eh, friend?"

Speaking to him throughout the jailbreak will simply have him say:

"Best stay focused on the task at hand, eh?"

A disappointed Varro

Once you emerge outside, Varro will be waiting for you:

Varro: "I'm sorry I have to do this. Really, I am. But it's time to face the consequences of your actions..."

Stormcloak Reinforcements: "You called, Bjarni?"

Varro: "What in Oblivion...?"

Bjarni: "Yeah. In a spot of bother, as you can see. Think it's time we took care of this troublesome border checkpoint, once and for all, as we'd planned."

Varro: "Troops, what in the name of the Divines are you waiting for? Get them! Now!"

After the Imperial troops have been defeated:

"Haha! Freedom! At last, true freedom for Bjarni Stone-Fist!"

He will then turn to you:

"Thank you, friend, for all that you've done for me this day. To aid a Stormcloak in a jailbreak, on this side of the border, even... Well, it takes some stones. Takes some guts. Sadly, however, I suspect this is the part where we go our separate ways. I've got to reconnect with my brothers and sisters in Skyrim. There is much yet to do. Much yet to plan. And, well, friend, I need a rest! And some nice, warm mead... prison breaking gives a man a thirst. In terms of reward, as you've probably guessed, I'm a little light on coin right now. But I promise I'll set right this debt, as soon as I'm able. To that end, friend, care to tell me your name? Not sure I caught it before- guess we were too busy muddling our way through hordes of Imperials, eh?"

I'd prefer not to say.

"Well, a man in my predicament understands that better than most. Good to keep a low profile, eh? In that case, I guess I can't do much in the way of tracking you down to pay you back, though. Downside of keeping on the down-low, I guess."

My name is <Alias=Player>.

"Ah, so that's your name, eh, friend? I admit, not exactly what I was expecting. Well, then. Keep an eye on the horizon, traveler. I'll find a way to pay you back. Don't you worry."

Goodbye, Bjarni.

"Goodbye, friend. And good luck."

After this he will run off and disappear from the game.